2/15 Sportscans - Pittsburgh Penguins

Transcription

SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 2/15/2013
Anaheim Ducks
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Up next for Ducks: Friday at Detroit
Karlsson injury has some Ducks praising Kevlar fabric
Boston Bruins
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Shawn Thornton of Bruins playing limited role
Bruins facing five straight road games
Chris Kelly’s goal is to score
Bruins head out for longest road trip of season
Buffalo Sabres
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Stafford zeroes in on ending drought
Message from upbeat Lindy: 'It's all on me to clean this mess
up'
Stafford Slump at 14 and counting
Video: More on Karlsson from NHL Network, Sens GM
Murray
Karlsson's injury will KO Sens
Veteran Matt Ellis embraces his role with Rochester Amerks
Calgary Flames
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Irving finding a way to get the job done
Karlsson injury stirs up memories for Flames
Offence not an issue for Hartley-led Flames
Cammalleri's hunt for goal No. 200
Flames coach talks about fight with depression
Flames coach overcomes fight with depression
Horak gets lineup spot
Hudler and Cervenka living up to expectations
Puck Stops Here - Expansion then realignment
Carolina Hurricanes
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Chicago Blackhawks
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Carcillo returns to Blackhawks practice
Preview: Sharks at Blackhawks
Kane gains respect for Thornton
Carcillo back at practice
Blackhawks’ Daniel Carcillo returns to practice
Blackhawks’ Sharp not worried about ‘slump’
Bickell comes through big
Hawks' Carcillo has had enough of sitting on the sidelines
Blackhawks, Sharp surprise one lucky fan on Valentine's
Day
Avalanche's J.S. Giguere happy for start vs. Minnesota Wild
Avs, Predators renew acquaintances in Monday matinee
Colorado Avalanche knocks off Minnesota Wild on Milan
Hejduk's birthday bash
Minnesota Wild's Zenon Konopka worthy of NHL respect
Avalanche beat Wild 4-3 in shootout on Hejduk's birthday
Blue Jackets players on notice as new GM takes over
Blue Jackets notebook: Defense at full strength with Aucoin,
Moore back
Jackets, Kings at a glance
Stars' Brenden Dillon, now 6-foot-3, was once a 5-2
teenager
With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip
Larsen
Heika: In seven years, Brenden Dillon has gone from Ugly
Duckling to Ironman
As Stars face Vancouver, Jamie Benn faces off against the
type player he can become
Heika: Jaromir Jagr has been worth every penny in his
contract, but I'm not sure they would want him back
With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip
Larsen
GameDay: Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks
Fort Worth ready to reach out to Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
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Columbus Blue Jackets
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Hurricanes come home, top Maple Leafs 3-1
Colorado Avalanche
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Dallas Stars
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On Valentine's Day, Red Wings delight in bromance
between Daniel Cleary, Shawn Horcoff
Red Wings tout Kevlar socks after gruesome Erik Karlsson
injury
Winging It in Motown: Please, let's see more young guys in
Red Wings' lineup
At 42, Mighty Ducks' Teemu Selanne an ageless scorer
Karlsson's lacerated Achilles has more Wings considering
Kevlar
Several Red Wings contemplate Kevlar protection following
Erik Karlsson's Achilles tendon injury
Red Wings hoping to trim ice time for top players and play
third and fourth lines more
Red Wings' Johan Franzen still out for Friday's game; Jimmy
Howard to make fourth start in row vs. Ducks
Red Wings forced to alter their ways a bit due to lack of
puck-moving defensemen
Red Wings' Jimmy Howard determined not to be distracted
as contract talks begin with club
Detroit Red Wings talk about protection from injuries
Edmonton Oilers
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Klefbom sets sights on next season
Playing spectator ‘tough to take’ for veteran Smyth
Would Ryan Whitney be a fit in Ottawa with Karlsson out?
With two general managers fired, should the Edmonton
Oilers’ Steve Tambellini be worried?
Florida Panthers
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Florida Panthers fall to Montreal Canadiens in defensive
struggle
Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 on Bourque's OT goal
Recap: Florida vs. Montreal
BEE MINE: Canadiens Score First and Last, Drop Panthers
1-0 in OT ... Versteeg Misses Game
Jonathan Huberdeau the center of attention on young line
Habs' Bourque's goal in OT breaks Panthers heart in 1-0
loss
Los Angeles Kings
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Kings goalie Jonathan Quick dealing with the ups and downs
of position
February 14 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter
Competition on defense
February 14 practice quotes: Jonathan Quick
Mitchell tweets
Jack Johnson: “It’s just another game now”
Minnesota Wild
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Coyle returned to Houston for now; Kassian clears waivers;
New lines for tonight
Oscar winner's documentary on fighting in NHL makes Minn.
premiere Friday
Yeo not happy after shootout loss to Avs; Clutterbuck hurt;
Pens GM scouts game
Avs rally, edge Wild in shootout
Game recap: Colorado over Wild
Coyle demoted to Houston so Bouchard can play more
New Wild exec Andrew Brunette: 'Retiring was a lot harder
than I thought'
2014 Olympics: NHL players await decision
Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle, Matt Kassian headed to
Houston
Minnesota Wild's loss to lowly Avalanche makes little sense
Avalanche 4, Wild 3 (SO): Minnesota comes up empty in
shootout
Montreal Canadiens
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Bourque scores overtime winner to lift Habs over Panthers
Canadiens, Lightning swap goalies
New Bourque quickly erasing old Bourque
Habs end scoreless duel in OT
Concussion a blessing in disguise for goalie
About last night …
Prust, Armstrong, Gallagher sign for charity Friday in
Brossard
Liveblog: Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 in OT
Follow Habs vs. Panthers with HIO’s new Play-by-Play
feature
Nashville Predators
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Phoenix Coyotes' Steve Sullivan smiles at memories with
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators' offense assists stingy defense
Steve Sullivan flashes familiar form in return to Bridgestone
Arena
Near-misses motivate not frustrate Predators against
Phoenix
New Jersey Devils
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Blackhawks’ Road Feat Has Home Fans Roaring
USA Hockey Waiting on N.H.L.’s Decision
Devils' Pete DeBoer may suggest players wear Kevlar socks
Alexei Ponikarovsky will help Devils weather the storm
without Dainius Zubrus
Devils send Andrei Loktionov back to Albany (AHL)
Devils next: at Flyers
Northjersey.com : Sports
Sullivan: David Clarkson doing the dirty work for Devils
Devs to rise, shine
New York Islanders
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Islanders Rally to Edge Rangers in Shootout
Starting in 2nd Period, Isles Change Luck at Garden
Rangers bench Richards in shootout loss to Isles
Isles show their mettle to net biggest win of season
Islanders nip Rangers in shootout
Martin-Cizikas-McDonald line sparks Islanders
Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win
over Rangers
New York Rangers
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A quarter of the way through the NHL season, John
Tortorella stresses the need for NY Rangers to find their id
NY Rangers coach John Tortorella discusses Brian Boyle's
return, Ryan Callahan's move to Brad Richards' line b
Brian Boyle returning to NY Rangers lineup against
Islanders, Ryan Callahan skates in morning on line with Gab
NY Rangers backup goalie Marty Biron can't get the job
done against NY Islanders, but he's hardly the lone cul
NY Rangers center Brian Boyle in bang-up return
John Tavares and Frans Nielsen score in shootout to give
NY Islanders 4-3 victory over NY Rangers
Blueshirts unlikely to make offer to O’Reilly
Rangers notes: Brad Richards benched for most of third
period against Islanders
Martin Biron starts vs. Isles, Boyle in, Kreider sits, new lines
Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win
over Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist says he's past two late goals against
Bruins
It’s Go Time! … Islanders at Rangers
Islanders at Rangers tonight
Rangers-Islanders in review
Post-game notes: Rangers-Islanders
NHL
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Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season;
Kesler to play Friday
Accepting Karlsson injury was an accident simply not good
enough
Matt Cooke won’t be suspended for hit on Erik Karlsson: Cox
NHL, IIHF begin negotiating details of possible Olympic
participation in 2014
Erik Karlsson’s Achilles cut not impossible to prevent with
help of Kevlar socks
Fearing for his health, Canucks sideline Manny Malhotra for
rest of season
Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen finally gets NHL
spotlight he deserves
Ottawa Senators
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Erik Karlsson faces six months of recovery and rehabilitation
Melnyk hoping for ‘miracle,’ not ready to give up on playoffs
yet
Scanlan: Defiant Murray insists ‘we’ll recover from this’
Kekalainen to helm Blue Jackets
No supplementary discipline for Cooke after Karlsson injury
Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson becomes poster boy for
cut-resistant hockey socks
Erik Karlsson should return to top form
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke must pay for
injuring Erik Karlsson
Five most costly injuries in Ottawa Senators history
Ottawa Senators suffer painful loss
Ottawa Sens not giving up
Ottawa Senators looking for help
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk 'outraged' over loss of Erik
Karlsson
Rough day for Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray
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Toronto Maple Leafs fans don't bother Ottawa Senators
owner Eugene Melnyk
Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson done for season, Pittsburgh
Penguins' Matt Cooke skates away unscathed
Philadelphia Flyers
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Bleacher Report: Flyers' salary cap dilemma
Flyers continue trip in New Jersey
Flyers back Olympic participation
Giroux has what it takes to be a good Flyers captain
Report: $8,000 worth of Flyers tickets stolen from home
Couturier back on the road again
Flyers Scoop: Sean Couturier, mates happy to be on
upswing
Injured Meszaros returns to practice with Flyers
Flyers need Bryzgalov to be sharp vs. Devils
NHL Wrap: Isles top Rangers in shootout
Flyers: Couturier expected to return
Tampa Bay Lightning
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Toronto Maple Leafs
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Phoenix Coyotes
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Phoenix Coyotes give up 3 in the 3rd, fall to Nashville
Predators
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Pittsburgh Penguins
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Penguins defend Cooke; Bennett recalled
Sens defender Karlsson's season over after surgery on cut
Achilles
Kovacevic: Beau should know it’s his time
Penguins’ Bylsma proves he has staying power
Bylsma at 4 years: ‘It can be a positive thing to get a
message across’
Devils’ system generates success
Penguins promote former first-round pick
Penguins Cooke cleared in collision which led to injury
Top pick in 2010 for Penguins could debut tonight
San Jose Sharks
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San Jose Sharks: Chicago Blackhawks showing few
weaknesses
Sharks look to hand Chicago first regulation loss of season
Will the 'real' Sharks please stand up?
Havlat's demotion is opportunity for Kennedy
St Louis Blues
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Stewart, Berglund working to improve chemistry
Blues-Flames matchup box
Better defense leads to a better effort by Blues
Tampa Bay Lightning trade G Tokarski to Montreal for
Desjardins
Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen add scoring punch
Trade brings Desjardins back into fold
Lightning losing streak reaches 6 with loss to Capitals
NHL: Kevin Westgarth hopes union role won’t hurt career:
Cox
NHL: GMs hunt for Valentine’s Day clues
Maple Leafs crash in loss to Hurricanes: Cox
Reversal of road fortune for Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs fumble on Tobacco Road
Leafs look for fifth straight win against Canes
Goalie backups Scrivens, Ellis focus of Leafs-Canes tilt
Injured Leaf Gunnarsson tries massage
Karlsson injury an ugly reminder for Leafs captain
Hurricanes end the Leafs’ winning streak, start one of their
own in 3-1 win
A healthy scratch, Leafs’ Mike Komisarek will not rock the
boat
Vancouver Canucks
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Inside The Game: Stars versus Canucks
Canucks' Ryan Kesler plays coy with the media about return
Canucks notes: Erik Karlsson's injury brings back bad
memories for Kevin Bieksa
Ryan Kesler medically cleared to play, because his timing is
impeccable
Canucks' Manny Malhotra’s playing days over in Vancouver
Kesler returns Friday. Too soon? We’ll get back to you on
that one
Malhotra placed on IR for rest of season
Kesler back, Malhotra announcement soon
Gallagher: Lapierre down (in lineup) but not out
Willes: Malhotra the player can be replaced; Malhotra the
man, not so much
Canucks: No more baby steps — Kesler’s back
Canucks GM Gillis shuts down Malhotra with concerns about
eye injury compromising on-ice safety
Success of Canucks’ goaltending platoon subverts any talk
of controversy
Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season;
Kesler to play Friday
Washington Capitals
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Open thread: Capitals at Lightning
Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos on why NHL players should
participate in the Olympics
Caps discuss Kevlar socks in wake of injury to Senators’ Erik
Karlsson
Braden Holtby to make third consecutive start for Capitals
(updated)
Why the Caps don’t have a Kiss Cam
Adam Oates doesn’t think NHL players should participate in
Olympics
Adam Oates: Caps need Jason Chimera to be ‘reliable’ on
top line
Braden Holtby, Capitals hang on for third straight win
Capitals vs. Lightning: Eric Fehr scores twice as Washington
wins third straight, 4-3
NHL players in Olympics sparks difference of opinion
Capitals notes: Erik Karlsson injury has players pondering
safety
Websites
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ESPN / Off days don't exist for Blues
ESPN / Karlsson injury hurts more than just Sens
NBCSports.com / No Olympic decision this week, says NHL
deputy commish Daly
Sportsnet.ca / Spector on Cooke: Hockey's worst trade
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USA TODAY / Things to know about Thursday night's NHL
games
USA TODAY / Jeff Sauer named Paralympic sled hockey
coach
USA TODAY / 10 offseason NHL acquisitions that are
paying dividends
YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Don't blame Matt Cooke
for Erik Karlsson's devastating injury
Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf said the majority of his teammates wear the
Kevlar equipment, chiming in with "there's no real point in not wearing
them."
"Same thing with Jason Blake," Selanne continued. "If he would have had
this, he would have never cut his wrist last year."
Winnipeg Jets
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Noel says more ‘A’ games needed from players
Kane says race-related remarks were a specific reaction to
social media
657472 Pasquale's prospects positive
657473 Mach 2
657474 It's time to make the cut
657475 Bogo looks ready to go-go against Pens tonight
657476 It's not a black or white town
657477 Claude Noel not happy with his Winnipeg Jets at quarterpole: 'I don't like the way we play'
657478 Don Cherry: Winnipeg Jets problems start in goal
657479 Don Cherry says Evander Kane's race claim is ridiculous
657480 Eddie Pasquale ready to step in for Winnipeg Jets if need be
657481 Winnipeg Jets' Zach Bogosian a game-time decision
657482 'Winnipeg is a fishbowl': Jets star Evander Kane
SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129
657242
Selanne used the opportunity to display socks and arm sleeves he wears
that are made of Kevlar, a synthetic fiber that has numerous applications
and uses. Body armor is one example of where the high-strength fabric is a
component.
Anaheim Ducks
Up next for Ducks: Friday at Detroit
Corey Perry swears by the socks. Perry missed the final 12 games of the
2007-08 regular season when his right quadriceps tendon was lacerated by
a blade in Colorado.
"I actually like them," Perry said. "I think they're better than what we used to
wear. I don't mind. I don't notice it at all. You don't even feel them. They're
just regular socks. You can wear these every day if you wanted to."
Not every player is on board. Ducks forward Bobby Ryan tried them but has
stayed with the regular cotton or synthetic knit socks as a matter of comfort.
"Knock on wood, I've never had that injury and maybe it takes that injury to
wear those," Ryan said. "But I don't like the feel of them. They're tighter and
a little different up top. But I just really like thin socks. I don't even feel
they're on my feet.
"I just feel more comfortable. I tried them. They just weren't for me."
Like the common argument over whether visors should be made
mandatory, it comes down to personal choice. Selanne has long worn a
visor while Getzlaf ditched his this year but they're of like minds on the
benefits of Kevlar.
Asked if they should be mandatory, Selanne said, "Why not? If somebody
tells us that it bothers you wearing that kind of sock ..."
By Lance Pugmire
"They've got other problems," said Getzlaf, finishing the sentence.
"Exactly," Selanne added.
DUCKS AT DETROIT
Karlsson was in obvious pain after Cooke cut him while applying a check
during the game in Pittsburgh. Reports are that the Swede will be out at
least three-to-four months following surgery Thursday and could be lost for
the season.
When: 4:30 PST.
Where: Joe Louis Arena.
On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830.
Records: Ducks 9-2-1, Red Wings 7-4-2.
Record vs. Red Wings (2011-12): 1-2-1.
Update: Center Henrik Zetterberg has 13 assists for the Red Wings, who
rank among the league's worst in power-play and penalty-killing situations.
Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller skated through the full practice Thursday and
could play by Saturday, when the Ducks wrap up their six-game trip in
Nashville.
The winger knows all too well Karlsson is going through. Selanne was also
a young NHL star in January of 1994 when his Achilles was severed by
then-Mighty Ducks defenseman Don McSween while playing for Winnipeg
in a game in Anaheim.
Selanne offered hope for Karlsson. Karlsson's Achilles tendon was cut 70
percent, according to Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray. Selanne said
85 percent of his was sliced and that "it took me six months and it was
perfect."
LA Times: LOADED: 02.15.2013
"He will be 100 percent," said Selanne, who returned to play for Jokerit
during the 1994-95 lockout. "No problem at all. It's going to take time. It's
painful. God, it's not funny. Luckily it didn't go all the way."
657243
NOTES
Anaheim Ducks
Karlsson injury has some Ducks praising Kevlar fabric
By ERIC STEPHENS
Coach Bruce Boudreau said a decision on Jonas Hiller's availability for
Friday night's game against Detroit will be made soon after the goalie went
through another full practice. Hiller has missed two games because of a
lower-body injury suffered in Dallas. ... Boudreau said he is hopeful that
Cam Fowler, who has out five games with an upper-body injury, will skate
with the team on Monday when it returns home.
Orange County Register: LOADED: 02.15.2013
DETROIT – Teemu Selanne took his skate with the blade facing his right
arm and repeatedly ran over it to the amazement of reporters surrounding
his stall at Joe Louis Arena.
A piece of fabric was the only thing sitting in between. But Selanne kept
moving the skate back and forth without a pause.
657244
Boston Bruins
Shawn Thornton of Bruins playing limited role
"I think every player should have this kind of sleeve. This doesn't cut,"
Selanne said of the sturdy but flexibile piece of fabric. "If you have that,
there's nothing."
By Fluto Shinzawa
Ducks players have seen the gruesome injury suffered by Ottawa's Norris
Trophy-winning defenseman Erik Karlsson, whose Achilles tendon was
severed by the blade of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on Wednesday night.
WILMINGTON — During intermissions, the Bruins’ workhorses use every
bit of the 18-minute pauses to unwind and reload for the upcoming period.
So far, no such luxury has been available for Shawn Thornton.
While most of his teammates catch their breath, Thornton often rides a
stationary bike between periods.
“With my skate guards on sometimes. Seriously. Whatever it takes,”
Thornton said after Thursday’s practice at Ristuccia Arena. “It’s easier when
you’re playing 10 minutes a night as opposed to five minutes a night. But
we’re finding ways to get points and win most games. That’s most
important.”
Through nine games, Thornton (1-0—1) is averaging 5:12 of ice time, the
lowest of the 18 regular skaters. It is the least Thornton has averaged since
2007-08, his first season in Boston. That year, Thornton logged 7:23 per
game. Thornton’s highest workload was in 2008-09, when the right wing
averaged 10:02 of ice time.
There are several factors behind Thornton’s diminished workload. Injuries,
including Thornton’s concussion, have disrupted the fourth line. Thornton
missed games against Toronto and Montreal. Fourth-line left wing Daniel
Paille was unavailable for the same two games after being high-sticked.
The Bruins have been involved in close games, which has prompted coach
Claude Julien to roll three lines late. Six of the Bruins’ 11 games have been
decided by one goal, including three in shootouts.
Thornton also must sit during special-teams play. Paille and Gregory
Campbell are two of the six regular penalty-killing forwards. Usually after
each successful kill, Julien responds with his first line of Milan Lucic, David
Krejci, and Nathan Horton. Until Paille and Campbell recover from penalty
killing, the fourth line doesn’t often see five-on-five time until several evenstrength shifts have taken place.
Thornton is aware that his ice time doesn’t necessarily indicate the
coaching staff’s displeasure with his play. But that doesn’t make his
situation easier to accept.
player. But I think there’s more that’s expected of him. There’s more he can
be able to give us.”
Boston Globe LOADED: 02.15.2013
657245
Boston Bruins
Bruins facing five straight road games
By Fluto Shinzawa
WILMINGTON – The Bruins have concluded practice at Ristuccia Arena.
They will depart for Buffalo this afternoon.
Friday’s game against the Sabres marks the first of a five-game stretch
away from TD Garden. The Bruins will travel to Winnipeg on Saturday and
play the Jets on Sunday. They will return to Boston before leaving for
Tampa on Wednesday.
“It’s not going to be an easy road trip for all the obvious reasons,” Claude
Julien said of the upcoming two-game segment. “Buffalo’s certainly going to
want to bounce back from their loss to us less than a week ago. Winnipeg,
our players have yet to win a game in that rink. It’s certainly a good
challenge for us.”
The Bruins didn’t change their lineup from Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to
the Rangers. Here’s how they looked:
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin
Chris Bourque-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley
“I only had one shift in the last third period,” Thornton said of his playing
time in Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Rangers. “But we’re down a
couple goals. You’ve got to put the guys out there — even though I’m tied
with a few guys in goals — that you pay the money to score goals. And I get
that. That hasn’t changed over the years.”
Daniel Paille/Jay Pandolfo-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton
Preaching patience
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid
Dougie Hamilton is the best skater on the Boston blue line. He has agility
and straight-line speed. In the defensive zone, however, movement isn’t
necessarily encouraged.
Aaron Johnson
Lately, Julien has been reminding the 19-year-old to practice patience in the
defensive zone. For the defensemen, Julien’s system is one of
containment. Forwards pressure the puck. Defensemen are responsible for
specific patches of ice below the circles, in the corners, and in front of the
net.
Tuukka Rask
For young defensemen used to roaming, sitting back is easier said than
done.
“One of the mottos I use all the time with our system is that they’ll come to
you,” Julien said. “You don’t have to run all over the place. That’s where
he’s got himself in trouble. He’s a smart individual. He’ll catch on pretty
quickly.”
Along for the ride
Jay Pandolfo traveled with the team to Buffalo on Thursday for the second
time in less than a week. However, Pandolfo is on the payroll for this visit.
Last weekend, he was still on a professional tryout agreement. Pandolfo
signed his one-year, $600,000 contract on Tuesday. The left wing is
expected to be the healthy scratch Friday against the Sabres, although
Julien will not hesitate to play him. “He’s a veteran of many seasons,” Julien
said. “He’s in great shape. He knows his role. That’s why he’s still around.
He could definitely step in there and know exactly what to do.” . . . Last
season, Chris Kelly scored three goals in the first 11 games. This season,
he remains without a goal after 11 games. Kelly has been the most active
forward on the penalty kill (team-leading 2:42 of shorthanded ice time per
game), but his offense has yet to come. “He’ll certainly be the first guy to tell
you that he’s not at the top of his game yet,” Julien said. “At the same time,
he’s a veteran. He knows what he has to do.” . . . Tyler Seguin practiced on
the second line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, and will likely
remain there for the second straight game. Seguin is stuck on two goals,
including one empty-netter. “We know we can get more out of him,” Julien
said. “It’s a matter of us pushing him, him pushing himself. He’s not a poor
Anton Khudobin
Boston Globe LOADED: 02.15.2013
657246
Boston Bruins
Chris Kelly’s goal is to score
Steve Conroy
WILMINGTON — Goalscoring is not what defines Chris Kelly. The Bruins
third line center is an astute two-way player who has a big hand in the B’s
top-ranked penalty killing.
But just the same, he wouldn’t mind getting goal sometime soon.
Kelly, who notched his first 20-goal season last year that helped him secure
a four-year, $12 million contract, is the lone, regular Bruins forward who has
not scored this season. And he wouldn’t mind getting rid of that distinction
soon.
“Of course I want to score. I’d be lying if I said ‘Oh, I don’t want to score.’
Everybody wants to score,” said Kelly yesterday as the team prepared to
take off for tonight’s game in Buffalo. “But it makes things easier when the
team is doing well, so if the team continues to do well and I don’t score, it is
what it is. I’d like to help out.”
Some players may let one deficiency drag down the rest of their game, but,
with the exception of a bad giveaway in Carolina early in the season, Kelly
remained a solid defensive player.
“As you get older, you realize that if one part of your game isn’t where you
want it to be or where it needs to be, other parts of your game needs to be
better,” said Kelly. “I hope that since I haven’t been producing like I hoped,
and probably the team’s hoped and everyone has hoped, that other parts of
my game have improved.”
And despite the 20-goal season last year, Kelly is comfortable with his true
identity as a player.
“I don’t want to cheat on my defensive part of the game in order to get those
offensive chances because that’s not going to help me or the team or
anyone,” he said. “At the end of the day, for me to score a goal is costing
the team two goals? That’s not going to happen.”
Coach Claude Julien is not too worried.
“He had a great start last year, scored some goals and had some decent
points, and then all of a sudden, the expectations are a little higher,” said
Julien. “He’ll be the first one to tell you he’s not at the top of his game yet,
but at the same time he’s a veteran and knows what he has to do. He’s part
of that penalty-killing unit that’s been outstanding for us. He’s been great on
draws for us (59.4 percent), he’s been great killing penalties. He’s been
great when asked to play against top lines and, at times, especially after
power plays. I throw different wingers with him and he’s handled that
extremely well. The only part right now that’s frustrating for him, and what
we know can be a little better for him, is the production.”
If you really want to know what’s important to Kelly, just ask him about that
turnover in Carolina.
“I know better. Those kind of things personally eat me up,” said Kelly,
“because like I said, I know better. You never want to make a mistake,
especially one that costs us a goal. You feel like you’re letting 19 other guys
down. I was happy we won that game.”
The B's had a fairly workmanlike session today that was finished up with
some 3-on-3 drills. Prior to that, they went though some power-play work.
Dennis Seidenberg, who replaced Dougie Hamilton on one unit in
Tuesday's game against the Rangers, was back at it in practice, though he
alternated there with Hamilton. The man-advantage, though it essentially
produced a big goal in Tuesday's comeback a second after Rick Nash
stepped out of the box, is mired in 28th place while scoring just four goals in
43 opportunities. The good news is that the power play is actually
respectable away from the Garden (4-for-20).
The B's will try to make it two in a row against the Sabres, whom they beat
last Sunday in one of their better performances of the year. The Sabres still
possess the only regulation victory over the B's this year.
Jay Pandolfo, signed on Tuesday, will make the trip with the team today
and, though he hasn't played an NHL game since April, both he and Julien
feel confident he can jump into action if need be.
Boston Herald LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Buffalo Sabres
Stafford zeroes in on ending drought
BY: John Vogl
Drew Stafford’s goal is to stay upbeat. So far, it’s the only goal he’s got.
Bruins notes
Stafford is in the worst slump of his career. The drought has come when the
Buffalo Sabres could really use his help. As the team dwells near the
basement of the NHL, Stafford has a zero in the goal column.
Jay Pandolfo, who signed a one-year deal on Tuesday, is with the team and
felt comfortable with playing if called upon, even without a Providence tuneup. Julien feels the 38-year-old Pandolfo’s healthier than he has been in
recent years.
In a twist, the doughnut is eating him. The right winger is saying all the right
things, but it’s obvious the lack of production weighs heavily. It’s evident in
his body language and the forced grin mixed with grimace that
accompanies his words.
“Absolutely,” said Julien, who coached Pandolfo in New Jersey. “He’s a
veteran of many seasons and he’s in great shape. He knows his role and
that’s why he’s still around, because he plays his role so well. He could
definitely step in there and know exactly what to do. I thought he looked
good in that Black and White game. Playing for Providence, he scored a
goal and set up another one, but he didn’t lose a step.
“It’s hard not to let the negativity creep in there, the body language,”
Stafford said Thursday. “It’s tough, but you’ve got to nip it in the bud right
away and get back to work. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”
“What’s happened with Jay, he had some issues with one of his hips that’s
now not an issue, and that’s why I think we’re seeing him skate a lot better.
He’s always been a good skater and I think that part of his game is back. I
think he can be a better player than we’ve seen in the past few years when
he was struggling with that issue.” . . . The B’s again worked on the power play, with Dennis Seidenberg and
Dougie Hamilton alternating on the blue line on one of the units. The Bruins
are 28th in the league on the power play (4-for-43, 9.3 percent).
Boston Herald LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Boston Bruins
Stafford has gone 17 games without a goal, including all 14 this season, as
the Sabres welcome Boston back to First Niagara Center tonight. It’s really
nothing new. He’s had plenty of droughts in his seven-year career. He’s
gone five games or more without a goal 25 times, including 16- and 15game slumps in 2008-09.
Last season, he had six disappearing acts. He suffered through a 13-game
famine from November to December and also experienced three sevengame slides, a six-gamer and one five-game drought.
It’s likely none have been as frustrating as this one.
The 27-year-old alternate captain hoped he was past this type of thing. So
did the Sabres, who gave him a four-year, $16 million deal prior to last
season.
Bruins head out for longest road trip of season
“I’m just trying to stick with it, stay positive and continue to work,” Stafford
said. “It’s one of those things where if you continue to get frustrated, let
negativity creep into your game, creep into your life, it makes it that much
harder. It’s obviously very difficult, especially when you’re losing as well.”
Steve Conroy
Stafford’s frustration came to the forefront Tuesday during Buffalo’s 2-0 loss
in Ottawa. He called for the puck on an odd-man rush, received a perfect
cross-ice pass, looked at the empty net ... and fanned on the shot.
WILMINGTON — The Bruins completed a 50-minute practice here at
Ristuccia Arena in preparation for their five-game road trip that will take
them to Buffalo, Winnipeg, Tampa, Sunrise, Fla., and Long Island. They'll
break it up by coming home after the Winnipeg game, but it will be the
longest stretch away from the Garden.
"It's not going to be an easy road trip, for all of the obvious reasons," said
coach Claude Julien, whose team is 4-0-1 away from Causeway Street.
"Buffalo's certainly going to want to bounce back from their loss to us less
than a week ago and Winnipeg, we haven't won a game (0-2) in their rink
yet, so it's definitely a good challegne for us."
Stafford paused in disbelief and muttered to himself before following the
play to the other end. After the whistle, he slowly trudged to the bench.
Once he arrived, he put his head down on the boards in anguish.
“It’s been how many games, you know?” he said with a shoulder shrug and
pained smile. “It’s frustrating. That’s a golden opportunity, golden chance.”
Stafford has had plenty of chances. He has 40 shots, which put him in the
top 30 in the NHL entering Thursday’s schedule. Everyone in the top 65
had scored, except him.
“It’s tough, obviously, the situation that he’s in,” linemate Marcus Foligno
said. “He’s all around the net. There’s no shortage of that. When he gets
one, I’m sure there’ll be plenty more coming after it.”
Tyler Ennis, the center for Stafford and Foligno, says he’s impressed by the
right winger’s effort and positive attitude. Like Foligno, Ennis sees one goal
leading to more.
For more from Ruff, including thoughts on Mikhail Grigorenko and the goalless Drew Stafford, the lack of an "easy" game thus far and an update on
the injured Ville Leino (there's nothing new),
Now it’s up to Stafford to see it. He spent the team’s off day Wednesday
with his fiancée and their dog, just trying to forget about hockey and
slumps. He hopes the recharge time will allow his brain to clear.
Buffalo News LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Buffalo Sabres
“It’s the hardest thing in the world, but it’s part of the job,” Stafford said. “It’s
part of being a professional hockey player. You have to deal with stuff like
that.
Stafford Slump at 14 and counting
“You can’t show up to the rink the next day and be moping around because
that just brings everyone else down. It’s times like these that a good thing I
like to say is, ‘The game reveals your character.’
By Mike Harrington
“Good or bad, you always have to make sure that you’re always having the
right attitude because guys feed off that. The streak that I’m on here that I
haven’t scored, if I’m moping around the locker room that’s just bringing
other guys down. It’s part of my role, as well, as a leader on this team to
bring that attitude and bring that work habit where I have to show up and
continue to get better.”
email: jvogl@buffnews.com
DOUGHNUT HOLES
Drew Stafford has had many goal-less slumps during his seven-year
career, but he’s in the midst of his longest ever.
Games Dates
Click the video above. That's Sabres winger Drew Stafford scoring a goal.
You might have forgotten what that looks like because the clip is the last
time it happened -- on March 31 in Toronto.
Of the 691 skaters who have played at least one NHL game this season,
exactly 400 have at least one goal entering tonight and Thomas Vanek
remains the leader with 11. The list of the goal-less includes some big
names like Henrik Sedin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Shea Weber, Drew
Doughty and Ryan Suter.
But of the nearly 300 players without a goal this season, no one has come
up empty more often than Stafford. Stafford is tied for 29th in the league in
shots on goal with 40 -- but is No. 1 in shots for players without a single
tally.
17 April 3, 2012 – present
Here's the list of the leaders in SOG by the goal-less group:
16 Feb. 6 – April 3, 2010
DrewDrew Stafford BUF 40
15 Nov. 28 – Dec. 26, 2009
Ryan Clowe SJ 31
13 Nov. 5 – Dec. 3, 2011
Marek Zidlicky NJ 30
11 Oct. 25 – Nov. 26, 2008
Drayson Bowman CAR 29
Dougie Hamilton BOS 28
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Shea Weber NSH 28
Buffalo Sabres
Alex Goligoski DAL 26
Message from upbeat Lindy: 'It's all on me to clean this mess up'
Max Pacioretty MON 25
By Mike Harrington
Drew Doughty LAK 25
Dan Girardi NYR 25
Ryan N-Hopkins EDM 24
Lindy Ruff was a bundle of energy after the Sabres' one-hour practice today
in First Niagara Center. After seeing his team take a season-high 42 shots
on goal and play much better defensively in Tuesday's 2-0 loss at Ottawa,
Ruff wanted to keep his players' spirits up in the face of its 5-8-1 start. And
he was as upbeat as he's been with the media in a long time afterward.
"We'll find it. We've gone through it," Ruff said. "We knew we were a little
young down the middle but it will come. I'm confident it will come. It's all on
me to clean this mess up. I'm not done trying."
No criticism of his team today from Ruff.
"The attitude of the players has been awesome," he said. "The attitude of
the players on the ice today was great. The way we went into the Ottawa
game was great. We're disappointed. Do we need to be harder in some
situations? Yes. We didn't quite finish a couple plays we need to finish.
Some of them were offensively, some of them were defensively.
Mike Kostka TOR 24
Roman Josi NSH 23
Zack Smith OTT 22
Jochen Hecht BUF 22
Ryan Johansen CBJ 21
Eric Johnson COL 21
Raphael Diaz MON 20
Ryan Suter MIN 20
"It is on me. I understand that. This is on me to clean it up."
Stafford had a great chance Tuesday in Ottawa, but fanned on a perfect
one-time pass on a 3-on-2 break, the puck heeling off his stick as he skated
down his off wing on the left side. He hung his head on the bench for
several seconds after that shift.
Ruff said he knows time is quickly slipping away from his team, which has
already passed the quarter pole of the shortened season. Still, every game
is essentially a four-pointer with all play in the Eastern Conference. So a
three-game homestand (Friday vs. Boston, Sunday vs. Pittsburgh, Tuesday
vs. Winnipeg) could quickly turn the Sabres' fortunes around.
"I'm trying to do my best to keep Drew in the right place so he doesn't get
too frustrated, which will allo whim to get on the board," coach Lindy Ruff
said today. "We've seen him ... go on a run and get incredibly hot. I've seen
[Thomas Vanek] go through incredibly tough stretches and get hot. It tends
to happen with a lot of good goal scorers."
"The team will feed off my energy," Ruff said. "I came in here, we had a
couple good meetings. We talked about things we have to get going a little
bit better, talked about getting the team in the right mood today and that's
up to me."
Stafford is on year two of a four-year, $16 million deal signed largely on the
heels of his 31-goal season in 2010-11. That's turned out to be largely a
mirage because Stafford had four hat tricks and three two-goal games that
year. That's 18 of the goals in just seven games.
Stafford had 20 goals last year as his shooting percentage dropped by
nearly half, from 17.3 to 8.8. Now? Nothing.
of video last night explaining how players ride their man into the boards and
that's all Cooke was doing.
"You just have to keep with it, keep working. You can’t give up," Stafford
told John Vogl of The News today. "You can’t let the negativity creep in.
You can’t show up to the rink the next day and be moping around because
that just brings everyone else down. It’s times like these that a good thing I
like to say is, ‘The game reveals your character.’
TSN doesn't have embed codes but you can watch the video at this link.
Worth a look.
"Good or bad, you always have to make sure that you’re always having the
right attitude because guys feed off that. The streak that I’m on here that I
haven’t scored, if I’m moping around the locker room that’s just bringing
other guys down. It’s part of my role, as well, as a leader on this team to
bring that attitude and bring that work habit where I have to show up and
continue to get better."
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Buffalo Sabres
Video: More on Karlsson from NHL Network, Sens GM Murray
I heard former Sabre Andrew Peters on the radio this morning give a
plausible explanation that Cooke was off-balance and was bringing his left
foot down to push off on the ice for his next step. The foot instead sliced
Karlsson.
All that said, Cooke's foot was up quite a bit. Then it came down. It was at
least a reckless play. And maybe worse. And if you think it's not an issue
unless it's Matt Cooke, you're right. History counts in the NHL. Cooke has
reformed quite a bit in the last two years but he's always going to be Matt
Cooke, too.
How quickly things can change. Now it would appear Ottawa is a team that
can't possibly stay in the top eight in the East. Teams on the outside right
now like Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and the Sabres have to be looking at the
Sens as a team to catch. The Sabres, of course, have already dropped four
points to Ottawa in head-to-head matchups, however.
By Mike Harrington
657253
Click above for the NHL Network's take on the Erik Karlsson injury. Here's a
solid column by good friend of the blog Pierre LeBrun on ESPN.com, who
points out that as much of a loss Karlsson is to the Senators, it's a bigger
loss to the league as a whole
Veteran Matt Ellis embraces his role with Rochester Amerks
Ottawa GM Bryan Murray held a press conference today, confirming
Karlsson has had surgery for a 70 percent cut of his Achilles and will be out
3-4 months.
"His year is finished at this time," said Murray, who explained this is an
injury that could have taken up to a year of recovery time if it was more
severe.
Murray was outraged by the play last night and was disappointed today
there was no suspension of Cooke by NHL discipline czar Brendan
Shanahan.
"They suggest it was a hockey play gone bad," Murray said. "I suggested
that Matt Cooke has somewhat of a history and that maybe that should be
considered as well but I don't believe that's the approach they took."
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Buffalo Sabres
Karlsson's injury will KO Sens
By Mike Harrington
Milan Michalek and Erik Karlsson combined on the short-handed goal that
beat the Sabres Tuesday night in Ottawa and the Senators looked pretty
darn good in that game even without the injured Jason Spezza. Goalie
Craig Anderson had a 42-save shutout and played like the NHL's best.
But Michalek suffered an unknown lower-body injury during the warmup last
night in Pittsburgh and now Karlsson, the defending Norris Trophy winner,
is done for the year after suffering a lacerated Achilles in a collision with
Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke. Karlsson will be out at least 3-4 months, Sens GM
Bryan Murray said today. So that's it for him.
I didn't like the Cooke play at all. Brendan Shanahan issued no suspension
today and I see that. It's hard to judge intent. There wasn't even a penalty
on the play. But what was Cooke's leg even doing up there? Was he getting
ready for a slew foot?
The media is all over the place on this one. Lots of former players are
saying it was a good hockey play and there's no way Cooke meant to do
that (how do they know?). Some point out Cooke was looking to his right.
TSN's Aaron Ward -- one of the best new analysts out there -- showed a lot
Buffalo Sabres
Kevin Oklobzija
The matchup: Amerks vs. Houston Aeros (affiliate of the NHL’s Minnesota
Wild).
Time/place: 7:05 Friday/Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester Community
War Memorial.
Tickets: $16, $19, $21.
Hall of Fame inductions: Dane Jackson, captain of the 1996 Calder Cup
championship team, and former WHEC-TV sports anchor/news anchor Rich
Funke will be inducted during pre-game ceremonies. Puck drop for the
game will be pushed back to about 7:15 p.m. The inductees will sign
autographs in the upper atrium after the first period.
Records: The Amerks are 26-16-2-1 and have 55 points in 45 games. They
have won 9 of the past 11. The Aeros are 25-18-4-3 and have 57 points in
50 games. They have won three in a row, all on the road.
Amerks injury update: LW Zemgus Girgensons (concussion) may return in
the next week or so, coach Ron Rolston said. RW Evan Rankin (bone
bruise/ankle) is out perhaps another two weeks. He suffered a setback after
practicing on Monday. D Drew Schiestel (knee sprain) is out another week
or two.
Radio: WHTK-AM (1280).
Not long after shaking hands with his new teammates, Matt Ellis needed a
favor from Rochester Americans equipment manager Ben Laing.
For Laing, this was not unusual. When you’re part of the support staff,
someone always needs a favor. Sharpen these, sew that, get me a new
this.
Except this wasn’t a case of an NHLer big-timing it on Day 1 back in the
American Hockey League. Hardly.
Ellis told Laing that since he was now a member of the Amerks, he needed
to look the part. Load me up with Amerks apparel, he asked.
Which is why when Ellis emerged from the dressing room on Thursday after
practice, precisely 72 hours after he was added to the Rochester roster, he
was wearing an Amerk shirt and cap.
“The quicker you get yourself into the rhythm of where you are, the better
off you’ll be,” said Ellis, who became an Amerk at noon Monday and played
in Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters in Cleveland.
Ellis speaks from experience. When he cleared waivers in November 2010
and was assigned by the Sabres to the Portland Pirates, he was still in a
Buffalo frame of mind for the first week or so.
By George Johnson
“For the lack of a better term, I wasn’t engaged 100 percent,” Ellis said.
Sometimes, even a Cy Young-calibre pitcher can’t find that lethal bit of
extra bend on a sinker that normally drops away from a hitter like a rolling
bowling ball reaching the edge of a tabletop. There are rounds when even
the straightest hitter on the PGA Tour couldn’t keep his tee shots out of the
Blair Witch Project-like thicket of underbrush if a walk-in-closet full of green
jackets rested on those swings.
This time around, he made sure he left the Sabres in the rear-view mirror.
“It’s all about the present,” said Ellis, who lost his roster spot when injured
Sabres returned to health. “You can’t worry about yesterday.”
And so he won’t. A veteran of 11 pro seasons, the 32-year-old Ellis says
he’s anxious to help the Amerks win.
Perhaps it’s fitting that his first home game in an Amerks sweater will be
Friday, Hall of Fame induction night. Dane Jackson, the captain of the last
Rochester Calder Cup team in 1995-96, and former WHEC-TV sports
anchor and news anchor Rich Funke will be enshrined.
Ellis is all about team and the integrity of the game, Amerks coach Ron
Rolston said. In 2005-06, he became the youngest captain in Grand Rapids
Griffins history, when he was 24.
“There’s just a presence about him on the bench and in the (dressing)
room,” Rolston said. “He’s just a natural leader. He’s positive with the guys,
he’s supportive. He wants to do things the right way and that’s the most
important thing he brings.”
Ellis has done the waiver thing before. In February 2008 he was claimed by
the Los Angeles Kings when the Detroit Red Wings tried to send him to the
Griffins.
“You judge people more,’’ says Clint Malarchuk, “when it’s tough.
“When the heat’s on.
“When the bullets are flying.
“It’s easy to ride a roll. That’s fun. Everything smooth. No bumps. But how
do you hold up, how do you hang on, when things aren’t going your way?
How do you respond? Do you starting yelling and screaming, pointin’
fingers and feeling sorry for yourself, or are you going to fight through it?
“That’s when you see the true colours of people. In sports. In life.’’
Leland Irving fought.
Oh, there were moments Wednesday evening, quite a few, actually, when
he seemed to have only a token familiarity with the goaltending position. On
one Brenden Morrow snipe he was down on his knees, looking like a guy
frantically searching for dropped car keys in a pitch-dark alley, allowing
Stars’ skipper to sail in and poke a loose puck into the net.
In October 2008, the Sabres plucked him off waivers when the Kings tried
to send him to the Manchester Monarchs.
Once, a pass sizzled out of deep in a corner and actually flew BEHIND him,
between his back and the net, before somehow emerging out the other
side, instead of, say, glancing in embarrassingly off his backside.
So when the Sabres placed Ellis on waivers at noon on Sunday, he had
mixed feelings. A claim would mean staying in the NHL. Clearing would
mean coming to the Amerks. Either way, he would make his one-way NHL
salary of $525,000 (prorated to the shortened season).
But in the third, out of the ashes of of struggle, Leland Irving gathered
himself, repelling 13 of 14 shots through a Dallas-dictated period.
“You kind of work in circles in your thoughts,” Ellis said. “Before, I didn’t
have a family to drag through the process. Now I have a wife and three
kids.
“A part of me was hoping to get claimed because it would mean I would
stay in the NHL. Another part of me was hoping I wouldn’t get claimed, that
it would be best to stay in the Sabres organization.”
He went unclaimed and, within 2 1/2 hours, joined the Amerks. He actually
met the team on the New York state Thruway en route to Cleveland on
Monday afternoon.
“Transit (Road and the Thruway),” he said. “There was no time to sit and
think about the situation. It was, meet the bus on its way through Buffalo
and get aquainted and get after it.”
That’s pretty much his career motto. He was never drafted, started in the
ECHL in 2002-03 and a year later was playing a regular shift with the
Griffins. Four years later he was playing for Detroit.
“My whole career in the NHL I’ve always had to take things day by day,” he
said. “Over the course of the last two seasons it seemed to be something I
had to walk through more than once, whether the roster was going to get
healthy, whether I’d be the odd man to go or whatnot.”
“As much as you want to stay, it’s something that, at the end of the day, I
think mentally I was prepared for. If it came to that, if the roster got healthy,
I’d be shuffling up the highway.”
Understanding his situation made coping much easier. Joining a team that
has a 26-16-2-1 record and has won nine of the past 11 games doesn’t
hurt, either.
“It’s seems like we have a great hockey team here,” Ellis said. “We might
have a chance to do something special here.”
Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Calgary Flames
Irving finding a way to get the job done
He could’ve folded like a piece of origami.
Instead, he hunkered down
“I’ve had my moments before,’’ mused Irving on Thursday, off the ice after
participating in an optional skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “And I had
a couple last game. So, it was nice to come back and have a solid third.’’
He probably envisioned a somewhat less chaotic first home-ice W. But
every once in a while there are unforeseen circumstances a fella just can’t
plan for.
“It just sorta ... happens,’’ he said, groping for an explanation. “You try and
prepare the same way so you can be at your best every time you step on
the ice. But for whatever reason, sometimes you just don’t have it. You’ve
just got to fight, battle and do your best to give the guys a chance.
“It comes with mental strength and experience.’’
Every goaltender, no matter how decorated, suffers though nightmarish
nights like Irving did Wednesday. Why, big boss Bob Hartley remembers
Patrick Roy, yes even St. Patrick, struggling at the start of their
collaboration in Denver; the Avs hiccuping out of the gate 2-5.
“I remember at one point, I said to Patrick: ‘You’re a pro. You’re a Hall of
Famer. You’re a Stanley Cup winner.
You’re a Conn Smythe winner. BUT ... things are not working out right now.
Can we help you?’ That’s the No. 1 job for coach. That’s the human touch.
You can criticize a player, you can push a player but when there’s a
willingness to listen, you can get things accomplished.
“He still remembers that talk.
“Sometimes it’s just taking away that pressure, you know. A way of saying
‘Hey, we’re with you.’”
The Flames, to a man, were solidly behind Irving Wednesday. And why
wouldn’t they be? He’s certainly delivered for them since Miikka Kiprusoff
went down with a knee owie,
“He’s building confidence,’’ praised Alex Tanguay. “Sometimes confidence
doesn’t come when you’re playing well. Sometimes you don’t play as well,
but you still get results, and that builds confidence.
“I don’t think he had his best stuff for two periods, I’m sure he’d tell you the
same, but when it came down to it he made some timely saves. We’re fully
confident in him. He’s worked extremely hard.’’
socks under my equipment that are knee-high, cut-proof. Our equipment
guy Depo (Flames equipment guy Mark DePasquale) has done a good job
of sewing cut-proof material to wherever else my leg would be exposed.
Back, way back, when Malarchuk was sentry between the pipes in Buffalo,
his goaltending coach there, Mitch Korn, taught him the persuasive power
of positive reinforcement. He’s held those truths tight over the years.
“I wear cut-proof wrist guards also that go kind of at the top of my glove to
my elbow pad. I think that covers me pretty good. At this point, I’m used to
it.”
“Our whole coaching staff here,’’ said Malarchuk, “is a positive bunch. And
that helps players, especially in those types of situations. Athletes know.
Especially goalies. They know. If they let in a bad goal or are fighting the
puck, you don’t have to tell ‘em. We’ve been doing this our whole lives.
Striking a balance between comfort and safety is the key — and not so
easy for finicky hockey players.
“I promised myself when I got into coaching I wasn’t going to forget what it’s
like being a player. That means remembering what it’s like when you’re in
the zone and also when you’re fighting the puck. I mean, (Irving) was
struggling, they had a lot of traffic going ... it was a funny game, pucks
bouncing and skipping, going everywhere.
“It was huge to battle through it; he was able to put everything behind and
re-adjust, re-focus, whatever you want to call it. He did it. And he looked like
he was calm, confident Irv again.
“It showed mental toughness.’’
So it’s Leland Irving in net again tonight to face the St. Louis Blues. He
doubtless hopes things go more smoothly — that the extra bit of bend is
back on the sinker, every tee shot splits the fairway and lands in the middle
of the cut grass — but even if they don’t, Wednesday was proof he can
persevere, and prevail, here, come what may.
“He’s a young man, learning the game at the NHL level,’’ said Hartley. “Last
night it seemed as if the last shot would win. But he had a huge save on
(Jaromir) Jagr to end the second and carried that play over into the third.
“It was not his best game. He knows it. But at the same time he found a
way to keep us in the game, to win the game.
“And that’s all you can ask for.’’
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657255
Calgary Flames
Karlsson injury stirs up memories for Flames
By Kristen Odland,
But even with protective items beyond normal gear, Cory Sarich asks a fair
question: how far can those measures actually go in extreme cases?
“You see guys wear shot-blockers, extra padding on their backs for
forwards,” he said. “Things like that to prevent injuries. But there are some
things that are just unavoidable. It’s a dangerous sport in that regard.
“Some stuff is helpful but some stuff hinders your game too. You have to
find what’s comfortable for you.”
In terms of the incident itself — which happened after a check from
Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke — the NHL’s Department of Players safety felt no
supplementary discipline was required.
In Flames head coach Bob Hartley’s opinion, it was simply an unfortunate
case of bad timing during a puck-pursuit/forecheck instance.
“In those situations, you have to remove the jerseys,” he said. “You have to
analyze this as two hockey players going at it. If you’re an Ottawa fan,
you’re probably saying, ‘It’s Matt Cooke going at it again.’ But I don’t want to
be the judge on this. The NHL has some very good people looking at it.”
Flames efenceman Chris Butler was of the same mindset.
“I didn’t see anything malicious with it,” he said. “I don’t think there was any
intent there. It was just a bad break.
“Guys are getting cut ... and it seems more dramatic than it used to be.”
Like Cammalleri, the footage of Karlsson’s agony also brought back scary
memories for Butler who saw a teammate go through a similar experience
when he was playing at the University of Denver.
“One of the guys in our freshman class at Denver, the same exact thing
happened,” Butler recalled. “He was going behind the net and a guy went to
finish (the check on) him and his skate came up. Our guy got his Achilles
sliced right in that little spot where you have no padding.
“And I know that hit wasn’t intended to be that way.”
Karlsson underwent surgery Thursday and recovery is expected to last
three to four months — and ending his season.
Michael Cammalleri cringed when he saw the play, almost to the point
where he couldn’t watch.
Simply put, the footage and Images of Ottawa Senators star defenceman
Erik Karlsson who had left Achilles tendon partially severed by a skate
blade Wednesday night, are brutal.
For the Calgary Flames forward, however, the incident brought back
memories from early last season when he was with the Montreal Canadiens
and had his left leg accidently sliced by a teammate’s skate blade during a
game against the Winnipeg Jets. Thankfully, no muscles or blood vessels
were cut and he only missed three games. The injury could have been a lot
worse than Karlsson’s.
Bad news for the Ottawa Senators and bad news for hockey in general.
“He’s a tremendous hockey player and I’m sorry to hear it,” Cammalleri
said. “I think it’s really unfortunate and hope he has a healthy recovery.”
On Thursday, Cammalleri challenged the NHL to come up with a solution.
“I hope this isn’t too controversial but I hope this is something the league
looks into,” he said. “Maybe there’s a material we can come up with in our
hockey socks that is cut-proof. You just like to see guys play healthy — you
want to play against them when they’re at their best.
“You hate to see injuries. It’s kind of the worst part of our sport.”
But the experience forced him to revaluate his entire protective attire.
“A pretty scary cut,” Cammalleri said. “Ever since that, I’ve been completely
paranoid. I wear cut-proof socks, wrist-guards, everything now because of
it.”
657256
Which was the subject de jour in many NHL dressing rooms Thursday and
causing some concern for some players.
Calgary Flames
Offence not an issue for Hartley-led Flames
Many are discussing the importance of wearing Kevlar socks, a product
touted just for that purpose — additional protection against accidental skate
blade cuts. Here, the Flames have plenty of pairs available for their players.
By Scott Cruickshank,
Cammalleri, for one, would be covered head-to-toe in the material if he
could.
Under a thatch that’s more salt than pepper, the man was all smiles.
“Some are cut-proof, some are cut resistant,” he explained. “I don’t know
the science behind it but I try to wear as much of it as I can. I wear actual
The night before he’d watched his team deliver a wild win, making good on
his pledge to fans — that this bunch would bring stirring hockey to Calgary.
“That’s the way we want to play,” Bob Hartley said the morning after his
Flames outlasted the visiting Dallas Stars 7-4.
The skipper laughed.
657257
Calgary Flames
Cammalleri's hunt for goal No. 200
“I’m still a young man, but I have lots of grey hair — that’s probably the
result of it,” said Hartley. “But that’s the way I’ve always coached. I
understand that we’re in the entertainment business at the same time as
winning hockey games. I think players love to play like this, because it’s a
skating game, a moving game.
By Scott Cruickshank,
“We want to go on offence. So far the players are responding very well. And
looking at the crowd — they seem to like it.”
There’s a spot on the mantelpiece — but, unfortunately, no puck to put
there.
The skaters, of course, do dig it.
Michael Cammalleri explained.
With five or more points are 10 of the Calgarians.
“I had two goals and I said to (linemate Matt Stajan), ‘If one more happens
to go in, maybe you can grab the puck for me,’ ” the Calgary Flames leftwinger said after Thursday morning’s practice at the Scotiabank
Saddledome. “He tried to get it after it went in the net, but (Dallas defender)
Trevor Daley shot it into the stands. So (Stajan) was looking for it, but no
one could find it. Actually I know Trevor — we grew up playing in Toronto —
and I got a text from him after the game: ‘Sorry, man, I didn’t realize it was
your 200th. Hopefully, the fans get it back to you.’ ”
“If we score seven goals every single night, I like that a lot,” said Chris
Butler, chuckling. “It makes life easier as a defenceman and especially on
our goalie. We’ve really got a good grasp of our system now. We seem to
be reacting more and skating. There seems to be more pace to our game.
Guys aren’t standing around and thinking about where they need be
anymore.”
Added Mark Giordano: “Any time you’re scoring goals . . . it’s fun as a
player. (Hartley’s) given us the green light to be aggressive.”
According to Michael Cammalleri, though, the coach might not have been
as tickled by Wednesday’s display as he’d led the press corps to believe.
“Uh, I don’t think he’s perfectly content,” said Cammalleri, grinning. “I don’t
think the word ‘content’ and his personality go hand-in-hand at all . . . but
maybe he’s more proactive in how we’re trying to improve on it, rather than
being upset with it.
“When we do it well, it should be a very exciting brand of hockey for the
fans.”
Statistics declare that it already is something to behold, in a somewhat
erratic way.
Averaging 3.00 goals-for per game, the Flames are seventh in the NHL —
but they sit 26th in goals-against.
Operating at 27.5 per cent, their power play is second best — but they sit
27th in penalty killing.
In other words, Wednesday may not be the last 7-4 decision you witness
this winter.
“That’s the beauty about (Hartley) — he understands sometimes it’s not
going to be 1-0 and sometimes it’s not going to be 7-6,” said Alex Tanguay.
“It doesn’t really matter how we do it, we just have to make sure at the end
of the day we have two points. Whether we go out (Friday against the
visiting St. Louis Blues) and win 10-8 or 2-1, I don’t think he’ll mind.”
Besides, there is something to be said for packing a punch, for knowing that
you can lash out offensively.
“It is important that you feel, as a group, that your habits are creating
scoring chances and that you have the ability to finish them,” said
Cammalleri. “Whether you’re in a tight game or you’re down in a game or
you feel like you need to break (open) a game, you feel like you have that in
your room.”
In the room, the inhabitants insist, is a potent mix. Cammalleri for a full
season. Jiri Hudler and Roman Cervenka for their first seasons. And
holdovers such as Curtis Glencross, Lee Stempniak, Matt Stajan, Jarome
Iginla and Tanguay.
“We’ve got a lot of forwards who can make plays at high speed and at a
very high level,” said Butler. “When those guys are moving the puck like
they are, we’ve seen some beautiful goals this year. You’re starting to see
the chemistry build between a lot of those guys.”
That remains to be seen.
Because someone did go home with the puck that represents the 200th
goal of Cammalleri’s career.
The player is willing to swap.
“If anyone out there has it,” said Cammalleri, “I’m sure we could get you a
signed stick or something. It would be a nice thing to have.”
Cammalleri did get the keepsake from his first NHL goal — the gamewinner, Nov. 16, 2002, at Edmonton on Hockey Night in Canada, assists to
Ziggy Palffy and Brad Chartrand — and that’s at his parents’ place.
From his 100th tally, too, he got the puck.
So what’s next for Cammalleri?
He’s got 570 games. He’s got 434 points. What benchmark resonates for
the 30-year-old?
“They all do when they come to fruition,” replied Cammalleri. “I really feel
like I’m living a dream come true playing in the NHL. You don’t reflect on
that every day. But when (milestones) like that happen, you get a chance to
sit back and reflect a little bit about what you’re doing and it’s a cool feeling.
But you don’t think about that stuff day in and day out, trust me. You’re
thinking about the details that we need to win hockey games.”
His boss took the winger’s four-point (and plus-three) night in stride.
Like there was ever a doubt.
“It was the typical Michael Cammalleri,” said coach Bob Hartley. “If you
leave him open in the slot, he finds those open areas, he finds those pucks.
That’s the quality of a goal-scorer. We always say that goal-scorers find the
puck, but lots of times the puck seems to find them, too. It’s always a good
match.”
02.15.201302.15.201302.15.2013
Alex Tanguay leads the Flames in points. Sure.
And helpers. No surprise there, either.
And penalties. Say what?
“My Lady Byng chances? Zero,” said Tanguay, who, with seven minors,
tops the team with 14 penalty minutes. “I’ve got no shot now. A lot of guys
who get that award are reluctant to receive it, but I guess I’ve taken myself
out for this year, anyway. There were a couple that were kind of iffy.”
Such as the Flames’ opening power-play strike — Dennis Wideman, from
the point, slipped the puck to the left corner for Tanguay.
After infractions for hooking (twice), tripping (twice), interference (twice),
and goaltender-interference, Tanguay is the most-penalized player on the
league’s least-penalized team.
“Then you see Huds pop into a little quiet area,” Butler said of the Czech
winger, who then rapped home a feed from Tanguay. “You can see that
guys really understand where guys like to be and are starting to pick up on
each other’s tendencies.”
Neither is he.
Not sure what that means.
Tanguay’s never accumulated more than 48 penalty minutes in a single
season. And the past two winters saw him tagged with 52 minutes — total.
“Hey, I might not get another one all year. Who knows?” said Tanguay,
who, in more than 13 seasons, has a one fighting major — a Dec. 29, 2000,
bout with Nashville’s Alexandre Boikov.
Malarchuk played two more full seasons and parts of a couple of others in
the minors, all in Las Vegas, before calling it a career after the 1996-97
season.
He turned to coaching, first spending a couple of years with the Las Vegas
Thunder, then the Idaho Steelheads. He was hired by the Florida Panthers
as a goalie coach. It was during the lockout which wiped out the 2004-05
season while working with the club’s minor league affiliate in San Antonio,
he met Joanie, a skating instructor.
657258
Calgary Flames
Flames coach talks about fight with depression
Randy Sportak
A couple years later, they were married, happily spending time at the ranch
in Fish Springs, Nev.
He was back coaching, working for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Then, another downward spiral started and he hit bottom a second time.
That would be the usual result of putting a .22-calibre gun to your head, but
the Calgary Flames goaltending coach is adamant ending it all wasn’t the
plan.
Even if Malarchuk can’t really explain why he did it that fateful day more
than five years ago.
Yes, he was out hunting rabbits around his Nevada ranch, thus why he had
a gun in his hand.
Yes, he was in a heated argument with his wife, Joanie.
Yes, he was spiralling out of control, losing his battle with depression and
obsessive compulsive disorder, and making the concoction of pills in his
body worse by drinking heavily.
“I was on those drugs for 15 years and I think my body slowly became
immune to it,” Malarchuk said. “I should have been on top of it, but I felt so
good for so long, I was maybe in denial that I was back to where I was
before. I was on an enormous amount of anti-depressants.
“The act was very impulsive. I was definitely not in my normal state. I was
on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Actually, I was probably in the middle
of one.”
The gun he had pointed to his head went off, the bullet lodging between his
eyes and just short of his brain. Again, miraculously, he survived when he
should have died.
Malarchuk spent six months in hospital and finally dealt with all the scars,
be them in his mind or his neck.
“Honestly, I didn’t think the gun was loaded,” Malarchuk recalled. “At the
same time, I was almost like I didn’t care if it was.”
The psychiatrist found out about that incident in Buffalo and was stunned he
hadn’t received any counselling after.
For so many years, Malarchuk was the cowboy goalie. The down-home
Alberta boy, whose love of hockey earned him a 10-year NHL careeer, and
five more in the minors, and his love of horses and rodeo led him to
become an equine dentist and chiropractor.
“She asked about the impact of it, but I thought I was OK for a while
because I was a hero for coming back. Then I thought about it, after two or
three years, I was severely depressed and severely compulsive,” Malarchuk
said of the aftershocks of his throat being slashed. “My career went
downhill. My marriage went out the door. I became a basket case, but I
didn’t see what that had to do with it.
He was also known for being the man who somehow survived his throat
being sliced by a skate during a Buffalo Sabres game against the St. Louis
Blues March 22, 1989 — saved by the quick thinking of Sabres trainer Jim
Pizzutelli, a former army medic who served in Vietnam — and put back
together with 300 stitches.
“She said, ‘It has everything to do with it. That’s trauma.’ I look back now,
and I was educated while I was in that place for six months — that’s a long
time to be in a hospital.”
Now, Malarchuk is willing to be the face of hope for those suffering from
mental illness, the spokesman for the NHL’s Hockey Talks initiative to
increase mental health and effective treatments.
Remarkably, Joanie remains at his side, earning a special place in heaven
for helping Malarchuk find his way back.
It means reliving horrifying stories, but also the hope of helping others.
“She went through total hell with me,” he said, noting she had to go to
counselling to learn about his condition, too. “She didn’t understand that or
been around anything like that.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one-in-five people in
Canada will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Almost as
horrible is the stigma which comes with mental illnesses, which prevents
those afflicted from admitting they need help.
Malarchuk spent years figuring he could battle through it all, be it issues
from his childhood, the trauma of his on-ice accident and even his OCD and
depression.
That toughness made him a cult hero when he returned to action with the
Sabres a few days after his horrible accident.
Eventually, he was nearly at the end of his rope, unable to sleep for days at
a time, breaking down because of his depression.
It was then, while playing for the San Diego Gulls of the IHL, his good friend
Rick Dudley, then coaching the Gulls, helped him take the first step.
Dudley helped Malarchuk find one of the top doctors in the field of OCD and
depression.
“It was a 15-minute conversation,” Malarchuk said of his first visit.
“I said, ‘Well, aren’t you going to ask me about my childhood? It was pretty
screwed up.’ and he said ‘No, it’s a chemical imbalance in the brain. We’ll
get the right dose and you’ll be good.’
“People tell her they wouldn’t have stayed with me. She did and we’re doing
great. We’re probably closer because of it.”
Together, they talk to groups, be it companies or at high schools about
mental health and the need for people to get help.
“I’d say there are way more days it’s therapeutic than when it’s not,”
Malarchuk said. “At schools, there’s always the kids who come up right
away and say thank-you. And there’s always the group, eight to 10 or so,
that’s waiting for everyone to leave. They come up and say what’s wrong or
what they do.
“That feels good, big-time, to feel like you’re helping them realize they can
get help.
“A lot of wives have come up to me to say thanks, that thanks to me being a
jock or whatever, their husband went for help.”
His message is simple: Don’t be afraid to get help and don’t be ashamed.
“If you’ve got diabetes, are you embarrassed to tell the world about it? No.
Do you take medication for it? Yeah. It’s a chemical imbalance,” Malarchuk
said. “Most mental illnesses are a chemical imbalance in the brain. For me,
I don’t produce enough serotonin, so I take medication and do all right.
“What makes me any different than a diabetic or someone with high
cholesterol or a heart condition. You need medication, you take it.
“For three years, I’d been dealing with depression severely and within six
weeks — I had to check up — I was feeling good. I saw him and he
bumped it up a bit more and in nine weeks, I was feeling great.
“There’s a stigma, and that’s why I use the comparison.
“After that, I saw what it was like to feel normal.”
“I’m not embarrassed to say, ‘Take a pill.’ It was either that or die.
“And I don’t want to get to that hell I was living.”
The Flames will be promoting the Hockey Talks initiative all month,
culminating with their game Feb. 20 against the Los Angeles Kings, during
which they will promote awareness.
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657259
Calgary Flames
Flames coach overcomes fight with depression
By RANDY SPORTAK
,\
“For three years, I’d been dealing with depression severely and within six
weeks — I had to check up — I was feeling good. I saw him and he
bumped it up a bit more and in nine weeks, I was feeling great.
“After that, I saw what it was like to feel normal.”
Malarchuk played two more full seasons and parts of a couple of others in
the minors, all in Las Vegas, before calling it a career after the 1996-97
season.
He turned to coaching, first spending a couple of years with the Las Vegas
Thunder, then the Idaho Steelheads. He was hired by the Florida Panthers
as a goalie coach. It was during the lockout which wiped out the 2004-05
season while working with the club’s minor league affiliate in San Antonio,
he met Joanie, a skating instructor.
A couple years later, they were married, happily spending time at the ranch
in Fish Springs, Nev.
Clint Malarchuk didn’t want to kill himself.
He was back coaching, working for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
That would be the usual result of putting a .22-calibre gun to your head, but
the Calgary Flames goaltending coach is adamant ending it all wasn’t the
plan.
Then, another downward spiral started and he hit bottom a second time.
Even if Malarchuk can’t really explain why he did it that fateful day more
than five years ago.
Yes, he was out hunting rabbits around his Nevada ranch, thus why he had
a gun in his hand.
Yes, he was in a heated argument with his wife, Joanie.
Yes, he was spiralling out of control, losing his battle with depression and
obsessive compulsive disorder, and making the concoction of pills in his
body worse by drinking heavily.
“Honestly, I didn’t think the gun was loaded,” Malarchuk recalled. “At the
same time, I was almost like I didn’t care if it was.”
For so many years, Malarchuk was the cowboy goalie. The down-home
Alberta boy, whose love of hockey earned him a 10-year NHL careeer, and
five more in the minors, and his love of horses and rodeo led him to
become an equine dentist and chiropractor.
He was also known for being the man who somehow survived his throat
being sliced by a skate during a Buffalo Sabres game against the St. Louis
Blues March 22, 1989 — saved by the quick thinking of Sabres trainer Jim
Pizzutelli, a former army medic who served in Vietnam — and put back
together with 300 stitches.
Now, Malarchuk is willing to be the face of hope for those suffering from
mental illness, the spokesman for the NHL’s Hockey Talks initiative to
increase mental health and effective treatments.
It means reliving horrifying stories, but also the hope of helping others.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one-in-five people in
Canada will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Almost as
horrible is the stigma which comes with mental illnesses, which prevents
those afflicted from admitting they need help.
Malarchuk spent years figuring he could battle through it all, be it issues
from his childhood, the trauma of his on-ice accident and even his OCD and
depression.
That toughness made him a cult hero when he returned to action with the
Sabres a few days after his horrible accident.
Eventually, he was nearly at the end of his rope, unable to sleep for days at
a time, breaking down because of his depression.
It was then, while playing for the San Diego Gulls of the IHL, his good friend
Rick Dudley, then coaching the Gulls, helped him take the first step.
Dudley helped Malarchuk find one of the top doctors in the field of OCD and
depression.
“It was a 15-minute conversation,” Malarchuk said of his first visit.
“I said, ‘Well, aren’t you going to ask me about my childhood? It was pretty
screwed up.’ and he said ‘No, it’s a chemical imbalance in the brain. We’ll
get the right dose and you’ll be good.’
“I was on those drugs for 15 years and I think my body slowly became
immune to it,” Malarchuk said. “I should have been on top of it, but I felt so
good for so long, I was maybe in denial that I was back to where I was
before. I was on an enormous amount of anti-depressants.
“The act was very impulsive. I was definitely not in my normal state. I was
on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Actually, I was probably in the middle
of one.”
The gun he had pointed to his head went off, the bullet lodging between his
eyes and just short of his brain. Again, miraculously, he survived when he
should have died.
Malarchuk spent six months in hospital and finally dealt with all the scars,
be them in his mind or his neck.
The psychiatrist found out about that incident in Buffalo and was stunned he
hadn’t received any counselling after.
“She asked about the impact of it, but I thought I was OK for a while
because I was a hero for coming back. Then I thought about it, after two or
three years, I was severely depressed and severely compulsive,” Malarchuk
said of the aftershocks of his throat being slashed. “My career went
downhill. My marriage went out the door. I became a basket case, but I
didn’t see what that had to do with it.
“She said, ‘It has everything to do with it. That’s trauma.’ I look back now,
and I was educated while I was in that place for six months — that’s a long
time to be in a hospital.”
Remarkably, Joanie remains at his side, earning a special place in heaven
for helping Malarchuk find his way back.
“She went through total hell with me,” he said, noting she had to go to
counselling to learn about his condition, too. “She didn’t understand that or
been around anything like that.
“People tell her they wouldn’t have stayed with me. She did and we’re doing
great. We’re probably closer because of it.”
Together, they talk to groups, be it companies or at high schools about
mental health and the need for people to get help.
“I’d say there are way more days it’s therapeutic than when it’s not,”
Malarchuk said. “At schools, there’s always the kids who come up right
away and say thank-you. And there’s always the group, eight to 10 or so,
that’s waiting for everyone to leave. They come up and say what’s wrong or
what they do.
“That feels good, big-time, to feel like you’re helping them realize they can
get help.
“A lot of wives have come up to me to say thanks, that thanks to me being a
jock or whatever, their husband went for help.”
His message is simple: Don’t be afraid to get help and don’t be ashamed.
“If you’ve got diabetes, are you embarrassed to tell the world about it? No.
Do you take medication for it? Yeah. It’s a chemical imbalance,” Malarchuk
said. “Most mental illnesses are a chemical imbalance in the brain. For me,
I don’t produce enough serotonin, so I take medication and do all right.
“What makes me any different than a diabetic or someone with high
cholesterol or a heart condition. You need medication, you take it.
“There’s a stigma, and that’s why I use the comparison.
“I’m not embarrassed to say, ‘Take a pill.’ It was either that or die.
“And I don’t want to get to that hell I was living.”
The Flames will be promoting the Hockey Talks initiative all month,
culminating with their game Feb. 20 against the Los Angeles Kings, during
which they will promote awareness.
657260
Calgary Flames
Heading into Friday’s clash with the St. Louis Blues (7 p.m., Sportsnet
West, Sportsnet FAN960), Hudler has collected four goals and nine points
in eight games.
Not that he’s reading a whole lot into it.
“I just want to be a two-way (player), good on both sides of the rink, do the
things right,” Hudler said of his performance. “It makes sense somebody’s
going to have a tough start (to the season) and somebody’s going to have a
good start. The key is to stay on it for 48 games.”
What Hudler’s provided the Flames goes beyond what he’s done on the
scoresheet for himself. He’s also been a big part in helping fellow Czech
Roman Cervenka make the adjustment to the NHL game.
“With Jiri, obviously, there were expectations,” head coach Bob Hartley
said. “When you go and sign an unrestricted free agent, you want him to
come in and
Horak gets lineup spot
create an impact. He certainly did.
“Compared to Roman, you never knew (what to expect). There’s the
cultural change that you need to allow time. The good thing is he’s (27
years old) and that definitely helps. At the same time, coming from a
different league, you need to see how he’s going to adapt.
By RANDY SPORTAK
Roman Horak’s production in the minor league ranks is noteworthy.
Horak has 14 goals and 21 points in 43 games this season with the AHL
Abbotsford Heat.
His NHL stints, however, haven’t produced anything near that — three
goals and 12 points in 63 Calgary Flames outings.
“I feel every game (Cervenka’s) getting better and better. Look at the
scoring chances he’s getting, you can see offensively he’s very gifted and
he reads the game very well.”
Cervenka, whose blood-clot issues suffered while playing in the KHL in
November sidelined him more than a month before he came to Calgary,
and then forced him to miss the first three games of the season.
The expectations are higher this time around.
Flames coach Bob Hartley said Horak, who was summoned from the
minors Thursday after Paul Byron suffered a broken hand in his NHL
season debut Wednesday night, will be put in the same role expected for
Byron.
That will likely mean skating with Jarome Iginla and Curtis Glencross.
It’s a golden opportunity for Horak to show the offensive flair he’s not
displayed in the NHL ranks.
He’s coming off his best game so far in Calgary colours, and not just
because he collected a goal and an assist in Wednesday’s 7-4 victory over
the Dallas Stars — which gives him two goals and five points in eight
outings.
“I thought he’s played well since the start of the season,” Hudler said. “He
had some chances before, scoring chances. He usually scores in that, but
he’s feeling comfortable every day.
“He’s playing well at both ends. It’s tough without training camp, and all
that, to jump into it. It’s been pretty impressive.”
“It’s all a matter of being productive,” Hartley said. “I’ve watched plenty of
games during the work stoppage. I want to look at them and see what
they’re going to do for us from now on. What they did last year or five years
ago, it’s all over. It’s a new start.”
Although Cervenka, the former KHL star who the Flames signed last
summer, is yet to prove he’s a legitimate long-term NHL player, the early
signs are very positive.
Byron saw a surgeon Thursday and is out indefinitely.
Dont forget, he’s still working into top shape.
“We all feel awful for Paul,” Hartley said. “He got only a few minutes of ice
time.
“He was out for so long, we need (him) to catch up right now,” Hartley
explained.
Still, the chemistry he and Hudler have is easy to spot.
657261
“Great shot,” Hudler said of Cervenka. “He’s smart and has great hockey
sense and vision.”
Calgary Flames
Hudler and Cervenka living up to expectations
By RANDY SPORTAK
,
So many players say they love playing in a Canadian hockey market, and
they arrive and become overwhelmed by the scrutiny.
So many players say they want a bigger role when they come a new team,
and then wilt.
So many players clamour for the bigger payday, often via free agency, and
then struggle with the pressure.
Jiri Hudler is defying all of those aspects of joining the Calgary Flames.
“I’m not really thinking about it,” Hudler said of the new elements which he
stepped into by signing with the Flames last summer. “You’ve got to believe
in the way you can play the game. We’ve got a lot of talent on this team,
everybody can play, so if we put it together, we can be a strong team.”
Hudler, who inked a four-year, US$16 million contract with the club, is
holding up his end of the bargain.
Of course, it helps how Cervenka’s skills mesh with Hudler’s. The former
Detroit Red Wing has talent and creativity when it comes to passing, but
he’s also willing to shoot it himself, as was the case when he scored
Calgary’s lone goal in Monday’s 2-1 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Hudler is also adding another element to the Flames as a whole — a
winning attitude.
“Everybody is trying to do the right things, but me spending time in Detroit,
with a lot of — I would say — legends, helps a lot, and you try to learn from
them,” he said.
The Flames have been shy on learning what it takes to win regularly in the
NHL over the past few seasons.
Should Hudler help all of his teammates in that area, while continuing to
produce, his addition will be well worth it.
657262
Calgary Flames
Puck Stops Here - Expansion then realignment
That’s good.
long that it’s hard to not believe they can win without his production ... The
fact goalie Leland Irving battled with a strong third-period effort after
struggling in the first 40 minutes of Wednesday’s 7-4 game against the
Dallas Stars was another step forward for him ... C Matt Stajan will never
live up to his contract, but he looks like a different player this year
compared to the past couple of seasons.
Going to a four ‘conference’ format is bad.
By RANDY SPORTAK
,
Before we know it, the league will unveil a new alignment.
Last time we were in math class, 30 isn’t divisible by four. Therefore, it’s
why the NHL has gone with six divisions broken into two conferences.
Undoubtedly, the league has to realign. Having the Winnipeg Jets in the
Southeast Division for a second season is absurd. (Good thing the people
of Winnipeg are hearty folks, because being in the NHL’s Southeast
Division and the CFL’s East Division could give them a complex.)
657263
Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes come home, top Maple Leafs 3-1
Going to four conferences — two with seven teams and two with eight —
doesn’t make it any better.
By Chip Alexander
It’s bad enough the current format has an unbalanced schedule deciding
the eight playoff spots in each conference. Going to divisions with
unbalanced groupings exacerbates the problem, even if there’s some form
of a crossover rule.
RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes took a slightly different approach to
their first home game following a 12-day road trip.
Until the league goes to 32 teams — which the tea leaves say will
eventually happen sometime around when a new rink is built in the Toronto
area — the NHL should remain broken into six divisions. The simplest
solution is to move the Nashville Predators into the Southeast Division and
the Jets into the Central Division.
Frankly, it would be better to have a more balanced schedule, one which
makes the Eastern Conference teams travel more often to face the Western
Conference clubs.
Making things fair is more important than setting things even more
unbalanced.
HOCKEY TALKY
Siri had better be right about Daniel Alfredsson being God in the NHL now
that the Ottawa Senators are probably without both Jason Spezza and Erik
Karlsson for the remainder of the season. All the Sens need now is to lose
goalie Craig Anderson for the trifecta of nightmare injuries ... What does it
say when Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has been their most
consistent player and they’re sitting outside of a playoff spot? May want to
work on that defence corps in the City of Brotherly Love ... So the
Vancouver Canucks are considering using Burn it to the Ground by
Nickelback as their new entrance song. Let’s see, this is a city still known
for the 2011 riot that saw police cars torched ... It must be tough to be a
Columbus Blue Jackets fan. This is a team that’s been around more than a
decade yet looks like a first-year expansion franchise. The good news is the
Jackets have really promising young prospects and three first-round draft
choices this summer (from the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles
Kings), but all that means is they’re still at least three years away from
contending for anything. Right now, they look like the NHL’s verson of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their first 20-plus years of NFL existence.
CREASE CRASHING
It seems like the Anaheim Ducks are this year’s team that turns everything
to gold. You know it’s your season when your star goalie is struggling and
injured but a 30-year-old first-year NHLer in Viktor Fasth is lights out
between the pipes. To top it off, Corey Perry has just one goal in a dozen
games ... Speaking of struggling Southern California players, can anybody
explain how defenceman Drew Doughty of the defending Stanley Cup
champion Kings is a league-worst minus-10? ... More attention on the
Edmonton Oilers needs to be placed on Sam Gagner ... The Detroit Red
Wings had only seven shots on goal during the second and third periods
and in overtime in Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues. I’ve seen
that clock at the Joe Louis Arena go up by seven during a single flurry of
action or on a powerplay ... Speaking of shots, the Predators failed to fire at
least 20 shots on goal in five of their first 13 games ... It’s fitting a hockey
player named Michal Jordan hits the NHL for the Carolina Hurricanes, right
in the heart of basketball country and Michael Jordan’s home. By the way,
the NHL Jordan’s Twitter handle is @TheBigCzech23.
Treat it like one last road game.
Apparently, it worked. The Canes, 4-1-1 on the trip, returned to PNC Arena
on Thursday to top the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1.
A time-honored hockey adage is that a team often is sluggish after a long
spell on the road -- that it more or less exhales, enjoys the creature
comforts of home and often doesn't play well. But after a scoreless first
period, the Canes (8-4-1) got second-period goals from resurgent Joe
Corvo and Jussi Jokinen, and a third from Jordan Staal to take control of
the game.
"That's a common trend (and) the coaches did a really good job of
addressing that in our meetings," said Canes goalie Dan Ellis, who got the
start and earned his third win. "They constantly made us aware that, 'Guys,
it's almost like an extra road game. Let's approach it with the mentality you
want to finish the road trip strong, even though you're at home.'
"That's what we did. We gave a good push and got a good win against a
hot team."
The Leafs (8-6-0) had won four straight and were 6-1 on the road this
season. But other than Nazem Kadri's power-play goal in the second
period, off a tip, they couldn't find a way to get anything else past Ellis.
The Hurricanes played without defensemen Joni Pitkanen and Tim
Gleason, both out with lower-body injuries. Carolina coach Kirk Muller also
made veteran forward Chad LaRose a healthy scratch.
But defenseman Michal Jordan, recalled Thursday from the Charlotte
Checkers of the AHL, stepped in and was solid in his NHL debut. So were
the others on the Canes' back end.
"The adjustments we've made over the past few games really shows the
way we're capable of playing," said Ellis, who had 22 saves. "Especially
defensively. We kept everything to the outside. We boxed them out. We
cleared away rebounds.
"I really like the style of play we've adapted to over the road trip. That's what
road trips do -- they give you a chance to learn about yourself .. and what
you can do when you're in difficult circumstances."
Corvo started the six-game trip as a healthy extra, sitting out the first three
games. That was difficult to accept and gave him time to reflect, and once
back in the lineup the veteran defenseman has responded with two goals
and three assists in the past four games.
"I had to eliminate all the hesitation out of my game," Corvo said. "I think
that was holding me back -- a lot of negative thoughts. It gave me time to
think where I was at, which way I could go with my career. I could keep
going on that path and probably be retired by next year or fight against it
and show people 35 isn't old and that I can still play."
FLAMING C NOTES
Corvo was picked to replace Gleason as an alternate captain in the game
and wear an "A" on his sweater. It wasn't something he took lightly.
To Jarome Iginla’s credit, I think he’s really embracing what the coaches
are asking him to do, but when he struggles to score and the team is losing,
it’s easy for him to become fixated on trying to get goals. The mindset that
the Flames don’t win if Iginla doesn’t score has been front and centre for so
"I was right from the start trying to be sharp because some of the younger
guys are watching me," he said. "They see me ready and they feed off
that."
Six minutes into the second period, Corvo swept in to collect a loose puck
and fire it past Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens, who stopped 30 shots and kept
Toronto in it. Eric Staal, who kept the puck alive in the zone, on his knees,
picked up the assist to push his point streak to 11 games.
Kadri's goal tied it 1-1, but Jokinen scored when Scrivens attempted to
lunge at the puck to his right, only to nudge it out to Jokinen. After going
pointless the first nine games, Jokinen now has goals in each of the last
two.
The Canes final goal came on a rush into the zone. Jeff Skinner, who had
two assists in the game, got off a shot from the right side that Scrivens
stopped, but Jordan Staal hammered in a shot from the left circle. It was
Staal's second goal of the season and his first at home as a Hurricane.
But this night, everyone in the lineup contributed. Kevin Westgarth dropped
the gloves and took on Leafs heavyweight Colton Orr in the first, juicing up
the sellout crowd and the Canes got the followup win at home they wanted.
"We had it going," Muller said.
2.08 (5)
Goals against
1.92 (3)
21.2 (9)
Power-play pct.
18.2 (16)
87.0 (6)
Penalty-kill pct.
91.5 (2)
Statistics through Wednesday.
Storyline: The Hawks are playing the second of a seven-game homestand
and sport a 2-0-1 mark at the United Center. Patrick Kane leads the offense
with nine goals and 11 assists. Patrick Marleau (10 goals, five assists) and
Joe Thornton (three goals, 12 assists) lead the Sharks in scoring. The
Sharks, who are in the middle of a six-game trip, have lost six consecutive
contests overall.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Chicago Blackhawks
Kane gains respect for Thornton
News Observer LOADED: 02.15.2013
657264
Chicago Blackhawks
By Chris Kuc,
Carcillo returns to Blackhawks practice
The Blackhawks and Sharks have developed a sometimes-heated rivalry
the last few seasons as two of the Western Conference's top teams.
By Chris Kuc
After a nearly a year rehabilitating a serious knee injury, Daniel Carcillo
didn't make it out of the third period of the Blackhawks' first game this
season before suffering a different injury to his other knee.
When they face off against each other Friday night at the United Center, a
pair of friendly foes will go head-to-head. During the NHL lockout, the
Hawks' Patrick Kane and Sharks' Joe Thornton were teammates for a week
on HC Davos during the Spengler Cup and a friendship was formed.
"(Thornton's) really a good guy," Kane said following practice Thursday at
the United Center. "I enjoyed my time with him. You gain a lot of respect
just playing with a guy like that."
The veteran winger practiced with teammates for the first time since
suffering a spained right knee Jan. 19 against the Los Angeles Kings on
Thursday at the United Center.
Kane leads the Hawks in scoring with nine goals and 11 assists and
Thornton shares the top spot on the Sharks with three goals and 12 assists.
"Everything's going well," Carcillo said. "Rehab went well and I feel strong
on the ice. It's just a matter of time when they'll make the decision and I'll
get the call to go in. I feel strong. It's encouraging."
"Everyone talks about how good he is as a passer and that's obviously true,
but one of the things with him is he can score goals too," Kane said. "He's
kind of like a big kid playing hockey out there.
Carcillo said it was frustrating to be injured in his first game back after
suffering an ACL injury to his left knee last season.
"We talked about a lot of different things, from hockey to living in Chicago
and San Jose," Kane added. "It was definitely a good relationship over that
week."
"Everything happens for a reason," Carcillo said. "I haven't found out what
that reason was yet. Stuff happens. Just because I was out for a year
doesn't make me exempt from getting hurt again. I just had to work hard
and have a good attitude and try to get back as quick as I can."
Hanging in: Patrick Sharp's goal-less skid stands at nine games but the
veteran isn't letting the drought affect him mentally.
Ray Emery will start in goal for the Hawks when they face the Sharks on
Friday night at the United Center.
"It doesn't matter," Sharp said. "I'm still producing offensively at the same
clip as I normally do. It's just Kane is doing the scoring and I'm getting the
assists instead of the other way around. And the team is winning. If we
were losing it would be a different story."
657265
Sharp has six assists during the span and has created scoring chances but
can't seem to find the back of the net.
Chicago Blackhawks
"A lot gets made of the puck going into the net — everyone congratulates
the goal scorer," Sharp said. "A lot of years people came to me after a
game when I had a goal and they probably should have gone to the guy
who made the play or got the assist.
Preview: Sharks at Blackhawks
Staff
"I don't get too concerned with it. I know it's a part of my game I'm counted
on to do and it's going to go in sooner or later."
TV/radio: 7:30 p.m. Friday; CSN, WGN-AM 720.
Not bored: Ray Emery will get the start in goal for the Hawks against the
Sharks. The veteran is 3-0-0 with a .920 save percentage as the backup to
Corey Crawford and looks to continue that roll.
Series: Hawks 1-0.
Last meeting: Hawks won 5-3 on Feb. 5 at San Jose.
Probable goaltenders: Sharks, Antti Niemi, 6-1-3, 1.74 goals-against
average; Hawks, Ray Emery, 3-0-0, 2.59.
"Ray hasn't had a home game yet and he has played very well for us,"
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It gives him a chance to get in the net
in Chicago. He deserves it by how he has played."
Team comparison
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Chicago Blackhawks
Averages per game (NHL rank)
SHARKS (7-3-3)
CATEGORY
2.62 (19) Goals for 3.31 (2)
HAWKS(10-0-3)
By Chris Kuc,
Daniel Carcillo isn't even attempting to figure out what cosmic force was at
work when he suffered an injury in his first game back from major knee
surgery.
The Blackhawks winger returned to practice Thursday for the first time
since suffering a right knee sprain in the season opener Jan. 19 against the
Kings. The injury occurred in the third period of his return after he spent a
year rehabilitating from ACL surgery on his left knee.
"Everything happens for a reason," Carcillo said. "I haven't found out what
that reason was yet. I don't care to know. Stuff happens. Just because I
was out for a year doesn't make me exempt from getting hurt again. I just
had to try to get back as quick as I can.
"Last year's injury tested me both on and off the ice. If I can get over
something like (that), a little bump in the road like this isn't going to affect
me."
After skating on his own while the Hawks were on their six-game trip,
Carcillo took a major stride toward returning when he practiced with
teammates at the United Center.
"Everything's going well," Carcillo, 28, said. "Rehab went well and I feel
strong on the ice. It's just a matter of time when they'll make the decision
and I'll get the call to go in."
Where Carcillo will fit in remains to be seen. The veteran started the season
on the top line with Marian Hossa and center Jonathan Toews, but rookie
Brandon Saad has been one of the Hawks' most dynamic players while
filling in and it's not likely coach Joel Quenneville will make a change there.
"Wherever I get in the lineup I'll be happy and grateful and do my job,"
Carcillo said.
Quenneville will decide his place and said Thursday the team will carry 23
players on its roster.
"It's a great situation when we have to make these kinds of decisions — the
tougher the better," Quenneville said. "Sometimes those decisions are
made easier for you. He can be effective, especially the way he played that
first game after not playing for long time."
With the Hawks opening the season 10-0-3, there is no rush for Carcillo
until he is completely healed and in game shape.
"The team has been amazing," Carcillo said of the start. "That's why on my
part there has been no real urgency because they're obviously playing
really well. All I can worry about is myself and I feel like everything else will
fall into place for me."
657268
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks’ Daniel Carcillo returns to practice
By HERB GOULD
When you’re deep, you’re deep.
Daniel Carcillo practiced with his teammates Thursday for the first time
since he sprained his right knee in the Blackhawks’ season opener Jan. 19,
and he seems ready to give coach Joel Quenneville one of those tough
decisions he loves.
‘‘I feel strong on the ice,’’ Carcillo said. ‘‘It’s just a matter of time when I’ll
get the call to go in.’’
That time won’t be Friday against the San Jose Sharks.
“We’ll see after a couple of practices,’’ Quenneville said. “He looked pretty
good, skated well. He’s further along than we anticipated. We’ll keep
pushing him, get in a couple of good skates and get a better idea of when.’’
When Carcillo went down, he had been skating on the top line with
Jonathan Toews and Marian Hossa. But rookie Brandon Saad has made a
big impression in that spot.
Carcillo said he isn’t worried about where he plays, especially with the
Hawks off to a sizzling start.
“It’s not up to me,’’ he said. “I just need to get ready and work as hard as I
can. Wherever I get in the lineup, I’m going to be happy and grateful. The
team’s been amazing. That’s why there’s been no real urgency [to return]
on my part. All I can do is worry about myself. I feel like everything else will
fall into place for me.’’
Despite being injured in the only game he has played since suffering a
season-ending injury to his left knee Jan. 2, 2012, Carcillo is optimistic he’s
due for a healthy stretch.
“Last year’s injury tested me both on and off the ice,’’ he said. “If I can get
over something like last year, a little bump in the road like this isn’t going to
affect me.’’
As competitive as the Hawks’ roster is, Carcillo figures to be given an
opportunity because of what he brings to the team.
“He’s one of those players that can play in any role or any line,’’ Patrick
Kane said. “And he has a lot of skill for a tough guy. He’s a player that can
get under [the skin of] opposing teams’ best players. I think he’ll be real
effective once we get him back. He’ll definitely be a help to our team.’’
NOTES: Ray Emery will make his first start at the United Center this season
Friday against the Sharks. Emery, who has played at Calgary and twice at
Phoenix, is 3-0 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .920 save
percentage.
“Ray hasn’t had a home game yet,’’ Joel Quenneville said. “He’s played
very well for us. He deserves it.’’
◆ Marian Hossa finally will have the opportunity to shoot third the next time
the Hawks find themselves in a shootout, Quenneville strongly hinted.
“That third spot, we haven’t got the production from it,’’ Quenneville said. “It
looks like it’s an automatic [to try Hossa]. Hopefully, it becomes automatic.’’
Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have been the Hawks’ first two shooters.
◆ Even though the Sharks are 0-3-3 in February after going 7-0-0 in
January, the Hawks are bracing for Sharks with teeth.
“They’re a dangerous team in a lot of ways,’’ Quenneville said. “I have a lot
of respect for their power play. They can get hot in that area real quick.
They have a lot of guys that know how to score.’’
The Sharks’ power play, which was 12-for-32 (37.5 percent) in their first five
games, is 2-for-34 (5.8 percent) in their last eight. That’s a big reason the
Sharks have scored seven goals in their last six games after scoring 29 in
their first seven.
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
657269
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks’ Sharp not worried about ‘slump’
By Tim Sassone
Patrick Sharp has been in worse slumps, if that's what you want to call it.
Sharp's not sure that what he is in the midst of even qualifies as a slump.
He hasn't scored a goal in nine games, but his 12 points leave him tied for
third on the Blackhawks in scoring with Marian Hossa.
The Hawks, meanwhile, are 10-0-3 and remain the only team in the NHL
without a loss in regulation.
"It doesn't matter," Sharp said Thursday. "I'm still producing offensively at
the same clip I normally do, it's just Kaner (Patrick Kane) is doing the
scoring and I'm getting the assists instead of the other way around.
"And the team is winning. If we were losing it would be a different story. It's
tough to complain when your team is undefeated."
Sharp scored 33 goals last season despite missing eight games with an
injury and knows he won't approach that number in a season shortened to
48 games because of the lockout.
Sharp also had 36 assists, a part of his game that often gets overlooked.
"A lot gets made of the puck going in the net and everyone congratulates
the goal scorer," Sharp said. "For a lot of years people came to me after
games when I had a goal and they probably should have gone to the guy
that made the play or got the assist.
"I don't get too concerned with it. I know it's a part of my game that I'm
counted on to do, but it's going to go in sooner or later. I've had some
games this year that I wasn't happy with, but as long as I'm skating and
moving my feet and creating chances, I'm happy.
"Like I said, I'm still producing, the team is winning, so there's nothing to
complain about."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville is not concerned about Sharp's lack of goal
scoring as long as the line (with Dave Bolland at center) keeps producing.
"I think that line generates a lot," Quenneville said. "I talked to them today
and I think they want to be more productive. They had some good shifts the
other day and some good looks at it.
"Sometimes they don't go in for you, but that line has been effective and
productive, and (Sharp) has been productive as well.
"I think goal scorers love the fact that when they cash in it feels better, so I
think eventually they'll start going in (for Sharp)."
Friday would be a good time for Sharp to bust loose against a San Jose
team that has dropped six in a row. The last time the two teams met last
week in San Jose, the Sharks jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Hawks
rallied to win 5-3.
The Hawks never believe they are out of a game, and it showed that night
when they were able to recover from that quick 2-0 hole.
Rookie Brandon Saad has taken over the left wing spot on the first line so
Carcillo appears headed back to fourth-line duty.
"It's a great situation to be in when we have to make these kinds of
decisions," Quenneville said. "The tougher the better, organization and
team wise. We'll see when we have to visit that. Whether he plays where he
started the season or wherever, we think he can use him in our lineup and
he can be effective."
Shootout talk:
The next time the Hawks go to a shootout, expect Marian Hossa to be used
somewhere in the top three with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
The Hawks have gone to three shootouts, and Joel Quenneville has yet to
use Hossa in that troublesome third hole.
"That third spot, we haven't got the production from it," said Quenneville,
who didn't commit Hossa to shooting third. "It looks like it's an automatic (to
use Hossa) and hopefully it becomes automatic."
The Kevlar debate:
The gruesome injury suffered by Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson on
Wednesday night, when he had his Achilles tendon 70 percent severed by
the skate of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke, has rekindled the talk of players going
to the more protective Kevlar socks.
Joel Quenneville was asked how many of his players wore the Kevlar socks
and he said it was a good question and that he planned to go find out.
Duncan Keith thinks Dave Bolland is the only Hawk to wear Kevlar socks
and wondered if those socks would have prevented what happened to
Karlsson.
Maybe it would have minimized the severity of the injury. But Karlsson, the
reigning Norris Trophy winner, will need surgery and likely will be lost for
the season.
"We believe in each other and we believe in our team system and that's
important because you're not going to cruise through every game," Sharp
said. "There are going to be bumps in the road. We've been down early in
games and have been able to remain focused and just play our game and
that's the way to be successful."
"A terrible injury," Quenneville said. "That's an unfortunate, freak type of
injury, but it happens once every couple of years or something like that."
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
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657271
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
Bickell comes through big
By Tim Sassone
Staff
Daniel Carcillo returned to practice Thursday for the first time since injuring
his right knee in the season opener at Los Angeles.
Bickell has started the 2012-13 season off strong and looks to continue to
play with confidence.
Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said he wants to have Carcillo
participate in a few more practices before he plays in a game.
Bryan Bickell lowering the boom on the Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Getzlaf set of
a chain reaction for the Blackhawks on Tuesday.
"I thought he looked pretty good, though," Quenneville said. "I thought he
skated well and talking to him he said he felt good as well. He's further
along than we anticipated, so we'll keep pushing him and get him in a
couple more skates to get a better idea when (he plays)."
The hit led to Brad Staubitz’s retaliation and instigator penalty, which led to
a Blackhawks power-play goal, which led to a recharged Blackhawks team,
which led an even-strength goal 28 seconds after their first goal.
Carcillo hopes to be ready sooner than later.
"Rehab went well and I feel strong on the ice, so it's just a matter of time
until I get the call to go in," Carcillo said. "It's encouraging."
Carcillo admitted it was frustrating to get hurt again in his first game after
missing more than a year with a torn ACL in his left knee.
"Everything happens for a reason, but I haven't found out what that reason
was and I don't care to know," Carcillo said. "Stuff happens. Just because I
was out for a year doesn't make me exempt from getting hurt again."
Carcillo, who started the season playing on the top line with Jonathan
Toews and Marian Hossa, will play wherever the coaches decide to put
him.
"It's not up to me," Carcillo said. "I just need to get ready and work as hard
as I can and whenever I get in the lineup, I'll be happy and grateful and
ready to do my job."
Not a bad series of events for the Blackhawks. And for Bickell, that part of
his game has to continue.
Bickell has had a solid start to the 2012-13 season, be it with hits like the
one he doled out on Tuesday night or his steady play with the third line.
Now in the final year of his current two-year contract, Bickell knows he has
to keep his game strong, defensively, offensively and physically.
“I need to be consistent. My mindset needs to be ready to keep my feet
moving and hit,” Bickell said following Thursday’s practice. “I know if I hit I’ll
get myself and my teammates into the game. We’ll get space out there, get
fans going.”
Teammates have recognized Bickell’s recent work, which also includes
seven points this season.
“Bicks has been playing well,” said linemate Viktor Stalberg. “That was a
big hit. It’s one of the things he has to do if he wants to be successful. He’s
got a big body and can hit. That’s the role he tries to do and it got some
momentum for the team.”
Andrew Shaw has also seen the difference.
“He’s got a lot of confidence right now. He’s throwing his body around a lot
more,” he said. “He’s going to the net, taking the puck to the net, and good
things are coming from it.”
Coach Joel Quenneville said Bickell’s physical side has been more
noticeable, especially the past few games.
“He makes an impact on a game when he skates like that and finishes his
check,” Quenneville said. “He goes at such a high speed those hits
sometimes can be impactful for the game. It really compliments his
individual game when he’s being physical because he has the puck more
and (opponents) turn pucks over more with that type of pressure.”
Bickell had a rough 2011-12, one in which he was a healthy scratch
several times during the regular season. He struggled with his confidence.
But he rebounded during the playoffs, as he had been the previous year.
And this lockout-shortened season has that kind of feel to him.
“This short season, it’s kind of like playoff hockey every game,” Bickell
said. “That kind of hockey gets the best out of me; there’s more hitting and
my type of game.
Bickell has put last season behind him. He’s been a good part of the
Blackhawks’ run to a 10-0-3 mark and is bringing more of that physical
presence the team needs. Bickell knows he needs to make an impact this
season. So far, he is.
Carcillo’s had enough of lengthy injuries. Right now, he just wants to
concentrate on getting back and staying back.
“Rehab went well, I feel strong on the ice, so that’s encouraging,” Carcillo
said. “It’s just a matter of time when they’ll make the decision and I get the
call to go in.”
TIDBITS
Ray Emery will get the start in goal tomorrow night against the San Jose
Sharks. Emery is 3-0-0 with a 2.60 goals-against average this season. He’s
2-2-0 with a 3.36 GAA in four career games vs. San Jose. “Ray hasn’t had
a home game yet and he’s played very well for us,” Quenneville said. “This
gives him a chance to get the net in Chicago, and he deserves it for how
he’s played.”
The Blackhawks will keep looking at their shootout options but Marian
Hossa will get his shot at the No. 3 spot when the team has another one.
The Blackhawks haven’t fared so well in them this season, winning just one.
And Quenneville knows those missing points could prove big down the
stretch. “Obviously that’s one stat we need to be better at,” he said. “We
need to prioritize the importance of those points and try to rectify that.”
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Chicago Blackhawks
“I definitely feel better than last year,” Bickell said. “Fortunately last year
was last year and this could one be big for me and the team to do well.”
Blackhawks, Sharp surprise one lucky fan on Valentine's Day
Tony Andracki
657272
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawks' Carcillo has had enough of sitting on the sidelines
With the first quarter of the season in the books, the buzz surrounding the
Blackhawks has overcome the city of Chicago.
Of course, the fact they still haven't lost a game in regulation will certainly
give fans plenty to cheer about.
Staff
Daniel Carcillo tempered his frustration at playing about one period’s worth
of hockey before suffering a knee injury, his second in just over a year.
“Everything happens for a reason. I haven’t found out what the reason for
this is yet; I don’t care to know,” Carcillo said on Thursday. “Just because I
was out for a year didn’t make me exempt from getting hurt again. I just had
to work hard and have a good attitude and get back as quick as I could.”
Carcillo has done that, and took part in his first practice with the team since
injuring that right knee in the Blackhawks’ season opener in Los Angeles on
Jan. 19. And while he’s still not sure when he plays, or when he fits in once
he does, Carcillo’s taking it all in stride.
“Wherever I get into the lineup I’ll be happy and grateful and do my job,”
said Carcillo, who’s watched the Blackhawks’ run to a 10-0-3 mark this
season. “The team has been amazing. That’s why, on my part, there hasn’t
been any real urgency because they’re playing well. Even when I’m ready,
who knows when the time will come when I get the call. All I can worry
about is myself; everything else will fall into place for me.”
Yes, the Blackhawks have been playing well in Carcillo’s absence. And
rookie Brandon Saad has made that left-wing spot on the top line his own
with his play. So it’s unlikely, unless Saad starts struggling, that Carcillo will
go back to the top line where he began this season. Coach Joel
Quenneville says, as far as those decisions go, “the tougher the better.”
“It’s a great situation to be in to make these kind of decisions,” he said.
“We’ll see when we have to visit that. Sometimes those decisions are made
easier for you. But whether (Carcillo) plays where he started the season or
wherever, we think we can use him in our lineup and he can be effective,
especially the way he played that first game after not playing for a long
time.”
Still, Carcillo is close.
“He looked pretty good, skated well and said he felt good,” Quenneville
said. “He’s further along than we anticipated there, so we’ll keep pushing
him in a few skates and get a better idea of when (he plays).”
The "Madhouse on Madison" has been packed each and every night this
year, and the Blackhawks are now home for all but one game the rest of the
month.
On Valentine's Day, the team decided to pay one lucky fan back for her
loyalty.
Patrick Sharp, dressed in a mascot costume, delivered a gift basket to one
unsuspecting fan Thursday morning and her reaction was priceless.
657274
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche's J.S. Giguere happy for start vs. Minnesota Wild
By Mike Chambers
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Avalanche goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere is looking
forward to his second start of the season and right winger Milan Hejduk is
hoping to celebrate his birthday with a victory.
Colorado's two oldest players led the otherwise young team in a light
morning skate Thursday in preparation for a rematch against their openingnight opponent, the Minnesota Wild.
Giguere, 35, is making his first start since Jan. 31, when the Avs won at
Calgary 6-3 to end a three-game losing streak. He hopes to end another
three-game skid Thursday night against a Minnesota squad that beat the
Avs 4-2 in the Jan. 19 opener.
"It's a short season, so as a backup you know it's going to be few and far
between, but whenever you get the chance, you have to be excited about it,
upbeat, accept the challenge and give them a reason to play you again,"
Giguere said after the skate at the Xcel Energy Center.
Hejduk is celebrating his 37th birthday. "I would like a win, and a couple
smiles," he said. "I want to see some happiness."
Center Matt Duchene, who did not practice Wednesday in Colorado, is
nursing a sore hip, but will play. He said it's frustrating to have another leg
injury after being limited to 58-of-82 games last season with knee and
foot/ankle injuries.
Denver Post: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657275
Colorado Avalanche
Avs, Predators renew acquaintances in Monday matinee
By Nick Groke
The last time the Avalanche skated against the Nashville Predators — 10
months ago — it left a bitter taste for Avs fans heading into what was about
to be a very long offseason.
The Predators, in the regular-season finale, routed the Avalanche 6-1. They
received a goal from six players. Nashville was playoff-bound, the Avs
home-bound. Not exactly the type of game you want to push off into an
offseason.
But the Avs can help erase that memory Monday when they play Nashville
in a Presidents Day game at 1 p.m. at the Pepsi Center.
Entering Thursday, Nashville was tied for fifth in the NHL's Western
Conference and the Avs were last. Neither team is lighting up the
scoreboard: The Avs rank last in the conference in scoring, while Nashville
is second to last.
If you're a hockey superfan, you can follow the Avalanche matinee with a
Denver Cutthroats game against the Missouri Mavericks at 7 p.m. Monday
at the Denver Coliseum.
Giguere, making his second start of the season, stopped perennial all-stars
Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu in the shootout. Giguere made 26 saves in
regulation.
"We faced some adversity tonight but we found a way to get the two points.
This is the kind of effort you need, especially on the road," Giguere said.
"We need some wins. We need to move up in the standings. In a short
season like this, you can't afford losing streaks."
The Wild (6-6-2) played in overtime for the third time in the team's past four
games — a span of just six nights — and the Avs were playing in their
second sudden-victory situation in as many games.
The Avs had a chance to win it in OT. Parise was whistled for high sticking
with 1:07 left in regulation, and although the Avs had some good looks,
particularly in OT, they failed to score in that situation for the second
consecutive game. They also had a 4-on-3 power play early in OT against
Phoenix on Monday in Denver, but the Coyotes scored in the final minute of
sudden victory.
The Avs nearly blew their second straight 2-1 lead after two periods.
The Wild tied
The Avalanche's P.A. Parenteau, right keeps an eye on the puck as it
bounces between the Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon and goalie Niklas
Backstrom on Thursday. (Jim Mone, The Associated Press)
it 2:30 into the final frame, when Mike Rupp jammed in a rebound from the
paint. Giguere was outraged, claiming he had smothered the puck before
the 6-foot-5, 243-pound Rupp charged in.
"I don't know if that's a good goal or not, but it's behind us now," Giguere
said.
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Colorado Avalanche
657276
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche knocks off Minnesota Wild on Milan Hejduk's birthday
bash
By Mike Chambers
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Valentine's Day turned into Veteran's Night at the Xcel
Energy Center. The semi-struggling Avalanche, trying to climb out of a
three-game winless skid, leaned on its two senior members Thursday and
landed on a 4-3 shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild.
Winger Milan Hejduk, celebrating his 37th birthday, scored in regulation and
the shootout, and 35-year-old goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere made two of
his 28 saves in the shootout to help Colorado climb to 5-6-1 and out of the
Western Conference cellar.
"A couple guys asked me this morning what I want for my birthday," said
Hejduk, whose goal served as his 800th career point. "I said I'd like to get a
win and put a smile on everybody's face
in the locker room, which happened, so that's cool."
The only other Quebec-Colorado players to reach that number are Joe
Sakic (1,641), Peter Stastny (1,048) and Michel Goulet (945).
The Avs led 2-1 entering the third period but trailed 3-2 with less than 10
minutes left in regulation. After 22-year-old center Matt Duchene tied it, the
Avs failed to convert on another brief 4-on-3 power-play opportunity in
overtime, but dominated the shootout 2-0.
Duchene also had two goals, including one in the shootout, and newcomer
Aaron Palushaj scored his first goal with the team in his second game.
"Lot of good things in our game tonight," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. "Our
guys fought hard tonight. They really did. They battled. They had to fight for
every inch of ice out there. And when you do that usually you get
rewarded."
Minnesota Wild's Zenon Konopka worthy of NHL respect
By Mike Chambers
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Zenon Konopka is to the Minnesota Wild what Ian
Laperriere was to the Avalanche. Konopka's nose points toward his right
ear, he is seemingly always healing from a cut on his face, and his
teammates and community adore him.
He is a combination of the Energizer Bunny and a teddy bear on skates.
"Great team guy. Love him in the locker room," said Avalanche right winger
P.A. Parenteau, who lived with Konopka over four years in Cincinnati;
Portland, Maine; and New York while they played for minor-league teams
and the New York Islanders. "He brings a lot more to the rink than his
faceoffs and fighting."
Parenteau and Avalanche teammate Shane O'Brien had dinner with
Konopka and his girlfriend
Wednesday night in St. Paul. O'Brien, also a guy who isn't afraid to drop the
mitts, played with Parenteau and Konopka in Cincinnati and Portland, and
again with Konopka for the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008.
"He's all heart. He plays the game the right way," O'Brien said of the 33year-old Konopka, who is listed at 6-foot and 209 pounds. "He's a guy you
never want to play against but always want on your team. I have a lot of
respect for him, but when you play against him you want to finish your
check on him and gain your space, because you know he's going to be in
yours."
Konopka is from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and has played in all 14
games in his first season with the Wild. The third- and fourth-line center
entered Thursday's game against the Avalanche with zero points, but had a
team-high 50 penalty minutes and was second in faceoff percentage (.556).
He was still healing from a cut on his nose that required 30 stitches on
opening night, in a 4-2 victory over the Avs. Defenseman Jan Hejda drew a
double-minor for high sticking.
"Tell (Hejda) to keep his stick down this time," Konopka said after
Thursday's morning skate.
Avs winger Cody McLeod fought Konopka in the first of five games between
these teams on Jan. 19, and the bigger O'Brien (6-3, 230) said he fought
Konopka in the past.
Like Laperriere, who became a cult hero in his four seasons with the
Avalanche (2005-09), Konopka loves the game and has found his niche as
an enforcer.
The only other Quebec
Colorado players to reach that number were Joe Sakic (1,641), Peter
Stastny (1,048) and Michel Goulet (945). Hejduk has 13 career power-play
goals against Minnesota, the most of any Wild opponent.
“I got 1,000 games like four games ago and now 800, so it’s really cool,”
Hejduk said. “But I really don’t focus on the stats right now. I just want to
keep focusing on the team and how we do.”
"He's a great addition to the Wild, but love to beat them tonight," Parenteau
said before Thursday's game. "Not too much love in the air."
Minnesota entered the game as the league’s second-lowest scoring team at
1.92 goals per game; Colorado the third-worst at 2.09. So by their
standards, the third period was practically a barrage of goals.
Sour feelings. The father of unsigned center Ryan O'Reilly used Twitter to
slam the Avalanche for the impasse in contract negotiations with his son, a
day after it was confirmed the Avs put O'Reilly on the trading block.
Minnesota was trailing 2-1, when Rupp tied it early in the third by taking a
pass from Mikael Granlund at the right post and whacking it past Giguere
on the second try.
Brian O'Reilly responded to a person asking him on Twitter if his son would
play with the Avs again, and as @coachbri1 replied: "sorry the ave's (sic)
don't want him or place value on what he brings. They practice external
control boss management."
Koivu gave Minnesota a 3-2 lead at 11:56, picking up a loose puck in the
Colorado slot, switching to his backhand and lifting a shot over the glove of
Giguere.
Later, @coachbri1 tweeted: "Sure he loved it there and thought the fans
were the best. So many great players the ave's dump because of their
management style $$$$$."
657278
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche beat Wild 4-3 in shootout on Hejduk's birthday
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PAUL, Minn. • Milan Hejduk’s 37th birthday was marked by a victory
and a milestone.
Hejduk and Matt Duchene scored in the shootout and the Colorado
Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on Thursday night.
Hejduk also scored in regulation to record his 800th career point.
“A couple guys asked me this morning what I want for my birthday. I said I’d
like to get a win and put a smile on everybody’s face in the locker room
which happened, so that’s cool,” Hejduk said.
The loss ended a three-game slide.
Duchene answered 46 seconds later, when from behind the end line, he
banked a shot off sliding defenseman Jared Spurgeon and the puck
ricocheted into the Wild net.
Colorado opened the scoring at 2:38 of the second when Palushaj fought
off Tom Gilbert in the slot and converted a pass from David Jones for his
first goal of the season.
Parise answered midway through the frame on wraparound after Giguere
failed to control a rebound of a shot by Koivu. Dany Heatley also had an
assist.
In an effort to find some offensive production, Yeo has reunited the top line
of Parise, Koivu and Heatley after being apart for a little more than a week.
Entering the game, Parise had one goal in the past eight games, Koivu had
one assist in his past seven and Heatley was pointless in the past eight.
The trio finished with 13 of Minnesota’s 29 shots, including nine by Parise.
Hejduk scored a power-play goal late in the second period for a 2-1
Avalanche lead, putting a rebound of a slap shot by Jamie McGinn over the
stick-side shoulder of Backstrom.
NOTES: Backstrom is 21-5-3 all-time vs. Colorado ... This was just the third
time in 12 games that the Avalanche scored first. ... Minnesota has
reassigned forwards Charlie Coyle and Matt Kassian to AHL Houston. ...
Wild forward Pierre-Marc Bouchard, who has three points in 11 games,
returned to the lineup. He was a healthy scratch Tuesday in Vancouver. ...
Colorado D Matt Hunwick, who missed Monday’s game with a torso injury
replaced Erik Johnson, who suffered a head injury Monday and is out
indefinitely.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere stopped Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu in the
shootout to get the win in just his second start of the season.
Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 02.15.2013
Hejduk beat Niklas Backstrom with a backhand move and Duchene beat
the Minnesota goaltender with a wrist shot.
“I had no idea where I was going to go really. I just tried to outwait him a
little bit and put it behind him,” Hejduk said.
657279
Blue Jackets players on notice as new GM takes over
Duchene and Aaron Palushaj also scored in regulation for Colorado. It was
the first shootout of the season for the Avalanche.
“A lot of good things in our game tonight, but most importantly the two
points which we wanted,” coach Joe Sacco said.
“Our guys fought hard tonight; they had to battle for every inch of ice out
there. When you do that usually you get rewarded.”
Minnesota coach Mike Yeo had far different feelings about his team.
“It was there to be taken, if you do the things to take it. There was a lack of
urgency, I would say, in a lot of areas,” he said choosing his words
carefully. “I don’t think we were prepared to play the right way.”
Parise, Koivu and Mike Rupp scored for Minnesota, which netted three
goals for the first time in seven games. The Wild has 10 goals in that span.
“This was a game we needed to win. The plus side is we got a point, but
you can’t find any contentment in that,” Rupp said.
Hejduk became the fourth player in franchise history — second in Colorado
— to reach 800 career points.
By Aaron Portzline
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — In his first official duty as Blue Jackets general
manager, Jarmo Kekalainen scouted a game in Finland last night with one
of his new underlings, director of amateur scouting Tyler Wright.
Until Kekalainen’s work visa is approved, which should happen in the next
few days, he might be resigned to scouting games in Europe and going
over reports of North American prospects. Meanwhile, in the United States,
the Kekalainen era dawns tonight when the Blue Jackets play at the Los
Angeles Kings.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson has a simple
directive for the entire organization: “We’re playing hard, and I want us to
keep playing hard, and we’ll take it from there. I want the coaches to coach
hard and the players to play hard, and we’ll all see where this goes.”
It is, to say the least, an unsettling time for players, most of whom were
either drafted, traded for or signed as free agents by former general
manager Scott Howson, who was fired on Tuesday. None of the players
has a relationship with Kekalainen, who spent the past 2½ seasons in
Finland after a 15-year career as an NHL executive.
“Nobody has a relationship with him, so you have to prove yourself,” said
winger Vinny Prospal, who signed as a free agent before last season.
“What’s going to happen is they’re going come in here, watch everything we
do and evaluate everybody.”
Winger Nick Foligno, whom Howson traded for last summer, said players
knew changes were coming when Davidson was hired in November.
Davidson has met with players a handful of times — before training camp
and before they practiced on Wednesday after Howson’s firing — and the
message has been the same.
“JD’s made it really clear,” Foligno said. “We’re going to go in a different
direction, and what’s happened in the past has to be forgotten. We have to
move forward and become a great team.
“It’s our job to go out there and play and not worry about what’s going on in
the draft or with trades or in free agency or any of that stuff. It’s our job to
put a good product on the ice, and you’ve seen that from us the last couple
of games.”
Right winger Derek Dorsett said the characteristics that Davidson and
Kekalainen are looking for — energy, passion, pride — should be default
settings for NHL players.
In that sense, nothing has changed.
“When the hammer falls that hard (Howson’s firing), it definitely stays with
you,” Dorsett said. “But what they’ve said is that character, hard work,
playing hard every night … that’s what they’re looking for from guys. Those
are the traits they’re going to use to build this thing long-term, so everybody
knows what to expect.”
Davidson said Kekalainen won’t likely arrive in time for the first three games
of this trip — at Los Angeles tonight, Phoenix on Saturday and Anaheim on
Monday. The hope is that he will arrive by Monday, so they can spend a
couple of days talking to the hockey operations staff.
“We’re going to seriously look at this thing with an open mind and get
everyone involved,” Davidson said. “We’re talking lots of long days and
nights talking about the players we have here, in the minors, our prospects
… really get a lay of the land with our club.”
“It’s really indifferent to me now,” Johnson said. “I’ve been a Blue Jacket for
a year. The novelty of playing your old team has worn off. I enjoy coming to
California with my teammates and enjoying the weather, and there are
some familiar faces around, a lot of friends who live here. But that’s about
it.”
No safety socks
A gruesome injury to Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson on Wednesday, where his left
Achilles tendon was 70 percent severed by the skate blade of Pittsburgh’s
Matt Cooke, highlighted the fact that so few NHL players wear Kevlar
socks.
The socks can’t entirely prevent injuries, but they can dramatically reduce
cuts like the one Karlsson suffered. An informal survey of Blue Jackets
players revealed that not one player wears them and only a few have tried
them.
“It felt funky,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t comfortable, and I’d rather be
comfortable and take a small risk than be uncomfortable and not be able to
play 100 percent.”
Slap shots
Right winger Cam Atkinson (high-ankle sprain) will not play against the
Kings but hopes to play on this six-game trip. “It’s different every day,” he
said of the injury. … With Atkinson out, the Jackets recalled forward Nick
Drazenovic to have an extra forward while playing three games in four
nights. He will wear No. 34. Drazenovic last played in the NHL on Nov. 15,
2010, with St. Louis.
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Jackets, Kings at a glance
Staff
Blue Jackets at a glance
• Past 10 games: 3-6-1
657280
• Power play: 15.2 percent (22nd in NHL)
• Penalty kill: 83.7 percent (13th)
Blue Jackets notebook: Defense at full strength with Aucoin, Moore back
• Injury update: D John Moore (lower body) and D Adrian Aucoin (lower
body) are questionable; RW Cam Atkinson (high-ankle sprain) is out.
Kings at a glance
By Aaron Portzline
• Past 10 games: 4-4-2
• Power play: 11.8 percent (27th)
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — For the first time in nearly two weeks, the Blue
Jackets expect to be fully healthy on defense when they play the Los
Angeles Kings tonight.Adrian Aucoin, out since Jan. 29, and John Moore,
out since Feb. 2, have been cleared to return. Both had lower-body injuries.
“This is the day we were waiting for, to say that everybody’s back in and
ready,” coach Todd Richards said.
Aucoin will replace James Wisniewski on the top pair with Jack Johnson,
Richards said. Wisniewski stayed in Columbus with his wife for the birth of
their first child. But he could join the club on Saturday in Phoenix or on
Monday in Anaheim.
“We have to make a decision on Johnny Moore,” said Richards, who is torn
by the need for Tim Erixon or Cody Goloubef to come out of the lineup if
Moore goes in. “The young guys have played well enough to stay in.”
Back in LA
Tonight marks Johnson’s first game in Los Angeles since the Kings traded
him to the Blue Jackets, along with a first-round pick, for Jeff Carter last
Feb. 23.
The Blue Jackets have played the Kings twice since the trade, both times in
Nationwide Arena.
• Penalty kill: 79.6 percent (20th)
• Injury update: D Alex Martinez (upper body), D Matt Greene (back) and D
Willie Mitchell (knee surgery) are out.
657282
Dallas Stars
Stars' Brenden Dillon, now 6-foot-3, was once a 5-2 teenager
Mike Heika
Mike Heika’s Thursday column runs through the exploits of Stars Brenden
Dillon. Here are some highlights from the piece. You can read the full
column here.
The 22-year-old was just 5-2 when he was 15 and wasn’t drafted into the
Western Hockey League because of his small stature. Instead, he had to
labor at the lower hockey levels in his native Surrey, British Columbia,
before earning a place on the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL at 17.
Heika: In seven years, Brenden Dillon has gone from Ugly Duckling to
Ironman
But even then, Dillon was only 5-11 and just a serviceable defenseman who
produced marginal points on a decent team. So when his NHL draft year
came in 2009, he was again passed up.
By MIKE HEIKA
“It was tough,” Dillon said as he prepared to return home Friday to face the
Vancouver Canucks as a first-pairing defenseman on the Stars. “But I just
stayed focused and tried to get better.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Someone should make a movie about
Stars defenseman Brenden Dillon.
Because of his small size, Dillon worked on his skating and stick-handling.
He said he developed a determination and hunger just so he could compete
with larger players.
“I had a chip on my shoulder, and I always wanted to prove myself to
people who didn’t think I was a player,” he said. “I just always wanted to get
better, no matter what it took — physically better, stick skills, whatever it
took. Maybe it’s one of those things where you just don’t realize it until you
get through it.”
But as Dillon worked, his body grew. By the time he was 20, he was 6-3.
Now at 22, he weighs 230 pounds.
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 02.15.2013
657283
Dallas Stars
With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip Larsen
MIKE HEIKA
The Stars on Thursday returned 20-year-old rookie defenseman Jamie
Oleksiak to the AHL, and both coach Glen Gulutzan and GM Joe
Nieuwendyk said it does not reflect on his first six games in the NHL, but
rather simply allows Oleksiak to continue his growth.
“We were very happy with how he’s played, but we think he got a taste of it,
and now he can build on that taste with more minutes in the minors,” said
Nieuwendyk. “We left him with the message: Go work on your game, use
what you have learned, and the next time we call you back, we expect you
to have moved to an even higher level.”
Oleksiak averaged 15:40 in time on ice, had one assist and was minus-1 in
his six games. He was the AHL Rookie of the Month for January, so he will
go back to playing power play and penalty kill with the Texas Stars.
“We just want him to play big minutes,” said Gulutzan. “We were not going
to play him Friday, so we want him to play.”
The Stars are down to six defensemen right now, and will play Philip Larsen
Friday against the Canucks. Larsen played Tuesday against Edmonton and
was paired with Alex Goligoski, so that would seem to be the logical move
in his return to the lineup.
“He’s a competitive kid, he’s worked hard and he’s played hard, so he’s
going to get an opportunity and we’re going to try to stabalize some pairs
here,” Gulutzan said.
Kari Lehtonen is expected to get the start in goal. He has struggled in his
career against the Canucks with a 2-7-0 record, a 3.69 GAA and an .879
save percentage. He was better last season at 1-2-0, with a 2.79 and a
.905.
Optional practice today at Pacific Coliseum (where the Canucks used to
play before GM Place was built). Jaromir Jagr was on the ice, but most of
the veterans were off. Reilly Smith broke a pane of glass behind the goal
with a hard shot midway through practice, and the Stars had to move to the
other end of the ice.
Much hub bub surrounding Vancouver area native Brenden Dillon, as he
returns home to play as an NHLer. Teammates were giving him much grief
during interviews.
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Dallas Stars
Then again, maybe somebody already has.
Take the movie Shallow Hal, for example, in which Hal and Mauricio talk
about “Ugly Duckling Syndrome,” where a girl doesn’t turn pretty until high
school. Then, she ends up with the rare mix of good looks with a nice
personality.
“That’s a real find,” Mauricio concludes.
Well, Dillon could be that real find. The 22-year-old was just 5-2 when he
was 15 and wasn’t drafted into the Western Hockey League because of his
small stature. Instead, he had to labor at the lower hockey levels in his
native Surrey, British Columbia, before earning a place on the Seattle
Thunderbirds in the WHL at 17.
But even then, Dillon was only 5-11 and just a serviceable defenseman who
produced marginal points on a decent team. So when his NHL draft year
came in 2009, he was again passed up.
“It was tough,” Dillon said as he prepared to return home Friday to face the
Vancouver Canucks as a first-pairing defenseman on the Stars. “But I just
stayed focused and tried to get better.”
Because of his small size, Dillon worked on his skating and stick-handling.
He said he developed a determination and hunger just so he could compete
with larger players.
“I had a chip on my shoulder, and I always wanted to prove myself to
people who didn’t think I was a player,” he said. “I just always wanted to get
better, no matter what it took — physically better, stick skills, whatever it
took. Maybe it’s one of those things where you just don’t realize it until you
get through it.”
But as Dillon worked, his body grew. By the time he was 20, he was 6-3.
Now at 22, he weighs 230 pounds. So all of the work he did back in the day
has sort of compounded exponentially. Yes, he’s big and physical, but he
also can skate and has quick hands.
“He’s worked and worked, and that’s just his character,” said Stars coach
Glen Gulutza, who coached Dillon in Dillon’s first AHL season. “He had to
do everything the hard way, and the honest way, and he has those
attributes now.”
The Stars signed Dillon as a free agent out of junior hockey in 2011, and
Dillon said it was the organization’s belief in him that made him commit to
Dallas. The trio of Les Jackson, Shane Churla and Dennis Holland showed
interest early in the process, and that swung the vote for the Stars.
That’s how Dillon has operated his whole life. He comes from a hardworking family in the suburbs of Vancouver, and he takes pride in his work
ethic. He is of Portuguese descent and can converse in three languages
(English, French and Portuguese). He has 11 years of piano lessons on the
résumé, and he loves to give back to the youth hockey association that
helped him on his path.
So does that mean he can relate to another movie hero, Tony Stark?
Maybe slipping into this new skin is sort of like Ironman putting on his
special suit?
Dillon laughed at the comparison but then thought about the journey and
the transformation from one of the smallest players on the ice to one of the
biggest.
“I think growing up being a smaller guy, you learn to play quicker and use
your speed to survive,” he said. “But then when you add the size and
weight, it really does make a difference and adds physicality. It definitely
helps, because there are a lot of big guys out there and you have to be able
to handle them.”
So maybe there is a new movie role for Dillon out there somewhere. After
all, he has a heck of a story … and it’s just getting started.
“I think the greatest thing is he just keeps improving,” Stars GM Joe
Nieuwendyk said. “You never know how a young guy is going to react, and
he clearly is taking a step forward just about every game. We know there
are going to be challenges here and there, but you love to see how he
learns and reacts and just gets better. That’s what I like the most about
him.”
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Dallas Stars
As Stars face Vancouver, Jamie Benn faces off against the type player he
can become
By MIKE HEIKA
STARS vs. CANUCKS
9 p.m. Friday, GM Place, FSSW, KTCK-AM (1310)
Key Match-up
Jamie Benn vs. Ryan Kesler
The Stars are hoping to turn Benn into the kind of two-way center who
canscore 40 goals and defend the other team’s best players. That’s kind of
what Kesler has become. Kesler returns after off-season repairs on his
shoulder and wrist, and it will be interesting to see if he gets the job of
shutting down Benn, who has seven points in the last four games.
transitioning forward. While guys like Brenden Dillon and Cody Eakin need
that experience to be better in the future, guys like Jamie Benn and Kari
Lehtonen need it too. You don't want to pronounce your team "ready to go''
and then lose in the first round of the playoffs because you have no
experience. So they will keep alive the post-season dream and take things
day-by-day, and they will make their contract decisions at a later time.
Stars appear to be in a difficult place — not bad enough for a top (read:
elite) pick, not good enough to win it all — what's it going to take to get the
high-end talent to get the team over the hump and back in the hunt for a
Cup?
They believe they have found some of that high end talent with good draft
picks and smart UFAs like Dillon, Oleksiak, Jamie Benn and Loui Eriksson.
It will just take more of the same. New Jersey, Detroit, Nashville, teams like
that have found a way to reload without top five draft picks. The Stars hope
to do the same.
Who are the big FAs for next season? Do you see the Stars going after any
of them?
I need to look into this. They are sold on the kids, but they have to bolster
the roster somehow _ especially with their own UFAs possibly leaving via
trade or in the summer. I'll check into this and have a better answer next
week.
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Dallas Stars
With Oleksiak being sent down, the door opens for Philip Larsen
Key stat:
.960
That’s the career save percentage against the Stars of Vancouver goalie
Cory Schnieder, who is expected to get the start in net. Schneider is 4-1-0
in his career with a 1.41 goals against average when facing Dallas.
Injuries
Vancouver: C Ryan Kesler (shoulder, wrist) is expected to return to play.
LW David Booth (groin) and C Manny Malhotra (eye) are out.
Dallas: LW Ray Whitney (foot) is out.
Notable
The Stars are coming off a 7-4 loss in Calgary on Wednesday, but are 4-1-0
in their last five games…Vancouver is coming off a 2-1 win against
Minnesota on Tuesday and has won five straight…Dallas was 2-2-0 against
the Canucks last season…Kari Lehtonen is expected to start in goal for the
Stars. He is 2-7-0 in his career against Vancouver with a 3.69 GAA and an
.879 save percentage…The Stars assigned defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to
the AHL Thursday, so Philip Larsen is expected to return to the lineup.
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Dallas Stars
Heika: Jaromir Jagr has been worth every penny in his contract, but I'm not
sure they would want him back
By SPORTSDAYDFW.COM
Stars beat writer Mike Heika answered questions in a chat on Thursday.
Here are some highlights.
I know we're only at the quarter mark, but at this point, do you think the
Stars would consider re-signing Jagr (if healthy and willing) and letting
Ryder walk to allow room for another forward in the top six?
I personally wonder if Jagr would sign at this point, and I also wonder if the
Stars would commit to that. He has been great so far, and his influence in
the room is worth the $4.55 million contract alone. He is detailed, engaged,
experienced, smart...really just a joy to be around. But I think he also wants
to be on a team that can win in the playoffs, and I'm not sure this is that
team yet. This is a transition season for the Stars, and GM Joe and the
powers that be would like the playoffs to be a part of the process in
MIKE HEIKA
The Stars on Thursday returned 20-year-old rookie defenseman Jamie
Oleksiak to the AHL, and both coach Glen Gulutzan and GM Joe
Nieuwendyk said it does not reflect on his first six games in the NHL, but
rather simply allows Oleksiak to continue his growth.
“We were very happy with how he’s played, but we think he got a taste of it,
and now he can build on that taste with more minutes in the minors,” said
Nieuwendyk. “We left him with the message: Go work on your game, use
what you have learned, and the next time we call you back, we expect you
to have moved to an even higher level.”
Oleksiak averaged 15:40 in time on ice, had one assist and was minus-1 in
his six games. He was the AHL Rookie of the Month for January, so he will
go back to playing power play and penalty kill with the Texas Stars.
“We just want him to play big minutes,” said Gulutzan. “We were not going
to play him Friday, so we want him to play.”
The Stars are down to six defensemen right now, and will play Philip Larsen
Friday against the Canucks. Larsen played Tuesday against Edmonton and
was paired with Alex Goligoski, so that would seem to be the logical move
in his return to the lineup.
“He’s a competitive kid, he’s worked hard and he’s played hard, so he’s
going to get an opportunity and we’re going to try to stabalize some pairs
here,” Gulutzan said.
Kari Lehtonen is expected to get the start in goal. He has struggled in his
career against the Canucks with a 2-7-0 record, a 3.69 GAA and an .879
save percentage. He was better last season at 1-2-0, with a 2.79 and a
.905.
Optional practice today at Pacific Coliseum (where the Canucks used to
play before GM Place was built). Jaromir Jagr was on the ice, but most of
the veterans were off. Reilly Smith broke a pane of glass behind the goal
with a hard shot midway through practice, and the Stars had to move to the
other end of the ice.
Much hub bub surrounding Vancouver area native Brenden Dillon, as he
returns home to play as an NHLer. Teammates were giving him much grief
during interviews.
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Dallas Stars
GameDay: Dallas Stars at Vancouver Canucks
In honor of Valentine's Day, here's the story of how Daniel Cleary and
Shawn Horcoff began a bromance 12 years ago that has become legendary
in the Detroit Red Wings' dressing room.
Staff
The joke goes -- and this is a joke told by Cleary, no less -- that during the
off-season, if someone wants to find him, this is what happens: "They'll be
like, where's Bear? Oh, he's right next to Horc."
Stars at Canucks
So inseparable were the two during the NHL lockout that teammates who
hung around and skated with Cleary and Horcoff in Troy recognized how
hard it was for them after the lockout ended and Horcoff went off to join his
NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers.
9 tonight, Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
TV : FSSW
Radio : KTCK/1310 AM
Records: Stars 7-6-1, 15 points; Canucks 8-2-2, 18 pts.
About the Stars : The Stars are coming off Wednesday's 7-4 loss at Calgary
on the second night of a back-to-back situation. The Stars are 0-4-0 in the
second game of those situations this season.... The Stars assigned 20year-old defenseman Jamie Oleksiak to the Texas Stars. Oleksiak, the 14th
overall pick of the 2011 draft, appeared in five games with Dallas, recording
one assist and averaging 15:40 minutes of ice time.
About the Canucks : Center Manny Malhotra will miss the rest of the
season after failing to adapt sufficiently following a career-threatening eye
injury in March 2011 when he was struck by a puck. ... The Canucks have
won six consecutive games. ... Center Ryan Kesler has been cleared to
return. Kesler has yet to play this season after surgeries on his shoulder
and wrist.
"It's heart-breaking," Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "We've
noticed their friendship before, but not to this extent. We spent more time
with them together, working out and skating, so you notice it."
The two met when Horcoff, 34, joined the Oilers a decade ago, shortly after
Cleary, also 34, arrived in Edmonton.
"We've been best friends for 12 years," Cleary said. "We clicked right
away."
Horcoff, a Michigan State alumnus, said: "We've been really good friends
for a long time now. We were at each other's weddings. Our wives are best
friends, and our kids -- his oldest is sandwiched in between my two, and
then his youngest. We work out together and skate together and play golf
together."
Cleary's teammates delight in noticing the bromance.
Star-Telegram LOADED: 02.15.2013
"It hasn't been a secret," Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said, smiling. "It's
been going on for years. I don't think they spend a day in the summertime
without each other. They have a special relationship. It makes you happy."
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Dallas Stars
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Detroit Red Wings
Fort Worth ready to reach out to Dallas Stars
Red Wings tout Kevlar socks after gruesome Erik Karlsson injury
By Scott Nishimura
By Helene St. James
Fort Worth is looking to move talks with the Dallas Stars along, assigning
staff to contact the hockey team to see where it wants to go next.
Stars president Jim Lites said during a panel discussion earlier this week
that the Stars were interested in holding their training camp in Fort Worth.
That followed a secret meeting a few months ago between Lites and Mayor
Betsy Price and members of their staffs.
There haven't been any substantive conversations between the Stars and
the city since then, and the city is getting ready to reach out to the team,
said Kirk Slaughter, Fort Worth's public events director, whose staff
oversees the downtown convention center (11,200 seating).
The city has identified dates in mid-September that might fit the Stars'
training camp schedule, Slaughter said.
Based on the lunch conversation, the Stars are interested in the training
camp scenario and possibly "playing a game or two in Fort Worth,"
Slaughter said.
After the NHL lockout ended, Lites vowed to do everything he could to win
back the trust of the fans and build the fan base.
He said, "It's a tough go and we can't take anything for granted."
Star-Telegram LOADED: 02.15.2013
657290
Detroit Red Wings
On Valentine's Day, Red Wings delight in bromance between Daniel Cleary,
Shawn Horcoff
By Helene St. James
The Detroit Red Wings have a slew of injuries, and no one is expected to
return for at least one more game.
It's a common situation around the NHL -- and was an especially hot topic
today, after the previous night's dreadful injury to elite Ottawa Senators
defenseman Erik Karlsson. Karlsson suffered a lacerated Achilles tendon in
his left leg after being cut by the skate of renowned Pittsburgh Penguins
pest Matt Cooke.
Karlsson is out for the season, but the NHL already has said Cooke won't
face any discipline. Replays leave it debatable as to whether it was
intentional, but given Cooke's long history of questionable antics, Wings
forward Daniel Cleary, at least, isn't convinced it was a fluke incident.
"Last night's was reckless," Cleary said.
Many players, including Wings forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Valtteri
Filppula, wear Kevlar socks. Many players also wear longer gloves.
"It's hard to Kevlar every part that's open," Cleary said, "but I think that long
shirts and socks should be (worn), for sure. Instead of a severed tendon, it's
stitches. It'd alleviate -- it's like a bullet-proof vest. It'd probably still hurt you
and leave a mark, but not as deep. "
Over the past few seasons, the Wings have seen forward Darren Helm rush
off the ice after suffering a deep gash to his right forearm, similar to what
happened to former Wings forward Mike Modano.
Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson usually wears Kevlar socks but stopped a
couple of games ago because the socks, which are a little bit heavy, were
rubbing against his skin.
"My ankles got really sore from wearing them," Ericsson said. "But I will get
into them as soon as I can again. I wear Kevlar sleeves, too, during games,
just because of what happened to Helmer and Modano. I don't mind the
socks, it's just that they were starting to wear on my ankles, and that's why I
had to stop for a little bit."
Regarding Karlsson, Ericsson said, "You could see he was in so much pain.
I can't even imagine how that must have felt. And in that particular area,
too, you know you're done for a while."
Regarding the Wings' own injuries, forward Mikael Samuelsson (groin) said
he's close -- which he admitted he has been saying for a week so, one of
these times, it must be true -- but coach Mike Babcock said Samuelsson
isn't playing Friday, when the Wings host the Anaheim Ducks.
Neither is forward Johan Franzen, who is out with a sore hip flexor. Franzen
is considered day-to-day, but showing his sense of humor, Babcock said,
"That's usually 10 .
"The bottom line is we've got guys who are putting on a sweater tomorrow.
We've got to find a way to win."
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Detroit Red Wings
Winging It in Motown: Please, let's see more young guys in Red Wings'
lineup
excited. And we haven't even seen Gustav Nyquist, despite thousands of
fans hoping he'll wear a Wings jersey soon.
Why is it that we want to see these young players so badly? I understand
that putting an AHL guy on the top line doesn't mean that that player is
going to score 40 goals per year. I'm also not advocating a complete
rebuild, because this team has a core that can make the playoffs and
possibly more.
It's about hope and the future. Mrazek could have been lit up for six goals in
his first start, and I would still be OK with it, because the Wings are taking a
shot with a player they're grooming rather than signing an older spare part
to fill the same role. Tatar or Nyquist could go pointless in their first 10
games alongside Pavel Datsyuk or Zetterberg, but I can rationalize that
they're gaining experience and learning from great players. Lashoff can
make rookie mistakes, but the only way he's going to develop into an NHL
defenseman is by being afforded the opportunity to learn from those
mistakes.
Ultimately, if this team is not going to succeed, I'd rather it be due to it
getting younger, not because a bunch of older players don't have anything
left in the tank.
By Graham Hathway
Graham Hathway writes for the Detroit Red Wings blog Winging It In
Motown. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Detroit Free
Press nor its writers. Read his column every Thursday here and contact him
anytime at amerinadian19@gmail.com.
It's the day after a Red Wings loss, which always is a tough day. However,
this one seems more painful. Perhaps it's because they blew an early 2-0
lead against a goalie making his first career start. Maybe it's that they had
six shots in the final 40-plus minutes of the game. Part of it definitely is the
special teams and their continued inability to sustain any momentum.
A Wings loss always makes people angry, but this year, there has been a
much different tone among fans. A few years ago, a loss was greeted with
the thought that it was a bad game and you can't win them all. That then
morphed into a feeling that the team was not the consistent, intense group
we were used to seeing, but they were still pretty good and should win more
than they lose.
This year, we were prepped by the Wings' management that this could be a
tough season. General manager Ken Holland came out and said he thought
they could miss the playoffs. For a team that has been to the playoffs
enough consecutive years to legally drink champagne from the Stanley
Cup, that's tough to hear.
Most people recognize that this is a team in transition. But after losses like
last night, I can't help but wonder where this team is going.
I have nothing against any player on this team. But I look at the lineup and
wonder why Daniel Cleary is playing top-six minutes when neither his stats
nor his play seem to warrant it. Mikael Samuelsson has only played two
games this season, as he recovers from a groin injury, but his signing left a
lot of us scratching our heads, wondering what sort of role he would be
asked to play.
What really frustrated people was when it was announced that Johan
Franzen was going to miss last night's game with a hip flexor injury, and
Justin Abdelkader was being promoted to the top line with Henrik
Zetterberg and Damien Brunner. Abby's role has always been as a grinder
and physical presence; his inclusion on the top line is a head-scratcher.
Why do people get frustrated with moves like this? Because if this team
truly is undergoing a transition, why aren't younger players getting ice time
to show what they can do? Why aren't we getting a glimpse of the future so
the team can assess what it has for the coming years?
The Red Wings' philosophy of overdeveloping players in the minors before
bringing them to the NHL is well-documented. But it seems like we're at the
point where the young guys need an opportunity to play. It has happened a
bit already, and the results have been encouraging.
Tomas Tatar scored his second goal last night, a beautiful display of
patience and puckhandling. Brian Lashoff has been steady since his callup. Joakim Andersson hasn't been great, but he hasn't looked out of place,
either. Petr Mrazek was close to perfect in his first start and has fans really
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Detroit Red Wings
At 42, Mighty Ducks' Teemu Selanne an ageless scorer
By Helene St. James
Much like former Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom, Ducks forward
Teemu Selanne has reached a zenith where even opponents flat-out
worship him.
The Wings host the Ducks tonight at Joe Louis Arena. While the
overwhelming focus naturally is on pocketing two points, it's impossible not
to appreciate what Selanne is doing at 42: leading his team with 14 points
in 12 games.
"He's like fine wine," Wings coach Mike Babcock said Thursday. "He's as
good as ever. The thing about Teemu, too, is he loves being around the
game and loves having fun. His disposition is such that he's fun to be
around, and he's been an unbelievable ambassador for the game. He's
been spectacular since Day 1. He's pretty good, I'd say."
Goaltender Jimmy Howard, slated to start tonight, said: "It's always a lot of
fun when you get to go up against him. What he's doing, it's amazing. It still
looks like he's got years left. He's just an extremely smart player, and
extremely skilled."
That echoes what players around the NHL used to say about Lidstrom, who
retired last summer but who is in town for a few days and is expected to
watch tonight's game from owner Mike Ilitch's suite. Lidstrom was at
Wednesday's game, and teammates who saw him noted that "he looks like
he could still play."
The Wings won't have Lidstrom in their lineup again, and there's little relief
in sight from the injured players who are on the team. Mikael Samuelsson,
sidelined by a pulled groin, appears to be closest to ready. Johan Franzen
technically is day to day with a sore hip flexor, but as Babcock pointed out,
"that usually means 10 days." No one else is close.
The Wings enter tonight's game frustrated over how they played
Wednesday, when a 2-0 lead was made moot as the Blues scored three
goals in a row and won in overtime, not least because of a flat second-half
performance by Detroit.
"I feel we've played some good hockey here lately, but we really let one slip
away last night," Daniel Cleary said. "We've got to be a little more focused,
keep playing on our toes."
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Detroit Red Wings
Karlsson's lacerated Achilles has more Wings considering Kevlar
By Ted Kulfan
Detroit — Much of the discussion Thursday in the Red Wings locker room
centered around the devastating injury suffered by Ottawa defenseman Erik
Karlsson.
After suffering a lacerated Achilles tendon, Karlsson — last season's Norris
Trophy winner — is out for the rest of the season.
Karlsson wasn't wearing Kevlar socks when he was cut Wednesday night
against Pittsburgh. Had he been wearing that protective equipment, it might
have lessened the severity of the injury. Karlsson is expected to be out six
months.
About half of the Red Wings players wear some sort of Kevlar socks or
sleeves. They've seen teammates suffer from cuts — defenseman Ian
White (above the knee) this season, forward Darren Helm (forearm) last
season and forward Mike Modano (forearm) in 2010-11.
More Red Wings who aren't wearing Kevlar are definitely thinking about it.
"I should start, really," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said Thursday. "We've
had Whitey, and Helm and Mo — we've had our fair share of those as well.
You really start thinking you should use them.
Several Red Wings contemplate Kevlar protection following Erik Karlsson's
Achilles tendon injury
Ansar Khan
DETROIT – Sitting in the visitors dressing room at Joe Louis Arena
Thursday, Teemu Selanne slipped on a Kevlar sleeve, grabbed his skate
and attempted to slice his wrist.
“This doesn't cut,'' Selanne, the Anaheim Ducks star forward, said. “The
socks, same thing. I don't understand why they are not (mandatory). It's so
light, doesn't bother you at all.''
The debate about making Kevlar protection mandatory is heating up again
after Ottawa defenseman Erik Karlsson's left Achilles tendon was sliced by
the skate of Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke on Wednesday. The reigning Norris
Trophy winner is out for the season.
Selanne believes Kevlar should be mandatory. Many Detroit Red Wings
agreed, especially after seeing Mike Modano (November 2010) and Darren
Helm (April 2012) have tendons in their forearms severed by skate blades.
Their injuries required surgery and months of rehabilitation.
"There's no reason not to, really."
“We should all have Kevlar shirts and socks,'' Detroit's Daniel Cleary said.
“It’s hard to (put) Kevlar on every part that’s (vulnerable), but shirts and
socks should be worn, and even guards for wrists.
The Kevlar equipment isn't as comfortable and many players don't like the
feel. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson plans to go back to Kevlar socks but
has stopped temporarily because of the rubbing against his ankles.
“Instead of a severed tendon, you’d probably get some stitches. It’s like a
bullet-proof vest; it’s going to hurt and probably leave a mark, just not as
deep.''
"I'll get into them as soon as I can," Ericsson said. "I wear the Kevlar
sleeves just because of what happened to Helmer and Modano. I don't
mind the socks. They just wear on the ankles so I had to take them off a
little bit."
Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson wears Kevlar sleeves but
stopped using the socks.
With the speed of the game, said Ericsson, players are crashing into each
other and skates are flying.
"It's such a fast game, and you see legs flying around and skates coming by
your head all the time," Ericsson said.
But, ultimately, it's up to the players to make decisions about their protective
equipment.
"We talk about that stuff tons here," coach Mike Babcock said. "The ones I
don't understand are the gloves that are two inches long and their whole
wrist is showing.
"But it's like visors. They're big boys and they make their own decisions."
Franzen out again
Babcock already has ruled out forward Johan Franzen (hip flexor) for
Friday's game against Anaheim. Franzen didn't play Wednesday against St.
Louis, either.
“They started to give my ankles really bad sores,'' Ericsson said. “They’re
hard, almost like steel. I wear the sleeves now; they’re fine. The socks
were, too, until they started bothering me.''
Karlsson's injury has made Ericsson reconsider the socks.
“You could see he was in so much pain,'' Ericsson said. “I can’t imagine
how it felt.
“It seems like fluke things are happening like that. You see legs come up all
the time, flying by your head when you hit someone.''
Other Red Wings said they will don Kevlar.
“I'm definitely thinking about it, after you see a guy like that (get injured),''
Mikael Samuelsson said. “Definitely try it out.''
Said Niklas Kronwall: “We’ve had our fair share of those (injuries) as well.
We should start using (Kevlar). There’s no reason not to.''
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock advocates anything that increases safety.
Franzen is essentially day to day, but Babcock said "day to day is usually
10 (days)."
“The one that I can’t understand is the gloves that are two-inches long and
the whole wrist is showing,'' Babcock said. “But, it’s like visors, once you get
hit in the eye ... They’re big boys and they make those decisions.''
Forwards Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm, both out with back injuries, are
out indefinitely.
Take it from Selanne, who missed 33 games during his second NHL
season in 1993-94, with the Winnipeg Jets, due to a sliced Achilles tendon.
Forward Mikael Samuelsson (groin) had his most exhaustive workout yet in
Thursday's practice and appears close to returning, though Babcock said
Samuelsson was not available for Friday.
“When I got my Achilles tendon, I was lucky it was 85 percent cut,'' Selanne
said. “(Karlsson) has got to be at least four months. It took me like six
months to get perfect, when you get all the mobility back.
Babcock's plan
“He will be 100 percent, no problem at all. It's going to take time. It's
painful.''
Babcock is likely to monitor ice time Friday after not being happy with the
way he used forwards Henrik Zetterberg (24 minutes, 18 seconds) and
Pavel Datsyuk (20:08) against the Blues while the third and fourth lines
played 8-13 minutes.
"Too much ice time," Babcock said. "Bottom line is, I have to get them on
the ice more. That's my fault, not their fault, because they did good enough
things to be on the ice more."
Detroit News LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Detroit Red Wings
Regarding the Kevlar protection, Selanne added, “It's a sock, a sleeve, it's
like nothing. I think it's stupidity (to not wear them).''
Michigan Live LOADED: 02.15.2013
657296
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings hoping to trim ice time for top players and play third and fourth
lines more
Ansar Khan
657298
DETROIT – When Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock looks at the stat
sheet after each game, he doesn't like seeing his best players, Pavel
Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, with more than 20 minutes of ice time.
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings forced to alter their ways a bit due to lack of puck-moving
defensemen
Zetterberg played 24:18 and Datsyuk 20:08 in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime
loss to the St. Louis Blues.
“Too much ice-time last night,'' Babcock said. “So, we have to get them
recharged.''
Ansar Khan
He hopes to play the stars a little less and the third and fourth lines a little
more Friday against the Anaheim Ducks, who are off to a 9-2-1 start. The
Red Wings got one goal each from their third and fourth lines (Tomas Tatar,
Drew Miller) against the Blues.
DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings' defense doesn't have the puck-moving
ability it possessed for the past two decades, requiring the club to alter its
approach.
“I thought they did a good job for us,'' Babcock said. “Bottom line is I’ve got
to get them on the ice more. That’s my fault, not their fault, because they
did good enough things to be on the ice more.
“I got them out there for about 10 minutes a piece, which to me isn’t
enough.''
Here are the lines they skated with Thursday:
Justin Abdelkader-Henrik Zetterberg-Damien Brunner
Valtteri Filppula-Pavel Datsyuk-Daniel Cleary
Tomas Tatar-Joakim Andersson-Patrick Eaves
Drew Miller-Cory Emmerton-Jordin Tootoo
Also: Mikael Samuelsson, Jan Mursak
Niklas Kronwall-Brian Lashoff
Jonathan Ericsson-Ian White
Kyle Quincey-Jakub Kindl
Also: Kent Huskins, Carlo Colaiacovo, Brendan Smith
Jimmy Howard (starting Friday)
Petr Mrazek
Jonas Gustavsson
657297
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Johan Franzen still out for Friday's game; Jimmy Howard to
make fourth start in row vs. Ducks
Ansar Khan
DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzen didn't practice today
and will remain sidelined for Friday's game against the Anaheim Ducks at
Joe Louis Arena (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) and perhaps longer.
Franzen missed Thursday's 4-3 overtime loss to St. Louis due to a sore hip
flexor.
Asked if Franzen is day-to-day, coach Mike Babcock said "day-to-day is
usually 10. I don't know.''
General manager Ken Holland said Franzen is day-to-day.
Forwards Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm, both out with back injuries,
haven't resumed skating and aren't ready to return anytime soon. Forward
Mikael Samuelsson (groin) won't play Friday, but is getting closer and might
return Sunday in Minnesota or Tuesday in Nashville.
“I felt better today,'' Samuelsson said. "It's getting closer, for sure.''
Jimmy Howard will make his fourth start in a row for Detroit. It will be his
13th start in 14 games this season.
They're not as crisp or as entertaining, but all that matters is whether they
will be effective.
“We're just in the process of trying to figure out a way for this group to play
and be successful,'' coach Mike Babcock said before Wednesday's 4-3
overtime loss against the St. Louis Blues at Joe Louis Arena. “We're not as
pretty to watch as we once were, but that doesn't matter anyway. You got to
find a way to win games.''
The Red Wings still have some good puck-movers in Niklas Kronwall and
Ian White, as well as injured players Brendan Smith and Carlo Colaiacovo.
But, the blue line has undergone a transformation the past couple of
seasons.
“We don't move the puck (as well),'' Babcock said. “When you got (Nicklas)
Lidstrom, (Brian) Rafalski, Stewie (Brad Stuart) and Kronner, they go back,
they turn the corner and they fire it to someone who hasn't had to work
quite as hard to be quite as close, to be in the exact position.
“We can't play like that. We have to be closer and tighter and more
available and better defensively, and sometimes it's not very pretty, but
that's just the way it is.''
When your defense isn't able to make those quick, accurate stretch passes
like it did before, tighter spacing between defensemen and forwards is
needed, allowing for shorter passes.
“That's got to be a focus,'' Babcock said. “We got to help everybody. I
always ask them to find their game within our game. This year as a
coaching staff, more so than ever, we've had to find a game to coach that is
their game. So we had to find out what they were first, and we're still trying
to do that so we can be successful.''
They would prefer to maintain their puck-possession style and not dump
and chase.
“The game's real simple, the more time you spend in your zone, the less
time you spend in their zone, the more you dump the puck because you got
no speed on the rush,'' Babcock said.
“If you're efficient coming out and move the puck and you do it right once,
you're coming with speed, you don't have to dump the puck, you probably
get some sort of entry, or at least you give up possession and get it right
back. Dumping the puck is awful when you're just dumping it in and
changing. You spend the whole game in your own zone wearing yourself
out.
“Our focus is try not to do that, and yet there's parts of the game every night
you're in a bit of a survival mode and you do that.''
Embrace what you are and do the best with what you've been given,
Babcock said.
“Our best way to live is to live a little bit scared to death and just keep on
grinding and competing,'' Babcock said. “And if we do that we're going to
have a chance to hang in there.''
657299
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Jimmy Howard determined not to be distracted as contract talks
begin with club
Ansar Khan
Jonathan Ericsson $3.25 million
Carlo Colaiacovo $2.5 million
DETROIT – The last time goaltender Jimmy Howard was involved in a
contract negotiation with the Detroit Red Wings, he admittedly was
distracted to the point where it affected his performance.
Goaltender
That was two years ago. It won't happen again, Howard vowed.
“It was a learning experience last time,'' Howard said. “It was the first time
I've ever been through something like that, and it took a toll on me.
657300
“Now it's the furthest thing I'm thinking about. You don't have time to think
about it.''
Detroit Red Wings talk about protection from injuries
Howard said his agent and the Red Wings have had preliminary talks about
an extension. Howard, who turns 29 on March 26, is in the final season of a
two-year deal that has a salary-cap hit of $2.25 million.
By Chuck Pleiness
Both sides are hoping to get a deal done before the end of the regular
season. Howard would be eligible for unrestricted free agency, which
begins on July 5 this year.
“This is where I'd love to be,'' Howard said. “I got a lot of great friendships
within this dressing room. We've had a lot of great success, and I enjoy
playing here.''
What is Howard's market value? He has a career record of 116-58-21, with
11 shutouts, a 2.44 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in the
regular season.
Jonas Gustavsson $1.5 million
Detroit Red Wings
DETROIT – Many of the Wings saw the Achilles tendon laceration Ottawa’s
Erik Karlsson suffered Wednesday by the skate blade of Pittsburgh’s Matt
Cooke. And again attention turned to protecting their bodies from injuries
like that.
“We should all have Kevlar shirts and socks,” Daniel Cleary said. “The
Achilles one I’ve heard of at least three guys over the last four years. It just
sucks.”
Karlsson will be out 3-4 months.
That is similar to the St. Louis Blues' Jaroslav Halak (112-67-21, 24
shutouts, 2.42 GAA, .918 save percentage) and Anaheim Ducks' Jonas
Hiller (121-93-15, 15 shutouts, 2.56 GAA, .917 save percentage).
“Last night’s was reckless, the other ones were just unfortunate,” Cleary
said. “It’s hard to Kevlar every part that’s open, but shirts and socks should
be worn and even guards for wrists.”
Halak, 27, signed a four-year, $15 million contract ($3.75 million cap hit) in
2010. Hiller, 31, signed a four-year, $18 million contract ($4.5 million cap
hit) in 2010.
Ian White, Darren Helm and former Wing Mike Modano all suffered cuts
from blades recently.
In addition to Howard, the Red Wings are hoping to sign forwards Valtteri
Filppula and Damien Brunner, both slated to become unrestricted free
agents this summer, before the end of the regular season.
They're not likely to decide on whether to offer contracts to their other
unrestricted free agents until after the season. The list includes forwards
Daniel Cleary and Drew Miller and defenseman Ian White.
Their list of restricted free agents includes forwards Gustav Nyquist, Joakim
Andersson and Jan Mursak and defensemen Brendan Smith, Jakub Kindl
and Brian Lashoff.
“We’ve had our fair share of those as well in this locker room,” Niklas
Kronwall said. “We should start using them, there’s no reason not to.”
Jonathan Ericsson will go back to wearing the Kevlar socks.
“I wore them then they started to give my ankles really bad sores,” Ericsson
said. “They’re hard, almost like steel. I wear the sleeves now too, they’re
fine with me. The socks were, too, until they started bothering me.”
Ericsson played with Karlsson on Sweden’s national team a few times.
“It seems like fluke things are happening like that,” Ericsson said. “You see
legs come up all the time, flying by your head when you hitsomeone.”
The Red Wings have 16 players signed for 2013-14 at a salary-cap figure of
$46 million (that's counting players only on one-way contracts and/or those
expected to make the team). Next season's cap will be $64.3 million.
Wings coach Mike Babcock doesn’t know why more players aren’t doing
everything they can to protect themselves.
These are the Red Wings under contract next season and their salary-cap
figure:
“We’ve talked about this stuff here tons,” Babcock said. “The one that I can’t
understand is the gloves that are two inches long and the whole wrist is
showing. But it’s like visors, once you get hit in the eye. They’re big boys
and they make those decisions.”
Forwards
Pavel Datsyuk $6.7 million
Henrik Zetterberg $6.083 million
Johan Franzen $3.95 million
Mikael Samuelsson $3.0 million
Darren Helm $2.125 million
Todd Bertuzzi $2.075 million
Jordin Tootoo $1.9 million
Spreading out the ice time
One thing is becoming evidently clear to Babcock, he’s got to start limiting
the ice time of his top six forwards.
“I thought they did a good job for us,” Babcock said when asked about the
play of his bottom two lines in Wednesday’s overtime loss to the St. Louis
Blues. “Bottom line is I’ve got to get them on the ice more. That’s my fault,
not their fault, because they did good enough things to be on the ice more.”
Henrik Zetterberg had the most ice time of all skaters at 24:18, Damien
Brunner and Pavel Datsyuk each we just over 20 minutes.
Patrick Eaves $1.2 million
“I got them out there for about 10 minutes apiece, which to me isn’t enough,
because I would have liked to have played that one group for sure a couple
(more) minutes and I didn’t do it,” Babcock said.
Tomas Tatar $840,000
Still stings
Cory Emmerton $533,000
The Wings still felt they gave two points away Wednesday night.
Defensemen
“We beat ourselves,” said Wings goalie Jimmy Howard, who will make his
fourth straight start Friday against the Anaheim Ducks at Joe Louis Arena.
“It was one of those games where we got in our own way. We pretty much
handed them points. Good thing is we’ve still taken seven out of eight
points.”
Justin Abdelkader $1.8 million
Niklas Kronwall $4.75million
Kyle Quincey $3.775 million
“We made some big mistakes that cost us the game,” Kronwall said. “I
thought 2-0 we were going and then things started going downhill. We
made some mistakes that we can’t afford.”
The Wings eventually lost in overtime.
“I think we just have to keep playing on our toes,” Cleary said. “We came
out and started well, but once they got that shorthanded goal they started to
come in waves and we didn’t. We were getting out-chanced and we didn’t
get a lot of shots over the last two periods and a half.”
Ins and outs
Johan Franzen (hip flexor), Todd Bertuzzi (back) and Darren Helm (back)
didn’t practice Thursday.
Wings general Ken Holland said Franzen is day-to-day.
“Day-to-day is usually 10,” Babcock said.
As for the other two, “No one’s talking about them,” Babcock said. “When
they’re not talking about them its means they’re not coming along. Bottom
line is we have guys who are going to put on the sweater tomorrow and we
have to find a way to win.”
Mikael Samuelsson (groin) skated, but won’t play Friday.
Brian Lashoff took a slap shot off his left wrist Wednesday and said he
couldn’t close his hand for a good 5-10 minutes.
“Playing through the pain right now, it’s not that bad,” said Lashoff, who
added an X-ray didn’t show a break. “They wanted to make sure it wasn’t
something I could hurt worse.”
Defenceman Justin Schultz left practice early on Thursday for what head
coach Ralph Krueger deemed as precautionary measures.
The rookie is expected to be back on the ice Friday.
“He was feeling a little bit of tightness and we just didn’t want to risk
anything. We sent him off the ice. It looked manageable, like a spasm,”
Krueger said.
Jones a step closer
Winger Ryan Jones, now cleared for contact during practices, could be
back in the lineup by the end of the club’s five-game homestand.
“Obviously, I would have liked to have played four weeks ago, but that
wasn’t in my best (interest),” he said. “I do feel really good out there.
Surprisingly good. I had a good base before the injury, but for three weeks I
couldn’t do anything. That was horrible for me.
“I’m slowly getting back, but I’m not going to lie — you can definitely feel it
in your lungs when you get out and start battling against guys.”
Back on New Year’s Eve, Jones was struck in the left eye by a wayward
puck. Surgery followed, as well as the numerous hurdles that he had to
clear before a return was even imminent.
The winger did reveal on Thursday that this is the second time his left eye
has been surgically fixed, the first being back when he and his brother had
an “accident” — the details of which he wouldn’t reveal, other than to say it
involved sharp objects.
He said even though it was 20 years ago, he wasn’t going to throw his
brother under the bus.
Macomb Daily LOADED: 02.15.2013
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657301
657302
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
Klefbom sets sights on next season
Playing spectator ‘tough to take’ for veteran Smyth
By Joanne Ireland,
By Joanne Ireland,
Oscar Klefbom, another member of the Edmonton Oilers’ surgically
repaired shoulder brigade, reluctantly put this season behind him when his
time with Farjestads in the Swedish Elite League came to a painfully abrupt
end.
EDMONTON - There were games Ryan Smyth just couldn’t have played,
given the injuries the weathered winger has accumulated during his career,
but only twice has the Edmonton Oilers veteran had to play spectator
because of his play.
He was also supposed to anchor the defence for Sweden at the world junior
championship, but that plan, too, was shattered after he flew into the boards
during a league game on Oct. 9 and blew up his shoulder.
Back in 1999 then Oilers coach Ron Low, unhappy with Smyth’s play in the
opening game of the Western Conference quarter-final against the Dallas
Stars, sat him for Game 2 of the playoff series.
So the defenceman, a strapping six-foot-three, 208-pound prospect that the
Oilers nabbed 19th overall in the 2011 draft, now has sights set on the NHL
club’s next camp.
Earlier this week, head coach Ralph Krueger told him he would not be in
the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Stars.
“It feels better than I thought it would. The doctors back home told me I was
ahead of schedule, so that gives me more motivation to be in really good
shape for the summer camp,” said Klefbom, who is in Edmonton for a
couple of weeks.
He spoke with Shawn Horcoff on Thursday and was told by the Oilers
captain that his shoulder was better than ever after his surgery. And he
watched Taylor Hall play the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, so he was even
more encouraged.
Hall had surgery last spring; Ales Hemsky has had both his shoulders done;
Klefbom had surgery in Sweden in December.
“I think I’ll be 100 per cent in May, maybe, so I’ll have time to train and build
up my confidence before I come to have what I hope is a really good camp,”
continued Klefbom, who had wanted to polish his game in Sweden during
the 2012-13 season rather than make the move to North America. Next
season, he’ll be in the Oilers fold.
“If you’re not angry or upset or mad, there’s a problem,” Smyth said in his
first interview since the benching. Admittedly frustrated on Tuesday, he did
not want to run the risk of letting his emotions take over, so he declined to
comment at the time.
Smyth was back on a regular line on Thursday when the team returned to
Rexall Place to begin preparing for their next contest, a Saturday evening
showdown against the Colorado Avalanche, which could be a signal that his
press box stay is over. At least for now.
Smyth did admit that there had been a discussion with the Oilers staff prior
to the start of the season that he might not play every game this season. He
just didn’t think his time out would come so soon, but after two road games
that saw Smyth, 36, rack up 18 penalty minutes, the Oilers pulled the
veteran and inserted Oklahoma City Barons call-up, Chris VandeVelde, into
the lineup.
“I’m a competitor so, absolutely, it’s tough to take,” he continued. “It’s in our
nature to play hockey and not sit and watch, but that was the coach’s
decision. He felt it was best for the team at the time. We’ll move forward.
“My season had been going really well until the accident, so, yes, of course
it’s very frustrating, but it’s been two months so I am getting over it. In the
beginning, I didn’t even to go to the rink to watch games, but now I try to go
to every game.”
“The last two games I played, I took some unnecessary penalties and it put
the team in jeopardy. I have to play harder and smarter.”
Schultz leaves early
There were still some things left unsaid after Thursday’s practice, like what
he thought about the fact that neither seniority nor salaries weighed into the
decisions — not when defenceman Ryan Whitney has also played
spectator.
rotation mode with Corey Potter and Mark Fistric. He has to win back the
trust of the coaching staff or he’ll get traded.
And if Smyth had any reaction to comments made by Rhett Warrener, the
former Calgary Flames defenceman, he kept them to himself. Speaking on
Sportsnet 960 The Fan, Warrener was questioning whether or not Calgary
captain Jarome Iginla had lost his fire, if he’d be traded, or, eventually
moved into a shutdown role. During an ensuring interview with a Calgary
columnist, he then pointed to Smyth.
He’s gone from the dazzling high of his early Oiler days when he had 38
points in 54 games and was plus 20 after his trade from Anaheim in March
of 2010 until he wrecked a tendon in his ankle right after Christmas that
year, to his situation now where you’re asking every day “is Whitney in or
out?”
“Ryan Smyth is revered in Edmonton, but he’s slowing turning into a joke
there,” Warrener said. “That’s harsh, but he’s not the player he was — and
fans are turning on him.”
Smyth hadn’t seen the comments and his only response was that he still
had game and that he still had more to give to the team.
Krueger, meanwhile, wouldn’t say for certain if Smyth, who has played
1,256 NHL games since he was drafted by the Oilers in 1994, was returning
to the lineup this weekend but did say there would probably be some
changes.
Smyth was skating with Eric Belanger and rookie Nail Yakupov, who was
rotating with Ryan Jones. Jones (eye injury) was just cleared for contact,
but isn’t expected to play his first game until next week. Teemu Hartikainen
was skating in the top six with Sam Gagner and Ales Hemsky.
“This is a very experienced NHL player who had a lot of hunger today. I
could feel it,” said Krueger, “and we’re expecting a strong reaction from him.
He knows what he has to do to help this team.”
Smyth has been playing in the bottom six this season — first on the wing,
then at centre, when injuries whipped out the middle of the lineup. He said
he didn’t feel as comfortable there in the last two games he played, but
knows he has to make the most of what ice time he does have.
He’s been averaging 14:45 in his first 12 games and has one goal and an
assist.
“I have to get my game better, for sure. I have to find a way to get hungry
around the net five-on-five and, hopefully, contribute that way,” Smyth said.
“I want to be a part of the puzzle that helps the team win.”
657303
Edmonton Oilers
Jim Matheson
Ottawa GM Bryan Murray, who was wearing black as he told the media
Thursday that the game’s best defenceman Erik Karlsson was gone for the
season, jokingly said he’s getting lots of calls from “sympathetic” brethren
around the league.
These are always tricky times for general managers when one of their own
loses a stud player. They want to offer their condolences because–but for
the grace of the hockey gods it could have been them losing a Karlsson–
but they don’t want to appear like they’re an ambulance chaser. The don’t
want to appear like Paul Newman in that classic movie The Verdict where
he’s a down-and-out lawyer Frank Galvin, always first at the scene of an
accident, with his card for any prospective client.
Undoubtedly, the first words out of other GM’s mouths are “geez, Bryan,
what an awful break, that’s terrible news” before they eventually get around
to “I was thinking, would you have any use for my guy…he was a heckuva
player but, you know, we’re going in a different direction, and it wouldn’t
cost you too much because his contract’s up July 1.”
Which brings us to the obvious question. Has Edmonton Oilers’ GM Steve
Tambellini called Murray on Ryan Whitney?
Murray says he’s not waving the white flag on the season. He still wants to
make the playoffs. He’s not giving away a first-round draft pick or a highend prospect for a defenceman, but he does need help, and right now.
There aren’t a lot of teams carrying extra D-men of Whitney’s pedigree.
And Ottawa does need an offensive D-man if they’re losing Karlsson. I’m
sure the Habs would move Tomas Kaberle now that P.K. Subban is back.
Washington’s not playing UFA Roman Hamrlik but he’s 38. Mike
Komisarek in Toronto is a defensive D-man. Tampa’s got Marc-Andre
Bergeron, a shooter from the back-end. Nashville would give up Jonathan
Blum, younger than the rest but with blemishes.
Here’s the questions you have to ask?
(1) How much could the Oilers get for a player who’s UFA on July 1,
basically a rental?
(2) Do they really want to trade Whitney or do they want to see if they can
rehabilitate his game because he has been a very good puck-moving
defenceman who should be a top four guy but now appears hesitant on the
ice?
(3) If they waited on Whitney until the trade deadline April 3, would they get
more?
(4) Do they have to make some move quickly on a defenceman because
when Theo Peckham returns from his conditioning stint in Oklahoma City
they are going to have eight healthy blueliners, which is too many?
Personally, I think the Oilers should keep Whitney–they’re not so deep on
their back-end that he can’t still be a useful player. They can’t just give him
away, even if he’s UFA on July 1. But if they got a draft pick from the third
round or better now wouldn’t they have to listen? If they got a third-round
pick that would be a retrieval of the pick they gave Dallas for Mark Fistric
before the season started. Considering the going rate in trades the last little
while seems to be a fifth to seventh-round selection–Winnipeg just dealt
UFA winger Alexei Ponikarovsky (good size, average hands) back to New
Jersey for a fourth and a seventh-round selection–a third might look pretty
good.
Still, this is a guy who once played on the point on the Penguins with
Crosby and Malkin when they made it to the Cup final, losing to Detroit in
2008. He’s got talent. Right now, he doesn’t appear to have the same first
step to effortlessly pull away from a checker and throw the 40-foot pass on
the tape to a winger as he did when he was first an Oiler. Maybe that his
ankle, maybe his confidence is shot. If it’s his psyche that needs work, they
might be able to fix that. If it’s physical, if it’s his foot, then that’s another
story.
Could the Oilers get more if they waited until the trade deadline? There
might be more teams in the hunt, but still he would be a late pick-up and
only for a few weeks. If you dealt for Whitney now, you would get him for 30
games or so. You might get more in compensation.
Certainly the return of Peckham will confuse things. He’s technically on their
roster and part of their cap even though he’s playing in OKCity because it
was a conditioning stint. But, when he’s back, that means two D-men sitting
out every game. That doesn’t seem plausible. Up front, Shawn Horcoff is
another three weeks from playing (broken knuckle) and fellow centre Anton
Lander (busted foot) is weeks away, too. But Ryan Jones (eye surgery)
might play next week.
Then we’ve got a real numbers game. Do the Oilers go 13 and 8 (forwards
and defencemen) or 14 and 7?
657304
Edmonton Oilers
Probably.
We don’t know if Whitney will be a healthy scratch for a fourth time in the
last seven games when Colorado Avalanche are here Saturday night, but if
Whitney is in the lineup, how long will he be in the lineup? Right now he’s in
With two general managers fired, should the Edmonton Oilers’ Steve
Tambellini be worried?
Jonathan Willis
When the Columbus Blue Jackets dismissed general manager Scott
Howson on Tuesday, it represented just the latest move in a frequently
shifting NHL management landscape. Toronto, of course, had dismissed
Brian Burke from its top hockey operations job earlier in the season, but
both teams were latecomers to a trend of dismissals among the bottom half
of teams in the league.
The Oilers made Steve Tambellini general manager in the summer of 2008.
In the four (and a bit) seasons since Tambellini was hired, 11 of the 15
worst NHL teams have switched general managers. Calgary, Anaheim,
Dallas, Montreal, Minnesota, Florida, Tampa Bay, Winnipeg, Colorado and
now Toronto and Columbus have all opted to make a change.
year, to his situation now where you’re asking every day “is Whitney in or
out?”
Murray says he’s not waving the white flag on the season. He still wants to
make the playoffs. He’s not giving away a first-round draft pick or a highend prospect for a defenceman, but he does need help, and right now.
There aren’t a lot of teams carrying extra D-men of Whitney’s pedigree.
And Ottawa does need an offensive D-man if they’re losing Karlsson. I’m
sure the Habs would move Tomas Kaberle now that P.K. Subban is back.
Washington’s not playing UFA Roman Hamrlik but he’s 38. Mike
Komisarek in Toronto is a defensive D-man. Tampa’s got Marc-Andre
Bergeron, a shooter from the back-end. Nashville would give up Jonathan
Blum, younger than the rest but with blemishes.
Here’s the questions you have to ask?
General managers
(1) How much could the Oilers get for a player who’s UFA on July 1,
basically a rental?
Interestingly, the two worst teams – the Oilers, with 283 points, and the
New York Islanders, with 292 points – have not decided to make a change.
Garth Snow was a controversial choice when he was promoted from
backup goalie to G.M., but he clearly has enjoyed the favour of ownership
and has been resilient despite the team’s struggles.
(2) Do they really want to trade Whitney or do they want to see if they can
rehabilitate his game because he has been a very good puck-moving
defenceman who should be a top four guy but now appears hesitant on the
ice?
Tambellini’s position is an interesting one. It likely isn’t fair to judge him
entirely by his record; certainly the Oilers planned not to win many games in
2010-11, and he came into the job after the free agency period leading up
to the 2008-09 season had already ended. With that said, there’s also an
argument to be made that the Oilers underperformed relative to
expectations in three of his four seasons at the helm, missing the playoffs in
2008-09 and 2009-10, and finishing in the bottom-five in 2011-12.
The Oilers had the opportunity to make a decision on Tambellini last
summer with his contract expiring, and opted to sign him to an extension.
Despite that vote of confidence, it’s easy to wonder how safe his job really
is if the team struggles again this year: there is an obvious lack of job
security for the men at the helms of the league’s worst franchises.
657305
Edmonton Oilers
Jim Matheson
Ottawa GM Bryan Murray, who was wearing black as he told the media
Thursday that the game’s best defenceman Erik Karlsson was gone for the
season, jokingly said he’s getting lots of calls from “sympathetic” brethren
around the league.
These are always tricky times for general managers when one of their own
loses a stud player. They want to offer their condolences because–but for
the grace of the hockey gods it could have been them losing a Karlsson–
but they don’t want to appear like they’re an ambulance chaser. The don’t
want to appear like Paul Newman in that classic movie The Verdict where
he’s a down-and-out lawyer Frank Galvin, always first at the scene of an
accident, with his card for any prospective client.
Undoubtedly, the first words out of other GM’s mouths are “geez, Bryan,
what an awful break, that’s terrible news” before they eventually get around
to “I was thinking, would you have any use for my guy…he was a heckuva
player but, you know, we’re going in a different direction, and it wouldn’t
cost you too much because his contract’s up July 1.”
Which brings us to the obvious question. Has Edmonton Oilers’ GM Steve
Tambellini called Murray on Ryan Whitney?
(3) If they waited on Whitney until the trade deadline April 3, would they get
more?
(4) Do they have to make some move quickly on a defenceman because
when Theo Peckham returns from his conditioning stint in Oklahoma City
they are going to have eight healthy blueliners, which is too many?
Personally, I think the Oilers should keep Whitney–they’re not so deep on
their back-end that he can’t still be a useful player. They can’t just give him
away, even if he’s UFA on July 1. But if they got a draft pick from the third
round or better now wouldn’t they have to listen? If they got a third-round
pick that would be a retrieval of the pick they gave Dallas for Mark Fistric
before the season started. Considering the going rate in trades the last little
while seems to be a fifth to seventh-round selection–Winnipeg just dealt
UFA winger Alexei Ponikarovsky (good size, average hands) back to New
Jersey for a fourth and a seventh-round selection–a third might look pretty
good.
Still, this is a guy who once played on the point on the Penguins with
Crosby and Malkin when they made it to the Cup final, losing to Detroit in
2008. He’s got talent. Right now, he doesn’t appear to have the same first
step to effortlessly pull away from a checker and throw the 40-foot pass on
the tape to a winger as he did when he was first an Oiler. Maybe that his
ankle, maybe his confidence is shot. If it’s his psyche that needs work, they
might be able to fix that. If it’s physical, if it’s his foot, then that’s another
story.
Could the Oilers get more if they waited until the trade deadline? There
might be more teams in the hunt, but still he would be a late pick-up and
only for a few weeks. If you dealt for Whitney now, you would get him for 30
games or so. You might get more in compensation.
Certainly the return of Peckham will confuse things. He’s technically on their
roster and part of their cap even though he’s playing in OKCity because it
was a conditioning stint. But, when he’s back, that means two D-men sitting
out every game. That doesn’t seem plausible. Up front, Shawn Horcoff is
another three weeks from playing (broken knuckle) and fellow centre Anton
Lander (busted foot) is weeks away, too. But Ryan Jones (eye surgery)
might play next week.
Then we’ve got a real numbers game. Do the Oilers go 13 and 8 (forwards
and defencemen) or 14 and 7?
657306
Florida Panthers
Probably.
We don’t know if Whitney will be a healthy scratch for a fourth time in the
last seven games when Colorado Avalanche are here Saturday night, but if
Whitney is in the lineup, how long will he be in the lineup? Right now he’s in
rotation mode with Corey Potter and Mark Fistric. He has to win back the
trust of the coaching staff or he’ll get traded.
He’s gone from the dazzling high of his early Oiler days when he had 38
points in 54 games and was plus 20 after his trade from Anaheim in March
of 2010 until he wrecked a tendon in his ankle right after Christmas that
Florida Panthers fall to Montreal Canadiens in defensive struggle
By George Richards
The Panthers and Canadiens played a brand of hockey in the first two
periods Thursday night that had even the most ardent fan wishing they had
spent Valentine’s Day evening somewhere, anywhere, else.
By PAUL GEREFFI
It was such a slow game, the thought of waiting in line for a table at an
overpriced restaurant or fighting last-minute shoppers for a shiny box of
chocolates at Publix sounded more appealing than falling asleep at the
lifeless BB&T Center.
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Rene Bourque scored 2:10 into overtime and the
Montreal Canadiens beat the Florida Panthers 1-0 on Thursday night.
Luckily, the third period served as a pick-me-up bouquet of sorts to those
who braved the boredom.
Bourque's winner came on a tip-in just in front of the net. The puck drifted in
front of the crease and Shawn Matthias couldn't clear it for Florida. Instead,
it bounced off goalie Jose Theodore's pad and Bourque poked it in.
Carey Price made 26 saves for his 17th career shutout and second against
the Panthers. The Canadiens won their second straight on the road.
Goalie Jose Theodore needed to make a big save 25 seconds into the third,
but the Canadiens didn’t win it until Rene Bourque poked a puck through in
overtime to give Montreal a 1-0 victory.
Theodore stopped 31 shots against his former team but the Panthers lost
their third in a row.
“I thought they kept coming, put pressure on consistently,’’ Theodore said.
“I think when people see a 0-0 game they think it was a slow game, but
from my side, they were coming pretty hard.’’
There was little offense through a sluggish first two periods. Theodore
saved a potential goal with 2:15 left in the first when he made a glove save
on a point-blank shot by Brandon Prust.
The Panthers, winless in their past three games, have picked up at least
one point in six of seven games by going 3-1-3. Florida, which was 4-0
against the Canadiens for the first time last season, is now 0-1-1 against
Montreal in 2013.
The action picked up in the third, with the Panthers tallying 13 shots - one
fewer than they managed through the first two periods. Price withstood a
barrage about 8 minutes into the period when the Panthers fired off five
shots from in close in less than a minute.
“We’ve lost some games in overtime but we’re trying to move forward,’’
coach Kevin Dineen said. “This was a tough game for us. We got
outworked for a stretch until we finally decided to play a simple game.
Things followed from there. But it wasn’t enough to bring it home.’’
NOTES: Panthers RW Kris Versteeg was scratched with an upper-body
injury. ... Theodore played 353 games for Montreal from 1996-06. ...
Canadiens D Andrei Markov has 10 points, all on the power play.
The teams played a scoreless game until Bourque knocked in a loose puck
2:10 into the extra frame. Theodore finished with 31 saves, and Carey Price
stopped 26 for the shutout.
Florida played a tough defensive game — and got two key faceoff wins
from Jarred Smithson in the final minute of regulation — to at least salvage
a point. The Panthers have lost three games in the overtime session,
although they beat Philadelphia in a shootout last Thursday.
“We didn’t have many chances in the first two, but I thought we were pretty
good in the third,’’ said Tomas Fleischmann, whose stick snapped when he
was fed a picture-perfect pass from Shawn Matthias midway through the
third.
Price didn’t have to do much work on the Panthers as he vacuumed up
every shot he faced and left few rebounds for Florida to pounce on.
The Panthers had a few chances against Price in the opening 40 minutes.
Florida almost took the initial lead in the first period when rookie Jonathan
Huberdeau — who grew up a huge Canadiens fan a few minutes away from
Montreal — tried to force a feed from Peter Mueller past Price from the
prime seats in front of the net. Price gobbled the puck up.
Miami Herald LOADED: 02.15.2013
657308
Florida Panthers
Recap: Florida vs. Montreal
By Sports Network
Rene Bourque scored the game winner 2:10 into overtime to lift the
Montreal Canadiens to a 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday
at BB&T Center.
Carey Price posted 26 saves to notch his 17th career shutout and help
Montreal earn its second consecutive win on the heels of a three-game
slide.
"The guys played very well in front of me," Price said. "We limited their
scoring chances all game and they only got a couple of really quality
chances all game."
“A goalie like him, you have to test him for 60 minutes, and we probably did
for five,’’ center Drew Shore said. “It was a pretty easy night for him.’’
Jose Theodore performed admirably in defeat, stopping 31-of-32 shots for
the Panthers, who have lost three straight and four of their last five.
Luckily for the Panthers, the Canadiens seemed to have their heads back
on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale where they spent the better part of the
past two days and not on playing hockey.
After neither team found the back of the net over the first 60 minutes,
Bourque finally broke the scoreless deadlock just over two minutes into the
extra session.
Theodore, rocked in giving up five goals during his previous start Saturday
in Washington, brought his top game as expected against the Canadiens
after having a few days to stew.
Alex Galchenyuk chipped the puck into the offensive zone before
recovering the disc near the left circle. The Montreal forward then had his
centering feed deflected into the air off the stick of a Florida defenseman,
but Bourque was there to bat the puck out of midair and send the
Canadiens to victory.
“It’s always nice to bounce back,’’ Theodore said. “I had three wins before
the Washington game — and that’s not the way I want to play. I wanted to
bounce back and we got a big point out of the game.’’
Theodore, who won the Vezina Trophy for the NHL’s top goalie as well as
league MVP with the Canadiens in 2002, made 21 stops in the first 40
minutes and was sharp when Montreal challenged.
“Goaltending was the story,’’ Dineen said. “It was excellent at both ends.
When you’re dealing with a professional like Jose, you know he was waiting
for that next opportunity. I thought he was solid.’’
657307
Florida Panthers
"(Galchenyuk) was trying to come to me a few times and it finally got
across," Bourque said of the final play. "I don't knot if I hit it out of the air or I
got my stick on the ice. I was just trying to whack it somewhere."
Montreal outshot Florida, 21-13, over the opening 40 minutes, but the
visitors were unable to capitalize on a trio of power plays to keep the game
scoreless.
Florida fought back with a strong final frame, outshooting the Canadiens,
13-9, but Price was able to keep the Panthers off the board to force
overtime.
"We've lost some games in overtime but we're trying to move forward,"
Florida coach Kevin Dineen said. "This was a tough game for us. We got
outworked for a stretch until we finally decided to play a simple game and
things followed from there. But it wasn't enough to bring it home."
Game Notes
657309
Florida Panthers
BEE MINE: Canadiens Score First and Last, Drop Panthers 1-0 in OT ...
Versteeg Misses Game
Theodore, who won the Vezina Trophy for the NHL's top goalie as well as
league MVP with the Canadiens in 2002, made 21 stops in the first 40
minutes and was sharp when Montreal challenged.
"Goaltending was the story,'' Dineen said. "It was excellent at both ends.
When you're dealing with a professional like Jose, you know he was waiting
for that next opportunity. I thought he was solid.''
NEWS, NOTES
Posted by George Richards
The Panthers and Canadiens played a brand of hockey in the first two
periods Thursday that had even the most ardent fan wishing they had spent
Valentines Day evening somewhere, anywhere, else.
It was such a slow game, the thought of waiting in line for a table at an
overpriced restaurant or fighting last-minute shoppers for a shiny box of
chocolates at Publix sounded more appealing than falling asleep at the
lifeless BB&T Center.
Luckily, the third period served as a pick-me-up bouquet of sorts to those
who braved the boredom.
Goalie Jose Theodore needed to make a big save 25 seconds into the third
but the Canadiens didn't win it until Rene Bourque poked a puck through in
overtime to give Montreal a 1-0 victory.
"I thought they kept coming, put pressure on consistently,'' Theodore said.
"I think when people see a 0-0 game they think it was a slow game, but
from my side, they were coming pretty hard.''
The Panthers, winless in their past three games, have picked up at least
one point in six of seven games by going 3-1-3. Florida, which was 4-0
against the Canadiens for the first time last season, is now 0-1-1 against
Montreal in 2013.
"We've lost some games in overtime but we're trying to move forward,''
coach Kevin Dineen said. "This was a tough game for us. We got
outworked for a stretch until we finally decided to play a simple game.
Things followed from there. But it wasn't enough to bring it home.''
Kris Versteeg was out of the lineup Thursday after being banged up in
Tuesday's loss to the Capitals.
Dineen said Versteeg "took a pretty good shot in the back and it has
affected his whole chest area.'' Versteeg is considered day to day with
upper body soreness. "It's something that's pretty tender,'' Dineen
continued.
Shawn Matthias replaced Versteeg on Florida's top forward line with
Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann.
-- The Panthers will play a rare Saturday matinee as the Lightning come to
town for a 3 p.m. start. The game was moved from Saturday night to
accommodate NHL Network and its coverage of Hockey Weekend in
America.
-- Dineen said its good to have large crowds in Sunrise, even if the fans are
cheering for the other team.
Thursday's announced (but not actual) crowd of 17,021 was much lower
than usual games against the Canadiens although it was the biggest crowd
of the season aside from opening night and a Saturday game against the
Flyers.
"It's good to have a heartbeat in the building,'' Dineen said. "We know
[Thursday] will have some atmosphere to it.''
657310
Florida Panthers
Jonathan Huberdeau the center of attention on young line
The two teams played a scoreless game until Bourque knocked in a loose
puck 2:10 into the extra frame. Theodore ended with 31 saves as Carey
Price stopped 26 for the shutout.
By Harvey Fialkov
Florida played a tough defensive game -- and got two key face-off wins
from Jarred Smithson in the final minute of regulation -- to at least salvage a
point. The Panthers have last three games in the overtime session although
they beat Philadelphia in a shootout last Thursday.
It was no surprise that the large contingent of Canadian press surrounded
Panthers teenage rookie Jonathan Huberdeau at his locker after the
morning skate Thursday at BB&T Center.
"We didn't have many chances in the first two but I thought we were pretty
good in the third,'' said Tomas Fleischmann, whose stick snapped when he
was fed a picture-perfect pass from Shawn Matthias midway through the
third.
Huberdeau, 19, who grew up in Saint Jerome, Quebec about 25 miles
northwest of Montreal, is a lifelong Canadiens fan. He's coming off his first
multiple-goal game and is one behind Blues' Vladimir Taresenko for the
rookie lead in goals with five.
Price didn't have to do much work on the Panthers as he vacuumed up
every shot he faced and left few rebounds for Florida to pounce on.
"He's taking a lot of effort to become a complete player," Panthers coach
Kevin Dineen said of the third draft pick of 2011. "Everybody in the league
is well coached. It's how much the player takes in. He's really taken to heart
the defensive side of things.
The Panthers had a few chances against Price in the opening 40 minutes -although with just 13 shots in the first two periods they were few.
Florida almost took the initial lead in the first period when rookie Jonathan
Huberdeau -- who grew up a huge Canadiens fan a few minutes away from
Montreal -- tried to force a feed from Peter Mueller past Price from the
prime seats in front of the net. Price gobbled the puck up.
"A goalie like him, you have to test him for 60 minutes and we probably did
for five,'' center Drew Shore said. "It was a pretty easy night for him.''
Luckily for the Panthers, the Canadiens seemed to have their heads back
on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale where they spent the better part of the
past two days and not on playing hockey.
Theodore, rocked in giving up five goals during his previous start Saturday
in Washington, brought his top game as expected against the Canadiens
after having a few days to stew.
"It's always nice to bounce back,'' Theodore said. "I had three wins before
the Washington game -- and that's not the way I want to play. I wanted to
bounce back and we got a big point out of the game. It's a big point.''
"He's a skilled guy, a special player. You can't teach confidence and I think
that's what's happening right now. His confidence level is slowly growing as
is his play."
Huberdeau, who has eight points in 12 games with a respectable 0 plusminus rating, was hard on himself after Tuesday's 6-5 overtime loss to the
Capitals for taking a slashing penalty that led to Alex Ovechkin's tying goal
with 2:49 left in regulation.
"It's hard to accept, being up two goals in the third period," Huberdeau said.
Huberdeau is part of a the Panthers' 'Kiddie Corps' line along with fellow
rookie Drew Shore and 24-year-old veteran Peter Mueller. The trio
combined for three goals and six points in the loss, and have clearly
overtaken last year's top line of Kris Versteeg, Stephen Weiss and Tomas
Fleischmann.
Mueller assisted on both of Huberdeau's goals, and he has four goals and
seven points, while Shore, 22, finally got his first NHL goal in his 11th
game, to go with three assists. Shore is boasting an outstanding 55.3
percent success rate on faceoffs.
"I use that term youthful enthusiasm," Dineen said of Shore and
Huberdeau. "I find that's really a contagious thing. It's enjoyable to watch
them start their careers and it feeds off to some of our older players.
"Our young line made a statement that they like playing together and are
ready and willing to play against everybody."
Mueller, whose career was derailed by concussions since his rookie season
with Phoenix in 2007 when he notched 22 goals and 54 points, says he
feels like a rookie again.
"As soon as Drew got called up he's been solid in the faceoff circle for us
and solid on both ends of the ice," Mueller said. "I like seeing a young guy
coming up making a statement like that. Huby's got the most skill in the
world.
"It's nice when you got three guys all thinking similar thoughts and going on
the exact same path."
Versteeg out
A struggling Theodore, who played for the Canadiens from 1995-2006, was
2-2-1 with a bloated 4.62 GAA against his former club. However, Theodore
outplayed counterpart Carey Price, simply because the Canadiens had
many more scoring opportunities than Florida.
"It was patient hockey from both teams,'' Panthers forward Tomas
Fleischmann said. "Every shot was from the boards or around the blue line
but that's it. No big opportunities and when there was, a good save by
[Price].''
Theodore, who was yanked Saturday after giving up five goals on 21 shots
to the Capitals, made 31 saves, several sensational. Price had 26 stops for
his 17th career shutout, but first this season.
The Canadiens made it two straight over Florida this season when teenage
rookie Alex Galchenyuk out-raced Panthers defensemen Dmitry Kulikov
and Brian Campbell to poke the puck toward the crease where it caromed
off the skate of forward Shawn Matthias before Bourque backhanded it in at
2:10 of OT.
The struggles of Versteeg continue as the vicious check he received from
Ovechkin 1:13 into Tuesday's game has left him with a bruised upper chest.
After about 50 dull minutes, the faithful came alive during a Panthers' flurry
in which the 'Kiddie Corps' line maintained puck control until rookie phenom
Jonathan Huberdeau's wide-open slot-shot was handled by Price.
Versteeg, the third leading scorer on Florida last season with a career-high
54 points, fought Ovechkin a few minutes later, but he's out for the
Canadiens, and is day-to-day.
The Panthers are 1-1-3 over their last five.
Versteeg, who has one goal and three points in seven games, missed the
first five games of the season with a groin pull which also set back his
conditioning.
Dineen is putting Shawn Matthias on the line with Weiss and Fleischmann
after the sixth-year forward's outstanding game against Washington in
which notched his second goal.
"I went out and just played hockey, didn't worry about anything else,
controlled what I can and had fun," Matthias said.
Dineen enjoyed the way Matthias was driving straight to the net instead of
resorting to, 'cute,' moves.
"We're looking for guys that are adding some energy and a lot of want to
our lineup," Dineen said
Gudbranson remembers Moen
Gudbranson, who started his second season in Game 10 while recovering
from shoulder surgery, still remembers when Canadiens' toughie Travis
Moen bloodied his face in a preseason fight on Sept. 26 in Bell Center
when the officials had Gudbranson's arms pinned against the glass.
"I'll probably meet up with him a couple of times, but who knows?"
Gudbranson smiled.
"Just trying to get some wins here,'' Campbell said. "One points not going to
do it. We got to pick up and keep going.''
In the first period, Huberdeau, a French Canadian who drew a large media
contingent from the visiting press at morning skate, had a wide-open
doorstep shot smothered by Price, who entered the game with a 7-3 record
and 2.27 goals-against-average.
Versteeg out
The struggles of Panthers forward Kris Versteeg continue as the vicious
check he received from Alex Ovechkin 1:13 into Tuesday's loss to the
Capitals has left him with a bruised upper chest.
Versteeg, the third leading scorer on Florida last season with a career-high
54 points, fought Ovechkin a few minutes later, but he's listed as day-today. Versteeg, who has one goal and three points in seven games, missed
the first five games of the season with a groin pull which also set back his
conditioning.
Dineen placed Shawn Matthias on the line with Stephen Weiss and
Fleischmann after the sixth-year forward's outstanding game against
Washington in which he notched his second goal.
"I went out and just played hockey, didn't worry about anything else,
controlled what I can and had fun,'' said Matthias, who replaced Versteeg
on several shifts, including the power play.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 02.15.2013
Gudbranson remembers Moen
657311
Panthers Erik Gudbranson, who started his second season in Game 10
while recovering from shoulder surgery, still remembers when Canadiens'
toughie Travis Moen bloodied his face in a preseason fight on Sept. 26
when the officials had Gudbranson's arms pinned against the glass.
Florida Panthers
Habs' Bourque's goal in OT breaks Panthers heart in 1-0 loss
"I'll probably meet up with him a couple of times, but who knows?''
Gudbranson smiled after morning skate.
Harvey Fialkov
Gudbranson did have four hits and two penalties, but avoided Moen.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 02.15.2013
SUNRISE — On a day designed for exchanging flowers and candy, the
Panthers and Canadiens played as if they were on a bad first date.
657312
Florida Panthers
In other words, not much action and ending in heartbreak.
After three uneventful scoreless periods, a game Jose Theodore and the
Panthers fell 1-0 to the Montreal Canadiens on Rene Bourque's goal in
overtime in front of a surprisingly sparse turnout on a stormy Thursday night
at BB&T Center.
By PAUL GEREFFI
The Panthers continue to treat overtime like a dirty word as they're 0-3 in
the five-minute sessions, and 1-10 over the last two seasons. The Panthers
have dropped three straight and have been blanked three times this
season.
The Montreal Canadiens took advantage of solid goaltending and a puck
that finally bounced their way.
"Tough game for us,'' Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. "We got
outworked for a stretch, and started playing a simple game [in the third]. …
Obviously, not enough for us to bring it home.''
Rene Bourque scored 2:10 into overtime and the Canadiens beat the
Florida Panthers 1-0 on Thursday night.
Bourque's winner came on a tip-in just in front of the net. Alex Galchenyuk
came down the left side and battled to get the puck across the crease,
where it bounced off the skate of Shawn Matthias and into the air. Bourque
was able to get a stick on it and poke it past goalie Jose Theodore.
"We just kind of knew it was going to be one of those goals, an ugly goal,
that would probably get the job done," Bourque said. "I was just trying to
whack it somewhere."
Galchenyuk, who turned 19 on Tuesday, kept after the puck to the left of
the net and was able to set up Bourque for the winning goal.
"The puck was bouncing, somehow I got it to him," Galchenyuk said. "He
made an unbelievable play."
There was little offense through a sluggish first two periods. Theodore
"We didn't play great the first two periods. We probably should thank Theo
at that point — he stood on his head for us," Panthers forward Jerred
Smithson said.
The action picked up in the third, with the Panthers tallying 13 shots — one
barrage about 8 minutes into the period when Florida fired off five shots
from in close in less than a minute.
"They came out hard at the beginning of that third period. We just had to
weather the storm," Price said. "We were just lucky to get that one at the
end."
Canadiens coach Michel Therrien was impressed with Price's performance.
"He's excellent," Therrien said. "We lost a little bit of momentum on two
shifts and that's when you need your goalie and Carey was phenomenal."
The Panthers wasted a great effort by Theodore.
"It was a tough game for us. We got outworked for a stretch and we finally
decided to start playing a simple game and things fell in from there, but
obviously not enough to bring it home," Florida coach Kevin Dineen said.
"Goaltending will be the story tomorrow. Goaltending was great at both
ends."
His response to the Detroit game could come as early as Friday against
Columbus. Backup Jonathan Bernier started and won at St. Louis on
Monday night.
Of course, Kings Coach Darryl Sutter would depart from years of standard
behavior if he were to announce a starting goaltender the day before a
game. In fact, he took time to explain his reasoning.
"It doesn't really serve much of a purpose, publicly. It's not like you have a
rotation," Sutter said. "Lots of things happen. In more of a roundabout way,
you know what, we want to be a playoff team. We need a goalie to get hot.
Not get patted on the back.
"… Listen, this team rode a hot goalie last year, right? They didn't the year
before. They rode a hot goalie last year. So you know what? We're in the
same thing again — we need one to get hot."
They also need defensemen to keep dropping from the lineup at every turn.
The Kings are missing half of their defense corps from last season's Stanley
Cup playoff run: Matt Greene, Willie Mitchell and Alec Martinez.
Martinez, who was injured early at St. Louis, was put on injured reserve. He
could be out a minimum of two weeks. Jake Muzzin will take his spot and
Sutter said, in frank terms, that he was displeased with Muzzin's
performance in Anaheim on Feb. 2.
"I talked to him about it yesterday," Sutter said. "Most guys play like that
one NHL game, they're doing time again. He's got to get his foot on the
right pedal if he wants to play again. He's going to play tomorrow and he
better have it on the right pedal. Or somebody else gets the chance. That's
not being harsh or anything. That's exactly what it takes to be a
defenseman."
Others are getting adjusted to the newcomers on defense.
"It changes a little bit but not enough so it should change your game," Quick
said. "We've got three guys in the lineup that weren't in the lineup last year.
Different faces you've got to get used to, it's not going to happen overnight.
But at the same time, you've got a job to do. These guys have been doing it
really well. They've handled it with everything that's been thrown at them."
TONIGHT
VS. COLUMBUS
When: 7:30.
Where: Staples Center.
On the air: TV: FS West; Radio: 1150.
Record vs. Blue Jackets: 1-0-0.
Palm Beach Post LOADED: 02.15.2013
Update: This will mark defenseman Jack Johnson's first time back at
Staples Center since he was traded for Jeff Carter last season. The Kings
and Blue Jackets have since played twice, with both games at Columbus.
657313
LA Times: LOADED: 02.15.2013
Los Angeles Kings
657314
Los Angeles Kings
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick dealing with the ups and downs of position
February 14 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter
By Lisa Dillman
Posted by JonRosen
The next time you hear Kings goalie Jonathan Quick dodge responsibility
for a loss will be the first.
Quick owns these things — the losses and the goals allowed. So imagine
how someone who is already self-critical managed to handle the loss
Sunday in Detroit in which he let in a uncharacteristically soft goal with five
seconds left?
"Obviously, that was a tough pill to swallow," Quick said Thursday after
practice. "It kind of hurts a little more because you know how hard the team
played in front of me. ... You feel like you let a lot of guys down. At the
same time, that is part of the position. That's what I've signed up for.
"You're going to have some ups and down and you're going to give up
goals that you're going to want back. ... It's how you handle it."
On the last two days of practice:
“[To be] perfectly clear and honest, March [has] just about zero practice.
We have 17 games, I believe, in March. You’ve got very little practice, so
you have to take advantage of these days. It doesn’t mean that it impacts
tomorrow, but it’s got to impact the big picture. Certainly with some of these
young guys – not some of them, most of them – it’s about practice.”
On the play in St. Louis where Martinez got hurt:
“It was just an innocent thing. It was like [the] second shift. It was nothing. It
was just an easy play. He just got banged. He’s better. You know what?
He’s had it before, and it gets better. We’ve had them. You’ve just got to do
it every day and be careful. He won’t be very long.”
On who will start in goal versus Columbus:
“No answer. Know the program. I don’t say the day before, the day of or
until, right? It’s the way I feel.”
Posted by JonRosen
On why he prefers to not announce a starter:
“I just don’t feel comfortable doing that. For lack of a better answer, St.
Louis announced Halak was…playing the other night. That’s what we
assumed, too. So did they. It doesn’t really serve much purpose publicly.
It’s not like you have a rotation. Lots of things happen. In more of a
roundabout way, we want to be a playoff team. We need a goalie to get hot,
not get patted on the back.”
On how often he tells a goaltender that he’s starting ahead of time:
Darryl Sutter declined to name a starting goaltender for Friday’s game
against Columbus, and it appears our first assessment as to who will lead
the team out of the tunnel at Staples Center Friday night will take place
when the first goaltender leaves the ice at tomorrow’s morning skate.
On the team’s performance over the last two games:
“Sometimes. Obviously, tomorrow morning they’ll know. But when we’re on
the road, or depending on how late your travel is, generally we let them
know.”
“I think we deserved a better fate against Detroit. Sometimes it doesn’t go
your way like that. Obviously we played really well against St. Louis. We
had a strong game. But there are things we definitely need to clean up and
get better at and continue to work on as we move forward here.”
On goaltending competition:
On what he’d like to see improve:
“We rode a hot goalie last year, right? They didn’t the year before. We rode
a hot goalie last year. You know what? We’re in the same thing again. [We]
need one to get hot.”
“I’d like to see myself get better. That’s the biggest thing.”
On how vocal he is with the defense:
On what he saw in Ellerby’s play from Detroit to St. Louis:
“It’s great. Every play we’re talking to each other. Every time the puck’s in
our end we’re talking.”
“The ability to move pucks. It was pretty consistent in both games. It’s the
strength of his game, and it has to be really consistent. He’s a big, mobile
guy, and he’s going to be on the puck a lot, so being able to make the good
play is what we want him to do. That’d be number one.”
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657315
Los Angeles Kings
On whether he’s more vocal this year, considering the youth on defense:
“We have certain commands. Every time someone has the puck, or we see
something, we’re yelling. I think you try to maybe do it a little more
frequently, but at the same time you don’t want it to be overkill. You don’t
want five guys yelling at you to do five different things. I think it’s about
keeping it simple, no matter who’s out there, whatever the lineup is,
whoever’s on the ice. It’s about keeping it simple and not over thinking and
just making the smart play.”
Competition on defense
On how anxious he is to start again:
Posted by JonRosen
“Yeah, obviously. You always want to play the games. It’s why you work so
hard over the summer and during practice. You do all that work to play
games, and you do all that work to play well. When you’re not playing them
well, you always want to get back out here and try to do it again.”
Darryl Sutter discussed the competition for playing time on the blue line
after practice on Thursday, which included a pointed evaluation of Jake
Muzzin’s play and could potentially serve as motivation for the defenseman
who turns 24 in one week.
Darryl Sutter, if he’s made a decision on who will replace Alec Martinez in
the lineup:
“We’ll put Muzzin in, for sure. We took Muzzin out, because he was horse. .
. – road apples – in Anaheim. I talked to him about it yesterday. Most guys
play like that one NHL game, they’re doin’ time again. He’s got to get his
foot on the right pedal if he wants to play again. He’s going to play
tomorrow, and he better have it on the right pedal, or somebody else gets a
chance. That’s not being harsh or anything. That’s just exactly what it takes
to be a defenseman.”
Sutter, on competition for defensive spots:
“We’re playing four guys that basically have zero experience. They should
try and beat each other out of the position. Competition is a good thing.”
Sutter, on Kyle Clifford as an example of someone who has competed for
and earned his playing time:
On if he’s pinpointed an aspect of his game that needs improvement:
“Yeah, there are more goals going in. So that needs to be improved on.”
On Detroit’s game-winner, and how difficult it is to end a game like that:
“It’s a tough pill to swallow. It especially kind of hurts a little more, just
because you know how hard the team played in front of me all night long.
They worked really hard, and they deserved better. Finally to tie it up and to
think we’re going to have an opportunity to play four-on-four overtime,
possibly shootout, and then you kind of lose that opportunity. Obviously it’s
going to sting a bit. You feel like you let a lot of guys down. At the same
time, that’s part of the position. That’s what I signed up for. You’re going to
have those ups and downs, and you’re going to give up goals you want
back, and you’re going to make saves that maybe you shouldn’t have.
That’s all what you signed up for. It’s how you handle it. It’s all about the
next day. Obviously, you’ve got to come back and work hard in practice,
which I felt I have the past few days. You look forward to get out there and
help your team win the next game.”
On whether it’s still “a little weird” seeing Jack Johnson in a Blue Jackets
jersey:
“Kyle left last spring with the purpose of wanting to be a regular, everygame player. So when we ask about why this guy’s playing, or this guy’s
not, or whatever – you’ve got to get better. We want to try and be in the
playoff race, not trying to watch it.”
“It’s part of the game. Guys get traded. Guys get called up and sent down.
Nothing’s guaranteed in this league. It is what it is…You hate to see him go,
but its part of the game, and you know it’s a business. From my talks with
him, he’s happy there. He really loves it there. That’s all that you hope for –
that guys are happy where they’re at.”
Sutter, on when Andrew Campbell could draw into the lineup:
On whether he noticed that Jack Johnson leads the league in ice time:
“We need a seventh guy here. He hasn’t played at all. I really don’t know.
We play four in six, so we’ll just see. Obviously, with bringing Campbell up,
that means Marty is [on the] seven-day IR.”
“I did notice that, yeah. He likes to play, so that’s good. That could be a
reason why he is happy there. He’s playing a ton. He’s a big, big part of that
team. They’ve got a nice, young group of players. Obviously, you can see
they’re growing something special there. You’re just happy that he’s happy.”
657316
Los Angeles Kings
657317
February 14 practice quotes: Jonathan Quick
Los Angeles Kings
Mitchell tweets
657319
Minnesota Wild
Posted by JonRosen
After acquiring Keaton Ellerby, General Manager Dean Lombardi was
quoted by the L.A. Times on how Willie Mitchell’s injury recalibrated the
team’s immediate defensive plans.
Coyle returned to Houston for now; Kassian clears waivers; New lines for
tonight
Posted by: Michael Russo
Yesterday, Head Coach Darryl Sutter offered a response on Mitchell when
asked for an update following practice.
At 11:16 pm last night, Mitchell used Twitter to post his own brief remark.
The Wild has reassigned Charlie Coyle to AHL Houston.
Thxs everyone for the get well wishes. Doing everything and anything I can
to get back in the lineup to help my @lakings teammates. #miss-it
It’s funny: If you were listening to me on KFAN today, you know the first
thing I did from that penalty box was look for Coyle. I just had this feeling
driving here that he’d be reassigned.
— Willie Mitchell (@Willie_Mitch33) February 14, 2013
657318
Los Angeles Kings
Here’s why: You knew Pierre-Marc Bouchard was going to return to the
lineup. They’re not going to make a habit of scratching him. The right wings
are Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi and Cal Clutterbuck right now.
Bouchard has to play in a top-9 role. He’s useless on the fourth line.
Jack Johnson: “It’s just another game now”
Posted by JonRosen
Chatting with Jack Johnson for the second time in two weeks, it’s fairly
apparent that his days as a Los Angeles King are well in his past. The
lockout may have shrouded the length of time due to half a season being
missed, but he has been a Columbus Blue Jacket for nearly a full calendar
year. The one-year anniversary of the trade that brought Jeff Carter to Los
Angeles is one week from Saturday.
Still, while Johnson has faced the Kings twice in Ohio, tomorrow’s game will
mark his first appearance back at Staples Center since the February 23,
2012 trade. There were a few memorable moments of his last season in
L.A. – an overtime game-winner in Stockholm against the New York
Rangers, the famous “Tebowing” goal against the Washington Capitals –
but rightfully so, his favorite moments as King involve the friendships he
made in the dressing room at the Toyota Sports Center and at Staples
Center.
On whether there’s anything special about his first game back in Los
Angeles:
“Not really, to be honest with you. I’ve already played these guys a couple
of times. It’s nothing out of the ordinary now. I know a bunch of the guys.
Obviously, I’m good friends with them, but…the novelty’s worn off of playing
your old team. It’s just another game now.”
On returning to Toyota Sports Center for practice:
“I’ve been a Blue Jacket for a year now, and obviously there are familiar
faces around here and stuff, and I know where I’m going around here, but
it’s been too long now. It’s not a surreal thing anymore or a weird thing.”
On the reception he expects from the fans at Staples Center:
“I have no idea. I enjoyed the fans here. I enjoyed my time here, so I don’t
think they’d have any hostility towards me. I don’t know if there will really be
any reception. I’ve been gone for a while now.”
On his favorite memories as a King:
“I had a couple shots at the playoffs here. Really, my favorite memories are
just a couple of the friendships and the teammates that I had along the way
here. Those are the memories and things that you take with you for life.”
On leading the league with an average ice time of 28:07:
“Yeah, it’s everything I’ve been preparing for, everything I’ve wanted to do.
It’s all I can ask for. I’m just trying to do my best every night to make sure I
have a positive say in the game.”
So, that being the case, you had to figure Coyle may be the scratch tonight
against Colorado because the Wild doesn’t want Coyle on the fourth line.
So do you scratch a 20-year-old or send him to New York to play FridaySaturday games at Rochester and Hamilton, and Monday in Toronto?
The Wild doesn’t play next until Sunday. You can always bring Coyle back if
you need him Sunday (or another minor-leaguer) vs. Detroit, but with the
Wild having only one game between now and the next road trip starting
Thursday in Edmonton, my gut said Coyle was going to go.
That’s just the way it goes with prospects. Prospects shuttle back and forth.
It’s happened throughout the history of the NHL. Bryan Murray used to do
that with Keith Primeau all the time in Detroit: “Let him be a star,” is what
Murray used to say.
Players get a taste of the NHL, go back, get a taste, go back. And usually,
every trip down to the minors results in a more confident player and then a
better player when he gets back up to the NHL. That's why it surprises me
that the Wild clearly decided before the season that Mikael Granlund was
staying for good.
The other factor here is whether you like it or not as fans, the veterans on
one-way contracts are staying. You can’t just dump or send to the press
box every underperforming veteran for all the players in Houston. It doesn’t
work that way.
I think Coyle deserves to be in the lineup more than a couple others, too.
But right now this is the decision the team has taken for this game only. It
doesn’t make it permanent. But if Coyle wasn’t playing tonight, you may as
well send him to the Aeros so he can play two in between the next Wild
game. Again, that doesn’t mean he’s coming back Sunday, but this is why
he was sent down for this particular Wild game.
No doubt, we will see Coyle again.
Yeo, a big fan of Coyle, said, “Let’s get Butch back in there tonight and give
him the chance to go out and be the player that he can be. We believe he
can.”
On Coyle, Yeo said, “We have a healthy group here and we want to give
Butch a chance to respond. It’s as much timing and numbers as anything
else. He’s done a very good job, but at the same time we’ve got some guys
here that we know what they’re capable of. Let’s give them a chance to go
do it.”
On Coyle’s NHL taste (five games, six shots, a couple highway robberies, a
post), Yeo said, “I think it’s going to help immensely. Just learning from the
opportunity -- but I just finished talking to him -- and knowing that he can
play at this level and knowing that he can be effective. All he has to do is
play his game. So he should go back down and be very confident with that.
Not sure of the timing, but I’m pretty much all but certain that we’ll see him
again at some point.”
Yeo said the message to him was, “You want to make sure that you’re on
top of your game when that happens. So utilize that time down there.”
Darcy Kuemper exemplifies that. He was playing better than Matt Hackett at
a certain juncture, so he got the call over Hackett.
Same with Coyle. Yes, he was called up after the Anaheim game because
the Wild wanted his size, but by all accounts from scouts I talk to, Jason
Zucker hasn’t played the greatest the last month. If Coyle wasn’t called up,
Johan Larsson probably would have been next over Zucker. Right now I’m
told by somebody that Justin Fontaine is playing the best of any forwards
down there.
More on Coyle, Yeo said Coyle was probably harsher on himself for some
of the few mistakes he made here than the coaches. “As far as I’m
concerned, all players make mistakes. I was very pleased with how few he
made, and the way he was able to come in and contribute and have an
impact. The only thing that didn’t happen was the puck go in net. Created
chances, good defensively, brought what he needed t bring as far as the
size and the wall play and the puck control and the net presence. The only
thing wasn’t there was end results, but that’ll come.”
Tonight, Yeo will reunite:
Zach Parise-Mikko Koivu-Dany Heatley, then go with two new second and
third lines:
Mikael Granlund-Kyle Brodziak-Devin Setoguchi
Pierre-Marc Bouchard-Matt Cullen-Cal Clutterbuck
Mike Rupp-Zenon Konopka-Torrey Mitchell
Defense pairings stay the same, meaning poor Nate Prosser is scratched.
Niklas Backstrom vs. J-S Giguere tonight. Darcy Kuemper will back up
Backstrom (Josh Harding did take the ice this morning).
“Granny and Seto have shown the last several games together that there’s
some chemistry there,” Yeo said. “We’ll give Granny a chance to get off the
center position and maybe ease up his workload that way, but Brodzy looks
like he’s finding his game, too. He’s easy for players to play with. He’s got a
simple approach, but a very effective one. He goes north, skates and is
strong on the puck and distributes it well. Along with that, I think Cully,
Butch and Clutter can be a line that could definitely provide some offense
as well. We’ve got to find offense. We’re trying to find the right solutions.”
I asked Yeo why not Setoguchi on the first line, and he said the coaches
have discussed this considering how well Setoguchi has played the last
handful of games.
But Yeo said, “The success that the top group had earlier in the year, we
want to give them another chance to get going and get feeling good.”
Matt Kassian cleared waivers and was assigned to Houston.
I talked to some players today about the gruesome Erik Karlsson injury in
Ottawa. His Achilles was cut 70 percent by Matt Cooke’s skate last night.
He had surgery and his season is basically over. We don’t see Karlsson a
lot in the East, but he may be the best defenseman in the game, was
undoubtedly playing better than any defenseman in the league this year
and he’s the reigning Norris Trophy winner.
Clutterbuck and four other Wild players wear Kevlar socks to protect from
injuries like this. It’s time the NHL makes these mandatory along with the
NHLPA. It’s amazing this doesn’t happen more and this type of injury can
be prevented.
I talked to players and Yeo about that this morning. That’ll be in the Star
Tribune in the next few days.
Andrew Brunette had his retirement/new Wild hockey ops advisor presser
this morning. He said it was a weird drive down to the rink today. He said he
was walking underneath the building and had that feeling like he was
playing tonight.
This will be a tough transition for Brunette not to play. He will watch his first
NHL game this season from the press box tonight. He doesn’t know how
he’ll react.
Talk to you tonight.
Star Tribune LOADED: 02.15.2013
657320
Minnesota Wild
Oscar winner's documentary on fighting in NHL makes Minn. premiere
Friday
Article by: PAUL WALSH ,
A pull-no-punches documentary about fighting in the National Hockey
League will make its Minnesota premiere Friday, with the film's central
subject attending and fielding questions about how he came to be known as
"Knuckles."
"The Last Gladiators," made under the guiding hand of Oscar-winning
director Alex Gibney, begins its run Friday at the St. Anthony Main Theatres
in Minneapolis.
The NHL career and post-retirement life of longtime NHL "enforcer" Chris
Nilan acts as the spine of the pain-filled story line, with other on-ice tough
guys revealing what motivated them to be willing to stand on skates and
exchange bare-fisted punches in fights by the dozens.
Nilan, who won the hearts of hockey-crazed Montreal Canadiens fans in the
1980s, asked for no pity as he told the camera about how the many fights
shattered his body, addicted him to painkillers and heroin and damaged
relationships with those close to him.
In nearly 700 NHL games, Nilan collected more than 3,000 penalty minutes
(ninth all-time), many of those coming 5 minutes at a time for fighting.
Gibney won an Oscar for his 2008 documentary on U.S. torture practices in
"Taxi to the Dark Side." His other credits include "Enron: The Smartest
Guys in the Room" and "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S.
Thompson." He'll soon be releasing a documentary on disgraced cyclist
Lance Armstrong.
"The Last Gladiators" is inspired by the book "The Code: The Unwritten
Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL," written by noted Twin Cities
sports author Ross Bernstein.
After the film's 7 p.m. showing Friday, Bernstein and Nilan will discuss the
movie, fighting in hockey and concerns about concussions in the sport.
Also among those attending the evening showing will be many former
college players and NHLers who either grew up in Minnesota, played
college hockey in the state or now live in Minnesota. They include Andrew
Brunette, Mark Parrish, Dave Richter, Ben Hankinson, Joe Dziedzic, Pat
Micheletti, Neil Sheehy, Mike Peluso, Shjon Podein, J.P. Parise and Gordie
Roberts.
657321
Minnesota Wild
Yeo not happy after shootout loss to Avs; Clutterbuck hurt; Pens GM scouts
game
Posted by: Michael Russo
As I said this morning on the radio, this was not a game I would have felt
good about if I was a fan who had purchased tickets.
Not that fans care or should care, but this had bad game written all over it
just by looking at the schedule weeks ago. Toughest game this week wasn’t
going to be the second of a back-to-back in Vancouver. It was going to be
tonight’s against Colorado.
Third game in four nights. No practice yesterday. Just a Pacific to Central
time zone flight that touched down at 3 p.m. The Wild actually had better
legs than I thought they would, but according to their coach, many players’
urgency, focus and battle weren’t up to snuff.
Read the gamer of tonight’s 4-3 shootout loss to lowlier Colorado for many
of the details, but coach Mike Yeo said, “I don’t think we were prepared to
play the right way. Whether it’s the travel or what, I know one thing: if you
only play well this year when you’re feeling really good, that’s going to be a
problem. If you’re only going to play well when you’re feeling like you’re
really fresh and you’ve had lots of practices, then it’s going to be a problem
because that’s not what we’re dealing with this year.
“We have to deal with it. Everybody’s faced with the same thing. Some
people will make the excuse and some people will find a way. You can’t just
chalk it up to, ‘Oh, we had travel. Oh, we played three games in four days.
Oh, we haven’t had practice.’ It doesn’t matter.
“You have to find a way to be good … at least.”
Zach Parise scored one goal on nine shots. He now has a league-leading
68. Mikko Koivu scored a goal and assist. Dany Heatley had two assists.
Ryan Suter had an assist and was plus-2.
Yeo said it was a shame to waste their performances. Mike Rupp also
scored his first goal with the Wild and 54th in his career (coming in 22
venues). It was his first goal since Jan. 14, 2012, snapping a 52-game
drought.
Forty-two seconds after Koivu scored the go-ahead goal with 8:04 left in the
third, Matt Duchene tied the game after a terrible shift from the Mikael
Granlund-Kyle Brodziak-Devin Setoguchi line and defensemen Justin Falk
(also responsible for Colorado’s first goal) and Jared Spurgeon.
represented the game. As we go into Sochi, a lot of those trademarks and
characteristics will be in the USA team again.''
"The bottom line is that no matter the outcome (of the NHL/NHLPA
negotiations), we'll pursue the best available players. Our other main pools
are players in Europe and in the NCAA ranks. This day and age, we want
the best available players. I do not see us in the position of the old days of
forming a touring team, having a team that prepares for six months. I see us
getting access to the best available players and having a couple of
international competitions (to prepare).''
657322
Minnesota Wild
They allowed a rush too easily, lost one-on-one battles and there was soft
coverage, Yeo said. Indicative of the Wild’s game, Yeo said.
Avs rally, edge Wild in shootout
The Wild, which has been remarkably healthy this year, may have suffered
one with winger Cal Clutterbuck.
Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO ,
With 6 ½ minutes left in the first period, Clutterbuck looked like he took a
stick up high. He missed the remainder of the period but returned to start
the second. That lasted three shifts and he wasn’t seen from again.
Yeo didn’t provide a postgame update. He thinks he may have been cut. I
never got a good look at his face once he returned and before he left again.
One interesting tidbit from tonight.
Penguins GM Ray Shero scouted the game. Yes, the Penguins play in
Winnipeg on Friday, but the Penguins are looking for a top-6 forward and
may have been looking at Pierre-Marc Bouchard and/or Setoguchi. Could
help explain why the Wild had to get Bouchard back into the lineup.
A lot of this is conjecture, but we also know the history of Yeo and GM
Chuck Fletcher in Pittsburgh and the fact the Wild has acquired former
Pens like Nick Johnson, Rupp and Erik Christensen.
We shall see, perhaps.
And after four games in six nights and no game til Sunday, the Wild won’t
practice Friday. No blog barring news.
The following U.S. Olympic men's hockey update is from columnist and
Olympics writer Rachel Blount, who was on a conference call with Jim
Johannson, USA Hockey assistant executive director for hockey operations,
today:
He said he hopes the NHL and NHLPA will agree to participate in the
Olympics. He said his organization will again work with an NHL advisory
committee of eight general managers--who also assist USA Hockey with
the men's national team that participates in world championships and other
international tournaments--to choose the team and prepare it for Sochi.
Right now, USA Hockey is simply waiting for the NHL/NHLPA to resolve the
question of participation.
Johannson said USA Hockey doesn't plan to name a management team
until later, and a coach won't be named until after the NHL playoffs, to allow
everyone to keep their focus on their NHL teams.
If the NHL and NHLPA do reach an agreement for Olympic participation,
Johannson said there probably will be an orientation camp in late August,
with 35-40 players being invited for four days of practices. That's similar to
what they did for each of the past three Olympics. If they don't, the Olympic
team would likely be made up of Americans playing in Europe or college
players.
Some quotes:
"Coming on the heels of Vancouver and the exposure on the men's side,
obviously we feel very excited about the potential of NHL involvement in all
the countries to have a best-on-best competition in Sochi. ... Certainly we
hope that everything gets settled on the player front with NHL involvement.''
"With the management group and head coach, we're going to wait out all
the negotiations that are ongoing right now with all the interested parties.
We anticipate the management decision would be made first, and the
coaching decision most likely after the NHL season and playoffs to allow
everyone to have their focus on those teams.''
"Vancouver was so great on so many fronts. From a USA Hockey
perspective, we were very happy with the way our team played and how it
Matt Duchene, who scored the tying goal 42 seconds after Mikko Koivu had
Xcel Energy Center vibrating in the third, iced the game in the shootout for
Colorado.
With Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley dried up like a chapped
lip the last several games, Mike Yeo reunited the trio with the hope of
reigniting their early-season output.
It worked.
Parise, Koivu and Heatley teamed up for two goals Thursday night against
Colorado, including the go-ahead goal in the third period.
It made no difference, though. The Wild gave up the lead less than a minute
later and wound up losing 4-3 in a shootout to the injury-riddled Avalanche,
the last-place team in the Western Conference.
"Our big guys were very good. It's a shame to waste a performance like
that," said Yeo, looking like he was ready to combust.
Matt Duchene, who scored the tying goal 42 seconds after Koivu had Xcel
Energy Center vibrating, iced the game in the shootout after Milan Hejduk,
celebrating his 37th birthday, also scored. Parise and Koivu shot blanks.
The Wild got a point, but it was no solace for an aggravating team that on
paper should be a lot better than its 6-6-2 record.
For a change, the Wild, which ranks 29th in goals per game (Colorado is
27th), scored more than one goal in regulation.
"This was probably one of our poorest games as of late and we scored
more goals than we did in the good games that we played," said Mike
Rupp, who gave the Wild a 2-1 lead early in the third. "This is a game we
needed to win."
It was the Wild's fourth game in six nights, including back-to-back games in
Calgary and Vancouver. The team didn't practice Wednesday because it
landed at 3 p.m. It will take Friday off to rest tired bodies.
Frankly, a team that really needs to practice isn't finding the time during a
lockout-shortened season.
"Whether it's the travel or what, I know one thing: If you only play well this
year when you're feeling really good, that's going to be a problem," Yeo
said, bristling. "Everybody's faced with the same thing. Some people will
make the excuse and some people will find a way. You can't just chalk it up
to, 'Oh, we had travel. Oh, we played three games in four days. Oh, we
haven't had practice.' It doesn't matter.
"You have to find a way to be good ... at least."
With the Wild down 1-0, Parise tied it with his seventh goal. But after Zenon
Konopka face-washed Greg Zanon's grandiose red beard, Hejduk, the alltime leader in power-play goals against the Wild with 13, made it 2-1.
In the third, Rupp, acquired Feb. 4, got more ice time because Cal
Clutterbuck was lost due to an undisclosed injury. The 6-5 forward stole a
puck from Matt Hunwick behind the net, took Mikael Granlund's pass and
jammed in his first goal 2 1/2 minutes into third.
Nine minutes later, the Wild took a 3-2 lead. Ryan Suter made a cross-ice
pass to Heatley, who undressed defenseman Jan Hejda to draw four
defenders to him. That allowed Koivu to backhand his third goal into an
open net.
But on the ensuing shift, the Granlund-Kyle Brodziak-Devin Setoguchi line
with defensemen Justin Falk and Jared Spurgeon gave up an easy rush,
then began scrambling. Bodies were everywhere; Yeo called it, "soft
coverage," and Duchene's wraparound caromed in off Spurgeon.
"It was sort of indicative of the game that we were playing," Yeo said.
Parise scored his second goal in nine games, Heatley had his first two
points in nine games and Koivu his first goal in eight.
"Bottom line is we lost," Parise said.
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Minnesota Wild
Game recap: Colorado over Wild
MICHAEL RUSSO
GAME RECAP
STAR TRIBUNE'S THREE STARS
1. Zach Parise, Wild: Scored his team-leading seventh goal on nine shots.
Parise, who had four hits, leads the NHL with 68 shots.
2. Ryan Suter, Wild: Defenseman registered his fourth assist in four games
and was plus-2.
3. Mikko Koivu, Wild: Captain scored a goal and assist for 87th career multipoint game.
By THE NUMBERS
13 Power-play goals for Milan Hejduk against the Wild (first all-time).
22 Goals by Hejduk against the Wild (second all-time).
"I was very pleased with how few [mistakes] he made," Yeo said. "[Coyle]
created chances, [was] good defensively, brought what he needed to bring
as far as the size and the wall play and the puck control and the net
presence. The only thing [that] wasn't there was end results but that'll
come."
Coyle now knows he can play at the NHL level and be effective. "I'm pretty
much all but certain that we'll see him again at some point," Yeo said.
Top line stays reunited
In an attempt to reignite slumping Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Dany
Heatley, Yeo played them together against the Avs.
For the first time this season, Kyle Brodziak was moved to second-line
center between Mikael Granlund and Setoguchi.
"Granny and Seto have shown the last several games together that there's
some chemistry there," Yeo said. "We'll give Granny a chance to get off the
center position and maybe ease up his workload that way, but Brodzy looks
like he's finding his game, too. ... We've got to find offense. We're trying to
find the right solutions."
Fine dining at Konopka's
You can bet Setoguchi will be eating his pregame meals in Minnesota at
Zenon Konopka's pad. Before Setoguchi scored the overtime winner
Saturday against Nashville, he and Torrey Mitchell scarfed down a feast
made by "Scuba Steve" -- aka Steve Finley, the father of Konopka's
girlfriend, Michelle.
"Scuba Steve" owns high-end banquet facilities in Philadelphia.
"Chicken parm, veal, spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, salad, broccoli," Konopka
said. "He made us an all-you-can-eat buffet. He made 28 chicken cutlets
and froze them, so me, Seto and Mitchell will be all good for pregame
meals for a while."
Brunette to be diversified
Freshly retired Andrew Brunette watched his first NHL game this season
from inside an arena Thursday as the Wild's new hockey ops advisor.
"Who knows where this takes him?" General Manager Chuck Fletcher said.
"I think he has unlimited potential to do what he wants to do in this game."
Brunette will scout, work in Houston, be involved in managerial decisions
and help the coaches.
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Minnesota Wild
"It's a great opportunity to see everything and find what I like and what I
don't like," Brunette said.
Etc.
Coyle demoted to Houston so Bouchard can play more
• Left wing Matt Kassian cleared waivers and was assigned to the Aeros.
Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO ,
657325
With the Wild wanting Pierre-Marc Bouchard in Thursday's lineup against
Colorado, rookie Charlie Coyle was reassigned to the Houston Aeros.
New Wild exec Andrew Brunette: 'Retiring was a lot harder than I thought'
Bouchard, after several non-productive games, was a healthy scratch
Tuesday at Vancouver.
By Bruce Brothers
"We want to give Butch a chance to respond," Wild coach Mike Yeo said.
"It's as much timing and numbers as anything else. [Coyle's] done a very
good job, but at the same time we've got some guys here that we know
what they're capable of. Let's give them a chance to go do it."
Bouchard, who has one goal and no assists in the past 11 games, was held
to one shot in the 4-3 shootout loss to the Avalanche.
Adding more intrigue to the Wild's decision on Coyle was the presence of
Pittsburgh General Manager Ray Shero at Thursday's game to scout. The
Penguins are actively looking for a top-six winger and could have their eyes
on Bouchard or Devin Setoguchi.
Bouchard, the Wild's third-leading scorer in history (330 points), is in the
final year of a five-year deal. Setoguchi has one year left on his contract.
Coyle played well despite no points in five games.
Minnesota Wild
Andrew Brunette admitted that whenever his phone rang the past few
weeks he was hoping for an invitation to join some NHL team's roster.
Unfortunately, if an NHL team was on the other end of the line it was
because it was interested in having him join its off-ice staff.
So Brunette, who lives in the Twin Cities, decided retirement was inevitable
and he accepted the standing offer from Wild general manager Chuck
Fletcher to join Minnesota's staff on Wednesday, Feb. 13.
"Retiring was a lot harder than I thought," Brunette said at a news
conference Thursday morning at Xcel Energy Center.
Fletcher added Brunette, 39, to his staff as hockey operations adviser, a job
that Fletcher called open-ended because it could involve scouting, frontoffice work, helping sign free agents and even coaching.
"Today is a real good day for the franchise," Fletcher said. "His career was
defined by consistency -- I believe he missed 17 games from 1997 through
the end of last year. It was stunning. This is a guy who played hurt, who
played through everything. He played at this level and played as long as he
did because of his work ethic, his character, his intelligence. That's what we
feel he'll bring to the hockey operations department."
Brunette played 78 games for the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2011-12
season to bring his NHL totals to 1,110 games, 268 goals and 465 assists.
In two terms and six seasons with the Wild, Brunette had 119 goals and
202 assists and
became a fixture on Minnesota's power play, experience Fletcher said he
expects Brunette to pass along to members of the current roster.
Brunette said he was flattered that several NHL teams contacted him to
work for them, but noted that "the Minnesota Wild is very special to my
heart."
"I love the fans, I love the city, I love the people here," he said. "I'm proud of
what we accomplished, and I feel a lot of pride in this organization."
Brunette became indelibly associated with the Wild when he scored the
overtime goal against Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7
of the Western Conference quarterfinals on April 22, 2003, a goal Fletcher
labeled "the iconic goal" in Wild history.
Brunette joins former Wild players Darby Hendrickson, Brad Bombardir and
Wes Walz in the organization.
"I think we've all invested a piece into it and we want to see it come
through; we want to see us hoisting that Stanley Cup at one point," Brunette
said.
The NHL began sending its players to the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan,
and continued through the 2010 Vancouver Games. Even though the NHL
got great exposure by having its players take part in an Olympics in North
America, disrupting the season does come with a cost.
The stopping of the season, the potential injury risk to players, and no
tangible upside for the NHL are all factors that create doubt whether the
investment is good for the league.
One topic that isn't on the agenda during this week's meetings is NHL
realignment.
The relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg before last season has
created travel troubles for the Jets and their Southeast Division rivals that
need to be resolved.
The league's board of governors thought it had the problem settled when a
realignment plan that would change the current system from six divisions to
four conferences was formed in December 2011. But the players'
association rejected the plan, leaving all clubs in place for this season.
The union turned down the proposal because of travel concerns and
potential unfair playoff qualifications. League and players' association
representatives met in Toronto this week, and the hope is a new plan will be
ready to present to the board of governors by the end of February.
This time, it is expected that the players will sign off on the plan before it
goes to the board for a vote.
Neither the Olympic issue nor realignment were addressed in the new
collective bargaining agreement that ended the lockout.
Pioneer Press LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Minnesota Wild
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Minnesota Wild
2014 Olympics: NHL players await decision
By Ira Podell
NEW YORK -- A decision on whether NHL players will head to the 2014
Sochi Olympics isn't likely this week.
Discussions were set for Thursday and Friday between the NHL, the NHL
players' association, and officials from the International Ice Hockey
Federation and the International Olympic Committee to see if it makes
sense for North American professional hockey players to go to the
Olympics for a fifth straight time.
"I don't expect any resolution or decisions this week," NHL Deputy
Commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email on Thursday,
Feb. 14.
Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle, Matt Kassian headed to Houston
By Bruce Brothers
The Wild reassigned winger Charlie Coyle to the Houston Aeros of the
American Hockey League on Thursday, Feb. 14, leaving them with 12
forwards going into their game against the Colorado Avalanche at 7 p.m.
Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center.
Forward Matt Kassian cleared waivers and also was assigned to the Aeros,
the team announced.
Coyle, 20, played five games at forward for Minnesota, recording no points
but six shots on goal and five hits.
"He did real well for us," winger Dany Heatley said. "A big body, good
hands. I expect him to be back soon."
Kassian has not played for the Wild this season.
The Sochi Games are one year away. While a final decision isn't required
this week, one will have to be reached in the near future. It is believed
hockey federations will need to know by May what players will be available
for their teams.
The current discussions are being held between NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, IIHL President Rene
Fasel and officials from the IOC.
Minnesota Wild's loss to lowly Avalanche makes little sense
After enduring a long lockout that produced a shortened regular season this
year, the NHL is weighing whether it is worth shutting down the game for
more than two weeks next season to allow its players to go to Russia for
the Olympics.
By Bruce Brothers
The time difference will force the games to be played at off hours in North
America, and the NHL would like to receive concessions from the IOC that
haven't been made before.
In return for sending its players to the Sochi Olympics, the NHL is trying to
acquire
video, photograph and Web site rights for the games. The IIHF and the IOC
retain those exclusive rights now.
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Minnesota Wild
The Wild appear to be a team in dire need of something good to happen.
Thursday, Feb. 14, was not the day for it.
Although Minnesota scored more than one goal in regulation for the first
time in seven games, the Wild coughed up a third-period lead and dropped
a 4-3 shootout decision to the Colorado Avalanche in front of 18,822 at the
Xcel Energy Center.
The day ended with heads hanging in the dressing room -- at least the
heads of those who hadn't bolted from the room before the media were
allowed in five minutes after the game ended.
Winger Mike Rupp, who broke a 52-game scoring drought with his first goal
in a Wild sweater to tie the score early in the third period, said the game
was there for the taking. Colorado came to town with a 1-4 road record that
included a 4-2 loss in the season opener on Jan. 19. And the Avs' nine
points coming in tied them for worst in the NHL.
Plus, the Wild were 15-5-2 in their previous 22 home games against the
Avalanche.
Colorado's Milan Hejduk, who was celebrating his 37th birthday, scored on
a power-play rebound at 17:26 of the period to return the lead to the Avs
and give him 800 points in his career.
Mike Rupp's first goal for the Wild tied the score early in the third period,
and Mikko Koivu scored at 11:56 for a 3-2 Minnesota lead, but Matt
Duchene's goal tied the score 46 seconds later.
"The game was up in the air for either team to grab," Rupp said, "and we
didn't take a step forward and do it."
ETC.: Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck was hurt in the first period, came back
for some of the second and then missed the rest of the game. Coach Mike
Yeo had no update on Clutterbuck's status.
Wild coach Mike Yeo, wearing a gray expression, agreed with Rupp.
"It was there to be taken," he said, "if you do the things to take it."
657330
Half a dozen or so players were all-in for this game, Yeo said, including
Ryan Suter, Matt Cullen, Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon and Tom Gilbert.
Yeo's top line of Zach Parise, Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley was a force,
collecting two goals, three
Bourque scores overtime winner to lift Habs over Panthers
assists and 13 of Minnesota's 29 shots on goal.
Paul Gereffi
Montreal Canadiens
Parise even recorded a team-high four hits.
Yeo wasn't hanging his head; he was shaking it.
"It's a shame," he said, "to waste a performance like that."
The Montreal Canadiens took advantage of solid goaltending and a puck
that finally bounced their way.
And that was the story not only of the game but of a season in which
Minnesota so far has a 6-6-2 record.
Yeo cited a litany of collective problems for his team, which took a 3-2 lead
on Koivu's goal with 8:04 left in the third period but gave it up just 46
seconds later.
Bourque’s winner came on a tip-in just in front of the net. Alex Galchenyuk
"We've got to close those out," Parise said. "When you work and get that
lead, it's tough when you give up a goal right away on the next shift. It's
tough to respond to that."
“We just kind of knew it was going to be one of those goals, an ugly goal,
that would probably get the job done,” Bourque said. “I was just trying to
whack it somewhere.”
Parise, whose nine shots on goal were just one short of his career best,
was in no mood to criticize anyone else, however. As well as his line
played, he said, it should have scored more than two goals.
"We were able to convert on a couple, but it wasn't enough tonight," he
said.
Galchenyuk, who turned 19 on Tuesday, kept after the puck to the left of
the net and was able to set up Bourque for the winning goal.
Yeo reunited his top line in the third period of a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver
Canucks on Tuesday night and liked what he saw, so he came back with a
similar alignment against the Avs. The big guys responded -- Koivu pointed
out that all three have played long enough to know what to do -- but
“The puck was bouncing, somehow I got it to him,” Galchenyuk said. “He
made an unbelievable play.”
Colorado Avalanche goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, left, stops a shootout
goal-attempt by Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013,
in St. Paul. The Avalanche won 4-3. (Associated Press: Jim Mone)
There was little offence through a sluggish first two periods. Theodore
the response throughout the remainder of the lineup was hit and miss.
“We didn’t play great the first two periods. We probably should thank Theo
at that point — he stood on his head for us,” Panthers forward Jerred
Smithson said.
"A lack of urgency," was Yeo's term for how many of his guys played.
After numerous changes in his lineup and his line combinations, Yeo said
there are no excuses for this kind of game. Good teams might be travelweary or run into other difficulties, he said, yet still they "find a way" to play
well.
Until the Wild learn that lesson, they simply don't belong in the same
category with those good teams.
The action picked up in the third, with the Panthers tallying 13 shots — one
barrage about 8 minutes into the period when Florida fired off five shots
from in close in less than a minute.
“They came out hard at the beginning of that third period. We just had to
weather the storm,” Price said. “We were just lucky to get that one at the
end.”
657329
Canadiens coach Michel Therrien was impressed with Price’s performance.
Minnesota Wild
Avalanche 4, Wild 3 (SO): Minnesota comes up empty in shootout
“He’s excellent,” Therrien said. “We lost a little bit of momentum on two
shifts and that’s when you need your goalie and Carey was phenomenal.”
The Panthers wasted a great effort by Theodore.
Bruce Brothers
RECAP: Minnesota went scoreless in two shootout attempts and lost to
Colorado in front of 18,822 Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead when Aaron Palushaj scored from between
the hash marks after 2:38 of the second period, but the Wild tied it when
Zach Parise scored on a wraparound six minutes later.
“It was a tough game for us. We got outworked for a stretch and we finally
decided to start playing a simple game and things fell in from there, but
obviously not enough to bring it home,” Florida coach Kevin Dineen said.
“Goaltending will be the story tomorrow. Goaltending was great at both
ends.”
Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens, Lightning swap goalies
“They came out hard early in the third period and we just had to weather the
storm,” Price said. “It was a pretty quiet game, pretty defensive and it was
good to come out with the win. It seemed like both teams were willing to sit
back and wait for the other team to make a mistake, and neither team made
a whole lot of mistakes.”
Price has had shutouts going into the late stages of the third period in
several games and said it was a relief to get, particularly in his first 0-0
game in regulation time.
Reuters
The Canadiens and Lightning swapped goaltenders on Thursday, with
Dustin Tokarski coming to Montreal and Cedrick Desjardins heading to
Tampa Bay, Habs GM Marc Bergevin announced Thursday.
Tokarski, 23, played 33 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) since the
start of the 2012-13 season, and posted a 2.46 goals against average and
.900 save percentage. The Saskatchewan-native had been with the Tampa
Bay organization since being drafted in the fifth round in the 2008 NHL
Entry Draft.
657332
There were some dicey moments early in the third and at 12:57 when Josh
Gorges went off for tripping.
Montreal Canadiens
New Bourque quickly erasing old Bourque
“I said last week that it would be nice to close one out, and tonight I did,”
“It’s not every time we come to Florida and pick up four points,” said a
pleased Therrien. “We addressed the discipline issue before the game and
we were focused as a group. We played a really solid road game. We took
away their time and space.
“José Theodore was great for them and gave them a chance to stay in the
game,” Therrien said. “And when we lost the momentum for a few shifts in
the third, Carey Price was big for us.”
Therrien was happy to see his team take only two minor penalties and even
happier to see them kill off the third-period penalty to Gorges.
“The guys sacrificed themselves and blocked some shots. You could tell the
guys wanted to kill that penalty.”
phickey@montrealgazette.com
By Pat Hickey,
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 02.15.2013
657333
SUNRISE, Fla. — The new Rene Bourque is making everyone forget the
old Rene Bourque.
Bourque was a disappointment after joining the Canadiens at mid-season a
year ago, but he continued his solid play Thursday night as he scored the
winning goal in overtime to give the Canadiens a 1-0 win over the Florida
Panthers.
“It was a nice feeling,” Bourque said. “We had some chances earlier, but it
was one of those games where it was hard to get any quality scoring
opportunities. The guys played hard and it was good solid defensive effort.”
Bourque said the defensive tone of the game all but assured “it was one of
those ugly goals that was going to get the job done” and he was right.
“It was kind of a broken 2-on-1,” said Bourque, who went to the net to
redirect a pass from rookie Alex Galchenyuk. “The puck was bouncing all
night, the ice was really bad; I was just was trying to come to a stop and let
him come to me. I don’t even know whether I hit it out of the air or it was on
the ice.”
Bourque and head coach Michel Therrien praised Galchenyuk for his role in
the game-winner.
“There’s a reason why he’s playing with us and he’s only 19 years old,”
Bourque said. “He’s very skilled.”
“That’s part of the learning process,” Therrien said when asked about
having confidence in the youngster in overtime. “He showed a great second
effort to stay with the puck going up against a very good defenceman in
(Dmitry Kulikov).”
“When you’re out there in overtime, you want to create a scoring chance,”
Galchenyuk said. “I entered the zone and I saw that (Bourque) was driving
hard, The puck was bouncing and somehow I got it to him.”
Galchenyuk has eight points on the season, but the assist ended a fivegame point drought.
“I haven’t produced as much offensively, but this is the NHL and I knew it
would come if I kept working,” Galchenyuk said. “Obviously, it’s nice to be
out there and have a chance to win the game.”
Carey Price made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season, but
downplayed his contribution to the victory.
“The guys played well in front of me and limited their chances all game,”
Price said. “They didn’t have many quality chances and that speaks a lot
about our guys’ work ethic.”
Montreal Canadiens
Habs end scoreless duel in OT
By Pat Hickey,
SUNRISE, Fla. — Rene Bourque scored at 2:10 of overtime to give the
Canadiens a 1-0 victory over the Florida Panthers Thursday night at the
BB&T Center.
The game featured a goaltending duel between Carey Price and former
Canadien José Theodore. Price made 26 saves for his first shutout of the
season while Theodore stopped 31. Price came up with a game-saver at
8:16 of the third period when he made a point-blank save on Jonathan
Huberdeau, the rookie from St. Jérôme.
Theo defies the odds: There was no reason to believe Jose Theodore
would turn in a stellar performance against his former team. While he has
one career shutout against the Canadiens, Theodore came into the game
with a 2-2-1 record against Montreal with a 4.62 goals-against average and
an .861 save percentage.
Killers dominate: There weren't many penalties in the game. But the
penalty-killers did their job as the Canadiens went 0-for-3 on the power play
and Florida went 0-for-2. Florida's Tomas Fleischmann missed an
opportunity on a third-period power play when he broke his stick while
taking a shot from the slot.
Empty seats: The Panthers opened the upper deck at the BB&T Center in
anticipation of their third sellout of the season but there were large sections
of empty seats throughout the arena, including the lower-bowl behind the
benches. The announced attendance was 17,021, which means there were
more than 2,000 unsold seats. George Richards of the Miami Herald
suggested that local fans avoided the game because they don't want to rub
shoulders with Montreal fans. "Maybe it's because of Valentine's Day, but
it's mostly because the Canadiens' fans didn't show up," Richards said.
Swap shop: The Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning swapped minorleague goalies with Cédrick Desjardins going to the Lightning organization
in exchange for Dustin Tokarski, the MVP when the Spokane Chiefs won
the 2008 Memorial Cup. Tokarski also won a gold medal at the 2009 world
juniors.
What's next: The Canadiens are back in the Bell Centre Saturday night to
play the Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). Fans are
reminded that the morning skate will be in Brossard and is open to the
public.
(things) — he’s always wanted to be at the head of the class, so to speak,
in terms of work ethic (and) leadership.”
Nicholas started playing minor hockey at age 5. He played in net in novice
and stuck with the position, inspired by former Canadiens goaltender José
Theodore.
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Montreal Canadiens
Concussion a blessing in disguise for goalie
Nicholas is now in Grade 11 at Kuper Academy. At the award ceremony
last month at the Bell Centre, he was one of 28 hockey players, age 15 to
17, to receive scholarships from the Canadiens’ bursary program, which
sponsors the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence. Nicholas and
another player received a new scholarship this year for perseverance.
By Brenda Branswell,
“I want to play college hockey and go through school and after that we’ll see
from there,” Nicholas said when asked about his hockey goal.
MONTREAL — When Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin handed
out $1,500 scholarships to teenage hockey players last month at the Bell
Centre, Nicholas Gavrielatos received one that recognized his tenacity.
While he’d rather go the college route, if he gets drafted in the Quebec
Major Junior Hockey League, that’s good too, he said.
After undergoing brain surgery last May, Nicholas has been back in goal
this season for the Lac St. Louis Lions.
If there were weeks during this season when he was tired, Nicholas would
take maybe one or two practices off at the beginning of the week to rest, his
mother said.
As he recovered from the operation, Nicholas worked with a tutor over the
summer and wrote and passed two Grade 10 provincial exams.
“We told him to listen to his body,” she said.
By January, he had caught up academically by completing the final
provincial exam from Grade 10 that he couldn’t write last June.
His health ordeal began last January when he was hit in the head during a
pileup in front of the net.
When he brought Nicholas to hospital to get him checked out, the medical
staff said it didn’t look like a concussion but that it might be a mild one, said
his father, Platon Gavrielatos, a West Island businessman who owns the
midget Triple-A Lions and companies that import frozen fruits and
vegetables and canned products.
He’s now back to 100 per cent, his parents say.
Nicholas has played well this season, Goyens said. Like anyone else he’s
had a few ups and downs, but for the most part he’s been very consistent,
the coach added. And he has faced a barrage of shots in goal this season.
“He’s had the most shots in the league. Maybe 800 shots in 25 games,”
Gavrielatos said. “He’s done well. And he’s ready for the playoffs.”
Nicholas was scheduled to start in net on Wednesday for the Lions’ first
playoff game against the Collège Notre Dame Albatros. He missed the first
month of the season and returned to play in late September after an eightmonth layoff.
When Nicholas started getting headaches a few days later, his mother,
Josie Cacciatore, took him to a neurologist and asked that he undergo an
MRI. It showed a spot in his brain that turned out to be a tumour.
You always have that fear the first time they get back on the ice, Cacciatore
said.
One suggested option was to wait and monitor it, but Cacciatore said after
seeking out medical opinions, the family ultimately decided on surgery.
“You’re always a little worried, but I mean, you can’t live with worry. You
have to move on.”
“Bottom line: It was a blessing that he got the concussion because that was
our saviour — that was our only way of finding out because he had no
symptoms,” she said.
Gavrielatos said he felt like his son enjoyed himself — “like he was happy
that he was back in the net and doing what he wants to do.”
The tumour was in a location that allowed doctors to remove it all,
Cacciatore said. Nicholas spent three days in hospital last May and didn’t
require further treatment after the operation.
“He was amazing,” Cacciatore said. “He was walking the day after surgery.
“I think we drew our strength from him,” she added. “He was strong
throughout the whole thing, I have to say.”
Getting the initial news from the doctors wasn’t tough on him, said Nicholas,
16,
“It felt like it was a whole closure on everything that happened,” Cacciatore
added. “So he’s back on the ice. Life returns to normal, you know.”
During the trip to Magog for his first start, Nicholas said: “The whole bus
ride a lot of things were running through my head. So I was nervous. I was
like, ‘Oh, could I keep up still?’
“I had a terrible warm-up.”
With his parents looking on, Nicholas stopped about 30 shots, let in only
one goal and was named the game’s first star.
“I saw them in the stands and it was a proud moment,” he said.
“Stuff happens. And that’s it. I just wanted to get it out and play hockey
again,” he said, just before hitting the ice Tuesday for the Lions’ practice in
Dollard des Ormeaux.
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One of his hospital visitors was Canadiens prospect Louis Leblanc, a
former Lac St. Louis Lion. Back at home, Nicholas would go for walks and
friends kept him company.
About last night …
“I think that’s what kept his spirits up — his teammates plus all his friends
and his cousins and his surroundings,” Cacciatore said.
Montreal Canadiens
Posted by Mike Boone
“Our house was Grand Central Station,” Gavrielatos added.
“The thing with Nicky is he’s a team leader, too,” his father added.
“Everybody likes him.”
Lions head coach Jon Goyens called Nicholas a very likeable kid, serious
when it comes to hockey and a pleasure to have as a player because he
wants to get better.
“He doesn’t act like anything is given to him,” Goyens said.
“Even in the situation he’s in now with his father being the owner and
having been around our group, our staff for so many years, he’s never
walked into it like, okay this is mine ... he’s always to wanted to earn
Fearless prediction:
On Saturday night, the Bell Centre will be louder than the
LGBT/S&M/B&D/WTF Arena was on Thursday.
Hockey is in trouble in south Florida … despite the ludicrous suggestion
that 17,021 showed up to watch the Canadiens.
Scoreless ties after 60 minutes won’t help sell the game in the Sunshine
State, but that’s their problem.
The Canadiens come home with an 8-4-1 record that no one in Montreal
was expecting when the season began.
And when they hit the ice to face the Flyers, the joint will be rocking.
Just past the one-quarter mark of this truncated season, your Montreal
Canadiens are fifth in the eastern Conference. They have won more games
than they’ve lost at home and on the road.
Carey Price, beaten six times by the Leafs at the Bell Centre last Saturday,
shut the Panthers out and would have hung a goose egg on the Lightning
but for an epidemic of brain farts that swept through his teammates late in
the Tampa Bay game.
This is a bit of a “Welcome to Montreal” event organized for the fanfavourite Prust by Hockey Helps, and Armstrong and Gallagher are
confirmed to be part of it.
It will cost you $8 for a Prust autograph, in keeping with his jersey number;
$20 will get you signatures of both Armstrong and Gallagher. A portion of
proceeds will go to two Montreal charities in the players’ names – the
Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and the Montreal Children’s
Hospital Foundation’s Stratos Raphael Angelopoulos Fund.
There will be items up for bid in a silent auction, and former Canadien Yvon
Lambert will call a live auction on site.
Price’s eight wins lead the league. He’s playing with supreme confidence,
as evidenced by deft, Brodeuresque puckhandling that’s turned Price into
the third defenceman.
• PLEASE NOTE: Le Skratch is a licensed establishment and admits only
those 18 years of age and older. From 6:30 to 7 p.m., a signing for those
under 18 will be held at an adjacent restaurant; arrive at Le Skratch and
you’ll be directed there.
Remember when that was a flaw in his game? Like the glove hand? And
Shootouts?
Price is making the big saves and getting solid support. As has been the
case with almost every team the Canadiens have faced this season – the
Toronto embarrassment being a glaring exception – the Panthers had few
odd-man rushes or high-percentage scoring opportunities. And Price was
brilliant during the third-period flurry when the Florida attack came fleetingly
to life.
The Canadiens have used the same defence pairings, largely to good
effect, since P.K. Subban joined the club.
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Montreal Canadiens
Liveblog: Canadiens beat Panthers 1-0 in OT
Posted by Mike Boone
Would it be nice to have an Erik Gudbranson back there terrifying everyone
who crossed the Canadiens’ blueline?
The Canadiens’ fourth overtime pairing – Alex Galchenyuk and Rene
Bourque – produced the game’s only goal.
You bet. And Jarred Tinordi is in the pipeline.
And your Montreal Canadiens – with Shootout and OT wins – swept the
Sunshine State.
But for now Andrei Markov, P.K. (up to 21:27 of ice time against Florida)
and a much improved Raphael Diaz (four blocked Panthers shots) make
up a heady, puck-moving top 3, supplemented by the rejuvenated Francis
Bouillon, Josh Gorges and Alexei Emelin, who seemed to gain confidence
on the Florida trip.
Michel Therrien praised his team’s discipline – only two minor penalties –
and team D. They even managed to win 46 per cent of the faceoffs.
The coach could have patted himself on the back for adroit deployment of
his forwards, a luxury afforded Therrien in a game not dominated by special
teams. The Tomas Plekanec and Lars Eller lines remained intact; but
Therrien did a bit of in-game tinkering, switching Max Pacioretty and
Brandon Prust between lines cenred by Alex Galchenyuk and DD.
Galchenyuk – making a brilliant play on crap ice – set Bourque up for the
winner.
‘Fess up: When they headed south after that embarrassing loss to the
Leafs, did anyone think the Canadiens would be headed home with four
points in the bag?
Carey Price stopped 26 shots for his first shutout of the season, 17th of his
young career.
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Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were able to roll four lines in a gruelling, tight-checking
game. And Therrien had enough confidence in Galchenyuk to use him in
the 4-on-4 OT …. with spectacular results.
Follow Habs vs. Panthers with HIO’s new Play-by-Play feature
We saw two third-overall draft picks who are going to be NHL stars. And I’ll
take Chucky over Jonathan Huberdeau.
Posted by Stu Cowan
That second effort to beat Dmitry Kulikov and feed Rene Bourque for the
winner?
Beautiful stuff. And I hope we see 15 years of it in Montreal.
In the short term, bring on the Flyers.
We launched a new Play-by-Play feature on HIO during the Canadiens’ 4-3
shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, we had some technical glitches early on, but our computer
technicians managed to work out the kinks during the game.
Your Friday morning/victory celebration laugh:
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Montreal Canadiens
The Play-by-Play feature will be available again for Thursday’s game
against the Florida Panthers – hopefully without any more technical
glitches. The play-by-play feature keeps live track of shots, goals, hits,
power plays, shots on goal, takeaways, faceoffs won, hits, power plays,
giveaways, penalty minutes and saves.
Prust, Armstrong, Gallagher sign for charity Friday in Brossard
You can try it out during Thursday’s game, which starts at 7:30 p.m., while
also following Mike Boone’s live blog and posting your own comments on
the game.
Posted by Dave Stubbs
Let us know what you think about the Play-by-Play feature with your
comments on the site or by emailing sports editor Stu Cowan at
scowan@montrealgazette.com
Canadiens fans will have a chance to meet Brandon Prust, Colby
Armstrong and Brendan Gallagher – and possibly others, who might drop
by at the last minute (no guarantees) – Friday from 7-8 p.m. at Le Skratch,
1875 Panama Ave. in Brossard from 7-8 p.m.
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Nashville Predators
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Phoenix Coyotes' Steve Sullivan smiles at memories with Nashville
Predators
Josh Cooper
Predators coach Barry Trotz had seen the move many times before from
Coyotes forward Steve Sullivan.
Sullivan sped into the Nashville zone, slipped to his backhand, skated
around defenseman Jonathon Blum and whipped a shot high at the net.
Goaltender Pekka Rinne snared it with his glove, but it was one of many
scoring chances for Sullivan, a former Predator, in a solid return to
Bridgestone Arena.
Thursday was Sullivan’s first game facing the Predators in Nashville since
he left in the 2011 offseason.
“I was hoping he wouldn’t score against us to be quite honest, but was
hoping he’d have a good game, and he did,” Trotz said. “Sully … that one
move when he walked our defense a little bit there, I’ve seen that move,
and it’s good to see him have his speed back.”
Sullivan was a fan favorite in Nashville and played 317 games here. He
signed with Phoenix in the offseason after a year with the Pittsburgh
Penguins.
Sullivan, 38, played 15:57 and fired two shots on goal. In the first period,
Sullivan led the way for Phoenix on a 5-on-1, but Rinne made a save on a
Sullivan shot.
“I didn’t realize there were so many guys coming up the ice,” Sullivan said.
“I saw it more as a 2-on-1, and when the defenseman took my pass away I
tried to take it to the net to shoot, and Rinne was there for the save.”
The Predators showed a tribute video for Sullivan on the scoreboard
midway through the first period. Sullivan then stood and waved to the
crowd.
“You know what, it’s great, I appreciate it,” Sullivan said. “I’ve said it before,
these are some of the best fans in the league and I feel fortunate to have
played here and appreciate the tribute for sure.”
Spaling scores: Nashville’s record when forward Nick Spaling scores a goal
improved to 17-1-1 on Thursday. The defensive-minded Spaling ripped a
wrist shot high past goaltender Mike Smith with 10:22 left in the third period
to make the score 2-0.
The goal was Spaling’s third of the year. The Predators are 3-0-0 when
Spaling has scored this season.
“I was shooting high and there was a little bit of a hole. I think (Colin Wilson)
took (Smith’s) eyes away at the last second and he lost sight of the puck,”
Spaling said.
Hornqvist with team: Predators forward Patric Hornqvist skated with the
team at Thursday’s optional morning skate at Bridgestone Arena. The
forward, who has been out since Jan. 26 with a sprained knee, stood in
front of teammates’ shots, and did some light work.
He led the Predators with 27 goals last season, and had 30 three years
ago.
Predators coach Barry Trotz said Hornqvist may return “at the end of next
week sometime.”
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators' offense assists stingy defense
Josh Cooper
The Nashville Predators know they can win games when they score one
goal for goaltender Pekka Rinne. But three? That’s almost a guarantee.
Nashville finally provided Rinne with some goal support, and again clamped
down defensively in a 3-0 shutout win over the Phoenix Coyotes in front of
a sellout crowd of 17,113 at Bridgestone Arena.
It was the first time in three games the Predators scored more than one
goal, and just the third time since Jan. 28 they scored more than one. Rinne
posted his second consecutive shutout.
“I think we were a little tighter defensively, but at the same time, we took
over offensively and took ownership of our offense,” forward Colin Wilson
said.
The win for Nashville (7-3-4) was its sixth in the past eight games. Though
the Predators have been the NHL’s stingiest defensive team — allowing
1.77 goals per game coming into Thursday’s game — they were also the
league’s worst offensive squad, averaging the same 1.77 goals per game
before Thursday’s game.
The Predators fired more shots on goal than their opponent for just the
second time this year. The previous time was opening night, Jan. 19
against Columbus.
“We played good defensively. We were more hungry around the offensive
zone, in front of the net, (shooting) pucks from everywhere,” said forward
Mike Fisher, who scored a goal. “We did a better job of cycling, and our
forecheck was creating some opportunities, and it just looked like we
wanted it a little bit more.”
Rinne made 19 saves for his third shutout this season. He has allowed
more than one goal just once since the Predators’ Jan. 28, 4-0 loss to the
Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz.
“Everything we do if you’re going to be successful, it starts with being able
to defend, and once you’re able to defend, everything sort of piggybacks off
that,” coach Barry Trotz said.
The Predators finished the second period with a flurry of scoring chances
around the Phoenix net, and knew if they kept it up in the third, they could
pull ahead. They did quickly.
Gabriel Bourque put the Predators up 1-0 with 17:20 left in the third period,
deflecting a shot with his skate on the power play. That was Nashville’s first
regulation goal since the first period against Minnesota on Feb. 9, which
was three games ago.
Forward Nick Spaling put Nashville up 2-0 with 10:22 left in the third period
on a high wrist shot over Smith.
“We were going into the third, with 0 goals, but we were getting our chances
though,” Wilson said. “I think when you worry is when you’re not getting
your chances, and throughout the game, guys were getting pucks to the
net, getting their chances and making good plays”
Tennessean LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Nashville Predators
Hornqvist declined an interview request through a team spokesman.
“He’s making good progress, he’s working real hard,” Trotz said.
Gill scratched: The Predators went with Jonathon Blum on defense. This
meant veteran stay-at-home blueliner Hal Gill was a healthy scratch for the
second straight game. Trotz said Gill would probably play Saturday against
Anaheim.
Happy 700: Forward Martin Erat played his 700th game Thursday, and
notched two assists. He leads the team in scoring with nine points in 13
games.
Tennessean LOADED: 02.15.2013
Steve Sullivan flashes familiar form in return to Bridgestone Arena
By David Boclair
During a first-period timeout Thursday the Nashville Predators played a
brief video tribute to Steve Sullivan. In addition to a snippet from his 2009
Masterton Trophy acceptance speech it included several highlights from his
seven seasons in Nashville.
Late in the third period the 38-year-old forward delivered a live reenactment.
Not until the third period did they get to do it for real. Then, they got to
sound the horn and shine the light more than once.
He broke around a Predators defenseman, skated toward the goal and
lifted a well-placed backhand shot on net.
Bourque, Nick Spaling and Mike Fisher all scored in the final 20 minutes
and Pekka Rinne made 19 saves for his second straight shutout — his third
in his last four appearances — as the Predators defeated the Phoenix
Coyotes 3-0.
“I’ve seen that move before,” Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. “It’s good to
see him have his speed back. … When he holds that puck out there, you
know he’s coming across.
“I thought the tribute was touching. You could tell the city of Nashville and
the fans still feel attached to him.”
Thursday’s game between the Predators and Phoenix Coyotes was
Sullivan’s first at Bridgestone Arena since he left Nashville as a free agent
in 2011. He spent last season with Pittsburgh, which did not come to town,
and joined the Coyotes last summer.
The video drew a warm response from the announced sellout crowd and an
acknowledgement from Sullivan, who was on the bench at that time.
“I think it’s great,” he said. “I appreciate it. I’ve said it before: these are
some of the best fans in the league and I feel fortunate I had a chance to
play here, and I appreciate the tribute for sure.”
Sullivan is one of four players to score 100 goals for the Predators (captain
Shea Weber needs one to join that group). He had exactly 100 as well as
163 assists in 317 career appearances and in 31 goals in 2005-06 is tied for
the second-highest single-season total in franchise history.
“I think guys were laughing a little bit,” Rinne said of the final minute of the
second period. “It was so close that it was like, ‘Ha ha, are you kidding me?
It didn’t go in?’ … I thought that even that gained some momentum for us,
and in the third period we took the game over.”
If any team knows how to handle a failure to score, it’s the Predators.
Bourque’s, on the power play, at 2:40 of the final period, was Nashville’s
first regulation goal in 212:29, a streak that included 10 full 20-minute
periods and parts of two others. There was an overtime goal two days
earlier against San Jose but that came only after the Sharks held the
Predators scoreless through regulation.
Spaling followed just over seven minutes later and Fisher finished it off with
1:44 to play. The three goals were one more than Nashville had in the
previous three games combined and matched the most in any period. It had
just five third-period goals in all through the first 13 games.
“I didn’t sense any frustration [after the second period],” coach Barry Trotz
said. “It felt like we finally got a little more determined, [like] ‘Hey, we’re
going to get this.’ And we stayed with it. Sometimes you get frustrated, but
sometimes you say, ‘Hey, we’ve got them on their heels, keep going.’ That
was sort of the feeling I got in the dressing room.”
Likely his most memorable moment at Bridgestone Arena was the first
game he played there for the Predators. He scored three goals that night,
Feb. 18, 2004, in a 7-3 victory over San Jose. It was the seventh hat trick in
team history and the first of four he recorded for Nashville.
The Predators outshot Phoenix 9-6 in the third period and 29-19 for the
game and had their highest shot total since the opener.
He had a prime opportunity to hit the net again early in the first period of
this one when he was part of a five-on-one that developed from a defensive
breakdown by the Predators. Eventually, he was the one who took the shot
on goalie Pekka Rinne.
Their most productive period in that regard was the second when they got
14 on net, which matched the first period of the first game for the most this
season. The last two, of course, came in the final minute and, as it turned
out, it did not matter that they didn’t go in.
“I didn’t realize there were so many guys coming up the ice,” Sullivan said.
“It was more of a two-on-one, and when the defenseman took my pass
away, I just decided to take it to the net and try to shoot. Rinne was there
for the save.”
“I think at that point we built something,” Bourque said. “When you get
scoring chances you just have to keep a smile on your face and go work
and have fun out there. That’s what we did in the third.”
Rinne was there in the third period as well and snatched Sullivan’s
backhand shot with his glove and held on with a bit of a flourish.
“He played a good strong game,” Rinne said. “He had some chances. The
first shot of the game was that [five]-on-one and then he had that one in the
third period. He was being Sully — skating hard. He has good hands and
he created some chances.
“But this time I was lucky, I guess.”
None of the Coyotes did any better against Rinne, who stopped all 19 shots
he faced in a 3-0 Nashville victory.
Thus Sullivan left as he came, tied for second on his newest team with four
goals. If nothing else, he got a refresher on some of the memories he took
with him when he left.
• Briefly: Rinne’s personal shutout streak is 137:41, which is 11:23 short of
his personal best and 5:19 behind Chris Mason (April 8-13, 2006) for the
third-longest in franchise history. … Martin Erat became the second player
to appear in 700 games all-time for Nashville. David Legwand is the only
other one to get to that mark. … Defenseman Ryan Ellis was called for his
first penalty of season. He was sent off for interference at 15:19 of the
second period, the third of four penalties called against Nashville. … The
Predators cap a stretch of four home games in seven days Saturday when
they host the Anaheim Ducks (7 p.m., Fox Sports-Tennessee).
Nashville City Paper LOADED: 02.15.2013
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New Jersey Devils
Blackhawks’ Road Feat Has Home Fans Roaring
Nashville City Paper LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Nashville Predators
Near-misses motivate not frustrate Predators against Phoenix
By David Boclair
Things have gotten so desperate in the Nashville Predators’ quest to score
goals that it has started to affect more than just the players and coaches.
Twice in the final minute of the second period Thursday workers at
Bridgestone Arena imagined — or perhaps hoped against hope — that the
puck actually had crossed the goal line. First, the horn sounded briefly
when Mike Fisher got off a shot from right in front with 38 seconds to go.
Then with five to play a spotlight operator illuminated Gabriel Bourque when
it looked as if he would convert on a scramble play in the crease.
By BEN STRAUSS
CHICAGO — During the national anthem at Chicago Blackhawks home
games, the fans not only rise, but cheer, hoot and holler at the top of their
lungs.
Chicago’s Bryan Bickell, left, and Brad Staubitz during Anaheim’s shootout
victory Tuesday. The Blackhawks are 10-0-3.
On Tuesday night, the capacity crowd at the United Center might have
been as loud as it has ever been in welcoming home its team, off to one of
the hottest starts in N.H.L. history.
The Blackhawks returned from a 6-game, 12-day trip with a 10-0-2 record,
and though they lost in a shootout Tuesday to Anaheim, their seasonopening 13-game stretch without a regulation loss put them three games
from the league record. The Ducks set the mark for such a streak when
they started 12-0-4 in 2006-7, the season they won the Stanley Cup.
Considering the N.H.L.’s 48-game schedule this year, Chicago has
achieved a rather incredible feat: earning at least one point in each game
more than a quarter of the way through the season. (The Blackhawks’ other
two losses also came in shootouts.)
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New Jersey Devils
USA Hockey Waiting on N.H.L.’s Decision
“It’s awesome,” the rookie Brandon Saad said. “It’s really just awesome to
be playing like this.”
Blackhawks players seemed at a loss to explain their scorching start.
Right wing Patrick Kane, tied for second in the league through Wednesday
with 20 points, said of his success, “Sometimes the puck finds you.”
Or as the captain Jonathan Toews put it, “I don’t know if there’s a method to
the madness.”
What is clear is that Chicago, which plays the San Jose Sharks on Friday in
only its fourth home game of the season, is the N.H.L.’s best team right
now.
Entering Thursday’s games, the Blackhawks were second in the league in
scoring (3.31 goals per game), fourth in goals-against average (1.92), and
first in goal differential (1.38 per game) by nearly half a goal.
Kane, 24, is leading the charge. He spent the lockout playing in Europe,
scoring 23 points in 20 games and living in a small city in Switzerland with
his mother. “Maybe I had a little bit of a head start playing over in
Switzerland,” he said, almost sheepishly.
Kane, whose point totals the last three seasons had fallen from 88 to 73 to
66, noted that he had off-season wrist surgery two summers ago, while this
past year he has been able to focus on hockey, not health.
Kane is part of a core group that led the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in
2010 and is still around. The group also includes Toews, Marian Hossa,
Patrick Sharp, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith.
But despite the continuity of Chicago’s stars, the chemistry of 2010 eluded
the team the last two seasons, which ended in first-round playoff exits.
Depth has been a factor after the championship team lost key pieces
because of salary-cap limitations.
“That team won the Stanley Cup because it had more good players than
anyone else from top to bottom,” the longtime Blackhawks television
announcer Pat Foley said.
This season, contributions have come from every line, particularly from
Bryan Bickell (7 points) and Viktor Stalberg (6 points), both third-liners.
Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya have formed another solid
defensive pairing behind Keith and Seabrook, and the goaltending
combination of Corey Crawford and Ray Emery is much improved, too.
“There’s kind of a diffusion of responsibility where every single guy takes
responsibility, takes ownership that he can do the job,” Toews said.
Foley said he noticed a more businesslike approach to this year’s team,
something that was perhaps missing during the last two seasons.
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
Planning for the United States Olympic men’s hockey team is on hold until
the N.H.L. decides whether to send its players to the Sochi Games in
Russia next February, a USA Hockey official said Thursday.
“As to the management group and head coach, we’re just going to wait out
all the negotiations that are on right now,” Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s
assistant executive director for hockey operations told reporters in a
conference call.
N.H.L. Commissioner Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr, the executive
director of the players association, met Thursday in New York with officials
from the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic
Committee. Further negotiations were set for Friday, as the league tries to
win rights concessions from the Olympics in exchange for sending its
players to Sochi.
Johansson said that a general manager and coach for the men’s Olympic
team would be named after the Stanley Cup playoffs conclude at the end of
June. But, he said, USA Hockey would wait until the N.H.L. made a
decision “before we make any moves along that line.”
Brian Burke served as general manager of the American team when it won
a silver medal at the 2010 Games in Vancouver, with Ron Wilson as coach.
Both held the same positions with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time, but
Wilson was fired by the Leafs last season and Burke was relieved of his
duties last month.
Johansson added that if the N.H.L. decided not to participate at Sochi, the
United States would use players from the American Hockey League, the
European professional leagues and the N.C.A.A.
USA Hockey also announced that Jeff Sauer will coach the United States
sled hockey team as it defends its Paralympic gold medal at Sochi in March
2014. Sauer, who is in his second year with the sled hockey team, was the
men’s coach at Wisconsin from 1982 to 2002, a stint that ended in 2002
and included national championships in 1983 and 1990, and before that, at
Colorado College for 11 years.
“It’s humbling to be around them,” Sauer said of the United States sled
hockey team, the current world champions. “It’s incredible if people haven’t
seen what they can do on the ice and how skilled they are.”
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New Jersey Devils
“There’s less frivolity,” he said.
After an abbreviated training camp because of the lockout, Toews cited the
benefits of the early-season road trip, saying: “It was a huge thing for a
team to come together and hang out in the hotel and spend a lot of time
together. We can use that and let it carry onto the ice.”
It all adds up to high expectations. Only two games into the season, Hossa,
who has recovered from a concussion sustained on a vicious hit by
Phoenix’s Raffi Torres during the playoffs, broached the often taboo subject
of championship comparisons.
“Right now, it feels like 2010,” he said.
Chicago, meanwhile, has fallen head over heels for the Blackhawks — and
not only during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The Blackhawks’ home sellout
streak is at 193 games, and their season-ticket-holder waiting list, which is
near 11,000, grew by about 250 during the lockout, the team said.
The five highest-rated Blackhawks broadcasts on Comcast SportsNet
Chicago, their local cable partner, have all come this year.
“I see more Indian heads than I’ve ever seen around town, and I grew up
here in the ’60s with Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull,” Foley said, referring to
the team’s logo. “It’s been that way for a few years now, and, of course, the
winning stokes excitement.”
Rich Chere
Devils coach Pete DeBoer may some day suggest that his players wear
Kevlar socks to prevent skate blade accidents such as the cut suffered by
Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson Wednesday night.
Karlsson suffered a severed left Achilles tendon when Pittsburgh’s Matt
Cooke clipped him when they went into the boards together.
“I haven’t asked them yet,” DeBoer said today. “We spend a lot of time
putting on extra plastic for shot-blocking. It’s (Kevlar socks) probably
something we should talk about.
“That was a scary incident. They’re fluke things but I coached Richard
Zednik, who had his artery cut with a skate. Guys are moving so fast and
plays are happening so spontaneously, I think the more Kevlar we can get
on these guys the better. You can see it’s something that doesn’t need to
happen if you’re wearing something like that.”
Goalie Martin Brodeur spoke on the issue.
“I’ve tried them. They’re different. I think the solution is hockey socks to be
like that instead of regular socks that you put in your skates,” the goalie
said. “If you are able to find a material that prevents some of the cuts, that
would be best.
“They have a different feel. We have a lot of guys that do wear them. As a
goalie you always worry about that when you see incidents with goalies.
Guys stepping on them. You see it in the forward position more and more
because hockey is a little more reckless than it was before. Guys are
skating a lot harder and jumping over guys. The other day with (Stephen)
Gionta, (Penguins goalie Tomas) Vokoun jumped right over him almost. It
could’ve happened there, too. It’s a weapon you have on your feet. The
technology has to go that way eventually.”
*The Devils wouldn’t be leading the Eastern Conference without David
Clarkson and his nine goals.
But would Clarkson be the same player without Patrik Elias as a linemate?
“Clarkie has the benefit of playing with one of the best players in the league
and one of the best setup men in the league,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer
said. “The way Patrik sees the ice and can get Clarkie the puck at the right
time. Everybody wants to play with a guy like that.”
There is, however, no denying how Clarkson has grown as a player.
“I think one of the things he’s changed is he doesn’t fight as much. Maybe
he’s too big now to fight,” said Brodeur, who cannot pass up a chance to rib
Clarkson.
Then Brodeur got serious.
“I think he realizes how important he is as a player. He doesn’t take himself
out of games,” Brodeur said. “It’s in him. Trust me, it’s going to come out. I
think he’s just more mature about it and that’s why he’s a little more
successful. It doesn’t hurt to play with Patty, either.”
Rich Chere/
In recent seasons the Devils have had to overcome the long-term absence
of forwards like Zach Parise and Travis Zajac because of injuries.
While there are those who would undoubtedly suggest Dainius Zubrus is
not an impact player on that level, losing the hard-working forward for 4-6
weeks after wrist surgery today will be a test the Devils must face in this
grueling shortened season.
“We’re going to miss him, but the music has been much better in the locker
room. I have a lot more space in the main locker room, too, since he sits
beside me,” Patrik Elias said jokingly about the Devils’ unofficial DJ.
Elias is able to joke because the Devils have proved to be so resilient in
past seasons under similar circumstances. And they also were able to bring
back left winger Alexei Ponikarovsky in Wednesday night’s trade with the
Winnipeg Jets to help fill that void left by Zubrus.
“With the chemistry we have on this team everyone is an important piece.
It’s tough losing a guy like Zubrus,” captain Bryce Salvador said. “He plays
a lot of roles for us. It’s unfortunate for him to have something like this
happen in such a short season.
“But that’s one thing you can say about this team since I’ve been here. Look
at the amount of great players who have moved on and the team still finds a
way to have success and be competitive each year. It just goes to show the
culture is here. It’s a winning culture. The players are a very important part
of it, but the winning starts at the top. Everyone finds ways to fill in and pick
up the slack when needed. It’s pretty interesting.”
What makes Elias so important to Clarkson?
Zubrus has missed four games. Ponikarovsky is expected to be in the
lineup tomorrow night against the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center,
although coach Pete DeBoer didn’t know exactly where he’d play.
“Patrik has so much experience,” Brodeur explained. “His vision is so good.
It helps a lot just talking to him about where to go on the ice and what to do,
how to play the game without the puck and get open. Patrik is really into the
game of hockey. He takes the time to talk to his wingers and talk to people
about hockey, not just about the weather.”
“When we had our exit meetings last year at the end of the year
(Ponikarovsky) was a guy we felt was a key part of our (playoff) run,”
DeBoer revealed. “Free agency brings all kinds of different issues and
surprises. It was disappointing when he didn’t come back. But it’s great to
have him back now.”
*Brodeur was in a joking mood today about his age—40.
Ponikarovsky signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract with the Jets on July
1.
He said he’s glad he’ll never have to go through another lockout since the
NHL has a 10-year CBA with the players. And he confirmed he will retire
within the next 10 years.
Speaking the the success of the Devils this season and their ability to
overcome the loss of key players like Zach Parise, he said: “We just go on
and play hockey. We’d love to be in a perfect world where it’s really good
having 79-year-old goalies and all that stuff.”
He was asked if he would consider playing for Canada in the 2014 Winter
Olympics if he had to be the third goalie.
“The Olympics was a great honor for me to represent the country. If I’m
asked, I’ll be glad to take up the challenge,” he said. “But there are a lot of
young goalies doing well in this league who deserve the chance before I do.
If they feel it’s me, I’ll be there.”
*Clarkson on facing the Flyers: ‘They’re a good hockey team. They’re wellcoached. I think they’re going to come out hard. We’re going to have to play
the same way we have been playing, except for this last game, and come
out with the same style of play. Stay out of the penalty box, be good in our
own zone and make sure we’re strong oin the forecheck.”
DeBoer spoke of the team’s poor early starts.
“It cost us two players. He could’ve just stayed,” goalie Martin Brodeur said
of getting Ponikarovsky back in a trade for two draft picks. “I think it’s great.
I was surprised he left so fast. Free agency was only three minutes old and
he signed in Winnipeg.
“When he joined us last year (after a mid-season trade with the Hurricanes)
it made a big diffeernce as far as our depth and size and how to handle us.
He seemed to enjoy himself when he was here, so hopefully he’s happy to
be back. I know we’re happy to have him back.”
The Devils sent forward Andrei Loktionov back to Albany (AHL) today to
make room for Ponikarovsky.
“Obviously there’s a nice comfort level there when you can add a player
that’s been in the program and knows the system,” DeBoer said. “You know
what he’s about and he knows the expectations. I’m obviously very happy
and excited to get him back in here in the lineup.”
While Zubrus isn’t necessarily a marquee player, he is the classic Devils
forward.
“Obviously it’s a big loss,” Ilya Kovalchuk said. “He’s a top six forward on
our team. He’s a big body who works hard and brings a lot of attention from
the other team. So it’s tough to lose a guy like him.
“It’s been a little bit of an issue all year,” he said. “It’s creeped in and out of
our game. It’s something we’re very aware of and talked about. I think it
disappeared for a handful of games and kind of reappeared the other night.
I’m hoping it was just a little but of fatigue.”
“But injuries happen and we just have to become even closer. Now we have
Poni, so we have that big body to play a similar game. Still, we would like to
have them both.”
Star Ledger LOADED: 02.15.2013
At some point they will.
657346
“I don’t know how long Zubs is going to be out,” Kovalchuk wondered.
“Hopefully he’ll help us in April and be ready to go in the playoffs.”
New Jersey Devils
Alexei Ponikarovsky will help Devils weather the storm without Dainius
Zubrus
657347
New Jersey Devils
Devils send Andrei Loktionov back to Albany (AHL)
could’ve happened there, too. It’s a weapon you have on your feet. The
technology has to go that way eventually.”
*The Devils wouldn’t be leading the Eastern Conference without David
Clarkson and his nine goals.
Rich Chere
But would Clarkson be the same player without Patrik Elias as a linemate?
The Devils sent forward Andrei Loktionov back to Albany (AHL) today to
make room for Alexei Ponikarovsky on the roster.
“Clarkie has the benefit of playing with one of the best players in the league
and one of the best setup men in the league,” Devils coach Pete DeBoer
said. “The way Patrik sees the ice and can get Clarkie the puck at the right
time. Everybody wants to play with a guy like that.”
Ponikarovsky was re-acquired in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets
Wednesday night for a seventh-round draft pick in 2013 and a fourth-round
pick in 2014. He did not arrive from Winnipeg in time to practice.
There is, however, no denying how Clarkson has grown as a player.
Mathieu Darche is practicing with the team in AmeriHealth Pavilion today.
Loktionov, acquired in a Feb. 6 trade with the Los Angeles Kings, took part
in a small optional practice yesterday after being summoned from Albany.
He thought it signaled a chance to be back in the NHL, but the
Ponikarovsky trade at least temporarily ended that hope.
Lines:
Stefan Matteau-Travis Zajac-Ilya Kovalchuk
Patrik Elias-Adam Henrique-David Clarkson
Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier
Krys Barch-Jacob Josefson-Bobby Butler-Darche
Defense pairings:
Andy Greene-Adam Larsson
Bryce Salvador-Mark Fayne
Anton Volchenkov-Marek Zidlicky
Henrik Tallinder-Peter Harrold
657348
New Jersey Devils
“I think one of the things he’s changed is he doesn’t fight as much. Maybe
he’s too big now to fight,” said Brodeur, who cannot pass up a chance to rib
Clarkson.
Then Brodeur got serious.
“I think he realizes how important he is as a player. He doesn’t take himself
out of games,” Brodeur said. “It’s in him. Trust me, it’s going to come out. I
think he’s just more mature about it and that’s why he’s a little more
successful. It doesn’t hurt to play with Patty, either.”
What makes Elias so important to Clarkson?
“Patrik has so much experience,” Brodeur explained. “His vision is so good.
It helps a lot just talking to him about where to go on the ice and what to do,
how to play the game without the puck and get open. Patrik is really into the
game of hockey. He takes the time to talk to his wingers and talk to people
about hockey, not just about the weather.”
*Brodeur was in a joking mood today about his age—40.
He said he’s glad he’ll never have to go through another lockout since the
NHL has a 10-year CBA with the players. And he confirmed he will retire
within the next 10 years.
Speaking the the success of the Devils this season and their ability to
overcome the loss of key players like Zach Parise, he said: “We just go on
and play hockey. We’d love to be in a perfect world where it’s really good
having 79-year-old goalies and all that stuff.”
He was asked if he would consider playing for Canada in the 2014 Winter
Olympics if he had to be the third goalie.
Rich Chere/
“The Olympics was a great honor for me to represent the country. If I’m
asked, I’ll be glad to take up the challenge,” he said. “But there are a lot of
young goalies doing well in this league who deserve the chance before I do.
If they feel it’s me, I’ll be there.”
Devils coach Pete DeBoer may some day suggest that his players wear
Kevlar socks to prevent skate blade accidents such as the cut suffered by
Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson Wednesday night.
*Clarkson on facing the Flyers: ‘They’re a good hockey team. They’re wellcoached. I think they’re going to come out hard. We’re going to have to play
the same way we have been playing, except for this last game, and come
out with the same style of play. Stay out of the penalty box, be good in our
own zone and make sure we’re strong oin the forecheck.”
Karlsson suffered a severed left Achilles tendon when Pittsburgh’s Matt
Cooke clipped him when they went into the boards together.
DeBoer spoke of the team’s poor early starts.
“I haven’t asked them yet,” DeBoer said today. “We spend a lot of time
putting on extra plastic for shot-blocking. It’s (Kevlar socks) probably
something we should talk about.
“It’s been a little bit of an issue all year,” he said. “It’s creeped in and out of
our game. It’s something we’re very aware of and talked about. I think it
disappeared for a handful of games and kind of reappeared the other night.
I’m hoping it was just a little but of fatigue.”
“That was a scary incident. They’re fluke things but I coached Richard
Zednik, who had his artery cut with a skate. Guys are moving so fast and
plays are happening so spontaneously, I think the more Kevlar we can get
on these guys the better. You can see it’s something that doesn’t need to
happen if you’re wearing something like that.”
657349
Goalie Martin Brodeur spoke on the issue.
Devils next: at Flyers
“I’ve tried them. They’re different. I think the solution is hockey socks to be
like that instead of regular socks that you put in your skates,” the goalie
said. “If you are able to find a material that prevents some of the cuts, that
would be best.
The Record
“They have a different feel. We have a lot of guys that do wear them. As a
goalie you always worry about that when you see incidents with goalies.
Guys stepping on them. You see it in the forward position more and more
because hockey is a little more reckless than it was before. Guys are
skating a lot harder and jumping over guys. The other day with (Stephen)
Gionta, (Penguins goalie Tomas) Vokoun jumped right over him almost. It
New Jersey Devils
Flyers at Devils
Today, 7 p.m.
TV: MSG Plus
Radio: WFAN-AM 660/FM 101.9
Story line: The Devils (8-2-3) had their five-game winning streak snapped
with a 4-2 loss to Carolina on Tuesday. They defeated the Flyers in their
only previous meeting this season, 3-0, on Jan. 22. The Flyers (6-7-1) are
just 2-6-0 on the road.
in the sights of defenseman Brooks Orpik. Clarkson took a vicious hit from
behind, one that sent him into a flat-on-his-back spin around the pipes. He
eventually made his way to the Devils’ bench, where replays showed him
continuing to take slow breaths in his recovery effort.
Bergen Record LOADED: 02.15.2013
“He’s in the area you have to pay a price to go,” is how veteran goaltender
Martin Brodeur described Clarkson. “He’s around the puck. It could be
behind the net, chaotic position in front of the net, he can get a quick shot
off. He wants to score, he wants to go to the net with the puck.
657350
New Jersey Devils
Northjersey.com : Sports
By TOM GULITTI
NEWARK — The Devils expect to be without Dainius Zubrus for four to six
weeks after the 34-year-old left wing underwent surgery on his left wrist
Thursday.
The Devils did not reveal the exact nature of Zubrus’ injury, which he
sustained in the team’s 3-1 win over the Rangers on Feb. 5. With Zubrus
out, general manager Lou Lamoriello reacquired left wing Alexei
Ponikarovsky in a trade Wednesday night with the Winnipeg Jets.
Ponikarovsky, 32, will begin his second stint with the Devils tonight when
they host the Philadelphia Flyers.
"There’s obviously a nice comfort level there when you can add a player
that has been in the program before, knows the systems," Devils coach
Pete DeBoer said Thursday. "You know what he’s about. He knows the
expectations. So, I’m obviously very happy and excited to get him back in
here in the lineup."
DeBoer said Ponikarovsky was "a key part of our run" last season to the
Stanley Cup Finals before he left on July 1 to sign a one-year, $1.8 million
contract with Winnipeg as an unrestricted free agent.
TALLINDER WAITS: Defenseman Henrik Tallinder will be a healthy scratch
tonight for the seventh consecutive game. Tallinder had what he called an
"open-heart discussion" with DeBoer on the ice at the end of Thursday’s
practice.
"That’s what good coaches do," Tallinder said. "Sometimes you have to
explain the situation and hear what the player thinks and all that just to keep
the group intact."
DARCHE DEPARTS: After attending training camp as a tryout and
continuing to skate with the team during the regular season without a
contract, left wing Mathieu Darche decided to head home to Montreal after
meeting with Lamoriello following Thursday’s practice.
With Ponikarovsky joining the Devils, there’s no room for the 36-year-old
Darche on the roster right now. Darche’s agent had been contacted recently
by "a couple of teams," but Darche said, "I liked it here and was hoping it
could work out and I could sign here."
“It’s tough for a goalie when you have a guy hanging around your goal all
the time.”
Clarkson revels in that very role, and for the first-place Devils, the result has
represented the most pleasant surprise in a somewhat surprising fast start
to this lockout-shortened season. Before the Devils take the ice tonight
against the Flyers, it’s tough to imagine where they’d be without those nine
Clarkson goals.
“I don’t think anybody expected him to get off to a start like this, nine goals
already, but it’s great,” Elias, his linemate, said. “No question he’s a
pleasant surprise.”
A 30-goal season last year could have (and probably should have)
excluded Clarkson from the NHL’s surprise-of-the-month club, but there
was more than enough skepticism about whether he could do it again. Yet
13 games into the season, he has emerged as a consistent source of
much-needed scoring in this post-Zach Parise world.
“He deserves it,” said Henrique, who has been centering a line with wingers
Clarkson and Elias since his own return from injury. “A lot of his goals are
out front in the dirty area. He’s getting whacked. It’s no fun. He goes to the
hard areas. Just going there, being there to get hit, get hit with the puck,
getting hit by a defenseman; he’s always willing to do that.
“I think he is playing better [than last year]. He’s all over the ice making
plays for us, a lot more confident, and that’s a big thing for us.”
Clarkson’s early surge does two important things for the Devils: It offsets
the impact of Parise’s free-agent departure and underscores the impact of
Elias’ playmaking ability. With vision rivaling a pass-first point guard or
assist-making midfielder, Elias’ influence on Clarkson has been obvious
since the two were paired this season by coach Pete DeBoer. With practice
time limited by the constraints of the compressed schedule, Elias has taken
extra time talking with Clarkson, going over specific game situations when
they could improve their communication.
“This is my first year with him, and I can really see how well he reads the
play, how smart he is,” Clarkson said. “You’re in a situation where you don’t
know if you’re going to get the puck and somehow, he gets it to you. He’s
definitely someone that’s vocal and helpful. If he sees a play, I think he
understands that everyone’s not at his level all the time, so he’ll let you
know, ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that.’ It’s worked out for me and him, doing those
things.”
Both players are scheduled to be free agents at season’s end, and Elias,
36, and nearing the final years of his career, has joked more than once that
the 28-year-old Clarkson is going to owe him a cut of his future contract.
657351
New Jersey Devils
Sullivan: David Clarkson doing the dirty work for Devils
By TARA SULLIVAN
NEWARK – His team-leading ninth goal of the season was vintage David
Clarkson, born of hard work and paid for in pain. This was Sunday in
Pittsburgh, when Clarkson’s power-play goal cemented a 3-1 win for the
Devils.
First, the hard work: Patrik Elias had just sent a screaming shot at
Penguins’ goaltender Tomas Vokoun, and when the rebound slithered
across the crease, Clarkson was in perfect position to put it in the net.
Hovering in what teammate Adam Henrique described as “the dirty areas,”
Clarkson refused to surrender position to Pittsburgh’s defenders.
And then, the price: As soon as the puck slid past Vokoun, Clarkson was
poised to celebrate. What he didn’t know, however, was that he was caught
Clarkson is cashing in on the relationship already, a beneficiary of Elias’
seeming discovery of hockey’s fountain of youth. He doesn’t appear to get
older, but he sure does get wiser, and right now, the combination is paying
off for the Devils.
“We’re playing well, really well, every game we’ve been together,” Elias
said. “We’ve had chances every game offensively, good chemistry, and
good pace out there. We’ve just got to keep it going.”
All indications paint Clarkson as a man in forward motion, one coming out
from behind the shadows of the sometimes-faceless Devils to stamp a new
and dangerous profile all his own. He is the team’s leading scorer, he is a
benefactor for youth hockey in Newark, and, as always, a willing combatant
for any chance to score a goal.
“That’s a part of the game that I love and will never leave me. That’s what
got me here,” he said. “I’m not the type of player who can go up and down
the ice and so I’ve got to stick to those areas of the ice and be in them. The
puck’s going in and the team’s winning, so it’s perfect.”
657352
New Jersey Devils
Devs to rise, shine
The game was tied at 3-3 at the end of overtime before Frans Nielsen and
John Tavares scored for the Islanders in the shootout while Marian Gaborik
and Rick Nash both missed for the home team.
By DAVID SATRIANO
The Rangers made a flying start when they scored twice in the opening
period, with Dan Girardi grabbing a first goal of the season and Gaborik
celebrating his 31st birthday by putting his team 2-0 ahead.
The Devils had two days off to put Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the Hurricanes
behind them. And in this shortened season, that was more than enough
time to prove the team is less like the one which came out flat on Tuesday
and more like the one that had won five in a row prior, sitting atop the
Eastern Conference before last night’s action.
“We had a couple of days off, so I’m pretty sure we will be a little bit fresher
than we were when we played nine games in 15 days,” Ilya Kovalchuk said
after practice yesterday. “I think that will be the difference. We are well
rested and ready to go.”
The Devils went 5-2-2 in that stretch, and had two days off for the first time
in three weeks — a rarity with the condensed schedule. Head coach Pete
DeBoer hopes they have no trouble waking up for tonight’s game against
the Flyers after the slow start Tuesday.
“It’s been a little bit of an issue all year. It’s creeped in and out of our game.
It’s something that we are very aware of and talked about. ... I am hoping
it’s just a little bit of fatigue and we will be good next game,” he said.
Including last year’s playoff series, the Devils have won seven of the past
nine against the Flyers. They were victorious, 3-0, in this year’s home
opener, but don’t expect a win to come as easy this time around, especially
because the Flyers were playing their third game in four nights at the time.
“I’m pretty sure it will be a different game,” said Kovalchuk. “Both them and
us, we became better teams, and now it’s the 14th game of the season so
everybody is back in the normal routine and feels better, so I’m sure it will
be a more exciting game than the last one.”
However, the Islanders rallied to seize control in the second period, scoring
three times in a seven-minute spell to surge ahead.
Colin McDonald netted 29 seconds into the period before Tavares made it
2-2 when he scored after the Islanders had killed off back-to-back penalties,
including 33 seconds with a two-man disadvantage.
Brad Boyes then gave the Islanders the lead when he steered a wrist shot
past Martin Biron, who made 28 saves.
"We responded in the second and we made some changes with our lines
and I liked the way we responded and played well," Islanders coach Jack
Capuano told reporters.
The Blueshirts tied it at 3-3 in the final period when Carl Hagelin scored a
powerplay goal that was confirmed on review, but were unable to find
another way to get the puck past the Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 36
shots.
"At least we get that one point," Hagelin said. "It was huge because we
need every point we can get.
"But after that start and the way we played, we really should have had two
points."
(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by John O'Brien)
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New York Islanders
Defenseman Anton Volchenkov was confident his team would not suffer
another letdown.
“For sure [tonight’s] game will be much better than our last game,’’ he said.
“Against the Flyers or Rangers [those] are big games for us. We are ready
all the time for these games.”
New Jersey is also expected to have Alexei Ponikarovsky in the lineup
tonight. He was re-acquired Wednesday to fill the void left by Dainius
Zubrus, who will be out 4-6 weeks after having surgery on his left wrist
yesterday. Ponikarovsky was not at practice, but was scheduled to arrive in
New Jersey last night.
Ponikarovsky played in 33 games for the Devils last season after being
acquired in a trade with the Hurricanes. He had seven goals and 15 points
during the regular season and added a goal and eight assists, playing in all
24 of the Devils’ playoff games.
“It’s nice. He was a big part of our team last year,” said Kovalchuk, his
former linemate. “Scored a big goal against Philly in overtime. I think he got
both assists on [Adam Henrique’s] goals in overtime, so maybe he is not
that flashy of a guy but he’s always in the right situation in the key
situations.
“He played here before and he knows what kind of system we play, so it’s
an easy adjustment for him and for us as well.”
New York Post LOADED: 02.15.2013
657353
New York Islanders
Starting in 2nd Period, Isles Change Luck at Garden
By TOM PEDULLA
The Islanders had been outscored, 35-11, in losing eight consecutive
games to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. They appeared headed
for another bitter defeat Thursday night when they fell behind by two goals
while not managing so much as a shot in the opening 14 minutes of play.
But they displayed the grit that was too often missing in previous visits and
stormed back with three unanswered goals early in the second period,
ultimately prevailing, 4-3, in a shootout.
“It’s a big 2 points,” the Islanders’ John Tavares said after his team’s first
victory at Madison Square Garden since a 3-2 decision on Dec. 26, 2009.
“We needed this.”
The outcome, coupled with the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout win at Boston on
Tuesday night, raised questions about the Rangers’ ability to play at a high
level for a full game. They allowed a 3-0 lead to vanish in the final 11
minutes 16 seconds of regulation against the Bruins.
Coach John Tortorella, who can be blistering in his criticism, was
surprisingly upbeat in assessing the two efforts.
“I’m going to try to look at it another way: we got 3 out of 4 points,” he said.
“Tonight we had a number of guys screw up on the back end, and we found
a way to just get a point. We don’t leave here naked.
By REUTERS
“We got a point, and that’s the way you have to look at it sometimes. I’m not
going to run them down because I thought we had some good minutes in
that game, too, and we’ll go from there.”
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Islanders overcame a two-goal
deficit to grind out a 4-3 shootout victory over city rivals New York Rangers
at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The victory enabled the Islanders (5-7-1) to end a five-game losing streak,
while the Rangers (7-6-1) were consigned to a first defeat in four contests.
Ryan Callahan, the Rangers’ captain, who remarked on how well his club
played with a lead in reaching the Eastern Conference finals last season,
was harsher in his criticism.
“We have a lot of guys back from last year,” he said. “I feel like we have the
guys in here that know how to make the situational plays. But for whatever
reason, we gave up two leads. And that can’t happen.”
Against the Islanders, Frans Nielsen made the Rangers pay for their lapses
by firing his shootout attempt through the legs of Martin Biron, who was
giving Henrik Lundqvist a night off. Tavares clinched it, beating Biron with a
high shot.
Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov turned back Marian Gaborik and Rick
Nash during the shootout for the last of his 36 saves.
The Rangers, who slipped to 7-5-1 as their three-game winning streak
ended, started quickly and controlled play through much of the opening
period. They needed only 3:36 to begin the scoring, with the offense coming
from an unexpected source. Defenseman Dan Girardi, a workhorse best
known for his ability to pick off shots, pounced on a rebound and beat
Nabokov for his first goal this season.
Gaborik, celebrating his 31st birthday, made the score 2-0 at 11:28 of the
opening period with his team-leading seventh goal, on assists by Brad
Richards (later benched) and Callahan. The Rangers peppered Nabokov
with 10 shots before the Islanders were able to test Biron, who played for
them in 2009-10.
Biron, making only his second start this season, responded by denying Matt
Martin on a partial breakaway. Shortly after that, Biron stood his ground in
turning away Matt Moulson from point-blank range.
In his only other start, Biron made 30 saves in earning a 3-2 victory at
Tampa Bay on Feb. 2. He was not as dependable this time.
DECKED! The Islanders’ Joe Finley checks Rangers captain Ryan
Callahan hard in the first period last night. The Isles went on to win, 4-3 in a
shootout.
Paul J. Bereswill
DECKED! The Islanders’ Joe Finley checks Rangers captain Ryan
Callahan hard in the first period last night. The Isles went on to win, 4-3 in a
shootout.
“It’s on me,” said a somber Richards, who did show speed in the first in
going to the net for a shot and then his own rebound that Marian Gaborik
converted for a 2-0 lead at 11:28. “I couldn’t make a play in the second;
there’s really not much else [to say].”
The bottom fell out on Richards during a stretch early in the second period
when the Rangers had a power play of 3:27 that included 33 seconds of
five-on-three. That’s when Richards repeatedly turned over the puck,
allowing the Islanders to seize momentum.
“I was trying too hard there,” said Richards, who has four points (0-4) the
last eight games. “I wanted to move the puck, I was trying too hard and
that’s why I got into jams.
“I’m smarter than that.”
Coach John Tortorella, who elevated Brian Boyle into Richards’ spot
between Gaborik and Ryan Callahan, answered in the affirmative when
asked if benching the 32-year-old pivot was “a drastic step.”
Colin McDonald sliced the Islanders’ deficit in half only 29 seconds into the
second period before Tavares, streaking down the left side as part of a twoon-one rush, netted his eighth goal of the season. It was Tavares’s fourth
goal in his last four games.
“It’s a pretty big hole to fill but I felt I had to,” said Tortorella. “He was
struggling. [But] it’s not at all for lack of effort.”
When Biron could get only a piece of Brad Boyes’s wrist shot at 7:25 of the
middle period, the resurgent Islanders took a 3-2 edge, and the capacity
crowd began chanting: “Hen-rik! Hen-rik!”
The Rangers will address their alignment before Sunday night’s match at
the Garden against the Capitals. They also will have to address their
propensity to go into lulls while yielding goals in bunches and in a hurry, this
one following Tuesday’s match in Boston in which the Bruins scored three
times within a span of 8:16 in the third to erase a 3-0 Rangers lead.
The Rangers quieted that when Carl Hagelin tied the score, 3-3, with a
power-play goal at 11:14 of the second period.
A video replay was needed to determine whether Hagelin, positioned to the
left of the net, had succeeded in prying the puck loose from Nabokov and
poking it beyond the goal line. Hagelin was credited with his fifth goal, all of
them coming in the last five games.
Tavares hopes the comeback will represent a turning point: the Islanders
had dropped five consecutive games. “The only way to really make it count
is for us to keep winning,” he said.
SLAP SHOTS
Forward Chris Kreider, who provided an offensive lift when he joined the
Rangers for the playoffs last season but has made little impact so far during
his first regular season, was a healthy scratch. “I don’t think Chris has done
anything poorly,” John Tortorella said. “On the other end, I don’t think he
has done anything really good, either.”
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New York Islanders
“We just came out flat for the second period,” Marc Staal said. “I don’t know
whether they got [chewed out] between periods, but we just weren’t ready
for them and before we knew it, they had three goals.”
The Rangers actually lost momentum over the final five minutes of a first
period they had dominated. The Islanders scored 29 seconds into the
second, and then, after outworking the Rangers’ during the Blueshirts’
lengthy power play, scored at 6:45 and 7:25 to take the lead.
“As players, it’s our responsibility to recognize when momentum surges
happen and what we can do to change that,” said Martin Biron, who yielded
those three goals on four shots, including John Tavares’ tying score that
was marginal.
“For a goalie, that’s making the big save. The second goal handcuffed me.
If I had made the big save there, that might have stopped it right then.”
The Rangers did steady the rest of the way before the Islanders beat Biron
on both shootout attempts to win.
Now the Rangers, 7-5-1 after this end to their three-game winning streak,
look for answers. So, critically, does Richards.
By LARRY BROOKS
Brooks on Of all the concerns about the Rangers, among them their inability
to find the defensive lockdown game that identified the club last season, the
most disturbing is the diminished play of Brad Richards, who had such a
difficult time last night he was benched for all but one shift in the third period
of the Blueshirts’ 4-3 shootout loss at the Garden to the Islanders.
Richards, who got a pair of shifts in overtime, could not get out of his own
way, let alone elude opponents. Moving the puck not only became
impossible, so did holding on to it through an unsettling series of shifts in a
second period during which the Islanders scored three times in a span of
6:56 to take a 3-2 lead before Carl Hagelin knotted it midway through the
period.
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New York Islanders
Isles show their mettle to net biggest win of season
By ZACH BRAZILLER
Instead of finding a way to lose, as so often happened during the Islanders’
five-game skid, they created a way to win last night.
Rather than fold after falling behind 2-0 before getting a shot on net, they
dug deep. Instead of letting what they felt was a bad call pull the Rangers
even, the Islanders responded.
The result was arguably their best win of the season, a 4-3 shootout victory
at the Garden over the rival Rangers, the Islanders’ first win at MSG in nine
tries.
“This is a great feeling,” John Tavares said. “This is what we want to do. We
want to win hockey games. We want to be a competitive team and we want
to put ourselves in the best position to make the playoffs.”
Tavares added his eighth goal and fourth in as many games on a 2-on-1
breakaway and Boyes turned the crowd ornery by beating Biron far side on
another odd-man rush.
The chips were stacked against the struggling Islanders. Mired in a deep
slump, they were getting out-shot 10-0. Nothing was going right. But by the
end of the night, they were talking about this hard-to-believe victory
snapping them out of their recent funk.
The Islanders momentum didn’t last, evaporating just as quickly just as the
Rangers two-goal lead. The Rangers converted on their third power play
opportunity of the period, when Carl Hagelin managed to jam home a
Nabokov misplay, only the fifth goal allowed by the Islanders on the penalty
kill.
From Evgeni Nabokov’s brilliance in net with 36 saves to the stunning
three-goal outburst in the span of 6:56 in the second period to the smart,
gritty and physical play up and down the roster, it was a victory to cherish
for the Isles.
“You could see it in guys’ eyes,” Nabokov said. “They’re just fired up, they
start pulling for each other.”
The victory was equal parts thrilling and unexpected, considering the two
teams were headed in opposite directions entering the contest. The biggest
shock was the start of the comeback, from the fourth line of Casey Cizikas,
Colin McDonald and Matt Martin.
The trio was a factor all game. It was McDonald delivering one big hit and
fighting off another before depositing a Cizikas feed from in front, just 29
seconds into the second period, his third career goal.
“It’s about work ethic and desperation and they had it, and I think the guys
fed off of that,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said.
It galvanized the Islanders, who fought off two consecutive Rangers’ power
plays, including a 5-on-3, before Tavares pulled them even on a 2-on-1.
Just 40 seconds later, Brad Boyes turned the once-raucous crowd silent
with another goal on an odd-man rush.
The Rangers pulled even midway through the second period when Carl
Hagelin managed to jam home a Nabokov misplay, only the fifth goal
allowed by the Islanders on the penalty kill. But the Islanders — notably
Nabokov — never allowed the Rangers to go ahead.
In the shootout, Nabokov turned away Rick Nash and Marian Gaborik while
Frans Nielsen and Tavares beat Martin Biron.
It was initially ruled no goal, but after review, the call was changed when
replay showed the puck crossed the line with the combination of Hagelin
wacking at it and Islanders defenseman Travis Harmonic recklessly flying
into Hagelin and Nabokov to try to break the play up.
The opening period was a summation of the Islanders’ recent struggles. It
was played at full strength, where the Isles struggle mightily, and the
Rangers dominated puck possession. It took the Islanders 13:58 to get a
shot on goal. By that time, the Rangers had 10, and two already had gotten
past Evgeni Nabokov.
Dan Girardi’s goal, from the right point, deflected off Islanders defenseman
Andrew MacDonald’s stick and scooted over Nabokov’s left shoulder, just
3:36 after the opening faceoff. Later in the period, MacDonald’s dreadful
own-zone giveaway was converted by Marian Gaborik on the rebound of a
Brad Richards shot.
When the Islanders steadied themselves late in the first period, Biron,
Henrik Lundqvist’s backup, turned them away. He snatched a Matt Martin
breakaway attempt out of the air and later was there to turn away Matt
Moulston in front, covering up the rebound. His biggest saves, however,
came on Tavares, once late in regulation and twice in overtime.
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New York Islanders
Martin-Cizikas-McDonald line sparks Islanders
“To be a successful team,” Tavares said, “you need to win games like this.”
657357
By ARTHUR STAPLE
New York Islanders
By ZACH BRAZILLER
Brooks on The two bitter rivals entered Thursday night’s second meeting in
a week headed in opposite directions. The Rangers were starting to dig out
of their early hole and slowly climb up the Atlantic Division standings while
the Islanders were fully entrenched at the bottom.
In terms of excitement, the two rivals didn’t disappoint. There was a blown
two-goal lead, a controversial game-tying goal and even a failed breakaway
in the final seconds of overtime.
The two teams treated the crowd at the Garden to one of their typical
seesaw affairs — this one a 4-3 Islanders shootout win.
Frans Nielsen and John Tavares each scored in the extra session while
goaltender Evgeni Nabokov (37 saves) capped off a brilliant final three
periods with a pair of saves.
The Rangers dominated the first period, the Islanders the second, and the
final period and overtime was a relative draw as the two goaltenders,
Nabokov and Marty Biron, found their rhythm after uneven play.
The second period saw the Islanders turn the contest on its head, striking
for three goals — by Colin McDonald, John Tavares and Brad Boyes — in a
stunning 6:56 to erase a 2-0 deficit. McDonald’s goal, 29 seconds into the
period, set the tone for the pesky, active and forechecking Islanders who
had the Rangers on their heels. He delivered one big hit and fought off
another before depositing a Casey Cizikas feed from in front.
It might turn out to be just one good, productive shift in an otherwise
unproductive season, because even with Thursday night's 4-3 shootout win
over the Rangers, the Islanders are among a gaggle of teams on the
outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
But the opening shift of the second period at Madison Square Garden
Thursday night meant the world to the Islanders. Casey Cizikas, Matt Martin
and Colin McDonald got the call to open the second period after as dismal a
first as the Islanders have played this season -- so bad that assistant coach
Doug Weight gave a paint-peeler of a speech during the intermission.
Playing against a top Rangers line of Marian Gaborik, Brad Richards and
Ryan Callahan, the Isles' pluggers cycled down below the Rangers' goal
line, threw their bodies around and produced a goal, by McDonald, to cut
the deficit to 2-1.
"It really turned the game around for us," Frans Nielsen said. "Those guys
went out and showed how we needed to play against them. If we get the
puck in deep and we're aggressive on their D, they'll turn it over.
"Hopefully that's the shift that will turn our whole season around."
At their worst moments of the past few seasons, the Islanders have been a
one-line team. John Tavares is the center of that one line, and he certainly
was able to take what the Cizikas line did and build on it. Tavares and Brad
Boyes scored off the rush 40 seconds apart to give the Isles an out-ofnowhere 3-2 lead in the second, and Tavares finished off a strong night with
the shootout clincher.
But even Tavares, who now has eight goals, often has said this Islanders
team is nowhere without all of its players moving together. That was evident
from the second period on Thursday night. Aside from the work of Cizikas,
McDonald and Martin, big defenseman Joe Finley, a healthy scratch in
seven of the past eight games, played more minutes (18:58) than either of
the top-pair defensemen, Andrew MacDonald (17:40) and Travis Hamonic
(18:10).
"It's a full team game, obviously, and we showed why," said Cizikas, who
made all of his 12:23 of ice time count. "The first period, we weren't getting
pucks deep, we weren't physical. We started doing all that after that shift."
And after Weight's outburst.
"We needed a kick in the butt a little bit," said Evgeni Nabokov, who made
36 saves and two more in the shootout for his first win since Jan. 31. "The
boys were battling. I can only imagine what we could be like if we do that for
a full game.''
The Rangers controlled the first period with the first 10 shots. Hagelin, from
behind Nabokov's net, found Dan Girardi in the right circle, and his onetimer struck Andrew MacDonald and caromed in for his first goal of the
season at 3:36. Nash had the other assist for his 11th point in 13 games.
On the ninth shot, Gaborik fired in Richards' rebound for his seventh goal
and second in eight games at 11:28.
The Islanders didn't manage a shot until Matt Martin, on a breakaway with
Michael Del Zotto whacking at him, forced Biron to make a glove save with
6:02 left.
Said Martin, who had nine hits: "We came out really flat, and Dougie came
in to make it pretty clear what was at stake if we didn't get it going. We
responded well. That's a good team we beat."
"Give credit to them," Capuano said. "They were down two and they fought
hard and they deserved the two points."
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 02.15.2013
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New York Islanders
New York Rangers
Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win over Rangers
By STEVE ZIPAY
By REUTERS
The Rangers and Islanders were skating in opposite directions. The
Rangers had won three straight; the Islanders were on a five-game skid.
But that changed Thursday night.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The New York Islanders overcame a two-goal
deficit to grind out a 4-3 shootout victory over city rivals New York Rangers
at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Frans Nielsen and John Tavares beat Martin Biron in the shootout and
Evgeni Nabokov (36 saves) stopped Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash to give
the Islanders a 4-3 victory at Madison Square Garden. It was the Islanders'
first shootout of the season and ended their eight-game losing streak at the
Garden.
The victory enabled the Islanders (5-7-1) to end a five-game losing streak,
while the Rangers (7-6-1) were consigned to a first defeat in four contests.
"We understand our style," said Tavares, who scored unassisted on a twoon-one for his eighth goal of the season, wristing a shot past Biron to tie the
score at 2 at 6:45 of the second period and shifting the momentum after the
Rangers took a 2-0 lead. "The way we responded tonight was much better
than the last five games."
The Islanders, who fell behind after the Rangers dominated the first period,
forged ahead 3-2 by scoring three times in the first 7:25 of the second -- the
first at 29 seconds by Colin McDonald, the last by Brad Boyes. "We would
have gotten blown out," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "We had to
respond."
The Rangers tied the score on Carl Hagelin's power-play poke-in at 11:14
that was deemed a goal after a video review. But Nabokov shut the door
after that. He stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third period and four more
in overtime.
"They scored right away and it gave them confidence," said Biron, making
his second start of the season. "Sometimes I need to make a save to stop
the bleeding. I think the Tavares two-on-one might have been the one for
me to make."
So for the second straight game, the Rangers coughed up a lead of at least
two goals. In Boston on Tuesday, they blew a 3-0 lead in the third before
winning in a shootout. "I don't know if we got too lazy or comfortable," said
Hagelin, the best Ranger with a goal, an assist and seven shots.
John Tortorella benched Brad Richards in the third for all but 47 seconds.
"He struggled," Tortorella said. "I felt I had to . . . we had a number of guys
screw up on the back end and we found a way to get a point. We don't
leave here naked."
In the second, Marc Staal said, the problem was evident. "They were a lot
more aggressive and a lot quicker on the forecheck," he said. "We didn't
respond quick enough."
The Rangers had a good start to the third, which began tied 3-3. Nash had
several chances and Nabokov made a nice stop on Taylor Pyatt. Brian
Boyle -- who had been a healthy scratch for three games but finished with
five shots and a team-high eight hits -- was high-sticked by Joe Finley at
2:14, but the Rangers' power play, which finished 1-for-4, failed to
capitalize.
The Islanders' best chance came with 5:17 left, as Matt Moulson sent a
pass to Tavares, who one-timed a shot that Biron stopped.
The game was tied at 3-3 at the end of overtime before Frans Nielsen and
John Tavares scored for the Islanders in the shootout while Marian Gaborik
and Rick Nash both missed for the home team.
The Rangers made a flying start when they scored twice in the opening
period, with Dan Girardi grabbing a first goal of the season and Gaborik
celebrating his 31st birthday by putting his team 2-0 ahead.
However, the Islanders rallied to seize control in the second period, scoring
three times in a seven-minute spell to surge ahead.
Colin McDonald netted 29 seconds into the period before Tavares made it
2-2 when he scored after the Islanders had killed off back-to-back penalties,
including 33 seconds with a two-man disadvantage.
Brad Boyes then gave the Islanders the lead when he steered a wrist shot
past Martin Biron, who made 28 saves.
"We responded in the second and we made some changes with our lines
and I liked the way we responded and played well," Islanders coach Jack
Capuano told reporters.
The Blueshirts tied it at 3-3 in the final period when Carl Hagelin scored a
powerplay goal that was confirmed on review, but were unable to find
another way to get the puck past the Evgeni Nabokov, who stopped 36
shots.
"At least we get that one point," Hagelin said. "It was huge because we
need every point we can get.
"But after that start and the way we played, we really should have had two
points."
(Reporting by Julian Linden; Editing by John O'Brien)
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New York Rangers
A quarter of the way through the NHL season, John Tortorella stresses the
need for NY Rangers to find their identity
By Pat Leonard
To know who the Rangers are 12 games into their 48-game season, it is
important to understand how they are thinking.
After all, John Tortorella demands that his team forms a collective
"mindset," and it is developing through a series of individual challenges
defined — and either overcome or aggravated — by each player's mental
approach.
Veteran forward Brian Boyle, for example, returns to the lineup Thursday
against the visiting Islanders (4-7-1) after being scratched during the
Rangers' preceding three-game winning streak. Asked Tuesday morning
whether he had to avoid thinking about mistakes, Boyle, 28, cut the
question off at the word "thinking:"
NY Rangers coach John Tortorella discusses Brian Boyle's return, Ryan
Callahan's move to Brad Richards' line before Isles game
By Pat Leonard
"No, see, that's the thing I'm not doing," he said at the Greenburgh training
facility. "I'm just gonna go play. I'm not thinking anything. I worked as hard
as I could while I was out. I think I should play. I think I can help this team
win. Now I just have to go and do it."
Rangers coach John Tortorella conducted an informative, nine-minute
press conference prior to Thursday night’s game against the Islanders at
the Garden, discussing Brian Boyle’s return to the lineup, the strong play of
Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin, the struggles of Marian Gaborik, the
flexibility Taylor Pyatt affords him, and much more. Take a look:
Across the locker room, though, Brad Richards sits and dissects his own
role in detail.
JOHN TORTORELLA
The cerebral 32-year-old center normally plays heavy minutes even when
he is struggling, unlike Boyle, but Richards hasn't scored a goal in seven
games since Jan. 26 against Toronto.
Marian Gaborik, 31, Richards' linemate, has just one goal in that span, and
the special teams unit that Richards captains, the power play, entered
Thursday night ranked 29th out of 30 NHL teams converting just 9.1% of its
opportunities (four-of-44).
"I feel like it coincides," Richards said of whether improving his five-on-five
game can help the power play. "When I'm playing well, I see more on the
power play, and sometimes I can get into games and grooves from the
power play and then you can get some momentum off that whether it's a
goal, or it could be anything … It kind of goes hand-in-hand, but I feel like
it's coming, both. I've got a clearer idea of what I have to do, and it's up to
me now."
Brad Richards is mired in a slump, as the 32-year-old hasn’t lit the lamp
since Jan. 26.
Back in Tortorella's office, the coach approaches each issue and each
player differently.
To address the cases of Richards and Gaborik, the Rangers coach moved
forechecking captain Ryan Callahan onto their right wing and slid Gaborik
back to the left side. But with the power play, Tortorella admitted last week
that he and his assistants have overcoached, and Richards confirmed to
the Daily News Tuesday that details such as entries have been "dummied
down … we're on the same page, and now we need the results."
Countless other mini-dramas define the evolving Rangers (7-5-0), from
young Chris Kreider's healthy scratch Thursday night to 19-year-old J.T.
Miller's slide from center to wing; to the strong play of the line of Carl
Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Rick Nash; to the fourth unit's gelling, the
penalty kill's success, and Michael Del Zotto's fight to regain minutes on the
blue line and power play.
Even in goal, the Rangers are managing their mental focus.
Backup Martin Biron gets the start Thursday night partially due to his
unheard-of 21-4-1-1 lifetime record against the Islanders. But this also
seemed like a decision to let Henrik Lundqvist settle down following
Tuesday night's whirlwind 4-3 shootout victory in Boston, after which the
Rangers' MVP sat in a daze at his locker, stunned by the Bruins' three-goal
third period comeback.
"The day after it still bothered me we gave up those three goals," Lundqvist
said Thursday. "We won the game, but we gave them a point … But I won't
think more about the Boston game. That's history. Mentally, I'm past it."
Casually, Lundqvist described his routine with goaltending coach Benoit
Allaire to review about 25 saves or goals on video to learn from games such
as the win in Boston. Then he laughed and said, "But not always.
Sometimes to keep me confident he doesn't show me the goals … It's easy
to trick your mind."
This is how the Rangers will get where they want to go: with 20-to-25
players, several coaches and the front office minds, managing a strange
schedule and new challenges looking to form one identity — one way —
that will last.
New York Daily News LOADED: 02.15.2013
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New York Rangers
On benching Chris Kreider, inserting Brian Boyle: “Well I don’t think Chris
has done anything poorly. I don’t think he’s on the other end I don’t think
he’s really done anything really good either. Like I told you guys before, I
think Brian Boyle eventually needs to be a big part of this here. I want to
give him a chance.”
On what’s missing from the power play when he breaks it down: “I’m not
gonna break it down with you here. You guys are always asking about that
and listen, it s*cks, ok? But I’m not gonna break it down with you guys.”
RANGERS EVOLVING AS INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS MANAGE MENTAL
APPROACH
On whether Callahan will help Richards’ and Gaborik’s games: “I’m hoping
that they have the puck more. I think (Pyatt) has done a fairly good job and
he’s played pretty well. You take out some of his turnovers in Pyatt’s game,
he’s been a pretty good player. I want to get Cally into a situation where
he’s just not playing with the kids into really where you have the two lines,
those are basically maybe your top six forwards, and he needs to help them
get the puck, because I don’t think those two guys are doing a good enough
job getting the puck. It certainly doesn’t take the onus off them, but I just
want to see what that looks like. I tried Cally with Richie last year. I didn’t
like it.”
On whether he was playing Pyatt higher (first, second line) than he had
originally envisioned him playing (third line): “Yeah, when we started our
season, just the middle of our lineup, I just wasn’t sure where it was going.
What I like about him, Pyatt, I wasn’t sure I was going to play him in the top
six. That’s not what I envisioned when he first came here. But what I like
about him is you can do that. You can put him in a lot of different spots.
Because I think he’s really strong on the puck. He’s a big body, deceptive –
he’s not a great skater, but he tends to get there. So that’s what I like about
him is it’s a little bit of flexibility, and he can play right wing also. I think he
prefers left wing. I’ve tried to concentrate keeping him on left wing until he
gets real comfortable, but you can see him on the right side also. So I can
bounce him back and forth.”
On whether Miller is on the wing because he wants Boyle at center: “(Miller)
has struggled down low. It’s a lot to ask. He plays all three positions. He
actually prefers playing wing. We’re gonna slowly go about our business
and try to teach him coverages. He really struggled with covreages the
other night. So we bring Brian in … We have one line that I thought played
really well in Boston and that was Stepan’s line. I mean Step played 26
minutes. I just didn’t like the other lines, so I want to change things. And this
allows me to put him in a spot where there’s not so many reads that he has
to make in the end zone defensively.”
On why Hagelin and Stepan are able to play well with top players like
Gaborik, Nash: “I just don’t think they’re afraid. I think sometimes when you
start playing with top players, you end up trying to get them the puck all the
time or you just change your game because you might be a little nervous
about it. Hags is a very confident guy, which is good, and step is a guy
that’s been here, understands the personnel, I thought played his best
game of the year in Boston. I thought he was killing penalties, everything,
strong on the puck. He’s a guy that needs to be able to do that. We had him
kind of looking in as a second line center here for this year. Right now he’s
playing on our top line. So he can handle that.”
On whether Richards, Gaborik not having puck is battle level: “Yes.” Getting
to dirty areas? “Both. They need to play better.”
On whether Nash felt pressure of fitting in and tried to make more plays to
pass to others: “No, I don’t think he feels that. I think it’s kind of because
you think he needs to shoot more, I’m not sure how I answered the
questions, I think that’s gone a little crazy. I think he’s played really well,
and we’ll let him makes his calls as far as shooting. I’m just leaving him
alone and letting him play. He’s done a pretty good job.”
Eminger, 29, has played in just four of the Rangers’ 12 games and was
scratched for six of the last seven. Even when he is in the lineup he hardly
plays. His time-on-ice high this season was 7:20 on Jan. 24 in Philadelphia.
On Tortorella’s saying previously that Gaborik isn’t skating well: “Well it’s a
huge part of his game. You look at Hagelin – we keep these stats
offensively and defensively and you have a plus-minus basically – Hags is
second behind Nash as far as his plus-minus with offense and defense
(regarding) chances that you get hurt defensively and you make a mistake
and chances that you create. And I think Hags is at like a plus-27, Nash is
at a plus-31, and Hags hasn’t made a whole hell of a lot of passes. He
hasn’t. And I’m not criticizing him, but he’s done it with his legs. He creates
havoc with his legs. I just don’t understand why Gabby can’t do that. I know
they’re a little bit different type players: Gabby is a little bit more finesse with
the puck and sometimes Hags is better without the puck, he just chases it
down, I understand that. But Gabby needs to bring that into his game. And
he will. He will. We’ve talked about it, I think Gabby gets a little inconsistent
that way, where he gets a little too far ahead in his game and then he can’t
use his speed because he has no ice to play on, and we need to rectify
that. We just need to get more consistency out of him game-to-game. He
can’t have a really good game and then fall off the map for two or three, and
that’s what we’re trying to remedy here.”
In his last appearance, 5:53 against the Islanders on Feb. 7, Eminger did
have a couple difficult shifts. But it’s also probably difficult for a player to
find his form when the coach doesn’t give him minutes to work himself in.
On whether he wants to say which player is last in the plus-minus sheet:
“No I wouldn’t.”
On whether he’s using four lines because of confidence in third and fourth
lines: “I think when we make a deal, we bring up a couple of kids, I think it
changes our lineup, it gives me a little bit more of an opportunity to bring
some balance into the lineup. I think Halpern’s line has really played well,
killing penalties well, Ash has done his job. So again I don’t go into each
game saying I’m playing four lines, I’m not playing four lines. I’ve got to see
how they play. Early in the year I wasn’t, I had the lines stacked, and that
may happen again depending how we play. So I just don’t have a recipe of
this is how we’re gonna do it. I let it unfold and we make calls as the game
goes on. I will tell you each game we’re making calls for that particular
game. That is definitely a philosophy. We want to win that game. And we
will shorten it if we have to, a lot quicker than we’ve done before.”
657363
New York Rangers
Brian Boyle returning to NY Rangers lineup against Islanders, Ryan
Callahan skates in morning on line with Gaborik and Richards
By Pat Leonard
Brian Boyle will return to the Rangers’ lineup after three consecutive
scratches and replace rookie forward Chris Kreider on Thursday night
against the struggling Islanders (4-7-1) at the Garden, looking to bounce
back and help the Blueshirts (7-5-0) win their fourth in a row.
Martin Biron also was the first goaltender off the ice at the morning skate in
Greenburgh, meaning the Blueshirts' backup will get his second start of the
season.
John Tortorella’s morning lines in Greenburgh had Marian Gaborik, Brad
Richards and Ryan Callahan skating on a line together, left to right,
followed by Carl Hagelin-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash, Taylor Pyatt-Boyle-J.T.
Miller and Darroll Powe-Jeff Halpern-Arron Asham.
The defensive pairs will remain the same as Tuesday night’s 4-3 shootout
win over the Bruins in Boston: Dan Girardi-Ryan McDonagh, Marc StaalAnton Stralman and Michael Del Zotto-Matt Gilroy.
That left Kreider, who played fewer than 10 minutes in Boston, and Stu
Bickel as the healthy scratches.
INFO ON EMINGER’S CONDITIONING STINT
Wednesday’s mutual decision to send defenseman Steve Eminger on a
maximum 14-day conditioning stint has everything to do with the fact that
both the Rangers and Eminger would rather that he play meaningful
minutes somewhere if he’s not going to be in the NHL lineup.
Eminger was playing solidly as a top four defenseman a couple months into
last season when Marc Staal remained out with concussion symptoms, but
then he suffered a shoulder injury in December and an ankle injury in the
spring that zapped his momentum. He hasn’t been able to play consistently,
play well consistently or regain Tortorella’s trust since.
657364
New York Rangers
NY Rangers backup goalie Marty Biron can't get the job done against NY
Islanders, but he's hardly the lone culprit for Blueshirts
Filip Bondy
The fans are fickle, Marty Biron knows well. They chanted for the Rangers’
other goalie during a bleak second period, demanding Henrik Lundqvist.
Then they chanted for Biron, when he kept them in the game in the third.
Then they walked out of the Garden thinking that maybe they would have
won the shootout with Lundqvist in the net.
But it was not just Biron’s fault that the Rangers blew another multi-goal
lead at the Garden. This one was on the whole team, on the power play and
on the defense and, yes, a little on Biron. That alarm you’re hearing in your
head right now is fair warning that all is not well with the Rangers, not yet,
after they lost, 4-3, in a shootout to the please-beat-us Islanders.
“That’s not the first time in this building that happened,” Biron said. “It’s part
of being a goalie. In the second period, I need to make a save and stop the
bleeding. Then toward the end, the fans cheering for you, it gives you a little
bit of a boost.”
Down, up, down. In the end, Biron let a couple of shootout goals zip low
past him from Frans Nielsen and John Tavares and the Rangers settled for
a single point. It isn’t easy losing to these particular visitors, who had
dropped five straight games this season and eight straight at the Garden.
Or as one Ranger fan screamed on Thursday night, “For God’s sake, you’re
playing the Islanders!”
The plea did not work. The Rangers lost all momentum by failing to score
on a 5-on-3 power play in the second period, then were caught on a 2-on-1
break at the end of their man advantage that cost them a goal. Their big
gun from last season, Brad Richards, was benched. They generally did
nothing to convince anyone they have forged a contender’s tough identity.
Biron gets little help from his defense here as he stops the puck during a
scrum in front of the net.
“We weren’t good at all,” Ryan Callahan said, of the late collapse. “Last
year we played so good with a lead and we have a lot of guys back from
then.”
The Rangers had blown a three-goal lead to Boston, and followed that with
this unpleasant swoon. The hockey they are playing right now is far more
entertaining than last season, but certainly not what John Tortorella has in
mind.
They are not blocking as many shots, not playing physical hockey.
“I thought we played a really good first period,” Tortorella said. “We lost our
pace a little bit. You settle in, you think it’s gonna be an easy one. They
start defending. Certainly not where we want to be.
“I’m gonna try to look at it another way... We don’t leave here naked. We
get a point. I’m not gonna run ’em down.”
The Rangers get a point. Against the Isles at home, though, they’re
supposed to get two. The Islanders have grown so pathetic that beating
them is generally as challenging as stomping on a stray ant in the garden.
The feat ought to be accomplished easily enough.
The Isles worry about the salary cap for the opposite reason than the
Rangers. They are the only NHL team that trades for a goalie who will
never play, Tim Thomas, just to stay above the minimum cap floor.
Considering that the Islanders have finished dead last in the Atlantic
Division for the past five seasons, it’s hardly surprising they appear headed
for the same fate yet again.
Biron stops one more shot from Tavares, or the Rangers go up three goals,
maybe the game would have turned into the expected rout.
Not this time. On Thursday, for one night, the Isles played their hearts out
and it was like the good old days again, a rivalry between equals at the
Garden.
Not for long, surely. That better not be the case, or the Rangers are just as
doomed as the team from way out East.
657365
New York Rangers
NY Rangers center Brian Boyle in bang-up return
By Pat Leonard
Rangers center Brian Boyle administered a team-high eight hits, took a
stick to the face, put five shots on goal and emerged from the weight room
after Thursday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders looking like he
could play another couple of periods on pure adrenaline.
He had returned following three consecutive scratches to turn in his best
performance of the young season, even if Boyle couldn’t pick up his first
goal.
“It was a little bit better,” Boyle said, breathing heavily. “I still want to make
more of a difference. I want to put the puck in the net. But there were a few
more chances, I think. I thought it was better.”
John Tortorella said after the game that Boyle had played well and did not
elaborate, but he didn’t need to. The coach’s actions did the talking when
he promoted Boyle for the third period onto a line with Marian Gaborik and
captain Ryan Callahan. Boyle was at the center of the Rangers’ physical
play, especially when he dropped 6-8, 245-pound Islanders defenseman
Joe Finley to the ice two minutes into the third period and took Finley’s stick
across his left cheek.
Boyle understood his benching was not personal, just like Tortorella’s
benching of Brad Richards on Thursday night.
“We have some big goals. We have high expectations of ourselves. I think
(Tortorella) thinks I’m a better player than I was showing, which is good,
and he was holding me accountable,” Boyle said. “I agree with him.”
The benching is clearly fueling the 28 year-old, though. He was asked what
had gone through his mind when he was out of the lineup.
“There was a lot of things, ya know,” he said. “A lot of unpleasant things. . .
that I’ll just keep inside.”
657366
New York Rangers
“I thought that I had to,” said Tortorella, who also coached Richards during
their 2004 Stanley Cup season in Tampa Bay and does nothing more
reluctantly than sit his 32-year-old veteran center.
Richards absolutely was not the only player who struggled, but his single
third-period shift, three giveaways and season-low 14:50 of ice time were
indicative of how this game spiraled out of control for the Rangers (7-5-1),
who had a three-game winning streak snapped.
“I think I was just trying too hard,” Richards said of his inability to generate
anything while quarterbacking the power play. “Instead of moving the puck
when I had it, I was trying too hard, and that’s why I got myself in jams. I’m
smarter than that.”
Richards did chip in an assist, putting two shots on Isles goaltender Evgeni
Nabokov (36 saves) before Marian Gaborik scored on his 31st birthday to
make the score 2-0 after one period. But then Richards’ line was victimized
29 ticks into the second period by forward Colin McDonald, the first of three
unanswered Islander goals in a span of eight minutes on Blueshirts goalie
Martin Biron (28 saves).
“If you look at it, sometimes I just need to make a save and stop the
bleeding,” said Biron, who settled down but then allowed two goals on
shootout chances by Frans Nielsen and John Tavares as the Isles (5-7-1)
halted a five-game skid.
Rangers second-year winger Carl Hagelin (power-play goal, one assist)
was the best player on the ice, scoring for the third consecutive game.
Defenseman Dan Girardi scored his first goal of the season, and Boyle
provided a physical edge in a strong return to the lineup, earning a late
promotion to replace Richards with Gaborik and Ryan Callahan (assist) on
the wings.
But Nabokov denied Gaborik and Rick Nash (assist) in the shootout, and
the Rangers picked up only one point.
“Quite honestly, I think you settle in (when it’s 2-0), you think it’s gonna be
an easy one, because we were playing really well,” Tortorella said. “They
score one, it gives them some life. They weren’t defending worth a ---- early
on, and then they start defending when they score that goal.”
Tortorella benched Richards for only the second time since he joined the
Rangers in the summer of 2011, the other coming on Dec. 15, 2011 in a 4-1
loss in St. Louis after his line surrendered two goals.
Richards, who has no goals in the last eight contests, was looking for
teammates and trying to make the plays that led the Rangers to ink him
through the 2018-19 season, but often the puck went the other way. Rookie
J.T. Miller had a second consecutive difficult game, though he was moved
to the wing, also playing just one third-period shift.
Tortorella did give Richards two overtime shifts for a total of 78 seconds,
and the center took some consolation in seeing the ice again.
“Yeah, sure,” Richards said. “But I’d like to help more than that. But that’s
the way it is.”
“Tonight we had a number of guys struggling, on our back end also,”
Tortorella said. “But we get a point.
“We don’t leave here naked. And that’s the way you have to look at it
sometimes. Do we have a lot of things to improve on?
Yeah. But I’m not gonna run ’em down, because I thought we had some
good minutes in that game, too.”
657367
New York Rangers
John Tavares and Frans Nielsen score in shootout to give NY Islanders 4-3
victory over NY Rangers
By Pat Leonard
By LARRY BROOKS
Benching Brad Richards is different from benching Brian Boyle, but John
Tortorella did it during the Rangers’ 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders at the
Garden Thursday night for the same reason he scratched Boyle the three
previous games.
Richards, in the coach’s opinion, was hurting the team more than he was
helping.
Brooks on Of all the concerns about the Rangers, among them their inability
to find the defensive lockdown game that identified the club last season, the
most disturbing is the diminished play of Brad Richards, who had such a
difficult time last night he was benched for all but one shift in the third period
of the Blueshirts’ 4-3 shootout loss at the Garden to the Islanders.
Richards, who got a pair of shifts in overtime, could not get out of his own
way, let alone elude opponents. Moving the puck not only became
impossible, so did holding on to it through an unsettling series of shifts in a
second period during which the Islanders scored three times in a span of
6:56 to take a 3-2 lead before Carl Hagelin knotted it midway through the
period.
“It’s on me,” said a somber Richards, who did show speed in the first in
going to the net for a shot and then his own rebound that Marian Gaborik
converted for a 2-0 lead at 11:28. “I couldn’t make a play in the second;
there’s really not much else [to say].”
The bottom fell out on Richards during a stretch early in the second period
when the Rangers had a power play of 3:27 that included 33 seconds of
five-on-three. That’s when Richards repeatedly turned over the puck,
allowing the Islanders to seize momentum.
“I was trying too hard there,” said Richards, who has four points (0-4) the
last eight games. “I wanted to move the puck, I was trying too hard and
that’s why I got into jams.
“I’m smarter than that.”
Coach John Tortorella, who elevated Brian Boyle into Richards’ spot
between Gaborik and Ryan Callahan, answered in the affirmative when
asked if benching the 32-year-old pivot was “a drastic step.”
“It’s a pretty big hole to fill but I felt I had to,” said Tortorella. “He was
struggling. [But] it’s not at all for lack of effort.”
The Rangers will address their alignment before Sunday night’s match at
the Garden against the Capitals. They also will have to address their
propensity to go into lulls while yielding goals in bunches and in a hurry, this
one following Tuesday’s match in Boston in which the Bruins scored three
times within a span of 8:16 in the third to erase a 3-0 Rangers lead.
“We just came out flat for the second period,” Marc Staal said. “I don’t know
whether they got [chewed out] between periods, but we just weren’t ready
for them and before we knew it, they had three goals.”
The Rangers actually lost momentum over the final five minutes of a first
period they had dominated. The Islanders scored 29 seconds into the
second, and then, after outworking the Rangers’ during the Blueshirts’
lengthy power play, scored at 6:45 and 7:25 to take the lead.
improve upon, let alone match, given the team’s looming cap crunch for
next season. O’Reilly also has rejected offers of up to five years with a
slightly lower annual average salary.
The Rangers made it a policy, beginning in 2008-09 with Ryan Callahan
and Brandon Dubinsky and continuing this year with Michael Del Zotto, to
sign restricted free agents lacking salary arbitration rights to two-year
“bridge” deals.
The Blueshirts have three prominent players coming up on such restricted
free agency this summer in first-pair defenseman Ryan McDonagh and
current first-line forwards Derek Stepan and Carl Hagelin.
Stepan, who is earning $875,000 on the final year of his Entry Level deal,
recorded 51 points last year (17-34) and had 96 points (38-58) his first two
seasons in the NHL. That’s 15 points more than O’Reilly recorded (31-50)
the last two seasons.
The cap will be reduced from this year’s effective $70.2 million to $64.3
million next season, though the Rangers do have one amnesty buyout
available after this season.
The Rangers currently have approximately $5.22 million of available fullseason cap space.
Brian Boyle was assertive in his return to the lineup after sitting the previous
three as a healthy scratch. Boyle, who opened between Taylor Pyatt and
J.T. Miller before centering Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan when Brad
Richards was benched in the third period, had five shots and eight hits in
17:39.
“I think it was a little better but I want to make a difference, put the puck in
the net, create a few more chances,” said Boyle. “I think I can be a better
player [than I’ve been] and I’m going to try to be better.”
657369
New York Rangers
By ZACH BRAZILLER
“As players, it’s our responsibility to recognize when momentum surges
happen and what we can do to change that,” said Martin Biron, who yielded
those three goals on four shots, including John Tavares’ tying score that
was marginal.
“For a goalie, that’s making the big save. The second goal handcuffed me.
If I had made the big save there, that might have stopped it right then.”
The Rangers did steady the rest of the way before the Islanders beat Biron
on both shootout attempts to win.
Now the Rangers, 7-5-1 after this end to their three-game winning streak,
look for answers. So, critically, does Richards.
657368
New York Rangers
Blueshirts unlikely to make offer to O’Reilly
By LARRY BROOKS
Brooks on The Rangers have checked in on Ryan O’Reilly, but are very
unlikely to pursue a deal for Colorado’s unsigned restricted free-agent
center, The Post has learned.
It is not the yet undetermined cost in assets that the Blueshirts — whose
three-game winning streak ended with Thursday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to
the Islanders at the Garden — would have to send to the Avalanche in
order to acquire the 22-year-old pivot, but rather O’Reilly’s asking price for a
contract that is discouraging a pursuit by general manager Glen Sather.
O’Reilly, who recorded 55 points (18 goals, 37 assists) a year ago in the
third and final season of his Entry Level contract, has rejected Colorado’s
two-year offer of $3.5 million per that the Rangers would be hard pressed to
Brooks on The two bitter rivals entered Thursday night’s second meeting in
a week headed in opposite directions. The Rangers were starting to dig out
of their early hole and slowly climb up the Atlantic Division standings while
the Islanders were fully entrenched at the bottom.
In terms of excitement, the two rivals didn’t disappoint. There was a blown
two-goal lead, a controversial game-tying goal and even a failed breakaway
in the final seconds of overtime.
The two teams treated the crowd at the Garden to one of their typical
seesaw affairs — this one a 4-3 Islanders shootout win.
Frans Nielsen and John Tavares each scored in the extra session while
goaltender Evgeni Nabokov (37 saves) capped off a brilliant final three
periods with a pair of saves.
The Rangers dominated the first period, the Islanders the second, and the
final period and overtime was a relative draw as the two goaltenders,
Nabokov and Marty Biron, found their rhythm after uneven play.
The second period saw the Islanders turn the contest on its head, striking
for three goals — by Colin McDonald, John Tavares and Brad Boyes — in a
stunning 6:56 to erase a 2-0 deficit. McDonald’s goal, 29 seconds into the
period, set the tone for the pesky, active and forechecking Islanders who
had the Rangers on their heels. He delivered one big hit and fought off
another before depositing a Casey Cizikas feed from in front.
Tavares added his eighth goal and fourth in as many games on a 2-on-1
breakaway and Boyes turned the crowd ornery by beating Biron far side on
another odd-man rush.
The Islanders momentum didn’t last, evaporating just as quickly just as the
Rangers two-goal lead. The Rangers converted on their third power play
opportunity of the period, when Carl Hagelin managed to jam home a
Nabokov misplay, only the fifth goal allowed by the Islanders on the penalty
kill.
It was initially ruled no goal, but after review, the call was changed when
replay showed the puck crossed the line with the combination of Hagelin
wacking at it and Islanders defenseman Travis Harmonic recklessly flying
into Hagelin and Nabokov to try to break the play up.
The opening period was a summation of the Islanders’ recent struggles. It
was played at full strength, where the Isles struggle mightily, and the
Rangers dominated puck possession. It took the Islanders 13:58 to get a
shot on goal. By that time, the Rangers had 10, and two already had gotten
past Evgeni Nabokov.
Dan Girardi’s goal, from the right point, deflected off Islanders defenseman
Andrew MacDonald’s stick and scooted over Nabokov’s left shoulder, just
3:36 after the opening faceoff. Later in the period, MacDonald’s dreadful
own-zone giveaway was converted by Marian Gaborik on the rebound of a
Brad Richards shot.
When the Islanders steadied themselves late in the first period, Biron,
Henrik Lundqvist’s backup, turned them away. He snatched a Matt Martin
breakaway attempt out of the air and later was there to turn away Matt
Moulston in front, covering up the rebound. His biggest saves, however,
came on Tavares, once late in regulation and twice in overtime.
657370
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Brad Richards benched for most of third period against
Islanders
By ANDREW GROSS
Boyle was a recipient of a good portion of the ice time Richards did not
receive in the third period.
“I think it was a little bit better,” Boyle, who still has just one assist in 10
games this season, said of his overall game. “I still want to make more of a
difference and put the puck in the net. I had a few more chances. It was a
better. [Tortorella] thinks I’m a better player than what I’m showing. I agree.
He’s holding me accountable.”
Finding the time
The Rangers, who do not play until hosting the Capitals on Sunday at 6, do
not have a practice scheduled for today.
Tortorella said before the start of this lockout-shortened and compacted 48game schedule there would be a fine line between finding practice time and
making sure his players get enough rest.
“It’s tough and it’s across the board,” said Tortorella, meaning all 30 NHL
teams. “We’re trying to do it with an extraordinary amount of [video] tape.
That’s what we’re trying to hammer away at. That’s where a lot of teams are
at.”
Briefs
The Rangers went 1-for-4 on the power play and are now 5-for-48 this
season. … The Rangers allowed the Islanders, who scored four power-play
goals in their 6-4 loss to the Hurricanes on Monday just one unsuccessful
man advantage. The Rangers have killed off all 12 of their opponents’
power plays in the past four games. … D Dan Girardi played a team-high
26:42 and extended his point streak to three games. … LW Carl Hagelin
took a team-high seven shots. …C Jeff Halpern won 11 of 14 faceoffs.
657371
Brad Richards said earlier this week he’s never been a healthy scratch with
John Tortorella as his coach, including their time together from 2000-08
with the Lightning.
But Tortorella did bench the struggling veteran Thursday night.
Richards logged a season-low 14:50 but did have an assist with two shots
and three blocked shots. But he also had three giveaways and struggled
particularly to generate chances on the power play, which he eventually
was taken off of after playing 3:29 on the man advantage.
“I think I was just trying too hard,” Richards said. “Instead of moving the
puck when I had it, I was trying too hard, and that’s why I got myself in
jams. I’m smarter than that.”
Richards did get two shifts in overtime.
“Yeah, sure,” Richards said when asked if he was happy to get a second
chance. “But I’d like to help more than that. But that’s the way it is.”
Tortorella said he does not believe Richards’ issue is one of effort.
“Not at all, no,” Tortorella said. “It’s just a struggle.”
Decision time?
Rookie J.T. Miller was a minus-1 in 9:41 with one shot as he played his fifth
NHL game. Playing in his sixth game would mean this season would count
as the first on his three-year, $2.775 million entry-level deal.
Or, the Rangers could send Miller, 19, back to Connecticut (AHL).
Tortorella switched Miller from center to wing, acknowledging Miller still has
too much to learn defensively to trust him down low in the defensive zone.
“It’s a lot to ask,” Tortorella said. ‘We’re going to slowly try to teach him
coverages.”
New York Rangers
Martin Biron starts vs. Isles, Boyle in, Kreider sits, new lines
By Steve Zipay
G Martin Biron will start for the second time this season tonight, giving
Henrik Lundqvist a three-day break before Sunday's visit by Washington.
Biron (1-0, 1.98, with a win in Tampa and a relief appearance against the
Penguins) is 21-4-1 lifetime against the Isles, with a 2.03 GAA and .930
save percentage. Oddly enough, Biron did not talk to the media after the
morning skate.
Brian Boyle will return after sitting for three games. In practice, he centered
a line with JT Miller and Taylor Pyatt. In other line shifts, Ryan Callahan
was with Brad Richards and Marian Gaborik, who was back on left wing.
"I'm not worried about what I've done earlier in the season," Boyle said. "It's
over."
More Boyle: "I can’t control the decision in terms of what he (the coach)
wants to do, but I know I can play better and I’m going to. I wasn’t playing
well enough…I have to create more offense and be sharper on the PK.
That’s what I want to do tonight." My opinion: Boyle needs to be careful with
adrenalin and committing penalties in his return.
Chris Kreider will be a healthy scratch for the first time since Jan. 24 against
Philadelphia. Tortorella was not available to the press after the morning
skate; he'll have a briefing at 5:45 at MSG.
On Miller, who will play his fifth NHL game tonight, I wonder if the move to
wing---he is primarily a center---is to give him a look on the flank, where
defending the opposing center isn't an issue.
But the Rangers are intrigued by the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Miller’s ability to
play with physicality.
That was in full evidence at 9:47 of the first period when Miller dumped
defenseman Travis Hamonic at the Islanders’ crease.
657372
New York Rangers
Islanders snap five-game losing streak with 4-3 shootout win over Rangers
Physical return
C Brian Boyle played 17:39 with five shots and a team-high eight hits after
being a healthy scratch the past three games.
By STEVE ZIPAY
The Rangers and Islanders were skating in opposite directions. The
Rangers had won three straight; the Islanders were on a five-game skid.
But that changed Thursday night.
Henrik Lundqvist said he and Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire
won't review video of the Boston game, in which the Bruins scored two
goals in 48 seconds to tie the score, until Saturday.
Frans Nielsen and John Tavares beat Martin Biron in the shootout and
Evgeni Nabokov (36 saves) stopped Marian Gaborik and Rick Nash to give
the Islanders a 4-3 victory at Madison Square Garden. It was the Islanders'
first shootout of the season and ended their eight-game losing streak at the
Garden.
"Mentally, I'm past it," said Lundqvist, who had started 11 of 12 games
before Thursday night. He is expected to return against the Washington
Capitals here Sunday. "Benny has his 20 or 25 clips and we just look at
them and talk, see if there's anything to help me.
"We understand our style," said Tavares, who scored unassisted on a twoon-one for his eighth goal of the season, wristing a shot past Biron to tie the
score at 2 at 6:45 of the second period and shifting the momentum after the
Rangers took a 2-0 lead. "The way we responded tonight was much better
than the last five games."
The Islanders, who fell behind after the Rangers dominated the first period,
forged ahead 3-2 by scoring three times in the first 7:25 of the second -- the
first at 29 seconds by Colin McDonald, the last by Brad Boyes. "We would
have gotten blown out," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "We had to
respond."
The Rangers tied the score on Carl Hagelin's power-play poke-in at 11:14
that was deemed a goal after a video review. But Nabokov shut the door
after that. He stopped all 12 shots he faced in the third period and four more
in overtime.
"They scored right away and it gave them confidence," said Biron, making
his second start of the season. "Sometimes I need to make a save to stop
the bleeding. I think the Tavares two-on-one might have been the one for
me to make."
So for the second straight game, the Rangers coughed up a lead of at least
two goals. In Boston on Tuesday, they blew a 3-0 lead in the third before
winning in a shootout. "I don't know if we got too lazy or comfortable," said
Hagelin, the best Ranger with a goal, an assist and seven shots.
John Tortorella benched Brad Richards in the third for all but 47 seconds.
"He struggled," Tortorella said. "I felt I had to . . . we had a number of guys
screw up on the back end and we found a way to get a point. We don't
leave here naked."
In the second, Marc Staal said, the problem was evident. "They were a lot
more aggressive and a lot quicker on the forecheck," he said. "We didn't
respond quick enough."
"Sometimes he shows the goals, but not all the time," he said with a laugh.
"He tries to keep my confidence."
Lundqvist, who won two of three against the Capitals last season and is 137-2 with three shutouts against Washington in his career, will use the time
for extra practice.
Kreider sits, Boyle in
Rookie Chris Kreider was a healthy scratch. "I don't think Chris has done
anything poorly. I don't think he's done anything really good, either," coach
John Tortorella said. "Brian Boyle [a healthy scratch for the last three]
needs to be a big part of this and he'll get a chance." . . . John Amirante,
who has sung the national anthem at the Garden hundreds of times,
returned for the first time this season after a bout with pneumonia.
Ullstrom surprise scratch
The Islanders' David Ullstrom was a healthy scratch, a bit of a surprise
given that Ullstrom was one of the Islanders' best forwards the first two
weeks of the season.
Ullstrom and journeymen Keith Aucoin and Colin McDonald formed an
effective third line to start the season, totaling five goals in the first five
games as a trio. But they haven't recorded a point during the five-game
losing streak the Islanders carried into Thursday night's game, emblematic
of the team's scoring woes beyond the top line.
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New York Rangers
It’s Go Time! … Islanders at Rangers
Posted by: Carp –
The Rangers had a good start to the third, which began tied 3-3. Nash had
several chances and Nabokov made a nice stop on Taylor Pyatt. Brian
Boyle -- who had been a healthy scratch for three games but finished with
five shots and a team-high eight hits -- was high-sticked by Joe Finley at
2:14, but the Rangers' power play, which finished 1-for-4, failed to
capitalize.
Game 13.
The Islanders' best chance came with 5:17 left, as Matt Moulson sent a
pass to Tavares, who one-timed a shot that Biron stopped.
The Rangers open the second quarter of the season on a three-game
winning streak, and 6-2 in their last eight.
The Rangers controlled the first period with the first 10 shots. Hagelin, from
behind Nabokov's net, found Dan Girardi in the right circle, and his onetimer struck Andrew MacDonald and caromed in for his first goal of the
season at 3:36. Nash had the other assist for his 11th point in 13 games.
On the ninth shot, Gaborik fired in Richards' rebound for his seventh goal
and second in eight games at 11:28.
The Islanders didn't manage a shot until Matt Martin, on a breakaway with
Michael Del Zotto whacking at him, forced Biron to make a glove save with
6:02 left.
"Give credit to them," Capuano said. "They were down two and they fought
hard and they deserved the two points."
Islanders at Rangers.
Martin Biron starts in goal, his second start of the season. Brian Boyle
returns to the lineup after being scratched for three straight, replacing Chris
Kreider, who will be prucha’d along with Stu Bickel.
The Islanders have lost five in a row, including a loss at the Garden a week
ago. Evgeni Nabokov starts in goal. Ex-Ottawa thug Matt Carkner remains
out.
Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 02.15.2013
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New York Rangers
Islanders at Rangers tonight
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New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist says he's past two late goals against Bruins
Posted by: Carp –
Pre-game notes from the NYR:
NEW YORK RANGERS vs. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
By STEVE ZIPAY. AND ARTHUR STAPLE
Thursday, Feb. 14, 7:00 p.m.
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Rangers: 7-5-0 (14 pts)
Islanders: 4-7-1 (9 pts)
TONIGHT’S GAME:
The Rangers will face-off against the New York Islanders at Madison
Square Garden (7:00 p.m. — TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), in
their second meeting in seven days. The Blueshirts currently rank third in
the Atlantic Division standings, and rank eighth in the Eastern Conference,
with a record of 7-5-0 (14 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having
defeated the Boston Bruins, 4-3, in the shootout on Tuesday at TD Garden
to win the season series against Boston and extend their winning streak to
three games. The Blueshirts have now won seven of their last 10 contests
after dropping their first two games of the season. The Islanders enter the
contest with a 4-7-1 (9 pts) record to rank 14th in the Eastern Conference,
and have lost their last five games. Following the contest, the Rangers will
face-off against the Washington Capitals on Sunday, Feb. 17, at Madison
Square Garden (6:00 p.m.), in the second game of their three-game
homestand.
RANGERS vs. ISLANDERS:
All-Time: 117-99-19-6 overall (69-37-11-4 at home; 48-62-8-2 on the road)
2013: Tomorrow is the second of four meetings this season, and their
second and final meeting at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers are 1-00 in the season series, following a 4-1 win on Feb. 7 at Madison Square
Garden. The Blueshirts’ power play is 1-2 (50.0%), while the penalty kill is
5-5 (100.0%) in the series. Rangers’ rookie J.T. Miller leads all skaters with
two goals, while Ryan McDonagh (one goal, one assist) and Marc Staal
(two assists) are tied with Miller for the series lead in scoring with two points
apiece. Henrik Lundqvist is 1-0-0 with a 1.00 GAA and .964 Sv% in the
series.
Last Season: New York was 4-1-1 overall (3-0-0 mark at home; 1-1-1 mark
on the road). Five of their six meetings were decided by two goals or less,
including two contests that required extra time. The Rangers out-scored the
Islanders, 20-14, including a 16-9 advantage after the first period. The
Blueshirts’ power play was 5-25 (20.0%), led by Brad Richards’ two power
play goals. Marian Gaborik led the team with five goals and seven points in
the season series, while Anton Stralman tallied a team-high, five assists.
Henrik Lundqvist was 3-1-0 with a 1.97 GAA, .929 Sv% and one shutout,
while Martin Biron was 1-0-1 with a 2.41 GAA and .906 Sv%.
The Blueshirts enter the contest with an eight-game winning streak against
the Islanders at Madison Square Garden, having out-scored the Islanders,
35-11, during the streak
The Rangers have registered at least one point in 14 of their last 17 games
against the Islanders, posting a record of 12-3-2 over the span, dating back
to a 5-2 win on Dec. 17, 2009, at Long Island
New York is tied for sixth in the NHL with a 5-2-0 (10 pts) record at home;
Long Island ranks 11th in the NHL with a 3-2-1 (7 pts) mark on the road
The Rangers are 2-4-0 vs. the Atlantic Division this season; the Islanders
are 2-4-0 vs. the Atlantic Division this season
New York lists three former Islanders on their roster: Arron Asham (2002-03
– 2006-07); Martin Biron (2009-10); Taylor Pyatt (2000-01)
Long Island lists no former Rangers on their roster
INDIVIDUAL CAREER LEADERS vs. ISLANDERS:
Henrik Lundqvist — 42 GP, 25-11-5, 2.15 GAA, 4 SO
Martin Biron — 28 GP, 21-4-1-1, 2.03 GAA, 2 SO
Marian Gaborik — 28 GP, 20-14-34
Brad Richards — 37 GP, 13-21-34
Ryan Callahan — 31 GP, 7-13-20
Marc Staal — 29 GP, 3-8-11
SPECIAL TEAMS:
situations (last – 2/12 at BOS), and 0-0 (0:00) when four-on-three.
Shorthanded goals allowed (0).
Penalty Killing: The Blueshirts held the Bruins scoreless in four attempts
(6:42) on Tuesday at Boston. New York is tied for 13th overall (43-52,
82.7%) and ranks 17th at home (27-33, 81.8%). The Rangers are 2-2 (3:12)
in three-on-five situations (last –1/29 vs. PHI), and 2-2 (1:57) when threeon-four (last – 1/31 vs. PIT). Shorthanded goals for (1): 1/20 vs. PIT (Nash).
Four-on-Four: New York did not tally/yield a goal in two four-on-four
situations (5:46) on Tuesday at Boston, and are now minus-1 in 10 four-onfour situations (13:35) this season. Four-on-four goals for (1): 1/23 vs. BOS
(Gaborik). Four-on-four goals allowed (2): 1/20 vs. PIT (Letang); 1/23 vs.
BOS (Horton).
GARDEN DEBUT
Rangers’ rookie J.T. Miller notched two goals while making his Madison
Square Garden debut on Feb. 7 in a 4-1 win against the New York
Islanders. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last Ranger (rookie or
otherwise) to tally multiple goals in his MSG debut was Chris Kontos in a 62 win against Detroit on Jan. 3, 1983. Miller (19 years, 330 days) is the
youngest Ranger to tally multiple goals in a single game since Alex Kovalev
posted a hat trick on Dec. 27, 1992, at the age of 19 years, 307 days.
EARLY ADVANTAGE
The Rangers are undefeated when scoring the game’s first goal this
season, posting a record of 5-0-0 in those contests, compared to 2-5-0
when allowing the game’s first goal. The Blueshirts have posted a 5-0-0
mark when leading after the first and second periods.
SHOOTING GALLERY
The Blueshirts have posted a record of 4-1-0 when out-shooting their
opponents, which ranks third in the NHL. The Rangers are 3-4-0 when
being out-shot by their opponent.
A BROADWAY HIT
The Rangers are tied for second in the league in hits (359) this season.
Rangers captain Ryan Callahan leads the team and is tied for 13th in the
league with 37 hits, while Brian Boyle is tied for 25th in the NHL with 33
hits.
NEW FACES
The Blueshirts have had eight players make their Rangers debut this
season – Jeff Halpern, Rick Nash, Taylor Pyatt, Brandon Segal, Arron
Asham, Benn Ferriero, Darroll Powe and J.T. Miller.
THE HOT LIST:
The Rangers have won seven of the last 10 contests after dropping their
first two games of the season, including a 4-1-0 mark in the last five
contests
The Blueshirts enter the contest with a three-game winning streak, and
have out-scored their opponents, 13-5, over the span
The Rangers’ penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in each of the last
three games (11 times shorthanded)
Henrik Lundqvist — is 6-3-0 with a 2.10 GAA and a .922 Sv% in his last
nine games; has held opponents to two goals or less in five of his last eight
games (5-3-0, 1.99 GAA, .926 Sv% over the span)
Carl Hagelin — six points (four goals, two assists) in the last five games,
including four points (three goals, one assist) in the last two
Marc Staal — four assists in the last five games
Dan Girardi — three assists in the last two games
Rick Nash — three points (one goal, two assists) in the last two games
Ryan McDonagh — three points (one goal, two assists) in the last three
games
The Blueshirts’ penalty kill has held opponents scoreless in each of the last
three contests (11 times shorthanded). New York has posted a record of 31-0 when holding opponents scoreless on the power play.
MILESTONES IN SIGHT:
Power Play: The Rangers did not tally a goal in four power play attempts
(5:25) on Tuesday at Boston. New York ranks 29th overall (4-44, 9.1%) and
26th at home (3-24, 12.5%). The Rangers are 1-5 (6:32) in five-on-three
Steven Eminger — 4 points from 100th NHL career
Michael Del Zotto — 5 points from 100th NHL career
Darroll Powe — 2 games from 300th NHL career
MILESTONES RECENTLY ACHIEVED:
J.T. Miller — 1st career NHL game (2/5 at NJD)
Chris Kreider — 1st career regular season NHL goal/point (2/5 at NJD)
J.T. Miller — 1st career NHL goal/point (2/7 vs. NYI)
Chris Kreider — 1st career regular season NHL assist (2/7 vs. NYI)
Matt Gilroy — 200th career NHL game (2/12 at BOS)
INJURIES:
Michael Sauer (concussion, 12/5/11) — 12
nudged it over the line, and video replay had to confirm it. The last powerplay goal was a breakaway by J.T. Miller. Maybe it’s time to do a Billy
Martin and just put five different guys out there, maybe go with whichever
line and defense pair is due up next, and tell them to play it like 5-on-5. Why
not?
9) Remember everybody saying Tortorella was trying to fix what wasn’t
broken by putting Brian Boyle back into the lineup? Well, Boyle was pretty
darn good. He needs to be better still. And now Tortorella has to find a way
to get Chris Kreider back in and contributing, and decide if it’s best for Miller
to stay here or go back to the AHL for a little while (because he will be
back). The Rangers’ lineup is speedier and more dangerous if he can get
them both playing well, and it sure looks slower, lacking depth, and bottomheavy without them.
Total Man-Games Lost: 23
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New York Rangers
Rangers-Islanders in review
Posted by: Carp
Thoughts:
1) Martin Biron. Let’s talk about fairness here. Because it isn’t fair if every
time this guy plays and the Rangers don’t win, that it’s his fault, or the fault
of the decision to play him. He’s not going to go 8-0 or 10-0 or whatever.
He’s 1-0-1. Three points in two starts. You can dice it any way you want,
but he’s probably the best backup in the league, or at the very least, gives
the Rangers the best tandem in the league.
2) And to take it a step further (or is it farther?). It’s incredibly unfair for the
knowledgeable, sophisticated fans to be chanting “Henrik, Henrik”
whenever he allows a goal or two. Ridiculous. Plus I thought he was really
solid in the second half of regulation and OT, maybe got the Rangers their
Bettman Bonus Point.
3) Carl Hagelin. His speed and work created the first goal. His speed and
drive to the net and second effort scored the second. He was the Rangers’
best player, and has played – I’ve lost count how many – consecutive really
good games, including the “dumbness” game. Makes you wonder, if he’d
had this kind of confidence and game in the playoffs last year …
4) Also, I’ve said over and over, the Rangers’ depth was not going to be a
problem if Hagelin and Chris Kreider could play top nine minutes, and one
of them would have to play top six. And so far, Hagelin is holding up his
end of that bargain after a bit of a slow start.
5) The BCATHGE (breakaway contest after the hockey game ends). I sure
saw about 14,000 long faces leaving the Garden for some reason, despite
what, in effect, was getting one point for a tie. Hmm. I thought fans loved
the shootout, loved not having ties. I am not going to whine and gripe about
this again, because it seems to offend some fans who were born since the
1990s. Bit it’s a stupid way to determine games, playoff seeds and
ultimately jobs. The Rangers got their first Bettman Bonus Point (for a loss)
this season. And they are 6-2-1 in their last nine. That’s a pretty good clip,
regardless of how ugly it’s been.
6) That start: The Rangers gave the Islanders absolutely nothing until the
Matt Martin breakaway almost 14 minutes in. Wasn’t just a fluke that the
shots were 10-0. But they have to find a way to withstand the moments the
game turns, because every game, even against a lost franchise like the
Islanders, will turn at some point.
7) Brad Richards. I’m going to give him credit for two things. One, his play is
not effort-related. Two, he knows he’s been bad and accepts the
responsibility for it. And, I’ll even go to a third, he cares greatly and wants to
help his team. That all said, I have no idea what’s wrong with him, if he’s
not in good condition, if he was really set back by that flu he had during
camp, if he’s just got some tired, heavy legs, or what. He said part of his
power play struggle last night was from trying too hard, and I believe that.
8) That said, John Tortorella finally did the right thing and put him on the
bench, and even more importantly, took him off the power play. I know the
PP scored a goal – when a Gaborik dump-in hit an Islander and went to
Hagelin in front, and Hagelin kicked it on goal, then got his stick on it and
10) I just don’t know who comes out if they both are in. It’s not a simple
answer.
11) Marian Gaborik did what he does. He scored a goal, had an assist. I
didn’t think he was great in this game, but he sure wasn’t bad, and if that’s
what he does and he pops one, you live with it.
12) I thought it was funny when those knowledgeable, sophisticated MSG
fans began loudly chanting “Shoot the puck, shoot the puck” on that power
play, and on a play where they didn’t actually shoot it, they scored the PPG.
13) Derek Stepan had another very strong game except for faceoffs. Oy.
That he had to be replaced by Jeff Halpern on D-zone draws is
troublesome. Even in OT. The Rangers won 44 and lost 32. Stepan, after
an 0-for-6 start (I think it was that, might have been worse) finished 8-of-21.
Halpern was 11-of-14, Boyle 9-of-16, Richards 9-of-17. The wingers won 7of-8.
14) Does John Tavares actually turn invisible? Or is it possible that the one
guy on that team who can actually kill you by himself really gets so open so
often? Kid’s a beast.
15) I guess we’re going to see more and more of Marc Staal back with Dan
Girardi, and Ryan McDonagh with Michael Del Zotto or Anton Stralman.
Personally, I think Staal and Girardi are both better separated.
My Three Rangers Stars:
1. Carl Hagelin.
2. Derek Stepan.
3. Rick Nash.
The real Kenny Albert’s Three Rangers Stars:
(seriously)
1. Carl Hagelin.
2. Marian Gaborik.
3. Jeff Halpern.
Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars:
1. Carl Hagelin (29.52 %).
2. Brian Boyle (14.29 %).
3. Marian Gaborik (11.43 %).
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New York Rangers
Post-game notes: Rangers-Islanders
Posted by: Carp –
NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES
February 14, 2013 (Game 13, Home Game 8)
Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
Islanders 4, Rangers 3 (shootout)
Team Notes:
-The Rangers were defeated by the New York Islanders, 4-3, in the
shootout tonight at Madison Square Garden to end their winning streak at
three games. New York has now registered at least one point in eight of
their last 11 contests (7-3-1) after dropping their first two games of the
season.
-The Blueshirts are now 7-5-1 (15 pts) overall, including a 5-2-1 mark at
home this season.
-The Rangers have registered at least one point in 15 of their last 18 games
against the Islanders, posting a record of 12-3-3 over the span, dating back
to a 5-2 win on Dec. 17, 2009, at Long Island.
-Please note the Blueshirts do not have practice scheduled for tomorrow,
Feb. 15. The Rangers’ next practice is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on
Saturday, Feb. 16, at MSG Training Center.
-The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the
Washington Capitals on Sunday, Feb. 17, at Madison Square Garden (6:00
p.m. – TV: NBC Sports Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), in the second game of
their three-game homestand.
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NHL
-The Blueshirts’ penalty kill was 1-1 (2:00) in the contest, and have now
held their opponents scoreless on the power play in each of the last four
games (12 times shorthanded). The Rangers have posted a record of 3-1-1
when holding opponents scoreless on the power play.
Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season; Kesler to play Friday
-The Rangers won 44-76 faceoffs (58%), led by Jeff Halpern’s team-high,
11 faceoff wins (11-14, 79%).
DAVID EBNER
Player Notes:
-Carl Hagelin tallied a power play goal, added an assist and registered a
game-high, seven shots on goal in 21:56 of ice time. He extended his point
streak to three games (four goals, two assists over the span), including a
career-high, three-game goal streak.
-Marian Gaborik registered one goal and added a power play assist in
20:16 of ice time. He is now tied for the team lead in scoring with 11 points
(seven goals, four assists) on the season. Gaborik has tallied 10 points
(seven goals, three assists) in eight home games.
-Dan Girardi notched the game’s opening goal at 3:36 of the first period,
was credited with two hits and two blocked shots, and logged a team-high,
26:42 of ice time. He extended his point streak to three games (one goal,
three assists over the span), which ties his career-high.
-Rick Nash recorded an assist, was credited with three blocked shots and
led all forwards with a season-high, 25:04 of ice time. He extended his point
streak to three games (one goal, three assists over the span), including a
three-game assist streak.
-Marc Staal tallied a power play assist, registered three shots on goal and
was credited with three hits in 24:18 of ice time. He has now recorded four
assists in the last four games, and leads all team defensemen with seven
assists and eight points on the season.
-Ryan Callahan tallied an assist and was credited with six hits in a seasonhigh, 23:40 of ice time. He has registered two points (one goal, one assist)
in the last three games.
-Brad Richards recorded one assist, was credited with three blocked shots
and won 9-17 faceoffs (53%) in the contest. He has now tallied four assists
in the last six games, and is tied for the team lead with eight assists on the
season.
Manny Malhotra, who took a puck to his left eye two years ago and needed
surgery to save his vision, will miss the rest of this hockey season, the
Vancouver Canucks announced late Thursday morning.
The move came on a day when it appeared the long-injured Ryan Kesler is
poised to return to the ice for a game Friday night against the Dallas Stars,
practising at full-strength on Thursday morning with his teammates for the
first time this year.
Kesler after practice wouldn't say for sure he would play but then coach
Alain Vigneault said he had been medically cleared to play. It was later
reported that barring an unexpected change, Kesler will play on Friday as
Vancouver hosts the Dallas Stars.
Cory Schneider was also announced as the starter against Dallas, giving
Schneider seven starts this year for Roberto Luongo's six.
“The long-term health of Manny Malhotra is of utmost importance to our
organization,” said Mike Gills, Canucks president and general manager, in a
press release that revealed Malhotra was being put on injured reserve.
Malhotra had missed several days of practice and one game for “personal”
reasons.
The centre, known for his excellent faceoff work, especially in the defensive
zone, had no points in nine games this year. He appeared to struggle early
on but of players with at least 50 faceoffs taken, Malhotra ranks second in
the league in draws won, taking nearly two-thirds of them, 65.3 per cent.
Gillis was scheduled to provide more detail in the early afternoon. The
move to IR gives the Canucks some relief on the salary cap, and Gillis in
the press release spoke of the 32-year-old in the past tense, in hockey
terms, but added: “Manny will continue to be a valued member of our
organization.”
-Martin Biron made 28 saves through regulation and overtime, and was 0-2
in the shootout. Biron has now posted a record of 1-0-1 overall, including an
0-0-1 mark at home this season.
The Canucks are right up against the salary cap, according to
capgeek.com, with less than $1-million of space, the third-least in the 30team NHL. Malhotra is an unrestricted free agent after the season, and is in
the final year of a three-season deal that pays $2.5-million per year.
-Brian Boyle was credited with a team-high, eight hits, registered five shots
on goal and won 9-16 faceoffs (56%) in 17:39 of ice time, while making his
return to the lineup after not dressing in the last three games.
On the ice, as the team loses Malhotra, the Canucks are set to welcome
back Kesler, their star second-line centre who has missed a quarter of the
season after surgeries on his left shoulder and wrist last summer.
Post-Game Quotes:
Kesler on Thursday skated with his teammates at practice in a regular blue
jersey – signifying he's set to take full contact – and skated on the second
line, centring wingers Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins. The first line
remains the Sedin twins and Alex Burrows. A newly composed third line is
centred by rookie Jordan Schroeder with wingers Jannik Hansen and
Mason Raymond. Aaron Volpatti, Max Lapierre and Dale Weise are the
fourth line.
-John Tortorella on the power play… “We had a couple of looks on the fiveon-three; again, it’s certainly not where it needs to be. We had a couple of
looks where we had opportunities but it just doesn’t happen.”
-Ryan Callahan on tonight’s game… “I don’t think we were mentally taking
them lightly at all. We know they’re a good team. If our foot did come off
the gas, for whatever reason that may be, that has to be corrected. We
can’t have that, any night.”
-Marc Staal on losing the lead… “I don’t think it’s a concern, I think it’s just a
mental focus and making sure that you can’t take shifts off. You take one or
two off and they get the momentum. It’s tough to get it back, so staying
sharp and making sure we play a much tougher game for a full 60 minutes
is something we need to learn to do and do consistently.”
Team Schedule:
The main two defensive pairings were also shuffled at practice Thursday.
Jason Garrison has been split from Alex Edler and now Garrison will play
with Kevin Bieksa. Edler was paired with Dan Hamhuis. Chris Tanev and
Keith Ballard remain the third pair.
Vigneault has a challenge because he has a lack of right-side defenceman.
The former Edler-Garrison pairing put Edler, a natural left-side man, on the
right, where he sometimes struggled. Vigneault said the previous pairings
were a balance of what he had, talent, speed, defensiveness and offence.
The Canucks are 8-2-2 at the one-quarter mark of the season, leading the
Northwest Division by five points, and in third spot in the Western
Conference. The Canucks are on their best start ever under Vigneault, and
have won an NHL-best six in a row.
The team welcomes Dallas to Vancouver on Friday, the Stars at eighth in
the West at 7-6-1.
The easy answer is: it happens all the time. Former NHL defenceman
Aaron Ward pulled out two illustrations from the Calgary/Dallas game on
Wednesday to show how common it is. This writer counted at least half-adozen more cases, including one that was almost identical to the play on
which Karlsson got hurt.
Again: just because it happens all the time, does that mean it’s all good?
With a report from The Canadian Press
Now, a word on Matt Cooke.
It’s been said by many that this would be simply passed off as a regrettable
accident had it been Sidney Crosy, say, instead of Cooke, who had been
the one who cut Karlsson.
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NHL
True, reputation can colour one’s opinion when it comes to this sort of thing.
Accepting Karlsson injury was an accident simply not good enough
SEAN GORDON
Leaving aside the question, for a moment, of whether NHL players should
be wearing cut-resistant socks (they should) and shirt sleeves (they really,
really should), there is something instructive and revealing about the
Achilles tendon injury that befell Erik Karlsson on Wednesday.
The overwhelming reaction in the hockey world has been “it was a hockey
play,” accompanied by a shrug. The NHL has announced Matt Cooke of the
Pittsburgh Penguins will face no further discipline, that it was just one of
those things.
But sometimes that reputation is well-earned. Cooke has worked incredibly
hard to transform his game since a spate of suspensions for dirty hits a
couple of years ago.
He deserves immense credit for that, and it’s not fair to question his motives
in this case, he says he feels terribly about it, and there’s no basis on which
to challenge his sincerity.
But Cooke has shown in the past he has trouble hitting defencemen into the
boards cleanly.
If he doesn’t come in from behind (ie. the Fedor Tyutin hit in 2011), he has
his elbow high (ie., the Ryan McDonagh hit), or he’s got a foot off the ice,
and guys are getting hurt.
Okay. And why is that good enough, exactly?
When I saw the Karlsson hit, I immediately thought of an almost identical
play in the 2010 playoffs, when he hit Andrei Markov in a similar position on
the ice.
A superstar player has suffered a season-ending injury on a sequence
where it can persuasively be argued Cooke engaged in a dangerous play
when he pinned Karlsson to the boards with his left skate in the air and then
raked the back of the young Swede’s calf.
He didn’t cut Markov in that sequence, but the Russian did blow out his
knee.
At best, it was incompetence, and at worst it was negligent.
Argue all you want that it was just a mistake, an accident, in the civilian
world, people are generally held responsible for accidents, intentional or
not.
But in the NHL, discipline is too often based on intent and on a standard of
incontrovertible evidence (apparently a bite is not a bite unless there is an
HD close-up of the presumed offender’s mandibles at work.)
Again, why?
In international rugby, the toughest sport in the world, there are sanctions
for dangerous and violent play.
There’s even a nebulous section in the laws about conduct that brings the
game into disrepute – and for persistent infringements, although those
generally apply only in the context of a single game.
In pro-level soccer, dangerous play can be sanctioned retroactively even if
it wasn’t punished in a game – and intent is generally not a major
consideration. If you went into a tackle with both feet off the ground, it
doesn’t really matter if you meant to hurt the other guy. Sometimes
suspensions are doled out despite the fact no one got hurt.
People will say that hockey is a fast game, and that stuff happens when you
have 10 skaters flying around a rink with sabres attached to their feet.
If you watch the replay here you’ll see he has one foot off the ice.
That incident made me think of another incident in that series: early on, P.K.
Subban’s skate blade caught the top of Jordan Staal’s foot as they got
tangled up in a mid-ice collision.
Subban pleaded innocence, Pittsburgh fans bayed for justice and muttered
about dirty play, Staal missed several games and came back a few days
later, playing on one leg.
There’s so much talk in the NHL about accountability, but it seems players
aren’t always held to account for their actions.
You can’t eliminate injuries in a sport like hockey.
But Cooke has shown that with determination and focus he can change the
way he operates.
If he were to face a sanction for what happened to Karlsson, it’s a
reasonable bet that he and others around the league would stop lifting their
skates off the ice in similar situations.
This is a teachable moment, and the hockey world is just shrugging its
shoulders.
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Fair enough.
Matt Cooke won’t be suspended for hit on Erik Karlsson: Cox
But in the case of a player's stick, they are expected to be in control with
some minor exceptions (the follow through on a shot, for example) – indeed
the NHL already punishes inadvertent actions regarding sticks, so why not
skates?
By: Damien Cox Sports
Three players have been forced to miss games this year because of a cut
due to a skate, the toll is over a dozen if you go back a couple of years.
Ottawa hockey fans want Matt Cooke’s head on a pike, and you can
understand why.
It’s a safety issue (yet another one) that needs to be addressed through
improved equipment, yes – although ask a short-track speed skater and
they’ll tell you cut-resistant is not the same thing as cut-proof – and by
modifying behaviour.
Already down Jason Spezza with a long-term injury, the Senators watched
in horror on Wednesday as the left skate of Pittsburgh forward Matt Cooke
dug into the back of Norris Trophy winning defenceman Erik Karlsson’s
ankle as the two went into the boards together, partially severing Karlsson’s
left Achilles tendon.
Sens captain Daniel Alfredsson asked a pertinent question after the game:
why did Cooke hit Karlsson that way?
To Sens fans, it was Cooke, therefore there was intent, and they want
justice.
Brendan Shanahan, however, didn’t see it that way, and after reviewing the
incident, informed both teams this morning there will be no further action by
the league.
Talks between the NHL, the NHL players’ association, and officials from the
International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic
Committee stretched into Thursday night as the parties worked toward
getting NHL players back to the Olympics for a fifth straight time.
There are obstacles in the process, but the sides will get back together on
Friday to talk some more.
For starters, you’d have to have the worst possible opinion of Cooke to
imagine he’d do that on purpose. You’d have to look at him as the same as
Chris Simon, who received a 30-game ban in December, 2007, for using his
skate to stomp Jarkko Ruutu. Ruutu was then of the Pittsburgh Penguins
for those who believe the only bad things that ever happen in hockey
happen to Senators playing against Penguins (last three years Daniel
Alfredsson, Spezza and now Karlsson have all been injured in games
against Pittsburgh).
While the NHL and the players might want to participate in the Olympics
again, they have to figure out if it makes sense for them to interrupt another
season to make it possible.
“Tough loss. The game. The best defencemen in the league. Freak
accident?,” tweeted Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson.
“I don’t expect any resolution or decisions this week,” Daly wrote to the AP
earlier Thursday.
Cooke has done terrible things over the course of his career, with ending
Marc Savard’s career (essentially) at the top of the list. That said, this is
also a player who has committed himself to rehabilitating his image and his
game. Last year he had just 44 penalty minutes in 82 games. This year, he
has 18 PIMs in 14 games.
In these negotiations, the NHL and the players’ association appear to be
aligned in their position.
For Pittsburgh supportors, and neutral folks, it didn’t look nearly as
intentional when Cooke’s skate lifted and cut Karlsson. These are razor
sharp blades that are flashing every night on NHL rinks, folks, and it’s a
wonder it doesn’t happen on a more regular basis.
But it does happen. On Nov. 2, 2010, Peter Regin of the Senators
accidentally cut Dion Phaneuf of the Leafs with his skate after the two were
tangled up. The laceration was to the inside of Phaneuf’s leg. He had
surgery that same night and missed five weeks.
The most nightmarish skate cut incident came on March 22, 1989, when the
skate of St. Louis forward Steve Tuttle accidentally slashed the jugular vein
of Buffalo goaltender Clint Malarchuk. Only the fast-thinking work of a
trainer saved Malarchuk’s life, and the cut required 300 stitches to close.
These have always, except for the Simon incident, been regarded as
accidents, not deliberate or even reckless.
That’s the way this one looks too. Cooke’s skate shouldn’t have been lifted
as it was, but frankly, that kind of thing happens multiple times in an NHL
game. Players often kick at the puck as they joust for position; is that
reckless?
Nothing will adequately compensate the Sens for the loss of Karlsson, and
certainly not a suspension to Cooke. Ottawa’s season is now on the line,
and it’s going to take a combination of brilliant coaching by Paul MacLean,
superb goaltending by Anderson and others raising their game for the Sens
to get past this.
That said, the injuries surely are piling up around the league. Calgary is
living without Mikka Kiprusoff. The Leafs are missing James Reimer, Matt
Frattin and Joffrey Lupul. Edmonton’s missing Shawn Horcoff, Gabriel
Landeskog has been out in Denver, L.A. lost Matt Greene, Dainius Zubrus
is hurt in New Jersey, Tampa is without Ryan Malone, St. Louis has lost
Jaroslav Halak again and the list just goes on and on.
“We had good discussions,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told The
Associated Press in an email Thursday night after talks wrapped up. “We
expect to continue tomorrow.”
The Sochi Games are one year away. While a final decision isn’t required
this week, one will have to be reached in the near future. It is believed
hockey federations will need to know by May what players will be available
for their teams.
The current discussions are being held between NHL Commissioner Gary
Bettman, NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr, IIHL President Rene
Fasel and officials from the IOC.
To be at these Olympics, we must basically hand over control of our most
important asset, our players
After enduring a long lockout that produced a shortened regular season this
year, the NHL is weighing whether it is worth shutting down the game for
more than two weeks next season to allow its players to go to Russia for
the Olympics.
The time difference will force the games to be played at off hours in North
America, and the NHL would like to receive concessions from the IOC that
haven’t been made before.
In return for sending its players to the Sochi Olympics, the NHL is trying to
acquire video, photograph and website rights for the games. The IIHF and
the IOC retain those exclusive rights now.
The NHL began sending its players to the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan,
and continued through the 2010 Vancouver Games. Even though the NHL
received great exposure by having its players take part in an Olympics in
North America, disrupting the season does come with a cost.
The stopping of the season, the potential injury risk to players, and no
tangible upside for the NHL are all factors that create doubt about whether
the investment is good for the league.
At the Vancouver Olympics, Bettman had his doubts about the risks of
future participation.
“It costs us money; it disrupts our season,” Bettman said then. “The value of
the contracts of our players who are here: $2.1-billion. To be at these
Olympics, we must basically hand over control of our most important asset,
our players.”
The NHL season is turning into the Survivor Series. That said, there’s only
one reigning Norris Trophy winner, and in a 30-team league, there’s just no
replacing that.
National Post LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Erik Karlsson’s Achilles cut not impossible to prevent with help of Kevlar
socks
NHL, IIHF begin negotiating details of possible Olympic participation in
2014
Cam Cole
Ira Podell, Associated Press
NEW YORK — A decision on whether NHL players will head to the 2014
Sochi Olympics isn’t likely this week, but a first day of discussions went
well.
Gruesome cuts like the one that ended the season of Ottawa Senators
defenceman Erik Karlsson are not new to hockey. Rearguards Kevin Bieksa
of the Vancouver Canucks and Andrei Markov of the Montreal Canadiens
are among those with legs sliced open by razor-sharp skates in recent
seasons.
Now that it has tackled softer caps on shoulder and elbow pads and
rounded the glass near the benches to eliminate the “turnbuckle” effect, the
NHL’s Department of Player Safety needs to look into this whole business
of skate sharpening.
Senators lose Erik Karlsson for rest of season after Achilles injury
The season just got a lot more difficult for the Ottawa Senators.
The Senators will be without star defenceman Erik Karlsson for the rest of
the year. The Norris Trophy winner underwent surgery Thursday to repair
his left Achilles tendon, which was cut by a skate blade during a game
Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray said Thursday the surgery went
well but 70% of Karlsson’s tendon was cut. Recovery is expected to be at
least three-to-four months, thus ending Karlsson’s season.
Read more …
Like, limiting it to once a month, with the Dave Keon skate sharpener.
For those of you under the age of 50, that’s the little whetstone-imbedded
gizmo, maybe three inches long, that kids used to send away for, with $1.25
and a label from Bee Hive Corn Syrup, to put something resembling an
edge on their blades after accidentally stepping on concrete on the way
from the dressing room to the ice surface.
No one ever got cut by a skate sharpened with a Dave Keon.
Alas, technology arrived, and with it came the NHL player’s penchant for
having his skates done every few days on a machine that puts an edge like
the amazing Ginsu knife on them, and suddenly the skate cut — like Matt
Cooke — is an ongoing menace in the game of hockey.
Not to make light of Cooke’s harmless-looking hit on Ottawa’s Norris
Trophy-winning defenceman Erik Karlsson on Wednesday night, when the
Pittsburgh winger’s left skate neatly sliced 70% of the way through
Karlsson’s left Achilles tendon, but really, what are we talking about here?
way or another to the Ottawa Senators if Matt Cooke is suspended or not.
We don’t get our player back.”
If you slow the play down and go stop-action on it, you might think you can
see a thought forming in Cooke’s head, even a deliberate movement of the
skate, drawing it across the Achilles. But the play didn’t take place in slow
motion. It happened in an instant.
They suggested it was a hockey play gone bad. I suggested Cooke has
somewhat of a history
And yes, you can wonder why Cooke’s left leg was raised at all, what the
point of that was, but we’ll take TSN analyst Aaron Ward’s word for it, as a
former player, that it’s not unusual.
Besides, if you take a cross-section of skate cuts and those who inflict
them, it’s not exactly a murderers’ row of criminals.
The skate that sliced into Teemu Selanne’s Achilles in January 1994 was
that of Anaheim defenceman Don McSween, w hose brief NHL history did
not cast him as a dangerous offender.
Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa’s Achilles cut, in 2007, came on an
innocent-looking tangle with Nashville’s Vern Fiddler, whose second-most
notable contribution to the Bieksa narrative was when he imitated the
Canuck defenceman’s “angry face” as he skated past the Vancouver bench
in a game last February, causing coach Alain Vigneault a giggling fit and
even eliciting a smile from his grumpy defenceman. Three years later,
Bieksa was the hammer, not the nail, in a hit on Phoenix’s Petr Prucha,
when he was sliced on the calf.
The most famous cut of all came in 1989 when the skate of St. Louis’s
Steve Tuttle sliced open the jugular vein of Buffalo goalie Clint Malarchuk,
who nearly died — either that, or the 250-stitch gash the skate of Detroit’s
Gerard Gallant accidentally carved in Borje Salming’s face in 1986.
What do all of those incidents tell us? Skates are sharp.
Intent to cripple? Hard to make that case, even taking into consideration the
perpetrator’s list of priors.
Coming back you almost have to teach yourself how to walk again because
you lose all the function of your foot when you slice your Achilles. I hope for
the best for him. He is going to have to be patient with the process
The result of the hit was undeniably a gut-shot to the Senators — costing
them the most exciting (arguably the best) young player in the game for the
rest of the season, having already lost their top forward, Jason Spezza, to
back surgery — and almost certainly puts their entire season in the dumper.
Full body armor is not an option, but Achilles cuts are eminently preventable
by simply wearing Kevlar-fortified socks. They ought to be as basic a part of
the equipment as the hockey helmet. Then again, so should visors (see
Malhotra, Manny).
It’s bad for hockey and bad for the NHL, but it’s really bad for Sens coach
Paul MacLean, who will surely get a mulligan on this season, and general
manager Bryan Murray, whose plans for 2013 have gone up in smoke.
Bieksa has been wearing the Kevlar sock sleeves for nearly five years. He
was mildly amused to see that on Thursday morning, they were all laid out
in each player’s stall in the Canucks’ room.
No doubt that explains the bitterness in Murray’s comments both post-game
Wednesday (“It’s Matt Cooke. What else should I say?”) and again
Thursday afternoon in Ottawa, where he came to the rink to announce that
Karlsson, 22, had undergone early morning surgery and would be lost for
the season.
“We have done some tests with [the socks material] and taken the X-Acto
knife to it and scissors, and it doesn’t go all the way through,” he said. “So I
don’t know why you wouldn’t wear them.”
There was no joy to be had from NHL Player Safety chief Brendan
Shanahan, either.
“They suggested it was a hockey play gone bad,” Murray said.
“I suggested Cooke has somewhat of a history.” And he certainly does.
Boston forward Marc Savard’s career is over, courtesy of an unpunished
Cooke hit, and his March 2001 head shot on Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh
netted the Penguins forward a 17-game suspension encompassing the
remainder of the regular season and playoffs.
Gene J. Puskar/AP But if you recall, Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero made no
defence of Cooke’s actions at the time, saying there was no place in the
game for the crimes Cooke was in the habit of committing. So we should
probably give Shero the benefit of the doubt now, when he says: “I would
not be defending Matt Cooke if I thought it was a dirty hockey play or
anything with intent.”
Karlsson wasn’t, and he will pay a heavy price.
“I haven’t got the report on him, but it’s a difficult injury to come back from,”
Bieksa said. “Obviously you are going to be immobilized for quite some time
in a cast. You have the difficulty of atrophy and all that stuff. Coming back
you almost have to teach yourself how to walk again because you lose all
the function of your foot when you slice your Achilles. I hope for the best for
him. He is going to have to be patient with the process.”
It’s just a thought, but if the ink isn’t quite dry on the Collective Bargaining
Agreement yet, perhaps Shanahan’s Player Safety outfit and the NHL
Players Association ought to consider getting Kevlar socks written into it.
Either that, or rename the department.
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Fearing for his health, Canucks sideline Manny Malhotra for rest of season
And Cooke has truly cleaned up his act in the past 18 months.
“I feel horrible for Erik Karlsson, I feel bad for Ottawa,” Shero told
ESPN.com. “Our fan base knows how it feels to lose a star player. It’s
emotional. It’s just very unfortunate.”
“I’m disappointed that Erik got hurt, I’m disappointed for him and our team,”
Murray said. “It’s dreadful. It’s one of the best players in the league getting
hurt. But I can’t do anybody’s else job but my own. And it’s of no value one
Brad Ziemer,
VANCOUVER — The news of Ryan Kesler’s return to the lineup Friday
night was tempered by the announcement today that fellow centre Manny
Malhotra’s playing days are over with the Vancouver Canucks.
General manager Mike Gillis said he believed Malhotra was putting himself
at risk by continuing to play and had never fully recovered from a serious
eye injury suffered in a game March 16, 2011. Gillis said telling Malhotra he
was done was “the hardest thing I have done in this job.”
New Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen was an
integral part of building the Ottawa Senators over the past 15 years. He
scouted and advised the selection of many players including Marian Hossa,
Mike Fisher, Martin Havlat and Jason Spezza, front.
All those who assumed the first Finnish general manager of a National
Hockey League club was bound to be the ageless, sweet-natured sniper,
Teemu Selanne (assuming he ever retires): you lose.
“It is a situation that basically changed Manny’s life in half a second, and
watching what he did to try and recover from that, it was a very difficult
decision for me to make,” Gillis told reporters Thursday. “It’s one that has
been thought about for some time. It wasn’t a spur of the moment thing at
all. We came to the conclusion for his long-term health, his long-term safety
that this was the best thing we could do.”
Those who wondered if it might be Jari Kurri, his country’s national team
GM — who would have seen every kind of treachery and back-room
wheeling and dealing as Finland’s International Olympic Committee
member — or Saku Koivu, who replaced him on the IOC in 2006: no dice.
Malhotra had been absent from practice in recent days. The team had
described his absence as a personal issue.
First European? Hell, it would have to be Igor Larionov or Nick Lidstrom or
Mats Sundin or …
But the Canucks issued a news release Thursday morning saying Malhotra
had been placed on the injured reserved list and will not play for the
remainder of the season.
Jarmo Kekalainen?
“We felt strongly last year that there was a risk with him out on the ice and
spoke with him at the end of last season, and he felt very strongly that if he
had a full summer of training that there would be improvement in a variety
of ways,” Gillis said. “But most importantly that he would alleviate my fear
about his vulnerability on the ice.
“I agreed that he could have the summer to train and I was going to give
him a period of time here, and if things didn’t change I was going to have
this conversation with him. I observed and watched and I didn’t feel that
there had been a change and I felt he was at risk.”
Malhotra had played nine games this season, mainly on Vancouver’s fourth
line, and had no points and two shots on goal.
“Ever since the day Manny joined this organization he has been a huge part
of our group, not just with what he does on the ice but what he does off the
ice and the way he conducts himself with his teammates, with the
community, the fans,” Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said.
It is a situation that basically changed Manny’s life in half a second, and
watching what he did to try and recover from that, it was a very difficult
decision for me to make
Jarmo Kekalainen. A name, it is fair to say, that 90% of NHL fans had never
heard until Wednesday morning, when they came out of the mouth of
Columbus Blue Jackets president John Davidson.
Ardent fans of the Ottawa Senators know him. Ditto, supporters of the St.
Louis Blues. Both teams owe good portions of their success to players
Kekalainen has had a hand in finding, scouting and selecting in entry drafts
from 1995-2010.
The list?
For the Senators, as a scout and later director of player personnel: Bryan
Berard, Chris Phillips, Sami Salo, Marian Hossa, Magnus Arvedson, Mike
Fisher, Chris Neil, Martin Havlat, Chris Kelly, Anton Volchenkov, Antoine
Vermette, Jason Spezza, Ray Emery, Brooks Laich …
For the Blues, as top assistant to Davidson: David Backes, Lee Stempniak,
Roman Polak, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, Erik Johnson (hey, nobody’s
perfect), David Perron, Lars Eller, Alex Pietrangelo, Jaden Schwartz,
Vladimir Tarasenko.
If you are a good hockey mind and prepared to put in the work that it takes,
nationality shouldn’t stop you
“I know that this is a real emotional time for Manny and he is still going to be
part of our team. We are going to try and find ways for him to contribute and
hopefully it will be an easy adjustment for him.”
Even his Big Miss, Johnson — No. 1 in the 2006 draft, ahead of Jordan
Staal and (groan) Jonathan Toews — netted Kevin Shattenkirk in a trade
with Colorado. Another, David Rundblad, was dealt to Ottawa for the pick
that turned into Tarasenko, already a sensation in his first season in St.
Louis. Lars Eller was part of the swap with Montreal that brought goalie
Jaroslav Halak.
Gillis said Malhotra, who is in the final year of a three-year contract that
pays him US$2.5-million a season, will stay with the team for the remainder
of the season and perhaps beyond.
And so, when Davidson mercifully dispatched GM Scott Howson on
Tuesday, ending an extraordinarily unsuccessful six-year term of
management, his thoughts must have gone as follows:
“We haven’t exactly fleshed out what the role is going to be but, he is a
terrific person, he is a great spokesperson. I can’t say enough about him as
a professional and member of this organization,” Gillis said. “I have asked
him to stay on, and we are going to sort through the particulars of that over
the next couple of days. He could fill in a variety of roles.”
(a) We’re awful.
“He’s such a strong individual in all categories.
The 32-year-old native of Mississauga, Ont., has played in 864 NHL games
and registered 278 points. He suffered that eye injury in a game against the
Colorado Avalanche when he was struck in the left eye by a stray puck
while skating in the neutral zone.
Kesler, meanwhile, is scheduled to return for Friday night’s game against
the Dallas Stars at Rogers Arena. Kesler has been out all season after
recovering from off-season shoulder and wrist surgeries.
He skated on a line in practice Friday with Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins.
He also worked on the first-unit power play.
(b) We’ve hardly drafted anyone who can play since Rick Nash, who was a
no-brainer. And he’s in New York.
(c) We might as well start over.
(d) Maybe we should try drafting some live bodies, for a change.
(e) What’s the area code for Helsinki?
Kekalainen’s appointment was, let us say, long overdue.
Considering his contribution to the Senators, he easily could have got the
GM’s job there in 2002, but the team hired old campaigner John Muckler.
Again, in 2010, when Davidson was hiring a GM in St. Louis, he chose
Doug Armstrong.
Kekalainen must have felt slighted, and left to become GM of Jokerit, which
currently sits atop SM-liiga, the Finnish elite league.
Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen finally gets NHL spotlight he deserves
“I’m humbled but at the same time have faith in myself. I believe I’ve
deserved this opportunity through my own hard work,” he told reporters in
Helsinki. “Now I’m going to roll up my sleeves and go there and build a
team out of the Columbus Blue Jackets that seriously aims to win the
Stanley Cup.”
Cam Cole
Turning it around in Columbus will be no easy task. The Blue Jackets really
haven’t done much right since making the playoffs for the one and only time
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in 2008-09, and their record in trades and at the draft table has been
abysmal.
But they have three first-round picks in this year’s draft — their own, and
the New York Rangers’ (in the Rick Nash deal) and Los Angeles Kings’
(Jeff Carter). Davidson knows it’s an opportunity the Jackets, 4-7-2 and
starting a six-game Western road trip Friday in Los Angeles, can’t afford to
blow.
“We know how important the draft is, and this one is a deep draft,”
Davidson said. “He’ll become a major voice regarding the upcoming draft.
That certainly played into it … but it’s certainly not all of it.”
Columbus’s draft position figures to be early. The Rangers’ and Kings’ picks
should come late, but Kekalainen hit some home runs with low firstrounders in St. Louis — Oshie was 25th, Berglund 25th, and Perron 26th —
and some picks a lot later than that in Ottawa: Fisher (44th), Neil (161st),
Kelly (94th), Vermette (55th), Emery (99th), and the biggest steal of them
all, Salo (239th).
Karlsson, the club’s dynamic 22-year-old defenceman — considered by
many to be the NHL’s best player through the first four weeks of the season
— suffered the devastating injury when Matt Cooke of the Pittsburgh
Penguins stepped on the back of his leg during a game in Pittsburgh
Wednesday. Karlsson immediately dropped to the ice, wincing in pain,
unable to put any pressure on his left leg. He was helped off the ice,
keeping his left leg in the air.
“Surgery is usually required, whether (the cut) is 50 per cent, 80 per cent or
100 per cent,” said Sandeep Kulkarnia, a physiotherapist at the Kanata
Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Clinic, who specializes in helping patients
recover from Achilles surgery. “You just can’t get proper strength (without
surgery). If it’s a clean laceration, it’s easier to put back together.”
Achilles surgery involves exposing the ends of the torn tendon and using
sutures to re-attach the ends. Typically, surgery is done soon after the
injury, for fear of scar tissue developing.
“When I see the three first-round picks,” Kekalainen said, “my eyes light
up.”
If there’s any room for positives from the long-term injury to Karlsson, the
National Hockey League’s reigning Norris Trophy winner as top
defenceman, it’s that the tendon was indeed “a clean cut”, according to
Senators general manager Bryan Murray.
The passport’s cover page is not why or how we draft players. If anything,
I’m going to be even harder on Finnish prospects
Murray says that Karlsson is expected to fully recover from the surgery, “but
it does mean that this year is finished.”
“Jarmo and I have a relationship that goes back a number of years,”
Davidson said. “I look at Jarmo as a person who has a world of experience.
Thirty per cent of the players in our league are European. He’s very
intelligent about the world of hockey, not only in Europe but also in North
America.
If Karlsson’s rehabiliation goes according to plan — he will be forced to
wear a cast before even beginning exercises to strengthen the Achilles and
leg muscles — he should be ready to go by the middle of next September,
when training camp for the 2013-14 season begins.
“I know Jarmo’s going to have success. He’s a driven man.”
The 46-year-old, whose playing career in the NHL consisted of 55 games
with Ottawa and Boston, seconded Davidson assessment.
“The passport’s cover page is not why or how we draft players,” he said. “If
anything, I’m going to be even harder on Finnish prospects.”
The NHL hasn’t entrusted many of its on-ice operations to Europeans. Ivan
Hlinka (Pittsburgh) and Alpo Suhonen (Chicago) didn’t pan out as coaches,
so on the surface, Kekalainen’s hire looks like a rare leap of faith.
But former Vancouver Canucks captain Markus Naslund, now GM of Modo
in the Swedish Elite League, called the hiring “good for the sport. It opens
up another door.
“It’s a global game,” Naslund — whose franchise scoring record is about to
be broken by Henrik Sedin — told the Vancouver Sun’s Brad Ziemer. “If you
are a good hockey mind and prepared to put in the work that it takes,
nationality shouldn’t stop you.”
Shouldn’t, but does. It has been 12 years since Hlinka and Suhonen
washed out in 2000-2001, and no European has been given the keys to an
NHL club since. Countless losing NHL coaches of the North American
persuasion have been recycled in that time.
So Jarmo Kekalainen will have a lot of hopeful European eyes on him,
when the Blue Jackets — whose health may be too frail to withstand
another mistake — head down the path he maps out for them.
No pressure, but … he’d better win.
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Erik Karlsson faces six months of recovery and rehabilitation
by Ken Warren
Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson will likely need at least six
months to fully recover following surgery Thursday to repair his severed
Achilles tendon.
Thursday’s surgery, performed by Senators team doctor Don Chow and two
others, was necessary to repair a 70 per cent cut in Karlsson’s left Achilles
tendon, the elastic-like tendon which connects the calf muscle to the heel.
Achilles tendon surgery is rare among hockey players – it’s more common
for basketball players who suffer ruptured Achilles because of the stress
resulting from the motion of constantly jumping – but the NHL players who
have undergone the procedure have successfully recovered. That list
includes Anaheim Ducks winger Teemu Selanne, as well as former
Senators players Sami Salo and Dean McAmmond.
Salo, now playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, had Achilles surgery after
rupturing the tendon during off-season training in July, 2011, when he was
with the Vancouver Canucks. Salo eventually returned to Vancouver’s
lineup in January, 2012, six months and two weeks following his surgery.
“It’s long, very slow, painful,” Salo told the Tampa Tribune. “You have to
have a lot of patience. The younger you are, the easier it is to rehab it. The
older you get, the tougher it gets. He’s young, so he should be fine to make
a full recovery and be effective again.”
Salo suggests there could be a difference because what he went through
and what Karlsson is up against, because his surgery resulted from an
Achilles rupture, not a tear.
“I assume his will be a quicker recovery,” he said. “But the main thing, I
think, is it’s going to take a lot of patience. It’s going to take a long time to
really get going. The first three months are going to be slow.”
In what might also serve as some solace to Karlsson during his lengthy time
away from the game, Selanne, now 42, is still playing in the NHL. Selanne
was 23, then playing for the Winnipeg Jets in January, 1994, when he
suffered his torn Achilles – cut by the skate of Anaheim defenceman Don
McSween.
Selanne, like Salo, says Karlsson should be able to recovery completely
from the injury.
“For me, it was about six months,” Selanne said in an interview with CBC. “I
felt soon after that I could play my normal game again. It’s a tough injury,
because it’s bad luck, but he can come back from this.”
McAmmond, who retired from the NHL in 2010, also successfully
rebounded from Achilles surgery to have a lengthy career. McAmmond,
then playing for the Edmonton Oilers, was cut by Eric Weinrich of the
Chicago Blackhawks in February, 1995. He returned the following season
and went on to play another 14 seasons in the NHL, including a stint with
the Senators from 2006-09.
There are also countless success stories in other sports. Former National
Basketball Association star Dominique Wilkins suffered a ruptured Achilles
tendon, which required surgery, when he was 32. Wilkins continued to play
in the NBA until he was 39, playing in the league’s All-Star Game twice after
the surgery.
For all those stories, Karlsson is still looking at a long road back to where
he was on Wednesday, on top of the hockey world.
For a long time, Karlsson won’t be able to do anything at all. He could be
wearing in a cast for as long as three months. “The range is usually six to
12 weeks, depending on how it heals,” said Kulkarnia.
Following that, the Senators defenceman will be required to go through an
arduous recovery process to build up strength in the tendon and his leg
muscles.
“Usually it takes a good three months of rehab, but generally, athletes
recover faster,” said Kulkarnia.
The focus is on eccentric (pronounced “e-centric”) training, where the
emphasis is on the downphase of a particular exercise. A patient recovering
from Achilles tendon surgery could be asked to stand on a raised platform,
with his heels hanging over the edge. The patient will proceed to stand on
the tips of his toes, raising his heels in the air. From there, the heels will be
lowered slowly to their original position. Over time, as the strength
improves, weights will be added. Eventually, hopping exercises could be
introduced.
That won’t serve as much comfort for Senators fans who are hopping mad
about losing their star defenceman for the rest of the season, but there are
no short cuts in the recovery from the one big cut to the back of Karlsson’s
leg.
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Ottawa Senators
“We certainly aren’t going to trade off our future for this. That’s not going to
happen.”
More likely, he’ll ask his team to try and eke out 2-1 and 3-2 wins the rest of
the way on the strength of Craig Anderson’s league-best goaltending and
solid team defence.
And while he admitted there was a black cloud hanging over his team as it
deals with a rash of injuries to key players, he wasn’t ready to give up on
the playoffs just yet.
“At the end of the day, all you can hope for is that this somehow mobilizes
and motivates the team to say, ‘you know what? Despite all of these
adversities, we’re going to do our best, we’re going to have a winning team,
we’re going to try to get into the playoffs,’” he explained. “And ultimately, if
we can get one or two of these guys back, then miracles can happen.’”
He was clearly still coming to terms with what happened Wednesday,
however.
Melnyk said he wasn’t upset with league disciplinarians for not coming up
with some form of supplementary discipline, adding he’s not in the business
of supervising what they do.
He did have some choice words for Cooke, however, who he described as
“a five-time suspended goon who shouldn’t even be playing in the NHL.”
The owner made several references to Cooke’s career-ending hit to the
head of former Boston Bruins centre Marc Savard in 2010.
Melnyk hoping for ‘miracle,’ not ready to give up on playoffs yet
“That’s the question I pose, and I pose it to everyone: ‘What is this guy even
doing still playing?’
by James Gordon
“I just don’t know what it’s going to take. You take out one of the most elite
players in the game by a goon. By a goon … how many times do you let
this happen?”
Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk says two thoughts ran through his
head while watching the collision that knocked his franchise defenceman
out of the lineup for the rest of the season.
In interviews with the Pittsburgh media after the game, Cooke called the
incident “a complete accident” and said he felt terrible about it.
As he’s learning now, however, hard-earned reputations can be hard to
shake.
The first was drenched in anger, the second in fear.
“One, when I saw who did it, I immediately thought, ‘this is the same guy
that’s got five suspensions,’ which, somebody like that, you don’t give the
benefit of the doubt to,” Melnyk said Thursday, referring to Pittsburgh
Penguins agitator Matt Cooke.
657387
“And I was fearing the worst,” he said of watching Erik Karlsson struggle to
get off the ice, his Achilles tendon sliced 70 per cent of the way through. “I
think I went completely pale when I heard the news of what had transpired,
and my heart just sunk.
“It’s like losing Game 7 in double-overtime kind of thing. It’s that sinking
feeling that you get.”
Melnyk got that news from his general manager, Bryan Murray, with whom
he spent the next hour on the phone getting updates from and trying to
figure out what to do next.
“I just wanted to know how (Karlsson) is, what they think it is and what
they’re going to do with him,” Melnyk said in a telephone interview from
Florida, where he was spending a few vacation days with his kids.
“I think all the players heard what happened, and their mind wasn’t even (on
the game). Mine certainly wasn’t, because everybody was concerned about
Erik, what does this mean? How serious? Because he really looked bad
getting off the ice. He looked horrible.”
Melnyk said he didn’t plan to reach out to his star defenceman for a few
days, because “he’s got to go through his, kind of reconcile this in his head,
because it is a severe injury.”
Melnyk figures to be reaching out to general manager Bryan Murray a lot in
the coming days and weeks, however, as the team prepares for life after
65.
“I was on the phone with Brian for an hour yesterday and he almost missed
his flight,” he said. “What do we do next, who else do we have and what
else can we do? Because we’ve got to deal with it, and we will as an
organization.”
One strategy he won’t pursue is shipping out young talent to bring in bandaids now.
Ottawa Senators
Scanlan: Defiant Murray insists ‘we’ll recover from this’
by Wayne Scanlan
It was fitting that on the darkest day of a Senators season many now view
as cursed and mournful, the general manager would arrive dressed in
black.
And yet, a defiant Bryan Murray insisted all is not lost, even with superstar
defenceman Erik Karlsson out for the rest of the season following a horrific
Achilles tendon tear suffered in Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh
Penguins, compliments of Matt Cooke’s skate blade.
“We’ll recover from this, without a doubt,” Murray said, bravely. “We may
not be as talented but I think we’ve got a real good, strong character group
and we have to hope they will carry us through.”
Considering a torn Achilles can be among the worst of athletic injuries, and
that Karlsson is the best of Senators, perhaps the top player in the NHL at
the moment he went down, Murray commendably turned the blind rage he
experienced watching the incident into a broader, more positive outlook. In
a media conference, he tried to have supporters of this team see the sun
breaking through the dark clouds that have lingered over Scotiabank Place
this season, while no fewer than eight players in the organization have
fallen to injury, including three premier franchise players who required
surgery: Karlsson, centre Jason Spezza (back) and defenceman Jared
Cowen (hip).
Perhaps Murray was buoyed by the medical news, which wasn’t the worst.
The cut, which severed 70 per cent of the tendon, was “clean,” and the 22year-old Swede is expected to make a full recovery within three to four
months. Some tendon injuries can sideline athletes for more than a year.
Dr. Don Chow, a team physician, was the lead surgeon assisted by two
others during the operation on Karlsson Thursday morning in Ottawa.
“It’s all about the young man at this particular time, that he gets back to the
level he was at as one of the good players in the National Hockey League,
if not right at the top of the list,” Murray said.
While Murray spoke to NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan about a
potential suspension for Cooke, he was not surprised none was
forthcoming. The view around the league is that this play was a freak
accident, that Cooke’s leg came up to pin Karlsson against the boards. So
far, so good. But the Senators did not like the downward action of Cooke’s
foot, which did the damage. Karlsson, himself, was livid after it happened.
“Erik was upset, he thought he got directed,” Murray said. “He got cut with a
skate that shouldn’t be where it was, it was a nothing play at the time, it
should have been blown down because the puck went into the net(ting).
There’s lots of things that could have happened that didn’t happen.”
While Murray accepts the league decision, he’s disappointed it didn’t take
into account Cooke’s history as an offender, including multiple suspensions
for cheap shots. The player has tried to re-invent himself as an honest
player with the Penguins, but is he capable of reform? Clearly the NHL
could not bring itself to consider a player would be evil enough to
intentionally cut another with his skate, and the evidence is not black and
white.
Murray said a suspension wouldn’t have fixed anything anyway.
“I’m outraged by the fact we lost Erik Karlsson, that’s all,” he said. “I’m
disappointed for him, I’m obviously disappointed for the players on our team
and the coaching staff group and the fans in this city. And around the
league – this was one of the most entertaining players, one of the reasons
you come to the arena, to games at night. And to lose him is a tremendous
loss.”
Where do the Senators go from here? They soldier on, gamely. They try to
play with the heart and conviction that endeared them to Ottawa fans last
season, when they weren’t supposed to make the playoffs, but did. If they
don’t get there this year, fans will understand and imagine a brighter day
ahead.
Young defenceman like Patrick Wiercioch and Mark Borowiecki will get a
chance to play and grow – ditto for rookie forwards Mika Zibanejad and
Jakob Silfverberg, but none can individually replace a Spezza, Karlsson or
Cowen.
Team defence and scoring by committee are now in vogue.
“We don’t replace Erik Karlsson,” Murray said of the reigning Norris Trophy
defenceman. “We don’t have anybody in that category of player. We hope
that other people eat up his minutes and defensively – we just won’t allow
any goals,” Murray joked.
As well as Craig Anderson has played in goal, it will be a challenge to
remain air tight without No. 65 around to play 30 minutes, skating the puck
out of danger, at will.
While Murray will look to acquire help via trade, he is reluctant to give up a
first round pick or a bright prospect to do it. Some of the walking wounded
are due back soon, including forwards Milan Michalek (knee sprain) and
Peter Regin (upper body).
Asked how club owner Eugene Melnyk was taking the latest injury news,
Murray said:
“He’s just like me. He’s frustrated and disappointed about losing some of
our best players . . . but the solution is not to bitch and moan about it. It’s to
do something on the ice that will help us remain competitive.”
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Ottawa Senators
All those who assumed the first Finnish general manager of a National
Hockey League club was bound to be the ageless, sweet-natured sniper
Teemu Selanne (assuming he ever retires): You lose.
Those who wondered if it might be Jari Kurri, his country's national-team
GM - who would have seen every kind of treachery and backroom dealing
as Finland's International Olympic Committee member - or Saku Koivu, who
replaced him on the IOC in 2006: No dice.
First European? Hell, it would have to be Igor Larionov or Nick Lidstrom or
Mats Sundin or ...
Jarmo Kekalainen?
Jarmo Kekalainen. A name, it's fair to say, 90 per cent of NHL fans had not
heard until Wednesday morning, when they came out of the mouth of
Columbus Blue Jackets president John Davidson.
Ardent fans of the Ottawa Senators know him. Ditto, St. Louis Blues
supporters. Both teams owe good portions of their success to players
Kekalainen had a hand in scouting and selecting in entry drafts from 19952010.
The list?
For the Senators, as a scout and later director of player personnel: Bryan
Ber-ard, Chris Phillips, Sami Salo, Marian Hossa, Magnus Arvedson, Mike
Fisher, Chris Neil, Martin Havlat, Chris Kelly, Anton Volchenkov, Antoine
Vermette, Jason Spezza, Ray Emery, Brooks Laich ...
For the Blues, as top assistant to Davidson: David Backes, Lee Stempniak,
Roman Polak, T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, Erik Johnson (hey, nobody's
perfect), David Perron, Lars Eller, Alex Pietrangelo, Jaden Schwartz,
Vladimir Tarasenko.
Even his Big Miss, Johnson - No. 1 in the 2006 draft, ahead of Jordan Staal
and (groan) Jonathan Toews - netted Kevin Shattenkirk in a trade with
Colorado. Another, David Rundblad, was dealt to Ottawa for the pick that
turned into Tarasenko, already a sensation in his first season in St. Louis.
Lars Eller was part of the swap with Montreal that brought goalie Jaroslav
Halak.
And so, when Davidson mercifully dispatched GM Scott Howson on
Tuesday, ending an extraordinarily unsuccessful six-year term of
management, his thoughts must have gone as follows:
(a) We're awful.
(b) We've hardly drafted anyone who can play since Rick Nash, who was a
no-brainer. And he's in New York.
(c) We might as well start over.
(d) Maybe we should try drafting some live bodies, for a change.
(e) What's the area code for Helsinki?
Kekalainen's appointment was, let us say, long overdue.
Considering his contribution to the Senators, he easily could have got the
GM's job there in 2002, but the team hired old campaigner John Muckler.
Again, in 2010, when Davidson was hiring a GM in St. Louis, he chose
Doug Armstrong.
Kekalainen must have felt slighted, and he left to become GM of Jokerit,
which currently sits atop SM-liiga, the Finnish elite league.
"I'm humbled but, at the same time, have faith in myself. I believe I've
deserved this opportunity through my own hard work," he told reporters in
Helsinki. "Now I'm going to roll up my sleeves and go there and build a
team out of the Columbus Blue Jackets that seriously aims to win the
Stanley Cup." Turning it around in Columbus will be no easy task. The Blue
Jackets really haven't done much right since making the playoffs for the one
and only time in 2008-09, and their record in
trades and at the draft table has been abysmal.
Kekalainen to helm Blue Jackets
But they have three first-round picks in this year's draft - their own, plus the
New York Rangers' (in the Rick Nash deal) and Los Angeles Kings' (Jeff
Carter).
By Cam Cole,
Davidson knows it's an opportunity the Jackets, 4-7-2 and starting a sixgame Western road trip Friday in Los Angeles, can't afford to blow.
"We know how important the draft is, and this one is a deep draft," said
Davidson.
"He'll become a major voice regarding the upcoming draft. That certainly
played into it ... but it's certainly not all of it."
Columbus's draft position figures to be early. The Rangers' and Kings' picks
should come late, but Kekalainen hit some home runs with low firstrounders in St. Louis - Oshie was 25th, Berglund 25th and Perron 26th and some picks a lot later than that in Ottawa: Fisher (44th), Neil (161st),
Kelly (94th), Vermette (55th), Emery (99th) and the biggest steal of them all,
Salo (239th).
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Ottawa Senators
Senators defenceman Erik Karlsson becomes poster boy for cut-resistant
hockey socks
By Allen Panzeri,
"When I see the three first-round picks," said Kekalain-en, "my eyes light
up."
"Jarmo and I have a relationship that goes back a number of years," said
Davidson. "I look at Jarmo as a person who has a world of experience.
Thirty per cent of the players in our league are European. He's very
intelligent about the world of hockey, not only in Europe, but also in North
America.
"I know Jarmo's going to have success. He's a driven man."
The 46-year-old, whose playing career in the NHL consisted of 55 games
with Ottawa and Boston, seconded Davidson assessment.
"The passport's cover page is not why or how we draft players," he said. "If
anything, I'm going to be even harder on Finnish prospects."
The NHL hasn't entrusted many of its on-ice operations to Europeans. Ivan
Hlinka (Pittsburgh) and Alpo Suhonen (Chicago) didn't pan out as coaches,
so on the surface Kekalainen's hire looks like a rare leap of faith.
But former Vancouver Canucks captain Markus Naslund, now GM of Modo
in the Swedish Elite League, called the hiring "good for the sport. It opens
up another door.
"It's a global game," Naslund told the Vancouver Sun's Brad Ziemer. "If you
are a good hockey mind and prepared to put in the work that it takes,
nationality shouldn't stop you."
Shouldn't, but does. It has been 12 years since Hlinka and Suhonen
washed out in 2000-2001, and no European has been given the keys to an
NHL club since. Countless losing NHL coaches of the North American
persuasion have been recycled in that time.
So Jarmo Kekalainen will have a lot of hopeful European eyes on him,
when the Blue Jackets - whose health may be too frail to withstand another
mistake - head down the path he maps out for them.
No pressure, but ... he'd better win.
657389
Ottawa Senators
by James Gordon
Ottawa Senators team captain Daniel Alfredsson, right, takes part in a news
conference Senators owner Eugene Melnyk in Ottawa on Sunday, January
13, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
Pittsburgh Penguins agitator Matt Cooke won’t face any supplementary
discipline from the National Hockey League over the collision that likely
ended Erik Karlsson’s season Wednesday night.
Cooke’s skate came down on the Ottawa defenceman’s leg while the two
players collided into the boards during Ottawa’s 4-2 loss to the Penguins,
slicing Karlsson’s Achilles tendon.
HockeyCentral was the first to report that league disciplinarian Brandan
Shanahan had spoken to the general managers of both teams to explain his
decision.
Whatever he said is unlikely to soothe Senators GM Bryan Murray, who
was furious after the game.
OTTAWA — Erik Karlsson has become the poster boy for cut-resistant
hockey socks.
Literally.
Within hours of the Ottawa Senators being sidelined for the season, a photo
of Karlsson writhing in pain after his left Achilles tendon was lacerated by
the skate of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke was featured on the
Tuff-n-Lite Hockey website.
It was a nervy move since Karlsson was not a client of the maker of cutresistant socks and wrist bands.
However, Tuff-n-Lite’s Montreal born-and-raised founder, David Nerman,
said Karlsson was an object lesson because he may not have been
seriously injured if he had been wearing cut-resistant socks.
“This injury is serious and it’s sad, but, if it can open up a conversation, like
with Sid (Crosby of the Penguins) and concussions, then maybe some good
can come out of it,” Nerman said Thursday in an interview from Montreal.
“It’s like the guy who gets his teeth knocked out and says ‘Oh, I should have
been wearing a mouthguard.’ Well, he should have been wearing a
mouthguard before he got his teeth knocked out.
“It’s like, ‘That is never going to happen to me,’ and then it does.”
Tuff-n-Lite is a division of the Supreme Corporation, a North Carolina-based
company that makes engineered yarns (or composite fibres).
Its cut-resistant protective gear is used by 14 National Hockey League
teams, including the Senators, four American Hockey League teams and all
six Canadian Women’s Hockey League teams.
It’s a big business.
Many companies, including major hockey-equipment manufacturers such
as Bauer, Easton and Reebok, market various cut-resistant socks and
equipment.
Nerman, who is also an actor, is probably better known as Albert, the
manservant angel to Linda Kash in television commercials for Philadelphia
Cream Cheese.
An enthusiastic beer-league player, Nerman entered the cut-resistant
material business after seeing a couple of horrific injuries in Montreal.
One was to Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov on Oct. 1, 2009, when
he suffered a sliced foot tendon after being cut by the skate of goaltender
Carey Price. He missed 35 games.
The other was the season before to forward Robert Lang. He suffered a
severed Achilles tendon in his left leg during a contest against the Boston
Bruins and missed the final 32 regular-season games and the playoffs.
During his research into fabrics that are commonly used in cut-resistant
material, such as Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra, Nerman came upon the
Supreme Corporation, which was making a knitted safety fabric touted as
15 times stronger than steel.
That led to a prototype that Nerman took to the Canadiens — it didn’t hurt
that Montreal general manager had been his Outremont baseball coach in
the 1970s — and then back to Supreme for modifications.
The rest is more or less history.
Today, Tuff-n-Lite says its socks have the highest cut-resistant rating, Level
4 (on a scale of 5), on the market. (The test involves drawing a blade over
the fabric at various loads.)
“If Markov and Lang were wearing this sock, they wouldn’t have missed a
game,” Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais told the Montreal
Gazette.
Today, about half the Canadiens, including Markov and forward Travis,
wear Nerman’s socks. Senators centre Jason Spezza and defenceman
Chris Phillips also wear them.
Erik Karlsson, who was off to a phenomenal start, is done for the season
with a torn Achilles tendon.
Caroline Ouellette, a veteran of Canada’s women’s team, has worn Tuff-nLite socks since being cut on both leg and arm.
Did Matt Cooke attempt to injure the Senators' star defenceman on a play
that seemed like any normal physical encounter in the corner Wednesday
night in Pittsburgh? It doesn't really matter.
Moen was an early convert after getting clipped near the left ankle during a
game three years ago. Wearing Nerman’s socks, all he received was a
superficial scrape.
Only the Penguins forward knows the answer and the Senators have more
important issues to worry about than Cooke, who was not suspended for his
actions by the NHL.
Supreme is now expanding the line into protective socks for short-track
speedskating and figure skating, but it has still been an uphill battle to get
NHL players to wear protective clothing, just as it is to get them to wear
face shields.
One would think the biggest concern for the Senators, a team already
missing its No. 1 centre (Jason Spezza), is how to replace Karlsson, who
was playing at a level for a defenceman that nobody has seen in quite a
long time.
Hockey players are well known for being superstitious about what they
wear. They also don’t easily change what they’ve worn. Manufacturers have
taken pains to make their products as comfortable as possible.
Well, you simply can't. Moving forward, another huge question pops up. Will
Karlsson come back and be the same dominant player after suffering a
major injury that could affect the part of his game that makes him so
dynamic, his skating?
“It stinks that there has to be an injury like this for people to take notice,”
Nerman said.
“But be it our sock or another sock, they should be wearing some
protection.”
Mario Demers, chief operating officer of Ottawa-based Pro-Formance
Insights (PFI), which makes safety products for sports and high-risk
professions such as police, has faced similar frustrations.
His company’s Bodyarmour line includes protective shirts, pants, and
socks.
Throughout my own career -- I had my fair share of injuries especially in my
last few seasons in Boston and Nashville when I was well over 30, much
older than the 22-year-old Karlsson. I also was not in the physical condition
that Karlsson is in.
Skating was my biggest asset as a player and in my last year in Boston in
2007, I tore up my knee pretty good on two different occasions. Both times,
I was able to get back to 100% through a lot of hard work in the gym and
trainers' room and didn't miss a beat in the skating department.
Former Senators winger Shean Donovan used the equipment and former
Binghamton Senators centre Corey Locke still does.
Now, obviously my skating and Karlsson's are not in the same ballpark
even in my best days. But the point is it was possible to get back to playing
at a top level, even after suffering two major knee injuries at age 37.
The sad part for Demers is that these discussions about protective
equipment only start after someone is hurt.
Tearing your Achilles and tearing your knee are two different injuries, but
they have something in common -- a full recovery is entirely possible.
“No one talked about neck protection until (Buffalo Sabres goalie) Clint
Malarchuk almost bled to death after getting his throat cut,” he said.
With a successful surgery, which Karlsson had Thursday, and extensive
rehab, I believe he will get back to the same elite level he was at this year.
“And concussions have always been around, but the fear of losing Sidney
Crosby got everyone to pay attention. It’s unfortunate. What’s it going to
take?”
The only player I played with who was never really the same after a serious
injury was Magnus Arvedson.
He’s even more worried about what could happen to a youngster playing a
game at his neighbourhood rink.
“The NHL is one thing,” he said. “They have top help for their players. They
have doctors at the rink and ambulances are on standby.
“But what happens if it happens to a kid in the middle of nowhere, where
there’s no medical attention?”
Demers’ company exhibited its products during the Bell Capital Cup minor
hockey tournament, and he said and the reception from parents was
enthusiastic.
“When they see it, they get it,” he said.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray said the team could only suggest
that players wear cut-resistant equipment.
The NHL team has cut-resistant stocks in stock, just as it has guards that
can be worn over skates to reduce the risk of foot injuries caused by pucks.
Murray said he didn’t see many players using the additional protective
equipment. Rather, they stick with what they’ve always worn.
“They want to be able to play at a high speed and they think some of this
stuff is cumbersome, so they take the risk of not wearing them,” Murray
said.
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Ottawa Senators
The Senators winger was on his way to becoming one of the most dominant
two-way players in the game until he had a freak accident. Back in January
of 2000, Marc Bureau checked Arvedson into an open door on the
Philadelphia Flyers bench.
It was a nothing play until the Flyers door was accidentally left open and
Arvedson went stomach first into the open door. Arvedson was taken to a
Philadelphia hospital, where the doctors had to remove a large part of his
small intestine because the force of the impact actually tore open a piece of
his bowel.
The injury itself healed in time for Arvedson and he was able to resume his
career, but mentally I don't think he ever recovered. He wasn't able to get
back to being the net-driving, swift-skating player he once was.
Of course, you can't really compare Arvedson's injury to Karlsson's.
Arvedson had to deal with the memories of being hit into an open door and
spending more than a week in the Philadelphia hospital not knowing if he
was going to be OK.
Karlsson was surprised and stunned when his Achilles was cut. It was a
shock for sure, but not something mentally that is going to make him be a
more hesitant or nervous player when he returns to action. Sure, the rehab
will be tough and extensive. This is a major injury that will require a ton of
diligent hours of physio, but Karlsson is an elite young athlete who will
bounce back.
Most major injuries heal, but the injuries that affect players mentally are the
most worrisome.
Injuries like Arvedson's or a major concussion are examples of situations
that seem to affect players the most because it's tough to get over the
mental hurdles.
Erik Karlsson should return to top form
Karlsson, on the other hand, should be physically and, more importantly,
mentally good to go in due time.
By Jason York
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 02.15.2013
657392
Ottawa Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke must pay for injuring Erik Karlsson
By Don Brennan
no reason to do that. So I think they've got to look at those things and say
they're reckless, and get it out of the game."
The Penguins play Ottawa one more time, April 22 at Scotiabank Place. If
somebody else hasn't dealt with Cooke by then, a Senator better. For both
Karlsson and the good of the game.
COOKE SHEET
Matt Cooke must pay. Somehow. Somewhere. At the hands of someone.
A look at some previous controversial incidents involving Matt Cooke:
The guy is a Devil disguised in Penguin clothes. He essentially ended the
career of Marc Savard without repercussion. Yes, he's been suspended a
number of times for trying to decapitate others, but then Wednesday in
Pittsburgh he almost chops Erik Karlsson off at the ankle, and again nobody
is doing anything about it?
Feb. 21, 2004: As a member of the Vancouver Canucks, suspended two
games for spearing the Minnesota Wild's Ryan Johnson.
For real?
Jan. 20, 2009: As a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins (his current team),
Cooke suspended two games for hit to the head of Carolina Hurricanes'
Scott Walker.
It's not like Cooke is getting away with murder, but close. He probably killed
the Senators' playoff chances -- and hurt attendance throughout the league.
Yet the NHL is letting him walk because "Sheriff" Brendan Shanahan saw it
as a "hockey play"? You mean the old bring-dude-into-the-boards-frombehind-and-kick-him-in-the-back-of-the-leg move? It's not exactly in the
same category as the open-ice hip check or subtle pick. It's more a WWE
play than a hockey play.
Nobody knows if Cooke acted intentionally. The TV analysts believe he
didn't, Sidney Crosby insists he didn't and you might think he didn't. But
only Cooke knows for sure, and while he claims he didn't, what do you
expect him to say?
"I saw it quick," recalled Daniel Alfredsson, who was closest to the incident.
"I don't know if it's intent to injure. I don't know why you would hit somebody
like that, in that situation. But I can't tell if it's intent to injure."
At the very least, Cooke was criminally careless. But if a player accidentally
clips another with his stick, he still gets penalized for not being in control of
his actions. Anyway, I would still bet Cooke knew what he was doing. If it's
anybody else putting the boot to Karlsson, you give him the benefit of the
doubt. But Cooke has that "history", as Senators GM Bryan Murray put it. A
rap sheet. Guys who have played against Cooke have no doubt he knew
what he was doing. Is Shanahan that naive?
"It's up to the league to make these decisions," said Murray. "We get no
value out of a player being suspended. I'm not pushing that at all."
Somebody should. I never bought all those nice stories about how Cooke is
reformed. Once a dirty player, always a dirty player.
April 3, 2008: Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier requires
shoulder surgery after being hit by Cooke, then a member of the
Washington Capitals. Cooke is fined $2,500.
Nov. 28, 2009: Suspended two games for hit to the head of New York
Rangers' Artem Anisimov.
March 7, 2010: Blindside hit on Marc Savard causes concussion for Bruins
centre. Cooke is not suspended. Savard has not played since 2010-11,
dealing with headaches and concussions. His playing career may be over.
Feb. 9, 2011: Suspended four games for hit from behind on Columbus Blue
Jackets' Fedor Tyutin.
March 20, 2011: Suspended 10 games and for the first round of the playoffs
after elbow to the head of New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh.
Feb. 13, 2013: Skate to the blade of Senators' Erik Karlsson's left leg
severs star defenceman's Achilles tendon.
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Ottawa Senators
Five most costly injuries in Ottawa Senators history
By Aedan Helmer
"This was one of the most entertaining players and one of the reasons you
come to the arena," Murray said.
In one of the more gruesome injuries in Senators history, Dackell was
rammed face-first into the end glass at the then-Corel Centre by Eric
Lindros, with the hit held up as Exhibit A in the debate over what exactly
constitutes a "clean check."
Yes, not only did Cooke hurt the Senators, he hurt the Islanders, Tampa,
Florida. He kicked a dent in the entire NHL. How much revenue did his
actions cost the Panthers for their game at the BB&T Center in Sunrise
April 7, against a Karlsson-less Senators team? And don't answer only a
couple of grand because tickets can be picked up at a gas station for five
bucks. That's not the point.
Lindros escaped a suspension, while Dackell was left unconscious and
bleeding on the ice, needing 36 stitches to put his face back together.
Despite suffering a concussion, Dackell only missed a handful of games
and finished the season with 50 points, but was never the same player.
Karlsson is the most exciting player in the league. He's one of the few will
spend big bucks to go see something they could otherwise watch at home.
Hell, even Maple Leafs fans are calling for Cooke's scalp on this one.
"Although they deemed it as a clean hit, I'm not sure what anybody's doing
hitting somebody with their knee bent and their skate exposed," said Blue
Rodeo's Jim Cuddy, who, hours before performing at Scotiabank Place on
Valentine's Day, took a break from a game of shinny at Glebe Memorial
Park for Sun photographer Tony "Trigger" Caldwell. "I mean, he's just
asking for a trouble.
"I think it should have been a penalty and I think it should have been a
suspension. I think somehow it's intent to injure, to get your skate blade up
like that. And I think it's just a shame.
"Everybody knows where my loyalties lie," added Cuddy, proudly wearing
his Leafs jersey. "But I still want to watch the best players in the game. And
Karlsson is one of the best players in the game. I'm really sorry he's hurt.
"You've got to take away the risky stuff without making it a less tough game.
Hitting a stanchion, and hitting like that ... I mean it wasn't that it was from
behind, but it was that for some reason he lifted his skate up. Even if he
didn't cut him, he was going to knee him in the back or something. There's
He retreated to the Swedish Elite League during the lost season of 200405, and retired last season as captain of Brynas, where he mentored a
young Jakob Silfverberg.
Magnus Arvedson, Jan. 20, 2000
A freak injury derailed the man known to Sens fans as "The Machine" when
he was run from behind into an open bench door in Philadelphia by the
Flyers' Marc Bureau.
Arvedson missed the rest of the season after doctors performed emergency
surgery on his intestine in a Philadelphia hospital.
He later spoke out about the state of North American hockey.
"Hits in the head. High sticks. All those stupid things. Getting hit from
behind. A career is not so long ... The fans want to see skilled guys, they
don't want to see the stupid things. I think (hockey) is going in the wrong
direction," Arvedson said.
After six injury-plagued seasons in Ottawa, Arvedson signed on with
Vancouver and caught fire riding shotgun with the Sedin twins before a
knee injury ended his season, and ultimately his NHL career.
Like Dackell, Arvedson signed on with his old SEL team Farjestads in the
summer of 2004, but was forced to retire after a pre-season back injury.
Wade Redden, April 9, 2000
The Senators star defenceman took a shot off his skate that cracked a bone
in his right foot in the final game of the regular season against the Tampa
Bay Lightning, forcing him to the sidelines for the inaugural Battle of Ontario
against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs.
Leafs fans may have seen the injury as poetic justice since, a month earlier,
Marian Hossa ended Bryan Berard's season with a careless stick that
clipped the Toronto defenceman in the eye. Berard was a first overall pick
of the Senators, but refused to play for the team and was later traded,
ironically, for Redden.
The Leafs prevailed in the six-game series, and Sens fans were quick to
criticize coach Jacques Martin for dressing his stars in a meaningless
game.
"This is tough to take at this time of year," said Redden. "It's just frustrating
when you look at the kind of season that we've had and these are the
games you want to be a part of."
Dominik Hasek, Feb. 15, 2006
Sens fans got an unwelcome anatomy lesson when The Dominator suffered
an injury to his adductor muscle while competing -- against the wishes of
then-GM John Muckler -- for the Czech Republic at the 2006 Turin
Olympics.
It was initially diagnosed as a slight strain to the muscle, and Muckler
commented at the time, "It looks like it's not going to be anything major."
The 41-year-old goaltender was due back within 10-14 days, but days
turned to weeks and weeks turned to months before the whole saga took on
a circus-like atmosphere. Hasek's health dominated headlines -- with
speculation the injury was all in his head as his down-time stretched past
three months -- and became a major distraction.
Some fans feel the 2006 roster was the Senators' strongest, with newcomer
Dany Heatley leading the offence with 50 goals and the team finishing first
in the East with 113 points.
The Senators, with rookie Ray Emery in net, rolled over Tampa Bay in the
first round of the playoffs before falling to the Buffalo Sabres in round two.
Daniel Alfredsson, April 3, 2008
One year after making their first Stanley Cup final appearance, the
Senators hammered the Leafs 8-2 in the second-last game of the regular
season.
But no one much cared about the box score after Mark Bell took a run at
Alfredsson with a blindside hit that dropped the captain to the ice. Mike
Fisher was also lost in the same game after a knee-on-knee collision with
Bell.
Fans and media alike were dumfounded that the Leafs forward, who was
wearing a full face cage at the time, was allowed to walk out of the Air
Canada Centre unscathed.
Even then-Leafs coach Paul Maurice was surprised at the lack of response,
rubbing salt in the wound by saying that other than a few "purse-swingings,"
there wasn't much in the way of retribution. "No offence ladies," he quipped.
The mood in the visitors dressing room at Consol Energy Center late
Wednesday night was similar to the feeling following a playoff-ending
defeat.
No wonder. What the Senators had just suffered was the biggest February
loss in franchise history -- the loss of the NHL's best player, Erik Karlsson.
Expected by the experts to finish in the basement last season, the Senators
made it as far as they did partially by dodging any significant injuries. Lady
Luck has not only caught up to them in this shortened campaign, but she
has literally started to stomp the Senators.
Now, just three points ahead of the Eastern Conference's ninth-place team
and with a head-spinning slew of injuries that includes possible seasonenders to their top two players (Karlsson and Jason Spezza), do they still
have a realistic shot of qualifying for the 2013 playoffs?
"I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that," said GM Bryan Murray. "I believe
we've got to work hard, and we hope we get some guys back in the near
future that can contribute. We have to make some callups which we'll
discuss this afternoon and decide, and we have to go into Toronto and New
Jersey on the weekend and try to do our best."
That on its own likely won't be nearly enough.
To be among the top eight in 2 1/2 months time, logic would suggest they
also have to get themselves an offensive defenceman to take Karlsson's
spot on the first pairing. Sergei Gonchar can not do the job on his own.
What about Lubomir Visnovsky, who could be acquired from the New York
Islanders? At least he could help pick up some of the slack. Patrick
Wiercioch? He's going to be a good one, but he has played only 19 NHL
games and he's still looking for his first NHL goal.
What the Senators do still have going for them is a smart coach (Paul
MacLean) with a strong system, and a goalie with the best save percentage
in the league.
Is it too much to ask Craig Anderson to shut out the opposition a couple of
times a week?
"It's a team game," Anderson said when addressing the Karlsson injury
Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. "Obviously certain players help that team
more than others, but at the end of the day it still takes five guys on the ice
working together as one unit.
"You get five guys working together in harmony, anything can be achieved."
Marc Methot naturally felt horrible for his blueline partner.
"With Karl, it seemed like everything was going for him," said Methot. "All of
a sudden, he gets horrible luck out there. It's one of those injuries that
requires a lot of bad luck to get.
"It's a huge loss for us, he's a rock on the back end, and he's a guy that
kind of carries us through a game offensively. So we've got some huge
shoes to fill."
And to play with more heart than might be humanly possible.
"We've got to try and stay positive," added Methot. "It hurts a bit right now,
obviously, we're not going to deny that. But that's the way this season is
probably going to be going with a lot of teams.
"We've just got to suck it up and keep going."
CHAT AND WIN TICKETS: What's next for the Senators, who are now
without both Spezza and Karlsson? Join our Don Brennan for a live chat
today at 1:30 p.m., at Ottawasun.com. Everyone who joins us will be
eligible to win tickets to the Senators vs. NYRangers on Thursday, Feb. 21.
Details during the chat.
657394
Alfredsson made an inspiring and unlikely early return from a sprained MCL
to play the final two games of a 4-0 first-round sweep at the hands of the
Pittsburgh Penguins.
Ottawa Senators
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Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators suffer painful loss
Ottawa Sens not giving up
By Don Brennan
By Bruce Garrioch
The Senators aren't ready to throw in the towel.
Minutes after defenceman Erik Karlsson was helped off the ice and it was
determined his season was over, there was speculation the Senators
should deal goalie Craig Anderson and call up Robin Lehner to let the
youngster take the reins.
Senators owner Eugene Melnyk 'outraged' over loss of Erik Karlsson
By Bruce Garrioch
GM Bryan Murray isn't going to do anything that drastic.
"Craig Anderson has two years left on his contract. I'd say he's a pretty
good cornerstone to build with," said Murray. "I don't know who is saying
that, if it's someone up the Valley or at the other end of town.
"He's at a stage of his career where he will probably be able to play five or
eight more years if we want him to do that and Robin is going to be great.
These people are going to recover. Eventually we're going to have our core
back and give people reason to cheer for the Ottawa Senators."
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Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators looking for help
By Bruce Garrioch
Bryan Murray is working the phones.
The Senators GM isn't going to find another Erik Karlsson on the NHL's
trade market, but he's hopeful he'll be able to find a reasonably priced
facsimile that's going to help the club get to the playoffs this spring.
Battered and beaten up after Karlsson was added to the list of growing
injuries, Murray wasn't expecting any sympathy cards from his rival GM's at
the club's latest loss, but he is going to investigate the market to see what's
available.
"As I said when Jason (Spezza) went down, I don't know that any other
manager is going to do any favours for me," said Murray Thursday. "I don't
think that ... I've made some calls on different players over the last week or
two and there's been nobody very willing to give me a very good player for
a player that's not in the league yet.
"That's the hard part, of course. We've got some really good prospects
coming. We've got guys playing prime roles right now that we were going to
put on the team and introduce them to the NHL to play third-and-fourth line
minutes and hope they would grow to a role within a year. Now, they're
playing 20 minutes a game and it will be magnified more as we go along."
Murray said he isn't willing to part with a first-round pick or top prospect just
to get a short-term fix in return. However, when he makes calls, that's what
rival GM's want in a deal. That doesn't make sense for the Senators.
"Nobody is going to trade a very good player to you unless you give a very
good player back. That's the norm," said Murray. "It's unlikely I'm going to
be able to get a player (like Karlsson) back.
"I don't really want to give up the best young prospects in my organization
to get a short-term guy here. We're going to try to live with what we can for
the time being. If there's something out there ... I've got a lot of sympathetic
general managers I know and I hope will be calling.
"We'll try to remedy some of the problems that we might have, but I can't
envision that we're going to replace what we now have lost."
Murray said Karlsson is one of the best players -- if not the best -- in the
game right now and replacing him won't be easy.
"There weren't many better, but I'm very prejudiced," said Murray. "I've got
him signed to a long-term contract, so I can say he was right at the top."
But Murray is confident the group he has in the dressing room can get it
done with help from coach Paul MacLean and his staff.
"We'll recover from this without a doubt," said Murray. "We may not be as
talented, but I think we've got a real strong character group."
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Ottawa Senators
On Valentine's Day, Eugene Melnyk was seeing red.
The Senators owner was "outraged" his club will be without top
defenceman Erik Karlsson for the season after he had surgery to repair a
torn Achilles tendon that was sliced by the skate of Pittsburgh Penguins
winger Matt Cooke Wednesday.
"I hoped this wasn't what I thought it was ... and it was," Melnyk told the Sun
Thursday when asked about his initial reaction to the injury in a 4-2 loss in
Pittsburgh. "I just didn't know how bad it was. I didn't realize that it cut that
deep."
While the sun was shining outside his Barbados home and the forecast may
be cloudy for the rest of the Senators season, Melnyk was trying to put up a
brave face. He's admits he's angry this injury and incident happened in the
first place.
"I'm very upset, actually I'm more than upset, I'm outraged that in this day
and age this continues," said Melnyk. "Whether it's accidental or not, that's
not our job to judge. That's why the NHL is there to assess it.
"We'll assess it internally over the coming weeks and come to our own
conclusions. For now, we've got to worry now about filling the roster, being
competitive and, hopefully, a couple of these (injured) players come back if
we get in the playoffs."
CHAT AND WIN TICKETS: What's next for the Senators, who are now
without both Spezza and Karlsson? Join our Don Brennan for a live chat
today at 1:30 p.m., at Ottawasun.com. Everyone who joins us will be
eligible to win tickets to the Senators vs. NYRangers on Thursday, Feb. 21.
Details during the chat.
Though Melnyk had calmed down by Thursday, he did exchange e-mails
with NHL officials following the incident. He felt Cooke should have been
suspended for cutting Karlsson's ankle, but chose his words carefully.
However, it should be noted Melnyk has long been on a crusade and is a
proponent of a lifetime ban for players who are considered repeat
offenders. He first made his wishes public in 2010 when Jason Spezza
suffered a shoulder injury after getting hit by Pittsburgh's Kris Letang.
"I can't comment on (Cooke not getting suspended) only because it's not
helpful for anybody," said Melnyk. "They came to their conclusions and it's
not going to change anything.
"I've been talking about goons playing in our league for years now and I'm
on record when Spezza got hurt and I said that one day it's going to be
somebody else's superstar and sure enough within 60 days Sidney Crosby
got taken out (in the Winter Classic by Washington's David Steckel).
"I'm just hoping that this is something that is looked at for what it is and
something positive comes out of what is really a tragedy for us."
Melnyk wondered why Cooke -- who has been suspended five times -- is
allowed to play in the league. All this incident did was reinforce Melnyk's
thinking.
"This guy should be kicked ... He doesn't belong in the league. He belongs
somewhere where the goons play," said an emotional Melnyk. "Get him in
the Central league. He can be a $60,000-a-year guy playing pick-up hockey
there.
"The guy does not deserve ... He's got one purpose. I remember when this
happened with Spezza. I said, 'If these are the rules, I just want to know.'
We'll play with the same rules. Make sure you have one or two goons
whose job is to do this either intentionally or unintentionally.
"I'm OK with it, just tell me I'm OK with it. I play by the rules. I'm just
shocked an organization would do this."
Melnyk said he is hopeful his team will be able to make the post-season
without Spezza (back), Karlsson and Jared Cowen (hip). First, and
foremost, Melnyk is a fan who believes strongly in his team and his support
is unwavering.
"It happens. If you can get (some of) these guys back when you get to the
playoffs, (good things can happen). These things either work positively and
the team rallies around them to play way over their heads or the team falls
apart," said Melnyk.
"I really believe with fan support that this is a team that has the motivation
and the veterans that can motivate the young ones, that we can pull
together and I believe that we can pull this off. These guys can use this to
rally around this tragedy.
"I believe we can be lucky enough to pull this off."
The challenge will be big.
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Ottawa Senators
Rough day for Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray
By Bruce Garrioch
Eugene Melnyk welcomes Toronto Maple Leafs fans with open arms to
Scotiabank Place.
The Senators owner clarified the club's policy on season ticket holders not
selling their extra seats to Leafs fans and told the Sun the story was
overblown by the Toronto media.
"This is a Toronto story," said Melnyk. "Obviously, they have nothing better
to talk about. Certainly, not being in the playoffs (since 2004), they are
desperate for stories. This is something that's concocted.
"We welcome their fans. We do not welcome any fans that are boorish
drunkards and that's not to say that all Leaf fans that come to Ottawa are
drunkards, but there are many of them and it's very obvious we want to
make sure they know we know who they are.
"At the end of the day, I frankly don't care if the place is filled with (Leaf
fans) because they're buying tickets. What we have done is encouraged our
season ticket holders to buy more tickets and not re-sell them. I don't think
we can stop that and I don't think we want to. It was taken out of context."
Bryan Murray was in mourning Thursday.
657400
Ottawa Senators
"That's why I'm wearing black," he said.
The Senators GM was only half-joking, but he wasn't happy to learn the
surgery defenceman Erik Karlsson had Thursday in an Ottawa hospital to
repair a 70% cut to the Achilles tendon will keep him out for the balance of
the season.
Ottawa Senators' Erik Karlsson done for season, Pittsburgh Penguins' Matt
Cooke skates away unscathed
By Bruce Garrioch
Murray bit his tongue when asked about the incident involving Pittsburgh's
Matt Cooke, but he clearly isn't thrilled with what transpired.
"I'm outraged (by) the fact that we lost Erik Karlsson. That's all," said
Murray in a news conference at Scotiabank Place. "I'm disappointed for
him, the players on our team, the coaching staff here, the fans in the city
and around the league.
"This was one of the most entertaining players and one of the reasons you
come to the arena. To lose him is a big loss."
Murray said it's a punishing blow.
"It changes dramatically because you lose a fair amount of skill," said
Murray. "I said when Jason (Spezza) was knocked out (because of back
surgery) the back end has to contribute.
"I believe, in our league today, if the defencemen aren't involved in the
offence and don't give you points on a very consistent basis, it's very hard
to win. I see that in games around the league. We don't replace Erik
Karlsson. We don't have anybody in that category of players.
"We hope other people eat up his minutes and defensively we just don't
allow any goals. I guess that's the way you do it. (Goalie) Craig Anderson
has to be great, our defence has to be great and, hopefully, we can find a
way to score goals."
OTTAWA - Matt Cooke won’t get the book thrown at him.
The Ottawa Senators will be without defenceman Erik Karlsson for the
balance of the season, but the Pittsburgh Penguins’ fiesty winger won’t get
any league discipline after his skate cut the Norris Trophy winner’s Achilles
tendon.
While VP of safety Brendan Shanahan took several looks at the replay of
the incident Wednesday night in Ottawa’s 4-2 loss in Pittsburgh, it was
decided Cooke won’t face a hearing.
Cooke took Karlsson into the boards from behind during the second period,
with one skate lifted off the ice. As they hit the boards, the skate came
down and landed just above the protected area of Karlsson’s skate.
Cooke’s skate blade then hit Karlsson’s achilles, causing him to collapse to
the ice in pain.
There was no penalty on the play.
Shanahan spoke with Senators GM Bryan Murray and Pittsburgh Penguins
GM Ray Shero before making a decision not to consider a suspension with
Cooke.
Murray said the Senators are confident Karlsson will be able to return next
season and, as a result of the surgery, get back to the form that won him a
Norris Trophy last year.
“It doesn’t surprise me. I looked at it 50 times. I understand where the fans
are coming on it, because it’s Cooke,” said former Columbus GM Doug
MacLean, an analyst with Rogers Sportsnet Thursday morning. “I saw it as
a hit and pin play and a hit and pin play that went wrong.”
"The recovery is expected to be 100%, but it does mean that his year is
finished at this time," said Murray. "That was one of the concerns. There's
no question some of these damaged tendons take up to a year to recover.
This won’t sit well with Ottawa fans. Cooke has a shady past and many
believe if the incident wasn’t intentional, at the very least it was reckless
and that’s why he should face some kind of discipline for what happened.
"Dr. (Don) Chow was the front doctor on this and the indications were it
went well enough. It's about him and that he gets back to the level he was
at as one of the good players in the NHL -- if not right at the top of the list.
We certainly want him back at that level."
Karlsson returned to Ottawa with the Senators Wednesday after the game
to have surgery here. Two league executives have told the Sun the normal
recovery period for a lacerated tendon is four to six months.
657399
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs fans don't bother Ottawa Senators owner Eugene
Melnyk
657401
By Bruce Garrioch
Bleacher Report: Flyers' salary cap dilemma
Philadelphia Flyers
Bernie Parent
Flyers continue trip in New Jersey
It is imperative to make clear the difference between the feeling of
loneliness and being alone. Being alone is a physical phenomenon. You are
able to physically be alone, and be happy. Loneliness however, is an
emotion that relates to your social fulfillment. You could be one in a crowd
of 1,000 people, but not one of those 1,000 people can relieve that
loneliness. This time of the year, masses will experience this loneliness,
and it could be caused by the loss of a loved one, separation, a broken
heart, etc., but the important concept to understand is that loneliness comes
from within.
Marc Narducci,
If you expect to relieve that lonely feeling simply by surrounding yourself
with people, you can count on it for short-term satisfaction. I tell myself
constantly, if I find myself in a negative mood and feeling lonely, negative
circumstances are sure to follow. If I remain strong, it will not matter what
goes on around me.
If someone you cherish is not around anymore, dedicate five minutes of
your thoughts to them, and if there is nothing you can do about it, you must
be able to push forward and reprogram life. Your mind functions just like
your body. It needs nourishment from positive, motivational knowledge
which may be gained from books, videos or seeking warm, enriching
conversation with a likeminded person. To cope with both loneliness AND
being alone, find your happiness within, with an overdose of positive
thinking.
If you nourish the mind, body and soul will follow. Ask yourself this question:
“What am I thinking about?” Once you have the answer, you have the ability
to change it. Change your thoughts and program your mind to think about
the things you would like to accomplish and the happiness you ultimately
want to achieve in life. Your mind is what creates the feeling of loneliness.
Kick the negative thoughts out.
“The material things” deserve an honorable mention in this piece.
There was a time that I lived on a beautiful, 50-foot boat, which came handin-hand with the taste of loneliness on quite a few occasions. But the
amazing thing is that I’ve also floated around aimlessly in a canoe with the
biggest grin on my face, the happiest guy in the world.
Sure, material things are nice, but they will never provide you with the
happiness and fulfillment that you seek. Flowers, candy, jewelry (enough to
keep Steven Singer in business for life), etc. fly off the shelves so you can
show your appreciation to loved ones each and every Valentine’s Day. In
my experience, I’ve learned that women appreciate the kindness and
thoughtfulness.
Remember this: if these gestures are made out of love and admiration, I
commend you. If you buy your partner gifts out of obligation, your partner
may end up resenting your gesture. At this point, it becomes a phony
situation, and you are better off not buying anything at all. If your partner is
handing out that rose, piece of candy, or bracelet just for the sake of giving
it, look the person in the eye, and you will know exactly where they stand.
The eyes never lie.
It is crucial to keep your relationship healthy and alive. Take note of two
things: allow your partner to be their own individual, and realize you are on
a two-way highway. The secret is that we all have faults and defects. It is
easy to dwell on the faults, but try to program your mind to focus on the
good things. I am also a firm believer that friendship is a foundation and a
staple in all relationships. You are going to come across issues and bumps
in the road. If you have established a friendship and you both have
recognized that the greatest substance in a healthy relationship is
communication, things tend to work themselves out. If you have good
communication, it goes a long way. If you don’t, you will eventually start
moving in different directions.
Have fun, laugh, and life will reward you with beautiful experiences.
The Flyers spent a brief but welcome spell at home before continuing to the
third game of their six-game trip, Friday in New Jersey against the Devils.
The Flyers lost, 5-2, in Toronto on Monday and beat the Jets, 3-2, on
Tuesday in Winnipeg. They returned home after the win, practiced
Thursday at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, then headed to Newark.
Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, who has been sidelined since Jan. 24 with a
shoulder injury, returned to practice. He was wearing a noncontact yellow
jersey and skated in the beginning. He did not take part in drills. There is no
timetable for his return.
"I am feeling better and progressing, and I am obviously not where I want to
be, and we will see where it goes the next few weeks," said Meszaros, who
was injured in the fourth game of the season, a 2-1 win at home over the
New York Rangers.
Meszaros underwent surgery on a herniated disk in his back in March. The
27-year-old returned to play in the Flyers' final playoff game, a 3-1 loss to
the Devils in the fifth game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
During the summer, Meszaros ruptured his right Achilles tendon while
working out in his native Slovakia, but he returned in time for the Flyers
season.
"To come back and then after four games to get hurt is frustrating," he said.
"It's bad luck."
Sean Couturier returned to practice after missing the last two games with
the flu. Couturier traveled with the Flyers to Toronto but was so sick that he
did not attend Monday's game, opting to stay in his hotel.
Couturier went home the next day. He said the rest was beneficial.
"I feel great," he said. "I feel good to go and hopefully I will play" Friday.
The Flyers, who are 2-6 on the road, were also feeling good after the
victory.
"It was a big win and we sacrificed and paid the price to win that game
physically, and we're hoping that carries over for the rest of the road trip,"
forward Danny Briere said.
The Flyers were glad to spend some time at home before continuing their
longest road trip of the season.
"It's good to break up the monotony of being on the road and check in with
your house, your family, significant others, and change your clothes, get
refreshed, and go back out," said coach Peter Laviolette, whose team is 67-1. "It's also good to get back to our rink and have a practice and work on
things we need to work on."
One thing they have to work on is stopping the Devils' recent dominance.
New Jersey beat the Flyers, 3-0, on Jan. 22. A Stanley Cup finalist last
season, New Jersey leads the Eastern Conference at 8-2-3.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Flyers back Olympic participation
FRANK SERAVALLI,
You don’t always get what you want, but you always get what you attract.
What you are attracting is what you are thinking.
With love this Valentine’s Day,
Bernie Parent
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Philadelphia Flyers
DELICATE negotiations impacting the state of hockey are under way in
New York this week.
That's not a misprint. The future of NHL hockey is finally secure, with a 10year deal after a 119-day lockout, but the fate of NHL players attending the
2014 Olympic Winter Games is still very much up in the air.
The torch will be lit in Sochi, Russia, on Feb. 6, 2014 - just 356 days from
now - and no agreement has been reached for NHL participation for the fifth
straight Winter Games. Honchos from the league, NHL Players' Association
(NHLPA) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) met for 90 minutes
on Thursday and will gather again on Friday to decide whether to halt
league play next February.
That's big news for the Flyers, who currently have six surefire participants
on their roster: Claude Giroux (Canada), Kimmo Timonen (Finland), Ilya
Bryzgalov (Russia), Jake Voracek (Czech Republic) and Andrej Meszaros
(Slovakia). Nick Grossmann (Sweden) is also a strong candidate.
"I don't know why it's even a discussion why we shouldn't go to the
Olympics," Voracek said Thursday. "I could see if it was every year, but it's
only every 4 years. I don't know why they couldn't work out the schedule
right now. For most of us players, it's a dream come true to be an Olympian
for your home country. I would be pretty sad if we couldn't."
Some players, like Russian Alex Ovechkin, have already vowed to leave
their NHL clubs next year - even without an official agreement - to
participate. His Washington Capitals owner, Ted Leonsis, has already
granted him permission.
Slap shots
The Flyers skated for more than 75 minutes on Thursday, which will be their
only practice this week . . . Nick Grossmann (maintenance) sat out practice,
while Sean Couturier (flu) returned to the ice for the first time since missing
Monday and Tuesday's games . . . Scott Hartnell (broken foot) will visit a
doctor Friday to receive clearance to begin skating Saturday . . . Jarmo
Kekalainen, hired by Columbus on Wednesday as the NHL's first Europeanborn general manager, was Kimmo Timonen's first agent . . . New Eagles
defensive-line coach Jerry Azzinaro was the running backs coach at
Westfield State (Mass.) University in 1985, at the same time Flyers coach
Peter Laviolette played hockey there.
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Philadelphia Flyers
Giroux has what it takes to be a good Flyers captain
Sam Donnellon,
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday he remains committed to
Olympic participation "under the right circumstances."
Negotiations began under testy circumstances after IIHF president and IOC
executive board member Rene Fasel said last week that Bettman had "no
other choice" but to allow players to go, and that it was "ego from some
people in North America" that was keeping it from happening.
The sticking point does not seem to be the scheduling of the events, but
rather the business breakdown. Since the iron-fisted IOC runs the Winter
Games, the NHL not only receives no cut of the profits, but it also has no
say in ticketing. For instance, if Flyers chairman Ed Snider wanted to see
Giroux play, the NHL would have no way of securing tickets or a luxury box
to host executives.
In fact, the NHL can't even use the Olympic ring image - and has no rights
to video from the Games.
Since ice hockey is the most popular of the Winter Games sports, the IOC
should bend a little. To not follow up on the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,
which featured Sidney Crosby's gold-medal winning goal in overtime for
Canada over the United States, would be a crime for all hockey fans.
"I've done it four times and every time it's been a good experience," said
Timonen, noting it would likely be his last Finnish national team
appearance. "Not just thinking about myself, it's good for hockey.
Hockeywise, it's great, full rinks and people love hockey. As a player, if we
can go there, I'm happy to do it."
Timonen and Mike Richards (Canada) represented the Flyers in 2010.
Vancouver made logistics easy, but Timonen said jumping right back into
the NHL schedule was tough. The Olympics ended on a Sunday, the Flyers
played in Tampa Bay on Tuesday night. The NHL took a total of 18 days
off.
Giroux, then 22, watched Crosby's golden goal at home in hockey-mad
Canada.
"It was a good experience just watching. To be a part of it would be
unbelievable," Giroux said. "It's the best hockey you can get. Hockey is
Canada's sport, it's an important thing. It's every kid's dream to win a gold
medal for your country. Obviously, it would be hard on your body, but you
don't think twice about it."
Meszaros skates
Defenseman Andrej Meszaros was back on the ice Thursday for the first
time since injuring his left shoulder on Jan. 24 against the Rangers.
Meszaros did not have surgery, but has tried to strengthen the area that's
giving him problems.
A return date is unclear, and it may take a couple more weeks for him to
heal. He wore a yellow, non-contact jersey in drills.
"I'm doing better than I thought," Meszaros said when asked about his
shooting. "I feel I am progressing. Obviously, I'm not where I want to be, as
yet. We'll see how the next few weeks go."
Meszaros, 27, has played just five games (including playoffs) since last
March 1, sitting out with three different serious injuries (herniated disc, torn
Achilles' tendon, shoulder).
WHEN CLAUDE Giroux looked to his right for much of last season, he saw
a future Hall of Famer. When he looked to his left, he saw a soon-to-be AllStar, playing in his 12th season.
Now, Claude Giroux looks to his left and sees a player who has scored 20
goals in a season only once. When he looks to his right, he sees a secondyear player who was a revelation as an undrafted free agent last season,
but a guy who is actually older than the newest Flyers captain.
That's just Friday night. A few more unproductive games, and Giroux might
be playing with one or two other guys, instead of Wayne Simmonds and
Matt Read.
After contributing an assist Tuesday in Winnipeg, Giroux has eight points
over the Flyers' first 14 games. That's well off his pace of a year ago, when
he finished third in the NHL in scoring, amassing 93 points with Jaromir
Jagr and Scott Hartnell as his regular wingmen.
Jagr signed in Dallas after last season. Hartnell was hurt early in this latestarting season, and is expected to test his broken foot over the weekend.
Meanwhile, coach Peter Laviolette continues to tinker as Giroux continues
to toil, looking for the combination that will unlock the Flyers star.
"Claude's playing hard out there," Laviolette said after practice Thursday.
"The points usually follow that. Sometimes, it takes time before things break
open. But the biggest thing you want see in those situations is, are they
playing hard? Are they competing at a high level? Claude is doing all of
that."
It's a hard thing to decipher, whether Giroux' scoring struggles since being
named captain are due more to these missing pieces than missing mojo.
No doubt, a captain's effect on his team can be overstated. Zach Parise left
the Devils as a free agent following their run to the Stanley Cup finals a
year ago, and here are those pesky Devils sitting atop the Eastern
Conference, playing lights-out hockey entering Friday's game against the
Flyers.
Still, the captain of your team should be a table-setter, should be a hard
worker who is willing to lead his team, which includes postgame duties as
well as in-game ones. When Eric Lindros and Mike Richards slipped out
back doors rather than face the unwashed media hordes after tough playoff
losses, it was not just about avoiding the media. It was about avoiding the
pressure. It was noted by teammates and the hierarchy.
Both men were named captains at a young age because of their status.
They were among the youngest players on the team when they were
tabbed, and it might have affected their ability and willingness to do the kind
of motivating, prodding and occasional scolding that more seasoned
players such as Keith Primeau and Chris Pronger were willing and able to.
Giroux' situation is different. At 25, he already is in his fifth season as a
Flyer, served as their de facto captain last season in the wake of Pronger's
season-ending injury - and excelled. Now, in a dressing room filled with
first- and second-year players, he is among the more experienced and older
than seven of them.
Clearly, the team's personality has changed significantly from last season's
high-scoring, high-risk team. The Flyers lean far more heavily on Brayden
Schenn than they did a year ago. They expect or need consistency from
Sean Couturier and Read. They need Simmonds, still only 24, to continue
his improvement as an offensive weapon.
"We've got a ton of young, skill players who are years away from reaching
their peak," Danny Briere said.
Of course, Giroux could aid all of them if his shots start to snap twine. And
vice versa.
"Well, I know if I score points, it's going to help the team, right?" Giroux said
this week. "We've had a lot of chances. We've just got to keep going here.
It's going to start going in pretty soon here."
Leadership is often forged through such trials and hard times. Drafted third
overall by Detroit in 1990 amid great expectations, Primeau would not have
been a good captain choice at 25. Traded twice during his career, Primeau
was part of a veteran group that feuded with and resisted Flyers coach Bill
Barber, leading to Barber's dismissal following a dismal first-round loss to
Ottawa in 2001-02.
Was that leadership? Not without what followed the next two seasons. The
Flyers played in 31 playoff games in those years, and Primeau nearly
carried a beaten-up squad into the Stanley Cup finals in what Phil Esposito
called the greatest individual playoff effort he had ever seen.
With his heroics against the Penguins last April, Giroux already has hinted
that he is capable of that - and that, like his younger teammates, his best
highlights are in his future.
So, too, are episodes like this. Briere recalls that when he was 25 and
playing in Phoenix, "I was still just a prospect."
"It's gonna come," Briere said. "He's just too good for it not to."
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Philadelphia Flyers
That’s what the Flyers have to be thinking as they head into New Jersey on
Friday night.
At 8-2-3, the Devils lead the Atlantic Division and have been beating up
rivals in that bracket to the tune of 6-1-1, including a recent weekend sweep
of the highly regarded Pittsburgh Penguins.
But the Flyers hope to be fortified by the possible return of center Sean
Couturier, who missed Monday night’s loss at Toronto and Tuesday night’s
win at Winnipeg with a flu bug.
Couturier participated in Thursday’s practice at the Skate Zone in Voorhees
and sounds like he’s getting close to full strength.
The Flyers, who will play the third of a six-game road trip, have seen Jersey
only once this year, in Newark, and that didn’t go so well, coming out on the
short end of a 3-0 score.
That was also the game they lost Scott Hartnell to a broken left foot, so it
wasn’t a good memory.
Getting Couturier back, while the Devils just lost ex-Flyer Dainius Zubrus to
wrist surgery, should give the Flyers a lift.
"I don't know how it happened, it's just good to be back and have my energy
back, I feel great now and ready to go,’’ Couturier said.
The Flyers have lost only once in regulation (5-1 at Toronto) in their past six
games (4-1-1) and Couturier likes the way that record has been achieved.
"We're playing a lot better hockey lately,’’ Couturier said. “The past five or
six games have been pretty good. We played tight defense, except the
Toronto game. But we're playing good hockey. We're on the right path and
we'll try to keep building on that."
Couturier said he did get a flu shot (which didn’t do much good) and stayed
away from the team for the good of the players.
“You have to do what's right for the team,’’ he said. “So I didn't want to give
the virus to someone else.’’
Although the Flyers have bounced back nicely after a 2-6 start, Danny
Briere isn’t satisfied.
Report: $8,000 worth of Flyers tickets stolen from home
Vaughn Johnson
It’s not even safe to have tickets delivered to your front door anymore.
According to Fox 29, a Flyers fan living in Ardmore had $8,000 worth of
team season tickets stolen after they were delivered to the home.
The package was apparently too big to fit inside of the mailbox, so it was
left in between the front door and the storm door. But when the owner of the
home returned, the tickets were gone.
This comes one day after ESPN reported that NHL teams had instituted a
large percentage increase in ticket prices; larger than both the NFL and
NBA.
The report from ESPN also said that the Flyers had the third-most
expensive ticket prices on average among American teams in the NHL.
As for the rightful owner of the stolen tickets, all hope is not lost.
Fox 29 spoke with Comcast Spectacor, who said that since every ticket
purchased includes a barcode, the tickets could be canceled or reissued.
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Philadelphia Flyers
Couturier back on the road again
Wayne Fish
“Our start wasn't up to what we wanted and what we expect of ourselves,’’
he said. “But look at our record, the last six games we're 4-1-1. It's much
better. Our game as a team is a little better, probably not where we want it
to be quite yet, but definitely a step in the right direction. It's nice to get a
few bounces going our way.’’
Mike Knuble liked the way the Flyers battled in Winnipeg. It’s a tough
building to get two points.
"Great win,’’ he said. “The morale was awesome and the odds were against
us. To pull it out, it felt good for all the guys in the locker room. It's better
than coming home and fighting from a loss. You come out for a practice
today and everybody feels a little bit better."
The Flyers know they will have to play an air-tight game because the Devils
won’t be in a good mood after having a win streak snapped by Carolina.
“I didn't really like our game the first time we played in New Jersey,’’ coach
Peter Laviolette said. “For the first period and a half we played the kind of
game we needed to play ... then it got away from us."
Laviolette said his players are focused on "cleaning up our game" for
Friday.
Meszaros update: Defenseman Andrej Meszaros, who has played only four
games due to a left shoulder injury, skated for the first time with the team on
Thursday.
"Tough to say,’’ Meszaros said when asked for an update. “I'm feeling
better. Progressing, but obviously not where I want to be yet. We'll see how
it goes the next few weeks.’’
It’s been a bumpy ride for Meszaros the past three years.
He underwent right wrist surgery in 2011 offseason, injured his back last
year and had herniated disc surgery in March. Then he got hurt again last
summer and had to have right Achilles’ surgery. And now the shoulder.
Flyers tonight
If you’re going to test yourself against the best, you might as well do it with
your best.
What: Flyers at New Jersey Devils.
When: 7:05.
Where: Prudential Center.
TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM.
Season series: New Jersey leads, 1-0.
What to watch: For the Flyers, it’s always about dealing with Devil goalie
Martin Brodeur. The last time they met, Brodeur recorded his 10th career
shutout against the Flyers, tying the 10 he has vs. the Islanders for most
ever. It’s also the most by any goaltender against the Flyers. . .Flyers are 26 on the road. . .Philadelphia has lost two straight in New Jersey.
Flyers Saturday
What: Flyers at Montreal Canadiens.
When: 7:05.
Where: Bell Centre.
TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM.
Season series: First meeting.
Having split their first two games of this six-game road trip, the 6-7-1 Flyers
are at least treading water in the Eastern Conference.
“Our start wasn’t up to what we wanted and what we expect of ourselves,”
Briere said of the 0-3 start his team has recovered from. “But look at our
record, the last six games we’re 4-1-1. It’s much better. Our game as a
team is a little better, probably not where we want it to be quite yet, but
definitely a step in the right direction. It’s nice to get a few bounces going
our way.
“Even in Toronto (a 5-2 loss Monday) we didn’t play that badly. We fell
asleep for about six minutes in that game and they took advantage of us.
But overall, we had double the scoring chances they had in Toronto. Their
goaltender was hot and we got caught in a few plays with them behind our
defenesemen. That’s the way the game goes sometimes.”
But with a schedule that demands fast recovery, the Flyers were able to put
that Maple Leafs debacle behind them and earn a solid road win against the
Jets.
“The morale was awesome and the odds were against us,” Mike Knuble
said. “To pull it out, it felt good for all the guys in the locker room. ... You
come out for a practice today and everybody feels a little bit better.”
Burlington County Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
NOTES: Nick Grossmann was a no-show at practice Thursday, with the
official reason listed as “maintenance day.” But the maintenance is likely a
slight injury Grossman will probably try to play through in New Jersey. ...
Andrej Meszaros (shoulder) skated for 30 minutes with assistant coaches in
the morning then joined his teammates for 30 more minutes on the ice,
though he didn’t participate in any contact drills. Should be seeing Scott
Hartnell (foot fracture) begin skating soon, too.
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Delaware County Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
What to watch: The Flyers have a three-game winning streak against the
Habs dating back to Oct. 26, 2011. . .Montreal got off to a quick start, as
goaltender Carey Price has played well. Two Canadien rookies to keep an
eye on are Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. . .The Flyers are 1-2
in the second half of back-to-back games.
Philadelphia Flyers
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Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Scoop: Sean Couturier, mates happy to be on upswing
Injured Meszaros returns to practice with Flyers
By ROB PARENT
Staff
VOORHEES, N.J. — Two days after he was too sick to take in the lovely
mid-winter sights of Winnipeg, Sean Couturier was back on ice in South
Jersey. The Flyers center, who missed two games in Canada with a
stomach virus, practiced in full Thursday and expects to be in the lineup
tonight when the Flyers visit the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.
“It’s just good to be back and have my energy back,” Couturier said. “I feel
great now ... ready to go. Hopefully I’ll play tomorrow.”
Couturier, the Flyers’ best defensive center who at the start of this season
wasn’t playing like it, wasn’t feeling so spry the other day. Though he flew
with the team to Toronto, he stayed at the hotel while his teammates went
to the morning practice at Air Canada Centre, and things got worse from
there. Couturier missed that game, and as his team headed west to
Winnipeg, he booked a passage south.
“I made it to Toronto but came back Tuesday on my own,” Couturier said.
“You don’t feel right, you don’t feel good. You have to do what’s right for the
team. So I didn’t want to give the virus to someone else. I didn’t want it
around the team. So I think it was the best thing.”
Couturier said he got sick despite getting a flu shot: “Funny, eh?”
While not well enough to really laugh, the rapidly recovered Couturier —
who in 12 games has but 2 goals and 5 points and is a minus-5 — was
seriously relieved that his teammates were able to steal out of Winnipeg
with a win.
“We’re playing a lot better hockey lately,” Couturier said. “The past five or
six games have been pretty good. We played tight defense ... except for the
Toronto game. But we’re playing good hockey. We’re on the right path and
we’ll try to keep building on that.”
He could easily include himself in that assessment.
“It’s always good when you get a player like that back in your lineup,”
Danny Briere said of Couturier. “He obviously left a big hole when he was
out the last two games. But we have a lot of depth up and down our lineup.
So we were able to find a big way to win in Winnipeg. But it’s still nice to
have him back.”
Talk about the frustrations of a hockey player, Andrej Meszaros has had his
fill for one season.
Even if it’s a shortened one.
First, the Flyers' defenseman had to spend the entire lockout rehabbing a
torn right Achilles tendon injury.
Then four games into the schedule, he suffered an AC joint injury to his left
shoulder with a projected one month to six-week recovery.
Keep in mind, he had herniated disk surgery last March, missing the final 19
games of the season and played just one playoff game.
On Thursday, Meszaros rejoined his teammates for practice wearing the
“no contact” yellow jersey.
He spent about 25 minutes doing drills with teammates after a previous 35minute workout with a couple coaches and scratched players.
Today represented his third time on the ice. So where is Meszaros in his
recovery timeline?
“Tough to say,” he replied. “I feel I am progressing. Obviously, I’m not
where I want to be, as yet. We’ll see how the next few weeks go.”
Meszaros injured his left shoulder on Jan. 24 against the Rangers when
checked into the boards by the Rangers’ Ryan Callahan at the end of the
second period of would become a 2-1 Flyers’ victory.
Really, since last spring, it’s been one serious injury after another for the
Slovak defenseman.
And if you go back to his first year as a Flyer [2010-11], he had offseason
wrist surgery that summer.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Meszaros said. “When we didn’t play with the
lockout, I wanted to play games in Europe and it didn’t happen. So the
focus was get healthy and try to start the season on time, which I did.
“That was very good for me, but to come out [of the lineup] after four
games, it’s frustrating and bad luck, I guess. What are you gonna do?
That’s the way it is. Hockey is a physical sport. Injuries are gonna happen.
It’s unfortunate to me that this happened back-to-back – the Achilles and
the shoulder. I try not to think about it. Try to stay positive and do rehab
every day.
“Maybe it’s a good thing I can get ready right now and get my rehab in for
the stretch run.”
Meszaros plans a return visit to an orthopedist when the Flyers road trip
ends next week. Next Friday (Feb. 22) will mark four weeks since the injury.
He still needs contact, and to work on strengthening the shoulder,
particularly as it pertains to shooting the puck.
Meszaros has one of the hardest, most accurate shots on the team. He’s
left-handed, too, which means all the power is coming off the injured side
on his follow-through.
“I’m doing better than I thought,” he said. “Today I was shooting it, but not
the way I shoot. I’m trying easy shots, nothing from far away. A little closer
to get it on net.”
He’ll know he’s ready when he can rip a slap shot from the point.
“That and some battle drills along the boards – stuff like that,” he said.
Grossmann out
The Flyers go into Friday’s game at New Jersey Nick Grossmann not
practicing on Thursday.
Though general manager Paul Holmgren called Grossmann’s absence a
“maintenance day,” a club source said he has a "minor injury" but is
expected to play Friday.
That occurred during opening week of the season when the Flyers started
out 0-3. Since then, Bryzgalov has played very well, even though his
numbers aren’t quite as strong as they were nine days ago.
Yet here’s what matters: the Flyers are 4-1-1 over his last six starts. During
that stretch, Bryzgalov’s goals against average is an inflated 2.71 and his
save percentage is .906.
That’s because the Flyers have had some shoddy periods of poor team
defense in front of him.
In early February, he had a 2.20 GAA and .923 save percentage. Still, he’s
given the Flyers a chance to win every game. That is most important.
Bryzgalov held things together Tuesday night in Winnipeg in the first six
minutes when the Jets were all over the Flyers. He finished with 24 saves.
“It’s always nice to play in Canada and to come back,” he said. “We
survived the storm.”
Indeed, they survived it with a 1-0 lead.
“When you go down a goal or two and drop yourself in a deficit with a backto-back game, it becomes tough,” he said. “You have to expend a lot of
energy to [come back]. When the game is tied 0-0, anything can happen.”
The Flyers are going to need Bryzgalov to be sharp Friday night in Newark,
because the Devils will be looking to jump on them like they did in their first
meeting with a goal in the opening and closing minute of the first period.
“He’s one of the best goalies this year,” Flyer captain Claude Giroux said.
“He finds a way to make the save. He’s quick. He’s working so hard off the
ice so it pays off on the ice.”
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Philadelphia Flyers
Other older vets, such as Kimmo Timonen, were on the ice Thursday.
Holmgren made two trips to Peter Laviolette’s office after today’s practice,
which is not an everyday occurrence. His expression was one of concern,
too.
NHL Wrap: Isles top Rangers in shootout
Couturier back
Staff
Sean Couturier, who was felled from a stomach virus hours before the
game in Toronto, returned to the ice today.
Couturier missed both games in Toronto and Winnipeg. He was sent home
to recover and to safeguard infecting the entire team.
“I woke up that [Monday] morning and didn’t feel too well,” he said. “The
first 24 hours were bad. I couldn’t really eat.”
Though Couturier took the morning skate in Toronto, by midday, he was
too sick to do anything.
“As the day went on, it got worse and worse,” he said.
Couturier, who weighs 191, said he lost about three pounds in two days.
NEW YORK -- After a rough first period, the New York Islanders came out
and played as though they had nothing to lose.
At the same time, they might have caught the New York Rangers thinking
they already had the game won.
The slumping Islanders erased a two-goal deficit with three second-period
goals and then held off the Rangers in a shootout to win 4-3 on Thursday
night and snap a five-game losing streak.
John Tavares scored in the second-period outburst and then followed Frans
Nielsen's goal in the tiebreaker to seal the much-needed victory in a place
the Islanders have had little recent success (see full recap).
It would appear as though Laviolette is going to ease him back into the
lineup Friday at New Jersey against the Devils on a fourth line.
Capitals win third straight
Couturier centered Max Talbot and Zac Rinaldo in Thursday’s practice.
TAMPA, Fla. -- Eric Fehr has found a scoring touch for the improving
Washington Capitals.
“We’ll see, I haven’t really talked to the coach or anything,” he said.
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Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers need Bryzgalov to be sharp vs. Devils
Fehr scored two goals, Mathieu Perreault had three assists, and the
Capitals won their third straight game by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning
4-3 on Thursday.
"I definitely want to help contribute," Fehr said. "I wasn't happy with the way
my season went at all last year, and I really wanted to turn it around. I'm
feeling pretty confident right now."
Troy Brouwer and Jay Beagle had the other Washington goals (see full
recap).
Staff
The last time the Flyers met the Devils, they were embarrassed 3-0 in
Newark.
Ilya Bryzgalov couldn’t stop a penalty shot from Ilya Kovalchuk, and it was
all the momentum the Devils needed.
Canadiens top Panthers in OT
SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Montreal Canadiens took advantage of solid
goaltending and a puck that finally bounced their way.
Bourque's winner came on a tip-in just in front of the net. Alex Galchenyuk
“It is tough to say I am feeling better,” said Meszaros, a former first-round
draft pick by Ottawa. “I am progressing.”
"We just kind of knew it was going to be one of those goals, an ugly goal,
that would probably get the job done," Bourque said. "I was just trying to
whack it somewhere," (see full recap).
Courier-Post LOADED: 02.15.2013
657412
Phoenix Coyotes
657411
Philadelphia Flyers
Phoenix Coyotes give up 3 in the 3rd, fall to Nashville Predators
Flyers: Couturier expected to return
Associated Press
Kevin Callahan
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Predators have struggled to generate
goals this season. Fortunately for them, Pekka Rinne doesn’t give up many,
either.
VOORHEES — In this short NHL season, wins not only can come on game
days.
Rinne made 19 saves for his second consecutive shutout, leading the
Predators to a 3-0 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night.
Especially for the Flyers, who not only suffered a slow start, but one
burdened with injuries
Gabriel Bourque, Nick Spaling and Mike Fisher had the Nashville goals.
Rinne has shutouts in three of his past four starts and has not allowed a
goal in his last 137 minutes, 41 seconds of action.
So, the Flyers welcomed a pair of “wins” in practice Thursday when Sean
Couturier and Andrej Meszaros resumed skating at the Skate Zone.
Indeed, for the Flyers to dig out of their 0-3 start and challenge for a playoff
spot during this condensed 48-game schedule, they will need their top
players healthy. So seeing Couturier, who missed the last two games due
to sickness, and Meszaros, who has been out since late January with a
sprained left shoulder, on the ice are a pair of minor wins for the Flyers,
now 6-7-1.
After practice, Peter Laviolette would say only Couturier and Meszaros
“looked good” because the coach doesn’t comment about injuries.
The same looking-good comment can be said about the Flyers, who play
the division-leading Devils tonight in Newark. The last visit to the Prudential
Center was a 3-0 loss that dropped the Flyers to 0-3 and on the verge of
panic.
But the Flyers (6-7-1) have rebounded nicely and are just one game under
.500. They are 4-1-1 over Ilya Bryzgalov’s last six starts in goal, including
an all-around impressive 3-2 win Tuesday night at Winnipeg.
“We are playing a lot better hockey lately,” Couturier said. “The past five, six
games have been pretty good, tight defense, except the Toronto game, but
we are playing some good hockey and we are on the right way, the right
path, and we just have to build on that.”
Couturier, a first-round pick and the eighth selection in the 20011 draft,
missed the 5-2 loss Monday to the Maple Leafs. He flew to Toronto with the
team, but stayed in the hotel for the game after feeling sick. He then flew
back to Philadelphia Tuesday while the team went to Winnipeg.
“It is never fun missing a game, especially with flu,” Couturier said. “I’m just
glad to get back and get my energy back.”
“It felt good,” Couturier added about returning to the ice for practice. “The
last couple days didn’t feel too good, and I feel a lot better.”
Couturier, who is tied for seventh on the team in scoring with two goals and
three assists, said he is close to 100 percent. But his value to the team
can’t be measured in numbers because he is also a strong forechecker.
“I feel good to go and hopefully will play,” Couturier said about facing the
Devils, who lead the Atlantic Division with an 8-2-3 record.
“Well, it is a big boost when you get a player like that in lineup,” Danny
Briere said about Couturier, who collected 13 goals and 14 assists in his
first NFL season last year. “It obviously left a big hole when he was out of
the lineup.”
Meanwhile, Meszaros won’t play against the Devils, who knocked the
Flyers out of the playoffs last season, because he is still probably at least
two to three weeks from returning to game action.
The 6-foot-2, 223 pound defenseman was diagnosed to be out a month
when the injury occurred on Jan. 24.
Meszaros, who wore a yellow no-contact jersey in skating with the team for
the first time since the injury, said his shoulder felt good.
“Especially the last two games, I thought the first periods, he allowed us to
win the games,” Predators coach Barry Trotz said. “Anytime that you are
going to have impact in a game, those top players, those great players in
the league have impact when you are not stabilized.”
Bourque scored the game’s first goal at 2:40 of the third period.
With the Predators on a power play, Martin Erat sent a wrist shot from the
right boards toward the net. With his back facing Coyotes goalie Mike
Smith, Bourque deflected Erat’s shot with his right skate. After making
contact with Bourque’s skate, the puck trickled across the goal line on
Smith’s stick side.
“It was a tight game. You thought the first team that scored was going to
have a big advantage, and that’s exactly how it turned out,” Phoenix coach
Dave Tippett said. “We had some opportunities, actually had some good
setup time, but the pucks we were getting to the net weren’t dangerous
pucks.”
Spaling added an insurance goal at 9:38 of the third.
Matt Halischuk won a battle for the puck in the right corner and found
Spaling at the right faceoff dot. From there, Spaling beat Smith with a wrist
shot tucked just underneath the crossbar on the short side.
“I got a nice pass from Hali there,” Spaling said. “I was shooting high and
there was a little bit of a hole.”
Fisher concluded the scoring with his second of the season at 18:16.
Phoenix had its best chance of the game just more than 3 minutes into the
opening period.
With all but one Predators player caught in the offensive zone, all five
Coyotes on the ice drove into the Nashville zone on an unusual 5-on-1
break. Ex-Predator Steve Sullivan sent a wrist shot on goal, but Rinne was
able to glove the puck and force a faceoff.
“I thought we had a really good first period, really kind of set the pace, but
they bounced back and had a really good second,” Sullivan said. “We
thought we had hung around long enough for a good road win and come
out with a good third period, but they got a lucky break on the power-play
goal. They got some confidence from that and we couldn’t recover.”
Rinne later denied Sullivan on a backhander at 16:06 of the third with the
Predators holding a two-goal lead.
“I think right now I am just getting results,” Rinne said. “I am feeling good,
but the team in front of me, they are playing so good.”
Sullivan played his first game in Nashville since leaving the Predators
following the 2011 playoffs. In parts of six seasons with Nashville, Sullivan
played 317 regular-season games, scoring 100 goals and adding 163
assists.
He was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2009 following his
return after missing nearly two full years of action with a back injury.
During the game’s first media timeout, the Predators played a highlight
video of Sullivan’s time in Nashville. At the conclusion of the video, Sullivan
stood up and waved to the applauding crowd.
NOTES: The Predators outshot their opponent for just the second time this
season. … Erat played his 700th career game, all with Nashville. …
Phoenix D Derek Morris sustained an upper-body injury in the first period
and did not return.
Hello, Beau
Left wing Beau Bennett, the team's 2010 first-round draft pick, could make
his NHL debut Friday in Winnipeg. Coach Dan Bylsma informed Bennett,
who was in town for a medical check-up, that he had been recalled at 9:30
a.m. Thursday.
Arizona Republic LOADED: 02.15.2013
Bylsma said that if Bennett plays in Winnipeg, he could see time on the
second power play. He was noncommittal about what line Bennett would
play on.
657413
“I haven't been really told anything yet,” Bennett said.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Maintenance Days
Penguins defend Cooke; Bennett recalled
By Josh Yohe
Center Evgeni Malkin and center Brandon Sutter (who turned 24 on
Thursday) were given the day off from practice. Both will play in Winnipeg.
Tribune Review LOADED: 02.15.2013
657414
There was a time when even some of Matt Cooke's teammates were upset
with his on-ice behavior.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Sens defender Karlsson's season over after surgery on cut Achilles
Those days are long gone.
To a man, the Penguins defended Cooke following a barrage of criticism
from the Ottawa Senators stemming from an incident in which star
defenseman Erik Karlsson sustained a season-ending Achilles injury after
being clipped by Cooke's skate blade.
“It's pretty obvious what happened was an accident,” defenseman Deryk
Engelland said. “Even if you're trying to do that to someone, you're not
going to be able to pull that off.”
Penguins general manager Ray Shero spoke with NHL disciplinarian
Brendan Shanahan on Thursday. Shanahan assured Shero that Cooke
would not be disciplined and that he believed the incident was purely
accidental.
Cooke was upset by Karlsson's injury but emphatic that he possessed no
malicious intent.
“I understand,” he said of Ottawa's anger. “If it was Sid (Sidney Crosby) or
Tanger (Kris Letang), I'm sure the reaction in Pittsburgh and within our team
would be really upset. If you look at the video … it's purely an accident.”
By The Associated Press
OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson had seasonending surgery to repair his left Achilles after the tendon was cut by a skate
blade during a game against the Penguins.
well. He also said 70 percent of the tendon was cut.
The Norris Trophy winner last season as the NHL's top defenseman,
Karlsson was cut by the blade of Penguins forward Matt Cooke's skate, as
the two tangled along the boards during the second period of Wednesday
night's game.
The loss of Karlsson is a big one to Ottawa, which already is without star
forward Jason Spezza. He is out after having back surgery for a herniated
disc.
His teammates had Cooke's back. Ottawa general manager Bryan Murray
and coach Paul MacLean ripped Cooke following the game, suggesting
Cooke's reputation speaks for itself.
657415
“I understand where they're coming from, but the fact is there was nothing
wrong with what Cookie did,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “Slow
motion can make things look so much worse. It wasn't bad at all.”
Kovacevic: Beau should know it’s his time
Former Penguins center Jordan Staal sustained a similar injury during the
2010 postseason when Montreal defenseman PK Subban tramped on his
leg.
Dejan Kovacevic
“I remember what Subban did to Staalsy,” right wing Tyler Kennedy said.
“We didn't make that big of a deal out of it. Skates are sharp. Sometimes it
cuts you.”
The Penguins were not pleased Ottawa enforcer Chris Neil attacked Cooke
in the third period.
“It wasn't intentional,” Engelland said of Cooke's hit. “By all means it wasn't
dirty. For Neil to go after him, it's pretty sad.”
The Penguins will play the Senators once more this season, in Ottawa on
April 22.
According to Murray, Karlsson will miss a minimum of three months,
meaning he couldn't return this season unless the Senators make a lengthy
playoff run.
“It's unfortunate,” Cooke said. “I feel awful that Erik has to deal with it. It's
just a freak accident.”
Pittsburgh Penguins
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Brief and to the Point ...
Beau Bennett might not sizzle in his NHL debut here Friday night. It
wouldn't be fair to expect that, anyway. The Penguins' prized prospect is
still a baby-faced 21-year-old, he's played only 35 pro games, and, really,
he wasn't a mega-scorer in college or in the minors.
Besides, there won't be a whole lot of anything sizzling in this town with
forecasts calling for a wind chill well below zero.
Getting hot can be a relative concept, you know.
At the same time, know this: The Penguins will give Bennett every chance
to do exactly that, based on conversations this week with team executives.
If it takes just a couple shifts Friday against the Jets, great.
If it takes a couple weeks, even the couple months between now and the
April 3 NHL trade deadline, that's fine, too.
He's the Penguins' guy.
And nothing more than an accident, according to Cooke's teammates.
“It was an emotional response,” defenseman Brooks Orpik said about the
Senators. “You know that the media is allowed in your room five minutes
after the game. Sometimes it's better to say 'no comment' and talk about it
the next day. There wasn't anything wrong with the hit.”
He won't be just another cameo winger, whether he winds up with Sidney
Crosby - my choice - or Evgeni Malkin.
If you need proof, Ray Shero currently isn't pursuing that type of player in a
trade. No, not even the Maple Leafs' Nikolai Kulemin, despite the buzz out
of Toronto. Kulemin is intriguing. He and Malkin were linemates in Russia's
KHL. But no talks means no talks.
I like Bennett's chances. He's never been one to play in traffic, but he's got
soft hands, he can dangle, and he's sharp. People I trust say he'll find the
net.
For now, Shero's taking the right path. If this position is shored up, he can
use the deadline to bolster the blue line.
• Just-for-fun Q: Bill James, godfather of baseball's modern metrics,
compiles an intricate - and broadly cited - defensive stat called Runs Saved.
Name the only current member of the Pirates to rank among the top five or
bottom five in the majors at his full-time position in 2012.
Answer at end.
• Speaking of prized prospects: Don't know how much more transparent the
Pirates can make it that their plan is to call up Gerrit Cole by midseason.
Rob Rossi
Dan Bylsma is writing the story.
Friday marks his unprecedented fourth consecutive year as head coach of
the Penguins.
His 285 regular-season games are more than Eddie Johnston coached in
either of two stints behind the bench. His 174 victories are eight more than
the combined total of his two predecessors, Michel Therrien and Eddie
Olczyk. His 28 playoff victories are five ahead of Scotty Bowman's previous
franchise record.
The measure of Bylsma's imprint goes beyond achievements, including the
ultimate one that came less than four months into his tenure.
One would hope that, whenever such a move is made, it's made for the
right reasons.
On Feb. 15, 2009, Bylsma inherited a defending conference champion that
was five points from a playoff spot with 25 games remaining. His
professional head coaching experience was all of 54 games with WilkesBarre/Scranton of the AHL.
• Can anyone help Claude Giroux find that baton Crosby allegedly passed
to him?
On June 12, 2009, Bylsma was the 14th rookie head coach of a Stanley
Cup champion.
The Flyers' captain has been held without a point in eight of 14 games and,
overall, has just three goals and five assists.
Today, he holds a once-unthinkable distinction as a Penguins coach with
staying power — and even the face of the franchise knows Bylsma has built
something that could last.
• Without explanation, LaMarr Woodley tweeted out a link the other night to
a November video interview he gave to the website PursuitOfGame.com.
Couldn't help but click.
“The message is the same from both (general manager) Ray (Shero) and
Dan,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “There's a lot to be said for that.”
Among the gems uncovered ...
Bylsma is the 20th man to hold the title of Penguins head coach in the
franchise's 46 year-history.
"When I'm done playing, I want to be legendary."
There is a lot more to it than coaching.
"You always talk about people getting big contracts or this or that, but they
don't talk about that when you're out of the league. They talk about those
heads that are in the Hall of Fame in Canton. I want to be one of those.
Disciplinarian
"I don't want to be the best outside linebacker who ever played. I want to be
the best linebacker. I want to be up there with the Lawrence Taylors."
A quick wit with a quicker shot, he changed the Penguins' dynamic on and
off the ice. After the 2008 Cup Final loss to Detroit, Sykora predicted the
Penguins' return to the NHL's grand stage the next year.
No snark here. I hope he means it. He's a far, far better player than he
showed in 2012.
• By the time the draft and other dust settles, the only big name the Steelers
will have let go is Casey Hampton.
• Some of what's made Suzie McConnell-Serio special through a brilliant
athletic and coaching career is that she's always looked beyond the easy.
That dates to her playing days, when she was schooling the boys in
summer leagues.
Loved her answer this week when I asked if one goal of her 19-5 Duquesne
team is to crack The AP Top 25. The Dukes had five votes last week and
need about 40.
"Not really," she replied. "I know people follow that, look at it, it's nice for
recognition. But our goal is to be considered for the NCAA Tournament.
That's it."
Petr Sykora was popular.
He watched Game 1 of the 2009 Final from a seat in the Joe Louis Arena
media box.
“Petr was thrilled with the coaching change because Michel was hard on
him and down on him,” Shero said. “Dan came in and made the judgment
that Petr was going to be in and out of the lineup. It was hard. They were
teammates (in Anaheim), and now Dan is his boss, and it was a tough
adjustment.”
Sykora always declined to comment on the nature of his relationship with
Bylsma during a 2009 postseason that played out just six years after they
played for the Mighty Ducks in the 2003 Final.
Bylsma turned to Sykora in a must-win Game 6 of the 2009 Final. Sykora's
last game as a Penguin was not marked by a goal but rather a blocked shot
that broke his foot.
That would be a program first.
“Dan sold him on the good of the team,” Shero said. “When was the last
time Petr blocked a shot?”
• If Pitt matures enough to make a March run, it'll be because Lamar
Patterson rises to a new level. He is Jamie Dixon's best hope of putting
some motion into a mostly static offense.
About a year later Bylsma pulled a veteran defenseman into his office and
cut to the chase.
• Just-for-fun answer: Russell Martin, signed by the Pirates for $17 million
mostly for his defense, was the fifth-worst defensive catcher in baseball with
a minus-6 rating.
The worst?
Rod Barajas, minus-12.
657416
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins’ Bylsma proves he has staying power
“He asked me if I was coachable,” said Jay McKee, who spent the last of
his 14-season career with the Penguins.
Blocking shots was McKee's forte, and his proficiency at it was something
Shero thought could help the Penguins defend the Cup.
“There was a point where maybe I screened the goalie, and Dan had asked
me to box out a little more,” McKee said. “The next game I tried to block
one, and the next day Dan had me in his office and said, ‘Are you
coachable?'
“That was a tough thing for me to hear.”
Instead of a screaming match, McKee and Bylsma discussed the challenge
veteran players face when trying to change their game overnight.
“I played 14 years in the NHL. I had five different coaches. I appreciated his
style the most,” McKee said.
Teacher
6.12.09
James Neal was on the wrong side.
Becomes fourth rookie coach in past 50 years to win the Stanley Cup, a 2-1
victory at Detroit in Game 7 of the Final
Admittedly jarred by a trade to the Penguins in February 2011, Neal scored
only twice in 27 games, including playoffs, after arriving in Pittsburgh.
Bylsma was flummoxed. He pored over video footage of every one of Neal's
scoring plays with Dallas before reaching a revelation.
Neal's heavy left-handed shot was generated by a quick release. He could
get off that shot from anywhere in the offensive zone. None of his goals,
Bylsma said, “were pretty.”
“But James Neal can score a bunch of NHL goals that aren't pretty,” Bylsma
said that summer.
Bylsma suggested a move from left to right winger, an off-side position that
might make Neal a more dangerous scorer.
Neal posted 40 goals last season as a right winger.
“His passion is the thing you notice,” said Mike Yeo, a former assistant on
Bylsma's staff and now head coach with the Minnesota Wild. “He finds little
things, things you only see if you spend the time studying film and paying
close attention.”
Psychologist
Evgeni Malkin is a screamer.
He had never known a coach to call a player into his office for a “good talk.”
Conversations with all of his previous coaches involved scolding and
criticism and demands for more from Malkin.
Four years ago, Bylsma had no way of knowing that Malkins — be they
Evgeni or his father, Vladimir — best express themselves loudly.
“I know exactly what Dan was thinking: ‘Why is Evgeni upset with me?'”
former Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar said. “The thing with Evgeni
is that is how he shows you respect.”
Bylsma visited Malkin in Moscow in July 2010. They spent two days
together. They talked — loudly, and have done so ever since.
“I don't know a coach who would come to Moscow,” Malkin said. “He did for
me. He cares. I like that.”
3.9.11
Signs three-year extension through the 2013-14 season
4.13.11
Sets Penguins' record with 24 playoff wins, a 3-0 win over Tampa Bay at
Consol Energy Center
6.22.11
Becomes first Penguins coach to win Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top
bench boss
2.26.12
Becomes fourth fastest coach in NHL history to 150 wins, a 4-2 win over
Columbus at Consol Energy Center
3.30.12
Leads Pens to a franchise-best third straight 100-point season, a 5-3 win at
Buffalo
Bylsma numbers
4*
Full years as coach
3*
100-point regular seasons
174
Regular-season victories
28*
Stanley Cup playoff victories
.560
Postseason road win percentage (14-11)
Survivor
199*
Bill Guerin will lobby.
Goals allowed in 2010-11
A two-time Olympian, Guerin is keenly interested in who Team USA will tab
to run the bench at the 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia.
87.8*
“He's got to be the guy,” Guerin said of Bylsma. “Look what he did with us
that Cup year. His ability to bring a group together, to create a good
atmosphere and a good feeling on the team, it's incredible. For a quick
tournament like that, guys have to buy in.”
Penalty-kill percentage in 2011-12
Bylsma is 42. His contract expires after next season.
49
Only a truncated NHL season will prevent him from extending the franchise
record of three consecutive 100-point campaigns, during one of which the
Penguins surrendered fewer than 200 goals for the only time.
Wins in 2010-11 despite 119 games (combined) missed by Sidney Crosby,
Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal
“He's brought an identity to the way we practice, prepare and play,” Shero
said. “On a daily basis, Dan is dealing with our players' professional issues,
personal issues, skill development, everything.
“He's a leader for our team, I'm sure of that.”
Bylsma milestones
2
Regular-season win streaks of 10 or more games
18.2
Regular-season power-play percentage (199 for 1,093)
Franchise records
657417
Pittsburgh Penguins
8.5.08
Promoted to head coach at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL)
Bylsma at 4 years: ‘It can be a positive thing to get a message across’
2.15.09
Tabbed to replace Michel Therrien as Penguins interim head coach
Rob Rossi
2.19.09
First NHL win, 5-4 over Montreal at Mellon Arena
4.28.09
Interim tag removed, three-year contract with Penguins finalized
Dan Bylsma talked coaching philosophy for the fourth anniversary of his
hiring by the Penguins
Q: How does a so-called players coach go about effectively delivering a
message?
A: If you're looking to say I snap and break a stick to get people's attention,
I don't. We get attention every day with what we're trying to do as a team,
and as a coach, that communication level is what's important. Having a
piece of video is not a good or a bad thing. It's about getting better. This is
what you do, this is what we are — and you get that message across
whether it's in a stern voice or showing a video. If I'm sending a message,
that's how it would come, but it's not always a negative thing. It can be a
positive thing to get a message across.
Q: You are a published author, but what does the concept of narrative
mean to you as a hockey coach?
A: If I was going to give a motivational speech, I could talk about what
happened to the Pittsburgh Penguins when I came in February 2009. We
didn't like the picture of our team, the narrative of that team. We set about
changing that. We were something different than that. We could be
something different than that. We painted the picture and outlined the story
before we did anything else. We didn't change Xs and Os. We talked about
having 25 games to write the story. We had one game against the Boston
Bruins, and that was the only time we were going to play them the rest of
the year, and they were the best in the East, and that was our one game to
let them know. We talked about how at the end of 25 games they were
going to write a story about us, but we could write that story.
As a coach, you talk about painting a picture of who you are, what you want
to be, how you want to play — and you go about smaller parts of that and
coach systems to be like that. When our players talk about “our game,”
that's the picture; we've all joked about “getting to our game,” but that's a
picture we have painted and the story of how we want to play, and we do it.
That's who we are. To me, that's the big picture/small parts narrative of
coaching that I think, really, is imperative to building your team.
The loss of Karlsson is a big one to Ottawa, which already is without star
forward Jason Spezza. He is out after having back surgery for a herniated
disc.
657420
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins promote former first-round pick
By Shelly Anderson
The Penguins today recalled winger Beau Bennett from their WilkesBarre/Scranton farm club. He could make his NHL debut as early as Friday
night in a game at Winnipeg.
Bennett, 21 and a first-year pro, has 18 assists, 25 points in 35 American
Hockey League games this season. He was a Penguins first-round draft
pick in 2010.
Post Gazette LOADED: 02.15.2013
657421
Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins Cooke cleared in collision which led to injury
By Dave Molinari
657418
Pittsburgh Penguins
Devils’ system generates success
By Tribune-Review
Penguins left winger Matt Cooke will not face discipline from the NHL for an
incident which resulted in an injury to an Ottawa player in the Penguins 4-2
victory over the Senators Wednesday night.
Cooke stepped on the back of the left leg of Senators defenseman Erik
Karlsson late in the second period of the game at Consol Energy Center,
slicing Karlsson's Achilles tendon.
The injury will be repaired surgically and there is no timetable for his return.
Cooke was not penalized on the play.
penguins gameday
vs. Jets
657422
Pittsburgh Penguins
7 p.m.
MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Top pick in 2010 for Penguins could debut tonight
TV/radio: Root Sports/ WXDX-FM (105.9), WBGG-AM (970), Penguins
Radio Networ
Records: Penguins 9-5-0, Jets 5-6-1
By Shelly Anderson
657419
Pittsburgh Penguins
Sens defender Karlsson's season over after surgery on cut Achilles
Beau Bennett left the University of Denver last spring after his sophomore
year and a hockey season that was reduced to 10 games because of wrist
surgery.
As he nears his NHL debut with the Penguins -- it could be tonight in
Winnipeg or perhaps Sunday in Buffalo after he was called up Thursday
from the American Hockey League -- it's clear where the forward's game
has improved in his first pro season.
By The Associated Press
OTTAWA — Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson had seasonending surgery to repair his left Achilles after the tendon was cut by a skate
blade during a game against the Penguins.
well. He also said 70 percent of the tendon was cut.
The Norris Trophy winner last season as the NHL's top defenseman,
Karlsson was cut by the blade of Penguins forward Matt Cooke's skate, as
the two tangled along the boards during the second period of Wednesday
night's game.
"The eye-openers [in the AHL] were just strength and speed down low,"
Bennett said Thursday after practicing with the Penguins at Southpointe.
"There's not a lot of space out there to make pretty plays, pretty passes. I
definitely had to simplify."
That jibes with coach Dan Bylsma's assessment of Bennett's play with
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
Bennett, 21 and a first-round draft pick in 2010, brings more than fancy
stickhandling.
"He's shown he's not just a skill guy who has to play on the perimeter,"
Bylsma said. "He wins puck battles. He can hang onto the puck down low.
He goes up against grown men in down-low situations and is able to win
pucks.
"That's probably been the most impressive thing about Beau in the
American Hockey League to this point. Yes, we've seen him make a play.
We've seen him score a couple of great goals. But he's been able to win
puck battles, go down low, out-battle guys and do that at the pro level."
Scouting report
Matchup:
Penguins vs. Winnipeg Jets, 7:08 p.m. today, MTS Centre, Winnipeg,
Manitoba.
TV, Radio:
Root Sports, WXDX-FM (105.9).
Probable goaltenders:
Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Ondrej Pavelec for Jets.
Penguins:
Coming off of 4-2 win against Ottawa after scoring one goal in each of their
previous two games. ... James Neal led NHL with 6 power-play goals before
games Thursday . ... Pascal Dupuis has 7 points (4 goals, 3 assists) over
past 9 games.
Bylsma was coy about his plans for Bennett, but indicated the rookie could
play on the third or fourth line initially with an eye toward moving up to one
of the top two lines.
"Whether Beau plays Friday or Sunday or when Beau plays, he's a skill guy
who has the ability to make plays and to finish," Bylsma said. "That's
something he's going to get a chance to do. Who it's with at this particular
time, he doesn't know.
"But he's definitely going to get on the second power-play unit. He's going
to have an opportunity, probably, to play in a top-six [forward] role at some
point. But isn't necessarily where he's going to start when he gets in the
lineup."
Bennett isn't trying to pick his spots -- "Just enjoying practice and this trip,"
he said -- and trying to keep up with his own learning curve.
"This year I've learned a lot," he said. "It's been a big transition, coming and
playing the [Penguins] system. Playing in the AHL is definitely harder than
college. I think I've improved from day one. That's the biggest thing."
657423
San Jose Sharks
Senators:
Beat Penguins, 4-2, Jan. 25. ... Have lost two home games in row. ...
Penalty kill is last in NHL at 67.5 percent.
San Jose Sharks: Chicago Blackhawks showing few weaknesses
Hidden stat:
By David Pollak
The Penguins have scored first in each of their road games, going 6-2.
How things play out for Bennett in the coming days are as much a mystery
as the past few.
CHICAGO -- In theory, the last team the Sharks should want to face right
now is the Chicago Blackhawks.
He was summoned to Pittsburgh earlier in the week so Penguins doctors
could evaluate an undisclosed injury that sidelined him about a week,
although he had already gotten back into the Wilkes-Barre lineup for three
games.
Ten of their 13 games have been played on the road, but more than onefourth into a shortened season, the Blackhawks are 10-0-3 and the only
NHL team to never leave an arena empty-handed. They lead the NHL with
23 points.
After Bennett watched the Penguins' 4-2 win Wednesday night against
Ottawa, the team surprised him Thursday morning with the news that he
was being promoted to the NHL roster. He didn't have time to call his family
and friends.
Talk about confidence building.
"I haven't even told anybody yet," Bennett said. "If they see it on the ticker
bar or whatever, they will know as much as I do. It's been such a whirlwind."
Bylsma said Bennett was told around 9:30 a.m. that he would be part of an
11:15 practice, then head for the team's flight to Winnipeg for the game
tonight.
Bylsma, however, kept the wraps on plans for tonight.
Conjecture has been that when Bennett was ready for the NHL, he would
get a shot at playing left winger on a line with center Evgeni Malkin and
right winger James Neal.
But in the game Wednesday, Matt Cooke was promoted to Malkin's line. He
earned an assist -- the first left winger on that line to get a point this season
-- and rave reviews.
"Matt probably played his two best periods of hockey of the year," Bylsma
said.
At practice Thursday, Malkin and center Brandon Sutter were excused for
"maintenance days," so the forward-line combinations were skewed and
Bennett didn't get to re-acquaint himself with Malkin's high-level skills.
Cooke remained on a line with Neal, with Dustin Jeffrey filling in for Malkin.
Bennett filled in on Sutter's third line with Zach Boychuk and Tyler Kennedy.
"I haven't been really told anything," Bennett said of his role.
He was one of a handful of prospects invited to training camp, which was
shortened to a week in January because of the NHL lockout. He spent a
little time practicing alongside Malkin.
"It's tough to say we don't have any weaknesses, but it's tough to find one
in our game right now," Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said Thursday
when asked what part of his team's game topped the list of things Chicago
was doing right.
The Sharks, on the other hand, have gone six games without a win and
know their biggest weakness -- lack of
scoring. The task of turning things around doesn't get any easier as they
face the Blackhawks in two of the next three games, starting Friday night.
Some Sharks play down the challenge a struggling team faces going
against the red-hot Blackhawks.
"Going into games, I don't think about a losing streak," Logan Couture said.
"If we were winning or losing going into this game, it's a big game."
Others, such as Adam Burish -- who knows the Chicago mindset well,
having been a member of its Stanley Cup-winning team in 2010 -- see
Friday night's game as an opportunity as well as a challenge.
"When they're undefeated like they are, it's a big target on your back," he
said. "Coming in, it's always fun to knock down the top team,
and that'll be our mindset."
Even in a scoring funk, Burish indicated, the timing isn't necessarily bad.
"You need to play against a great team, and you need to have a big win like
this," Burish said. "That can turn things around pretty quick and give you
some confidence pretty quick."
That confidence is key, according to Burish, who got together with Kane
and other former teammates Wednesday as both squads had the day off.
"When you're on a streak like that, like us at the start of the season, you just
have a feeling there's no way we're going to lose," he said.
Burish may be playing with a little more confidence himself. Still looking for
his first point as a Shark, he likely will be playing at center on a newly
constructed fourth line with Marty Havlat and TJ Galiardi.
How things have changed in just nine days. The Blackhawks have a fourpoint lead for the top overall spot in the league, while the Sharks are in the
midst of a six-game losing skid (0-3-3).
Havlat was dropped from his usual top-six role, and the three generated
multiple scoring chances in San Jose's 1-0 overtime loss in Nashville on
Tuesday.
The Sharks raced out to a 3-1 lead in the first period of the previous
meeting, only to have the Blackhawks tie it up before the first intermission.
Chicago went on to a 5-3 win, aided in part by the awful match penalty to
Andrew Desjardins. Kane scored the game-winner in the second when the
Sharks should have been on a four-minute power play.
Before the game, Burish said, the three players talked about the team's
current slump.
"Yeah, everybody's nervous, everybody's tight, everybody's upset with the
way things are going, but what are you going to do?" he said. "Are you
going to be mad, or be sad and
“I remember it was a quick first period,” Marian Hossa said. “We [got] down
two goals, and it was 3-1. All of a sudden, we came back and it was 3-3. It
was a wild first period.”
feel sorry for yourselves? Or are you going to have fun and play loose and
play free? We kind of did that the last game in Nashville."
Head coach Joel Quenneville said: “Interesting game. Pucks were going in
early in the game, and I liked our response. … Tough building to go into,
and then watching them take it to us, but it was a good response.”
Havlat, who ended up playing 15:36 in Nashville because of his role on
special teams, stayed tight-lipped about being moved off one of the top
lines.
Since the loss to Chicago, the Sharks have scored just two goals in their
last three games and have been shut out twice, including Tuesday night in
Nashville.
"I'm just a player, so I do whatever the coach tells me to do. I can't control
things," Havlat said. "Whatever line I'm on, I'm just trying to do my best and
use whatever I'm good at, and I was successful all my career."
“It doesn’t change much from our perspective,” Sharp said. “They’re still a
top team across the league, and if anything it makes them hungrier for a
win, especially being on the road. Tough game when we played them in
their building, and I assume it’s going to be the same tomorrow.”
Coach Todd McLellan, too, sidestepped questions about putting Havlat,
who earns $5 million a season, on the fourth line. "Do you think they were
our fourth line the other day? They didn't play like it," he said.
The coach was less subtle during Thursday's hourlong practice when it
came to working his players out of their offensive-zone doldrums.
One late drill had every player take a breakaway shot. If he didn't score, the
rest of the team did a quick sprint from the red line to the faceoff dots and
back; if he did score, nobody had to skate.
Few scored, many skated.
"We needed a good, hard skate today, and we got that in," McLellan said.
"It gives us a chance to look at the whole team in a shootout situation with
them not even knowing it. It gives the goalies a lot of work -- a lot of
purpose to the drill, a lot of hidden purpose, too."
McLellan said he hoped his team would be self-motivated to get the win and
not need the added bonus "of knocking Chicago off for the first time."
After Friday night's game, the Sharks fly home to San Jose for three nights.
They return to the Midwest for a game Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues
and will face Chicago again three nights later.
Hossa said: “They had an unbelievable start at the beginning, the top line
was extremely hot. Obviously sometimes, every team is going to hit that
type of slump. They’ve lost a few games, but when you look at it, they have
an unbelievable team, so we want to make sure we’re ready for them
because they’ll be desperate and ready for us.”
The Sharks’ power play is just 2-for-34 in the last six games, but it still
frightens Quenneville.
“We’ve got a lot of respect for their power play, and they can get hot in that
area real quick,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of guys that know how to score.
They’ve go to the net, they put a lot of pucks at the net, and they make it
challenging for you in that area. In stretches over the season, sometimes
the pucks don’t go in for you. They have a tendency by doing the right
things, eventually they get rewarded.”
Chicago will look to keep its point streak going, and is just three games
away from the NHL record of consecutive games to start a season without a
regulation loss (2006-07 Anaheim Ducks, 16 games). The Sharks have
surrendered at least one point to the opposition in eight straight games,
having not won in regulation since Jan. 27.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 02.15.2013
“It’s tough to say we don’t have any weaknesses, but it’s tough to find one
in our game right now,” Kane said.
657424
In goal
San Jose Sharks
Sharks look to hand Chicago first regulation loss of season
The Blackhawks will start backup Ray Emery in net, in what will be his
home debut. Emery is 3-0-0 with a 2.59 goals-against average and .920
save percentage. He’ll almost certainly face former Blackhawks goalie Antti
Niemi for San Jose.
Staff
657425
CHICAGO – One of the biggest difficulties for a coaching staff in a
shortened, condensed season, is the lack of practice time at home. The 100-3 Chicago Blackhawks are proving that may be a bit overrated, though.
Chicago is the last team in the NHL without a regulation loss, recently
returning from a six-game road swing. They have played just three games
at home, the most recent a 3-2 shootout loss to Anaheim on Tuesday. They
had the day off on Wednesday, but reconvened for practice at the United
Center on Thursday morning, skating for about an hour.
“That was the first practice we had all year, really,” Patrick Sharp said.
Patrick Kane said: “They gave us the day off yesterday, so it’s nice to kind
of get away from these guys a little bit. You spend two weeks every day
with them on the road, it’s nice to do something a little bit different.”
Chicago will host the struggling Sharks on Friday night. The teams met
once already on Feb. 5, when the 7-1-1 Sharks were looking to overtake
the 7-0-2 Blackhawks for the top spot in the Western Conference.
San Jose Sharks
Will the 'real' Sharks please stand up?
Staff
Shortly after a five-game romp to begin the season, Sharks players and
coaches declared their most amazing start "a fantasy". After all, several of
their opponents were basically patched-together lineups with no real
training camps, facing a cohesive San Jose squad that scored 23 goals in
the first 15 periods. So it's safe to say, that wasn't the "real" Sharks.
On the flip-side, another fact: the team which has scored only seven goals
and hasn't won any of its February games isn't the "real" Sharks team
either. History and a track-record proves San Jose's power play is leaps
and bounds better than their most recent 2-34 results on the man
advantage. Add just a couple goals in that category alone, and you'd have
to think that several of the four, one-goal losses would have turned out with
a different result.
The point here: We are more than a quarter done with the season --13 of
48 games played -- and we still haven't seen the "real" Sharks for a
sustained period of time. I believe that's part of the frustration mounting
with players and fans alike.
It's the journey, not the destination
Back on January 6th: If I told you the Sharks would begin their season with
a 7-3-3 record, most would probably find that result on par with
expectations. But showing you how the team got to those win-loss tallies
would certainly bring a different emotion.
The important thing to remember here, is that if the streak ends, and
fortunes change starting Friday night in Chicago, this six-game winless
streak can quickly become an afterthought.
Feeling "sickness" in their game
Should we have expected this scoring slump to take place? In retrospect,
there were some signs. For example, through five games the big names
were notching seemingly all the points... Marleau, Thornton, Pavelski and
Couture. The third and fourth lines were playing good defensive shifts, and
the goaltending was solid in collaboration with the blue-liners. But in the
absence of San Jose's top scorers, nobody has since filled the void. In
essence, it's valuable to understand this team's immediate need for more
widespread contributions on the stat-sheet.
Magnify Everything By 1.5
In this condensed season, everything -- time, results, momentum -- are all
worth more. How much? About 1.5 times as much. That's just the rough
math between 48 and 82 game campaigns. And that's why the elements of
this year are so much different. You start by winning seven games, and it's
almost like you just won 12. However, lose the next six, and it feels like
dropping 10 in a row.
Todd McLellan said: “Marty’s been in a lot of different situations this year.
He’s played with [Logan Couture and Ryane Clowe], he found some
chemistry with [Michal Handzus] for a while, and he gave the GaliardiBurish line a skill level and a speed level. I thought that line was very
effective in that game.”
McLellan responded rhetorically when asked if putting Havlat on the socalled fourth line was intended to send a message.
“Do you think they were our fourth line the other day? They didn’t play like
it, and they were rewarded like they weren’t the fourth line, either,” he said,
referring to the trio’s ice time.
Havlat said: “We created a lot of chances, actually. I think five-on-five, we
created the most chances on the whole team, just couldn’t bury any of
those. Gali gave me a couple great passes, and Rinne was great. As a line,
I think we played really good, actually.”
Burish explained that the three players got together and agreed on how to
approach the Nashville game.
“Everybody’s nervous and tight and upset with the way things are going, but
what are you going to do? Are you going to be mad and sad and feel sorry
for yourselves, or are you going to go out and have fun and play loose and
play free? We kind of did that in the last game in Nashville,” Burish said.
“We generated quite a bit.”
It’s expected that the line will stay together for the Sharks’ showdown with
the 10-0-3 Blackhawks on Friday night.
The vacancy left by Havlat up top was filled on Tuesday by newcomer Tim
Kennedy, who was playing in his first NHL game in more than a year.
Kennedy, Worcester’s leading scorer at the time of his recall with 37 points
in 37 AHL games, had two shots on goal in 15:33 of ice time while playing
with Couture and Clowe.
Kennedy had the best chance of the night to beat Rinne, but was stopped
midway through the first period on a point-blank attempt from the slot.
Kennedy thought he had the goalie beat.
Havlat's demotion is opportunity for Kennedy
For a guy who just arrived and had never practiced with the Sharks,
Kennedy’s effectiveness was one of the few positives in what ended up
being San Jose’s sixth straight loss. An injury prevented Kennedy from
attending Sharks training camp in January, further complicating the
situation.
Kevin Kurz
“It’s a huge opportunity to come up here, and just to get those kind of
minutes with those kind of players is huge,” Kennedy said. “I just want to
take advantage of it.”
657426
San Jose Sharks
The line remained together for Thursday’s practice.
CHICAGO – In the midst of a dreadful team-wide scoring slump, with two
goals or less in seven of the last eight games, the Sharks’ coaching staff
has been shuffling and rearranging the forward lines much more than they’d
probably like to lately.
On Tuesday in Nashville, one of the more notable changes was putting $5
million winger Marty Havlat on what would typically be labeled the fourth
line.
Surprisingly, that line, which also consisted of center Adam Burish and TJ
Galiardi (who has had trouble even staying in the lineup), generated a
number of superb scoring chances. Havlat had a pair of glorious
opportunities, but was stopped in the slot by Pekka Rinne six minutes into
the game, and denied again on an open shot from the circle with about a
minute left in the first period on a skillful set up by Galiardi. The Sharks lost,
1-0, in overtime.
Havlat skated more than 15 minutes against Nashville (including nearly four
minutes of power play time), so calling his role a demotion might be a bit
too harsh. Still, Havlat has just one point in his last nine games, and is one
of the players that needs to produce much more than he has if the Sharks
are going to end their six-game losing streak and ultimately challenge for
the division crown.
Perhaps that’s why Havlat was the first player on the ice for Thursday’s
practice at the United Center in Chicago, and stayed out for a good 10
minutes after all of his teammates were taking off their gear or already in
the showers.
“I’m just a player, so I do whatever the coach tells me to do. I can’t control
things,” Havlat said. “Whatever line I’m on, I’m just trying to do my best.”
“We’re going to give him every chance to come in and play,” McLellan said.
“We watched him play a lot in Worcester in the beginning of the year, and
he was a guy that we thought could help our team. We thought he could
make us faster, and we thought he could take the skill level up and compete
hard.”
“Maybe he takes someone’s job.”
That someone, at least for the time being, could be Scott Gomez, who
seemed to be the odd man out on Thursday along with the injured Andrew
Desjardins.
Gomez was scratched on Tuesday for what McLellan called a “combination”
of health issues and “coach’s decision.”
“I wasn’t feeling all that great,” Gomez said. “We’ll see what happens
tomorrow, I guess.”
The Sharks held a spirited skate on Thursday, ending it with a drill that
involved everyone on the team taking a shootout attempt. If the player failed
to convert on his opportunity, the entire team had to sprint from center ice to
the top of the circles, and back again.
The result was plenty of skating.
“It’s a fun drill sometimes,” McLellan said. “It’s a lot more fun when you
score some goals, and we didn’t score very many. It can be a fun drill, and
we needed a good hard skate today, and we got that in.”
Couture said: “We know we have to score some more goals. It’s pretty
clear.”
657427
St Louis Blues
Stewart, Berglund working to improve chemistry
By Jeremy Rutherford
and you’re ending up in that right place at the right time. It’s been a key to
my success this year.”
Also noting Stewart’s improved fitness level, Hitchcock said: “There were
times last year when we couldn’t play him in the third period. We played him
as a top nine forward but we couldn’t play him in the third period just on
conditioning alone. He’s getting stronger as the game goes on. He’s a
force, boy, he’s a big guy right now.”
The key to the line taking off could be Schwartz. Of his 10 games this
season, Wednesday was perhaps his best.
CALGARY, Alberta • Since the time Chris Stewart became a Blue in 2011,
and the right winger was placed on a line with center Patrik Berglund, there
have been concerns about whether any on-ice chemistry exists between
the two.
“I think there can be,” Berglund said. “We’ve been struggling back and forth.
We’ve had good games and bad games. We both think that’s not good
enough. That’s why we’re working really hard to communicate and take that
to the next level … see if we can get better together.”
“Just tenacious on the puck,” Hitchcock said. “He’s hounding the puck all
over the place and that’s exactly what we need. He’s really, really good
when he plays like that. He’s going to strip people of pucks, knock people
out of the box because of it. That’s going to be his game.”
Schwartz said he felt like the line clicked.
“I thought we worked hard, we controlled the puck pretty well and we had
quite a few chances,” he said. “But that’s one game. That’s what we need to
do more often. We can’t get too comfortable or think that we did our job.
We’ve got to bring the same thing Friday night.”
One day after Blues coach Ken Hitchcock viewed the line, which includes
Jaden Schwartz, as the best in the club’s 4-3 overtime victory over Detroit,
Stewart and Berglund were working to enhance their bond. They spent part
of the 3½-hour flight to Calgary, where the Blues meet the Flames tonight,
looking at clips of their shifts together on an Ipad.
After more preparation on the flight to Calgary, the line is looking for
continued results.
“I was playing cards at first, and he was watching (the clips) and there were
some things that he wanted to show me,” Stewart said. “Then I saw some
things, too, just little things that will help us.”
“When you see them watching the video, they’re trying to work on
chemistry,” Hitchcock said. “It’s nice when guys want to work together.
That’s a really a good sign for us right now.”
One of the shifts the pair examined Thursday was a perfect example of a
situation in which Stewart and Berglund want to make sure they’re
communicating.
The lines may be juggled for tonight’s game against Calgary. In Thursday’s
practice, center David Backes left the ice early with a groin strain and is
listed as probable.
“ ‘Berg dog’ had the puck on the wall and I was coming across,” Stewart
said. “He paused it and said, ‘Right there, if you don’t say, ‘Bergy I’m with
you,’ I can’t make that play. I’ve got to trust that you’re going to be talking.’ ”
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.15.2013
If the verbal heads-up happens, it could lead to leaving the Blues’ defensive
zone faster or entering the offensive zone cleanly.
“It’s really fast out there, especially when you’re facing the boards and
trying to protect the puck,” Berglund said. “You don’t really know where the
other guys are, so we’re trying to get better at talking, so you know where
you can bump the puck and find a new spot. It’s some of the things we’re
working on.”
On Wednesday, both Berglund and Stewart scored for the Blues, and while
Berglund’s goal came on the penalty kill, Stewart’s was a rare five-on-five
score. Berglund finished the game as a plus-3, while Stewart and Schwartz
were each plus-1.
“All three of them ... Bergy skated well, went through the middle of the ice
hard, Stewy was flying … it was a very good line for us,” Hitchcock said.
For Berglund and Stewart, their goals were No. 6, keeping pace with rookie
Vladimir Tarasenko for the team lead.
Berglund’s shorthanded goal, on a highlight-reel feed from T.J. Oshie,
ended a four-game pointless streak.
“It’s always fun to score goals,” Berglund said. “But I’m just trying to play the
right way in the (defensive) zone and neutral zone and then just try to find
spots where the puck usually ends up. I took that spot (on the goal), and
‘Osh’ made a really good play. Like I said, I’m just trying to find those places
where you can get that chance.”
Stewart had a goal and an assist against Detroit, giving him five points in
his last three games and nine points in 13 games this season. That projects
to 57 points over an 82-game schedule. He had 30 points in 79 games last
season.
“Stewy has been just a point-producing machine lately and has played very,
very well and hard,” Hitchcock said. “He’s fighting for space again. He spent
last year looking for space, trying to find the easy place to go. He’s not
doing that anymore. He’s a big body, knocks people around. Last year, he’d
stand off the side of the net. Now he stands in front of the net. He’s had a
heck of a start to the year.”
Said Stewart: “Last year, I think I put a little more focus on the skill game,
as opposed to putting the effort in first. Like Hitch said, we’ve got to check
to score. When you’re finishing checks, you’re beating guys back to nets
657428
St Louis Blues
Blues-Flames matchup box
By Jeremy Rutherford
BLUES VS. FLAMES
When • 8 p.m.
Where • Scotiabank Saddledome
TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)
Blues • The Blues could be without captain David Backes, who left
practice after 20 minutes Thursday with a groin strain. If Backes is out, the
Blues would insert Matt D’Agostini into the lineup. Meanwhile, rookie goalie
Jake Allen will make his second NHL start following a 4-3 overtime victory
over Detroit on Wednesday. Jaroslav Halak practiced again Thursday, but
is not yet ready to play and the Blues want to allow Brian Elliott more time
off to refocus.
Flames • Calgary is coming off a 7-4 victory over Dallas on home ice
Wednesday. After missing three games with injury, Mike Cammalleri
returned against the Stars and had a hat trick and a four-point night. With
starting goalie Miikka Kiprusoff injured, Calgary will continue with Leland
Irving in net. He’s trying to become the first Flames goalie other than
Kiprusoff to record wins in consecutive games since former Blue Jamie
McLennan did it Jan. 5-6, 2004.
Injuries • Blues — C David Backes (groin), probable; G Jaroslav Halak
(groin) and LW Jamie Langenbrunner (hip), out; Flames — G Miikka
Kiprusoff (knee), LW Sven Baertschi (hip-flexor), C Mikael Backlund (knee)
and C Paul Byron (hand), out.
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 02.15.2013
657429
St Louis Blues
Better defense leads to a better effort by Blues
By NORM SANDERS
Tampa Bay's top affiliate in the American Hockey League, which had some
ups and downs with the goaltending duo of Riku Helenius and Tokarski.
After a tough start Wednesday, the St. Louis Blues got back to proving that
offensive chances begin with solid defense.
"Our goaltending in Syracuse has not been up to par this year and we want
to give our team the best opportunity to make the playoffs and hopefully do
well in the playoffs,'' Yzerman said.
Despite being at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena, the Blues limited the Red Wings
to one shot in the third period and blocked a season-high 24 shots during a
4-3 overtime victory that snapped a five-game losing streak.
This will be the fourth time around for Desjardins and Lightning head coach
Guy Boucher, who coached Desjardins in major junior, with Hamilton in the
AHL and with Tampa Bay two years ago.
Detroit, which was playing the Blues for the fourth time in 13 days,
managed just seven shots after the start of the second period.
The Lightning were interested in resigning Desjardins after the 2010-11
season, but there were concerns about a shoulder injury that required
surgery. He signed with Colorado, where he was 16-11-5 with a 2.11 GAA
and .932 save percentage with Lake Erie of the AHL.
"We're learning all of the lessons, hard lessons that teams like San Jose,
LA, Anaheim, Vancouver, had to learn," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock,
whose team resumes a three-game road trip Friday night in Calgary. "We're
trying to learn all those lessons and still win hockey games."
Blues' rookie goalie Jake Allen was up to the task, stopping 15 of 18 shots
overall after allowing two goals on the Wings' first six shots.
"We've got to make sure the highs aren't too high, the lows aren't too low
and just play that even-keel, good Blues hockey, which is hard to play
against," Blues captain David Backes said. "It's got to be a consistent effort
every night."
Blues center Alex Steen collected the game-winner less than a minute into
overtime, banging home the rebound of a shot by defenseman Barret
Jackman.
It was Steen's third goal in three games after he failed to score any in the
first 10. Steen also led the Blues with five shots.
Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk led the team with four blocked shots
Wednesday. He said the team's 6-1 start may have fed the belief there
could be a natural progression from last season's 109-point campaign since
so many of the same faces returned.
"We can't assume because the same guys are in the locker room that the
same product's going to show up," Shattenkirk said. "We've got to work for
it and that's the key. When Hitch came in last year, the fundamentals that
he preached -- that we bought into -- we just need to get back to those."
This season, Desjardin returned to the Montreal organization and was 7-132 with a 2.94 GAA and .905 save percentage in 22 games.
"I know him," Boucher said. "He was terrific.''
Tokarski has won at every level, capturing a provincial championship,
Memorial Cup championship with Spokane in the WHL and World Junior
Championship with Team Canada in 2009. Last season, Tokarski won the
Calder Cup championship with Norfolk, Tampa Bay's affiliate at the time.
Called up by the Lightning late last season when Garon was injured,
Tokarski was 1-3-1 with a 3.44 goals-against average and .879 save
percentage before being sent back to Norfolk.
This season with Syracuse, Tokarski played as the No. 1, going 18-8-4 with
a 2.46 GAA and .900 save percentage.
He is expected to report directly to Hamilton, Montreal's AHL affiliate.
"Dustin's been a good goaltender for us and he obviously played well in
helping us win a Calder Cup championship last year,'' Yzerman said. "This
has been a difficult year in the net in Syracuse, so we wish him good luck.
…I think it's good for him he gets an opportunity in a new organization."
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 02.15.2013
657431
Tampa Bay Lightning
Notes
The Blues have power-play goals in their last seven games and own the
NHL's best power play (17-for-49, 34.7 percent).
Tampa Bay Lightning defensemen add scoring punch
Blues winger Chris Stewart has five points in his last three games.
By ROY CUMMINGS
Blues rookie winger Vladimir Tarasenko scored his sixth goal in 13 NHL
games Wednesday and also has 11 points. The goal ended a four-game
scoreless stretch for the talented Russian forward.
Along with Shattenkirk's four blocked shots against Detroit, Barret Jackman
and Ian Cole each aided the defensive effort with three blocks.
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman walked from the locker
room to the Forum ice for the start of practice Wednesday when franchise
founder and NHL Hall of Fame forward Phil Esposito stopped him for a
moment.
Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 02.15.2013
"Remember Victor,'' Esposito urged, "offense, offense, offense.''
657430
"Right,'' Hedman replied with a smile. "Always offense.''
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning trade G Tokarski to Montreal for Desjardins
Well, it's not always about offense with Hedman, but the 2009 first-round
draft pick has been concentrating more on that aspect of his game, and it's
paying off.
By ERIK ERLENDSSON
After scoring two goals to help Tampa Bay squeeze a point out of its 4-3
shootout loss to Montreal on Tuesday, Hedman is the leader of the league's
highest-scoring defense.
At various points throughout his tenure with Tampa Bay Lightning,
goaltender Dustin Tokarski was viewed as a long-term solution.
The Lightning entered Wednesday's action leading all NHL teams with 11
goals by defensemen, nearly half as many as the 24 goals Lightning blueliners scored in 82 games last season.
On Thursday, the 23-year-old netminder and fifth-round draft pick in 2008
was traded to Montreal for goaltender Cedrick Desjardins in a swap of
minor-league players. The move improves Tampa Bay's depth behind NHL
goaltenders Anders Lindback and Mathieu Garon.
"That's a big thing to have, because I think every team is looking to have
that kind of a fourth forward on the ice,'' said defenseman Sami Salo, who
has contributed one goal as Hedman's regular playing partner.
"We felt it in the event that we needed to recall a goalie due to injury this
year, we weren't comfortable with our options right now,'' Lightning general
manager Steve Yzerman said. "And Cedrick, we are little more comfortable
that … he is more ready to do that at this time of year.''
Desjardins, 27, won a pair of starts with Tampa Bay in 2010-11 while
stopping 61 of 63 shots. He will report directly to the Syracuse Crunch,
"Everyone plays so well defensively now that you need the defensemen to
sort of be that extra forward out there that creates that extra space. And our
guys have done a good job of joining the rush and shooting when they have
the chance.''
No one has done a better job than Hedman. After scoring five goals in 61
games last season, he has four goals in 12 games this season. Among
NHL defensemen, only Ottawa's Erik Karlsson has more with six.
Hedman's output, meanwhile, is the product of an offseason devoted
largely to improving his play in the offensive end of the ice, where he
always displayed promise. The towering 6-foot-6, 233-pound, left-handed
shooter worked almost daily during the summer with a special instructor on
improving his ice vision and timing in the offensive end.
When the lockout went into effect, he traveled to Astana, Kazakhstan, to
play for Barys in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League to continue honing
his offensive skills.
"You focus on everything over there, because you obviously want to keep
building on everything, but I really wanted to round out my game and try to
become great in all areas,'' Hedman said.
"I think it's really helped me a lot. I develop my game (there). I feel like I've
been playing at a high level and I feel great. I feel like I've improved and
now I'm ready to take my game to another level.''
Salo, a 14-year NHL veteran, spent the past nine years with the Vancouver
Canucks before signing with the Lightning as a free agent last summer. He
thinks Hedman could reach a level few have attained, eventually developing
into "another Niklas Lidstrom,'' the former Detroit Red Wings defenseman
some consider the best two-way defensemen of all time.
"We think Cedrick is an excellent goaltender at the AHL level and more
ready to play for us if we need him up here.''
Desjardins, 27, won a pair of starts with Tampa Bay two years ago while
stopping 61 of 63 shots. He will report directly to Syracuse, which replaced
Norfolk as Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate.
"Our goaltending in Syracuse has not been up to par this year and we want
to give our team the best opportunity to make the playoffs and hopefully do
well in the playoffs,'' Yzerman said.
The Lightning were interested in re-signing Desjardins after the 2010-11
season, but there were concerns about a shoulder injury that required
surgery. He signed with Colorado, where he was 16-11-5 with a .932 save
percentage in the AHL.
This season, Desjardins returned to the Montreal organization and was 713-2 with a .905 save percentage in 22 games for Hamilton.
"I know him," said Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher, who has coached
Desjardins three other times. "He was terrific.''
Tokarski has won at every level, capturing a provincial championship,
Memorial Cup championship with Spokane in the WHL and World Junior
Championship with Team Canada in 2009.
Lighting coach Guy Boucher won't go that far. He also quickly backed off a
brief comparison to former Canadiens great Larry Robinson, but Boucher
thinks Hedman has a chance to be among the game's all-time greats.
Last year, Tokarski went 32-11 with Norfolk in the regular season and 12-2
in the playoffs en route to an AHL title.
"Once Victor Hedman becomes everything he can be, he might be better
than the big names we have out there,'' Boucher said. "But, then again, he
might not. And he just might be better in some ways and not in others.
Called up by the Lightning late last season when Garon was injured,
Tokarski was 1-3-1 with an .879 save percentage. This season with
Syracuse, Tokarski was 18-8-4 with a .900 save percentage.
"I just think it's unfair to paint a portrait of someone under the umbrella of
somebody else. But right now, we're very happy with what he's doing for us,
both offensively and defensively. He's having a lot of shining moments.''
"This has been a difficult year in net in Syracuse,'' Yzerman said. "So we
wish him good luck; he was a good player for us here and he did a good job
last year. I think it's good for him he gets an opportunity in an organization
that after four years here maybe that's a good thing for him.''
He had two against Montreal. At the 14:04 mark of the third period, Hedman
skated into the slot and redirected a Tom Pyatt pass to start the Lightning's
three-goal rally. Minutes later, Hedman's decision to drive the net paid off
when a Teddy Purcell pass deflected off Hedman's stick and past
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price.
"I was really just trying to protect myself, because the puck came up almost
to my face,'' Hedman said. "It just went off my stick and in, but I'll take it.''
So will the Lightning, who have struggled to score during a five-game
winless streak and could use an offensive boost from anywhere, including
the guys whose primary job is to prevent goals.
"I said it since the beginning of the year, the key to success with any team
starts on defense,'' Boucher said. "And right now we are way better in our
own zone and our offense is better. We're at the top of the league in goals
by defensemen and that's an improvement.''
657432
Tampa Bay Lightning
New blood
Boucher said the early returns on two rookie forwards are positive.
C Alex Killorn registered an assist in his NHL debut Sunday against the
Rangers and impressed Boucher with his poise on the road.
"Killorn is a very steady guy, really good on being first on the puck and
protecting it,'' Boucher said.
RW Richard Panik made his NHL debut against Montreal on Tuesday after
posting a plus-19 with Syracuse.
"Panik has tremendous speed and he's a big guy who can force himself on
net,'' Boucher said.
A big assist
Lightning C Steven Stamkos has a lot of respect for the man who led the
Capitals into the Forum on Thursday evening. Washington coach Adam
Oates was a Lightning assistant during the 2009-10 season, when his
guidance helped Stamkos score 51 goals in his second year in the NHL.
Trade brings Desjardins back into fold
"He just picks up the fine details of the game that a lot of people don't even
think about," Stamkos said of Oates, a Hall of Fame center who led the
league in assists three times during a 19-year career.
Ira Kaufman, Erik Erlendsson
"For me as an offensive player, I was fortunate to have someone who
understands what your mindset is heading into games, shifts and power
plays."
Cedrick Desjardins is back with the Lightning, acquired in a goaltender
swap with Montreal for Dustin Tokarski, who led Tampa Bay's AHL affiliate
to a Calder Cup title last season.
Tokarski, 23, was dealt to the Canadiens on Thursday for Desjardins, who
went 2-0 with the Lightning during the 2010-11 season.
The trade was announced on the same morning Lightning G Anders
Lindback missed the morning skate due to illness, which forced Mathieu
Garon into the starting position. Lindback was able to dress as the backup,
though he did not sit on the bench.
Nuts and Bolts
D Brendan Mikkelson and LW Pierre-Cedric Labrie were assigned to
Syracuse on a conditioning stint, which could last up to two weeks.
Mikkelson has appeared in only one of the first 13 games this season, while
Labrie has played in three. … D Marc-Andre Bergeron was a healthy
scratch. … Tampa Bay has allowed the opening goal in five consecutive
games. … RW Marty St. Louis scored his first goal since Jan. 21, the
second game of the season.
The move to acquire Desjardins, according to Lightning general manager
Steve Yzerman, was made in the event that either Lindback or Garon are
unavailable for any reason.
657433
"We felt in the event that we needed to recall a goalie due to injury this
year, we weren't comfortable with our options right now,'' Yzerman said.
Lightning losing streak reaches 6 with loss to Capitals
Tampa Bay Lightning
By ERIK ERLENDSSON
suspicious that NHL owners are spitefully making sure he stays that way for
choosing to lead the union fight.
TAMPA Maybe now the air is completely out of the Lightning.
“I’m not sure,” said Westgarth in an interview on Thursday. “I hope that
different things you do for PA and your colleagues don’t end up working
against you.
The great start for the Tampa Bay Lightning has now completely been
erased following Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Washington Capitals in front of
an announced sell-out crowd of 19,204 at The Forum.
“You’ve seen in the past where that has happened. I don’t know if it’s quite
as prominent anymore ... But I don’t know exactly what people’s motivations
are.”
The loss keeps Tampa Bay winless in the past six games and drops the
Lightning's record to 6-6-1 after starting the season 6-1.
In the absence of a union president or designated negotiating committee,
Winnipeg Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey seemed to become the unofficial
leader of the NHLPA membership during the lockout, with Campoli and
Westgarth not far behind.
Eric Fehr scored twice, Matthieu Perreault added three assists while
goaltender Braden Holtby stopped 27 shots to pick up the victory. Jay
Beagle and Troy Brouwer also scored for Washington while Nate
Thompson, Marty St. Louis and Teddy Purcell had the Lightning goals.
Mathieu Garon, starting in place of an under-the-weather Anders Lindback,
took the loss while stopping 35 shots.
The Lightning were in scramble mode early, getting hemmed in their own
end for extended shifts as the Capitals put plenty of pressure on the Tampa
Bay defense in the opening minutes. Most of that came after Washington
jumped out to the early lead with a power play goal 2:40 into the game with
Victor Hedman off for hooking. Brouwer finished off a nice passing play as
he was open in the slot to take a quick down low pass from Mathieu
Perreault, with the shot released and in the net before Garon had the
chance to react.
With the ice tilted in the Tampa Bay defensive zone, Washington had the
first seven shots of the game before Cory Conacher had the Lightning's first
shot at 6:50. By the next opportunity for the Lightning, the game was tied as
St. Louis put a shot on Holtby and then followed up on the rebound to push
the puck under Holtby's left pad at 8:23. The goal for St. Louis was his
fourth this season – third against Washington – but his first since Jan. 21.
Both sides settled into a better back-and-forth flow with the game tied after
the first period, with Holtby keeping the game tied through 20 minutes by
robbing Teddy Purcell, who was open in the slot, with a glove save with
2:58 left.
Washington regained the lead early in the second when Joel Ward
outhustled Matt Carle to the puck behind the Lightning net, disrupting
Carle's poke attempt to push the puck to Brian Lee, who went behind the
goal line to retrieve the pass. Instead Ward found Perreault who then fed a
wide open Fehr alone in front for a top-shelf shot and a 2-1 Capitals lead at
5:09.
Early in the third period, after Purcell turned the puck over deep in the
offensive zone, it was Fehr again, taking a lead pass from Perreault before
racing up the right wing side and firing a shot to the far post past the glove
hand of Garon 2:22 in the final frame. Then during a scramble in the
Lightning crease, while it appeared Garon had the puck under him, Jay
Beagle, while laying prone on his side, pushed the puck from underneath
Garon into the net for a 4-1 lead.
The Lightning tried to spark another late third period charge as Purcell
scored at 12:02 and Thompson had a breakaway goal with 3:13 left to play.
But unlike Tuesday, when Tampa Bay scored three times in the final six
minutes to force overtime against Montreal, this time was too little, too late.
657434
Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL: Kevin Westgarth hopes union role won’t hurt career: Cox
By: Damien Cox Sports Columnist, Published on Fri Feb 15 2013
RALEIGH, N.C.—Kevin Westgarth hopes he doesn’t smell a rat.
As one of the most prominent NHL Players’ Association members during
the 113-day lockout that ended early last month, Westgarth has heard the
speculation surrounding another outspoken player, Chris Campoli, and his
inability to find NHL work.
Campoli was going to go to Switzerland as a last resort, but that fell
through, leaving the 28-year-old defenceman unemployed and some
Westgarth’s involvement was noteworthy for two reasons. One, he’s not a
very established NHLer. He’s 29, has played 97 NHL games in seven pro
seasons (with one goal) and makes $725,000 per season, about 30 per
cent of the NHL average salary. Yet he was willing to stick his neck out.
Two, he stood out as one of most articulate players, preferring to raise the
level of discourse rather than painting NHL owners as villains.
“The people involved aren’t evil,” said the winger, who owns a psychology
degree from prestigious Princeton University. “But unfortunately because of
the way the process is there’s a great amount of evil that came of it.
“You’ve got to have respect for where they’re coming from, whether you
agree with it or not ... I know I learned a lot from the guys on our side, but
even watching some of the owners and Gary (Bettman) and Bill (Daly), it
was definitely an education you can’t pay for.”
Interestingly, five days after the lockout ended, Westgarth was traded from
the Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings to the Carolina Hurricanes
for winger Anthony Stewart and two draft picks.
“I’d known there was a possibility of a trade before the lockout,” said
Westgarth, who received his Stanley Cup ring from Kings assistant GM Ron
Hextall in Long Island several days ago.
“It had nothing to do with (the lockout). I’d seen the writing on the wall.”
As an enforcer — he describes himself on his @KWesty19 Twitter account
as “Right Wing Enforcement” — Westgarth has quickly gone from working
on behalf of his fellow NHLers to breaking noses and playing an intimidating
role, a switch he says isn’t as difficult as some would suggest.
“Personally, it’s interesting, because I’ve gotten to know a lot more people
in the league because of my involvement in the negotiations,” he said.
“Inevitably, the games are more interesting when you know the people.
“We have an understanding. It’s like looking in the mirror. Basically you’re
often fighting who you would be on the other team. So you actually might
have more in common with that guy than a lot of your teammates, strangely
enough, because you’re sharing a role.
“You take your lumps or give him his, and you make up after.”
He regrets the damage caused by the lockout, but believes there was value
in the fight for the players’ union.
“From our point of view within the PA, absolutely it was worth it,” he said.
“The last time (the owners) kind of got everything they wanted after losing a
whole year, and we saw some cracks in the armour with (the players). It
became obvious that we needed to evolve from that, and this was a huge
step in that direction.
“Everybody saw the involvement of the players. To see that unity and
involvement, and the patience to trust each other and the staff we hired,
was massive, because obviously it was something we had to prove to
ourselves and to the owners.
“You’re always looking for silver linings, and hopefully guys can be happy
with the battle we put in.”
Westgarth, because of his good-humoured and thoughtful involvement, was
himself a positive story to emerge from the lockout as a new voice on the
players side.
But that’s over. Now, he’s back to the toughest job in the game, hoping he
does it well enough to stay employed.
657435
Toronto Maple Leafs
NHL: GMs hunt for Valentine’s Day clues
season, some teams may not feel they’re out of the playoff race by the time
April 3 rolls around.
Shorter NHL season makes sorting buyers from sellers tricky, Maple Leafs
GM says.
“Teams want to win this year,” said Nonis. “Some rules go out the window
when you’re looking at trying to put together a winner and worry about the
consequences the following summer.”
By: Kevin McGran Sports reporter, Published on Thu Feb 14 2013
As for the Leafs, Nonis doesn’t see straying from the current buildingthrough-youth path.
NHL general managers’ phones are starting to ring a bit more often. The
texts are coming quicker.
Sure, it has a little bit to do with an emerging market for goaltenders after
injuries in Toronto (James Reimer) Winnipeg (Ondrej Pavelec), St. Louis
(Jaroslav Halak) and Calgary (Miikka Kiprusoff).
It has more to do with where teams find themselves after one-quarter of the
season, and whether they can trust what they’ve seen of their teams given
the lack of a proper training camp.
“It’s a different year,” said Leafs GM Dave Nonis. “There wasn’t a lot of time
for systems work, no pre-season games. For a lot of guys, it’s like training
camp is (just over). Now we’re into the sprint.”
“We have to look and see what we’re looking like in the stretch,” said Nonis.
“Our focus is going to be the same regardless. It’s going to be long-term
focus on this team. Making sure this team is healthy long term.”
657436
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs crash in loss to Hurricanes: Cox
Ben Scrivens steps up, but turnovers costly in Carolina. Eric and Jordan
Staal fuel Canes.
By: Damien Cox Sports Columnist, Published on Thu Feb 14 2013
In a typical NHL season, general managers circle U.S. Thanksgiving as the
date by which they know whether they have a playoff team or a turkey. That
date is roughly the 20-game mark in an 82-game season.
RALEIGH, N.C.—Road non-warriors.
This year, GMs have had to figure out just how much they love their teams
by Valentine’s Day, as most are just passing the 12-game point in a 48game schedule.
If you bring as little energy and smarts to the rink as did the Maple Leafs on
Thursday night on Tobacco Road, victories away from the Air Canada
Centre will soon be as rare as those at the ACC.
“This year, it’s going to be a little bit different,” said Nonis. “You’re looking
on a short-term basis. You’re looking game-to-game right now. You don’t
have as many opportunities to gain ground or make some up. Right now
teams are looking at three- or four-game stretches as opposed to 10- or 15game stretches.”
Remember the flashy 6-1 road record that the Leafs brought into the game
against the Carolina Hurricanes? It surely seemed a mirage as the Canes
beat the Leafs for the second time in 10 days, this time by a 3-1 margin.
The numbers backed up the hypothesis about U.S. Thanksgiving. Typically
12 or 13 of the 16 teams in a playoff spot on that date made it to the postseason. In 2011-12, the Maple Leafs, Sabres and Wild were in at
Thanksgiving, out in the end.
The true comparison is the lockout-shortened 1995 season, also 48 games
— albeit with 26 teams. That year, 12 of 16 clubs in playoff spots on
Valentine’s Day made it.
But there are a lot of moving pieces.
“We knew what we were getting into with a 48-game schedule,” said Blues
GM Doug Armstrong. “I do find myself even now looking at the scoreboard
more than you usually do coming out of the gate.
“Usually you don’t look at the standings, but you see the three-point games,
how many of those there are every night, and you do keep an eye on the
standings a little bit more than normal after 10 games.”
Armstrong believes it’s wise to stick with the 20-game benchmark before
making decisions, “because you have (to wait for) the junior guys and the
first-year players to find their level. In training camp, in order to make the
team, you sometimes see the players best. Then the veterans work their
way into it. So you give everybody 20 games, so water can find its level.”
Others figure 12 games is enough.
“Unfortunately, it has to be,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. “You have to
adjust a little bit. We’re a quarter way through a shortened season. We’re
still missing a couple of key guys that makes it difficult to evaluate.
“I’ve a had a few more (trade) conversations of late. . . . I still think we need
a little more time. Everybody is still packed together before you get some
separation. Then you’ll have a lot of movement.”
Head coach Randy Carlyle, missing goalie James Reimer and winger Matt
Frattin in addition to the long-sidelined forward Joffrey Lupul, fretted in the
morning that his club hadn’t been nearly as good as it seemed three days
earlier in defeating Philadelphia at home.
His fears seemed well justified, for the Leafs lacked the snap and efficiency
to their game that had propelled them to four consecutive victories. Ben
Scrivens played well in the Leaf net in the first game of Reimer’s absence
with a knee problem, but the challenge for the rookie netminder will only
mount as he tries to fill the role of No. 1 goaltender.
His defence and forwards, meanwhile, offered little assistance against a
Carolina squad returning home from a very successful 4-1-1 road trip. The
attack was intermittent and the blueline corps far more error prone, making
the possible return of Carl Gunnarsson (hip) on Saturday against Ottawa
very positive news for Carlyle.
A snoozy first period gave way to a messy, mistake-filled second period for
the Leafs, who lost to the Canes by three goals just 10 days early and
seemed determined on Valentine’s Day to be more affectionate and giving
this time around.
Each of the three Carolina goals were the direct result of either flagrant
miscues or bad Leaf decisions, creating offence for the home team. Once
again, it was the Staal brothers doing much of the damage, with both
Mikhail Grabovski and Tyler Bozak exposed as overmatched again.
Joe Corvo broke a scoreless tie at 6:06 of the second after he kept the puck
in at the Toronto blueline following a weak clearing attempt. Captain Dion
Phaneuf hauled down Eric Staal behind the net with no call, but as the puck
squirted in front, Grabovski fell awkwardly and Phaneuf simply pushed the
puck forward.
Corvo just ripped it past Scrivens to give Carolina a 1-0 lead, with Staal
picking up an assist to extend his point streak to 11 games. Phaneuf made
up for his miscue just over a minute later on a Leaf power play when he
fired a low shot off the pad of Jamie McBain that then hit Nazem Kadri’s leg
and bounced past Dan Ellis to tie the game.
The trade deadline is April 3, typically the busiest day for player moves, but
the new collective agreement includes provisions that could spur more
deals well before the deadline. The Maple Leafs have already used the
ability to retain salary to send Matthew Lombardi to Phoenix.
The Leafs, however, weren’t done hurting their own cause.
Some teams may also be looking at unloading salary before next year, the
first year in which the salary cap actually goes down (to $65 million). Then
there’s the fact that because it’s all inter-conference play and a short
Jeff Skinner rushed the puck into the Leaf zone, but then lost it. Scrivens
looked set to freeze it, but either he fumbled it or defenceman Korbinian
Holzer jarred it loose. Either way, Jussi Jokinen had a open net in which to
deposit his second of the season, a power-play effort with Jay McClement
in the box.
Just over two minutes after that, Clarke MacArthur carried the puck into the
Carolina zone along the left boards and fell down. John-Michael Liles
decided to make a risky pinch — questionable at best in a 2-1 game — and
the Hurricanes raced off on a 2-on-0 break.
Scrivens stopped Skinner, but the puck bounced to Jordan Staal without a
Leaf nearby. He could have passed to a wide-open McBain, but instead
whipped a shot high over Scrivens’ right shoulder to give Carolina a 3-1
lead after two periods.
By the third, Scrivens was under full assault as all sense of Leaf checking
evaporated. The top line of Bozak between Phil Kessel and James van
Riemsdyk was held in check, and with Frattin out there wasn’t much attack
emanating from the Kadri line, either.
Still, the Leafs sit at 8-6 going into a home start against Ottawa, a team
reeling from the loss of its two best players, Jason Spezza and Erik
Karlsson.
The key now is to get the home record to a decent level, with the 5-2
triumph over the Flyers perhaps the start of improved play at the ACC.
Carolina, meanwhile, is turning into a confident hockey club, with the double
Staal whammy up the middle providing a consistency that makes Kirk
Muller’s job easier as other clubs struggling to match against either of the
towering Staal boys.
They’re a first-place club now, and looked like one against a Leaf team that
looked very different from the one that looked so improved on the road until
visiting North Carolina.
Toronto Star LOADED: 02.15.2013
657437
Toronto Maple Leafs
Reversal of road fortune for Maple Leafs
By Terry Koshan
,Toronto Sun
So much for the notion that sloppy hockey would have been weeded out
during the first couple of weeks of the abbreviated National Hockey League
season.
Cameras didn’t show it, but we bet the two spent the entire five minutes in
the penalty box catching their breath ... Bad solo rush for Alexander Semin
into the Leafs’ end. With none of his teammates around, Semin did a
pirouette in front of Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf, who happily crushed the
Hurricanes forward ... If Kadri still thinks about why he could not get a fair
shake under Ron Wilson, a selfish play in the first period might have been
an indication of what may have got under Wilson’s skin. Kadri tried to carry
the puck out of the Toronto zone without looking to pass, and was picked
off by Semin. The Hurricanes turned it into a great scoring chance, with Jiri
Tlusty bearing down on an open net before Cody Franson cleared away the
loose puck. We love Kadri’s creativity, but it’s going to take Carlyle some
time to work the bad habits out of the 22-year-old’s game ... Eric Staal
assisted on Joe Corvo’s goal in the second period, even though Phaneuf
handed the puck to Corvo after Staal touched it. Staal has an 11-game
points streak, one short of his team record ... No sooner had a follower on
Twitter asked when the Keystone Cops starting wearing Leafs sweaters
when the Hurricanes scored their third goal, one that bold-faced Toronto’s
sloppy play. Clarke MacArthur fell in the Hurricanes end, John-Michael Liles
got caught up ice, and no one was there to pick up Jordan Staal, who
blasted a rebound past Ben Scrivens ... Both of Jordan Staal’s goals this
season have come against the Leafs.
FROM THE HASH MARKS
There was a hush when Mark Fraser nailed Jeff Skinner, whose head
smacked against the end boards. Thankfully, Skinner was okay ... We might
be getting ahead of ourselves here, but we wonder what will become of
Liles if Morgan Rielly makes the step to the NHL next season and Jake
Gardiner’s health issues are behind him. It’s difficult to see a role for all
three on a Carlyle roster, and there’s more upside with Gardiner and Rielly
than there is with Liles, who represents a $3.875-million US salary cap hit
through the 2015-16 season ... During the world junior championship in
Russia, we were in a sports bar one night in Ufa and a KHL game involving
Moscow Dynamo was playing on the televisions. Leo Komarov, playing for
Dynamo during the lockout, was in the middle of every scrum, whether it
was snowing the opposing goalie or giving an extra shove after the whistle.
That feistiness has not disappeared in Komarov’s first foray into the NHL,
and he was tied for the league lead among forwards in hits with 48 with
Buffalo’s Steve Ott going into the game. Who led the NHL overall? Former
Leaf Luke Schenn, with 55 hits for the Philadelphia Flyers ... As much as he
encourages players to communicate with him and therefore has an opendoor policy at his office, Carlyle doesn’t mingle much in the dressing room,
not that many coaches do. “I believe that room is for the players and the
coach should be in there for a minimal amount of time,” Carlyle said this
week. “I let them manage their room. I think it is important to have the
freedom to go in, but I don’t spend a lot of time in there.” ... Curious how
many copies of Maxim’s March 2013 issue Phaneuf will snap up. His fiance,
Elisha Cuthbert, is on the cover and is billed as the most beautiful woman
on TV.
The Maple Leafs slammed the lid shut on that idea during a 3-1 loss against
the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Pucks in skates, a second too
late to their checks, too many icings to count, defensive blunders — all
were on display as the Leafs’ four-game winning streak morphed into an
ugly stain on Tobacco Road.
Toronto Sun LOADED: 02.15.2013
The Leafs, who won six of their first seven road games, can rectify the
problems on Saturday night when the Ottawa Senators, who also are
dealing with injury woes, visit the Air Canada Centre.
Maple Leafs fumble on Tobacco Road
The challenge now will be forgetting the bad hockey that was littered
throughout the loss against the Hurricanes. It can’t get much worse for
Randy Carlyle’s group.
Keep in mind the Leafs had been playing solid hockey.
But isn’t it about time that people such as Phil Kessel and Mikhail Grabovski
started scoring goals? Kessel has two. Grabovski, who ended an eightgame pointless skid with an assist on Nazem Kadri’s goal, has three.
Kessel, at least, is creating chances, but he will have to do more than that
with Matt Frattin joining fellow catalyst Joffrey Lupul on the sideline
Grabovski should be the bigger concern. He has six points in 14 games,
and for the most part, has been in a funk. Carlyle lit a fire under James van
Riemsdyk early in the season, and it worked. Now, he has to go to work on
Grabovski.
POINT SHOTS
The scrap between Colton Orr and Kevin Westgarth featured not only a few
haymakers but also a couple of jabs as each held on to the other’s sweater.
657438
Toronto Maple Leafs
By Mike Zeisberger
,Toronto Sun
RALEIGH, N.C. - Randy Carlyle might want to just toss the video evidence
of this one right in the trash.
Isn’t that where rancid things are supposed to end up?
With the Maple Leafs coming into Carolina on a four-game winning streak
and sporting an impressive 6-1 road record on the season, the Toronto
coach was hoping his team would make a bang on Tobacco Road.
Instead, it was more like a plop.
In one of the team’s most mistake-riddled performances of the season, the
Leafs fumbled and bumbled their way to a 3-1 loss at the hands of the
Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Thursday night.
It was almost as if the Leafs were too busy reading their own press
clippings dealing with their recent success to pay full attention to the task at
hand. Maybe that’s why they appeared as if they were skating in sawdust.
Whatever the case, Carlyle was having none of it.
“We were half a step behind all night,” Carlyle said. “The level of hockey
being played was no where near high enough from our standpoint.”
Despite a 30-save outing, even goalie Ben Scrivens was not immune from
the wrath of the perturbed coach.
“He mirrored the rest of our team in that no one played near to their
potential whatsoever,” Carlyle said.
All the while, you could almost hear the howls of panic coming from up in
Toronto.
“I also saw a recording of the TV broadcast of the game where there was a
line scrolled on the bottom after the first period that said Staals 2, Leafs 1.
That was neat to see. My grandfather would have loved that. He was a
huge Leafs fan.”
657439
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs look for fifth straight win against Canes
Like those suggesting Scrivens is not an adequate replacement for injured
goalie James Reimer.
Or that the Leafs offence is in deep you-know-what with forwards Matt
Frattin and Joffrey Lupul banged up and on the injured list.
By Lance Hornby
Not so fast.
RALEIGH, N.C. - The last time the Maple Leafs tangled with the Carolina
Hurricanes, things didn’t go well for the blue and white.
There is no reason to jump off the CN Tower yet, people.
This loss, after all, was not about a lack of talent. No, this was more about a
compilation of silly, at times almost humorous mistakes, ones that led to all
three Carolina goals.
In fact, it could be argued that the Leafs had more flubs in the second
period alone than they had during their entire four-game winning streak.
Mistake No. 1: After playing to a scoreless first period, the Canes took a 1-0
lead early in the second when Mikael Grabovski tripped over his own two
feet deep in the Leafs end, then watched as Dion Phaneuf whiffed on a
clearing attempt. The puck eventually came out to Joe Corvo, who flicked it
into the top corner to put the Leafs in a hole at 6:06.
Mistake No. 2: After Nazem Kadri tied the game at 1-1 with his fourth goal
of the season at 7:51 of the second, the Canes regained the lead when
Scrivens dove out in an attempt to smother a loose puck. When he tried to
smother it with his glove, a stick kept him from covering it up and knocked it
onto the stick of the Canes Jussi Jokinen, who drilled it into an open net to
put Carolina up 2-1.
Mistake No. 3: Late in the period, Clarke MacArthur fell on his keister while
carrying the puck deep into the Carolina zone. With John- Michael Liles
having made a bad pinch on the play, the Canes broke out the other way on
an odd-man rush, one that paid dividends when Jordan Staal drained a Jeff
Skinner rebound into the net for a 3-1 lead.
“I thought I kept us in the game with some big saves,” Scrivens said. “There
were just some weird bounces like on (that second goal).”
The Canes were coming off a six-game road trip, but it was the Leafs who
looked road weary. Offensive chances were few and far between for
Toronto, with big guns James van Riemsdyk and Phil Kessel barely visible.
,Toronto Sun
A 4-1 home loss had many people wondering about Toronto’s ability to
compete in the Eastern conference and win at home. Since then, however,
Toronto has won four straight home and away and entered play on
Thursday just three points out of first in the East.
The Canes are a tough team, especially in Raleigh. Join our Live Chat
tonight at 6:45 p.m. as the game unfolds and see if the Leafs will come out
with a little hate on Valentine’s Day.
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Goalie backups Scrivens, Ellis focus of Leafs-Canes tilt
By Mike Zeisberger
,Toronto Sun
RALEIGH, N.C. - The battle between the pipes will have a distinctly
different flavour to it on Thursday night than it did 10 days ago when the
Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes first clashed against each other.
Back on Feb. 4, it was James Reimer and Cam Ward who were locked in a
goaltending duel, this one ending up in a 4-1 victory for Ward’s Hurricanes.
This time around, the Canes will go with Dan Ellis while the Leafs give the
nod to Ben Scrivens when the two teams take to the ice at the PNC Center
in Raleigh ( 7 p.m., Leafs TV, TSN 1050).
The goaltending changes come for far different reasons.
The Leafs won’t get any sympathy from the Ottawa Senators, their next
opponents. Playing without their top forward, Jason Spezza, and their
defending Norris Trophy-winning defenceman, Erik Karlsson, there will be
no tears shed in the Ottawa dressing room for the Leafs when they come to
the Air Canada Centre for a Saturday night clash on Hockey Night in
Canada.
“We can’t pout,” Phaneuf said. “We have another game right away.
“Winning streaks don’t matter. It’s the present that counts. And we had an
off night.”
Carlyle can only hope there are no more stinkers like the one Thursday to
come.
STAALS FEAST ON THE LEAFS
Eric Staal has an 11-game points streak and an historical family memento,
both at the expense of the Maple Leafs.
Staal, whose second-period assist versus Toronto last night extended his
NHL-high points run, was hoping to get the game sheet last week from the
Feb. 4 game against the Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. It was, after all,
the first time he and brother Jordan scored in the same NHL game, part of
the Canes’ 4-1 victory that night (Jordan also scored last night).
Mission accomplished.
“Yeah, I ended up getting it,” Staal said on Thursday. “It’s a really cool
thing, especially for my family. A friend of mine also sent me the Toronto
Sun article about it, too.
The Canes are doing it because of logic.
The Leafs are doing it out of neccessity.
For Carolina coach Kirk Muller, whose team has just come home from a sixgame road swing, it is time to give Ward a day off. Normally a workhorse
who enjoys gobbling up starts, Ward now has the luxury of having a quality
backup in Ellis, an important cog in such a compact 48-game season.
“Cam played great on our trip and I just wanted to give him a bit of a rest,”
Muller said after the Canes skate Thursday. “Dan has played well whenever
he’s been in there.”
As for the Leafs, their goaltending choice was made for them on Monday
when starter James Reimer suffered an MCL knee strain during a 5-2
victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Team officials claim he will be out at
least a week, although it’s a safe bet he’ll be sidelined longer than that.
As a result, Scrivens is expected to receive a heavy workload in Reimer’s
absence. Jussi Rynnas was called up from the Marlies to back up Scrivens
and is with the team in Carolina.
“James and I have each other’s backs,” Scrivens said. “We talked regularly
over the summer and during the lockout. We support each other 100%.
“No one was pulling harder for James during his hot streak than I was. And
no one has been in my corner more for me right now than James.”
With Matt Frattin out for at least a week with a knee issue, Jay McClement
moves from centre to wing and take Frattin’s spot on the third line with
Nazem Kadri and Clarke MacArthur.
“Jay is a relentless forechecker,” Kadri said. “When he goes in there, I’m
just going to follow him, get the puck and set up Clarke.”
Meanwhile, defenceman Carl Gunnarsson was left behind in Toronto to
work with an ART (Active Release Techniques) specialist, coach Randy
Carlyle said. In essence, Gunnarsson is getting a type of advanced
massage therapy that helps deal with his ailing hip.
The team has not ruled out a return by Gunnarsson by Saturday when the
Leafs meet the Ottawa Senators at the ACC.
“Think about it. The first star was the backup goalie. The second star was a
fourth-line enforcer. And the third star was a stay-at-home defenceman.
“I can never remember that happening before.”
Neither can we, Ben.
TLUSTY TIME
Say this for ex-Leaf Jiri Tlusty: He certainly has received the opportunity to
play with a lot of prime hockey talent over the past five months.
During the lockout, Tlusty played in the Czech Republic for Kladno, his
hometown team. His linemates were none other than future Hall of Famer
Jaromir Jagr and Montreal Canadiens playmaker Tomas Plekanec.
Cross Checks
Both Muller and Carlyle felt the gruesome injury suffered by Ottawa’s Erik
Karlsson on Wednesday was a “freak” accident and did not feel Pittsburgh
bad boy Matt Cooke had any intent on the play. Karlsson has been lost for
the season after Cooke’s skate sliced the tendon of the Ottawa
defenceman, who now needs surgery on his Achilles. Defenceman Mike
Komisarek called allegations that Cooke’s actions were on purpose
“ridiculous.” “It was two guys going in after the puck battling. It’s
unfortunate,” Komisarek said.
657441
“Someone videotaped the three stars for me,” Scrivens said. “I was the first
star, Colton Orr was the second star and Mark Fraser was the third star.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Now that the NHL season has resumed, Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller has
put Tlusty on the club’s top line with captain Eric Staal and former
Washington Capital Alexander Semin.
Taking advantage of the situation, Tlusty scored the winning goal in a 4-2
Canes victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark on Tuesday. He
entered play against the Leafs on Thursday with five goals and four assists
in 12 games, ranking him fifth in team scoring.
“It’s been unreal,” Tlusty said. “Jagr was my hero. To play with him for my
hometown team, well, that was amazing. Both he and (Plekanec) are good
friends.
“Now I’m here playing with Eric again. We played on the same line toward
the end of last year. Now Semin is on the line too. It’s been great.”
Injured Leaf Gunnarsson tries massage
By Mike Zeisberger
,Toronto Sun
RALEIGH, N.C. - Carl Gunnarsson’s road to recovery did not take him
down here to Tobacco Road.
While the Leafs were facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC
Arena on Thursday night, the young defenceman was left behind in Toronto
in order to undergo physical therapy.
According to coach Randy Carlyle, Gunnarsson remained in Ontario to
work with an ART (Active Release Techniques) specialist, In essence,
Gunnarsson is getting a type of advanced massage therapy that helps deal
with his ailing hip.
“He’s had it done before and it seemed to help,” Carlyle said. “We’ll have to
see how it works out.”
The team has not ruled out a return by Gunnarsson by Saturday when the
Leafs meet the Ottawa Senators at the ACC but that could be wishful
thinking. Gunnarsson has said in the past that the injury has been like a
rollercoaster ride because of its ups and downs — one day good, the next
not so much.
GRABOVSKI KEEPS HIS MOUTH SHUT
Mikhail Grabovski obviously wants to put his alleged eating habits behind
him.
Asked on Thursday how he felt about being cleared of any wrongdoing by
the league earlier this week after the Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty
accused the Leafs centre of biting him last Saturday, Grabovski acted as if
nothing happened.
"There isn't anything to talk about," he said as he scurried to the team bus
following a 3-1 loss to the Hurricanes. "Nothing happened. It's done with."
Grabovski's Leafs and Pacioretty's Habs next meet on Feb. 27 at the Air
Canada Centre.
STAR STRUCK
Ben Scrivens can’t remember the last time he saw a goalie who played less
than two periods named a game’s No. 1 star.
But that’s exactly what happened on Monday when Scrivens, in relief of the
injured James Reimer, was named the Leafs’ first star in a 5-2 win over the
Philadelphia Flyers.
Muller sees it as a key opportunity for Tlusty.
“Jiri was kind of our safeguard on that line while the other two guys would
be the offensive forces,” Muller said. “But he’s gotten some confidence of
late and it has resulted in goals.”
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Toronto Maple Leafs
Karlsson injury an ugly reminder for Leafs captain
By Mike Zeisberger
,Toronto Sun
When Matt Cooke’s skate sliced through the skin of Ottawa Senators
defenceman Erik Karlsson’s leg on Wednesday night, terrible memories
came rushing back for Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf.
Memories of that scary night of Nov. 2, 2010, when the blade of Sens
forward Peter Regin gashed the flesh behind Phaneuf’s left knee.
Memories of being helped off the Air Canada Centre ice surface, wondering
if any permanent damage to the leg had been inflicted.
Memories of the almost three hours spent lying on a table in a hospital
room as doctors attempted to surgically repair the damage and seal the
wound.
Memories of the ugly five-inch scar running down the inside of his knee in
the days after the operation, a physical reminder of the incident.
And of rehabbing for five weeks before returning to action, all the while
knowing the blade, which nicked his MCL, had barely missed a major artery
which, had it been cut, would have made the injury much worse.
As Phaneuf said at the time, “When you pull your pant leg up and you can
see inside your leg, it’s not a very good feeling.”
All these thoughts flooded through Phaneuf’s mind as he saw Karlsson’s
season come to an end against the Penguins when Cooke’s skate blade,
according to Sens general manager Bryan Murray, cut 70% of the Achilles
tendon of the defending Norris Trophy winner. Karlsson underwent surgery
Thursday morning and will be out at least three to four months.
“You can’t help but think about what happened to you when you see
something like that,” Phaneuf told the Toronto Sun as he walked to the
team bus after the team’s morning skate at the PNC Center on Thursday. “It
really hits home.
“More than anything, you feel sorry for the kid.”
RALEIGH, N.C. — Joe Corvo’s confidence is growing for the Carolina
Hurricanes.
Just 30 minutes earlier, as he was shedding his sweaty equipment following
a good workout during the game day skate, Phaneuf peeled off his Kevlar
socks, one of the key additions he has made to his hockey wardrobe since
his own injury. The socks offer added protection from skate-blade
lacerations.
Corvo opened the scoring and assisted on the go-ahead goal in Carolina’s
3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
“I’ve worn them ever since that incident happened and I will keep wearing
them,” he said. “I’ve had a few serious cuts in my career and they have
helped prevent against them.
Corvo was a healthy scratch for three consecutive games earlier this
month, but since then the defenceman has responded with five points in
four games.
“It’s a fast game. Things happen on the ice. Accidents can happen at any
moment. You have to be as prepared as you can for whatever might
happen.”
“When you try to get involved, good things happen, you get chances,”
Corvo said. “There’s a big difference between playing safe and playing
confident. Obviously, right now I’m playing pretty confident.”
After Phaneuf’s injury, then-GM Brian Burke strongly lobbied for his players
to test out the Kevlar socks. Some liked them, others didn’t. Perhaps more
will be persuaded to go that route in the wake of Karlsson’s injury.
Jussi Jokinen scored the go-ahead goal, and Jeff Skinner had two assists
for Carolina, which played at home for the first time since Feb. 1.
“Some guys don’t like the Kevlar,” Phaneuf said. “Some guys feel
uncomfortable with them. I don’t. But fair enough. I just wonder if this
Karlsson thing will sway others to start wearing them.”
Fellow Leafs blueliner Cody Franson does not need to be swayed on the
idea. He’s been donning Kevlar socks since he first got to Nashville as a
member of the Predators in 2009.
“I’ve been wearing them for four years, ever since they came out,” Franson
said. “For me, it was a no-brainer. I don’t feel a lot of difference.
“I don’t know if (Karlsson) wore them before but maybe he will now.”
Some Leafs remain reluctant to switch over. John- Michael Liles has always
put his bare feet into skates and isn’t about to wear any kind of socks at this
point in his life. James Van Riemsdyk didn’t like the feel of the Kevlar socks
when he tried them, but suggested perhaps a Kevlar hockey sock that runs
over a player’s shinpad and all the way up to his thigh could be invented.
“I know they keep experimenting with such things,” Phaneuf said. “And
that’s a good thing.”
He would know.
COOKE HAS GRUDGING SUPPORT
RALEIGH, N.C. — Matt Cooke won’t win any popularity contests in
opposing NHL dressing rooms, but coaches Randy Carlyle and Kirk Muller
refuse to blame the Pittsburgh bad boy for his part in the Achilles tendon
injury suffered by Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson.
For that matter, most players surveyed on the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes
felt the same as their respective bench bosses, although many did grumble
off-the-record about Cooke’s at-times questionable tactics. In their minds,
however, he was not at fault this time.
“I don’t know how you can say Cooke injured him intentionally,” Carlyle said
on Thursday. “It was a freak accident.”
Muller agreed.
“The situation has been way overblown as far as Cooke’s intent,” Muller
said. “You can slow the game down on replay and analyze everything, but
the actual game goes at a high speed.”
Leafs defenceman Mike Komisarek called the allegations against Cooke
“ridiculous.”
The Hurricanes have won three straight and have gone 8-2-1 since starting
the season 0-2.
Jordan Staal added a goal for the Hurricanes, and brother Eric Staal
extended his point streak to an NHL-leading 11 games with an assist on
Corvo’s goal, the first of three for the Hurricanes in the second period.
Corvo kept the puck in the Toronto zone and then took advantage of
several misplays by the Toronto defence. Eric Staal was knocked off the
puck as he attempted to pass from behind the net, but the puck drifted into
the slot for Corvo, who scored to Ben Scrivens’ right side at 6:06 of the
second period.
If I don’t bring some sort of offensive edge, then I’d be sitting on the bench,
playing 12 to 14 minutes, and I’m not effective doing that
“I’m not a big defenceman that’s physical. I have to bring something to the
team,” Corvo said. “If I don’t bring some sort of offensive edge, then I’d be
sitting on the bench, playing 12 to 14 minutes, and I’m not effective doing
that.”
After Toronto’s Nazem Kadri got his fourth goal of the season to tie the
score at 7:51 of the second, Jokinen gathered in a loose puck in front of a
sprawling Scrivens at 12:58 of the second period. Corvo and Skinner set up
the score with a rush on the power play, and Skinner also assisted on
Jordan Staal’s goal at 15:09 of the second.
Dan Ellis made 22 saves for the Hurricanes, who stopped Toronto’s fourgame winning streak.
Ellis, Cam Ward’s backup, has won three of his four starts this season.
Scrivens made 30 saves for Toronto, which fell to 6-2 on the road.
“They’ve got some good hockey players up front,” Kadri said of the
Hurricanes. “We figured we’d get the puck in deep and kind of try and use
their D-men as their weak point, but they did an excellent job today, and we
just weren’t good enough.”
Carolina’s Bobby Sanguinetti was whistled for a penalty 22 seconds after
Corvo’s goal, and Toronto took advantage. Dion Phaneuf’s shot bounced
off Carolina’s Jamie McBain and then off the shin of Kadri for his fourth goal
of the season.
Carolina outshot Toronto 33-23, including 13-10 in the second period and
12-5 in the third.
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Toronto Maple Leafs
“He might not be the most well-liked guy in the league, but in this case it
was just a situation where two guys went in battling for the puck,”
Komisarek said. “It’s not like he stomped him.”
A healthy scratch, Leafs’ Mike Komisarek will not rock the boat
Michael Traikos | Feb 14, 2013 8:00 AM ET | Last Updated: Feb 14, 2013
9:01 AM ET
657443
Toronto Maple Leafs
Hurricanes end the Leafs’ winning streak, start one of their own in 3-1 win
TORONTO — Mike Komisarek came off the ice sweating and smiling after
practice on Wednesday.
Future looks bright for Leafs at this point in the season
Associated Press | Feb 14, 2013 10:06 PM ET | Last Updated: Feb 14,
2013 11:05 PM ET
The sweat was to be expected. The Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman had
spent more than an hour “busting his ass,” as he described it, in an effort to
show coaches and teammates that he was here to compete and play.
“The No. 1 thing is winning. We haven’t had enough of that here. You see
there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach this. And I’m a
professional. I’m here to contribute any way I can.”
The smile is where it got confusing.
For now, Komisarek’s contribution is in setting an example of how to be a
good soldier. The Leafs might have been hoping for more out of the former
All-Star and alternate captain, but considering the alternative at least he is
sending the right message to the rest of the team.
When the Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, Komisarek is
likely to be watching from the press box for the sixth straight game. It has
become a familiar viewing area for the 31-year-old, who has already sat out
in nine of 13 games this season.
In that sense, he has every right to be disappointed, to sulk around the
room and wonder aloud if a change of scenery might be best, as
Edmonton’s Ryan Whitney did earlier this week. But if Komisarek is
frustrated over his lack of playing time, he is not showing it.
For now, all you are seeing from him is that infectious smile and a whole lot
of sweat.
“The ‘F’ word that you use is not in my vocabulary,” Komisarek, who has no
points and a plus-2 rating in four games, said of being frustrated. “The easy
thing would be to sort of hang your head and be an energy suck and whine
and make excuses, but I’m not going to f—ing do that.
“We’re here to win. Either you’re going to be pulling in that direction or
you’re going to be pulling against it. I’m not here to rock the boat. I want to
be competing, I want to be playing, but [head coach Randy Carlyle is] going
to go with the guys that are playing well and rightfully so. So I’m going to
bust my ass in practice and do whatever I can to get in.”
Of course, this has become less about Komisarek and more about how the
rest of the team is playing. If Toronto had been losing games like Edmonton
has been, then maybe Komisarek could argue that he deserves to play. But
the Leafs have won their last four games with a defence that has been
holding the fort.
If Komisarek goes in, who comes out? In the last four games, Mark Fraser
is a plus-9, Cody Franson has five points and Korbinian Holzer is averaging
more than 20 minutes on the top defensive pairing.
The No. 1 thing is winning. We haven’t had enough of that here. You see
there’s a right way and a wrong way to approach this. And I’m a
professional. I’m here to contribute any way I can
The logjam is expected to become greater with Carl Gunnarsson close to
returning from a hip injury and Jake Gardiner having impressed in the
minors.
“We’ve had some people come in and step up and elevate their game,” said
Carlyle. “We’ve put them into some situations and they’ve grasped the
opportunity. So now Mike’s waiting for the opportunity.”
That means Komisarek must sit and wait. And while he said he is not
frustrated, part of that might be because this has unfortunately become a
familiar situation.
Since arriving to Toronto as a high-profile free agent in 2009, Komisarek
has failed to make an impact. He missed 48 games mostly because of a
shoulder injury in his first season. The following year, Komisarek’s ice time
was cut to around 13 minutes per game. And he spent 16 games as a
healthy scratch in 2011-12.
Chris Young/The Canadian Press
It is not difficult to see where this is going. With another year remaining on a
contract that carries a US$4.5-million cap hit, Komisarek is a prime
candidate to be bought out this summer.
If that happens, do not be surprised if another team snatches him up —
albeit at a lower price. Until then, Komisarek is trying to make it work in
Toronto.
During the lockout, he went to Arizona and practised daily with a group that
included Sidney Crosby. He spent time working with power skating
instructor Barb Underhill in an effort to become quicker and more mobile.
And he dropped about 10 pounds, all of which seems to have gone
unnoticed.
“The damn program in the press box has me at 243 pounds and I’m actually
235,” laughed Komisarek. “I did a lot of good things in the off-season. I feel
good. But I’m not going to dwell about my situation. It doesn’t matter how I
feel. No one cares.
“He’s been a great teammate,” said Carlyle. “He’s worked hard, he’s been
positive, he’s come every day and been a positive force in the dressing
room and in practice. He never cheats you.”
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Vancouver Canucks
Inside The Game: Stars versus Canucks
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun February 14, 2013
THREE THEMES
HANK POINTS PARTY
Canuck captain Henrik Sedin was blanked by the Wild on Tuesday so he’s
still seeking the two points that will move him past Markus Naslund and
make him the No. 1 point-getter in franchise history. (He has 755 and
Markus has 756.) You’d think Henrik would like to get it done at home
before the team heads out on a four-game road trip next week. He has this
game and a Sunday visit by the St. Louis Blues to make history.
CORY GLORY?
In the Canucks’ never-ending goalie saga, Cory Schneider receives his
third start in four games even though Roberto Luongo was leading the
league in goals against average (1.45) and was second in save percentage
(. 943) before Thursday’s slate of games. Schneider has allowed just two
goals in his last two starts but, if he falters, he may not see the net for a
while. So there is your pressure situation.
ISLAND MAN
Victoria native Jamie Benn signed late (five years, $5.25 million per) and
missed the first four Dallas games. So far he hasn’t disappointed with nine
points in nine games. He’s the Stars’ marquee player now, makes the most
money and centres the top line between Jaromir Jagr and Brenden Morrow.
The Stars are hoping he turns into an Anze Kopitar-type player for them.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Mason Raymond, Canucks. The nifty left-winger is on a hot streak with
points in four consecutive games (1-4-5) and making his line with Jordan
Schroeder and Jannik Hansen a dangerous one. Raymond is 4-4-8 on the
season — tied with Henrik Sedin, no less — and has a plus-6 rating. Can
he maintain this?
BRENDEN MORROW, STARS
The Stars captain is 34 and getting a little long in the tooth but he’s worked
his way up from the fourth line, where he started the season, to the first line
with Jamie Benn and Jaromir Jagr. He had two goals in the Stars’ 7-4 loss
Wednesday in Calgary and has seven points in 14 games. Three years ago
at this time, he was playing for Team Canada in the Winter Olympics.
Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/Inside+Game+Stars+versus+Canucks/79680
81/story.html#ixzz2KyDMoxB6
Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Vancouver Canucks
Canucks' Ryan Kesler plays coy with the media about return
By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun February 14, 2013
657447
VANCOUVER - Ryan Kesler has not lost his ability to mess with the media.
The Vancouver Canucks hope he's also still got his scoring touch.
Kesler played coy Thursday about his chances of returning for Friday's
home game against the Dallas Stars. But minutes after Kesler insisted his
return was far from a given, coach Alain Vigneault confirmed the Canucks
will indeed get their No. 2 centre back Friday.
"He has been medically cleared to play, he looks real good on the ice, he
was playing on a regular line today at practice and he was taking a regular
shift on one of the power-play units," Vigneault said. "I'll let you guys figure
it out."
Told that Kesler was being, well, Kesler, and refusing to say if he was
playing, Vigneault added: "All indications are he is ready to go. So unless
something changes from here to tomorrow . . ."
Kesler practised on a line Thursday with Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins.
He also worked on the first-unit power play with the Sedins, Alex Burrows
and Alex Edler.
"Him and Chris in the past have played good hockey together and I like the
way Zack is playing right now," Vigneault said. "That is a big line, it's a line
that brings a physical dimension plus real good puck pursuit, plays with
really good speed. We'll see how it looks tomorrow."
That combination also allows Vigneault to keep Jordan Schroeder, Mason
Raymond and Jannik Hansen together on what has been an effective line.
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks notes: Erik Karlsson's injury brings back bad memories for Kevin
Bieksa
VANCOUVER - Kevin Bieksa watched it, several times, and it did not bring
back great memories.
Bieksa knows better than most what Ottawa Senators defenceman Erik
Karlsson will be going through for the next several months after his Achilles
tendon was torn when he was cut by the skate of Pittsburgh winger Matt
Cooke on Wednesday night.
"I didn't see it live, but I heard about it and watched it over and over,"
Bieksa said Thursday. "It was the same, but it was different in some
respects. It looked like he was in a lot of pain. I just remember when mine
happened it was cut so clean that I didn't really feel it. The only thing I knew
was when I went to stand up I had no function in my foot because the
tendon was severed. He looked like he was in a lot of pain."
Bieksa suffered a similar injury back in November of 2007 when his Achilles
was nearly completely severed by the skate of Nashville forward Vern
Fiddler. Reports from Ottawa have suggested that Karlsson's Achilles was
70 per cent severed.
"There is a lot of speed on that line, a lot of skill on that line and defensively
they have been reliable so we'll obviously stick with that for now," Vigneault
said.
"Mine was 90 (per cent) so maybe that will cause him the extra pain
because it wasn't all the way through, it wasn't clean," Bieksa said.
Kesler has not played in nearly 10 months, He had shoulder surgery last
spring and then subsequently underwent wrist surgery.
The Canuck defenceman said it took him a full year before he felt
completely comfortable again.
"Why would you say that," was Kesler's reply earlier in the afternoon when it
was suggested to him that it looked like he would play Friday. "There's still
no timeline. I still feel good out there, but no time line."
"The timeline is four to six months," he said. "I still remember to the day, I
came back in three months and 22 days, and when I first got back I was
second-guessing myself. I didn't feel comfortable on the ice or in my skates.
It took a good year to feel 100 per cent. Luckily, he is not going to be
rushed back because he is going to be taking the summer to rehab, but it's
a tough injury."
Kesler continued to play a game of cat and mouse with the media for the
next 10 minutes.
"Is tomorrow (Friday) a possibility?" Kesler said, repeating a question. "Like
I said, I don't know why you guys are asking all these questions. . .like I said
it's another step towards playing."
Bieksa began wearing the special Kevlar socks as protection when he
returned and thinks all players should.
There's more, lots more, but we'll spare you the details.
"I don't know why they wouldn't," Bieksa said. "I have been using mine for
five years."
Kesler's return further strengthens a Canuck team that has won six straight
games. A terrific two-way player, Kesler often logs more minutes than any
other Canuck forward, although Vigneault said he will try and monitor his
minutes Friday.
The Canucks training staff had the Kevlars laid out for the players on
Thursday and winger Aaron Volpatti was among those who wore them for
the first time in Thursday's practice.
"He's extremely fit," Vigneault said. "The injuries that he had have enabled
him to work out quite a bit. Initially, it was supposed to be five months and I
think we are closing in on nine or 10 months here, so he's been working out
extremely hard with our staff and conditioning people and is in great shape.
"That being said, we'll have to see how he looks tomorrow on the ice.
Practising and playing are not the same. He has looked extremely good in
practices, all the drills we have had him do we have done at full pace with
real strong execution so we'll feel out the game tomorrow and see how he is
doing. My initial thoughts are to keep the minutes reasonable and maybe
not as high as he has been. He has been the forward playing the most
minutes per game. I would say don't expect that tomorrow. We'll see what
happens."
With Kesler back and the departure of Manny Malhotra, Max Lapierre will
slide down to centre the fourth line between Dale Weise and Aaron Volpatti.
Kesler's production dropped quite dramatically last season. He followed up
his 41-goal, 73-point season in 2010-11, when he was named winner of the
Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's top defensive forward, with 22 goals
and 49 points last season. Kesler was bothered by a bad shoulder for much
of last season.
His return leaves winger David Booth (groin) as the only injured Canuck.
Booth has resumed practising with the team, but has not yet been cleared
for full contact.
Centre Ryan Kesler has also worn the protective socks for quite some time.
"I think everyone should wear them," he said.
None of the Canucks asked Thursday thought Cooke was trying to
intentionally cut Karlsson with his skate.
"It's just a flukey, freaky accident," Bieksa said.
SCHNEIDER STARTS: There was so much news Thursday that Canucks
coach Alain Vigneault was not even asked to explain his goaltending
decision for Friday night's home game against the Dallas Stars.
Cory Schneider gets the start and said Thursday he has not tried to figure
out how Vigneault is making his goaltending decisions.
"I don't think there's much to figure out," Schneider said. "We are going to
be pretty busy here coming up for the next six weeks. We have had a bit of
a lull in the schedule here so I think as it picks up I don't know if there is
going to be a lot of rhyme or reason, it's just going to be playing a guy who
is playing well and just kind of sharing the load so if the team is tired at least
the guy in net will be fresh and can maybe make the difference."
SING IT LOUD: Schneider backed up Roberto Luongo in Tuesday night's 21 win over the Minnesota Wild and as he sat on the bench Schneider
thought maybe he was back playing in the Swiss League.
Schneider said the chanting by a group of Southsiders, the boisterous
Vancouver Whitecaps supporters who attended Tuesday's game, reminded
him of his stint playing for Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss League during the
recent NHL lockout.
"Our fans (in Switzerland) stood the entire time and didn't stop chanting the
entire game," Schneider said. "I'm not sure where they got the energy,
maybe it was liquid energy, but it was pretty fun to play in front of."
Schneider has no problem with Canuck fans doing some of their own
chanting during games.
"We are for that, I think the guys like that stuff," he said. "Hopefully, a few
more people get into it and make it a little more noticeable, but you can
definitely hear it."
Luongo agreed.
"I think it's great," Luongo said. "The louder a building is, the better the
atmosphere, the better it is for the players as well."
Canucks’ allowed him to start the season because Kesler was not ready to
go and wanted to see if Malhotra would be able to play with risking further
injury. If so, it worked. Malhotra was effective in limited minutes and bridged
the gap until Kesler came back.
But Malhotra didn’t improve enough to alleviate Gillis’s concerns. “I agreed
that he could have the summer to train and I was going to give him a period
of time this year and if things didn’t change that I was going to have this
conversation with him,” Gillis said, “I observed and watched and I didn’t feel
there had been a change and I felt he was at risk.” That isn’t to say that the
Canucks forced Malhotra out; it appears that this was a mutual decision, but
one that Malhotra wanted to put off as long as possible, which is completely
understandable.
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Vancouver Canucks
Canucks' Manny Malhotra’s playing days over in Vancouver
657448
'Hardest thing I have done in this job': General manager Mike Gillis says he
felt veteran centre was putting himself at risk by playing
Vancouver Canucks
Ryan Kesler medically cleared to play, because his timing is impeccable
Ryan Kesler medically cleared to play, because his timing is impeccable
Daniel Wagner,
VANCOUVER — Mike Gillis made up his mind last summer, but wanted to
give Manny Malhotra a chance to prove him wrong.
And when the veteran centre could not, the Canucks general manager met
with Malhotra earlier this week and did what he described Thursday as "the
hardest thing I have done in this job."
Canucks fans got both good and bad news today, both revolving around the
team’s centres. The bad news came first, and it was devastating: Manny
Malhotra was placed on Injured Reserve, with the announcement that he’s
expected to miss the rest of the season. Malhotra has long been one of my
favourite players on the Canucks, taking on the thankless job of enabling
the Canucks’ offence by starting predominantly in the defensive zone,
winning faceoffs, clearing the puck, and getting off the ice.
Gillis said he believed Malhotra was putting himself at risk by continuing to
play and had never fully recovered from a serious eye injury during a game
on March 16, 2011.
His two-way ability was clearly diminished after his devastating eye injury,
but he was still effective in the faceoff circle and was among the league
leaders, winning 65.3% of his draws. Losing him from the lineup
significantly impacts the Canucks’ depth at centre.
"I came to this decision last year and I wanted to give Manny the
opportunity to put his best foot forward, the opportunity to get in great
shape," Gillis said Thursday after the Canucks announced that Malhotra
was being put on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Fortunately, there was some good news to soften the blow. After practice,
Ryan Kesler was coy with the media about how close he was to returning to
action. Alain Vigneault, on the other hand, didn’t beat around the bush,
saying, “He’s been medically cleared to play and all indications are he’s
ready to go.”
"The year before because of the (eye) procedures he was going through he
didn’t have a chance to train. And he felt strongly that a better opportunity to
get into great shape would help him and we wanted to give him that
chance. I wanted to give him 10 games to watch and see if there was any
discernible change and felt there wasn’t and there were certain instances I
felt he was extremely vulnerable and I went to him like I said I would if I felt
this way."
This wouldn’t be the first time that the two have disagreed about Kesler’s
timeline for a return to action. Throughout the lockout, Kesler’s agent, Kurt
Overhardt, frequently clashed in the media with Mike Gillis and Alain
Vigneault. The Canucks’ organization would sound optimistic, saying that
Kesler was ahead of schedule and also made of rainbows, while Overhardt
spouted prophecies of doom and gloom, suggesting that Kesler’s arm was
two seconds away from jumping out of its socket and making a break for it.
To hear Overhardt tell it, Kesler had bonus eruptus.
It looks like Kesler is actually ready to return, however, and may do so as
soon as this Friday’s game against the Dallas Stars. He didn’t just take part
in line drills in practice: he was matched with Chris Higgins and Zack
Kassian, a line that Vigneault indicated he was planning on using. He also
skated on the first powerplay unit in practice.
Vigneault suggested that he would limit Kesler’s minutes, but if he’s on the
second line, first powerplay unit, and also gets some time on the penalty
kill, that seems unlikely. With Malhotra done for the season, it will be even
more difficult, as Vigneault will need to use Kesler in more defensive zone
situations and for key faceoffs.
Kesler’s return is perfectly timed, which makes me wonder if Mike Gillis
knew he would be returning this weekend when he approached Malhotra
about going on Injured Reserve. Gillis said in a press conference today that
he “took the decision from [Malhotra]” as he was concerned about his longterm health.
Removing Malhotra from the lineup was apparently discussed during the
off-season, but Malhotra, who is about as determined as they come, wanted
to return and convinced Gillis that he could improve. I have to wonder if the
Gillis told Malhotra that his playing days were over in Vancouver.
Malhotra only played nine games this season, mainly on Vancouver’s fourth
line. And while he continued to excel in the faceoff circle, he was never the
same player he was before a stray puck cut open his left eye while he
skated through the neutral zone during a game against the Colorado
Avalanche at Rogers Arena.
Neither the Canucks nor Malhotra have ever divulged the exact specifics of
the injury.
But Malhotra did undergo multiple procedures on the eye — and both he
and the team have acknowledged that the centre’s vision is now impaired.
Malhotra did not have a point this season and only two shots on goal.
Gillis said he could not say whether Malhotra plans to try to continue his
playing career elsewhere next season, but said he hopes he will remain in
the Canucks’ organization. He indicated that Malhotra did not completely
agree with the decision.
“Manny is an extremely proud guy who is very stubborn,” Gillis said. “A
lesser person wouldn’t even have come back from what he endured. There
were points where I felt he shared my opinion and points where I felt he
didn’t. I have to make the decision and I wouldn’t put anybody in a position
(if) I was uncomfortable with their ability to protect themselves, or their
ability to function out on the ice and be at a higher risk than normal,
particularly in today’s game where it is so fast, the players are big ... I
wasn’t prepared to live with that any longer.”
Malhotra had been absent from practice in recent days. The team had
described his absence as a personal issue. He played his final game last
Saturday against the Calgary Flames.
Gillis said Malhotra, who is in the final year of a three-year contract that
pays him $2.5 million a season, will stay with the team for the remainder of
the season and perhaps beyond. Malhotra will continue to collect his salary
through the end of this season.
“We haven’t exactly fleshed out what the role is going to be but he is a
terrific person, he is a great spokesperson, I can’t say enough about him as
a professional and member of this organization,” Gillis said. “I have asked
him to stay on and we are going to sort through the particulars of that over
the next couple of days. He could fill a variety of roles.”
Kesler said he wouldn’t come back unless he’s 100-per-cent. So, he must
be ready to reprise his role as the team’s heart and soul. Right?
He doesn’t plan to change the way he plays, either. You know, the often
daring-but-reckless, gutsy-but-risky style that, when he’s on, can look like
he’s driving a stock car and taking turns just a little too fast.
It’s made him oh-so-productive when he’s healthy, but oh-so-disappointing
when he’s injured. Quite the quandary. But Kesler said he doesn’t see any
other way.
“The way I play is the reason I’m successful,” Kesler said. “I’m not one of
those guys who is going to get by on their skill alone. I have to be one of the
hardest working guys out there.”
Gillis met with the team’s leadership group earlier this week to tell them
what was happening.
He’s 28 and has already had two hip surgeries, one for his finger, one for
his wrist and another to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in May. He was
supposed to be ready in five months after the shoulder surgery, but it’s
been nine. Things turned complicated after it was concluded he needed
wrist surgery in June.
“Just being around him every day, you wouldn’t think there was an issue,”
said goalie Roberto Luongo. “That is the type of guy that he is, probably
one of the best teammates I have ever had. It’s unfortunate.”
“I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about injury prevention and taking
care of my body,” Kesler said. “Not only on the ice, but off the ice. There are
things I can do to help prevent injuries.”
Malhotra trained during the recent NHL lockout at UBC with a group of
Canucks that included defenceman Kevin Bieksa.
Kesler will centre the second line between Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian.
Vigneualt likes the fact Higgins and Kesler have history and everyone likes
the way Kassian is playing.
The 32-year-old Malhotra has played in 864 NHL games and registered 278
points.
“I was with him every day of the lockout and I know he trained hard,” Bieksa
said. “His limitations only he knows, he is not a guy who is ever going to
complain about anything. He has got a lot of pride, is a hard worker and has
never let anything be an excuse. Only he knows how bad it is. Certainly it’s
a tough situation. He’s a big part of the team and we are going to miss him.”
Coach Alain Vigneault said he hoped Malhotra would remain close to the
team.
“Ever since the day Manny joined this organization he has been a huge part
of our group, not just with what he does on the ice but what he does off the
ice and the way he conducts himself with his teammates, with the
community, the fans,” Vigneault said. “He’s such a strong individual in all
categories.
“I know that this is a real emotional time for Manny and he is still going to be
part of our team. We are going to try to find ways for him to contribute and,
hopefully, it will be an easy adjustment for him.”
Malhotra’s roster spot will be filled by centre Ryan Kesler, who is expected
to return from injury and play Friday against the Dallas Stars.
bziemer@vancouversun.com
TWITTER:
“If I do get a chance to play with him, I think we’ll fit well together.”
Kesler’s importance shouldn’t be lost on anyone. Along with Daniel Sedin,
he’s the Canucks most dangerous goal scorer on the power play. He’s the
team’s best defensive forward, and won the Selke award in 2011.
And now, with Malhotra on injured reserve without being injured to clear up
a roster spot, Kesler just became the team’s faceoff specialist.
Just look at the Canucks’ special teams over the first 12 games. The
penalty kill is 22nd in the league, and the power play 18th.
Even without him in the lineup, the Canucks have speed. But Kesler has an
interesting combo: speed and a will to barrel into the net, well-being be
damned. That’s been missed.
But, with all of the great stuff comes the injuries. And with the injuries
comes Kesler’s tendency to push back into the lineup too soon, something
that plagued him most of last season. His hip was never quite right.
This time, he promised, it would be different. We’ll see.
Read more:
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Canucks+Manny+Malhotra+playing+d
ays+over+Vancouver/7965901/story.html#ixzz2KyDlZEhy
657450
“I don’t want to say he surprised me, but watching him and skating with him
for the past few weeks, he has pretty good hands for a big guy,” Kesler
said. “He can skate, move and protects the puck really well.
Vancouver Canucks
Kesler returns Friday. Too soon? We’ll get back to you on that one
Jason Botchford
He did, at least publicly, replace the antsy, itching-to-play guy with Baby
Steps Kesler. Ask Baby Steps when he’s coming back, and he’d act like he
had all the time in the world, like he was trolling for trout on a sleepy
Sunday afternoon and playing hockey was just an afterthought.
“I want to play, and get in there and help my teammates but I had to be
chill,” Kesler said. “Maybe on the inside I was feeling a little differently.”
All along, Kesler may have had this week circled. He gets two games at
home, Friday and Sunday, before the Canucks embark on one of their
biggest road trips of the season. They play archrival Chicago Tuesady and
Detroit, Kesler’s hometown, five days later.
“Obviously, you have a deadline in your head,” Kesler said.
Is there anything he can’t do right now?
Ryan Kesler is back.
At least, that’s what head coach Alain Vigneault promised.
Vigneault said he’s planning to give Kesler limited minutes against the
Dallas Stars. Kesler was coy about it, claiming he didn’t know he was
playing. Maybe he didn’t. It wouldn’t be the first time he wasn’t on the same
page as his coach.
Vigneault said he has Kesler in the lineup, on the second line, on the team’s
first power-play unit, and will need him to pick up the faceoff slack left by
Manny Malhotra, who was, well, told to go home.
Is that all? Good luck with managing those minutes.
“I probably couldn’t squat 1,000 pounds,” Kesler said. “Maybe 2,000.”
Caman, that’d squatting a whole team. But wait, he did do that against
Nashville in the 2011 playoffs.
Vigneault poked some fun at Baby Steps a week ago.
“On the ice, it doesn’t look like baby steps. It looks like leaps and bounds,”
Vigneault said, chiding his star.
There is context here. When last we left Kesler’s playing career, Vigenault
was adding fuel to a fire that he did not necessarily need to be sparked.
Vigneault said Kesler’s injury wasn’t “the reason his production fell” at the
end of last season and in the playoffs.
That didn’t go over too well in the Kesler camp. Neither did Vigneault’s
critique a year ago Kesler needed to use his linemates more.
Be interesting to watch the dynamic between these two. Let the good times
roll.
twitter.com/botchford
Vancouver Province: LOADED: 02.15.2013
657451
Vancouver Canucks
General manager Mike Gillis said he’d thought the Canucks would get a
couple players back soon and one could be as soon as Friday.
Ryan Kesler wore the blue full contact jersey, and skated on a line for the
first practice this season, suggesting he’ll be in the lineup soon. The best
guess is Friday against Dallas.
Of course this means, the Canucks have a roster move coming. On that
front, Malhotra has disappeared amid speculation he’s pondering his future
in hockey.
Malhotra placed on IR for rest of season
The Canucks said Malhotra will have an announcement today.
Posted by:
Sedins-Burrows
Jim Jamieson
Higgins-Kesler-Kassian
These are the lines at practice:
Hansen-Schroeder-Raymond
The Manny Malhotra mystery has been solved.
Volpatti-Lapierre-Weise
The Canucks announced during practice on Thursday that Malhotra has
been place on Injured Reserve and will miss the rest of the 2013 season.
657453
Vancouver Canucks
“The long term health of Manny Malhotra is of utmost importance to our
organization,” said Canucks GM Mike Gillis in a release.
“Throughout his career Manny has showcased his indispensability through
skilled play, being a consummate professional and leader in the room while
also continuously giving back to the community. Manny will continue to be a
valued member of our organization.” There is speculation that Malhotra will retire and take a position with the
club.
Malhotra, 32, has struggled this season and hasn’t been at practice since
the team’s Super Skills event on Sunday. The Canucks declined comment
on his situation until Thursday.
Malhotra is in the final year of a deal that pays him $2.5 million.
Malhotra suffered a serious eye injury when struck by a deflected puck in
March of 2011.
There was some otherwise encouraging news at practice in that injured
Ryan Kesler appears to be close to returning.
Kesler – who hasn’t played yet this season due to off-season surgeries to
his left wrist and shoulder — has been practising with the team for a while
now, but he was wearing a regular blue practice jersey for the first time and
took regular turns with linemates Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian at the
Pacific Coliseum.
Does this mean Kesler is on the verge of returning? We’ll update you
following practice.
The other lines at practice were:
The Sedins, with Alex Burrows; Jordan Schroeder – who looks like he’s
staying — between Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen; and Max Lapierre
between Aaron Volpatti and Dale Weise.
The defence pairs were unchanged:
Hamhuis-Edler
Garrsion-Bieksa
Ballard-Tanev
Alberts-Barker
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Vancouver Canucks
Kesler back, Malhotra announcement soon
Jason Botchford
Gallagher: Lapierre down (in lineup) but not out
By Tony Gallagher, The Province February 14, 2013
You might think the return of Ryan Kesler to the Vancouver Canucks
wouldn’t be overly good news for Max Lapierre.
After all, it likely means Lapierre will fall to the fourth line, given the
understandable desire to keep Jordan Schroeder on the speed line with
Mason Raymond and Jannik Hansen.
But the guy who has been such a key factor in this early success for the
Vancouver Canucks says he welcomes Kesler back because of what he
brings to the lineup, even if it means Lapierre has to move down the
pecking order and perhaps loose some ice time.
“It’s great to have him back because players like that are special and really
give the team a lift,” says Lapierre, who has played through a very sore
groin much of this early part of the season because the team so
desperately needed his ability on the defensive draws on the right side with
Kesler ailing. And now with Manny Malhotra being yarded from the lineup,
the Canucks are looking at trying to win draws on the left side in the
defensive zone either with Henrik Sedin pressed into service where no sane
team would want to use him long term, or have either Lapierre or Kesler try
to win them on their wrong side.
“It depends on who you are up against,” said Lapierre, when discussing
how difficult it is to try to do the best possible job when faced with a draw on
the left side. “If you are against a lefty it’s a little easier because you can try
to win it back through your legs but if it’s a righty, he’s on his strong side
and you’re looking to tie him up. It’s not easy and I’m not sure what we’re
going to do.”
“I’d certainly be willing to take them,” says Henrik, who is the only lefthanded centre expected to be in the lineup most nights when the team is
completely healthy, although Andrew Ebbett is an option. “If it’s for 15 or 20
seconds it’s fine.”
That’s if things go well of course. If he gets hung up out there and ends up
blocking shots and doing the things players in that role have to do, it may
be entirely counter-productive, particularly if he were to be dinged by a shot
or be worn down also having to play power play and his regular shift.
“We’ll figure it out some way,” seemed to be the optimal answer when
players were asked about the problem, the fix clearly being the acquisition
of another left-handed centre in a Roberto Luongo deal at some point.
“I have to assume we’re going to lose the draw anyway,” says Cory
Schneider of the problems presented by the absence of a left-handed
centre you’d prefer to use in that role. “I’m not saying we will, it’s just the
way I have to play it. And the defence has to react the same way. But I’m
sure we’ll figure it out here at some point.”
It’s been Lapierre who has been figuring it out so far, and while he’ll still
make the odd bonehead play, like the shot he took at the open net late in
the Minnesota game Tuesday night or the less than brilliant penalty he took
in Anaheim that got under coach Alain Vigneault’s skin a couple of weeks
back, life without him in Kesler’s absence is not something you’d want to
think about.
“Lappy can play more than one position and he’s emotional, physical and
intense, and when his decisions with the puck are good everything falls into
place,” said Vigneault Thursday. “He’s been able to go from the fourth line
to the second line and back again.”
Named the second most hated player in the league by the fans according to
a Sports Illustrated.com poll released last week, Lapierre also came in for
additional combing by personalities like Sportsnet’s Doug MacLean on
Hockeycentral when the former Blue Jackets GM said he wouldn’t have the
Canucks centre on his team. And he isn’t the only hockey executive who
shares that opinion.
“I heard that and all I could say is that must be from the past, all that stuff
they’re talking about,” said Lapierre.”Because this year I’ve haven’t opened
my mouth on the ice. I haven’t said much to anyone, and that’s the way I
want to keep it for the rest of the year.”
If he’s able to do just that, zip it and keep on doing what he’s been doing,
he’s likely to have a long and well-appreciated career here, whether or not
they hate him everywhere else.
Read more:
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Gallagher+Lapierre+down+lineup/79678
12/story.html#ixzz2KyEkmFgz
657454
Vancouver Canucks
Willes: Malhotra the player can be replaced; Malhotra the man, not so much
By Ed Willes, The Province February 14, 2013
You look at the stats, and the question isn’t why the Canucks made their
decision on Manny Malhotra — it’s what took so long.
In nine games this season, Malhotra had yet to record a point, he was
minus-3 and the Canucks’ penalty killing, his métier, was 22nd in the
league.
Last year wasn’t much better: 18 points and minus-11 in 78 games on a
Presidents Trophy winner. Add it all up and the sad and inescapable truth is
Malhotra hasn’t been the same player since the night of Mar. 16, 2011,
when an errant puck crashed into his eye.
But this is also an inescapable truth. If ever a player transcended numbers,
it’s Malholtra. It might be the hoariest of clichés, but his contribution to the
Canucks couldn’t be measured in points and plus-minus, which is why most
everyone in the organization felt Thursday’s news in the pit of their
stomachs.
It’s why general manager Mike Gillis said this was “The hardest thing I’ve
done on this job,” as he announced Malhotra’s playing days as a Canuck
were over. It’s why front-office types Laurence Gilman and Lorne Henning
along with most of the Canucks’ office staff were in attendance as Gillis
spoke. It’s why the players lined up to offer testimonials to their teammate.
It seems Malholtra, the player, can be replaced. Malholtra, the man? Not so
much.
“He’s one of the best people I’ve ever played with,” said Ryan Kesler, who’s
not exactly Captain Sensitive, but who was clearly moved by Thursday’s
announcement.
“He’s one of those guys who never has a bad day. Every day he comes to
the rink he’s the most excited guy to come here. He just has this love of
life.”
Almost two years after a freak accident changed the course of Malholtra’s
career, Gillis made the decision the 32-year-old from Mississauga either
couldn’t or wouldn’t make on his own. There was a genuine concern within
the organization that Malhotra was compromising his health, that his visual
impairment wasn’t allowing him to protect himself.
Gillis didn’t say as much, but there were too many times Malhotra put
himself in a vulnerable position on the ice. Out of respect for the veteran,
players who had him lined up usually pulled up. But there was a fear that
one day the player wouldn’t pull up or Malhotra wouldn’t be able to react the
speed and violence of the game.
“We came to the conclusion for his long-term health and his long-term
safety, this was the best thing we could do,” Gillis said.
Malhotra, predictably, doesn’t see it quite that way, and he was
conspicuous by his absence at Thursday’s presser. That’s understandable.
He still thinks he can beat this thing, and that determination, that singlemindedness, is just one of the qualities that made him so popular in the
Canucks’ room.
As for the others, just ask his teammates.
“It was the things off the ice,” says Cory Schneider. “As a young player, I
used to ask him all the time, ‘Hey Manny, what do I do here? What should I
wear there? What do I need to bring to this?’ He was the guy you asked. He
always seemed to have the right answer.”
Daniel Sedin talked about the level of respect Malhotra commanded.
“And it wasn’t just in here,” he said. “It was everyone: referees, coaches,
other players. He was on a different level.
“He’s meant a lot to this group. This is really tough for us.”
You wonder, in fact, how the Canucks’ playoff run would have ended in
2011 had Malhotra stayed healthy. To that point he’d been everything the
organization had asked for — 30 points, plus-nine, and maybe the best
faceoff man in the league — when they signed him to a fat three-year, $7.5
million free-agent deal.
He just couldn’t get back to that level. Gillis was ready to shut him down at
the end of last season, but, out of respect, allowed the veteran to put in a
full summer of training and give it another shot this season.
The Canucks are now hoping he’ll take a job as an organizational
consultant — read, unofficial assistant coach — and that would seem to be
a good fit because, if ever a player was ready to go into coaching, it’s
Malhotra
But he’s not there yet. Gillis kept talking about Malhotra’s pride and
competitiveness, and you wouldn’t expect him to give up that easily. You
just hope, when it’s all said and done, he’s still able to enjoy another good
day at the rink.
Read more:
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Willes+Malhotra+player+replaced+Malh
otra+much/7967659/story.html#ixzz2KyEq3dtJ
657455
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks: No more baby steps — Kesler’s back
By Jason Botchford, The Province February 14, 2013
Ryan Kesler is back.
At least, that’s what head coach Alain Vigneault promised.
Vigneault said he’s planning to give Kesler limited minutes against the
Dallas Stars. Kesler was coy about it, claiming he didn’t know he was
playing. Maybe he didn’t. It wouldn’t be the first time he wasn’t on the same
page as his coach.
Vigneault said he has Kesler in the lineup, on the second line, on the team’s
first power-play unit, and will need him to pick up the faceoff slack left by
Manny Malhotra, who was, well, told to go home.
Is that all? Good luck with managing those minutes.
Kesler said he wouldn’t come back unless he’s 100 per cent. So, he must
be ready to reprise his role as the team’s heart and soul. Right?
Be interesting to watch the dynamic between these two. Let the good times
roll.
He doesn’t plan to change the way he plays, either. You know, the often
daring-but-reckless, gutsy-but-risky style that, when he’s on, can look like
he’s driving a stock car and taking turns just a little too fast.
twitter.com/@botchford
It’s made him oh-so productive when he’s healthy, but oh-so disappointing
when he’s injured. Quite the quandary. But Kesler said he doesn’t see any
other way.
“The way I play is the reason I’m successful,” Kesler said. “I’m not one of
those guys who is going to get by on their skill alone. I have to be one of the
hardest-working guys out there.”
He’s 28 and has already had two hip surgeries, one for his finger, one for
his wrist and another to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder in May. He was
supposed to be ready in five months after the shoulder surgery, but it’s
been nine. Things turned complicated after it was concluded he needed
wrist surgery in June.
“I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about injury prevention and taking
care of my body,” Kesler said. “Not only on the ice, but off the ice. There are
things I can do to help prevent injuries.”
Kesler will centre the second line between Chris Higgins and Zack Kassian.
Vigneault likes the fact Higgins and Kesler have history and everyone likes
the way Kassian is playing.
“I don’t want to say he surprised me, but watching him and skating with him
for the past few weeks, he has pretty good hands for a big guy,” Kesler
said. “He can skate, move and protects the puck really well.
“If I do get a chance to play with him, I think we’ll fit well together.”
Kesler’s importance shouldn’t be lost on anyone. Along with Daniel Sedin,
he’s the Canucks most-dangerous goal-scorer on the power play. He’s the
team’s best defensive forward, and won the Selke award in 2011.
And now, with Malhotra on injured reserve without being injured to clear up
a roster spot, Kesler just became the team’s faceoff specialist.
Just look at the Canucks’ special teams over the first 12 games. The
penalty kill is 22nd in the league, and the power play 18th.
Even without him in the lineup, the Canucks have speed. But Kesler has an
interesting combo, speed and a will to barrel into the net, well-being be
damned. That’s been missed.
But, with all of the great, comes the injuries. And with the injuries comes
Kesler’s tendency to push back into the lineup too soon, something which
plagued him most of last season. His hip was never quite right.
This time, he promised, it would be different. We’ll see.
He did, at least publicly, replace the antsy, itching-to-play guy with Baby
Steps Kesler. Ask Baby Steps when he’s coming back, and he’d act like he
had all the time in the world, like he was trolling for trout on a sleepy
Sunday afternoon and playing hockey was just an afterthought.
“I want to play, and get in there and help my teammates but I had to be
chill,” Kesler said. “Maybe on the inside I was feeling a little differently.”
All along, Kesler may have had this week circled. He gets two games at
home, Friday and Sunday, before the Canucks embark on one of their
biggest road trips of the season. They play archrival Chicago Tuesday and
Detroit, Kesler’s hometown, five days later.
Read more:
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Canucks+more+baby+steps+Kesler+ba
ck/7967433/story.html#ixzz2KyEtmD3Z
657456
Vancouver Canucks
Canucks GM Gillis shuts down Malhotra with concerns about eye injury
compromising on-ice safety
By Jim Jamieson, The Province February 14, 2013
Concerns for Manny Malhotra’s safety on the ice during the course of an
NHL game prompted Canucks GM Mike Gillis to shut the player down for
the season.
Gillis met with reporters on Thursday afternoon, after the NHL club
announced that Malhotra, who’s struggled to deal with a serious eye injury
suffered in March 2011, has been placed on the Injured Reserve list for the
remainder of the season. His playing career with the Canucks is clearly
finished, although it’s uncertain whether Malhotra will retire. He is on the
final year of a three-year deal that pays him $2.5 million annually, which he
will be paid as an injured player.
Malhotra, 32, was struck in the eye by a deflected puck during a game
nearly two years ago and the reduced vision in his eye clearly prevented
him from regaining his previous form last season and nine games in to this
one.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve done in this job,” said Gillis. “It was a situation
that changed Manny’s life in half a second on an innocent play. Watching
what he did to try and recover from that, it was a difficult decision for me to
make. It was one that has been thought about for a long time. We came to
the conclusion that for his long-term health it was the best thing we could
do.”
Gillis said he was concerned that Malhotra was putting himself in a
vulnerable position where he could be seriously injured.
“In today’s game where players are so big and so fast, even an innocent
collision could be really damaging if you’re unaware. I wasn’t prepared to
live with that any longer.”
Although Gill chose to make the decision 10 games into the season, he said
he made up his mind about it after last season.”
“I came to this decision last year,” he said. “I wanted to give him the
opportunity to get better. He felt the year before, because of the procedures
he had in the summer (on his eye), he didn’t have a chance to train. He felt
a better opportunity to get in great shape would help him. We wanted to
give him 10 games to watch and see if there was any discernable change
and felt there wasn’t and felt there were certain instances where he was
extremely vulnerable.”
Gillis said Malhotra will stay with the team in some capacity.
“I probably couldn’t squat 1,000 pounds,” he said. “Maybe 2,000.”
“He had a great impact,” said Gillis. “He was brought here for a lot of
reasons. -- his play on the ice but also his character and leadership. He did
all those things, and he’ll continue to do them. He’ll continue to be part of
the organization and his personality, his courage, his leadership doesn’t
change because he’s not going to be playing hockey.”
Vigneault poked some fun at Baby Steps a week ago.
Gillis said he couldn’t say whether Malhotra will retire.
“On the ice, it doesn’t look like baby steps. It looks like leaps and bounds,”
Vigneault said, chiding his star.
“Manny is an extremely proud guy who’s very stubborn, that’s why he was
able to come back (from the injury),” said Gillis. “There were points where I
thought he shared my opinion and points where I thought he didn’t, but I
had to make the decision.”
“Obviously, you have a deadline in your head,” Kesler said.
Is there anything he can’t do right now?
There is context here. When last we left Kesler’s playing career, Vigneault
was adding fuel to a fire that he did not necessarily need to be sparked.
Vigneault said Kesler’s injury wasn’t “the reason his production fell” at the
end of last season and in the playoffs.
That didn’t go over too well in the Kesler camp. Neither did Vigneault’s
critique a year ago Kesler needed to use his linemates more.
Malhotra didn't speak with the media on Thursday.
Signed as a free agent in the summer of 2010, Malhotra was a big part of
the Canucks’ first Presidents’ Trophy winning team that went to the seventh
game of the Stanley Cup final. He brought superb penalty killing abilities
and was (and still is) one of the top face-off men in the league. Malhotra’s
defensive play was so good that he was in the conversation for the Selke
Trophy and freed up Ryan Kesler (who won the Selke that year) to focus
more on the offensive side – resulting in a 41-goal season.
He was able to come back in the Stanley Cup final, but not surprisingly
struggled. He had several procedures on his injured eye the following
summer, which cost him training time and he never caught up the following
season.
Malhotra has continued to excel in the face-off circle this season, but had
no points, just two shots on goal and was a team-worst minus-3. With
Malhotra going to the IR, it opens up a spot for rookie Jordan Schroeder to
stay with the team after the expected return of Ryan Kesler on Friday night
against Dallas at Rogers Arena.
Malhotra’s coach and teammates were glowing in their praise.
“Ever since the day Manny’s joined this organization, he’s been a huge part
of our group,” said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault. “It’s not just what he
does on the ice but what he does off the ice in the way he conducts himself
with this teammates, the community and the fans. He’s such a strong
individual in all categories. I know it’s a real emotional time with Manny and
we’re going to find ways to have him contribute and hopefully it’ll be an
easy adjustment for him.”
Friday night, Schneider starts against visiting Dallas, his seventh start of the
year. Luongo has six. Both are, among goaltenders with at least six starts,
in the NHL’s top 10 in save percentage.
The situation appeared, to many people, untenable in January. But like
Smith and Hrudey, there is a strong friendship between Luongo and
Schneider, united by a tremendous work ethic, personalities that mesh well,
and lifelong membership in the goalie fraternity. Luongo had girded himself
for this situation, and by the time the lockout ended, he had told Vancouver
general manager Mike Gillis that he was ready to remain a Canuck “as long
as it took” – read: trade – all the way through the end of the season.
Humour, and winning hockey games, has helped assuage what might have
been a harder situation, given that Luongo lost his job last spring in a brutal
way, playing well but benched during the playoffs in favour of Schneider.
Luongo has handled the loss of his position as the unquestioned starter
with grace and hilarity, whether it’s on CBC’s After Hours last weekend,
jestingly calling Scott Oake a milt, or online with his digital alter ego
@strombone1. The jokes on Twitter range from pointing to San Francisco
49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick as “proving you could never go wrong
in going with the youngster over the old vet,” to quipping this month, during
a run of starts, “Being a backup is a lot funner than I anticipated.”
Fourth line winger Dale Weise probably played more with Malhotra the last
two seasons than any other player on the roster.
“You don’t want to be here moping around, bringing negative energy to the
dressing room, that would be a huge distraction for the boys,” Luongo said
this week. “And, you know, for myself, it doesn’t really do me any good. You
just try to make the most of it, enjoy your time.”
“He’s just an unbelievable person and teammate,” said Weise. “I played a
lot with him the last two years. I got a chance to learn a lot from him. On
and off the ice he can teach you so many things. He does so many things
inside the room that he’s such a valuable asset to our team.”
Goaltenders have negotiated life as a pair from the first games as boys,
when they strapped on the pads and donned the mask, even if the roles in
the pros are generally, especially in recent years, clear-cut, with an obvious
starter and a workable backup. Circumstances like Vancouver are few.
Added Kevin Bieksa: “It is (disappointing), but we fully support Manny in his
decision. It’s a very personal decision and I’m sure on that didn’t come easy
to him. I’m sure it took at lot of hard thoughts and questions and input from
some loved ones, but he’s always going to be a part of this team. He’s
always going to be welcome in this room. He’s got great character, a quality
individual, it’s a pleasure having him around.”
“Every goaltender has to deal with this from the time he’s an atom
goaltender to the time he eventually gets to be an NHL goalie,” said Darren
Pang, who played goal for the Chicago Blackhawks in the late 1980s.
“You’re always dealing with a partner.”
657457
Vancouver Canucks
Success of Canucks’ goaltending platoon subverts any talk of controversy
DAVID EBNER
In the 1980s, after the New York Islanders had won four consecutive
Stanley Cups and then lost their last appearance in the final, to the
Edmonton Oilers, a young Kelly Hrudey beat out Rollie Melanson for the job
to back up Billy Smith. But the job was hardly one of backup. It was, for
several years, a platoon, with the ascendant Hrudey in the crease a few
more games each season than the veteran Smith, who was 10 years older
and headed to the Hall of Fame. It took Hrudey two more years before he
got the true starter’s nod in the playoffs.
Through it all, as the young man aimed to usurp one of the game’s greats,
the two were friends. Most nights on the road, they went for dinner. Back at
home on Long Island, they played tennis and hung out on off days. Their
wives were cordial.
“It’s ultracompetitive, but it’s respectful,” remembered Hrudey, who later as
a veteran in Los Angeles and San Jose saw the roles reversed. “I really
cherished the friendships. We each wanted the ice time but we weren’t
going to sacrifice our friendship over it.”
At the one-quarter mark of this shortened NHL season, the most common
headline about the seemingly unusual goaltending situation in Vancouver –
Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo, “two No. 1s” in the words of their
coach – remains that of “goalie controversy.” Yet that headline appears
ever more incorrect, unless having two of the top goaltenders in the league
is controversial. Everyone, including Luongo, expected the starter-turnedbackup to have been traded before the puck dropped, but it didn’t happen,
and now a platoon has emerged, one that has carried the Canucks to an 82-2 start, by far their best under Alain Vigneault.
In his rookie year, Pang was 23, two years younger than Bob Mason, with
whom he split the job in net. The two roomed together on the road and
remain friends to this day, Pang the talkative one, Mason quieter, cerebral,
a dry wit. “We had a really good balance,” Pang said of making it work, the
same things that are making it work for Schneider and Luongo.
“They can make fun of everything that’s going on,” Pang said. “We see so
many selfish athletes that are only worried about themselves. Although this
is not an ideal situation – because it’s not – it speaks volumes about these
two guys.”
Schneider, who emerged as a starter and potential star under the tutelage
of Luongo, reveals nothing but content and patience, even if he is at 26 still
waiting to grasp the role he has worked his whole life to achieve – go-to
starter in the NHL. And he’s leaned on a little humour himself, recently
joking about resisting a fashion choice, “No Conan O’Brien shirts,” the
redhead netminder said of the talk-show redhead who saw The Tonight
Show taken back by veteran host Jay Leno.
“I guess we’re just trying to have a little fun with it, because otherwise it
could eat you up,” Schneider said this week. “I’m very comfortable with
where I am. I keep going back to it: it’s Roberto Luongo, it’s not just some
other random goalie. As long as we’re both here, we’re both going to play,
and they want us both to play.”
Hrudey thinks this crucible could forge a stronger goalie, especially since he
is, as a starter, a rookie.
“This is ideal for Cory Schneider,” Hrudey said. “This is going to be a really
good test to prove what he has mentally. It’s one thing to be a backup and
win some tough games. Now you’re No. 1, keeping the job, dealing with the
pressure, the press, all the different dynamics.”
In The Game, Ken Dryden’s biography of hockey and goaltending, Dryden’s
reflections fit the Vancouver story. Dryden’s rise in Montreal came at the
demise of Vézina Trophy winner Rogie Vachon, who moved on to Los
Angeles. Even then, Dryden “felt under constant, almost angry pressure” to
justify his job as No. 1.
Being goalie is not like being the first-line centre. In goal, it’s different. No
one is talking about demoting Henrik Sedin because he has failed to score
in the first dozen games. Still, an interesting passage from Dryden notes the
advice from his coach, Scotty Bowman, who knew “that a championship
team needs two goalies capable of winning a Stanley Cup.” Dryden
remembered his constant rivalry with backup Michel Larocque, and their
“friendly,” if not a bit guarded, relationship.
Conference. The Canucks are on their best start ever under Vigneault, and
have won an NHL-best six in a row.
But always the crowd and coaches and management will turn to another
faceless man behind the mask.
The team welcomes Dallas to Vancouver on Friday, the Stars at eighth in
the West at 7-6-1.
“Little by little,” Dryden wrote, “a newer face takes over at the Forum, once
Vachon, once me, once Larocque, soon someone else.”
With a report from The Canadian Press
657458
Vancouver Canucks
657459
Washington Capitals
Canucks say Malhotra will miss the rest of the season; Kesler to play Friday
Open thread: Capitals at Lightning
DAVID EBNER
Posted by Katie Carrera
Manny Malhotra, who took a puck to his left eye two years ago and needed
surgery to save his vision, will miss the rest of this hockey season, the
Vancouver Canucks announced late Thursday morning.
The move came on a day when it appeared the long-injured Ryan Kesler is
poised to return to the ice for a game Friday night against the Dallas Stars,
practising at full-strength on Thursday morning with his teammates for the
first time this year.
Kesler after practice wouldn't say for sure he would play but then coach
Alain Vigneault said he had been medically cleared to play. It was later
reported that barring an unexpected change, Kesler will play on Friday as
Vancouver hosts the Dallas Stars.
Cory Schneider was also announced as the starter against Dallas, giving
Schneider seven starts this year for Roberto Luongo's six.
“The long-term health of Manny Malhotra is of utmost importance to our
organization,” said Mike Gills, Canucks president and general manager, in a
press release that revealed Malhotra was being put on injured reserve.
Malhotra had missed several days of practice and one game for “personal”
reasons.
The centre, known for his excellent faceoff work, especially in the defensive
zone, had no points in nine games this year. He appeared to struggle early
on but of players with at least 50 faceoffs taken, Malhotra ranks second in
the league in draws won, taking nearly two-thirds of them, 65.3 per cent.
Gillis was scheduled to provide more detail in the early afternoon. The
move to IR gives the Canucks some relief on the salary cap, and Gillis in
the press release spoke of the 32-year-old in the past tense, in hockey
terms, but added: “Manny will continue to be a valued member of our
organization.”
The Canucks are right up against the salary cap, according to
capgeek.com, with less than $1-million of space, the third-least in the 30team NHL. Malhotra is an unrestricted free agent after the season, and is in
the final year of a three-season deal that pays $2.5-million per year.
On the ice, as the team loses Malhotra, the Canucks are set to welcome
back Kesler, their star second-line centre who has missed a quarter of the
season after surgeries on his left shoulder and wrist last summer.
Kesler on Thursday skated with his teammates at practice in a regular blue
jersey – signifying he's set to take full contact – and skated on the second
line, centring wingers Zack Kassian and Chris Higgins. The first line
remains the Sedin twins and Alex Burrows. A newly composed third line is
centred by rookie Jordan Schroeder with wingers Jannik Hansen and
Mason Raymond. Aaron Volpatti, Max Lapierre and Dale Weise are the
fourth line.
The main two defensive pairings were also shuffled at practice Thursday.
Jason Garrison has been split from Alex Edler and now Garrison will play
with Kevin Bieksa. Edler was paired with Dan Hamhuis. Chris Tanev and
Keith Ballard remain the third pair.
Vigneault has a challenge because he has a lack of right-side defenceman.
The former Edler-Garrison pairing put Edler, a natural left-side man, on the
right, where he sometimes struggled. Vigneault said the previous pairings
were a balance of what he had, talent, speed, defensiveness and offence.
The Canucks are 8-2-2 at the one-quarter mark of the season, leading the
Northwest Division by five points, and in third spot in the Western
The Capitals are looking to extend their modest winning streak to three
games tonight as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have
recorded just one point in the past five games.
Usual starter Anders Lindback is sick, so Mathieu Garon (1-2-0, 2.83 GAA,
.918 save percentage) gets the nod in net for Tampa Bay while the Capitals
will turn to Braden Holtby (3-4-0, 4.04 GAA, .874 save percentage.
Discuss the game in the comment section below.
Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Tampa Bay Times Forum | TV: CSN | Radio: 106.7
Based on warmups here’s what the lineup should look like:
Forwards
Chimera-Ribeiro-Ovechkin
Wolski-Backstrom-Brouwer
Fehr-Perreault-Ward
Hendricks-Beagle-Crabb
Defense
Alzner-Green
Erskine-Carlson
Schultz-Kundratek
Goal: Holtby, Neuvirth.
Scratches: Tom Poti, Roman Hamrlik and Marcus Johansson (upper-body).
Washington Post LOADED: 02.15.2013
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Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos on why NHL players should participate in
the Olympics
Alex Ovechkin grew up watching Russian national teams compete in the
Olympics and World Championships, and he’s always attached a great deal
of importance to being able to represent his country.
The significance wearing a Russian jersey carries for him is why Ovechkin
has made it quite clear that he intends to participate in the 2014 Sochi
Olympics, regardless of whether the NHL strikes an agreement to let all of
its players take part.
“When I was growing up, only [care about] Olympics and World
Championship. It was very important, all media all [attention is on]
Olympics,” Ovechkin said. “I remember, I was little kid in my country home,
far from Moscow, little kids, we watched the Olympics, summer Olympics.
Everybody is involved. It’s nice, to be honest, when you can be there.“
On Wednesday, Capitals Coach Adam Oates said he didn’t believe NHL
players should participate in the Olympics, but Ovechkin was unfazed by
the different opinion.
“I think every person have own mind, of course,” Ovechkin said. “For his
position, if we go there — and we probably will go there — he don’t want
[us] to get hurt or something like that. It’s a coach’s [opinion], it’s always like
this.”
While Ovechkin has particularly strong feelings about being able to take
part in 2014 because they’re being held in Russia, he’s certainly not the
only NHL player who would like to represent his country.
“It will be fun to play for your home country, obviously, and Olympics is kind
of nice experience and good experience, and it’s a fun experience,”
Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom said. “Obviously it would be fun, but
we’ll see what the rules are going to be.”
Karlsson, the defending Norris Trophy winner, had surgery Thursday
morning and will be out for three to four months according to Senators
General Manager Bryan Murray. Cooke did not and will not receive any
supplementary discipline for the play, which was deemed accidental.
“It’s unfortunate, I think, and nothing you want to see out there,” said
Nicklas Backstrom, who knows Karlsson. “But obviously it happened and I
feel sorry for him, I feel bad for him.”
Cuts on players’ legs or arms from skate blades are a common occurrence
in the NHL, though most manage to avoid serious harm. Karlsson’s
unfortunate injury may prompt some players to take additional precautions,
like using socks reinforced with Kevlar that are cut-resistant.
Among the Capitals, Alex Ovechkin, Eric Fehr and Jay Beagle all use the
Kevlar socks.
“I’ve been wearing them for probably three, four years I guess, pretty much
when they came out. I feel like they’re a regular sock but they’re more
protective, so I don’t see a reason why I wouldn’t wear them,” Fehr said.
“Some guys say they don’t like the feel but I don’t notice a difference.”
Tampa Bay General Manager Steve Yzerman is the executive director of
Canada’s men’s hockey team for the 2014 Olympics and he believes NHL
participation in the tournament is important to help broaden the sport’s
appeal.
Bauer's Elite Performance Skate Sock, which the company says contains
60 percent Kevlar and protects the entire lower leg. (via Bauer)
“It’s the biggest stage in the world for us to market our players,” Yzerman
told Damian Cristodero of the Tampa Bay Times. “I think the NHL has done
a very good job of improving its brand and getting out there in the world,
particularly Europe, and going and playing games over there. The Olympics
is the one time the whole world is watching, and I believe we want our
players there because we have the best players in the world.”
The socks don’t protect players completely, but they add another layer of
defense. Fehr said he sustained a cut on the back of his knee last year,
above where the socks cover, that required stitches.
Europeans aren’t the only players who take considerable pride in
representing their country, of course.
Lightning center Steven Stamkos, 23, wasn’t selected for Canada’s 2010
team in Vancouver, but he grew up in a generation that watched NHLers
play in the Olympics and could entertain the dual dream of being a
professional hockey player and representing his country on the largest
stage. Prior to Nagano in 1998, only amateurs could participate in the
Olympic tournament.
Stamkos wasn’t asked about Oates’s comments, but he was asked whether
he valued the ability to represent Canada and if it was something he
thought about while growing up.
Bauer’s Elite Performance Skate Sock, which the company says contains
60 percent Kevlar and protects the entire lower leg. (via Bauer)
Matt Hendricks was cut on his right foot, near his ankle, by a goaltender’s
skate during his college playing days at St. Cloud State. He doesn’t use
Kevlar socks now, but he did change how he suits up for games after the
cut. Hendricks now places his shin guard over the tongue of his skate to
prevent the possibility of lacerations, he used to push it down making him
vulnerable for cuts at the top of his foot.
“I think the scariest part was I’m looking down at my skate and I don’t see
anything wrong. And I feel a lot of pain from it, but you can’t see it,”
Hendricks said. “It’s not like when you get cut on the face where you can
immediately tell that there’s a problem. So that’s scary.”
After seeing what happened to Karlsson, Backstrom said he might consider
using the Kevlar socks and he might not be the only NHL player who thinks
about such a change.
“As a Canadian kid, if you don’t think about that something’s wrong with
you,” Stamkos said. “Any time you get a chance to represent your country
at any stage is something you dream of as a kid.”
“I don’t know, maybe I’ll try it,” Backstrom said. “That would be great if you
can prevent it.”
While the decision to allow NHL players to take part in the games will be
made by the league and players’ association in conjunction with the IIHF
and IOC, Stamkos said he believes every player should be able to
represent their country.
657462
“I think you should be able to, no question. I don’t think anyone should be
able to take that right away from you, representing your country. It’s above
everything else as well,” Stamkos said. “I personally think guys will be able
go over there and represent their countries and play, I know some guys
would probably go over there anyways, even if they couldn’t. I really don’t
think it will be an issue heading forward.”
657461
Washington Capitals
Caps discuss Kevlar socks in wake of injury to Senators’ Erik Karlsson
Wednesday night, Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson suffered the
type of scary fluke injury that all hockey players hope they never have to
endure.
Karlsson suffered a 70 percent cut of his left Achilles tendon when
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke’s skate inadvertently got caught
on the defenseman’s foot while they were battling for the puck along the
boards.
Washington Capitals
Braden Holtby to make third consecutive start for Capitals (updated)
Coach Adam Oates will turn to Braden Holtby for a third consecutive start
tonight when the Capitals take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Holtby stopped 27 of the 32 shots he faced in Washington’s 6-5 overtime
win against Florida on Tuesday, and while it wasn’t a performance the
goaltender will want to remember, Oates said the 22-year-old came through
when the Capitals needed him to.
“I thought he made some big saves when we really needed ‘em. He did that
in the game at home as well,” Oates said Wednesday. “I’m sure there’s a
couple goals that maybe he probably might wanted to play a hair differently.
But he also made some great saves and we didn’t play as good in front of
him as we should. I think that’s fine, and we got the win and we all move
on.”
Mathieu Garon (1-2-0, .918 save percentage, 2.83 GAA) gets the nod for
the Lightning because usual starter Anders Lindback is sick. Coach Guy
Boucher said he wasn’t sure if Lindback would even be healthy enough to
serve as Tampa Bay’s backup tonight.
The Capitals are currently on the ice for an optional morning skate at the
Tampa Bay Times Forum. Those not taking part are Alex Ovechkin, Mike
Ribeiro, Nicklas Backstrom, Joel Ward and Wojtek Wolski. All eight
defensemen are taking part, as are both goaltenders.
“It was more because we had a late practice [Wednesday] in [Tampa Bay's]
barn,” Oates said of the reason for the optional skate. “They practiced at 11;
we didn’t get ice till 2, so give ‘em the choice today: whatever they can do to
be ready for tonight.”
Because of the limited participation in the skate, the Capitals didn’t take line
rushes this morning, but it’s likely Oates will stick with the lines he used in
Wednesday’s practice:
Chimera-Ribeiro-Ovechkin
Wolski-Backstrom-Brouwer
Fehr-Perreault-Ward
Hendricks-Beagle-Crabb
657463
Washington Capitals
Why the Caps don’t have a Kiss Cam
Posted by Dan Steinberg
I wrote a story that ran in Style on Thursday about Kiss Cams. Valentine’s
Day, and all. Just following orders.
Judging by the comments, people loved it.
“An unforgivable invasion of privacy by a media which has lost all sense of
embarrassment in invading the lives of the citizenry!” one person wrote.
“Did this guy actually get paid for this piece of trash? Not even fit for bottom
of bird cage!” someone else wrote.
“How inept does Obama have to be to cover him instead of non stories like
this?” a third person asked.
Feels great to be loved. Anyhow, I thought my sports audience — at least,
those members of it who don’t loathe me — might be interested in the
thoughts of Caps Director of Game Entertainment Michael Wurman, who
explained to me why the hockey team no longer uses a Kiss Cam. Now,
Wurman wasn’t trying to criticize anyone else’s use of the device, and he
wasn’t pledging never again to use the smoochy standby at Caps games.
But when he arrived in the fall of 2009, he wanted to go in a different
direction.
“I just felt that we wanted to move on, come up with some different ways to
engage people and challenge ourselves,” he told me. “Dance Cam, Smile
Cam, Kiss Cam, Dance for Your Dinner [Cam] — put any phrase in front of
the word ‘Cam,’ and most teams have done it. And I felt ultimately we
should move past this, because we just want to be a little different. I look at
our games as a big cultural event, almost — everyone comes in red, we
have fans who people know by one-word names, and just felt like that’s part
of the hockey atmosphere. Where does somebody kissing someone else fit
into that? It just didn’t seem to fit.”
Maryland added Kiss Cam features to football and basketball games this
year because of a full-time sponsor for the segment, Elephant Auto
Insurance. The Wizards do it about every other game, thanks to a
sponsorship deal with the D.C. Lottery. Sponsors like the segment because
fans can’t look away, so they’re staring at the logo for 75 seconds. But
Wurman said no fans have complained about the lack of a Kiss Cam at
Caps games.
“We wanted our experience to be a little bit different,” he said. “I felt there
were interesting ways to engage people other than just sticking a camera
on them and saying, ‘You’re the show now, do something funny.’ I just felt,
what does somebody kissing have to do with hockey?….The ultimate thing
is, are people still having a lot of fun at the games? And I still think they
are.”
657464
Washington Capitals
Adam Oates doesn’t think NHL players should participate in Olympics
The NHL and the NHL Players Association are meeting with the
International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey
Federation today and tomorrow in New York to determine whether the
league will allow its players to participate in the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
One person who doesn’t believe NHL players should take part in the
Olympics is Capitals Coach Adam Oates, even though he understands how
it can help promote hockey.
“You know what, I don’t. I don’t. My honest answer is no,” Oates said
Wednesday to a small group of reporters in Tampa. “Is it good for hockey
that they do it? Great. But I grew up trying to play for the Toronto Maple
Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn’t even know it existed.”
The first time NHL players participated in the Olympic tournament was 1998
in Nagano, Japan. Before then, participation was limited to amateurs.
As a player, Oates declined invitations to play for Team Canada because
he wanted to focus on his NHL career. While he never felt compelled to
play for the national team, Oates knows that representing one’s country
means a lot to others, particularly European players.
“It’s different for the European guys because they grew up trying to play for
their country, so it’s a different animal,” Oates said. “And I think that’s where
they’re trying to balance it, too, and create more fans, et cetera.”
Capitals star winger Alex Ovechkin has said repeatedly that he intends to
play in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, whether the NHL permits its players to
take part or not. Washington owner Ted Leonsis has publicly supported
Ovechkin’s stance, saying that the winger will have his permission to take
part.
As a coach it’s not the two-week break that concerns Oates, but rather the
possibility of injury.
“How do you feel if one of your players goes over and gets hurt?” Oates
said. “It’s more devastating if one of your key players gets hurt.”
657465
Washington Capitals
Adam Oates: Caps need Jason Chimera to be ‘reliable’ on top line
Jason Chimera played only 5 minutes 43 seconds in the Capitals’ 6-5
overtime win against the Florida Panthers after starting on the top line
because he didn’t have his “A-game” according to Coach Adam Oates.
In the first practice after the benching, though, Oates showed faith in the
veteran winger and put him back on the top line with Alex Ovechkin and
Mike Ribeiro.
“We showed him some stuff, just little things. In a sense there’s a little more
responsibility because you are playing against [the opponent’s] best
players,” Oates said Wednesday of the message to the 33-year-old winger.
“You’re going to play against their best lines and we need you to be reliable
there,” Oates said. “If you are, great. I love what he brings, that’s really the
message.”
With the Capitals slated to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday at
7:30 p.m., Chimera said he appreciated the show of confidence from the
coaching staff and that it’s important for him to “have a good game and
move on from there.”
Chimera was on the ice for three goals against at the Panthers and after
being demoted to the fourth line at the start of the second period he took
only four shifts in the final 40 minutes of regulation. When discussing the
Capitals work to reinforce their systems in Wednesday’s practice, Chimera
said that there’s no hiding from errors in the team’s video sessions.
By Katie Carrera,
“It’s always good to see video and see what you did wrong,” Chimera said.
“Sometimes it’s tough to see when you’re up there on the video yourself,
but you’ve got to kind of check your egos, which is good.”
TAMPA — By the midway point of the third period at the Tampa Bay Times
Forum on Thursday night, the Washington Capitals had built a commanding
three-goal lead. As time ticked down, though, they would need every last bit
of that advantage to fend off the explosive offense of the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Chimera has been critical of himself this season particularly because he
has yet to crack the scoresheet. In 2011-12, he recorded a career-high 20
goals and 39 points.
Oates knows that Chimera wants to contribute offense, but the first-year
coach doesn’t measure success exclusively through stats columns. He
wants Chimera to emphasize the details of his game, work within the
system and trust that the goals will come.
“Obviously I want him to get goals but they will come when you play
correct,” Oates said. “His success is doing the little things so the line
benefits. That’s for everybody not just him. Hockey is so hard to score now,
it takes everybody.”
657466
Washington Capitals
Tampa Bay scored a pair of goals in the final 7 minutes 58 seconds as the
Capitals took their foot off the gas pedal. Washington made careless
mistakes like failing to get the puck deep or losing track of assignments
defensively, and after a strong start Braden Holtby suddenly looked fallible.
Despite the Lightning’s efforts, Holtby, who finished with 27 saves, and
Washington held on for a 4-3 victory. While the Capitals were glad to
extend their winning streak to three games, they could have made it a much
less anxiety-ridden task than it was at the end.
“We’ve got to clean it up a little bit,” said Troy Brouwer, who recorded his
team-high seventh goal. “We made a few mistakes. We’ve tried to fall back
on our systems and make sure that we’re doing the right things, but giving
up a 4-1 lead and making it a game isn’t what we need right now. We
thought we had them. Maybe that’s the reason why they were able to come
back is because we let up a little bit.”
Braden Holtby, Capitals hang on for third straight win
The Capitals started off well enough. Holtby was making timely and tough
saves to fend off the desperate Lightning, which hasn’t won since Feb. 1,
and the offense was clicking with goals and extended possession time.
By Katie Carrera ,
Brouwer scored 2:40 into the first from the slot on a tic-tac-toe power-play
sequence to make it 1-0, marking the sixth straight game Washington
capitalized on the man advantage. Martin St. Louis tied it at 8:23 after
getting several stuff attempts before he beat Holtby.
Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby had one of his strongest starts of the
season Thursday night in a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning — until
the third period.
In the early going as Washington worked to establish a three-goal lead it
was Holtby that kept the Lightning in check. He made a flashy glove save
on Teddy Purcell at the end of the first to keep it 1-1. When the Capitals
were allowing Tampa Bay too much time and too many opportunities in the
second period with a 2-1 lead, Holtby made a sliding pad stop on Steven
Stamkos and then a kick-save on Cory Conacher with less than three
minutes left in the frame.
“That’s what we’ve needed. I haven’t been coming up with those as much
as I should be. It’s my job to make those saves,” Holtby said. “It’s my
contribution to a win. I’m going to continue to try to make those.”
When the Capitals couldn’t contain Tampa Bay’s push in a comeback
attempt, though, Holtby looked a little unsure. Teddy Purcell beat him on a
bad-angle shot and when a turnover by Joel Ward led to a Nate Thompson
breakaway, he misread the play and tried unsuccessfully to poke check the
puck away.
Holtby said he saw Thompson lose control of the puck enough that he
thought the poke check was possible. Coach Adam Oates called the play a
“gamble” but that otherwise “Holts played great”.
“When he kind of lost the puck there in front of him, it’s a hard play if you
just stay patient there,” Holtby explained. “He doesn’t have control of the
puck [so] because he can make a quick move or shoot it, it’s hard that way.
Once I saw him lose it, I thought I’d be able to get out there and get it
before he did but I read it wrong and that’s a bad mistake.
“Luckily it didn’t cost us, luckily we battled back,” Holtby said. “But that can’t
happen.”
Even with the mistake, Holtby finished with 27 saves for the third
consecutive game. He’s backstopped the Capitals in each of their victories
on this three-game winning streak and has a .910 save percentage (81 of
89) in that span.
657467
Washington Capitals
In just their third game together as a unit, the Capitals’ third line of Eric
Fehr, Mathieu Perreault and Joel Ward grabbed the spotlight once again.
Just more than five minutes into the second, Fehr scored to make it 2-1
after Ward hustled to beat a flat-footed Matt Carle to the puck behind the
Lightning net and threw it in front. The puck deflected off Perreault’s skate
and over to the winger on the right side of the net.
“I definitely want to help contribute,” said Fehr, who scored goals in
consecutive games for the first time since October 2011. “I think we work
really well together. We have a little bit of everything. We protect the puck
well, we cycle well and we work hard. In this system that’s all you need to
go.”
Fehr added his second goal of the night 2:22 into the third on a booming
slap shot for a 3-1 lead and his first two-goal game since March 9, 2011,
during his first stint with the Capitals. A little more than five minutes later on
a strong, net-crashing shift by the fourth line, Jay Beagle recorded his first
goal of the season and the eventual game-winner. He fished the puck out
from underneath Tampa Bay netminder Mathieu Garon (35 saves) and
swatted it into the net for a 4-1 advantage that seemed comfortable.
Problem was, the Capitals got a little too comfortable with it.
“We knew they were going to make a push. They’ve got the skill to do it and
they got a couple goals at the end we could’ve easily avoid,” said Perreault,
who recorded his first-career three assist game. “I feel like we might’ve sat
back a little bit too much and when we do that, we seem to always get a
couple goals against, so I feel like we shouldn’t be sitting back that much.”
Teddy Purcell scored on a bad-angle shot with 7:58 remaining in regulation
to cut the deficit to 4-2. Less than five minutes later, a turnover by Ward
deep in the offensive zone sprung Nate Thompson on a breakaway. Holtby
tried to poke-check the puck away but missed, resulting in an easy goal for
Thompson that made it 4-3 with 3:13 left in regulation.
“Once I saw him lose it, I thought I’d be able to get out there and get it
before he did, but I read it wrong and that’s a bad mistake,” Holtby said.
“Luckily it didn’t cost us, luckily we battled back, but that can’t happen.”
More on the Capitals: Summary: Capitals 4, Lightning 3 Caps discuss
Kevlar socks Oates on NHL players in Olympics Why the Caps don’t have
Kiss Cam
Capitals vs. Lightning: Eric Fehr scores twice as Washington wins third
straight, 4-3
657468
Washington Capitals
NHL players in Olympics sparks difference of opinion
By Stephen Whyno
TAMPA, Fla. — Steven Stamkos fondly remembers being 13 years old and
watching Canada win the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt
Lake City.
“That’s something that sticks in my mind, for sure,” the Tampa Bay
Lightning center said.
Alex Ovechkin remembers how much he always wanted to win a gold
medal for Russia in the Olympics and world championships. Even more
than capturing the Stanley Cup.
“It was very important, and all media, all [attention is on the] Olympics,” the
Washington Capitals captain said. “I remember, I was little kid in my country
home far from Moscow — little kids, we watched the Olympics.”
Stamkos and Ovechkin want to go to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,
Russia, and it’s likely that the parties involved will soon agree to let NHL
players participate in the games. Most around hockey think it’s a good thing
for the growth of the sport.
“It’s the biggest stage in the world for us to market our players,” Lightning
general manager Steve Yzerman said. “The Olympics is the one time the
whole world is watching, and I believe we want our players there because
we have the best players in the world. … It’s only good for our game. What
harm does it cause?”
Other than interrupting the NHL season for two weeks, there’s the inherent
risk of injury. Guys playing with unfamiliar teammates in unfamiliar systems
can be a recipe for trouble.
That’s what the league, NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey
Federation and International Olympic Committee are meeting about. NBC
signing on to televise the Sochi Games makes NHL participation just about
a foregone conclusion, even after IIHF president Rene Fasel told the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that one roadblock is “ego from some
people in North America.”
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he had no level of expectation for
the meetings or any timeline to come to an agreement.
“The reason we are meeting is to see if we can reach a common
understanding on the conditions pursuant to which the NHL and our players
can fully participate in the 2014 Sochi Games,” Daly wrote in an email. “The
topics we will be discussing are the same basic issues we have raised and
discussed with the IOC and IIHF previously, and this is just a continuation
of that discussion.”
The NHL would love more say in how the tournament works if it is taking an
extended break from the 2013-14 season and letting its most valuable
assets play in the Olympics. There are other issues that will need to be
ironed out, but those shouldn’t stand in the way of NHL players going to
Sochi.
“I think you should be able to, no question. I don’t think anyone should be
able to take that right away from you,” Stamkos said. “Representing your
country, it’s kind of above everything else, as well. I personally think guys
will be able to go over there and represent their countries and play. I know
some guys would probably go over there anyways, even if they couldn’t. I
really don’t think it’ll be an issue heading forward.”
Washington Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
657469
Washington Capitals
Capitals notes: Erik Karlsson injury has players pondering safety
“I’ll tell you what, how do you feel if one of your players goes over and gets
hurt?” Caps coach Adam Oates said.
Oates chose not to represent Canada in international competition during his
playing career, even though he had chances. His priority was playing for his
team in the NHL.
And while Oates understands the value of Olympic participation to the
promotion of hockey, he doesn’t believe NHL players belong there.
“You know what, I don’t. I don’t. My honest answer is no,” Oates said. “Is it
good for hockey that they do it? Great. But I grew up trying to play for the
Toronto Maple Leafs, not Team Canada. Didn’t even know it existed.”
There’s likely a generational divide between Oates and young guys who
grew up seeing NHL players in the Olympics. Before 1998, when NHL
players went to Nagano, Japan, the Olympics were a tournament for
amateurs.
Stamkos, who wasn’t directly asked about Oates‘ comments, always hoped
to wear the red-and-white maple leaf on his chest.
“Especially as a Canadian kid, if you don’t think about that, then
something’s wrong with you,” Stamkos said. “Anytime you get the chance to
represent your country, at any stage, is something you dream of as a kid,
whether it was representing your province or representing Canada at the
under-18s, world juniors. Obviously the Olympics is the highest level.”
By Stephen Whyno
TAMPA, Fla. — As he talked about watching the replay of Ottowa’s Erik
Karlsson suffering a torn left Achilles tendon from a skate blade,
Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks took the tape off his right foot
to reveal a scar. That’s where he got cut by an opposing goaltender’s skate
during his sophomore year at St. Cloud State.
“I think the scariest part was I’m looking down at my skate and I don’t see
anything wrong,” Hendricks said. “And I feel a lot of pain from it but you
can’t see it. It’s not like when you get cut on the face where you can
immediately tell that there’s a problem. So that’s scary.”
It was scary for Hendricks and others around the Caps to see what
happened to Karlsson on Wednesday night. The Senators defenseman tore
70 percent of his left Achilles tendon and is out three to four months as a
result of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke inadvertently slicing his
left skate into the back of Karlsson’s leg.
“Obviously it’s unfortunate, I think, and nothing you want to see out there,”
said Caps center and fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom, who knows
Karlsson. “I feel sorry for him.”
Caps coach Adam Oates called it “kind of fluky” and a “freak” accident.
Hendricks said there was no way to think Cooke did it intentionally.
Oates acknowledged that “it’s a different animal” for European players who
prioritized international play. That includes Ovechkin, who has made it
perfectly clear, along with other Russian players, that he’s going to Sochi
with or without commissioner Gary Bettman’s blessing. And Washington
owner Ted Leonsis said last month that he’ll give Ovechkin permission to
leave, even without NHL approval.
But in the aftermath of Karlsson’s injury, the conversation turned to safety.
Karlsson and a majority of players wear regular, lightweight hockey socks.
Some, like the Caps’ Alex Ovechkin, Eric Fehr and Jay Beagle, wear socks
reinforced with Kevlar.
“It only happens once in four years, especially like if I have opportunity to
represent my country, my hometown at home, of course it’s pretty big,”
Ovechkin said. “I think for all European guys, it’s very important to be there.
This event is unbelievable.”
“It used to be something I never really thought about, but the last couple
years there’s been a lot of injuries involving skates,” Fehr said. “Definitely
one of the scarier injuries, so it’s better to protect yourself, I think, if you
can.”
Caps center Nicklas Backstrom, who played for Sweden in the 2010
Olympics in Vancouver, isn’t going that far. He’s waiting to see what
happens.
It’s not fool-proof, as evidenced by a cut Fehr suffered last season above
where the protection was that required stitches.
“If everybody goes, everybody goes,” Backstrom said. “If they say no, I
mean, it’s for everybody, I guess. It’s got to be the same for everybody, I
think. Either everybody goes or no one goes.”
“You move those over a couple of inches and it can cut some pretty big
arteries,” he said. “It’s pretty scary, obviously, but I do what I can to protect
myself.
Even though he doesn’t use Kevlar socks, Hendricks began wearing his
shin pads over his skates after getting cut in college. Anaheim Ducks
forward Teemu Selanne told Elliotte Friedman of “Hockey Night in Canada”
that maybe Kevlar-reinforced socks should be mandatory.
Kane says race-related remarks were a specific reaction to social media
By: Tim Campbell
They aren’t yet, but Karlsson’s injury could prompt Backstrom to consider
making the switch.
“You’ve got to be aware those kind of things can happen to you,” Backstrom
said. “I don’t know, maybe I’ll try it.”
Hamrlik proud of Lightning past
Caps defenseman Roman Hamrlik was the first pick in the history of the
Tampa Bay Lightning. With the team celebrating its 20th anniversary, the
38-year-old Hamrlik is proud of how far the team has come.
“In the beginning it was really hard. I was young, I don’t know where I’m
coming from; early in my career I didn’t know much about the league, I
didn’t know about the language and it was really difficult for me. And we
were losing,” Hamrlik said. “We were expansion team and now they have
really good team. They build really good team over the years.”
Since Hamrlik’s 5½ years with Tampa Bay, the Lightning won a Stanley
Cup and built a burgeoning hockey market in a nontraditional place.
Looking back, he’s proud to have been one of the building blocks.
WINNIPEG — Winnipeg Jets left-winger Evander Kane this morning
clarified comments he made recently to The Hockey News about criticism
he receives being race-related.
Kane began a post-practice scrum with reporters this morning at the MTS
Centre talking about the Hockey News article that will appear in the March 4
issue.
"I think the article will give some good context to what it said," Kane said.
His remarks about race, he said, were a specific reaction about social
media.
"In terms of that quote, I’m definitely referring to social media and that sort
of stuff," Kane said. "Nobody has ever, and I don’t think anybody will ever
come up to my face and say anything negative. It’s more so on that.
Anybody can go on and have a look for themselves.
"Twitter, anything. I don’t have a lot of the social media. I have a Twitter
account but that’s pretty much it.
“It’s great honor,” Hamrlik said. “But it was expansion team, I was No. 1
guy, so lots of people were expecting for me lots of things. I had such good
years here, four, five years. Obviously I take the pride, yeah. I’m thankful to
the Lightning to choose me and give me opportunity to play here.”
"Just different things that people can hide behind a computer and say what
they want."
Washington Times LOADED: 02.15.2013
Kane said he’s ready and willing to accept criticism about hockey at face
value.
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Winnipeg Jets
"No, in terms of hockey criticism, that’s part of the job description. That
comes with the territory. If you can’t handle that, you’ve got some issues."
Noel says more ‘A’ games needed from players
In recent months, he has cause a storm of conversation, sometimes
controversy, over a picture he posted on his Twitter account, mimicking a
phone with a stack of money, and also with different hair "styles" he has.
By: Ed Tait
He was asked a question in that context about people in general maybe not
understanding enough of his background.
Winnipeg Jets head coach Claude Noel can read the National Hockey
League standings as well as the next person. And he can be blunt: what
he’s seen from his team after one quarter of the season leaves him wanting
more.
Much more.
"Where do we stand at the quarter pole? I don’t like the way we play,"
began Noel today after practice. "So, does that answer your question? I
don’t like the way we play. I just don’t think we play hard enough. We have
to play harder. We have to win more battles and we have to play with way
more urgency.
"If you’re asking me if I’m happy… we’re OK. We’re one game under .500.
There isn’t a panic or anything, but we know we can get better. We know
we can play better. We have to play harder and we need more production
from more players. It’s that simple. If I get more ‘A’ games, everything else
will look after itself. That’s what we need in a nutshell and they know that."
The Jets are 5-6-1 after 12 games, third in the Southeast Division and 11th
in the Eastern Conference. They’ll play host to the Pittsburgh Penguins
Friday at 6 p.m. (CBC/TSN 1290) and the Boston Bruins on Sunday before
heading out for their longest road trip of the season.
Newcomer Eric Tangradi, acquired in a trade Wednesday with Pittsburgh,
was not able to get a flight to Winnipeg in time to make Thursday’s practice,
but Noel said he will be immediately inserted into the lineup. Goaltender
Eddie Pasquale will also suit up, presumably as the back-up to Ondrej
Pavelec, after his recall from St. John’s. Noel said Montoya’s ‘lower-body’
injury will keep him out at least this week and will be further evaluated on a
weekly basis.
Meanwhile, defenceman Zach Bogosian is ready to go, but Noel said his
return to the lineup will be a game-time decision.
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 02.15.2013
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Winnipeg Jets
"I don’t know if it’s that detailed, that deep," he said. "In terms of the money
picture, the haircuts, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that if that’s
going to ruin your day, if that’s going to upset you, cause you to lose sleep,
I mean, it’s not really a concern of mine."
The Jets face the Pittsburgh Penguins Friday at the MTS Centre (6 p.m.
CT, CBC, TSN1290).
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Winnipeg Jets
Pasquale's prospects positive
By: Ed Tait
Goaltender Al Montoya, who left after the second period with a lower-body
injury in Tuesday's loss to Philadelphia, will be out at least a week, Jets
coach Claude Noel said Thursday.
"It's 'lower everything,' " Noel said. "It's just every part of his lower body.
There's all kinds of cords hanging out everywhere."
Enter Eddie Pasquale, called up from St. John's to replace Montoya and
back up Ondrej Pavelec.
Asked what he might expect in his new role, Pasquale just shrugged.
"I haven't heard anything. I flew in yesterday," he said. "I can't listen to
anything like that. People are going to say this, that. I'll just take it day by
day and think of it as a good experience.
"I was a little nervous when I first got the call coming in here, as you should
be as the young guy coming into the NHL. But I'm just going to try and take
it day by day.
"I know a lot of the guys here, playing with them, skating with NHL guys
back in the summer. It's just another level. If you want to play here, you've
got to go through all this."
C Sidney Crosby was tied for second in NHL scoring, with 20 points in 14
games. He scored twice in Winnipeg the last time here, and has just one of
his six goals this season on the power play.
Noel hinted Pasquale might not be limited to just sitting at the end of the
bench.
WINNIPEG JETS
31 Ondrej Pavelec
"I wouldn't be afraid to use him, that's for sure," Noel said. "He's earned the
right to be here. The door is open, whether he plays or not."
32 Eddie Pasquale
NEW SAFETY MEASURES? Erik Karlsson had his Achilles tendon sliced
open and the anguish he felt is shared by his compadres across the NHL,
including here in Winnipeg.
5 Mark Stuart
"It's one of those things," said Jets defenceman Ron Hainsey. "You've got
razor-sharp skates out there, and every once in a while the skate just
comes in the wrong spot."
Hainsey is the only Jets player to wear Kevlar socks, which can prevent
injuries like Karlsson's. But when asked if he thought the league would
make them mandatory, he was doubtful.
"We haven't mandated visors yet, so I highly doubt that mandated Kevlar
socks will be on the agenda next week. I wear them. I've been lucky enough
not to be caught with a skate in that region since I've had them on."
Karlsson's plight -- he is lost for the season -- has more players
contemplating more protection.
4 Paul Postma
6 Ron Hainsey
8 Alexander Burmistrov
9 Evander Kane
12 Olli Jokinen
13 Kyle Wellwood
14 Anthony Peluso
16 Andrew Ladd
17 James Wright
18 Bryan Little
"I don't (wear Kevlar socks). I might have to start," said Jets winger Evander
Kane.
19 Jim Slater
"It's kind of a freak injury, and that's very rare to see a skate go between his
skate and the foot. You try and protect yourself the best you can out there,
and hockey is probably the most-dangerous sport there is, with blades and
sticks and pucks going 100 miles an hour.
22 Chris Thorburn
"But guys are going to wear what they're going to wear and what they're
most comfortable with."
26 Blake Wheeler
MORE OUCH UPDATES: Jets captain Andrew Ladd did not practise
Thursday, but will be in the lineup against the Pens. RW Antti Miettinen
(upper body) is still listed as week to week.
E.T.'S NEW HOME: Noel confirmed new winger Eric Tangradi, acquired
from Pittsburgh on Wednesday, would be in the lineup against his old club
Friday. Tangradi did not arrive in Winnipeg until after Thursday's practice.
24 Grant Clitsome
25 Zach Redmond
27 Eric Tangradi
33 Dustin Byfuglien
39 Tobias Enstrom
44 Zach Bogosian
80 Nik Antropov
"We'll take a look at him. I know our people like him," Noel said. "Can he be
a consistent player for us? He gets an opportunity. It really speaks volumes
that (Pens GM) Ray Shero allows him to be an NHL player, which is great.
PITTSBURGH
"That's what a young guy wants. If he doesn't get an opportunity in
Pittsburgh, he can get an opportunity elsewhere."
29 Marc-Andre Fleury
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Winnipeg Jets
PENGUINS
92 Tomas Vokoun
2 Matt Niskanen
5 Deryk Engelland
7 Paul Martin
Mach 2
9 Pascal Dupuis
10 Tanner Glass
By: Staff Writer
14 Chris Kunitz
15 Dustin Jeffrey
"ï"ï ABOUT THE PENS
16 Brandon Sutter
Penguins make their second visit of the season to the MTS Centre. The first
was a 4-2 loss to the Jets on Jan. 25 in Game No. 4 of the season. The
Pens are 3-3-0 on the road.
17 Zach Boychuk
Pittsburgh comes off a 4-2 home victory over Ottawa on Wednesday night,
bumping the team to 9-5-0 and into the top four in the Eastern Conference.
19 Beau Bennett
Pittsburgh's top-four power play (15 goals already) is led by James Neal's
NHL-best six power-play goals.
As of Thursday, Pens' penalty killing was exactly middle of the pack, 15th,
at 82.5 per cent but a full 15 percentage points better than the 30th-ranked
Jets.
18 James Neal
24 Matt Cooke
27 Craig Adams
41 Robert Bortuzzo
42 Dylan Reese
44 Brooks Orpik
46 Joe Vitale
47 Simon Despres
48 Tyler Kennedy
58 Kris Letang
71 Evgeni Malkin
87 Sidney Crosby
-- Campbell
"Where do we stand at the quarter pole? I don't like the way we play," Noel
said Thursday. "I just don't think we play hard enough. We have to play
harder. We have to win more battles and we have to play with way more
urgency.
"We're one game below .500. There isn't a panic or anything, but we know
we can get better. We have to play harder and we need more production
from more players -- it's that simple. If I get more 'A' games, everything else
will look after itself.
"We've played 12 games and it's time to get going now. The patience factor
is out the door. It's time to get going here. Let's get playing."
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Winnipeg Jets
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Winnipeg Jets
It's time to make the cut
Bogo looks ready to go-go against Pens tonight
By: Ed Tait
By: Tim Campbell
The general manager spent an off day tinkering with the lineup by making
two trades.
The coach then tells a media throng a few hours later he doesn't like the
way his team is playing, admits his patience is waning and publicly
demands more.
And so, given their place in the standings and an angered management,
hardly a soul in the Winnipeg Jets dressing room seemed the least
surprised when the locker occupied by Alex Ponikarovsky on Tuesday had
a new nameplate on it Thursday that reads "E. Tangradi #27."
Welcome to pro hockey. And welcome to life on a team that is 5-6-1 and
still searching for some semblance of a winning blueprint.
"Heads will roll. That's kind of the way it works when things aren't going the
way they should be," Blake Wheeler said after Thursday's practice. "There's
going to be changes made. That's what happens.
"You hate to see guys leave. Poni's a great guy, a great teammate, and we
wish him all the best. But the organization is going to do whatever they feel
is going to get this team where we all think we should be. And if that means
shuffling the cards a little bit, then that's what it's going to be."
But here's the thing: Even as Wheeler was speaking, he seemed to know
his words had been heard many, many times before. This is a crew that has
made many promises about establishing a winning culture, about a
commitment to defence, and so on and so on.
The results have been mixed, at best.
"Talk is cheap, man," Wheeler said. "You can talk in the media, you can talk
in the locker-room about what needs to be done. I think we've done that in
the past. We've told you guys what we need to do better and told each
other what we need to do better, but at the end of the day, it's inconsistent
on the ice. That's where the results need to be, and it needs to be all the
time, not just when we get a kick in the butt, when we have a tough loss.
"We need to do it all the time if we're going to be the team that I think we
are and we are capable of being. We're not up to that standard yet."
What Wednesday's deal revealed -- other than swapping a 32-year-old vet
on the downside for a 24-year-old now with his third organization, but still
with upside -- is that Kevin Cheveldayoff, Claude Noel & Co. have grown
weary of waiting for this bunch to take the proverbial next step in its
development, and if the inconsistency continues, more nameplates in the
room may soon change.
Said veteran Olli Jokinen: "At the end of the day, we're the ones who should
take the blame on the trades. If we were 12-0, I don't think there would be
any trades."
The Jets are entering a nasty weekend in which Eastern Conference
heavyweights Pittsburgh and Boston roll into town before the club heads
out on the longest road trip of the season, with stops in Buffalo, Carolina,
Philadelphia, New Jersey and Manhattan to face the Rangers.
NOT even Jets head coach Claude Noel could come up with a reason to
keep recovered defenceman Zach Bogosian from his first game of the NHL
season tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins (6 p.m., CBC, TSN 1290).
Still, the coach waffled slightly on Thursday, if only for a little
gamesmanship with the visiting Penguins.
Bogosian said Thursday he's all the way back from off-season wrist surgery
that has kept him out of the Jets' first 12 games.
"A game-time decision but it looks like he's ready to go," Noel said.
"He's ready to go. I'm not sure I would hold him out of there. He has good
passion. He probably has over-passion tomorrow. He's that thoroughbred
that wants to get going. I'd have to be holding him back a bit if he plays."
His advice to the 22-year-old fifth-year pro was simple: "Don't try to overdo
things."
Bogosian pronounced himself ready to go on Thursday.
"Coach's decision," Bogosian said. "I haven't heard anything yet, but I had
another good practice today and I'm feeling good."
If it were up to him?
"I feel like I'm ready to play," he said. "Like I said, it's coach's decision. I'm
not sure what's in store for tomorrow, but definitely I feel good, I feel ready."
Bogosian said Thursday he knew he was on the fast track to game action a
few weeks ago when he was pain-free when taking slapshots.
"The biggest step for me was when I started taking slapshots," he said.
"Ever since I've been taking slapshots, it's been feeling pretty good."
Noel was asked Thursday if the questions about racially motivated
comments directed toward left-winger Evander Kane were any distraction to
the forward or the team.
His answer: "Evander's Evander. I don't have much to comment on those
things. I don't even know the Twitter world. I know it for what it brings and
shows up, but I'm not in it. I don't read it and I don't even know how it works
and I'd rather just keep it that way for myself.
"It's hard for me to comment on that world. All I know is that Evander is a
good player for us. He can be a good player. He's very coachable and I like
him. He's a good part of our team, and for me, I'm trying to get him to play
in the way that he's also trying to get himself to play.
"Those other things are things that have to get managed. Do I view them as
a distraction to our team? I think our players handle things as well as they
can."
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Winnipeg Jets
Yes, if 5-6-1 isn't acceptable now, just imagine how cranky this bunch could
be in a couple of weeks.
It's not a black or white town
By: Gary Lawless
he said. "They were on the Internet. Were those people from Winnipeg? I
have no idea. Some of those comments were truly shocking."
Kane has been slurred for things such as his haircut, choices in music and
his style of dress. He was asked if such attention would be paid to him if he
lived in a larger U.S. city such as Chicago, New York or Boston.
Evander KANE'S protests regarding racism are important and legitimate,
but to twist his words and paint a picture of Winnipeg as a backwater where
people of colour cannot work and enjoy life is unfair and an ill-conceived
notion.
"Probably not. They have bigger things to talk about in New York," Kane
said with a smile. "(Winnipeg) is a fishbowl and it's part of the job
description and part of the territory.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Winnipeg Goldeyes have long employed
athletes of colour and they've been able to navigate their way through our
city for decades.
"With the positive attention comes negative, and I try not to pay too much
attention to the positive or the negative. I remember my junior coach told
me today's news is tomorrow's ass-wipe. So that's the way I look at things."
"I grew up in South Carolina, so I've heard the worst of the worst when it
comes to racism," said Blue Bombers defensive back and black
professional athlete Jonathan Hefney, when reached on the phone
Thursday.
Evander Kane shouldn't face racism. No one should. Not on Twitter or in
person. It's abhorrent and needs to be battled. That's why Kane's story is an
important one.
"Winnipeg isn't Atlanta, Georgia, in terms of culture, but it's a great place to
live. I smile at people and everyone smiles back at me. I've never heard
anything racial in Winnipeg."
But to hang it on Winnipeg as a city more racist than the next is simply
wrong. Not that Winnipeg can't learn or is above introspection.
We should all be willing to look inside ourselves and Kane has done us the
favour of providing a reminder.
Hefney got into hot water on Twitter two off-seasons ago for questioning
some moves made by management.
"People got on me, but none of it was racial," he said.
657477
Kane had a good day Thursday drawing attention to the pitfalls of social
media and bigotry in our society. We can't have enough of that kind of
activism. So good for Evander.
Winnipeg Jets
Claude Noel not happy with his Winnipeg Jets at quarter-pole: 'I don't like
the way we play'
Winnipeg is like any other city. It has its racists and its idiots, but Kane says
no one in Winnipeg has ever approached him with a racial slur.
It all comes via Twitter or on message boards, and the boundaries of those
mediums are certainly not restricted to the corners of Charleswood,
Transcona, St. Boniface and River Heights. Those slurs can come from
anywhere.
Kane made his original comment for an upcoming article when asked if he
would face the same type of criticism he currently endures if he were white.
"I think a good portion of it is because I'm black, and I'm not afraid to say
that," Kane told The Hockey News. "A lot of people pretend. People try to
be politically correct, but you can see through that. But here's the thing,
though: I don't feel like a victim and I don't want to be perceived as one. But
do I think that's true? Absolutely."
Kane was greeted Thursday by a large media contingent by Winnipeg
standards and was asked about his recent comments regarding race.
By Ken Wiebe
On the surface, the question seemed rather innocent, yet the response was
telling.
When queried about where the Winnipeg Jets stood at the quarter-pole of
the NHL season, head coach Claude Noel was in no mood to mince words.
“I don’t like the way we play. Does that answer your question,” said Noel,
whose club is 5-6-1. “I don’t like the way we play. I just don’t think that we
play hard enough. We have to play hard. We have to win more battles and
we have to play with way more urgency. If you’re asking me if I’m happy,
we’re okay. We’re one game below .500. There isn’t a panic or anything,
but we know we can get better, we know we can play better.
"In terms of that quote, I'm definitely referring to social media and that sort
of stuff," Kane said.
“We need more production from more players, it’s that simple. If I get more
A-games, everything else will look after itself. That’s what we need, in a
nutshell. And (the players) know that.”
"Nobody has ever, and I don't think anybody will ever come up to my face
and say anything negative. It's more so on that (social media). Anybody can
go on and have a look for themselves.
The Jets next opportunity to play with more urgency comes Friday night
when Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins visit MTS Centre for the
second and final time this season.
"Twitter, anything. I don't have a lot of the social media. I have a Twitter
account, but that's pretty much it.
The Jets earned a 4-2 win on Jan. 25 and you can be sure the Penguins
would like to even the score.
"Just different things that people can hide behind a computer and say what
they want."
It’s not like the Jets are lacking motivation either, not after dropping two
consecutive home games and getting called out by captain Andrew Ladd for
their inconsistent play.
Blue Bombers legend Milt Stegall says he and other black athletes do feel a
culture shock when they first get to Winnipeg.
"I won't say Winnipeg is a bad fit for a black athlete, but I will say a lot of
guys, especially when they come up from the South, they experience some
culture shock. They're so used to being able to see African-Americans and
do certain things," Stegall said. "But when they're in Winnipeg, it's just not
the case.
"But you have to come to understand that you're there to do a job and no
one is forcing you to be there. You're getting paid to be there, so you adjust.
Most guys realize people there love them and they're there to play football.
Guys, whether they're in Winnipeg for a day or a year, say they loved it,
were glad for the experience."
Stegall played in this city for more than a decade.
"I never faced racism there. There's been racism towards me, but it was on
the Internet when I was kidding around and said hockey isn't a sport. My
comment got put on YouTube and there were some bad racist comments,"
“There’s definitely a sense of urgency now, if there wasn’t (before),” said
Jets winger Evander Kane. “We’re a quarter of the way through the season
and we have some ground to make up.”
“At the end of the day, it’s inconsistent on the ice and that’s where the
results need to be and it needs to be all the time, not when we get a kick in
the butt or after a tough loss,” added Jets winger Blake Wheeler. “We need
to do it all the time if we’re going to be the team that we are, that we are
capable of being. We’re not up to that standard yet.”
Although he remains a game-time decision, all signs point to Jets
defenceman Zach Bogosian making his season debut on Friday.
“It’s been feeling good for a few weeks now, the biggest step for me was
when I started taking slapshots, I haven’t had any setbacks in quite some
time,” said Bogosian, who had off-season wrist surgery and has been
skating with his teammates for the past week and change. “Yeah, I feel
ready. We’ll see what happens.”
If Bogosian gets the green light, as expected, it would mark the first time
this season the Jets have been able to dress their Top-6 defencemen.
The forward group will also have a new look as Eric Tangradi makes his
Jets’ debut against his former team and steps into the lineup for Alexei
Ponikarovsky, who was dealt to the New Jersey Devils for a pair of draft
picks on Wednesday.
Although Noel wasn’t ready to unveil where Tangradi fits in, a logical place
would be on a unit with Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood.
“Tangradi is a younger player and kind of plays the same way (as
Ponikarovsky). I know our people like him. I’ve seen him play and I’ve
coached against him a little bit,” said Noel. “He’s a young guy with good
size. When I watch him play, I see some good things and I see some other
things that are okay. I’ll be looking for some consistency in his play. That
sometimes comes with maturity.”
Winnipeg Sun LOADED 02.15.2013
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Winnipeg Jets
Don Cherry: Winnipeg Jets problems start in goal
during the NHL lockout: Kane standing on a Las Vegas balcony, holding
wads of bills and pretending to make a cash call to boxer Floyd
Mayweather, Jr..
“I was the one that stuck up for him,” Cherry said. “I said, ‘Look he’s just a
kid havin’ fun.’ He’s only 21 years old. But he’s gotta straighten out a little.
You can’t be a loose canon in hockey. You can in football and you can in
basketball, but not in hockey.”
Cherry, on the eve of a flight to Winnipeg for Friday’s Jets-Pittsburgh game
— his only trip to Winnipeg this season — wasn’t sticking up for Kane,
Thursday, though.
In fact, the Coach came out of his Corner and delivered a fairly stern
admonishment for Kane playing the race card in an interview with the
Hockey News, snippets of which went public this week.
Cherry says it was ill-advised of Kane to suggest a good portion of the
criticism he gets is because he’s black.
“See, when he says stuff like that, it gets the crowd against him,” Cherry
said, Thursday. “Of all the places, Winnipeg — an absolutely ridiculous
thing to say. And whoever’s advising this kid better start advising him, get
him under control. Because to say a thing like that is absolutely asinine, as
far as I’m concerned.
By Paul Friesen
“When you act like he acts... if his name was O’Shaugnessy, he’d still get
criticized. To say it’s racial is ridiculous.”
It would be a shame if the Jets squandered the good will they inherited
when they moved to Winnipeg.
All you have to do is venture onto an internet comment board or two, where
you’ll find ugly racism alive and unwell.
That from Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry, who’ll be here, Friday.
Kane Thursday clarified his earlier quote to the Hockey News, telling a
Winnipeg media scrum he was referring to mostly anonymous messages he
reads on social media sites, particularly Twitter.
I’m not at all surprised to hear that Kane feels the way he does.
“That would be very sad with the crowd you’ve got,” Cherry said. “I don’t
know, they’ll put up with it for a while. If you lose the game you lose the
game. As long as the effort’s there.
There, he, I and Cherry agree.
“The worst thing in the world is if the crowd gets on you and they think
you’re not trying. And I’m not saying they’re not trying.”
“They’re the gutless people of all time,” is how Cherry put it. “You get one
jerk... if there’s (any) fans in the world that aren’t like that, it’s hockey fans.
From what he’s seen of the Jets, Cherry says the problems start in goal.
“I’m not saying if you get 15,000 people in there, you have 15,000 great
people. You’re going to get some jerks everywhere.”
“You can’t have a (save percentage) in the 800’s and expect to win,” he
said. “And I’m not putting everything on Pavelec, but... you’ve gotta have a
hot goaltender to make the playoffs.”
The Coach’s Corner mouthpiece says captain Andrew Ladd’s comments
about a lack of urgency ring true.
“You either score goals or you hit or you do something,” Cherry said. “You
just can’t go up and down your wing and do your job. They’ve got a shot at
the playoffs. That should be enough for them.”
Cherry says he likes the Jets’ acquisition of Eric Tangradi, and the trade of
Alexei Ponikarovsky: “He played when he wanted to play.”
Visible minorities get them more often than the rest of us.
Kane could score 50 goals and be the most community-minded player on
the planet, and he’d still be the target of racists. Nothing changes minds like
that.
Cherry and I agree on another thing: Kane has brought some criticism on
himself.
The money photo was just a bad idea at a time when fans already resented
rich players and richer owners, and showed just how out of touch some
players are with the real, working world.
Cherry says the Jets need more players like Mark Stuart.
Kane’s far from alone in that department.
“If they’d all put out an effort like him every night, they would make the
playoffs.”
But he has a lousy feel for how his act will play in little, old Winnipeg, where
self-depracation is a necessary skill right up there with scraping the ice off a
windshield.
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Or maybe he really doesn’t care.
“He will some day,” Cherry said. “He’s gotta stop and grow up, keep his
mouth shut and just play hockey.”
Don Cherry says Evander Kane's race claim is ridiculous
Typical Grapes — no holding back.
By Paul Friesen
And I’d far rather Kane be his own colourful self than just another robotic,
cliche-spewing guy in skates.
But in this space I get the last word.
Don Cherry Don Cherry says it's ridiculous for Evander Kane to suggest he
gets criticized because he is black. “When you act like he acts... if his name
was O’Shaugnessy, he’d still get criticized."
The growing up will come. Life has a way of forcing that on you.
Not being afraid to say how you feel — nothing wrong with that, either.
Some guys make millions doing it.
Don Cherry started by saying he’s an Evander Kane fan, has been since
the start.
Hockey Night in Canada’s resident rabble-rouser says he was even in
Kane’s corner after the Jets forward posted the infamous money photo
At least Kane’s a better dresser.
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“It looks like he’s ready to go,” said Noel.
Eddie Pasquale ready to step in for Winnipeg Jets if need be
The Jets are 5-6-1 at the quarter pole of the NHL season and will be looking
to beat the Penguins (9-5) for the second time this season. Winnipeg
earned a 4-2 victory over the Penguins on Jan. 25.
Staff
Noel said newcomer Eric Tangradi, acquired from the Penguins on
Wednesday, would be thrown right into the lineup against his former team.
This was the type of call you get during your sleep that you don’t mind
waking up for.
Tangradi, who has one goal and five points in 45 NHL games, likely slots in
on a unit with Alex Burmistrov and Kyle Wellwood.
Eddie Pasquale watched a chunk of the first two periods of the Winnipeg
Jets game on Tuesday night before deciding to get some rest.
Jets captain Andrew Ladd skipped Thursday’s workout for maintenance
purposes but will be available Friday night.
At roughly 1:30 a.m., his cell phone rang and St. John’s IceCaps head
coach Keith McCambridge was on the line with some news — backup
goalie Al Montoya had suffered a lower-body injury and Pasquale was
getting his first call to the NHL.
Noel said goalie Al Montoya is “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury and
forward Antti Miettinen remains week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
“I was half asleep but I woke up pretty quick,” said Pasquale. “It’s exciting.
As a kid, everyone looks forward to this opportunity, not everyone can get it.
“I’m just going to do everything I can while I’m up here and try to make a
good impression.”
Pasquale, 22, has seen his stock rise dramatically since September of
2011.
After earning the No. 1 job and leading the IceCaps to the Eastern
Conference final last spring, Pasquale has continued to progress this
season.
Pasquale isn’t sure how long he’s going to be up in the NHL, but isn’t
lacking confidence either.
Should the Jets decide that starter Ondrej Pavelec needs a rest, Pasquale
is ready.
“You’ll never know until you get in there,” said Pasquale, who is 14-19-2
with a 2.63 goals against average in 36 AHL games this season. “I look at
other goalies around my age that have been going up and doing pretty well,
Jake Allen (St. Louis Blues), Matt Hackett (Minnesota Wild) last year, Robin
Lehner (Ottawa Senators). If those guys can do it, I don’t see why I can’t do
it.”
Jets head coach Claude Noel watched Pasquale during the lockout and
was impressed.
“I wouldn’t be afraid to use him, that’s for sure,” said Noel. “He’s earned the
right to be here. The door is open. Whether he plays or not, I’m not sure.
That will get determined as we go forward.”
“During the playoff run we went on last year, I couldn’t imagine there was a
better goalie in the league at that time,” added Jets defenceman Zach
Redmond. “I’ve said since then that he deserves a shot. He’s way more
than capable of being up here. It’s just a matter of time. I hope he can prove
himself while he’s here.”
Noel wouldn’t divulge the nature of Montoya’s lower-body injury, noting it
was week-to-week, not day-to-day.
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Jets goalie Eddie Pasquale was upbeat after being recalled for the first
time.
After watching much of the Jets’ 3-2 loss, Pasquale got the call from St.
John’s IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge around 1:30 a.m. in
Newfoundland.
“I was half asleep but I woke up pretty quick,” said Pasquale. “It’s exciting.
As a kid, everyone looks forward to this opportunity, not everyone can get it.
“I’m just going to do everything I can while I’m up here and try to make a
good impression.”
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'Winnipeg is a fishbowl': Jets star Evander Kane
By Paul Friesen
Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane clarified some of his comments about
facing racism after practice Thursday.
Kane says his statement that a good portion of the criticism he receives is
because he’s black was referring to anonymous postings in social media,
specifically on Twitter.
“I’m definitely referring to social media and that kind of stuff,” Kane said. “I
don’t think anybody ever will talk directly to my face and say anything
negative. People can hide behind a computer and say what they want.”
Kane says any hockey criticism directed his way is fair game.
“That comes with the territory,” he said. “If you can’t handle that, you’ve got
some issues. If I’m responsible for anything off the ice, I’m more than willing
to accept that as well. But when it goes unwarranted you kind of get sick
and tired of it a little bit.
“I don’t go out and try to hurt other people in terms of my personal life. I’m a
pretty good guy.”
The 21-year-old first made the comments about facing racism to The
Hockey News. The story is to appear early next month, although a few of
his quotes were made public Wednesday.
Winnipeg Jets' Zach Bogosian a game-time decision
Kane, who’s from Vancouver, says he probably wouldn’t face as much
scrutiny in a bigger city.
By Ken Wiebe
“They’ve got bigger things to talk about in New York,” he said. “It (Winnipeg)
is a fishbowl, and it’s part of the territory.
Zach Bogosian is tracking to make his season debut for the Winnipeg Jets
on Friday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It’s been feeling good for a few weeks now, the biggest step for me was
when I started taking slapshots, I haven’t had any setbacks in quite some
time,” said Bogosian, who had off-season wrist surgery and has been
skating with his teammates for the past week and change. “Yeah, I feel
ready. We’ll see what happens.”
Noel said Bogosian would be a game-time decision.
“I don’t try to pay attention to too much of the positive or the negative. I
remember my junior coach told me today’s news is tomorrow’s ass-wipe.
So that’s the way I look at things.”
Kane took heat during the lockout for posting a photo of himself holding
stacks of cash on Twitter. He was also dogged by off-ice rumours last
season.
Kane’s latest comments drew a sizeable media scrum Thursday as the Jets
prepare to face Pittsburgh, Friday.
Jets head coach Claude Noel says he’s not worried about his winger
causing a distraction.
Associate coach Brad Shaw, for instance, chatted with Ian Cole, Roman
Polak and Kris Russell. Hitchcock chatted with several players on the ice.
“Evander is Evander,” Noel said. “All I know is Evander is a good player for
us. He’s very coachable.”
The old days of a coach giving a player the silent treatment or simply
ignoring him are long gone.
"This is a generation of player that wants to know how they're doing,"
Hitchcock said.
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He said he spoke to two players that had already gone back and watched
their shifts from the previous game via computer.
ESPN / Off days don't exist for Blues
Veteran forward Andy McDonald likes the open lines of communication.
By Scott Burnside
With a compressed schedule thanks to the lockout and practice time often
being sacrificed to give players time to recuperate, those moments of
discussion with members of the coaching staff are even more important,
said McDonald, who had a strong outing against Detroit, helping set up
linemate Vladimir Tarasenko's power-play goal that tied the game.
"I think you're always looking for feedback," he said.
CALGARY, Alberta -- The visiting coaches' room at the Scotiabank
Saddledome in Calgary is a first cousin to a broom closet.
By the time the St. Louis Blues' coaching staff and their bags and
computers are in the room, there is quite literally no room for anyone to turn
around. After changing for a late-afternoon practice following a four-hour
flight from Detroit, the coaches' clothes end up hanging from door jams and
cords powering laptops are snaking into the tiny washroom attached to the
room.
"Do we want to do video or get on the ice and just practice? It's been a long
day," head coach Ken Hitchcock asks his staff.
As Hitchcock headed off the ice after practice, he stopped to chat with head
medical trainer Ray Barile about captain David Backes, who left practice
early.
"Well, that's interesting," Hitchcock said as he headed back to the tiny
coaches' office. It appeared Backes suffered a slight groin pull. After taking
off his skates, Hitchcock disappeared for a few minutes.
"He'll be fine," the coach said upon his return.
The coaches agree that the video can wait until Friday, when they will face
the hometown Calgary Flames in the second of a three-game road trip, so
the team hits the ice for a 45-minute skate.
And if he's not, they'll deal with it, he added.
As the coaches dress, the subject of carnival workers comes up, and
Hitchcock explains how he used to sell ice cream bars at a summer carnival
that traveled from Edmonton to Calgary.
The ability of a team to understand and embrace those competing elements
tells a lot about their ability to generate consistent success.
"Carnies, they're very interesting people," Hitchcock said.
The Blues' much-needed win over the Red Wings, a win that snapped an
ugly five-game winless streak, does not necessarily suggest the end of hard
times.
Although the team was boarding a bus outside their Detroit hotel at 9 a.m.
EST earlier that day, the skate has a snap to it that is indicative of a team
that the previous night shed the burden of a five-game winless streak,
sneaking by the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Alexander Steen's overtime
winner.
It is an "off day" in that the Blues don't play a game, but there is little that is
"off" about it.
While TSA officials methodically screened players and staff before they
were permitted to board their charter Thursday morning, the coaching staff
was already engaged in the debrief of the Detroit game, taking the time to
examine video and build reports.
Each coach is tasked with writing a postgame review relating to their area
of expertise, whether it is power play or penalty kill or defensive zone play.
Each coach is also responsible for providing video clips from the game to
back up their review and outline three drills that could help correct any
problem areas.
It is then up to Hitchcock to decide which drills he wants to employ,
depending on where he gauged his team's energy to be.
"My belief is that the postgame review is more important than the pregame
prep," Hitchcock said.
Along with the postgame breakdown, each of the coaches is responsible for
reaching out to individual players on the team at some point during the day.
Sometimes the discussion will be about something specific from the
previous game, sometimes it will be about taking the pulse of the team.
"It could be anything. It's dialogue. It's building a relationship," Hitchcock
said.
"Mark Messier once told me that great players and great teams embrace
criticism and they view it as an unbelievable opportunity to get better."
During the flight, some of those points of contact are made. Others occur
later during practice.
"It's not necessarily criticism, it's coaching," Hitchcock said.
Each hockey game represents both a separate and unique entity and is part
of a continuum.
But it was, said McDonald, the biggest win of the year for a team that was
feeling very fragile the past two weeks.
"It's been up and down so far and that win allows us to feel better about
ourselves," he said.
As much of a relief as that win over Detroit represents, it does not eliminate
an ongoing issue with the team's goaltending. Not yet at any rate.
Rookie Jake Allen got the win in his first-ever NHL start. But it was not a
work of art.
He was beaten twice before the first period was half over. And after the
Blues roared back to take a 3-2 lead in the second period, he could not get
back into position in time to prevent a Pavel Datsyuk shot from behind the
net from glancing in off his catching glove.
In overtime, though, he made a big save, and the Blues played strong
defensively, limiting the red-hot Wings to just seven shots through the final
two periods and overtime.
It was enough for Hitchcock to give Allen his second straight start.
"I want to see if he can improve on that," Hitchcock said. "It's not about
getting another win, it's about seeing potential realized."
The 6-foot-2 native of Fredericton, New Brunswick, acknowledged that he
should be able to better prepare for his second start now that he's put the
first one behind him.
On the flight, Allen chatted at length with goaltending coach Corey Hirsch.
The former NHL netminder is in his third season with the Blues and
previously worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Hockey Canada as
their goaltending consultant working with top junior netminders.
Allen and Hirsch talked about things that went well and went over some
areas where Hirsch feels Allen can improve upon. Specifically, Hirsch would
like to see the energy and assertiveness that was apparent later in the
game on display early on Friday night as the Blues try to build on
Wednesday's win.
After giving up those two early goals, "he showed me some mental
toughness," Hirsch said. "He's a really good teammate and he's a really
good guy."
With Jaroslav Halak on the trip but still nursing a sore groin, the timetable
for his return to action is uncertain and the goaltending remains in a state of
flux.
Halak was the last player on the ice, working with Hirsch on some drills that
forced him to repeatedly drop to his pads and then get up.
Longtime NHL netminder and veteran broadcast analyst Darren Pang
understands the emotions Allen will battle as a rookie.
Pang allowed a goal on the first shot he faced in the NHL during the 198485 season and didn't get another chance until the 1987-88 season, where
he again allowed a goal on the first shot he faced. But he learned from Hall
of Famer Tony Esposito to view the game in five-minute chunks and that
helped him control the nervousness.
Pang agrees that a second start in a row is important for Allen as well as
the Blues, just as he feels this break has been good for Brian Elliott, who
has struggled especially since Halak's injury.
"I really felt he needed a mental break after the second or third game but
there were no options," Pang said of the team's recent slide.
Now, Elliott can continue to get back to his game, while Allen has a chance
to push the Blues at least a little closer to where most observers expected
them to be.
"I think it was a coming-together party for the entire group," Pang said of the
win over Detroit. "The desperation they had to show in front of [Allen] was
apparent."
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ESPN / Karlsson injury hurts more than just Sens
after the winger was suspended in March 2011 for a hit to the head of New
York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
"The suspension is warranted because that's exactly the kind of hit we're
trying to get out of the game," Shero said then in a statement. "Head shots
have no place in hockey. We've told Matt in no uncertain terms that this
kind of action on the ice is unacceptable and cannot happen. Head shots
must be dealt with severely, and the Pittsburgh Penguins support the NHL
in sending this very strong message."
Secondly, when Shero says he knows how the Senators feel, he's not
kidding. There's the David Steckel hit that temporarily derailed the career of
Sidney Crosby. But if you want a better comparison, how about P.K.
Subban of the Montreal Canadiens colliding with former Penguin Jordan
Staal in the 2010 playoffs, a hit that resulted in a severed tendon for the star
center?
But you see, the only reason we have a controversy here is because it
involves Cooke, whose rap sheet of suspendable offenses makes him one
of the most disliked players in the league.
Senators GM Bryan Murray was calmer the day after the incident, but his
true feelings were obvious when asked about the NHL not suspending
Cooke.
"As I told Brendan [Shanahan], it's not my job to make that judgment,"
Murray told ESPN.com on Thursday afternoon. "I'm disappointed that Erik
got hurt, I'm disappointed for him and our team. It's dreadful. I was upset at
the time; it's Matt Cooke, and there is some history there. It's one of the
best players in the league getting hurt. But I can't do anybody else's job but
my own. And it's of no value one way or another to the Ottawa Senators if
Matt Cooke is suspended or not. We don't get our player back."
I feel for the veteran GM of the Senators, but I just can't look at that replay
and find intent.
I thought former NHLer Aaron Ward did a great job on TSN in Canada on
Wednesday night showing clips of mundane plays from the Dallas-Calgary
game in which players lifted their skates trying to pin opposing players to
the boards. It happens all the time, just not with the horrific result that it did
with Cooke and Karlsson.
By Pierre LeBrun
And while I'm never going to convince anybody that Cooke is a new player,
I still need to point out that he hasn't been suspended since that March
2011 incident with McDonagh. He has tried to change his ways. The
Penguins told him he had to or else he wouldn't have a place on the team.
The loss isn't just that of the Ottawa Senators and their fans, but for the
entire game of hockey.
Nothing changes what matters most in this story, that we've lost one of the
game's top players for the rest of the season. It's a crying shame.
Erik Karlsson is one of the true pearls of this sport. He’s the No. 1 reason
most of us turn on Ottawa games. His magical hands and awe-inspiring
brand of hockey bring people out of their seats.
But throwing the book at Cooke would not have been the right call.
So when the reigning Norris trophy winner went down with a cut Achilles
tendon Wednesday night, it was a horrible sight on so many levels.
Horrible for a Senators team already missing star center Jason Spezza and
now likely facing a season going down the drain without its top two skaters.
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NBCSports.com / No Olympic decision this week, says NHL deputy
commish Daly
Horrible for fans of the game who are deprived of watching the NHL's most
exciting defenseman.
And most of all, horrible for Karlsson, who suffers through the trauma and
pain of it all.
That said, Brendan Shanahan and the NHL's player safety department got
it right when they determined Matt Cooke should not face discipline for his
skate cutting Karlsson.
It was a freak play, with a horrific result. But having watched the replay a
dozen times, I can't see how it was malicious or done with intent.
Nor could any of the hockey people I spoke with Wednesday night or
Thursday morning.
"I feel horrible for Erik Karlsson, I feel bad for Ottawa," Penguins general
manager Ray Shero told ESPN.com on Thursday. "It’s a bad feeling. But I
can't rationalize where that was a dirty play or anything with intent. Our fan
base knows how it feels to lose a star player. It's emotional. I know how it
feels like. It's just very unfortunate. I would not be defending Matt Cooke if I
thought it was a dirty hockey play."
Perhaps those words would ring hollow from other GMs because their duty
is to defend their players, but not Shero. For starters, he condemned Cooke
Jason Brough
Hockey fans won’t know this week if NHL players will be participating in the
2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
“I don’t expect any resolution or decisions this week,” NHL deputy
commissioner Bill Daly told The Associated Press in an email on Thursday.
So…what’s the hold up?
Last week, TSN’s Bob McKenzie called NHL participation “just short of a
foregone conclusion,” suggesting a deal between the league, players’
association, IIHF, and IOC — all of whom were set to meet today and
tomorrow in New York — was imminent.
But as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston writes today, it might not be so easy to
get all the parties to agree.
…don’t for a second believe that the NHL’s participation in a fifth straight
Olympic Games is as much a certainty as we’ve all thought. On the eve of
the meetings, two sources who view the issue from different vantage points
told sportsnet.ca that they could envision a scenario in which a deal isn’t
reached.
There was more than a hint of tension in the air. Relationships are frayed.
Why are hockey fans without one of the game's stars this morning?
Not because Cooke was malicious, or attempted to injure Karlsson. But
because he was irresponsible, reckless, and not in control of his skate.
Rene Fasel, the wildcard who wears two hats (IIHF and IOC), certainly
didn’t help things. He not only told the CBC last weekend that NHL
commissioner Gary Bettman had “no other choice” but to allow players to
go to Sochi, but also said that it was “ego from some people in North
America” that was keeping it from happening.
It was "a complete accident," Cooke said, post-game. "I feel terrible. I'm not
trying to do that, obviously. It's happened a few times over the past few
years. It's scary.
At this point it doesn’t even matter that there is a small grain of truth in
those statements. Finger-pointing and name-calling, especially from
someone in Fasel’s position, isn’t going to help the process along.
Nobody is saying the play was intentional. No matter how dearly Penguins
fans want to read that, you won't find it in this column.
Chances are, a deal gets done eventually. But maybe not before some
chest-thumping and rhetoric-spitting.
Sound familiar?
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"I was trying to hit him. Not like that."
IT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL, alright?
But Cooke is that lousy driver who never intends to cause an accident, yet
makes the roads a more dangerous place. He swears he'll stop dialing
while driving, but never gets around to buying a Bluetooth.
Now, here's the reality: A player who is worth the price of admission is done
for the season, with the possibility that he will never quite be the same.
You couldn't make a worse trade for hockey fans across the NHL.
Sportsnet.ca / Spector on Cooke: Hockey's worst trade
"Obviously, the way he's playing and how much he means for us, for our
team, it feels terrible," Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson told reporters in
Pittsburgh. "And I feel really bad for him.
Mark Spector
"I don't know its intent to injure, but I don't know why you would hit
somebody like that in that situation."
Because Cooke, remake or no remake, is an inherently selfish player.
What do you do with a Matt Cooke?
He'll never win an individual trophy, or entertain us in a shadow of the way
that Erik Karlsson does. You'll never plunk down $100 for a National
Hockey League ticket and say, "Can't wait to see Matt Cooke play," the way
you do for Karlsson.
But you can't deny him the right to play in the NHL if he can make the
Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, Pittsburgh couldn't be happier with their
transformed checker this season, and surely lots of other teams would have
him.
It was always all about him, and if you think he is remaking his reputation
for anyone else but himself, you're kidding yourself.
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USA TODAY / Things to know about Thursday night's NHL games
Cooke has by all accounts remade his image. Those who have spoken with
him about the lengths he has gone to make sure he doesn't blow up
opponents the way he used to are convinced he is genuine.
Josh Cooper,
And who doesn't love a story like that?
NASHVILLE - The Phoenix Coyotes haven't scored on every rush or
scoring chance in their past six meetings with the Predators. It's just felt that
way at times.
In Phoenix, they're writing the same things about Raffi Torres, and he's
saying all the same things. New Raffi, the changed man, reached out to
Marian Hossa. Next stop, the soup kitchen at the homeless shelter, and
helping injured puppies at the SPCA.
Good for Raffi and Matt -- seriously. The game is a better place without
those two menaces selectively eliminating star players from its ranks.
But lest we forget, both have come to this point in their career as
exceptionally selfish players. Men who gave us the quote: "If I can't finish
my check, I can't stay in the league."
Or this old favorite: "I have to play my game out there."
Break that down a bit, and you have a player saying, "I don't care if I cost
someone else his health, or another organization a star player. Or if Marc
Savard or Marian Hossa never walk again. My pay cheque is the most
important thing.
"My game is the most important thing."
That's why they've both transformed, right? Because the pay cheques
would stop if they didn't change -- plain and simple.
"We're very similar as teams," Predators forward Colin Wilson said. "We
play that hard, gritty game, and those last couple of games they've had it
more than us. We'll definitely be taking that into account this next game."
Phoenix has used its strong transition game to perfection against Nashville.
Including last season's playoff series and one meeting this season, the
Predators lost five of the last six meetings and were outscored 16-9.
"We have to impose our game onto them, and not sit on our heels,"
Predators defenseman Kevin Klein said. "We need to play with speed,
execute at a high level and get as many shots as we can."
The Predators have dealt with playoff pain, but nothing like last year's
series against the Coyotes.
For the first time, Nashville entered a series as a big favorite. But it couldn't
match Phoenix's structure and discipline — on or off the ice — and was
eliminated in five games.
While much of that series will be remembered for Predators forwards
Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn breaking curfew and getting
suspended, it was also a clinic in opportunism for the Coyotes. The
Predators held a 4.6 edge in shots per game but could muster only one
victory.
It's the same way the old newspaper man now carries a video camera, files
audio, pens two blogs in the afternoon, tweets and works Facebook. They
don't necessarily want the extra work. They do it because that's what it
takes to make a living in the industry now, and either you're in, or you're
out.
"We eased into the series," Klein said, "and by that time they were up a few
games on us."
So we'd all agree that the game is a better place without the old Cooke. It
was also a better place with the new Cooke, until Wednesday night.
The first meeting this season followed a similar script. The Coyotes won 4-0
on Jan. 28, seeming to score on almost every opportunity.
Why does he execute an everyday rub out in the corner with one foot in the
air?
"We have to realize how to beat them," Predators coach Barry Trotz said.
"They're very patient, very detailed, and I think in the past we've tried to
say, 'Hey, we can outscore them.' And sometimes we have to out-defense
them. When they beat us, it's a lot to do with what we haven't done."
The team's goalkeeper, Steven Cash of St. Louis, didn't allow a goal in
seven games at the Vancouver Paralympics.
Other things to know about Thursday's games:
"He has been on the ice in NHL rinks and had NHL players shoot on him,"
Sauer said. "He has a great glove, and he plays the position very well. He's
a wall back there for us. Any coach will tell you if you have a good
goaltender you will have a good defensive system and this guy is probably
the best goaltender in the world right now."
-Brian Boyle will return to the New York Rangers lineup after being a
healthy scratch for three games. Martin Biron will play in net.
-Carolina Hurricanes forward Jiri Tlusty, facing the Toronto Maple Leafs,
has scored twice in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. He
has had goal in back-to-back games six times in his career.
-Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby will start his third consecutive
game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was in net for a home-andhome sweep of the Florida Panthers, winning 5-0 and 6-5 in overtime.
-Florida Panthers forward Tomas Fleischmann, facing the Montreal
Canadiens, needs a goal to reach 100.
-Minnesota Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom is 12-3-1 with a 2.32 goalsagainst average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in 16 career
home starts against the Colorado Avalanche.
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USA TODAY / Jeff Sauer named Paralympic sled hockey coach
Although Sauer was known for his work in college hockey, he was not a
novice in disabled hockey when he took the USA job. He had worked with
Stan Mikita's hearing-impaired hockey program for almost 40 years. He is
now in charge of the program.
"Jeff has been a terrific leader for our U.S. National Sled Hockey Team and
he was the unquestionable choice for this position," said Dave Ogrean,
executive director of USA Hockey. "He has a wealth of coaching experience
at so many levels and has translated that knowledge to the game of sled
hockey."
Another observation that Sauer has had about his sled hockey players is
that they seem to appreciate the effort he has put into the program.
"The guys respect my background, and when I talk, they listen," Sauer said.
"It's been fun for me to see the progress they make. They are excited to
learn new things."
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Kevin Allen,
USA TODAY / 10 offseason NHL acquisitions that are paying dividends
One of Jeff Sauer's takes about being named the U.S. sled hockey coach
for the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi is that his players might be doing
more for him than he is doing for them.
Kevin Allen,
"This has been very, very rewarding," Sauer said. "I can't say enough about
how it's rejuvenated me from a coaching standpoint. I have coached (NHL
players) Chris Chelios, Danny Heatley, Bruce Driver and Pat Flatley, etc.
and these guys are no different. The just have a handicap they have to deal
with."
One of the first observations Anaheim Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau made
about goalie Viktor Fasth was that there was a dead zone in front of him
where scoring chances became disconnected.
"The puck hits him, but it doesn't bounce off," Boudreau said. "The puck
deadens when it hits his body."
Ranked seventh all-time with 655 college coaching wins and owning two
NCAA titles earned at Wisconsin, Sauer, 69, is considered one of the top
coaches in men's college hockey history. He has enjoyed similar success
since becoming the U.S. national sled team coach two seasons ago. Ten
months ago, Sauer coached USA to the gold medal in sled hockey at the
International Paralympic Committee World Championship in Hamar,
Norway. His team will defend the title in April in Goyang City, Korea.
The Ducks weren't anticipating Fasth playing a major role when they signed
him away from the Swedish Elite League last summer.
"It's the same game played in regular hockey other than the guys can't
skate backwards," Sauer said. "They can shoot with both hands. They can
pass. ... It's been fun to give these guys an opportunity to improve."
"We were looking for a backup that could make it through the year,"
Boudreau said. "(Jonas) Hiller played 73 games. We weren't expecting
someone who would come in and play 50% of our games."
Sauer said his approach to this job isn't much different from the approach
he used in the college game.
Fasth, 30, has played well enough to challenge the No. 1 status of Hiller,
who suffered a minor lower-body injury Feb. 8.
"We use a 2-1-1 forecheck, and we do the same thing when we kill
penalties," Sauer said. "If a team goes to an umbrella, we go to a diamond
and if a team goes to two guys on top, we go to a box situation. I'm
basically teaching the same thing I teach in regular hockey other than the
fact they do more angling because they can't skate backwards. But we work
faceoff plays, power plays..."
"What (Fasth) has done is amazing, and I don't like using that word a lot
because I think it is way overused," Boudreau said. "Unbelievable is
another word that is overused, but that's what he's been."
And the players are exactly the same in their desire to be successful. The
Americans expect success in sled hockey. They are the defending
Paralympic gold medalists and the Americans will be seeking their fourth
consecutive Paralympic medal.
"We have four military guys on the team who have come back from Iraq and
Afghanistan with lost limbs," Sauer said. "They are the meat of the team in
terms of discipline. It's a 'yes sir, no sir, whatever you need' type of attitude,
which has rubbed off on the rest of the players."
One of the rising stars on Sauer's teams is Declan Farmer, a double
amputee, who has been helped by the Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation.
"These guys have taken him under their wing, and he's really a skilled
player," Sauer said. "Down the road, he's going to be one of the best
forwards in the world."
Fasth's ability to prevent rebounds and second-chance opportunities
allowed him to win his first five NHL decisions and make the Ducks one of
the NHL's biggest surprises.
While Hiller owns a goals-against average of 3.69, Fasth is at 1.74.
"Nothing seems to rattle him," Boudreau said. "He stands in there and
squares up to the puck. There are so many times when I'm looking from the
bench, (wondering) how can he see the puck to make that save."
At one point this season, the Ducks will play 26 games in 45 days.
"If you don't have two goalies going, it will be a struggle," Boudreau said.
Over the first three weeks of the NHL season, Fasth might be the best
offseason acquisition. Here's a look at the rest of the top 10:
2. Justin Schultz (Edmonton Oilers): Edmonton essentially out-recruited
almost every team in the NHL to land the University of Wisconsin
defenseman, who became an unrestricted free agent when he opted not to
sign with Anaheim, the team that drafted him. Imagine how good the Ducks'
start would be if he had stayed and they also had him on their blue line.
Not many rookies have the kind of impact Schultz is enjoying. The Oilers'
power play already flows through him on the point. Even though he hasn't
played 20 NHL games, he seems to have one of the quickest shot releases
in the game. He seems like a missing-link acquisition.
Hockey League last season. He is 28 and has been a role player at the
NHL level.
"It seems like he always comes up big in the clutch when we need it," Oilers
winger Taylor Hall said. "For a rookie defenseman to do that is pretty
special."
But Colorado's scouts liked him, and the Avalanche gave him a two-year,
$2.2 million deal. Mitchell has responded with seven points in 10 games
and a team-high plus 7 rating.
3. Sami Salo (Tampa Bay Lightning): The Lightning had the offense
necessary to compete last season, but they did not have the defense and
goaltending.
Salo's acquisition has stabilized Tampa's blue line. At 38, he is as savvy a
defensive player as anyone in the game. He was plus 10 over his first 12
games. He is a very solid, dependable player who gives his forwards
confidence to push the attack. They trust in his ability to defend.
4. Daniel Winnik (Anaheim): Signed for $1.8 million a season for two
seasons, Winnik, 27, might be the best bargain free agent signee. He has
never produced more than 26 points in a season. But he registered five
goals and nine points in his first 11 games this season. He had a plus 9
rating in that period.
"I thought we were getting a solid third-line guy who would be good on the
checking unit," Boudreau said. "What I found was he is a really good skater,
a knowledgeable player, a responsible player who will score the odd goal
for you. He can kill penalties. He can play any role."
Boudreau has played him on both wings and might use him at center
because he played that position some at the University of New Hampshire.
"I know he can play that position," Boudreau said. "When anything goes
wrong, I plug him in."
5. Sheldon Souray (Anaheim): Note that Souray is the third Anaheim player
on the list, which helps explain the team's hot start.
Souray's high-level seasons appeared to be behind him when the Oilers
buried him in the minors in 2010-11. But Souray did a reasonable job last
season with the Dallas Stars, and Anaheim rewarded him with a three-year,
$11 million contract.
Souray rewarded the Ducks' faith in him by posting four goals and a plus 10
rating in his first 12 games in an Anaheim jersey.
"And he has been a great leader for us," Boudreau added.
6. James van Riemsdyk (Toronto Maple Leafs): The Maple Leafs gave up
defenseman Luke Schenn, who had fallen out out of favor with fans, to land
van Riemsdyk, who is the team's leading goal scorer.
There is a real sense in Toronto that van Riemsdyk could be a regular 25to 30-goal scorer every season.
7. Marc Methot (Ottawa Senators): The Nick Foligno-for-Methot trade didn't
receive much attention last summer, but the defenseman has turned out to
be one of the summer's best acquisitions. He is playing more than 22
minutes a game and is plus 2. He's second on the Senators in hits.
SENATORS TROUBLE: Erik Karlsson needs surgery
Craig Anderson has had an exceptional start in net for Ottawa, and Methot
deserves an assist for helping the goalie put up loftier numbers. Methot
plugged a defensive hole the Senators had.
8. Matt Carle (Tampa Bay): Carle probably doesn't like that he's a minus
player right now, but his presence gives the Lightning a legitimate top-four
defensemen grouping. They didn't have that last season.
That means Eric Brewer plays only in situations where he can be highly
effective. Carle is an offensive-minded defenseman whose transition game
is a perfect fit for the Lightning. The team has a better defense, and Anders
Lindback has provided improved goaltending.
9. Jaromir Jagr (Dallas): Jagr is 40, and he's the Stars' leading scorer and
highest-profile player.
The Stars are giving Jagr $4.55 million for one season, and he's worth that
in terms of his enthusiasm and ability to draw attention. Jagr cares, and he
can still play, although he is not as dangerous as he was five or six years
ago. But he is still magical enough to help a Dallas team that is trying to
establish an identity.
10. John Mitchell (Colorado Avalanche): His inclusion on this list pays
homage to the idea that pro scouts are worth the money they are paid.
Mitchell split time between the New York Rangers and the American
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YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Don't blame Matt Cooke for Erik
Karlsson's devastating injury
Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Nicholas J. Cotsonika's weekly Three Periods column will appear on
Thursdays. This week's topics include Matt Cooke’s culpability on Erik
Karlsson’s devastating injury; the latest on NHL realignment and Olympic
participation; Blues’ goalie watch; and Ryan O’Reilly vs. the Avs.
FIRST PERIOD: It’s tempting to blame Matt Cooke, but it was an accident
The NHL reviewed Matt Cooke's hit on Erik Karlsson and concluded no
action was necessary. (AP)“It’s Matt Cooke,” said Bryan Murray, the
general manager of the Ottawa Senators. “What would I say? Look at the
replay.”
OK. Let’s look. In slow motion, it’s sickening. Cooke, the Pittsburgh
Penguins pest reputed to be the dirtiest player in the NHL, comes up behind
Erik Karlsson, the reigning winner of the Norris Trophy as the league’s best
defenseman. Cooke lifts his left leg as they battle in the corner for the puck.
He brings his skate blade down on the back of Karlsson’s left leg. He draws
it across and down.
Karlsson suffered a lacerated Achilles tendon. He howled in pain and
hobbled off the ice, headed for surgery and what is sure to be a long, awful
rehab.
But let’s consider that Murray was speaking to reporters in the emotional
aftermath of Wednesday night’s game, that this was a devastating blow for
a team already without star center Jason Spezza and that blaming Cooke is
both reflexive and easy.
And let’s look at the replay at normal speed, the way it actually happened. It
looks like a routine hit. No one notices anything wrong until Karlsson
doesn’t get up. Cooke isn’t malicious or even reckless. He lifts his leg for
leverage as they head into the boards and ends up stepping on the wrong
spot as they hit the boards.
It is clearly an accident.
The NHL department of player safety reviewed the incident in New York, as
it reviews all such plays. League disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan spoke to
Murray and Penguins GM Ray Shero. He did not speak to Cooke. No
hearing. No discipline. Right call.
Cooke does not deserve the benefit of the doubt because of his long history
of illegal and reckless play, even though he has cleaned up his act for more
than a season now. But he deserves a fair and objective evaluation if he is
involved in something, like every player does, and it should be noted that he
has cleaned up his act.
Look at the replay once more:
Had Cooke wanted to injure Karlsson badly, he didn’t need to calculate how
to slice his blade across Karlsson’s Achilles at high speed. All he had to do
was throw an elbow to the head or cream Karlsson from behind – the kind
of thing of which he has been guilty in the past.
But since being suspended for the final 10 games of the regular season and
the first round of the playoffs in 2010-11 for an elbow to the head of the
New York Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh, Cooke has been scared straight,
knowing his next suspension could be much longer. He has spoken with
Shanahan. He has gone over video with coaches. He has relearned how to
hit. Frankly, he has been a shining example of how the supplemental
discipline system can change behavior for the better.
Here, Cooke actually hits Karlsson the way he should. He approaches
Karlsson from the side, not from behind. His left elbow comes up near
Karlsson’s head, but that’s because it’s tangled with Karlsson’s right arm,
which also comes up. He lifts his left knee to pin Karlsson against the
boards, but that supports both players as they hit the boards. That his blade
comes down like that is just brutal.
None of this will console the Senators. Even if Murray can make a move
now, Karlsson cannot be replaced. He might have been on his way to
another Norris at 22 years old. Maybe Karlsson should have been wearing
a Kevlar sock. Maybe all players should wear them now. Even if it wouldn’t
necessarily prevent something like this, it seems like a simple precaution.
But this is a dangerous game, and what’s done is done, and sometimes
there just isn’t anyone to blame.
SECOND PERIOD: NHL realignment and Olympic participation
The NHL was set to discuss its participation in the 2014 Olympics with the
IOC and IIHF. (Getty)The NHL is working on realignment and Olympic
participation this week, but realignment is a more pressing priority.
“Realignment has to be wrapped up, worst case, I would think two weeks,”
said deputy commissioner Bill Daly.
The league needs realignment settled soon, because it needs to get started
on scheduling for next season and realignment affects the entire structure.
The league can schedule with either/or scenarios for the Olympics.
The board of governors approved a realignment plan in December 2011,
featuring four time zone-based conferences and a balanced schedule, plus
intra-conference play for the first two rounds of the playoffs. (The third
round remained an open issue.) It was supposed to take effect this season,
but it was scrapped when the NHL Players’ Association raised objections.
The union’s main concerns: the effect on travel and the imbalanced odds of
making the playoffs, with the top four teams advancing in two seven-team
conferences and two eight-team conferences.
The NHL has made a new proposal. It has been talking to the union over
the past couple of weeks, and the sides met face-to-face Tuesday.
“It’s not the exact same proposal,” Daly said. “We’ve tried to make some
changes that attempt to address some of the concerns the union raised with
us last year, and we’re working it through. It’s the same general structure,
the same general idea, but there have been tweaks made to what was
approved by the board.”
Are some teams in different conferences than they were under the previous
proposal? Has the league proposed some sort of wild-card format to
address the playoff issue? Daly declined to provide details.
The union wanted a mock schedule to see how travel would be affected.
Has the league provided one?
Blues goalie Brian Elliott has floundered after a breakout year last season.
(Getty)The St. Louis Blues’ recent five-game losing streak (0-4-1) should be
good for them in the long run. They racked up all those points last season
with grit and two-way play. But this team has more skill, with rookie Vladimir
Tarasenko coming from the KHL and Andy McDonald, Alex Steen and
David Perron coming back from injuries.
“When you add skill and you add finesse, there’s a different feel,” said
coach Ken Hitchcock. “It was easy to sell last year because we had injuries.
We were scared straight. This is a different team. We’re just learning about
each other right now – about what makes us tick and what we need – and
so I think the bump gets their attention.”
After falling into a 2-0 hole Wednesday night at Detroit, the Blues shut down
the Red Wings and came back to win in overtime, 4-3. They allowed only
seven shots after the first period – only one shot in the third period. That’s
Blues hockey.
“Finally,” said captain David Backes, who had called out his teammates
earlier this week, “guys in here had enough.”
Hitchcock called it a “real boost,” a game that showed “we can check and
play the way we played last year and have success.”
Still, their goaltending needs to be better. Defense and goaltending went
hand-and-hand last year, as Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak shared the
Jennings Trophy for the league’s lowest goals-against average. But Elliott
has not been the same this season, with a 3.57 GAA and .849 save
percentage, and Halak has a groin injury. Jake Allen won his first NHL start
in Detroit, and Hitchcock said afterward it was a “no-brainer” to stick with
him.
“Brian’s got to catch his breath here and reset and get back to what he
was,” Hitchcock said. “We’ve got to get him calmed down and playing the
position, because we don’t know where Jaro’s at. … We need our two
starters back playing again, or it doesn’t matter what we do up front. We
can’t keep giving up the goals we’re giving up right now and expect to win
hockey games.”
OVERTIME: On the Coyotes and ‘relocation alternatives’
The NHL says it "needs to find out what we’re doing with Phoenix." (USA
Today)Status quo on the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes.
“There’s a number of individuals and groups of individuals who have
expressed and/or re-expressed an interest in acquiring Phoenix, and I
would say they’re in the process of exploring that opportunity,” Daly said. “I
don’t really have anything more to say about it than that. But obviously it’s
something we’re spending a lot of our time on right now because the time is
such that we need to find out what we’re doing with Phoenix.”
“Our position on it remains the same,” Daly said. “I think even last time we
were able to give them kind of a sample schedule for a team that we
worked through. So ultimately I think we were able to produce what they
were looking for.
The Coyotes don’t have a ready-made relocation option, like the Atlanta
Thrashers did when they were sold and moved to Winnipeg before last
season and became the Jets. Winnipeg had an NHL-quality organization
and arena already in place, because the new owners were running the
AHL’s Manitoba Moose out of the MTS Centre.
“We weren’t able to give them a comprehensive schedule. It would be
hypothetical at this point based on building availabilities, in some part
hypothetical based on what we end up doing with the Olympics, et cetera,
et cetera. Look, they’ve asked for certain information since we’ve
reengaged, and we’ve provided what we could.”
“There’s not another Winnipeg out there,” Daly said. “But I’m not going to
preclude that there’s relocation alternatives. I think there are relocation
alternatives.”
The NHL was scheduled to meet with the International Olympic Committee
and International Ice Hockey Federation on Thursday and Friday to discuss
the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
The league has several issues with Olympic participation – from shutting
down the business mid-season and risking prized assets, to the access to
Olympic venues and the ability to use Olympic content on NHL Network and
NHL.com.
“I don’t want to get into a specific laundry list of things we’ll be talking
about,” Daly said. “All I would say is, everything we’ll talk about over the
next couple days will be consistent with what we’ve discussed with them to
this point.
“Don’t really have an idea of what the timeframe is there. Obviously my
guess is they want to know sooner rather than later. It’s important for us in
terms of making the schedule, but it’s probably less critical than
realignment.”
THIRD PERIOD: Blues hold breath on goaltending
Are Quebec City, Seattle and suburban Toronto better options for relocation
than they were a year ago, because of progress toward new arenas?
“How we evaluate the markets might be a little bit differently today than it
was a year ago, but I don’t think there’s anything new or different than there
was a year ago,” Daly said.
SHOOTOUT: Last shots from around the NHL
It might be best for everyone involved if the Avs trade Ryan O'Reilly. (AP)If
the Colorado Avalanche were going to cave, it would have done so already.
If a team were going to sign restricted free agent Ryan O’Reilly to an offer
sheet, it would have done so already. So it comes down to this: a trade that
benefits both sides, or a continuing stalemate that hurts both.
This hurts O’Reilly more than the Avs, though. He is losing a year of his
NHL career. What are the Avs losing? Frankly, just more games. O’Reilly is
an excellent, two-way, second-line center, but not the kind of differencemaker that would turn Colorado into a playoff team, let alone a Stanley Cup
contender. Unless O’Reilly ends up in a better situation via trade, it’s hard
to see the benefit for him. The Avs have the leverage. They can hold the
line on money, not wanting to set a bad precedent, and they don’t have to
give him up unless they receive a fair return.
If O’Reilly is upset because the Avs didn’t name him captain, is he the kind
of guy that should have been named captain?
The move to right wing might be starting to work. Alex Ovechkin entered
Thursday night having scored in three straight games for the Washington
Capitals, including the tying power-play goal in a 6-5 comeback victory
Tuesday night at Florida. He had seven points in five games.
Look who entered Thursday night tied with Chicago’s Patrick Kane for
second in NHL scoring with 20 points: Sidney Crosby. He just picked up his
400th career assist, too. Imagine if he hadn’t missed almost two full years
because of concussions and a lockout.
Devils proving they are for realNew Jersey is showing that last year's
Stanley Cup appearance was no fluke.
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2/15 Sportscans - Pittsburgh Penguins

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