SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF - Philadelphia Flyers

Transcription

SPORT-SCAN
DAILY BRIEF
NHL 11/1/2013
Anaheim Ducks 723986
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Ducks' poor power play costs them in 3-2 loss to Bruins Ducks give up late goal, then fall in shootout Ducks can’t hold off Boston rally Boston Bruins 723989
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Chara, Iginla rally Bruins past Ducks 3-2 in SO Bruins’ Carl Soderberg pots first goal A good decision for Bruins John Scott suspended seven games Tonight's Bruins lineup Sabres' John Scott suspended seven games for hit on
Eriksson Game 12 preview: Ducks at Bruins Ugly start, but good end result for Bruins Ryan Spooner cuts back in to center line Bruins hear wake-up call Late Bruins push falls short Buffalo Sabres 724000
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Rangers keep Sabres on the skids NHL suspends Scott for seven games Sabres' postgame thoughts from Miller, Girgensons, Rolston Sabres' Scott gets seven-game suspension for head shot on
Bruins' Eriksson Sabres fans wise to keep eye on case involving Avs'
Varlamov Benched Zadorov 'needs to get some perspective,' Sabres'
Rolston says Despite Miller's 44 saves, Sabres lose to Rangers Calgary Flames 724007
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Flames goalie MacDonald turns old friends into foes No stranger to adversity, Backlund hopes to rebound from
healthy scratch Hartley wants to see Calgary Flames forward start producing
offensively Carolina Hurricanes 724010
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DeCock: Another bizarre goaltending twist for Carolina
Hurricanes Canes goalie Peters battling to prove himself Canes sign Malhotra to boost depth at center Canes sign Malhotra to one-year deal Khudobin recovery slower than expected Chicago Blackhawks 724015
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Khabibulin looks to right his game Lone minus of Kane's season on defensive side Hawks’ goalie Khabibulin lacks rhythm, confidence Owner of Breeders' Cup Sprint favorite has savoir-faire Blackhawks' Khabibulin knows he has to be better Kane's plus-minus rating is ... what?!? Former Hawk Savard attempting to win Breeders' Cup NHL suspends former Blackhawks forward John Scott Blackhawks notes: Offense has arrived, Pirri settling in Blackhawks' Nikolai Khabibulin: 'I have to do better' Mills sidelined as Blackhawks head to Winnipeg Colorado Avalanche 724026
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Kiszla: Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov should step
aside Woman says Avalanche star Semyon Varlamov laughed
while he beat her Avalanche players tight-lipped about goalie Semyon
Varlamov's arrest Semyon Varlamov arrest: Girlfriend said Avs goaltender
stomped on her Steve Downie of Avalanche traded to Philadelphia for
Maxime Talbot Semyon Varlamov's agent says client is "completely
innocent" Avalanche should keep Varlamov out of uniform for at least
the weekend Max Talbot-Steve Downie trade analysis Columbus Blue Jackets 724034
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NHL: Blue Jackets in no rush to switch styles Blue Jackets GM wants Marian Gaborik to lead Blue Jackets notebook: Home-and-home juices Pittsburgh
rivalry Michael Arace commentary: Mediocrity of Metro is
opportunity for Jackets Blue Jackets notebook: Boone Jenner will miss ‘weeks, not
days’ Dallas Stars 724039
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Need to know: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 7:30
p.m. Friday Stars' goalie lineage runs deep; look no further than likes of
Belfour, Lehtonen Sherrington: Expectations high for struggling Valeri
Nichushkin because Dallas Stars are losing team Cowlishaw: Sergei Gonchar-Alex Goligoski failure is Dallas
Stars' biggest disappointment As Dallas Stars improve, more may be worthy of team
cowboy hat Dallas Stars' next opponent Colorado dealing with standout
goalie Semyon Varlamov's charges of assault on his Gameday: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings 724046
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Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg on Johan Franzen's
return: Could be a Mule game at Calgary Red Wings optimistic Johan Franzen will end scoring
drought Red Wings 'play the right way,' rediscover winning formula
with good structure, puck possession Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg says Johan Franzen due for 'a
Mule game' Friday vs. Flames Red Wings reassign Luke Glendening to Grand Rapids as
Johan Franzen ready to return Friday Red Wings end four-game slide with solid defensive effort in
2-1 win over streaking Canucks Blog recap: Detroit Red Wings end four-game skid with 2-1
victory over Vancouver Canucks Young defenseman Danny DeKeyser continues to impress
Red Wings with poise, hockey sense Detroit Red Wings Gameday: What needs to be done
differently to end four-game skid? Red Wings' plan is for Darren Helm to play Saturday;
Jonathan Ericsson might go on long-term IR Todd Bertuzzi, Danny DeKeyser join Red Wings' top players
in trying to contain Canucks' potent top line Edmonton Oilers 724057
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Oilers head coach Eakins understands frustrated fans’
passion While he's not sick anymore, Oilers forward David Perron
dealing with aches and pain Oilers not giving up on post-season, despite statistics Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins hears the fans griping Florida Panthers 724061
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Florida Panthers ‘Iron Man’ Tomas Fleischmann unhappy
streak ended LOGAN COUTURE: Sharks Would Have Lost in Florida PANTHERS NOTEBOOK: St. Louis Blues Come to Town;
Tim Thomas Not Likely to Play TOMAS FLEISCHMANN: Day Off Not By Choice Preview: Panthers vs. Blues, 7:30 p.m., Friday Rout at St. Louis still sore subject for Panthers Los Angeles Kings 724067
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The view from San Jose Waking up with the Kings: October 31 Minnesota Wild 724069
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Wild practice: Coyle back in lineup Friday as new lines debut Wild's reworked lines ready for game action Wild-Montreal game preview Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle ready to hit the ice again Minnesota Wild: Keith Ballard set to return Minnesota Wild send Stephane Veilleux to AHL Montreal Canadiens 724075
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Habs not helping Subban shake bad rep ahead of Winter
Olympics Parros, Pacioretty set to return to Habs’ lineup Alexei Emelin signs four-year contract extension with Habs Habs’ Emelin signs four-year contract extension Nashville Predators 724079
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Nashville Predators lose to Phoenix 5-4 in shootout Odd bounce on goal hurts Predators Nashville Predators lose 5-4 to Phoenix in shootout Roman Josi, Viktor Stalberg back in Nashville Predators
lineup New Jersey Devils 724083
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Devils' Cory Schneider hopes to play one of back-to-back
weekend games Devils' Jaromir Jagr laughs off loss of game-winning goals
record Devils: All three goalies, including Cory Schneider, practice Devils' Schneider is back to work Statistics mixup means record not Jaromir Jagr's New York Islanders 724088
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New Sabres forward Matt Moulson opens up about trade off
the Island Matt Moulson on Islanders exit: ‘You move on in life’ Meet hockey’s human zambonis Islanders' defensemen playing big minutes Matt Moulson gets to come home, sees John Tavares New York Rangers 724093
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NY Rangers shut out Sabres behind 29-save effort from
Henrik Lundqvist NY Rangers need Henrik Lundqvist back in form to climb out
of early hole Lundqvist, Rangers blank lowly Sabres Ryan Callahan 7-10 days from Rangers return Rangers notes: Ryan Callahan on the mend Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist blank Sabres, 2-0 Henrik Lundqvist makes 29 saves in Rangers' 2-0 victory
over Sabres Ryan Callahan skates with teammates for first time since
thumb injury Rangers-Baby Buffaloes in review Rangers 2, Sabres 0 … post-game notes & quotes It’s Go Time! … Baby Buffaloes at Rangers NHL 724104
NHL, NBA could put a stop to tanking Ottawa Senators 724105
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Pageau needs to play in all situations: Murray Few line combos safe as Senators do the monster mash Senators send Pageau to Bingo 'Piques top Cup champs GM Bryan Murray confident Ottawa Sens will get their act
together Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner gets start against
Islanders Jean-Gabriel Pageau sent down to Binghamton Senators Blurred lines: Ottawa Senators get a new look Philadelphia Flyers 724113
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Flyers trade Talbot to Avalanche and bring back Downie Reacquiring Downie 'to stir the pot' Flyers' Hartnell's offense way down Flyers Notes: Caps will take on Flyers without Ovechkin Not exactly a new deal for the Flyers Flyers deal Talbot for Downie Flyers trade Talbot for Downie NHL Fans Are Wimps and Should Act More Like
Philadelphia Crazies Flyers get break: No Ovechkin NHL Power Rankings: Winning returns to the northeast Downie: 'I know when to pick my spots now.' GM says new Flyer Downie can 'stir the pot' Flyers hope Downie will up their scoring success Flyers send Talbot to Avalanche for Steve Downie Flyers Notes: Hartnell's hair, third-period woes Flyers trade Talbot to Avalanche for Downie Ovechkin won't be in Caps' lineup vs. Flyers 10 observations from a Flyers off day Downie may get first-line minutes Flyers hope to get Hartnell going Talbot's game gives Flyers options Phoenix Coyotes 724134
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Phoenix Coyotes' Thomas Greiss makes 'scary' start in goal Phoenix Coyotes rally back to defeat the Nashville Predators
in a shootout Glendale, Coyotes court Canadians to bolster NHL franchise Game Day: Predators at Coyotes Mike Smith's goal, re-enacted with bobbleheads Gosbee puts passion to work while taking ownership plunge Pittsburgh Penguins 724140
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Kovacevic: 'Home' is where Dupuis' heart is Change in defensive philosophy forces Pens' goaltenders to
adjust Penguins notebook: Bennett skating, but no timetable for
return Long trip worth the effort for Penguins defenseman Bortuzzo Penguins notebook: Columbus must deal with awe of Crosby San Jose Sharks 724145
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Malhotra agrees to professional tryout with AHL team Couture: That wasn't a shot at the Panthers St Louis Blues 724147
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Blues call up Porter BLUES-PANTHERS MATCHUP BOX Expectations have grown for Blues' Reaves Blues travel without injured Morrow; Elliott to start Tampa Bay Lightning 724151
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Tonight: Lightning at Carolina Bolts hope to build on fast start Lightning's Salo feeling younger than his 39 years Lightning recalls Brett Connolly from AHL Syracuse Toronto Maple Leafs 724155
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Leafs’ captain Phaneuf playing quieter brand of hockey Maple Leafs: Prospect Tyler Biggs third-liner with Marlies Maple Leafs goalies are among the top five in the NHL:
Feschuk Maple Leafs: Carter Ashton shrugs off bloody nose in win
over Flames: DiManno Maple Leafs penthouse-doghouse: Bernier, Ranger superb
in win over Calgary Maple Leafs: Carter Ashton to have hearing for hit on
Flames’ Derek Smith Maple Leafs forward David Bolland not a fan favourite in
Vancouver Former Leafs GM Brian Burke fights for fights Maple Leafs' Mason Raymond returns to old stomping
ground Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo thought he'd be a Maple
Leaf Win takes toll on Leafs Maple Leafs giving their best out west Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly one of many young
defenceman leaving a good impression early on Has MLSE boss Tim Leiweke put Quebec City in higher
regard for a NHL team? Vancouver Canucks 724186
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Vancouver fishbowl may have pushed Bure out Jamieson: From Russia, with Larionov Gallagher: Scotty Bowman, Pat Quinn clear about value of
Pavel Bure Willes’s Canucks Hat Trick: Shoot da puck, stop da puck,
score on da power play Washington Capitals 724170
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Eric Fehr ready for responsibility on the power play with Alex
Ovechkin injured Marcus Johansson is no passenger Alex Ovechkin to miss Capitals’ game against Flyers with
shoulder injury Former Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov arrested on
domestic violence charges Avs goalie Varlamov accused of kicking girlfriend $5,000 bond set for Colorado Avs goalie Varlamov Semyon Varlamov accused of kicking girlfriend, dragging her
by hair Avs goalie Varlamov’s agent says allegations false Avs goalie Varlamov jailed for domestic violence Websites 724190
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ESPN / Swapping Downie for Talbot is puzzling FOXSports.com / Resilient Kings come back to beat Sharks
in OT USA TODAY / Sabres' John Scott suspended 7 games for
head shot on Eriksson USA TODAY / Avalanche trade Steve Downie to Flyers for
Max Talbot USA TODAY / Veteran center Malhotra gets shot with
Hurricanes USA TODAY / Girlfriend: Semyon Varlamov kicked and
stomped on me USA TODAY / Canadiens shore up defense with extension
to Emelin YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Early season NHL
deceptions, from Toronto's torrid start to Alex Steen's goal
ex Winnipeg Jets 724179
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Enstrom says no to Swedish Oly team Confidence game Crunching the numbers Enstrom would rather push for playoffs than head to
Olympics Captain Serious Jonathan Toews is seriously pumped about
return to Winnipeg Toby Enstrom puts Jets ahead of his country, passes on
Olympics Jets await word on Stuart; Chiarot staying ready SPORT-SCAN, INC.
941-284-4129
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Anaheim Ducks
Ducks' poor power play costs them in 3-2 loss to Bruins
Associated Press
October 31, 2013, 8:05 p.m.
BOSTON —- Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal on a power play with less
than three minutes remaining in the third period and Jarome Iginla had the
lone goal in a shootout to rally the Boston Bruins past the Ducks, 3-2, on
Thursday night.
Carl Soderberg scored his first NHL goal and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves
for the Bruins, who mustered only one shot on goal in the first period.
Boston never sustained much of an offensive attack but still managed to end
a two-game skid after Patrick Maroon was called for tripping with 2:58 left in
the third period, and Chara beat Jonas Hiller eight seconds later with the
tying goal.
Devante Smith-Pelly scored less than two minutes into the game. Mathieu
Perreault had a goal and an assist, and Hiller stopped 21 shots for the
Ducks, who earned one point and are now 3-2-1 on their eight-game trip.
But Anaheim was 0 for 4 on the power play, dropping the league's worst unit
to 7.3% (four for 55).
"We definitely have to learn when you have a 2-1 lead going in the third
period, even less than five minutes to play, you've got to come out with two
points," Ducks defenseman Bryan Allen said.
"But you've got to give them credit. They're a good team. They played last
night and they battled to get back into the game. It was a good game, but I
think we deserved more."
Allen spoke about the need to improve the power play and the penalty-killing
efforts.
"I think it's both," he said. "I think it's special teams all around. Penalty killing
and the power play. We've got to figure a way to be more successful if we
want to achieve the things we're trying to do. We need those in the stretch
here."
Bruins players came out for warmups wearing World Series caps, and the
crowd cheered midway through the second period when highlights of the
Boston Red Sox's clinching win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday
night at Fenway Park were shown on the video board.
Bruins President Cam Neely and Red Sox President and Chief Executive
Larry Lucchino then came onto the ice and held the World Series trophy
high above their heads.
But despite all the excitement in the building, the Bruins got off to a slow
start.
Iginla put Boston ahead in the shootout with his wrist shot over Hiller's glove.
After Rask turned aside two weak attempts by the Ducks, Ryan Getzlaf hit
the crossbar to end the game.
A slap shot by Chara more than 18 minutes into the game was Boston's lone
shot of the first period. Anaheim had five shots, but needed only one to
score.
The Ducks struck 1:52 into the game on Smith-Pelly's first goal of the
season.
After Anaheim won the puck in front of the Bruins' bench and barely
maintained the zone, Perreault dropped a short pass in the slot to
Smith-Pelly, who lifted a wrister past Rask's left shoulder.
The Bruins evened the score with 7:15 to play in the second when
Soderberg broke in alone on Hiller and slipped the puck between his legs.
But Perreault's fifth goal put the Ducks back on top with 20.9 seconds
remaining in the period. After winning a faceoff in the Bruins zone, Perreault
took a pass inside the circle, spun to his right and slid a shot by Rask's right
leg.
LA Times: LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Anaheim Ducks
Ducks give up late goal, then fall in shootout
By ERIC STEPHENS / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
BOSTON – If facing one of the NHL’s perennial top teams was a measuring
stick Thursday night, the Ducks measured up mighty fine.
They just couldn’t add to their win column.
Satisfaction was only partial for the Ducks, who couldn’t finish off last
season's Stanley Cup finalist Boston Bruins and ultimately dropped a 3-2
shootout decision at TD Garden.
Jarome Iginla got the only shootout goal. It followed Zdeno Chara’s tying
power-play score with 2:50 left that hurt the Ducks (10-3-1), who picked up
another point in the standings but failed to hold onto the other as their
three-game win streak ended.
“The guys are disappointed,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “They want
to win every game. That’s why the record is what it is right now. They’re not
going to be happy with a shootout loss.
“We wanted that extra point. We didn’t get it. I would expect nobody to be
happy.”
What the Ducks have left is proof that they can dictate a game against a
premier opponent. The Bruins had just one shot on goal in the first period
and could only push Carl Soderberg’s first NHL goal past Ducks goalie
Jonas Hiller for 57-plus minutes.
Devante Smith-Pelly and Mathieu Perreault put the Ducks in position for
another triumph by scoring and assisting on each other’s goals. Patrick
Maroon’s tripping penalty late in the third opened up a final chance for
Bruins that was cashed in.
“We almost made it through,” said Hiller, who made 21 stops. “But we don’t
want every game to end on a (penalty kill) like the last two games.
Sometimes, somewhere, it’s going to cost you.
“That definitely hurts. We won a point but we’d rather get two.”
In the shootout, Nick Bonino and Corey Perry lost the puck on their attempts
while Ryan Getzlaf fired a shot off the right post.
“I flubbed my shot,” Perry said. “He took away what I wanted to do and he
beat me. Sometimes that’s going to happen.”
Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.01.2013
723988
Anaheim Ducks
Ducks can’t hold off Boston rally
By Matthew Carroll, Associated Press
Posted: 10/31/13, 10:17 PM PDT |
Smith-Pelly got his first goal of the season 1:52 into the game to give the
Ducks a quick lead.
After the World Series trophy came out, the Bruins picked up their play.
They tied the score minutes later when Soderberg broke in alone on Hiller
and slipped the puck between his legs for his first career goal.
“It means a lot to me,” Soderberg said. “I’ve been playing in Europe for 10
years at the highest level there, but it’s still not the NHL. I came here at 28
years old, so I wanted to see if I could play in the NHL.
“I’m pretty glad I scored.”
BOSTON >> On a night when the World Series trophy was carried onto the
ice, the Bruins gave Boston sports fans one more reason to cheer.
Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal on a power play with under 3 minutes
remaining in regulation and Jarome Iginla had the lone goal in a shootout to
rally the Bruins past the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday.
“It’s a sports city, clearly,” said Chris Kelly, who had an assist and was
wearing a World Series championship T-shirt after the game. “The crowd
here is always awesome. Halloween night, a lot of people might decide to
take their kids trick-or-treating. But not in Boston. They’re here.”
And they witnessed another win for the home team.
crowd got into it midway through the second period when Boston Red Sox
highlights from their clinching win over the St. Louis Cardinals on
Wednesday night at Fenway Park were shown on the JumboTron.
Bruins team President Cam Neely and Red Sox President and CEO Larry
Lucchino then came onto the ice and held the World Series trophy high
above their heads.
During the timeout, Kelly instantly noticed the trophy.
“I wouldn’t mind getting a picture with it,” he said.
for the Bruins, who mustered only one shot in the first period but still
managed to snap a two-game skid.
“I think we have a lot of competitive guys and when you’re down, that
desperation level kicks in,” said defenseman Torey Krug, who also had an
assist. “We’ve got to do a better job of starting games out.”
Devante Smith-Pelly scored less than 2 minutes into the game, Mathieu
Perreault had a goal and an assist and Jonas Hiller stopped 21 shots for the
Ducks. But they went 0 for 4 on the power play, dropping the league’s worst
unit to 7.3 percent (4 for 55).
Anaheim was on the verge of its fourth straight victory until Patrick Maroon’s
tripping penalty with 2:58 left in the third period gave Boston late life.
“That’s three games in a row that we’ve taken a penalty in the last 2 minutes
of the game,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said.
It didn’t take long for the Bruins to capitalize.
David Krejci scooped up a loose puck just outside the crease and slid a pass
through the legs of defenseman Cam Fowler that Chara easily slipped past
Hiller with 2:50 to go, setting off a celebration in the stands.
Iginla then put Boston ahead in the shootout with his wrist shot over Hiller’s
glove. After Rask turned aside two weak attempts by the Ducks, Ryan
Getzlaf hit the crossbar to end the game.
“They didn’t have a shot on goal in the first period until the 18-minute mark,”
Boudreau said. “But if you don’t score, eventually a really good team is
going to come up and bite you and that’s what happened.”
After scoring the game-winner with 0.8 seconds left last Thursday to stun the
San Jose Sharks, the Bruins gave up a pair of late goals in each of their
previous two games, including two power-play tallies 23 seconds apart in a
setback to New Jersey on Saturday.
Despite the buzz in the building Thursday following Boston’s third World
Series title in the last 10 years, the Bruins got off to a slow start.
A slap shot by Chara more than 18 minutes into the game was Boston’s lone
score.
Perreault’s fifth goal put the Ducks back on top with 20.9 seconds remaining
in the second. After winning a faceoff in the Bruins zone, Perreault corralled
a pass inside the circle just seconds later, spun to his right and slid a shot by
Rask’s right leg.
“That goal in the last 20 seconds of the second would probably have broken
a lot of teams’ backs. It didn’t break ours,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said.
“I’d rather give my team credit for this one than say we’re fortunate.
“For us to come out here and play a great game and then battle right until
the end and win this against a team that was fresh and waiting for us here, if
anything, I would say that’s a real gutsy effort on our part.”
The Ducks played without forward Teemu Selanne, expected to miss two
weeks after losing four teeth and receiving 40 stitches in his mouth following
a high stick in a victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday. The 43-year-old ranks
second on the active scoring list with 1,437 points and plans to retire after
the season.
LA Daily News: LOADED: 11.01.2013
723989
Boston Bruins
Chara, Iginla rally Bruins past Ducks 3-2 in SO
By MATTHEW CARROLL / Associated Press / October 31, 2013
On a night when the World Series trophy was carried onto the ice, the Bruins
gave Boston sports fans one more reason to cheer.
Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal on a power play with under 3 minutes
remaining in regulation and Jarome Iginla had the lone goal in a shootout to
rally the Bruins past the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday.
‘‘It’s a sports city, clearly,’’ said Chris Kelly, who had an assist and was
wearing a World Series championship T-shirt after the game. ‘‘The crowd
here is always awesome. Halloween night, a lot of people might decide to
take their kids trick-or-treating. But not in Boston. They’re here.’’
And they witnessed another win for the home team.
crowd got into it midway through the second period when Boston Red Sox
highlights from their clinching win over the St. Louis Cardinals on
Wednesday night at Fenway Park were shown on the JumboTron.
Bruins team President Cam Neely and Red Sox President and CEO Larry
Lucchino then came onto the ice and held the World Series trophy high
above their heads.
During the timeout, Kelly instantly noticed the trophy.
‘‘I wouldn’t mind getting a picture with it,’’ he said.
for the Bruins, who mustered only one shot in the first period but still
managed to snap a two-game skid.
‘‘I think we have a lot of competitive guys and when you’re down, that
desperation level kicks in,’’ said defenseman Torey Krug, who also had an
assist. ‘‘We've got to do a better job of starting games out.’’
Devante Smith-Pelly scored less than 2 minutes into the game, Mathieu
Perreault had a goal and an assist and Jonas Hiller stopped 21 shots for the
Ducks. But they went 0 for 4 on the power play, dropping the league’s worst
unit to 7.3 percent (4 for 55).
Anaheim was on the verge of its fourth straight victory until Patrick Maroon’s
tripping penalty with 2:58 left in the third period gave Boston late life.
‘‘That’s three games in a row that we've taken a penalty in the last 2 minutes
of the game,’’ Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said.
It didn’t take long for the Bruins to capitalize.
David Krejci scooped up a loose puck just outside the crease and slid a pass
through the legs of defenseman Cam Fowler that Chara easily slipped past
Hiller with 2:50 to go, setting off a celebration in the stands.
Iginla then put Boston ahead in the shootout with his wrist shot over Hiller’s
glove. After Rask turned aside two weak attempts by the Ducks, Ryan
Getzlaf hit the crossbar to end the game.
‘‘They didn’t have a shot on goal in the first period until the 18-minute mark,’’
Boudreau said. ‘‘But if you don’t score, eventually a really good team is
going to come up and bite you and that’s what happened.’’
After scoring the game-winner with 0.8 seconds left last Thursday to stun the
San Jose Sharks, the Bruins gave up a pair of late goals in each of their
previous two games, including two power-play tallies 23 seconds apart in a
setback to New Jersey on Saturday.
Despite the buzz in the building Thursday following Boston’s third World
Series title in the last 10 years, the Bruins got off to a slow start.
A slap shot by Chara more than 18 minutes into the game was Boston’s lone
score.
Smith-Pelly got his first goal of the season 1:52 into the game to give the
Ducks a quick lead.
After the World Series trophy came out, the Bruins picked up their play.
They tied the score minutes later when Soderberg broke in alone on Hiller
and slipped the puck between his legs for his first career goal.
‘‘It means a lot to me,’’ Soderberg said. ‘‘I've been playing in Europe for 10
years old, so I wanted to see if I could play in the NHL.
‘‘I'm pretty glad I scored.’’
Perreault’s fifth goal put the Ducks back on top with 20.9 seconds remaining
in the second. After winning a faceoff in the Bruins zone, Perreault corralled
a pass inside the circle just seconds later, spun to his right and slid a shot by
Rask’s right leg.
‘‘That goal in the last 20 seconds of the second would probably have broken
a lot of teams’ backs. It didn’t break ours,’’ Bruins coach Claude Julien said.
‘‘I'd rather give my team credit for this one than say we’re fortunate.
‘‘For us to come out here and play a great game and then battle right until
the end and win this against a team that was fresh and waiting for us here, if
anything, I would say that’s a real gutsy effort on our part.’’
NOTES: The Bruins recalled C Ryan Spooner from Providence of the AHL
and he got his first NHL point when he assisted on Soderberg’s goal. He
also missed the first shot of the shootout. ... The Ducks played without
forward Teemu Selanne, expected to miss two weeks after losing four teeth
and receiving 40 stitches in his mouth following a high stick in a victory over
Philadelphia on Tuesday. The 43-year-old ranks second on the active
scoring list with 1,437 points and plans to retire after the season. ... Boston’s
one shot in the first was its fewest in a period since getting just one in the
third period of a win over New Jersey on Jan. 5, 2008. ... It was Boston’s first
overtime game this season, and Anaheim’s third.
Boston Globe LOADED: 11.01.2013
723990
Boston Bruins
Bruins’ Carl Soderberg pots first goal
By Amalie Benjamin
November 01, 2013
When Ryan Spooner was called up to the Bruins on Thursday, coach
Claude Julien had a decision to make. Spooner wasn’t brought up to “have
popcorn and hot dogs up in the stands,” as Julien put it. He was going to
play. That meant one of his forwards was going to sit — likely Jordan Caron
or Carl Soderberg.
Soderberg got the call. Caron took a seat.
And, after one period, that wasn’t looking like the best decision. A Soderberg
pass had led to the turnover that turned into the Ducks’ first goal, scored by
Devante Smith-Pelly just 1:52 into the game. The Swede had been mostly
invisible on the ice. Now he was visible, but not in a good way.
That changed at 12:45 of the second, when Spooner sent a pass up ice to
Chris Kelly, who tapped it over to Soderberg. The winger went in alone on
Jonas Hiller and sneaked the puck under the goalie for his first career NHL
goal.
He stood there and raised his arms to the sky. He looked skyward, too.
So what does he call that celebration?
“Maybe relief,” he said.
“You always feel pressure on this level,” Soderberg added, after the Bruins
had taken a 3-2 shootout win at TD Garden. “You have to play good and
there’s a lot of players who want your spot. It’s always hard pressure on us.”
That wasn’t lost on his teammates.
“It’s funny what a goal can do to your confidence and the morale and how
you’re feeling,” Kelly said. “You could see just sitting beside him on the
bench it looked like the weight was lifted off his shoulders.
“I know he’s been forcing and pushing hard. Sometimes they come easier
than others, but I thought he did a great job defensively a few shifts before
that, saving a goal, and then got rewarded.”
Thursday marked Soderberg’s most active game for the Bruins, a game in
which he found a bit of chemistry with his new linemates, with Spooner at
center and Kelly on the wing. He missed the first two weeks of the season
with an ankle injury, putting a dent in what had been a good training camp.
And once he returned to the lineup, there were only brief — very brief —
flashes of what the Bruins had hoped to get from him. He was mostly a
nonfactor. He had just one shot on goal in his first five games, coming
against the Devils last weekend. Every other player on the team had more
shots than he did — including defenseman Matt Bartkowski, who had played
just three games.
On Thursday, Soderberg had two shots, two shot attempts blocked, and a
missed shot. He added two hits and a blocked shot, by far the best he’s
looked on the scoresheet this season.
Plus there was that goal.
“It means a lot to me,” Soderberg said. “I’ve been playing in Europe for 10
years old, so I wanted to see if I could play in the NHL. I’m pretty glad I
scored.”
So were the Bruins, who had struggled mightily early on, with just one shot
in the first 20 minutes.
“We have been playing not the best hockey we want lately, not our line, not
the team here,” Soderberg said. “So I’m really glad we came out better today
and had a win.”
Soderberg was rewarded, too, with a chance in the shootout. Spooner,
Jarome Iginla, and Soderberg were given the three chances in the shootout,
and while Soderberg was unsuccessful on his — “It wasn’t the best
shootout,” he acknowledged — he said he was pleased to get the chance,
especially after the way the game had started for him.
“It’s always hard to make a pass like that in the beginning and they score,
but I’ve been playing hockey for a long time so you know that happens,” he
said. “You have to keep going.”
And that mind-set gave him a full-circle night, one that had started in
disappointing fashion but ended with a sense that better things could be in
store.
“That’s what you want to see,” Julien said. “Everybody knows he made a
mistake by throwing it in the middle [on that first-period goal], but he goes
back and ties the game up. So it kind of wipes the slate pretty clean in my
mind, and you go from there.”
723991
Boston Bruins
A good decision for Bruins
By Fluto Shinzawa
November 01, 2013
Jarome Iginla scored the only goal in Thursday’s shootout to give the Bruins
a 3-2 win over Anaheim at TD Garden.
Zdeno Chara netted the game-tying goal with a power-play strike at 17:10 of
the third period.
Neither of those goals would have been scored had Torey Krug not made
the correct split-second decision.
At 17:02 of the third period, David Krejci squared off against Nick Bonino for
an offensive-zone faceoff at the right circle. The Bruins trailed, 2-1. They
were in danger of losing their third straight game.
Krejci won the draw on his backhand. But Milan Lucic, positioned to Krejci’s
right, couldn’t corral the puck. The puck slid out of Lucic’s reach and almost
left the offensive zone. Bonino, Ryan Getzlaf, and Francois Beauchemin
pursued the puck in hopes of creating an odd-man rush the other way.
Krug read it perfectly.
“I knew they had three guys up top and I knew they had one down there,”
Krug said. “I knew we had Z and someone else. So I knew we had a good
chance if I just threw it to the net.”
As the puck approached the blue line, Krug stopped it from leaving the zone.
With one motion, Krug snapped the puck on goal. Jonas Hiller booted out
Krug’s shot, but he couldn’t settle the rebound. Because Bonino, Getzlaf,
and Beauchemin tried to rush the puck, Cam Fowler was left alone trying to
cover two men. Fowler failed.
Krejci scooped up Krug’s rebound. Krejci dished through Fowler to Chara in
front. Chara buried the puck at 17:10, tying the game at 2-2.
“Every once in a while, he’ll make mistakes,” said coach Claude Julien of his
rookie defenseman. “But when he makes plays like he did to keep the puck
in and help us tie the game, those are the kinds of things you like to see.
You can get guys that are great defensively and won’t give you much
offensively. At the end of the night, you don’t really win hockey games like
that. When you’re trying to create something offensively, there’s always a bit
of a risk. This young guy made a good decision there at the end.”
The game-tying power-play goal showcased the Bruins’ primary wrinkle:
Chara in front. The captain has two goals this season. Both on the power
play. Both from in front.
But the primary reason why the Bruins shifted Chara from the point to
net-front duty was the emergence of Krug. The Bruins never had a
pace-pusher from the back end who could quarterback the power play with
Krug’s touch, vision, and accuracy.
At even strength, Krug is a third-pairing defenseman who can sometimes be
overwhelmed by stronger, faster, and bigger forwards. But on the power
play, Krug might be the team’s most important piece.
Of Krug’s 7 points, 5 are on the power play (three goals, two assists). Krug is
averaging 2:39 of man-up time per game. On Thursday, Krug helped the
Bruins score an important goal.
The Bruins were in a tough spot. They had battled through a playoff-like 3-2
road loss to Pittsburgh Wednesday. Anaheim was off the night before and
resting in Boston. The Ducks entered the game just 2 points back of San
Jose, the Western Conference’s top dog.
The Bruins didn’t start well. They had only one shot in the first period. They
rarely had the puck. When they did, they made bad decisions with it, like the
one Carl Soderberg made that led to Anaheim’s first goal.
From the left-side wall in the defensive zone, Soderberg tried to go up the
middle with a clearing pass. Dustin Penner stepped in front of the pass.
Moments later, Devante Smith-Pelly gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of
the first.
Soderberg redeemed himself with his first career goal at 12:45 of the
second. But in the final minute of the period, the Bruins gave up a gut punch
of a goal.
Gregory Campbell lost a defensive-zone faceoff to Mathieu Perreault, who
pulled the puck back to Fowler. The defenseman sent the puck back to
Perreault. Before Tuukka Rask (21 saves) knew what had happened,
Perreault had whipped the puck through the goalie to give the Ducks a 2-1
lead with 20.9 seconds left in the period.
“That goal in the last 20 seconds of the second probably would have broken
a lot of teams’ backs,” Julien said. “It didn’t break ours. We came back out in
the third and fought.”
Julien went for the win in the third. He rolled three lines instead of four
(Shawn Thornton played just 7:09). The Bruins leaned hard on Chara
(29:45). The captain responded by landing six shots, including the tying
goal, and keeping top-liners Getzlaf (three shots) and Corey Perry (one
shot) off the scoresheet.
In the shootout, after Ryan Spooner missed, Iginla canned a riser over
Hiller’s glove. Soderberg missed as the third shooter. But Rask denied
Bonino, Perry, and Getzlaf.
“It wasn’t a complete 60-minute effort,” Krug said. “But we realize that if
we’re down a goal, we have the confidence to put certain guys out on the
ice, and we have the confidence to make a comeback.”
723992
Boston Bruins
John Scott suspended seven games
By Fluto Shinzawa
November 01, 2013
John Scott already had sat out three games on an indefinite suspension
following his Oct. 23 hit to Loui Eriksson’s head.
On Thursday, following an in-person disciplinary hearing, the NHL declared
the Sabres enforcer ineligible for the next four games, as well.
“I’m never going to comment on what’s fair and what’s not,” said Chris Kelly.
“I think the league does a good job of assessing penalties for certain hits.
Our main concern is getting Loui back and making sure he’s healthy and
back playing.”
In total, Scott will be suspended for seven games and fined $26,923.05. It is
the second-longest suspension so far this season. The NHL suspended
Patrick Kaleta, Scott’s teammate, for 10 games for a head shot on
Columbus’s Jack Johnson. Kaleta appealed the suspension, which was
upheld by commissioner Gary Bettman.
Eriksson missed his fourth straight game on Thursday because of the
concussion he suffered as a result of the hit. Scott had delivered a blindside
shoulder to Eriksson’s head during the third period of the Bruins’ 5-2 win.
“Although Eriksson is eligible to be checked on this play, he is not eligible to
be checked in this fashion,” NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan said in
his explanatory video.
Scott had never been suspended. The 6-foot-8-inch, 259-pound Scott most
likely defended himself by noting the height difference between himself and
Eriksson (6-2). Scott is credited with 217 career hits.
“While that works in Scott’s favor, it also takes away any argument on his
part that illegal head contact on an opposing player is inevitable simply
because he is 6-foot-8,” Shanahan said.
Eriksson will miss his fifth straight game on Saturday against the Islanders. It
is unknown when he will resume skating.
“You let the league take care of things,” said coach Claude Julien. “That’s
the decision that was made. We’ll live with it.”
Spooner promoted
At the start of the season, the Bruins had high hopes for their third line. But
the unit’s recent offensive indifference chilled the organization’s optimism.
In their last three games, third-line forwards Carl Soderberg, Chris Kelly, and
Jordan Caron submitted zeros across the board. After the threesome’s latest
flat-line performance in Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh, management
had no choice but to recall Ryan Spooner from Providence.
“We need a little bit more speed right now, and we need a little bit more
offense in our game,” Julien said. “Sometimes a new face in the lineup can
certainly help bring that. He had a good camp. He showed his speed. He
showed his ability to be creative offensively. Maybe that’s the kind of boost
we need right now.”
On Thursday against the Ducks, Spooner centered the third line between
Kelly and Soderberg. Caron was the healthy scratch.
Spooner recorded his first NHL assist on Soderberg’s second-period goal.
Spooner cleared the zone with an outlet pass to Kelly. Spooner also landed
two shots in 12:22 of ice time. Spooner skated on the No. 2 power-play unit.
Spooner was excellent during training camp. The second-year pro
showcased his dynamic skating and soft hands. But the Bruins did not have
an opening for Spooner at center to start 2013-14. Before his demotion,
Spooner was instructed to improve on faceoffs, be stronger on the puck, and
play with more bite.
“I was a little bit upset,” the 21-year-old Spooner said of the assignment.
“But at the same time, I’m still young. I took a lot of positives from the camp. I
just went down there and listened to what they told me, things to work on
down there.”
Through eight games in Providence, Spooner had two goals and five
assists.
Selanne sits
Future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne, who plans to retire after this season,
missed his final regular-season appearance at TD Garden. He will be
sidelined for two weeks because of facial injuries suffered when
Philadelphia’s Luke Schenn clipped him with an errant high stick on
Tuesday. Selanne lost several teeth and required 40 stitches.
“Every day, he comes to the rink and he really has a passion for the game
like you’ve never seen before,” said former Anaheim teammate Shawn
Thornton. “He really enjoys the sport and showing up every day. His
numbers speak for themselves, 600-plus goals. It’s unfortunate if this is his
last year. You never know with him. He seems ageless. It’s unfortunate if
Boston fans don’t get to see him on his way out because he got stuck in the
face.”
Boychuk injured
Johnny Boychuk suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period when
he crashed into the boards. Boychuk skated only three shifts for 2:01 of ice
time in the second and didn’t return. The Bruins had to roll out a five-man
rotation for the rest of the game . . . Zdeno Chara drew the penalty that led to
his game-tying power-play goal. Chara was tripped by Patrick Maroon deep
in the Boston zone . . . The Bruins killed all four of Anaheim’s power plays.
They had allowed five power-play goals in their two previous games . . . The
Bruins wore Red Sox World Series champion hats during warmups . . . Matt
Bartkowski was a healthy scratch for the sixth straight game. Bartkowski will
dress on Saturday if Boychuk is unable to play against the Islanders.
723993
Boston Bruins
Tonight's Bruins lineup
Posted by Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff
October 31, 2013 06:36 PM
Based on pregame warmups:
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla
Reilly Smith-Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand
Chris Kelly-Ryan Spooner-Carl Soderberg
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid
Tuukka Rask
Chad Johnson
Jonas Hiller (5-2-0, 2.56 GAA, .913 save percentage) will start in goal for the
Ducks.
723994
Boston Bruins
Sabres' John Scott suspended seven games for hit on Eriksson
October 31, 2013 05:40 PM
The NHL has suspended Buffalo Sabres left wing John Scott seven games
for his head shot on Bruins right wing Loui Eriksson Oct. 23. Scott has
already missed three games because he was suspended indefinitely
following his match penalty. This was the first suspension of Scott's NHL
career.
Eriksson suffered a concussion on the play and will miss his fourth straight
game Thursday night when the Bruins host Anaheim. Eriksson is not
expected to dress for Saturday’s game against the Islanders, either. His
return date is unknown.
723995
Boston Bruins
Game 12 preview: Ducks at Bruins
October 31, 2013 11:12 AM
Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will look to break a
two-game losing streak against Anaheim tonight. The Bruins are coming off
a 3-2 road loss to Pittsburgh last night.
According to the Providence Journal, the Bruins have recalled Ryan
Spooner. The second-year pro has two goals and five assists in eight
games.
Assuming the Bruins did not suffer any injuries Wednesday night vs.
Pittsburgh, Spooner should be the No. 3 center tonight against the Ducks.
The third line has not generated any consistent offense. Chris Kelly would
move to left wing. Either Carl Soderberg or Jordan Caron would be the
healthy scratch. Soderberg has been quiet in his last three games.
Puck drop: 7 p.m.
TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Jamie Erdahl), 98.5 The
Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers)
Records: Bruins 7-4-0, Ducks 10-3-0
Projected Bruins lineup:
Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Jarome Iginla
Reilly Smith-Patrice Bergeron-Brad Marchand
Chris Kelly-Ryan Spooner-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk
Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton
Torey Krug-Adam McQuaid
Tuukka Rask
Chad Johnson
Healthy scratches: Carl Soderberg, Matt Bartkowski
Storylines: John Scott will have his in-person disciplinary hearing with the
NHL today. Scott is scheduled to sit out his fourth straight game tonight for
his head shot on Loui Eriksson. Scott could be suspended for six or more
games because of the in-person hearing… The Ducks will be without Teemu
Selanne tonight. Selanne is out two weeks because of facial injuries.
Selanne is retiring after this season… The Bruins have allowed five
power-play goals in the last two games. The Bruins have the third-worst PK
in the league (75.8 percent)… Anaheim has the worst power play in the NHL
(7.8 percent)… Kyle Rehman and Wes McCauley will be the referees. Brian
Murphy and Tony Sericolo will be the linesmen.
723996
Boston Bruins
Ugly start, but good end result for Bruins
Friday, November 1, 2013
Stephen Harris
“I won’t say (the Bruins were) fortunate,” said Julien. “We worked hard. I’d
rather give my team credit for this one than say we were fortunate.
“I’m not going to stand here and say we’re playing great hockey. It’s a game
of momentum and right now the momentum is not quite where we want it to
be.”
Yeah, it’s hard to produce much momentum when there’s a big zero on the
shot clock for as long as there was last night. Of course, what matters is
having one more goal on the board at the end of the night.
Boston Herald LOADED: 11.01.2013
The Bruins brass were sufficiently concerned about the club’s recent lack of
offense that they recalled center Ryan Spooner from AHL Providence in the
hope the 21-year-old might provide a spark last night against Anaheim.
“I think we need a little bit more speed right now and we need a little bit more
offense in our game,” said coach Claude Julien an hour or so before the
game. “Sometimes a new face in the lineup can certainly help bring that.
“Right now what matters to me is that we find solutions to fix what we think
needs a little bit of fixing to make us better.”
Well, a few hours later, Julien & Co. could hardly claim that they had found
the needed fixes — even if the B’s did eke out a 3-2 win in a shootout
against the Ducks.
Spooner, by the way, handled himself quite well in just his fifth NHL game,
showing good quickness and smarts, and earning his first big league point
on an assist on Carl Soderberg’s first NHL goal.
If the offense remained mighty thin, the B’s did deserve credit for finding a
way, somehow, to get two points out of this one — especially since they
played a tough and emotional game in Pittsburgh the night before, while the
Ducks awaited this game in a Boston hotel room.
But if the night ended well for the B’s — with Jarome Iginla scoring the lone
goal of the breakaway contest — it sure didn’t start that way. They were
awful in the first period, outskated and outworked by a wide margin. The
home team was credited with just one shot on goal, a long-range attempt by
Zdeno Chara that actually looked to be wide of the net.
The B’s first shot in Period 2 also looked wide — meaning that for the first 23
minutes and 12 seconds of the game, goalie Jonas Heller did not need to be
in the Anaheim net. Even with no goalie, the Ducks would have been up 1-0.
The Bruins did start playing better toward the middle of the second period —
it would have been impossible to get much worse — and the remainder of
the contest was competitive and gritty. And, ultimately, successful for the
B’s.
“All wins are pretty, but some are prettier than others,” said center Chris
Kelly. “We did a good job sticking with it. That wasn’t our best start.
Sometimes you’ve got to give the other team credit. They are a good
first-period team and they came out hard. But I thought we got better and
better as the game went on.
“They work hard. They’re missing a lot of key players, and they have some
young guys who are getting opportunities. But they play as five-man units,
and they take your time and space away. They were hungrier than we were
in that first period and obviously it showed with one shot (maybe). We got
better. But it’s one of the areas we want to work on, is our consistency.”
Chara, who scored the biggest goal of the night for the Bruins — set up at
the goalmouth via a great David Krejci power play pass to tie the game with
2:50 left in regulation — was talking afterward about how hard the B’s made
it for themselves because of their lousy start.
“It was for sure one of the hardest wins we’ve got this season,” said Chara.
“It’s something we definitely have to improve, our starts. It seems like when
we get behind, then we start feeling the urgency to start playing with more
urgency and pressure. But we just have to have better starts. We can’t be
waiting all the time to fall behind and then be chasing those goals. We have
to improve, for sure.”
Once the Bruins did snap out of their early funk and began to match the
effort of their guests, it became an entirely different game.
That’s the part of the game — not the start — that Julien focused on
afterward. He didn’t see a team that got lucky to win (as might have been the
case in last week’s improbable, last-second victory vs. San Jose), but that
hung in gamely to get a very big two points.
723997
Boston Bruins
Ryan Spooner cuts back in to center line
Matt Kalman, Bruins Notebook
As one of the last cuts the Bruins made in training camp, forward Ryan
Spooner established that he’d be on the short list of potential call-ups
whenever the team needed reinforcements this season.
That time came yesterday, as Spooner was recalled from the Providence of
the AHL and inserted into the lineup last night.
“I think we need a little bit more speed right now and we need a little bit more
offense in our game,” coach Claude Julien said before the Bruins beat the
Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, in a shootout at the Garden. “Sometimes a new face in
our lineup can certainly help bring that. He had a good camp. He showed his
speed, he showed his ability to be creative offensively. So maybe that’s the
kind of a boost we need right now.”
Spooner centered the third line between Carl Soderberg and Chris Kelly,
who shifted from the middle to a wing. Jordan Caron, who has disappointed
through nine games with just one goal and no assists, was the healthy
scratch.
Although upset at the time of his demotion, Spooner said he soon realized
that at 21 he still had things to work on, including faceoffs. Through eight
games, Spooner ranked second in points for Providence with two goals and
five assists. The 2010 second-round draft pick said there hasn’t been much
difference from his first pro season to the second.
“I think it’s the same,” said Spooner, who posted 17-40-57 totals in the AHL
and no points in four NHL games last season. “I think the one thing is I’m just
more comfortable down there with the coaching staff, and I’m just used to
the whole routine and whatnot.”
Scott suspension
Following an in-person hearing, NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan
handed Buffalo Sabres forward John Scott a seven-game suspension for his
check to the head of B’s winger Loui Eriksson. Scott had been suspended
indefinitely since the Oct. 23 incident.
After missing last night’s game against the New York Rangers, Scott will sit
out three more games.
In an NHL.com video explanation of his decision, Shanahan said Scott’s
career hits total and his lack of previous discipline disproved the argument
that at 6-foot-8 he couldn’t avoid hitting Eriksson in the head. Eriksson’s
injury also factored into the decision, as he remains out of the lineup with a
concussion. .  .  .
Barring a Bruins-Ducks matchup in the Stanley Cup finals, Boston fans
won’t get to bid farewell to Anaheim forward Teemu Selanne, who is
expected to retire after this season. On Wednesday, Selanne returned to
California to undergo oral surgery because he had a bridge of teeth knocked
out Tuesday night in Philadelphia.
Stiff upper lip
Ten Bruins were scheduled to get a clean shave from Gillette as a kickoff to
their support for Movember, an initiative created to raise awareness and
funds for men’s health by growing mustaches. Matt Bartkowski, Patrice
Bergeron, Gregory Campbell, Dougie Hamilton, Chris Kelly, David Krejci,
Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand, Daniel Paille, and Shawn Thornton will all sport
upper-lip ornaments.
Gillette donated $1,000 to each player’s Movember page. Fans can donate
by visiting bostonbruins.com/movember. .  .  .
The Bruins’ reign as the last Boston team to win a professional
championship is over. And they have the gear to prove it.
The B’s arrived at the Garden to find Red Sox World Series championship
hats and T-shirts in their stalls. The hats were worn during the pregame
skate.
723998
Boston Bruins
Bruins hear wake-up call
Matt Kalman
Maybe 60-minute efforts are overrated.
The Bruins’ theme in the aftermath of their first two-game losing streak
heading into last night’s game with Anaheim was to put forth their first
full-game, top-level effort in a while.
Instead, they pulled out two points on the strength of a late goal and a
shootout victory.
Tuukka Rask, with the help of the post, made sure Jarome Iginla’s goal in
the shootout stood up as the game-winner in the Bruins’ 3-2 victory at the
Garden that snapped the Ducks’ three-game winning streak and helped the
Bruins get back to their winning ways.
The Bruins were outshot, 5-1, in the first period and twice fell behind by a
goal. They didn’t seem to get their legs until 40 minutes of game time had
passed.
The third period was the B’s best, and their efforts finally paid off with less
than three minutes to go in regulation. Zdeno Chara drew a penalty at 17:02
and eight seconds later he scored the game-tying goal. Torey Krug’s shot
deflected off Anaheim goaltender Jonas Hiller to David Krejci, who slid the
puck across the slot to Chara for the equalizer.
The Bruins outshot the Ducks, 4-0, in overtime. In the shootout, Iginla
scored on the Bruins’ second shot attempt. Ryan Getzlaf hit the post as the
Ducks’ third shooter with a chance to extend the action.
The B’s had every reason imaginable to get off to a good start against the
Ducks. They came up one goal short in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night,
producing a second consecutive loss for the first time this season. And the
last time the Bruins were on home ice, they squandered a lead to the Devils
in the final two minutes last Saturday.
Instead of coming out flying, however, the Bruins played like a team that
arrived home late from Pittsburgh. They didn’t register a shot on net until
1:19 remained in the first period on a Chara slap shot from the blue line.
At that point, the Ducks held a 5-0 edge and a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard.
The Bruins hadn’t been held to one shot in a period since a 4-3 win against
New Jersey on Jan. 5, 2008.
Anaheim scored its goal 1:52 into the game. The Bruins’ new-look third line
with Ryan Spooner centering Chris Kelly and Carl Soderberg attempted to
break out when Soderberg made a pass from the left wall toward the middle
of the ice. Dustin Penner, back in the Ducks lineup for the first time in six
games, intercepted the pass, and threw the puck toward the front where
Mathieu Perreault stopped it for Devante Smith-Pelly, whose one-timer beat
Rask up high from the high slot on the first shot on net of the game.
The Bruins have now allowed the first goal in two straight games.
Soderberg and his linemates made up for that goal on a play the ended with
the Swede scoring his first NHL goal in the second period. Spooner dropped
down to help the defense and cleared the puck out of the zone. Kelly
one-touched a pass from the red line ahead to Soderberg at the Ducks’ blue
line and he got behind the defense for a backhand shot that slid under
goaltender Jonas Hiller to tie the game at 1 with 12:45 elapsed in the
session.
The Ducks regained the lead with 20.9 seconds left before the second
intermission. Perreault won a draw in the B’s zone from Gregory Campbell.
Cam Fowler dished the puck back to Smith-Pelly, who passed it to the left
dot where Perreault was tied up with Campbell. Perreault broke free and
spun a shot past Rask and inside the far post for a 2-1 lead.
Because there was no inter-conference play in the 2013 lockout-shortened
season and Eastern and Western Conference teams weren’t guaranteed to
play more than once each season in recent years, the Ducks made their first
visit to Boston since Dec. 20, 2010. They had won their prior two visits and
three of their last four meeting with the Bruins overall.
723999
Boston Bruins
Late Bruins push falls short
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Steve Conroy
PITTSBURGH — There’s a funny thing about furious comebacks. If you
complete one, it tends to wipe away all the sins that had been committed
beforehand.
But if you fall short, penance must be paid.
That was the case with the Bruins last night at Consol Energy Center. After
falling behind by two goals on turnovers, the B’s got one back on Jarome
Iginla’s long-range shot with 1:43 left and goalie Tuukka Rask pulled for an
extra skater. The Bruins had several great looks for a potential tying goal,
including one from David Krejci in the final seconds, but Pittsburgh goalie
Marc Andre-Fleury stood tall and the Penguins won, 3-2.
At the end it felt like Pittsburgh escaped with one, but in truth the Penguins
were the better team for most of the night. The B’s managed few scoring
chances against in the first two periods and, if not for Rask (28 saves), they
could have been down by more than the 1-0 score that they were entering
the third.
It was the first road loss this season for the Bruins, who now also have their
first losing streak entering a game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks at the
Garden.
Last night, the B’s did not take advantage of the edge they hold in the brawn
department.
“We didn’t play to our identity,” coach Claude Julien said. “We didn’t play a
heavy game tonight for at least two periods. When we did in the third it made
a difference. We got ourselves back in the game. We had to play three
periods like we did in the third and that wasn’t the case. We knew they were
going to come out hard and they did.”
The B’s allowed the Penguins some level of satisfaction, however small it
may have been, after sweeping them out of the Eastern Conference finals
last spring. And there was plenty of disappointment to go around in the
visitors dressing room.
“We played with too much hesitation,” B’s captain Zdeno Chara said. “We
were not jumping on loose pucks and when you play a team like this, they’re
going to take advantage of that.
“We did a better job in the third, but we have to play that way for 60
(minutes), not just the last 20.”
Chris Kunitz gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead at 6:54 of the second period on a
power-play goal. The B’s tied the game at 1:05 of the third when Patrice
Bergeron redirected home a Dennis Seidenberg shot past Fleury.
A misplay and a mistake then put Pittsburgh in control. First, Brandon Sutter
put the Penguins up 2-1 when he was able to chip the puck past Torey Krug,
who had tried to poke the it out of the defensive zone. Sutter blew past Krug
and beat Rask with a shot under the crossbar with 9:00 left.
“I read it right, but I wasn’t in the right spot to pick it off. I just missed it,” Krug
said. “It was a nice play by him tipping the puck. If you guys could see it from
where I was, it was a very impressive play. Unfortunately, I didn’t play it right
and he went in and scored.”
With 2:02 left, Johnny Boychuk sent a risky pass to Jordan Caron in the the
defensive zone, but Jussi Jokinen was able to jump Caron quickly, turn the
puck over and score from the slot.
“I hit (Caron) on the tape and it maybe just bounced and they were able to
capitalize on it,” Boychuk said.
The B’s closed to within one when Bergeron won a faceoff to Milan Lucic
and Lucic dished it to Iginla for the goal. Despite a heavy attack at the end,
the Bruins could not pop home the equalizer. And needless to say, the B’s
didn’t enjoy the Red Sox’ World Series win last night like other Bostonians.
“I think we can all look in the mirror here and we can certainly play better,
there’s no doubt about (that),” Julien said. “I guess now it’s the ebbs and
flows of the early season. I think we have to look ourselves in the mirror and
start playing to what our identity is and take some pride in it.”
724000
Buffalo Sabres
Not much can be fixed in a day. Girgensons said too many players drag
previous losses and slow starts into the next game.
By John Vogl
“You just have to go out there every game with a brand new start,”
Girgensons said. “I’ve never been part of this much losing games so far. It’s
just tough on the mind. It’s just a game – you lose, you win – but you have to
just seriously chop it off, drop the record. … Go out there and start a new
season.”
on October 31, 2013 - 9:51 PM
Buffalo News LOADED: 11.01.2013
Rangers keep Sabres on the skids
updated October 31, 2013 at 11:56 PM
NEW YORK — It’s interesting listening to scouts and media members in the
press box who are seeing the Sabres play for the first time. They’ve seen the
dismal record and know Buffalo isn’t good, but as their comments show,
they’re never quite prepared for how bad the Sabres really are.
Belittling remarks and flabbergasted glances were plentiful Thursday night in
Madison Square Garden. First, they came from observers. Then, even more
harshly, the contempt came from the players themselves, who seem to have
finally realized they are in a terrible, terrible place.
The Sabres extended their disturbing trend of looking like a peewee team,
and only the goaltending of Ryan Miller prevented a 2-0 loss to the New
York Rangers from being much worse. The Rangers opened with a 31-10
shot advantage, and the combination of New York taking its foot off the gas
and Buffalo trying harder led to a 46-29 finish.
The Sabres closed the opening month of the season at 2-12-1.
“When everyone wants this to stop, it’ll stop,” Miller said. “We seem to be
making more situations for ourselves than even the other team can create.
It’s on us to dig out of it and start having the right attitude and right approach.
It’s been a lot of games searching, trying to figure it out. Enough’s enough.”
The Sabres had a long closed-door meeting following the game. It featured
the same old sayings about compete level and intensity, but this time it had
an edge.
“It’s just everyone looking in the mirror and understanding how deep of a ---we are in right now,” rookie left wing Zemgus Girgensons said, using an
expletive. “It’s just getting that fire back and trusting the guys next to you.
You have to help the other guys work their way up, and if we keep playing
like this, not helping each other, we’re going to die individually. We’re going
to stop being hockey players. No one will want players like that.”
The questions now are: Did management assemble a group of players who
lack drive? Is the coaching staff unable to stir the passion needed? Are the
players failing to prepare themselves properly?
When those are questions after 15 games, it’s no surprise the team has the
worst record in the NHL.
“No, I’m not surprised honestly because you get yourself in this situation, it’s
hard to get out,” Miller said. “If you don’t play the right kind of hockey in this
league, you get beat. We haven’t played the right kind of hockey, so I’m not
really surprised.”
The lack of fire was evident after the first couple of shifts. Miller made 18
saves in each of the first two periods as the Rangers tilted the ice, peppered
him with shots and embarrassed Buffalo on the shot counter.
The Rangers had the following shot advantages:
• 10-3 with 7:25 gone.
• 16-5 with 13 minutes played, including a power-play goal by Derick
Brassard.
• 19-6 after one period.
• 24-9 with 26 minutes off the clock.
• 31-10 when Chris Kreider made it 2-0 with 31:21 elapsed.
“We don’t compete enough,” forward Ville Leino said. “Part of being a
professional is to do that. It’s been going for a long time, and it’s going to
have to stop one way or another.”
Coach Ron Rolston said lineup changes will be made Saturday when the
Sabres host the Anaheim Ducks. He’ll figure out today at practice who goes
where.
724001
Buffalo Sabres
NHL suspends Scott for seven games
By John Vogl
on October 31, 2013 - 11:52 PM
NEW YORK — John Scott will serve a seven-game suspension for his illegal
head shot, with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan weighing Scott’s
intent, height and previously clean record before issuing the penalty.
Scott has already served four games of the suspension, including the
Sabres’ 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday. The Buffalo forward
will lose $26,923 in salary, which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assist
Fund. He is eligible to return Nov. 8 when the Sabres visit Anaheim.
Scott met with Shanahan in New York to discuss the enforcer’s hit to the
head of Boston’s Loui Eriksson on Oct. 23.
“Eriksson carries the puck into the neutral zone while Scott backchecks
through the middle of the ice,” Shanahan said in a suspension video
released by the NHL’s department of player safety. “After Eriksson already
has dumped the puck for a forechecking linemate, Scott cuts across
Eriksson and delivers a shoulder to Eriksson’s head, making it the main
point of contact and causing a serious injury. This is an illegal check to the
head.
“Although Eriksson is eligible to be checked on this play, he is not eligible to
be checked in this fashion. And although this is not an elbow to the head, the
follow-through that occurs after contact indicates to us a significant level of
force delivered on this illegal check to the head.”
Eriksson suffered a concussion on the third-period hit and has yet to return
to practice.
“It’s important to note that Eriksson does not materially change the position
of his body or head just prior to or simultaneous with the hit,” Shanahan said.
“Therefore, on this play the onus is entirely upon Scott to ensure that
Eriksson’s head is not the main point of contact on any hit he chooses to
make.”
Scott’s minuscule group of backers defended him by saying his height
factored into the head shot. Scott is 6-foot-8, while Eriksson is 6-2.
Shanahan made a point of countering the argument.
“It’s also important to note that Scott has 217 recorded hits in his career and
has never received supplemental discipline for any of them,” Shanahan said.
“While that works in Scott’s favor, it also takes away any argument on his
part that illegal head contact on an opposing player is inevitable simply
because he is 6-foot-8.”
Scott, who was not available for comment, can appeal the suspension and
request a hearing with Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Sabres right wing Patrick Kaleta served the final night of his 10-game
suspension Thursday. He can return to the lineup Saturday when the
Sabres host Anaheim.
Fellow forward Corey Tropp also is scheduled to return from his broken jaw,
which will leave the Sabres with decisions for both the 23-man roster and
the 20-man game lineup.
“It should be push everybody because we’ve got some decisions to make
coming up,” coach Ron Rolston said. “We’ve got players like Corey coming
back and Patty Kaleta’s suspension is up on Saturday. Everybody should
feel that.”
Rolston said he doesn’t want his players getting too comfortable, and as a
result Nikita Zadorov watched the game against the Rangers from the press
box.
The defenseman was a healthy scratch in refurbished Madison Square
Garden. The junior-eligible rookie is on a nine-game tryout, and the sixth
game will have to wait until at least Saturday.
“He needs to be better,” Rolston said, “a lot of aspects, just a lot of his
details right now, practice and game situations. He needs to get some
perspective, you know? With all our players, especially our young guys, we
don’t want guys getting comfortable.”
With the exception of Mark Pysyk, Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers, every
defenseman has been scratched at least once. Fellow first-round pick
Rasmus Ristolainen has taken a seat three times in the Sabres’ 15 games.
“When Rasmus was out of the lineup, he came back in and played well,”
Rolston said. “He was refocused on what he needed to do and wasn’t taking
things for granted. I think it’ll be the same with Nikita.”
724002
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres' postgame thoughts from Miller, Girgensons, Rolston
October 31, 2013 - 11:22 PM
By John Vogl
NEW YORK -- The Sabres have been mocked and trashed by outsiders all
season. After a lopsided 2-0 loss to the New York Rangers -- only 44 saves
from Ryan Miller kept it close -- it seems the team realized it has serious
issues.
"It’s just everyone looking in the mirror and understanding how deep of a
[expletive] we are in right now," rookie Zemgus Girgensons said. "You have
to help the other guys work their way up, and if we keep playing like this, not
helping each other, we’re going to die individually. We’re going to stop being
hockey players. No one will want players like that."
"When everyone wants this to stop, it’ll stop," Miller said. "We seem to be
making more situations for ourselves than even the other team can create.
It’s on us to dig out of it and start having the right attitude and right approach.
It’s been a lot of games searching, trying to figure it out. Enough’s enough."
724003
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres' Scott gets seven-game suspension for head shot on Bruins'
Eriksson
October 31, 2013 - 5:40 PM
By John Vogl
NEW YORK -- John Scott will serve a seven-game suspension for his head
shot on the Bruins' Loui Eriksson, the NHL announced today.
Scott had a hearing this morning with league disciplinarian Brendan
Shanahan, and the head of player safety delived the suspension this
afternoon.
Though the hit and the circumstances surrounding it (a star player getting
taken out by an enforcer in the third period of a Buffalo loss) drew strong
condemnation, Shanahan weighed in the fact that Scott is a first-time
offender. He also factored in that Eriksson has yet to return to the Bruins.
The forward has already served three games of the ban and will miss
tonight's game against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden.
724004
Buffalo Sabres
Sabres fans wise to keep eye on case involving Avs' Varlamov
October 31, 2013 - 4:56 PM
By John Vogl
NEW YORK -- Inside the NHL on Sunday surmised that if the Sabres want
to find a good in-season trade partner for Ryan Miller, they'll need to locate a
desperate team. Colorado just might become that team.
Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov appeared in a Denver court today
on charges of kidnapping and assault. His girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk,
told police that Varlamov kicked her down, stomped on her, grabbed her by
the hair and dragged her out of her bedroom.
Police and court documents say Varlamov told her "if this were Russia, he
would have beat her more."
"Her statement is that this is the most minor of the beatings she received,"
said her attorney, Robert Abrams. "She's received five in all, and the last
one was to unconsciousness."
Though Varlamov joined the Avs on their flight to Dallas today, the charges
are obviously serious. According to the Denver Post, "The kidnapping
charge is a Class 4 felony, punishable by to two to six years in prison,
according Colorado statutes. Class 4 felony kidnapping is defined by taking
someone and moving them to another place without their consent."
Colorado was considered a possible landing spot for Miller during the
offseason, but Varlamov put those rumors down by starting 7-1 with a 1.76
goals-against average and .945 save percentage. The Avs appear to be
legitimate Stanley Cup hopefuls -- they lead the league in goals allowed per
game at 1.46 and rank sixth in goals scored at 3.18 -- and have 36-year-old
J.S. Giguere as a backup.
Miller could become a target if it Varlamov heads to jail.
724005
Buffalo Sabres
Benched Zadorov 'needs to get some perspective,' Sabres' Rolston says
October 31, 2013 - 12:55 PM
By John Vogl
NEW YORK -- Sabres coach Ron Rolston doesn't want his players getting
too comfortable, he said today, and as a result Nikita Zadorov will watch the
game against the Rangers from the press box.
Zadorov will be the healthy scratch on defense tonight when the Sabres play
in refurbished Madison Square Garden. The rookie is on a nine-game tryout,
but Game Six will have to wait until at least Saturday.
"He needs to be better," Rolston said after the morning skate. "A lot of
aspects, just a lot of his details right now, practice and game situations. He
needs to get some perspective, you know? With all our players, especially
our young guys, we don’t want guys getting comfortable."
With the exception of Mark Pysyk, Christian Ehrhoff and Tyler Myers, every
defenseman has been scratched at least once. Fellow first-round pick
Rasmus Ristolainen has taken a seat three times in the Sabres' 14 games.
"When Rasmus was out of the lineup, he came back in and played well,"
Rolston said. "He was refocused on what he needed to do and wasn’t taking
things for granted. I think it’ll be the same with Nikita."
Ryan Miller will be in lineup as the starting goaltender.
Starting Saturday when the Sabres host Anaheim, it'll be time for forwards to
worry. Corey Tropp will be ready to return from a broken jaw, and the
10-game suspension will be up for the Sabres' Patrick Kaleta.
"It should be push everybody because we’ve got some decisions to make
coming up," Rolston said. "We’ve got players like Corey coming back and
Patty Kaleta’s suspension is up on Saturday. Everybody should feel that."
724006
Buffalo Sabres
Despite Miller's 44 saves, Sabres lose to Rangers
Nov. 1, 2013
Ira Podell
Associated Press
NEW YORK — Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves in his 47th NHL shutout,
and the New York Rangers won their second straight and first at home with
a 2-0 victory over the lowly Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night.
Lundqvist made a late third-period save with the top of his helmet, deflecting
the puck into the crowd, and then robbed Marcus Foligno with 1:20
remaining.
Derick Brassard scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Chris
Kreider netted his second in two games in the middle period to give
Lundqvist the only offense he would need to post his third win and second
shutout this season.
The Rangers (5-7), who played 10 of their first 11 on the road, began a
four-game homestand in workmanlike fashion. They recorded a season-high
46 shots on Buffalo’s Ryan Miller, who was sharp throughout.
Buffalo lost its third straight and is a league-worst 2-12-1. The Sabres have
been shut out three times.
The Rangers, who won at the New York Islanders on Tuesday, followed up
a dominant first period with an identical 19-shot outburst in the second.
The only thing that kept the game close was Miller.
He could hardly be faulted for Kreider’s goal that made it 2-0 with 8:39 left in
the second. He stopped a drive by Mats Zuccarello and blocked it to his
right. Kreider got to the rebound along the goal line and banked a shot off
the back of Miller from a tough angle for his second in two games.
Lundqvist stopped everything that came his way while protecting the
tenuous 1-0 lead and then made his best stops in the closing minute of the
second to deny Drew Stafford and Jamie McBain from the doorstep after the
Rangers went ahead by two goals.
Buffalo doubled its shot output to 12 in the second period, but the Sabres
were outshot 38-18 through 40 minutes.
The Sabres put instant pressure on the Rangers after the game’s opening
faceoff, and New York had breakdowns in front of Lundqvist. But Buffalo
was kept at bay, and the Rangers dominated the rest of the period.
New York fired often at Miller, and the Rangers were buoyed by a pair of
power plays — the first resulting in the go-ahead goal.
With Tyler Myers off for tripping, Brassard wound up for a drive from above
the right circle that found its way through traffic and a screen by J.T. Miller
right in front of the net to make it 1-0 at 8:28. It was Brassard’s second goal
of the season, and the Rangers’ third on the power play in two games.
Another advantage later in the first produced only one shot. Buffalo had its
lone power play in the final two minutes of the period and recorded one shot.
The Rangers held a 19-6 edge in shots in the first 20 minutes.
Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 11.01.2013
724007
Calgary Flames
Flames goalie MacDonald turns old friends into foes
By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald November 1, 2013 3:01 AM
Flames goalie Joey MacDonald has fond memories of a shutout against the
Detroit Red Wings while he was a member of the New York Islanders.
MacDonald hopes to repeat that performance when the Flames square off
against the Wings Friday night.
As a matter of fact, Joey MacDonald does remember playing against the
Detroit Red Wings.
March 27, 2009, at Joe Louis Arena — MacDonald, on behalf of the New
York Islanders, bagged a 2-0 victory.
How many saves did he make?
“It was higher,” the goalie, chuckling, said of his total.
MacDonald is right — 42 stops en route to a first-star nod.
It stands as one of his two career shutouts in the National Hockey League —
and the only time that he’s ever faced the Wings.
Till Friday night.
MacDonald draws in against the Wings at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a great opportunity — a good team coming in,” said
MacDonald, who, of course, also happens to be a former member of the
Wings. “I spent a lot of time in Detroit, a lot of guys I played with for a long
time. It’s going to be exciting to get back in (net). You sit for two or three
games and you just get itching.”
So far, the workload between MacDonald and Karri Ramo has been divided
evenly. Only 101 seconds, in total time played, separates them.
Through 12 dates, each goalkeeper has made six starts.
MacDonald is 3-2-1 (3.01 goals-against average, .894 save percentage),
while Ramo is 2-3-1 (3.49 GAA, .888).
“Mac gave us a real good run early on,” said coach Bob Hartley. “Then Karri
gave us a good run. Now let’s hope that Mac gives us the same kind of run
that he gave us (in the season’s opening weeks).
“There’s no set pattern (for the goalie rotation).”
Meanwhile, the Flames say they have built confidence after stifling two of
the hottest stars, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Toronto’s Phil Kessel.
But MacDonald, 33, knows what’s in store for his gang now — an eyeful of
all-worlders Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.
How do you slow them?
“Watch T.V. and you guys can figure it out — they’re pretty good players,”
said MacDonald, laughing. “Pav, he can pretty well do whatever he wants
with the puck. And Hank, you know what? He gets the job done. He’s a hard
worker. That’s why he’s one of the best players in the game.
“(Datsyuk) is probably the best puck-mover in the game. I’ve seen him do a
lot of things and I’ve been around a long time. But as a goalie you’ve just got
to play your game. You can’t focus too much on one guy. But you’ve got to
watch and be ready at all times ... because you never know what he’s going
to do.”
Datsyuk and Zetterberg both have 12 points. Both are plus-six.
Both men, as the hockey world knows, are a handful.
“It’s no different than going up against a guy like Ovechkin or Phil,” said
centre Joe Colborne. “They’re the top players in the world for a reason. As a
team, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of shutting down Ovie and Phil.
You just have to realize that they’re going to get their chances, no matter
what. That’s why they’re paid the big bucks.”
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724008
Calgary Flames
No stranger to adversity, Backlund hopes to rebound from healthy scratch
“He is so conscientious about his defence that he forgets that he has lots of
skills. It’s my job to remind him of this.”
Backlund, during last season’s lockout, suited up for first-division Vasteras.
With flair, he’d piled up 30 points in 23 outings.
The Flames’ Mikael Backlund has overcome adversity and injury in his
young career. Now he is seeking to overcome being a healthy scratch and
relegated to the fourth line.
“I was taking risks and laying everything on the table and just having fun,”
Backlund said of the stint with his hometown club. “I was able to do pretty
much whatever I wanted, so it was a little different (than the NHL). I’ve got to
have the same confidence, the same patience I had, even though it’s a
tougher league. (Lately) I’ve been a little hesitant out there. I think defence
before offence. Don’t want to make mistakes. Don’t want to get caught (out
of position) anywhere.
He finished one season in such fine fashion that he earned a shot at first-line
permanence.
“I’ve got to let that go. Don’t think. Just play. Just be myself and play the way
I used to.”
Then he broke his finger. Then wrenched his shoulder.
The following winter, he enjoyed a couple dozen superb outings in Sweden
during the National Hockey League lockout.
C-NOTES: Toronto RW Carter Ashton, who slammed D Derek Smith into
the fence Wednesday, is scheduled to have an NHL hearing, via telephone,
on Friday. On the second-period collision, Ashton picked up a boarding
minor.
Then he sprained his knee. Then broke his foot.
Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.01.2013
By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald November 1, 2013 3:00 AM
OK — setbacks out of the way — this, now, for sure, finally, was shaping up
to be the setting of Mikael Backlund’s breakout campaign. Committed to a
new two-year deal, committed to an off-ice regimen, the young centreman
had arrived in camp as the fittest of all the Calgary Flames.
Then?
A so-so opening month — which includes one point in his final eight
appearances — gets capped by the ultimate indignity, a healthy scratch.
“I’m trying to stay positive and patient,” Backlund said at the WinSport Ice
Complex following Thursday’s practice — the morning after being relegated
to the press box for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ visit. “It wasn’t a bad start, I
(just needed) a little better flow out there offensively. I just never seemed to
get it going. That’s all my own fault ... but I’m still patient and I believe in
myself.
“Nobody wants to sit out. It’s never fun. One game is enough.”
Backlund returns to the lineup Friday against the visiting Detroit Red Wings
— 7 p.m., The FAN 960, Sportsnet West — and the decider insists that the
scratch was never personal.
In fact, Bob Hartley admires the 24-year-old.
“I think he’s positioned himself in a spot to have a great season,” said the
Flames coach, who, Thursday, skated Backlund between fourth-line flankers
Lance Bouma and Brian McGrattan. “I want to reward him. When you see
someone going hard throughout a summer. (Fitness) testing doesn’t lie.
Then, on the ice, we’re at the stage with Mikael where we have to push him
to the next gear — to find a new gear in his game. He’s willing (to do) this.
“I wasn’t very pleased to scratch him, but I felt that I had to do it. I sat with
him and we had a great talk.”
Backlund, too, indicated the chat had been productive.
“He said he wasn’t mad at me,” Backlund said. “But I’ve got to find a way to
be more consistent. That’s why I am where I am now — because I wasn’t
(consistent). I’ve got to figure that out.
“When I get a chance to play more, I’ll grab it.”
After three points in three contests, Backlund got stuck in an offensive rut.
Saturday against the Washington Capitals, he received less than 10 minutes
of work. The inevitable attention-grabber followed.
“I don’t want him in a limited role all year,” said Hartley. “He’s a young
prospect for us, even though he’s been in the organization for a few years
now. I think he has a lot to offer. But I want to be a partner with him and help
him. We do lots of video. We try to show all of our players what we want,
what we expect from there.”
What the Flames expect is more on the scoresheet from No. 11.
It is a bit of a twist — youngsters often need to be schooled on defensive
know-how in the NHL. Backlund, though, is fine in that department, but the
Flames want him to attack more.
“A combination of intensity, grit, a little harder drive at the net,” said Hartley.
724009
Calgary Flames
Hartley wants to see Calgary Flames forward start producing offensively
Hartley said Joey MacDonald, who had a couple of lengthy stints with the
Red Wings over his career and was claimed off waivers from Detroit, will get
the nod on the night the team plays for the first time with its new third
jerseys.
By RANDY SPORTAK
MacDonald has only once before faced the Wings, and came up with a
42-save performance in a 2-0 victory while with the New York Islanders
March 27, 2009.
,Calgary Sun
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 11:45 PM MDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 11:51 PM MDT
Backlund Flames forward Mikael Backlund was benched for Wednesday's
game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
You don’t often hear a coach say he wants a young player to think more
about offensive production.
Yet, that’s where the Calgary Flames believe they find themselves with
Mikael Backlund.
Backlund, the club’s 2007 first-round draft choice who was a healthy scratch
in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, is due to be back in the
lineup for Friday’s tilt with the Detroit Red Wings.
Head coach Bob Hartley said the centre must put more emphasis on scoring
goals and not just trying to keep them out of the team’s net.
“I wasn’t very pleased to scratch him, but I felt I had to do it,” Hartley said
following Thursday’s practice. “We had a great talk and I’m sure he’s going
to bounce back. I don’t want him in a limited role all year. He’s a young
prospect for us even though he’s been in the organization for a few years
now and I think he has a lot to offer, and I want to be a partner with him and
help him bring it on the ice.”
Backlund, who has collected 25 goals and 66 points in 181 NHL games, had
a decent start to the season and played well during the first couple of games
of the club’s five-game road trip — notably the affairs in Anaheim and San
Jose — but tailed off.
Hartley said it’s time for the 24-year-old to start putting more oomph into his
offensive game.
“It’s a combination of intensity, grit, harder drive at the net,” Hartley said. “I
think Mikael is so conscientious about his defence that he forgets that he
has lots of skills. That’s my job to remind him of this.”
Based on where Backlund was skating in practice, it won’t be easy for him to
get back on the scoresheet right away.
He was on the fourth line with Lance Bouma and Brian McGrattan, where he
skated against the Washington Capitals, and is pegged to be against the
Red Wings.
While Matt Stajan was injured, Backlund was at centre on the top line.
“I’ve got to work my way back up again and I’m going to do whatever to get
up there and play those minutes I did the first nine games,” Backlund said.
“I’ve been a little hesitant out there. There are times where I think defence
before offence, you don’t want to make mistakes and don’t want to get
caught out there, so I’ve got to let that go, don’t think, just play. Just be
myself and play the way I used to.”
Backlund appeared to have turned a corner last season after spending the
NHL lockout in Sweden and racking up 30 points in 23 games, and played
with more assertiveness when the NHL started up.
“It was a little different role there, I was able to do pretty much what I wanted,
so it was a little different,” he chuckled about his stint in his homeland. “I’ve
got to still try to have the same confidence and same patience I had, even
though (the NHL is) a tougher league.
“I’m trying to stay positive and patient.
“I wanted to get a better start (this season). It wasn’t a bad start, but get
better flow offensively, I never seemed to get it going, and that’s my own
fault and I’ve got to keep working on it.
“I’m still patient and believe in myself.”
Having Backlund back in the lineup isn’t the lone change planned for when
the puck drops with the Red Wings at the Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet
West, Sportsnet FAN960).
He admitted being extra charged to face many of his former teammates.
“When you spent that much time with the team and a lot of guys over there,
it kinda boosts your energy a little bit and try to put yourself up to the game a
little more, put a little more pressure on,” he said.
“You want to do well against your former team.”
Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724010
Carolina Hurricanes
DeCock: Another bizarre goaltending twist for Carolina Hurricanes
Published: October 31, 2013 Updated 2 hours ago
By Luke DeCock
RALEIGH — In one of those strange twists of goaltending fate that so often
seem to plague the Carolina Hurricanes, their season may be heading the
wrong direction because of a seventh-round draft pick.
Long before they lost both Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin to injuries in the
space of 10 days, the Hurricanes lost Frederik Andersen to a contract
squabble. They had taken the Dane with the 187th pick of the 2010 draft,
and he looked like one of those rare late-round picks who might actually pan
out.
But Andersen refused to sign, telling the Hurricanes they had too much
goaltending depth with Ward and Brian Boucher, and went back into the
2012 draft, where he was taken by the Anaheim Ducks, an organization with
more goaltending depth than the Hurricanes. Carolina general manager Jim
Rutherford took the rare step of issuing a press release criticizing both the
player and his new agent, Ritch Winter.
“We tried to sign Frederik to a contract, and made him aware that we felt
there was an opportunity here for him to earn one of our two NHL spots
during training camp,” Rutherford’s statement read. “We are very
disappointed that he chose not to join our organization. Prior to him
changing his agent, we had every indication that he was very interested in
being a part of the Carolina Hurricanes.”
By now, given Boucher’s sudden departure and Ward’s frequent injuries,
Andersen probably would have played in as many as 40 NHL games for the
Hurricanes during the past two seasons. Instead, he has played three
games for the Ducks this season – with top American prospect John Gibson
still ahead of him on the long-term depth chart – while the Hurricanes are
forced once again to rely on Justin Peters, who despite his NHL contract is
not at this point an NHL goalie. At 27, the window for him to become one
continues to grow smaller, although he’ll never have a better chance than
this.
In desperation, the Hurricanes offered Rick DiPietro an AHL tryout, and
goalie coach Greg Stefan was in Grand Rapids, Mich., to watch his debut
Wednesday. One word could suffice for Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller’s
summary of Stefan’s appraisal: Rusty. If DiPietro can help, it won’t be soon.
There are precious few teams that could survive losing both their No. 1 and
No. 2 goaltenders, and the Hurricanes aren’t one of them. The shame of it is
they were playing quite well before first Khudobin and then Ward went down,
their 4-2-3 start becoming a three-game losing streak going into Friday’s
game against the Tampa Bay Lightning to open a stretch of six of seven at
PNC Arena.
They continue to fall behind early, as they did before Ward was injured, but
they have lost the confidence in their goaltending that allowed them to
recover in those games. Instead of sticking with the game plan, they have
panicked. And then lost. At one point in Thursday’s practice, Muller
interrupted a drill to snap at the team. “We just went over this!” he
exclaimed.
“We have to be careful because we were playing really good hockey, and I
think the message the last couple days has been we have to keep that
foundation in our game,” Muller said. “Yes, there are some areas in our
game we have to address, but we still have to be a confident team and be
aggressive at the right times and have confidence that we can still win a tight
game.”
It’s a long season, and if the Hurricanes can stop the bleeding now, if Peters
can answer the challenge or DiPietro can contribute, it’ll go a long way
toward the eventual success of their season. If not, this goaltending crisis
has the potential to sink it entirely.
News Observer LOADED: 11.01.2013
724011
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes goalie Peters battling to prove himself
By Chip Alexander
RALEIGH — Goaltender Justin Peters seemed down and out in the crease
and Jordan Staal was looking at an open net Thursday during Carolina
Hurricanes practice.
But just as Staal was lifting the puck, Peters quickly thrust up his stick and
knocked away the shot, creating a stir among his teammates.
Yes, it was practice. But it was just the kind of play Peters expects to make,
Canes coach Kirk Muller wants him to make and the Canes need him to
make in games.
With goalies Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin both injured and neither close
to returning, Peters is the Canes’ No. 1 guy. Muller said he has “the ball” and
Peters wants it.
“A couple of weeks ago if you asked me if I thought this would be happening
I probably would have said no,” Peters said. “The crazy thing about this
game is you never know when you’re going to get this opportunity.
“You’ve got to try and take advantage of the opportunities you get because
you don’t know if you’re going to get one again. I’m trying to do my best. I’m
trying to instill confidence in the team, starting in practice, so when it comes
to the games it will be second nature.”
Peters, 27, was called up from the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL after
Khudobin suffered a lower-body injury Oct. 13 against the Phoenix Coyotes.
Muller turned the workload completely over to Ward, but everything changed
last week when Ward left early in the Oct. 24 game against the Minnesota
Wild with a lower-body injury.
Peters gave up two quick goals to the Wild in what would be a 3-1 road loss.
The next night, against the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, he had 30 saves
in a 4-2 loss.
On Monday, the Canes were beaten 3-1 by the Pittsburgh Penguins at PNC
Arena. Peters had 26 saves, giving up goals on a rebound, a deflection and
a tip-in following an impressive pass from the Pens’ Sidney Crosby to Chris
Kunitz.
“He battled and he played hard,” Muller said.
But Muller wants more. So does Peters.
“A buddy of mine and I were taking about how you do your best but
sometimes you have to do more,” Peters said. “You’ve got to give a little
extra. That’s what I’m asking of myself right now, to give that little extra and
try and help the boys here.”
Canes forward Brett Sutter was Peters’ teammate on the Checkers the past
three seasons. Peters played a career-high 19 games for Carolina last
season because of injuries to Ward and goalie Dan Ellis.
“He’s the ultimate pro,” Sutter said. “He’s at the rink every day, he’s the
hardest working guy. He stays late and does his extra work.
“For him it’s been a long road. He’s been up and down (to Carolina) but
never gets down about it. He just puts the work boots on the next day.”
Peters has good size at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds and is athletic. Sutter said
he also has a defenseman’s demeanor on the ice, willing to mix it up with
opposing players who invade his crease.
“He’s a feisty guy. I think he should have been a D-man the way he
competes and his mentality,” Sutter said.
Peters has a one-way contract this season that will pay him $550,000. The
assumption was he would be Ward’s backup – until Khudobin signed a
one-year, $800,000 contact this July.
“Obviously I’m disappointed it didn’t work out like that,” Peters said. “I’m just
trying to get over that hump. It’s such a fine line between being here every
day and being that third guy. I don’t want to be that third guy. I want to be
here every day. But I’m here right now and that’s all I can control.”
Peters will make another start Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at
PNC Arena. It’s likely he will be in net again Saturday for the Canes’ road
game against the New York Rangers.
Ward may be sidelined another two to three weeks. Khudobin tried to skate
Sunday but was sore, and Muller said he may not resume skating until early
next week.
Rick DiPietro added more intrigue Saturday when he signed a professional
tryout contract with the Checkers. The former New York Islanders goalie
gave up four goals on 29 shots to the Grand Rapids Griffins in his first AHL
start Wednesday.
Peters fondly recalls his NHL debut with the Canes. It was Feb. 6, 2010, on
the road against the Islanders.
The Canes won 3-1 as Peters stopped 34 of 35 shots. The losing goalie?
DiPietro.
“I’m a battler,” Peters said. “I keep fighting to prove myself. And I’ll keep
doing that.”
724012
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes sign Malhotra to boost depth at center
By Chip Alexander
RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes, looking to boost its depth at center,
signed NHL veteran Manny Malhotra on Thursday to a one-year, two-way
contract.
General manager Jim Rutherford said Malhotra would join the Canes for the
morning skate Friday and would play Friday night against the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Malhotra, 33, has played eight games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL
this season after signing a professional tryout contract on Oct. 3. He will
receive $600,000 at the NHL level, or $125,000 at the AHL level, with a
guarantee of $250,000.
"Manny has leadership qualities, is a veteran player, a good defensive
player and a good face-off man," Rutherford said. "We feel there are some
areas where we can upgrade, and bringing in Manny should help us to it."
Malhotra has played 864 regular-season games in the NHL with the New
York Rangers, Dallas, Columbus, San Jose and Vancouver. He played just
nine games last season with the Canucks because of a recurring eye injury
suffered in March 2011.
Rutherford said Malhotra was brought to Raleigh to meet with eye
specialists, then watched closely in his games with the Checkers to see if
there were any apparent vision problems.
In other personnel moves Thursday, injured forwards Jeff Skinner and
Radek Dvorak were placed on injured reserve -- Skinner retroactive to Oct.
24 and Dvorak to Oct. 25.
724013
Carolina Hurricanes
Canes sign Malhotra to one-year deal
Posted by Chip Alexander on October 31, 2013
The Carolina Hurricanes, looking to boost its depth at center, signed NHL
veteran Manny Malhotra on Thursday to a one-year, two-way contract.
General manager Jim Rutherford said Malhotra would join the Canes for the
morning skate Friday and would play Friday night against the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Malhotra, 33, has played eight games for the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL
after signing a professional tryout contract on Oct. 3. He will receive
$600,000 at the NHL level, or $125,000 at the AHL level, with a guarantee of
$250,000.
"Manny has leadership qualities, is a veteran player, a good defensive
player and a good face-off man," Rutherford said. "We feel there are some
areas where we can upgrade, and bringing in Manny should help us to it."
Malhotra has played 864 regular-season games in the NHL with the New
York Rangers, Dallas, Columbus, San Jose and Vancouver. He just played
nine games last season with the Canucks because of a recurring eye injury
suffered in March 2011.
Rutherford said Malhotra was brought to Raleigh to meet with eye
specialists, then watched closely in his games with the Checkers to see if
there were any apparent vision problems.
In other personnel moves Thursday, injured forwards Jeff Skinner and
Radek Dvorak were placed on injured reserve -- Skinner retroactive to Oct.
24 and Dvorak to Oct. 25.
724014
Carolina Hurricanes
Khudobin recovery slower than expected
Posted by Chip Alexander on October 31, 2013
RALEIGH -- Goalie Anton Khudobin will not be back in net as quickly as the
Canes first hoped.
Khudobin was injured Oct. 13 against the Phoenix Coyotes and it was
initially believed he might be able to return in a week to two weeks. But
Khudobin, who has an lower-body injury, first tried to skate Sunday. He has
not been on the ice since Sunday and Canes coach Kirk Muller said he may
not resume skating until early next week.
With Cam Ward also out with a lower-body injury, Justin Peters will continue
as the Canes' No. 1 goalie and will start Friday against the Tampa Bay
Lightning.
Forwards Jeff Skinner, Radek Dvorak and Kevin Westgarth missed practice
Thursday. None will play against the Lightning although Muller said it's
possible Dvorak could be available for Saturday's game in New York against
the Rangers. Defenseman Justin Faulk, who sat out Wednesday's practice,
was back Thursday.
With eight healthy defensemen, Mike Komisarek was used on the fourth line
Thursday with Brett Sutter and Drayson Bowman. Muller said seven
defensemen may dress for Friday's game.
The lines were unchanged from Wednesday's practice. Eric Staal centered
Jiri Tlusty and Alex Semin, Jordan Staal was at center with Nathan Gerbe
and Pat Dwyer, and Riley Nash centered Tuomo Ruutu and Elias Lindholm.
The Canes have dropped three in a row and scored just four games in the
losing streak. The Canes are 24th in the NHL in goals per game (2.17), 22nd
in five-on-five goals (18) and 21st on the power play (15.4 percent).
"We need a contribution from everybody in this lineup to do well," Muller
said. "Some guys have to give a little bit more offensively. But not to the
extent it's the panic button in terms of getting away from the game plan of
how we play as a team. We have to keep that foundation in our game.
“We have some areas we have to address, but we still have to be a
confident team and be aggressive at the right times ... and have confidence
we can still win a tight game, which they all are right now.”
With Ward and Khudobin out, the Canes are taking a look at former
Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro, who was signed to a professional tryout
contract with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL). DiPietro started Wednesday as
the Checkers lost 5-2 to Grand Rapids in a road game and is expected to
start again Thursday against Rockford.
DiPietro, playing his first game of the year, allowed four goals on 29 shots.
"He hasn't played. He needs a couple of games in there to kind of tune
things up a little bit," Muller said.
Muller said Canes goaltending coach Greg Stefan had gone to analyze
DiPietro’s play in the games.
724015
Chicago Blackhawks
Khabibulin looks to right his game
By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter
8:15 PM CDT, October 31, 2013
Nikolai Khabibulin stepped on the fresh sheet of ice and slowly made his
way to the crease at the far end of the Blackhawks' practice rink.
It was a full 25 minutes before the rest of the veteran's teammates were
scheduled to take the ice Thursday and it afforded Khabibulin some alone
time with goaltender coach Steve Weeks to work on what ails the
netminder's game.
Khabibulin has not fared well in his last two outings while spelling starter
Corey Crawford. He has yielded a combined 10 goals and didn't make it out
of the second period against the Senators on Tuesday night after allowing
four scores on 22 shots. Those efforts are enough to shake the confidence
of any goalie, even one who is 40 with 798 career NHL games under his
belt.
"To have confidence you have to play well," Khabibulin said. "I have to build
the confidence somewhat through practices. Treat it like a game, go out,
stop some shots."
"You have to look at what happened in the games and work on flaws,"
Khabibulin added. "Try to clean things up (and) try to freshen your mind."
Khabibulin would love nothing more than to have a fresh sheet in his
memory bank as the rough start comes after signing a one-year, $2 million
contract to replace Ray Emery as the Hawks' backup goalie. After three
appearances, Khabibulin is 1-0-1 with an inflated 4.74 goals-against
average and an anemic .818 save percentage. Only his teammates'
offensive explosion prevented Khabibulin from suffering the regulation loss
Tuesday night as they roared back to win 6-5.
"It's still early in the year, two games don't make a season," Khabibulin said.
"I have to put it aside and try to do better next game."
His teammates are quick to point out Khabibulin should not be held solely
accountable as they could have been better defensively.
"It's tough to see a guy get pulled midway through the game," veteran
winger Patrick Sharp said. "Hockey is the ultimate team game and to put it
on one guy's shoulders good or bad isn't really fair. Nik isn't happy with the
way things have gone but we can be better in front of him."
While he appreciates kind words, Khabibulin isn't about to deflect
responsibility for the tough times.
"It doesn't matter what happens in front of me, I still try to find things I can do
better so I don't get scored on that (much)," he said. "It's nice of the guys to
stick up for me but it's pretty simple I have to do better."
When Khabibulin gets that opportunity is the question. The Hawks have
back-to-back contests Saturday on the road against the Jets and Sunday
night at home against the Flames. Despite the long flight home from
Winnipeg, Crawford very well could get both starts as coach Joel
Quenneville focuses on the short term. Eventually, though, they will need
Khabibulin as the Hawks have three more sets of back-to-back games in
November.
"Each set we'll evaluate it," Quenneville said. "We just want to get him
confident and playing the way he can. The situation will dictate when we'll
get him back in. We'll get to see in practice and he'll show us when he's
ready. It's a process to get him where he needs to be."
The Hawks will give Khabibulin every opportunity to right the ship, despite
the fact they have Antti Raanta playing at a high level in Rockford. The
free-agent signee from Finland is 5-1-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average
and a .926 save percentage. Entering Thursday, Raanta was riding a
four-game winning streak and had allowed a combined nine goals while
making 132 saves during that span.
"Right now, we're fine with getting (Khabibulin) going again and him giving
us all confidence as well," Quenneville said.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724016
Chicago Blackhawks
Lone minus of Kane's season on defensive side
By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter
6:59 PM CDT, October 31, 2013
Patrick Kane has some gaudy offensive numbers through the first 13 games
of the Blackhawks' season, but a very ugly one on the defensive side.
Only four of the 691 players to have appeared in the NHL this season have a
worse plus-minus rating than Kane's minus-9 entering Thursday's play
around the league. A plus is awarded to a player if he is on the ice when his
team scores a goal while at even strength, and a minus is given if his team
allows a score.
"Sometimes you catch some tough breaks," Kane said following Thursday's
practice. "Other times, there are plays that I can probably make to try and
help keep the puck out of our net. It's a number that obviously doesn't look
good. It's not something that's going to change overnight. It will be a long
road back to try and get into the plus column, but I'm confident I can do it."
Kane's defense has improved dramatically in recent seasons. After
recording minuses in his first two seasons, the winger was a plus in each of
the next four. Consecutive minus-3s against the Lightning and Wild on
Saturday and Monday, respectively, didn't help matters on this season's
number.
"I feel like I'm getting better at (defense)," said Kane, who has seven goals
and four assists. "It's never fun being minus-3 in games — especially
back-to-back games — and see that number get even higher. It's something
you have to deal with. I put myself in that situation so I'll try and get out of it."
Coach Joel Quenneville believes Kane will be back in positives before too
long.
"It's a long season, we expect him to be on the plus side of it as we go along
here," Quenneville said. "Everybody has stretches where you're chewing on
some minuses that you say, 'How did I get that minus?'
"I figure that stat is a better stat when you evaluate it over the long term
because it's usually a pretty good evaluation of how you're playing on both
sides of the puck."
Point taken: During the Hawks' 6-5 victory over the Senators on Tuesday
night, captain Jonathan Toews had three goals and an assist. Linemate
Patrick Sharp said Toews had an even bigger night than was credited as
Sharp said his long shot during a first-period power play hit Toews after
Andrew Shaw had redirected it en route to the net as they were providing
traffic in front.
"I thought I hit (Toews) — I was aiming for him (and) it was a free shot,"
Sharp said with a smile. "He said it hit him, too, so it's a pretty special game
for Johnny to have four (goals) and one (assist). I know he got credit for the
three and one, but when he's going like that, it seemed like our line was
making plays every shift."
Injury report: Forward Brad Mills missed practice with a lower-body injury
and is considered day to day. Quenneville said Mills will "likely not" make the
trip to Winnipeg for Saturday's game against the Jets.
Veteran Michal Handzus also was absent from practice with an upper-body
injury, but according to Quenneville he's "very close" to getting back on the
ice.
Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724017
Chicago Blackhawks
Hawks’ goalie Khabibulin lacks rhythm, confidence
BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter October 31, 2013 8:47PM
Updated: November 1, 2013 2:26AM
Patrick Sharp called hockey “the ultimate team game” when he defended
the poor start by backup goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. And the fact that the
Blackhawks have picked up five of a possible six points in the three games
Khabibulin has started certainly supports that idea.
But Khabibulin — who has a ghastly 4.73 goals-against average and .818
save percentage and was yanked midway through the Hawks’ 6-5 victory
Tuesday over the Ottawa Senators — knows his performance in his last two
starts was unacceptable and that his team earned three of four points
despite him, not because of him.
“If I get scored on four, five, six times a game, I’m not happy,” Khabibulin
said. “It doesn’t matter what happens in front of me; I’m still trying to find
things that I can do better so I don’t get scored on that many [times]. It’s nice
of the guys to stick up for me and everything, but it’s pretty simple: I have to
be better.”
Khabibulin fared well enough in his first start, making 17 saves in a ho-hum
3-2 victory Oct. 11 over the New York Islanders. His rough outing at Tampa
Bay two weeks later — a 6-5 overtime loss — was then easy to write off as a
product of rust.
The game against the Senators, in which he gave up four goals on 22 shots,
was far more troubling. And it puts coach Joel Quenneville in a Catch-22
situation. Khabibulin needs to play more regularly to get into a rhythm and
build up the confidence that has made him so successful over his 18-season
career. But Quenneville can’t put Khabibulin back in until he shows that
rhythm and confidence.
With three consecutive weekends of back-to-back sets with travel (away on
Saturday, home on Sunday) starting Saturday in Winnipeg, Khabibulin
typically would get a start each time. But Quenneville hinted Thursday that
Corey Crawford could start both nights, at least this weekend.
In other words, Khabibulin likely won’t play again until he builds back his
own confidence — as well as the coaching staff’s confidence in him.
“We’ll get to see him in practice, and he’ll show us when he’s ready ready,”
Quenneville said. “It’s a process to get him back to where it needs to be.”
Khabibulin, 40, has been around long enough to realize his predicament.
“It’s not about me; it’s got to be what’s best for the team,” he said. “The
coach cannot just put me in and say, ‘Hey, go find a rhythm. We still have to
win games. So whatever it is, if I don’t get to play much, I’ll try to get better in
practices.”
Antti Raanta, the highly touted Finnish goalie whom the Hawks signed last
spring, has been faring well in Rockford as he adjusts to the North American
rink, posting a 5-1 record, a 2.40 GAA and a .926 save percentage. But
Quenneville brushed aside any thought of making a change behind
Crawford, saying, “We want to get Khabibulin going and keep him playing.”
Khabibulin said he and new goaltending coach Steve Weeks found some
minor things on video that can be corrected, but, more than anything, he just
needs to fight through it — to see more shots and make more saves.
After all, Tuesday wasn’t the first time Khabibulin was pulled from a game.
Two years ago with the Edmonton Oilers, it happened four times. So he
knows he can rebound.
As Quenneville put it, every player goes through tough stretches; it’s simply
magnified for goalies.
“Two games don’t make a season,” Khabibulin said. “But I wanted to play
better. .  .  . What happened happened. I have to put it aside and try to get
better next game.”
He’ll get that chance eventually. It just might be awhile.
Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724018
Chicago Blackhawks
Owner of Breeders' Cup Sprint favorite has savoir-faire
The showdown:
Really looking forward to seeing the Hawks take on Winnipeg — and old
friend Michael Frolik! — on Saturday.
Yeah, that was great:
By Mike Spellman
Remember that one time when the Bears beat the Packers courtesy of
about 28 Green Bay penalties?
Article updated: 10/31/2013 7:33 PM
Probably gonna need to see that number doubled Monday night in order to
have a chance.
Miss me?
The numbers:
I was on the road visiting family and they all said to say hi.
Aaron Rodgers is 9-2 against the Bears.
Actually, no they didn't.
After further review:
Anyhoo:
So, now Marc Trestman admits the Bears-Pack game is indeed a rivalry
game.
Now back to business, starting with pucks and ponies.
How cool is it:
Hmm.
Did someone have a little talk with George McCaskey?.
That Joel Quenneville sent a text to Denis Savard this week that read,
"Savvy, good luck with the fave"?
What might have been:
How cool is it:
Wasn't it just about a month ago that Northwestern was feeling real good
about itself heading into a showdown with Ohio State in Evanston?
That the Blackhawks legend has the favorite — Private Zone (3-1) —
running in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Saturday?
What in the name of McLean Stevenson happened?
Savard is among the many partners in Good Friends Stable, an ownership
group that includes Rene Douglas, the six-time Arlington International
jockey champion.
Soaring high:
This is how cool:
Jaxon received Letters of Congratulation from Jerry Reinsdorf, George
McCaskey, Tom Ricketts and Rocky Wirtz.
"This is just such an amazing story and so much about Rene, who
discovered this crazy Canadian-bred in Panama," Savard told the Arlington
Post Times newsletter. "I've been telling everybody, treat it like getting to the
Stanley Cup Finals — you never know if you'll be back."
No-lose proposition:
With two days of the best of the best in horse racing facing off at Santa
Anita, it'll definitely be a big sandwich weekend.
It's official:
I cannot watch Erin Andrews anymore without thinking probiotics.
A fond farewell:
I know it's hip to rip Tim McCarver, and that pre-recorded farewell message
following Game 6 of the World Series was a little hokey, but when FOX went
back to a final live shot in the booth with McCarver and Joe Buck, well, I
have to say it was pretty darn touching.
Maybe I'm just an old softy.
OK, Cubs:
You're on the clock.
BTW:
Is this like the least exciting managerial hunt in history?
Question:
Of the four major sports, which GM has the easiest job?
Gotta be in the NBA, right?
No minor leagues to oversee, no constantly rotating 53-man roster …
basically it's all about the draft and the cap.
Doing it right:
You had to know the Blackhawks would come through.
After it was mentioned here how ridiculous it was that there was no DVD of
their magical Cup run available, weeks later the organization released "17
Seconds," an in-depth look back on their run, including a ton of
behind-the-scenes coverage.
Three words: way to go.
When Jaxon Stout of Palatine was elevated to Eagle Scout, his parents
touched all the bases — and nets and goalposts too.
Of course, mother Cheryl Raye-Stout, the awarding-winning sports reporter
for WBEZ-FM, had a few ins.
Kudos to all.
Think spring:
According to Pregame.com, the Dodgers are the early 5-1 favorite to win the
2014 World Series.
The White Sox are 40-1 and the Cubs are 60-1.
Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724019
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks' Khabibulin knows he has to be better
By Tim Sassone
Nikolai Khabibulin wanted to make a better first impression.
But three games into his second stint with the Blackhawks, the 40-year-old
goalie is a hot topic for all the wrong reasons.
Khabibulin is coming off two poor starts, the second of which saw him pulled
from Tuesday's 6-5 win over Ottawa just past the halfway point trailing 4-2.
Only Jonathan Toews' heroics, where he rallied the team with a natural hat
trick, prevented Khabibulin from losing.
Counting a 6-5 overtime loss at Tampa Bay last week, Khabibulin's numbers
so far are frighteningly bad: 4.74 goals-against average, .818 save
percentage, 12 goals allowed on 66 shots.
"It's still early in the year and two games don't make a season, but I wanted
to play better, to be honest," Khabibulin said. "I wanted to have better results
in the first games that I played, but what happened, happened and I have to
put it aside and try to be better next game.
"I definitely didn't play the way I want to and the games didn't go the way I
wanted them to, but I have to somehow put it aside and try to figure out a
way to get better results."
Khabibulin was on the ice for practice 25 minutes early on Thursday to work
with goalie coach Steve Weeks. It's in practice where Khabibulin knows he
has to rediscover his game.
"To have confidence you have to play well, and these last couple games that
I was in, I didn't play that well," Khabibulin said. "I have to build the
confidence from lots of practices, treat it like a game, I guess, stop some
shots and try to get better results.
"You've got to look at what happened in the games and work on flaws that
are in the game. Try to clean things up, try to freshen your mind and go back
and play.
"I think rhythm is a big part of it. I can say I want to go out there and find my
rhythm, but it's not about me. It's got to be what's best for the team. The
coach cannot just put me in and say go find your rhythm. We still have to win
games."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville has a tough decision to make this weekend
with games in Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon and back home against
Calgary on Sunday: whether to give Khabibulin another start or play Corey
Crawford back-to-back.
Quenneville did make it clear the team wasn't looking to Rockford for Antti
Raanta, that the preference was to get Khabibulin going here.
"We just want to get him confident and get him back to playing the way he
can," Quenneville said. "We'll get to see him practice and he'll show us when
he's ready. It's a process getting him where he needs to be.
"Right now we're fine with getting him going again and him giving us all
confidence as well. I would say right now we're going with Khabibulin and
keep him playing."
Quenneville said the technical things that Khabibulin might be doing wrong
are up to the goalie and Weeks to figure out.
"There are a couple minor things that I think I can get better at," Khabibulin
said. "I actually felt good in practices and games, but after a couple goals it
started to snowball. I think I have to relax a bit and just go play.
"As a goalie, we always try to have a perfect game and if you get scored on
four, five, six times a game, I'm not happy. It doesn't matter what happens in
front of me."
Khabibulin appreciated what Toews did the other night, both scoring the 3
goals to bail him out then saying after you couldn't blame the goalie for what
happened.
"It's nice of the guys to stick up for me and everything, but it's pretty simple: I
have to be better," he said.
"It was pretty remarkable, actually," Khabibulin said of Toews' on-ice play
after it was 4-2 for the Senators. "That's what the best captains do. He
basically put the team on his back. Everybody chipped in of course, but he
really was a leader and not because he scored 3 goals — just the way he
played with his energy and two-way play. It was actually pretty fun to be a
part of."
724020
Chicago Blackhawks
Kane's plus-minus rating is ... what?!?
By Tim Sassone
The number jumps out at you from the Blackhawks' statistics page.
Patrick Kane is minus-9.
"Sometimes you get the tough breaks and other times there are probably
plays I could make to keep the puck out of our net," Kane said. "It's a
number that obviously doesn't look good, but at the same time it's not
something that's going to change overnight.
"It will be a long road back to try and get in the plus column, but I'm confident
I can do it."
Kane has taken pride in his defense the last few years.
"I feel I've been getting better at that," Kane said. "It's never fun to go
minus-3 in back-to-back games (like last Thursday at Tampa Bay and
Saturday against Minnesota), and see that number getting higher, but it's
something you've got to deal with. I put myself in that situation."
Hawks coach Joel Quenneville thinks plus-minus is a good way to judge
how players are playing in their own end.
"Couple of tough games there where he was minus-6," Quenneville said.
"It's a long season and we expect him to be on the plus side of it as we go
along here.
"Everyone has some stretches where you chew on some minuses that you
say, 'How did I get that minus.' You want to make sure in your own end you
do the right things. Sometimes you can prevent a lot of the goals that you're
on for by doing other things that might not have led directly to the goal but
what happened early on in the shift. That stat is better evaluated over the
long term because it's a pretty good evaluation how you're playing on both
sides of the puck."
Injury report:
Center Michal Handzus is close to skating, Joel Quenneville said, but he
won't play this weekend because of an upper body injury.
The earliest he could return is next Wednesday against Winnipeg at the
United Center.
Winger Craig Mills is day-to-day with a lower body injury that will prevent him
from traveling to Winnipeg for Saturday's road game.
Pirri in shootouts:
The next time the Hawks go to a shotout, watch for Brandon Pirri to make an
appearance with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.
"He's definitely on the radar, for sure," Joel Quenneville said. "He does well
in them and he's got a heck of a shot."
724021
Chicago Blackhawks
Former Hawk Savard attempting to win Breeders' Cup
October 31, 2013, 10:00 pm
CSN Staff
After winning the Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens in his playing
days, former Blackhawks player and coach Denis Savard is trying to win the
Breeders’ Cup with Private Zone on Saturday afternoon.
A racing fan since he was a teenager, Savard owns a share four-year old
horse Private Zone, who will be running in Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint
at Santa Anita in California. Good Friends Stable, the ownership group
Savard belongs to, also includes former jockey Rene Douglas. Savard's
involvement was profiled by NHL.com.
This could be another major racing win for Savard and Good Friends Stable.
In 2010, the group's horse Golden Moka won the Prince of Wales Stakes,
one of three races in the Canadian Triple Crown.
Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.01.2013
724022
Chicago Blackhawks
NHL suspends former Blackhawks forward John Scott
October 31, 2013, 9:30 pm
CSN Staff
Former Chicago Blackhawks enforcer and current Buffalo Sabre John Scott
has been suspended seven games by the NHL’s Department of Player
Safety for his hit to the head of Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson on Oct.
23.
Scott skated in from Eriksson's right and leveled him with a shoulder to the
face, well after Eriksson had passed the puck. Eriksson sustained a
concussion on the play. He also spent the night in the hospital and is
sidelined indefinitely.
While Scott is known for being a physical player, he hadn't been suspended
previously in his career.
Scott had been suspended indefinitely while waiting for an in-person
hearing. As a result of the official suspension Scott will also surrender
$26,923.05 in salary. He will be eligible to return on Nov. 8.
724023
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks notes: Offense has arrived, Pirri settling in
October 31, 2013, 3:30 pm
Staff
The Blackhawks kept saying it through those games where getting just two
goals seemed like a chore: the offense will come. In their last few days, it
has.
After trudging through most of October eking out 3-2 and 2-1 games, the
Blackhawks’ offense has exploded as of late. Be it Jonathan Toews’ hat trick
or the multi-point games several players have collected, the Blackhawks’
offense is back.
“It’s nice to see,” said Patrick Sharp, who has three points in the last two
games. “It seems like this season we’ve had some good 5 on 5 play and
poor special teams, then vice-versa. It’s good to have it all come together
and score a few goals. Giving up five and six goals was a concern. But if we
play our solid team game, our chances will come.”
Part of that could be the line combinations, which have shown more balance
and more results. There seems to be a comfort level with everyone and their
respective linemates. Also, it doesn’t hurt that individual and team
confidence is growing in that scoring ability.
“We’re getting opportunities,” said Bryan Bickell, who had a four-goal streak
recently. “The last couple games have been weird. We’ve been getting
outshot. We’re giving up more opportunities but we’re also getting more. But
if we’re winning by one goal or two goals and we’re still winning, and that’s
all that matters.”
Pirri settling in
Brandon Pirri has fit in well on that second line, flanked by Brandon Saad
and Patrick Kane. For Pirri, it’s all been a learning experience and he’s
working to develop his all-around game.
“I want to be good in all three zones,” he said. “If I’m playing strong
defensively, and if I find Kaner and Saader, then the offense will come.”
The offensive potential of that line is clearly there, and it’s shown itself in
points recently. Coach Joel Quenneville said the true measuring stick of that
line, however, is how it plays in its own zone, not the opposition’s.
“They’re certainly threat off the rush; that line’s been dangerous,”
Quenneville said. “They’re starting to get more familiar with where each
other is in all zones. We just want them to keep improving in our own end.
But (Pirri) will get better in each area. It’s a good start for him.”
As for Pirri potentially seeing a shootout opportunity in the future,
Quenneville said, “yeah, he’s definitely on the radar, for sure. He has a heck
of a shot.”
724024
Chicago Blackhawks
Blackhawks' Nikolai Khabibulin: 'I have to do better'
October 31, 2013, 3:30 pm
Staff
Nikolai Khabibulin stayed out on the ice for some extra work, as he usually
does, on Thursday. Now, it’s about trying to find answers as to why he’s
struggled in his last two games.
“You have to play well, and the last couple games I was in I didn’t,” he said
following Thursday’s practice. “I have to build the confidence off practices,
treat them like games, I guess, and try to get a better result.”
Khabibulin allowed six to Tampa Bay, then was pulled after allowing four on
22 shots midway through the Blackhawks’ 6-5 come-from-behind victory
over Ottawa. It’s been a tough start for the 40-year-old goalie, who obviously
didn’t see this as part of his return to Chicago.
“You have to look at what happened in the games and work on flaws that are
in the game,” he said. “There are a couple minor things I can get better at,
but in practices in games I felt pretty decent. For whatever reason, after a
few goals it just kind of snowballs. I think I have to relax a bit and just go
play.”
[WATCH: Crawford on Khabibulin: 'I'm not worried about him at all']
Coach Joel Quenneville said the Blackhawks want Khabibulin to be a big
part of this team, so the focus, right now, is on his improvement. Asked
about the Blackhawks potentially bringing up Antti Raanta, who’s currently
5-1-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average with the Rockford IceHogs,
Quenneville said, “I would say, right now, we want to get Khabibulin going
and keep him playing.”
As for when Khabibulin plays again — the Blackhawks have four
back-to-backs in November, including one this weekend with Winnipeg and
Calgary — Quenneville said they’re in wait-and-see mode.
“We have some dates in between, and each set will be evaluated. We want
to get him confident and playing the way we know he can,” Quenneville said.
“You’re always going to have different guys playing well over the stretch of
the season. Obviously goaltending is magnified, but everyone has stretches
where not firing on all cylinders. Hopefully he’ll recapture it.”
Teammates, including Corey Crawford and Jonathan Toews, defended
Khabibulin after Tuesday night’s game. Khabibulin appreciated it, but knows
that it still comes down to him.
“As a goalie — and I don’t think I’m the only one — we always try to have a
perfect game,” he said. “If I get scored on four, five, six times a game, I’m not
happy. It doesn’t matter what happens in front of me. I still try to find things I
can do better so I don’t get scored on that many times. It’s nice of the guys
to stick up for me and everything, but it’s pretty simple: I have to do better.”
This isn’t the start Khabibulin envisioned. There’s still time for him to
rebound, and Khabibulin will be working toward that.
“Two games don’t make a season, but I wanted to play better in the first
games I played,” he said. “But what happened, happened. I have to put it
aside. I’ll just try to do better next game.”
724025
Chicago Blackhawks
Mills sidelined as Blackhawks head to Winnipeg
October 31, 2013, 3:00 pm
Staff
Brad Mills became the latest of the Blackhawks to be sidelined, as he
missed Thursday’s practice and is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Coach Joel Quenneville said it’s unlikely that Mills, who the Blackhawks
signed and recalled from Rockford last week, will make the trip to Winnipeg
for Saturday’s game. Michal Handzus (upper body) was already ruled out of
Saturday’s game.
As for Mills, Quenneville said, “I thought he did a good job there, that (fourth)
line was effective as far as the job description was. He gave us energy and
plays physical.”
Handzus, meanwhile, has not skated yet but Quenneville said he’s “very
close” to getting back on the ice.
The Blackhawks will face the Jets in Winnipeg for the first time since the
franchise moved from Atlanta. It will also be Jonathan Toews’ first
regular-season game in his hometown. Toews last played in Winnipeg in a
Blackhawks’ exhibition game vs. Tampa Bay in September, 2010.
724026
Colorado Avalanche
Varlamov has made 242 saves in eight games for Colorado.
Kiszla: Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov should step aside
Give him the time and space to see if he can discover any saving grace in an
ugly situation where none of the answers will be easy, and little of the truth
figures to be black or white.
Denver Post: LOADED: 11.01.2013
By Mark Kiszla
Posted:
10/31/2013 11:20:00 PM MDT | Updated:
comments
about 7 hours ago6
Who is the real man behind the mask of Avalanche goalie Semyon
Varlamov?
If you believe his girlfriend, Varlamov is a sick man who "has no concept of
when to stop drinking, and when he drinks he turns into an animal,"
according to Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, who has accused the goalie of laughing
while he beat her.
If you believe his father, the 25-year-old goalie is an innocent man falsely
accused, according to Alexander Varlamov, who insists, "No crime was
committed" by his son.
If you believe Avs coach Patrick Roy, his first-place team needs Varlamov
on the ice while the truth is separated from fiction. "We all love Varly,"
Colorado teammate Matt Duchene said.
We all love the surprising 10-1 start to the Avalanche's season. But the
warm-and-fuzzy glow of the story has taken a turn nobody wanted.
Varlamov faces charges of assault and kidnapping.
None of us can be sure what — or whom — to believe.
But this much I know: Hockey is the least of Varlamov's concerns at the
moment.
I cling to one of the most optimistic, generous tenets in our society: innocent
until proven guilty. Nevertheless, how about the Avalanche let veteran
Jean-Sebastien Giguere stop the pucks in goal on a Friday night in Dallas,
and for games in the immediate future?
Not to punish Varlamov. Not to cave under the pressure of bad publicity.
But life is way more important than hockey, even for a young, hot goalie paid
$3 million to stop the puck.
In a Colorado locker room with a rising star in every corner, from Gabriel
Landeskog to Nathan MacKinnon, there is one player best suited to serve as
the guiding light of the Avalanche during a difficult time. At age 36, Giguere
is no kid. He has won the Conn Smythe trophy. He has hoisted the Stanley
Cup. He speaks from the heart, backs his words with action and has seen it
all in the NHL.
Without question, Giguere is ready to step between the pipes and serve this
team with pride and dignity.
"That's the job of a backup," Giguere said. "You have to be ready for all
kinds of scenarios. Sometimes a goalie might get sick, sometimes he might
get hurt in warm-up, sometimes he might be out for a month and the team's
not necessarily going to make a trade to cover that month."
What Varlamov faces is far more severe than the flu and way more serious
than an injury suffered on the ice. The ugly headlines and gossip-inducing
mugshot will stalk Varlamov, no matter how justice is served in this case.
The field of play is considered a sanctuary for players dealing with the harsh
realities of the real world. But whether Varlamov can find escape between
the pipes isn't the issue here. His job can wait.
While good-hearted, passionate people on both sides of the debate will
apply pressure to the Avalanche, the team needs to ask itself only two
questions:
What's best for the team?
What's best for Varlamov?
What's best for the team is to hand over the responsibility of playing goal, at
least in the short term, to Giguere, who has a 3-0 record and a miniscule
0.67 goals-against average in backup duty this season.
What's best for Varlamov is a harder call, to be sure.
724027
Colorado Avalanche
Woman says Avalanche star Semyon Varlamov laughed while he beat her
By Sadie Gurman
Posted:
10/31/2013 04:39:11 PM MDT35 comments | Updated:
6 hours ago
about
The woman accusing Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov of
assault and kidnapping said he had been drinking for more than 12 hours
before he returned to the downtown Denver apartment they shared and
began kicking and beating her.
"He was having fun, he was laughing," Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, 24, said
Thursday.
"He has no concept of when to stop drinking, and when he drinks he turns
into an animal," said Vavrinyuk, a Russian native who spoke to reporters
through an interpreter.
Evgeniya Vavrinyuk
Vavrinyuk said the goalie, whom she has been dating for a year, kicked her
in the chest, stomped on her while she lay on the ground and dragged her
by her hair from their bedroom early Monday. She pointed to her chest,
arms, stomach, neck and head — places she said she are bruised. She also
said he kicked her out of the apartment.
Varlamov, 25, posted $5,000 bond Thursday and was released from the
Downtown Denver Detention Center facing charges of second-degree
kidnapping and third-degree assault. His agent denied the charges and said
he is "innocent."
Vavrinyuk said the incident happened about 6 a.m. Monday, and she
decided to call police. It wasn't the first time he had hurt her, she said, but
throwing her out on the street was "the final straw."
"She wants to make sure he is punished for this," Vavrinyuk said through
Diana Senova, an interpreter and the fiancee of her attorney, Robert
Abrams. "(Varlamov) is very arrogant and thinks he can get away with
anything, that he can beat her up and no one will ever know about it."
She said her boyfriend had beat her at least four times before in other
countries where the police seemed to look the other way. But she remained
in her relationship with Varlamov, hopeful that he could change, as she
loved him and hoped to have children with him. She said she broke a
modeling contract in Hong Kong so she could come to Denver to be with him
"because he asked her to," Senova said.
But when they started living together in the sprawling Glass House
apartments at 1700 Bassett St., she noticed a darker side.
"She found out he not only had a violence problem, but also a drinking
problem," Senova said.
Now, she's fearful to return to Russia, where she said Varlamov fans have
sent threatening messages to her and her mother. She wants fans in Denver
"to know who he really is.
"When she sees fans shouting his name ... she wants to make sure they
know his real face," Senova said.
724028
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche players tight-lipped about goalie Semyon Varlamov's arrest
Adrian Dater, The Denver Post
By Terry Frei
Posted:
10/31/2013 12:56:13 PM MDT4 comments | Updated:
hours ago
Stars: Dallas is 0-for-16 on the power play at home this season, but coach
Lindy Ruff told the team's website: "I think we are getting closer to where we
want to be. We've really cut down on the careless plays of late. I want to see
us creating more; there were some opportunities to carry the puck over the
line where we gave up possession." ... Dallas lost to the Avs 3-2 in Denver
on Oct. 15.
about 8
The Avalanche players so far this season have taken coaching well, and that
seemed to be the case again Thursday. After the team's morning practice at
Family Sports Center, the Avs — under orders to do so — remained mostly
tight-lipped when asked about goaltender Semyon Varlamov's arrest on
domestic violence charges.
The timing was almost bizarre, but as the Avs were on the ice, Varlamov
appeared in court in Denver, and the police report detailing allegations made
by his girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, was released. That meant the media
members asking the players to comment had much more information than
did Varlamov's teammates, and they didn't yet know that Varlamov would
travel with them to Dallas later in the afternoon and be available for Friday's
night's game against the Stars.
"I'd rather not comment on it right now," said captain Gabe Landeskog.
"We're focusing on what we can control right now, and that's preparing the
best way for (the Dallas game.) ... Right now, I'm more than willing to talk
hockey, but anything other than that, I can't comment."
Veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere has played in three games for
Colorado this season as Varlamov's backup, and he is expected to get the
start against the Stars while Varlamov watches from the bench.
"A bunch of things can happen in a season, and you have to be able to face
them as a team," Giguere said. "If we take that challenge on as a team, then
we'll be OK."
If the circumstances lead to Giguere, 36, playing more, at least in the short
term, he said he could handle that.
"That's the job of a backup," he said. "You have to be ready for all kinds of
scenarios. Sometimes a goalie might get sick, sometimes he might get hurt
in warm-up, sometimes he might be out for a month and the team's not
necessarily going to make a trade to cover that month.
"You have to be ready physically and mentally for those kinds of challenges.
I don't know what's going to happen coming up, but for me, it hasn't changed
the way I try to approach everything as a day-to-day thing."
Center Matt Duchene also noted that the players were directed not to
comment on the legal situation, but he said: " Obviously, it's an unfortunate
situation and hopefully gets resolved very soon, but we're focused on
hockey right now. ... You're concerned about your teammate. We all love
Varly in here. I can't say enough great things about him. I think we're all
pretty confident this is going to get resolved pretty quickly."
Veteran winger P.A. Parenteau said: "I don't think we can let it affect us. We
don't know what happened, and we can't really comment on it. ... Usually
things take care of themselves. He's been a big part of what we have done
so far and he has been unreal so far. We're behind him; we're supporting
him 100 percent."
Terry Frei: tfrei@denverpost.com
COLORADO AT DALLAS: Friday
6:30 p.m., ALT2, 950 AM
Spotlight on Max Talbot: The former Penguin and Flyer is expected to be in
the lineup Friday, one day after being traded to the Avs for Steve Downie.
Talbot has two years left on his contract after this season, with a cap hit of
$1.75 million. He figures to play on the third line with Nathan MacKinnon and
Jamie McGinn, and get plenty of time on the penalty kill. Talbot is engaged
to be married to Canadian figure skater Cynthia Phaneuf.
NOTEBOOK
Avalanche: J.S. Giguere will start in goal. ... Saturday's game against
Montreal will mark the first time the Avs have played back-to-back games
this season. ... Winger Cody McLeod will serve the last of his five-game
suspension Friday, and likely will be back in the lineup Saturday.
724029
Colorado Avalanche
Varlamov has no previous arrest record in the United States since joining
the Washington Capitals in 2009.
Semyon Varlamov arrest: Girlfriend said Avs goaltender stomped on her
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said he didn't know enough about what
happened to offer much comment.
By Kieran Nicholson and Sadie Gurman
"It's a law thing and it's important for me as a coach that I keep my focus on
my team and we keep our focus there," Roy said, "and at the same time, let
the law decide what's going to be."
Posted:
10/31/2013 09:00:39 AM MDT81 comments | Updated:
6 hours ago
about
Staff writers Adrian Dater and Terry Frei contributed to this report.
A Denver judge on Thursday granted Colorado Avalanche goaltender
Semyon Varlamov permission to travel with the team while he faces felony
charges that he drunkenly attacked his girlfriend in the downtown Denver
apartment they shared.
She told Denver police he came home drunk Monday and kicked her,
knocked her down, dragged her by her hair and told her in Russian that "if
this were Russia, he would have beat her more."
Varlamov, who maintained his innocence through his agent, posted $5,000
bond by noon and was released from the Downtown Denver Detention
Center. He traveled to Dallas with the team, which plays the Stars on Friday
night.
The Avalanche did not speak directly about the accusations but had no
plans to recall another goaltender from the minor leagues.
Semyon Varlamov (Denver Police Department)
Varlamov's girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, 24, told reporters that the star
goalie laughed while he beat her.
Varlamov, 25, appeared in court in a yellow jumpsuit and alongside an
interpreter as the judge imposed a restraining order barring him from
contacting Vavrinyuk. He faces charges of second-degree kidnapping, a
felony, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor.
She told a detective that Varlamov kicked her in the chest and knocked her
down, then stomped on her. He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out
of her bedroom and held her face to the floor, the police affidavit says. He
also grabbed her by her arms, shook her and pushed her down again, she
told police.
At a news conference Thursday afternoon, Vavrinyuk pointed to her chest,
stomach, head, neck and arms — places where she said he had left bruises.
In a police report, a detective had made note of bruises.
"While he was doing it, he was having a lot of fun, he was laughing. I was in
horrible pain," Vavrinyuk said, speaking in Russian through Diana Senova,
an interpreter and the fiancée of Vavrinyuk's attorney, Robert Abrams.
Vavrinyuk said the goalie kicked her out of their apartment, which was "the
final straw" in what she described as a violent, year-long relationship.
"He said that he can spend $2 million in a day and tells her that she's
nobody, that she hasn't achieved anything in her life, that all she is is pretty
much a rag," Senova said. "She really truly loved him and she wanted to
have family with him. ... She thought maybe he would change."
Vavrinyuk said he had hurt her before in other countries where police
seemed to look the other way. But she was confident the case would prevail
in the United States.
"She wants everybody to know what he really is and what he is capable of,"
Senova said. "When she hears fans shouting his name, that he's such a
great guy, she wants to make sure they know his real face. She wants to
make sure he's punished for this."
Evgeniya Vavrinyuk
Vavrinyuk, who had just started a three-month visit with Varlamov, said she
is afraid to return to Russia because his fans there have threatened her and
her mother.
His attorney, Jack Rotole, said that "my client has not had his day in court,
and he will receive his day in court, and we will defend the matter in court."
Varlamov's agent, Paul Theofanous, told The Denver Post his client "is
completely innocent of these charges."
724030
Colorado Avalanche
Steve Downie of Avalanche traded to Philadelphia for Maxime Talbot
By Adrian Dater and Terry Frei
Posted:
10/31/2013 11:37:34 AM MDT | Updated:
ago55 comments
about 7 hours
DALLAS — Max Talbot had no idea a trade was coming. Sure, his
Philadelphia Flyers had gotten off to a terrible start, and trades happen
quickly in hockey during bad times. But the veteran winger was stunned
after hearing he had been dealt by the Flyers to the Avalanche for Steve
Downie on Thursday.
"It's the first time I've ever been traded. So, I'm dealing with some of the
shock of that," Talbot said by phone from Philadelphia, before boarding a
plane to Dallas where he will be in uniform for the Avs on Friday night
against the Stars.
After a few minutes on the phone, however, Talbot seemed to warm up to
the idea of being an Av.
"Obviously, they're off to a great start and have lots of great young players. It
seems like it was when I was in Pittsburgh in some ways," Talbot said. "I
hope to come in and contribute and keep things going in a good way."
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said Talbot adds talent and a proven ability to
perform in the clutch.
"Talbot has won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh," Roy said. "He's a great
penalty killer. We feel that he's going to (add) a lot of depth to our team. He's
a guy that has performed so really well in the playoffs, and we think he'll be a
great addition."
Roy said the Flyers "wanted Steve Downie back, and we felt it was the price
to pay to get Talbot."
Talbot, 29, had one goal and an assist with the Flyers. He has 77 goals and
77 assists in 515 career games with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and has
two years left on his contract after this season.
Given the Avs' depth at center, it seems likely he will play wing, at least
initially.
Talbot had eight goals and five assists during the Penguins' 2009 Stanley
Cup run. He was the hero of Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals against
Detroit, scoring both Penguins goals in a 2-1 victory.
Roy noted that during winger Cody McLeod's NHL suspension, which has
one more game to run, "I thought that we were a little short in (penalty killing)
players, and Talbot is very good in that regard. He's a really good P.K. guy,
and it's going to help a lot."
Downie, originally drafted by the Flyers, has a goal and six assists this
season and is in the final year of his contract, which involves a $2.65 million
cap hit. He wasn't as surprised by the deal.
"Coming into this season, in the back of my mind I had a feeling I might be
moved," Downie said on a conference call. "I didn't think about Philly, but
there was always that possibility, with my contract situation. But I'm excited
to come back to Philly."
Talbot is expected to be available for the Avalanche's game at Dallas on
Friday.
Talbot and Downie are similar size (5-foot-11 and 190 pounds) but shoot
from opposite sides of the body. Talbot is a lefty. Downie was one of four
Avs forwards who shoot right. Now, it has just three of 13 on the roster.
Downie played on the Matt Duchene-centered line until Wednesday's
practice, when Roy moved him to rookie Nathan MacKinnon's line.
Duchene's line had been the Avs' best thus far, so Downie was considered a
first-line right wing and a capable 20-goal scorer. Talbot, who has never
reached 20 goals in a season, was playing on the fourth line for the Flyers.
"I think I can play in a lot of different roles," Talbot said. "I will do anything
they ask of me."
Staff writer Mike Chambers contributed to this report.
724031
Colorado Avalanche
Semyon Varlamov's agent says client is "completely innocent"
By Adrian Dater
Posted:
10/31/2013 08:45:52 AM MDT | Updated:
about 21 hours ago
The agent for Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov, who was arrested on
charges of domestic violence and kidnapping Wednesday night, said his
client will be cleared when the facts come out.
"My client is completely innocent of these charges," New York-based agent
Paul Theofanous told The Denver Post.
Theofanous, who specializes in representing Russian NHL players and was
the agent for a number of former Avs including Valeri Kamensky and Alexei
Gusarov, would not comment further.
Varlamov is slated to appear in a Denver court Thursday morning to answer
to the charges.
Varlamov, 25, has no previous arrest record in the United States since
joining the Washington Capitals in 2009. He will not practice with the
Avalanche Thursday morning, and coach Patrick Roy said the team will
re-evaluate its goaltending situation following the court appearance.
If Varlamov does not travel with the team to Dallas, where it is slated to play
Friday night, the team is expected to call up a goaltender from Lake Erie of
the American Hockey League.
724032
Colorado Avalanche
Avalanche should keep Varlamov out of uniform for at least the weekend
By Terry Frei
Posted October 31, 2013, 7:58 pm MT
This is about pragmatism, not presumption. And this isn’t desk-pounding
screaming or denouncing the Avalanche decision, but a suggestion that
there might have been a better way to do it.
The Avalanche would have been wise to summon a goalie — either Sami
Aittokallio or Calvin Packard — from the Lake Erie Monsters on Thursday
and had him join the team in Dallas, where Colorado meets the Stars Friday
night.
They should have left Semyon Varlamov in Denver and also kept him out of
uniform for Saturday’s home game against the Montreal Canadiens.
They should have let everyone — including Varlamov — take a breath after
the troubling, shocking and disconcerting events of Wednesday and
Thursday. Whether that means starting Jean-Sebastien Giguere in the net
both nights or throwing the Lake Erie callup into the fire against Dallas on
Friday night and then coming back with Giguere Saturday, that would have
been a better way to react.
Then the Avalanche could have re-evaluated the entire situation on Sunday
or Monday, when at least some of the emotionalism had dissipated.
Instead, Varlamov went virtually straight from Denver District Court to the
Denver International Airport area to join his teammates for the flight to
Dallas, and barring a change of plans, he will at least be on the bench as
Giguere’s backup Friday.
I don’t want to either make this a “hockey” issue or pander to those who
want to assume the worst — or believe the worst — about Varlamov and the
allegations.
But as relatively unimportant as this is, on the hockey front, do you want a
man in your net (or even on the bench, available to be potentially
summoned) who has just come from spending a night in jail and who
obviously has every reason to not exactly be at the top of his game
mentally?
And beyond that, it’s also about perception. The Avalanche’s actions at least
leave the impression that the charges aren’t being taken as seriously as they
should be. No, they don’t have to be taken at face value, and no, you’re not
an uncaring beast if you at least would like to withhold judgment or subject
the allegations to a critical evaluation. (Or even wonder if we in the media
were a bit too compliant about accepting that translations of Varlamov’s
accuser’s comments at her news conference Thursday would come from her
lawyer’s fiance.) But it’s also unfortunate — or worse — if this comes off as
the Avalanche organization shrugging its shoulders.
The Avalanche players believe in Varlamov. Although they had been told not
to comment on the legal situation, and at practice Thursday, some civilly
said they’d discuss hockey issues only, a few pushed the envelope in saying
they supported their goaltender. They are not uncaring guys saying he’s
their teammate, so he can do no wrong. These are guys saying they believe
in him and refuse to believe the worst.
Some of those player comments, made both among groups and in
one-on-one talks with me, are in my story that was first posted after practice
and then touched up for the print edition.
All that said, the right thing to do, for the right reasons — and reasons that
do not include an assumption of guilt — would have been to at least keep
Varlamov out of uniform and off the bench through the weekend.
724033
Colorado Avalanche
Max Talbot-Steve Downie trade analysis
By Adrian Dater
Posted October 31, 2013, 6:26 pm MT
DALLAS – Travel plans to come to this city were made a while ago, so
despite all the hubbub around the Avs with their goaltender, Semyon
Varlamov, I was on a plane to Dallas this morning. Of course, five minutes
before the doors shut, the Avs also made a significant trade: Steve Downie
for Max Talbot.
Why did the Avs move Downie, who seemed like he was playing well and a
guy who added a lot of “jam” to a lineup that could use it?
I can only add my educated opinion at the moment:
- This is Downie’s final year of his contract, at a $2.65 million cap hit. After
this season, he can be an unrestricted free agent. Talbot has two years left
on his deal after this year, at a $1.75 million cap hit.
I don’t think the Avs felt Downie was in their long-range plans anymore, and
weren’t going to pay some inflated new ticket to keep him after this year. So,
yes, money-contract had a lot to do with this probably but …
- I think there was some concern with a slight decrease in speed with
Downie, which is to be expected from a guy who had major reconstructive
surgery on his right knee last year. He wore a brace and while I don’t think
he is/was slow, I believe there was concern over that knee for the long-term.
- When Downie was moved off the line with Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly
at practice Wednesday, that was an obvious sign that Patrick Roy had some
concerns. He had gone 10 straight games without a goal, despite ample ice
time with two top-performing forwards.
- I sensed that Roy was growing a bit uneasy with Downie’s temper and
occasional bad penalties. (Stop the Roy-temper jokes please).
In a game at Washington a couple weeks ago, Downie went ballistic over
some fairly routine pushing and shoving from a couple Caps players. He
started slamming his stick uncontrollably on the ice and generally going
berserk. Roy walked the length of the bench to come over to Downie when
he came back to it and spent about 25 seconds with his hand on his
shoulder, talking with him. Then, in a game against Carolina last week at
home, Downie punched the glass with his fist after another non-call he was
upset about.
The on-the-edge, fiery demeanor of Downie can serve a hockey team well
sometimes, but when you’re out of control over every call and maybe taking
penalties over it, it doesn’t serve a team well. I just got the feeling that
maybe Roy thought he couldn’t control Downie enough, that he was on
something of his own island as a player. I could be wrong, but it’s my hunch.
There was a really nasty incident between Downie and captain Gabe
Landeskog in a training camp scrimmage too. We noted it at the time. There
was some serious profanity going back and forth between Downie and the
team captain, which left an uncomfortable feeling maybe.
A lot of people think the Avs won this trade. Talbot is considered a tough,
character player. And, heck, he was a Game 7 Stanley Cup hero for
Pittsburgh in 2009. He’s been there in the biggest clutch game a hockey
player can play.
Here’s some advanced stat analysis of why the Avs won the deal.
I think Downie was always more comfortable in the Eastern Conference, and
a move back to Philly might be the best thing for him too. It could be a trade
that benefits both sides, but I know the Avs are happy to have Talbot on their
side now.
I think Downie did many good things with the Avs too, and it’s possible the
Avs might regret this deal. Hope he does well with the Flyers.
About the Varlamov situation: I’m hearing he will start Saturday’s game
against Montreal. But we probably won’t get any confirmation on that until
tomorrow.
I am leaving a lot of the court-room stuff to our able news side reporters on
the story, but will report what I see with him Friday.
724034
Columbus Blue Jackets
NHL: Blue Jackets in no rush to switch styles
By Shawn Mitchell
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday October 31, 2013 5:08 AM
Coach Todd Richards often has downplayed the differences between the
NHL’s Western and Eastern conferences, with the Blue Jackets switching to
the East this season.
But this week, after the Jackets played eight of their first 10 against Eastern
opponents, Richards was quick to acknowledge one major difference.
“When we go back and look at where we’re getting scoring chances, we’re
getting a lot more off the rush this year, which is different than last year,”
Richards said. “I think it’s the transition game in the East. We’ll see how it
goes later on, but we’re able to generate a lot more off the rush.”
The Blue Jackets are scoring more (2.73 goals a game) than they did last
season (2.40), but they are content to counter with the forecheck, the cycle
and the greasy goals that go with them.
“We can’t all the sudden become a run-and gun, up-and-down-the-ice team
that trades chances,” forward Mark Letestu said. “As much as the fans
would love that for entertainment purposes, we can’t do that. It’s not
conducive to who we are. We have to be the cycling, offensive-zone team
that creates chances by tips and rebounds.”
The Blue Jackets (5-6) will end a four-day break this week by beginning a
season-high, nine-game stretch against teams from the East, which has
long been considered the conference of high skill and high scoring.
Seven of the top 10 scoring teams last season were from the East. It is the
conference of Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni
Malkin. The Blue Jackets will get a large dose of the latter two this weekend
when they play the Penguins on Friday at Pittsburgh and on Saturday at
Nationwide Arena. The Penguins are masters of the rush. They put the puck
in dangerous places, go and get it and, in essence, generate a great chunk
of their chances in the neutral zone.
“What they like to do is stretch you out between their defensemen and their
forwards in the neutral zone, and a lot of times they will have one or two
forwards coming back from behind the play with all kinds of speed,”
Richards said.
It is those players who can chase a chip or a bank off the wall, zip past a
flat-footed defender and beat a goaltender one-on-one.
That is generally not the way of the West, but the Blue Jackets will make no
overhaul. They have been solid defensively (2.64 goals against a game,
12th in the NHL) even though Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Sergei
Bobrovsky has yet to match the level he played at in the final months of last
season.
“That’s just the style of play in the East,” defenseman Jack Johnson said.
“Washington, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia — those teams are just a little more
creative and take a few more risks. That at times presents a tougher
challenge to us defensively, but it shouldn’t change our approach.”
The key, Johnson said, is awareness of who is on the ice. He was appalled
by the Jackets losing track of Ovechkin before he ripped a one-timer past
Bobrovsky during a Capitals power play earlier this month.
“If you’re playing Washington, you have to know when Ovechkin is on the
ice,” Johnson said. “When you’re playing Pittsburgh, you have to be aware
of when Crosby and Malkin are on the ice because those are the guys that
are going to beat you. If you make someone else beat you, then so be it. But
if you let them beat you, you kind of have it coming.”
Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.01.2013
724035
Blue Jackets GM wants Marian Gaborik to lead
By Aaron Portzline
The Columbus Dispatch Friday November 1, 2013 6:00 AM
There have been no talks about a contract extension between the Blue
Jackets and right wing Marian Gaborik, and there seems to be no urgency
on either side to strike a deal.
Gaborik, who would be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, said he hasn’t
given his contract status much thought.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has thought about it quite
a bit. He wants to see more from Gaborik, he said, before committing to a
long-term, high-dollar extension.
“I think he’s done a lot of good things,” Kekalainen said. “And I think he could
do more.”
Gaborik, 31, has eight goals, 10 assists and a plus-9 rating in the 22 games
since he joined the Blue Jackets on April 3 in a trade with the New York
Rangers.
Only Brandon Dubinsky (4-15-19) has more points since Gaborik came
aboard.
But what Kekalainen wants from Gaborik doesn’t show up in the stats.
“He could be the driving force of the team,” Kekalainen said. “I’d like to see
him taking charge, driving the team with his example — not only with the
points but with everything else he does.
“He’s at the point in his career where he could take the next step in that
area. He’s proven he can score points, score goals. I want to believe that
even a 30-year-old or a 35-year-old player can get better, and that’s one
area that I want to see more from him.”
It’s not that Gaborik hasn’t integrated with the team.
By all accounts, he’s fit in very well with teammates and has been engaged
in all of the team’s community outreach, like a trip earlier this week to
Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His father, Pavel, is with the club for the
annual Fathers’ Trip.
“This is the best (dressing) room I’ve ever been a part of,” defenseman
James Wisniewski said. “And he’s fit right in with it. He’s been great.”
Asked if he feels like he’s fit in with the Blue Jackets, Gaborik didn’t hesitate.
“I think so, yes,” he said. “It reminds me of the team we had in Minnesota —
a young team, with a similar style, a hard-working team.”
What Kekalainen wants is for Gaborik to grab the steering wheel both on
and off the ice, not just sit in the front seat as the team’s only world-class
player.
With a $7.5 million salary this season, Gaborik makes the same as
Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin, Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg and Los Angeles’
Anze Kopitar. Only 13 NHL players will make more, according to
capgeek.com.
“I always say to players: leave a legacy behind you as a great teammate, a
great leader, a great example,” Kekalainen said. “Those are the areas he
can do a lot more in, and I think he wants to, too. But if you want to be a
leader, you have to do it every day.”
Kekalainen said there’s plenty of time to decide if this marriage will last.
“We haven’t approached his agent (Ron Salcer), he hasn’t approached us,”
Kekalainen said. “We’re both kind of in the let’s-see-how-this-works-out
place. I think it’s fair.
“I’m not mad at his agent. I’m just hoping he’s going to be a great player for
us.”
724036
Blue Jackets notebook: Home-and-home juices Pittsburgh rivalry
By Shawn Mitchell
The Columbus Dispatch Friday November 1, 2013 5:18 AM
The Blue Jackets will play the first of back-to-back games against the
Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in the Consol Energy Center.
The series, which continues on Saturday in Nationwide Arena, will be the
only two games this season in which the Jackets play the same opponent on
consecutive days.
The Jackets will play the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 19 and 21, but coach
Todd Richards said he likes the challenge of six straight periods against the
first-place Penguins.
“It can create some intense rivalries,” Richards said. “Not that we’re going in
looking to do that, but I’m guessing we’re going to be pretty focused and
ready to go based on what this team can do to you and the fear of getting
embarrassed.”
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said there is not yet a rivalry between the
regional foes, at least in the eyes of fans.
“But they’re in our division,” Bylsma said yesterday. “We bumped into them a
couple of times in the preseason and had some interesting confrontations
with them.
“I think we have to be ready for that because I think, right now, they compete
maybe as hard as any time I’ve seen to this point.
“They’re going to come hard. I think we’re going to find out that the
home-and-home is going to add a little spice to it.”
Snap out of it
Richards said many plyers on his young team, who have never stood on the
same ice as Penguins stars Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, must not let
awe affect their games this weekend.
Bylsma said it’s happened before.
“That doesn’t mean you’re going to be staring or dumbfounded, or a deer in
the headlights, but you can’t help it,” he said. “We saw it here with Colorado
(a 1-0 Avalanche win on Oct. 21) with some of their younger players.”
Blue Jackets forward Michael Chaput said his ‘wow’ moments probably are
behind him. He made his NHL debut against future Hall of Famer Teemu
Selanne and the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
“It’s going to be cool, but at the same time you just have to be focused,”
Chaput said.
Slap shot
The Blue Jackets had only 11 healthy forwards before center Derek
MacKenzie (lower body) returned to practice yesterday.
724037
Michael Arace commentary: Mediocrity of Metro is opportunity for Jackets
By Michael Arace
The Jackets are eight points out of first place, and one point out of second in
their division. Their next nine games are against Eastern Conference
opponents. Five are against teams from the Metro.
“Pittsburgh is one of the best teams in the league,” Umberger said. “They’re
definitely the best team in the division. Back-to-back games is the ultimate
test. It’s a pivotal weekend.”
It starts tonight.
It’s early yet, and things might change, but right now, the Metropolitan is the
weakest division in the NHL. It has the Pittsburgh Penguins on top and a
mass of mediocrity beneath, with the Blue Jackets amid the muddle.
Jackets wing R.J. Umberger looks at the standings and says, “It’s weird.”
The Jackets face the Penguins in a home-and-home series this weekend.
The Penguins are the only Metro team with a winning record. It is weird.
“I am surprised because there are a lot of good teams in the division,”
Jackets coach Todd Richards said. “I don’t think, based on personnel, that
we are a weak division.”
Defenseman Jack Johnson makes another, not dissimilar, argument.
“There’s a lot more parity in the NHL than there used to be, and that’s the
way the league wants it — like the NFL, where any team can win on any
night,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it stays this close to the end,
unless someone runs away with it. And no one is going to run away with it,
not yet.”
The Penguins might. They are making a move, and nobody is going with
them. They are separating themselves by taking care of their
interconference opponents where their Metro brothers have not. That is not
parity.
“The West has come through and cleaned house a little bit,” Jackets center
Brandon Dubinsky said.
Western Conference teams are 28-7-3 against Metro teams. The Edmonton
Oilers are the only Western team that does not have a winning record
against the Metro.
The Jackets’ former division, the Central, is 11-0-0 against the Metro.
Is the Metro the new Southeast?
This should have set up well for the Jackets. They made the playoffs only
once in the West, but last season they proved that they could be competitive
in the stronger conference. They were moved East and wound up in the land
of opportunity. Their new division is riddled with large-market teams that are
traditionally overrated.
There is no part of the Rangers’ game, besides goaltending, that is
particularly sterling. The Devils are old and slow. The Capitals are talented
but flawed; they prove it every spring. The Flyers are a banana republic.
Do the Jackets take a back seat to the Islanders, or the Hurricanes? I don’t
think so.
In fact, the Jackets might be the best team in the division from the red line
back. They do not have the Penguins’ offensive firepower — right now,
they’re not even close — but second place in the Metro should be eminently
doable.
The Jackets should be better. The coach admits as much. He conjures three
one-goal losses. He thinks of two or three points that slipped away in the
final minute. These games were of a type that the Jackets nailed down in
March and April.
“To me, there has been some missed opportunity,” Richards said. “The
Montreal game, that was a huge point lost. Anaheim, we had the puck on
our stick in the last two minutes and lost. You have to come out of those
games with points.”
The Jackets defense, their strength, has been good but not consistently so.
Their goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, has not held the form that won him the
Vezina Trophy last season. Their offense has been challenged.
“The way I look at it is, it’s good that we’re in tight — especially since we
haven’t played our best hockey yet,” Richards said. “There is opportunity
there, for anyone.”
724038
Blue Jackets notebook: Boone Jenner will miss ‘weeks, not days’
By Shawn Mitchell
The Columbus Dispatch Thursday October 31, 2013 5:06 AM
Blue Jackets rookie forward Boone Jenner will not play this weekend in two
games against the Pittsburgh Penguins and seems likely to miss all or part
of a busy schedule next week.
Coach Todd Richards said a leg injury Jenner suffered on Oct. 24 against
Toronto probably would keep him out of the lineup “more toward weeks, not
days.”
“Double-digit days,” Richards said. He declined to elaborate.
Center Derek MacKenzie also was injured in that game and did not play on
Sunday against Anaheim. He did not practice with the team yesterday but
skated on his own.
“We’re hoping that he’ll play on the weekend, but that’s still a question
mark,” Richards said.
Forwards Matt Calvert (abdominal surgery) and Nathan Horton (shoulder
surgery) remain out with longer-term injuries, leaving the Blue Jackets with
only 11 forwards for practice.
The club likely will recall a player from minor-league Springfield, perhaps
veteran Ryan Craig, before it plays the Penguins on Friday at Pittsburgh and
on Saturday at Nationwide Arena. After that, the Jackets will conclude a
four-game homestand against Ottawa on Tuesday, the New York Rangers
on Nov. 7 and the New York Islanders on Nov. 9.
Jenner has two goals, no assists and an even plus/minus rating in nine
games. Mark Letestu took Jenner’s spot on a line with Brandon Dubinsky
and Cam Atkinson in practice.
Bonding time
The Blue Jackets’ semiannual father-son trip will begin tonight at Pittsburgh,
where 20 or so fathers and fathers-in-law will accompany players and return
to take in Saturday’s game together in a suite.
The Blue Jackets didn’t conduct a father-son trip last season but did during
each of the previous three. Richards said Minnesota did the same when he
was coach.
A few fathers already were in town and took in practice yesterday. They will
be invited to team meals and meetings this weekend.
“Whatever their son is doing, their dad is welcome to be in there with them,”
Richards said. “It’s important so they can see what their son is doing on a
daily basis. To be honest, if we tell the guys something and they screw up,
their dads will know that we told them.”
To be determined
Richards said he has not decided when goaltender Curtis McElhinney will
make his second start, but he indicated that Sergei Bobrovsky will start
Friday.
“Once you hit the Ottawa game, we’re playing 14 (games) in 26 (days), and
that (includes traveling) to Western Canada,” Richards said. “That will be a
tough stretch, and obviously, you’re going to need both goalies.”
724039
Dallas Stars
Need to know: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, 7:30 p.m. Friday
MIKE HEIKA
Published: 31 October 2013 08:47 PM
Updated: 31 October 2013 08:51 PM
Friday's preview: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
7:30 p.m. Friday (FSSW, KTCK-AM 1310)
Key matchup: Matt Duchene vs. Brenden Dillon
Duchene ranks third in NHL goal scoring with nine and has 13 points in 11
games. He had two goals in Colorado's 3-2 win over the Stars on Oct. 15 in
Denver. Dillon leads the Stars in average time on ice at 20:12 and in blocked
shots at 24.
Key number: 1.46
The Avalanche's goals-against average, lowest in the NHL. Colorado also
leads in highest save percentage at .955.
Injuries
Colorado: LW Cody McLeod is suspended. LW Jamie McGinn (knee) is
questionable.
Stars: RW Ryan Garbutt is suspended.
Notable
The Avalanche acquired veteran forward Maxime Talbot from Philadelphia
on Thursday for Steve Downie, and Talbot is expected to be with the team in
Dallas Friday night. … Colorado goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere has a
3-0-0 record, a 0.67 GAA and .981 save percentage. … Colorado has the
top record in the NHL at 10-1-0. It ranks sixth in scoring a 3.18…The
Avalanche ranks 24th in shots allowed at 32.6 per game…Dallas is 9-3-1 in
its last 13 meetings with the Avalanche at American Airlines Center.
MORE STARS CONTENT
Cowlishaw: Sergei Gonchar-Alex Goligoski failure is Dallas Stars' biggest
disappointment
Sherrington: Expectations high for struggling Nichushkin because Stars are
losing team
As Dallas Stars improve, more may be worthy of team cowboy hat
Biggest hurdle for the Stars? Finding that 'happy place' in their minds
Stars' next opponent Colorado dealing with key goalie's assault charges
Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.01.2013
724040
Dallas Stars
Stars' goalie lineage runs deep; look no further than likes of Belfour,
Lehtonen
as big a rival as they had … that’s how much they appreciate goaltending
here.”
Net presence
The Stars’ past three No. 1 goalies could end up being the best in the
47-year history of the franchise. Here are their career numbers in Dallas and
where they rank in the Stars’ record books:
By MIKE HEIKA
Goalie
Wins
GAA
Save %
There’s a good chance new Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy will get
serenaded with choruses of “Eddie’s better!” when he steps behind the
bench Friday night to face the Stars.
Ed Belfour
After all, Dallas fans take their goaltending seriously.
2.19 (1st)
And why not? They’ve had a lot to cheer about. From Andy Moog, who
made the NHL All-Star Game at age 37 in 1997, to Kari Lehtonen, who
ranks second in the league in goals against average at 1.66, the Stars have
a sparkling résumé in net.
.910 (3rd)
“I think if you look at the roots of the team in Dallas, it really was built to be
Montreal South. And if you look at the lineage of that organization, the
goaltending is second to none,” said Stars color man Daryl Reaugh, a
former NHL goalie and proud spokesman for the union.
2.31 (2nd)
“They’ve gotten it right here, and they should. It’s what pitching is to
baseball, what the quarterback is to football, and I think we’ve established
that the position for this organization is a top priority no matter who is
running the show.”
The history of the “Eddie’s better!” chants started in the 1999 conference
finals, where Ed Belfour outplayed Roy and pushed the Stars past the
Avalanche into the Stanley Cup finals. The same thing happened in 2000,
and those goaltending performances still rate as some of the best memories
for Stars fans.
Belfour, who was signed as a free agent by Bob Gainey, was eventually
pushed out by Marty Turco. But during a span of seven seasons from
1998-2004, the two found a way to get the Stars to first or second five times
in the race for the Jennings Trophy, given to the team with the lowest
goals-against average.
Turco was drafted and developed by the Stars, as were several other
top-notch goalies who went on to become No. 1’s on other teams. The list of
impressive backups includes Turco, Roman Turek, Mike Smith, Dan Ellis
and Manny Fernandez. Ellis has returned to the Stars after getting his start
in 2004.
“It’s a great organization to be a part of if you’re a goalie,” Ellis said. “I was
very happy to get my start here. They’ve scouted goaltending really well.
Whether it’s drafting or trading or free agency, they seem to find good
goalies, and then they let you develop.”
Lehtonen was acquired in a trade by former Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk. He
had been struggling in Atlanta, but the Stars helped rebuild him by getting
him to drop some weight and find a more peaceful game.
He’s 4-2-1 on the season while missing five games with a lower-body injury
and is tied for third in NHL save percentage this season at .945. In his 183
games with the Stars, he is the franchise leader in save percentage at .917
“We just play better when he’s in there,” said Stars coach Lindy Ruff, who
coached All-Stars Dominik Hasek and Ryan Miller in Buffalo.
“You need it,” Ruff said when asked about a go-to goalie. “If you don’t have
it, you tend to play too much to protect. I don’t want our team to play a safe
game. I want to play our game knowing that we’re going to make some
mistakes, but knowing that we’re going to get some big saves. And on the
return end of it, we’ll return the favor by blocking some shots and playing big
in front of him.”
And while Stars fans might try to taunt Roy on Friday, they also have given
him his share of accolades. In 2001, when Roy became the all-time NHL
leader in minutes played, Stars fans offered a thunderous standing ovation.
“That, to me, shows so much about the position and about the fans here,”
Reaugh said. “I mean, it’s Texas, right, and they don’t understand hockey,
right, and they gave Patrick Roy a standing ovation. Patrick Roy, who was
160 (2nd)
Marty Turco
262 (1st)
.911 (2nd)
Kari Lehtonen
91 (7th)
2.51 (3rd)
.917 (1st)
724041
Dallas Stars
Sherrington: Expectations high for struggling Valeri Nichushkin because
Dallas Stars are losing team
SPORTSDAYDFW.COM
Catch SportsDay On Air twice per week on Fox Sports Southwest, when
Dallas Morning News experts discuss hot sports topics from the Cowboys,
Mavericks, Stars, Rangers, high schools and colleges (check our TV listings
for air times). Here are a few highlights from Thursday's episode featuring
David Moore and Kevin Sherrington:
On the early season struggles of Dallas Stars rookie Valeri Nichushkin:
Sherrington: “The problem for a rookie, for them, is that any time a guy
comes into a situation with a losing team, and there’s a little bit of pomp and
circumstance behind his pick, then yes, there are expectations. If it was a
better team: No, there wouldn’t be.
Moore: “I think there are more expectations because of the long playoff
drought for this franchise. So when you have a pick at that level and he
comes and he doesn’t make an immediate impact, you start going: 'OK,
when’s it going to happen? When’s it going to happen?' And as you say,
they’re in a tough conference, and they’re down right now. So it’s ‘(when)
are we going to see this new team that we’ve been promised?’”
724042
Dallas Stars
Cowlishaw: Sergei Gonchar-Alex Goligoski failure is Dallas Stars' biggest
disappointment
Staff Reports
Tim Cowlishaw answered questions in a chat Thursday. Here are some
highlights.
Question: Can Goligoski be saved or do we just have to put him on lower
lines?
Tim Cowlishaw: The whole Gonchar-Goligoski failure has been the Stars'
biggest disappointment. Thought they had two puck-moving defensemen
they could put together and produce some points. What do they each have
one point in 12 games? Just awful. I don't think Goligoski will really move to
forward after practicing there last week, I think that was more of a message,
maybe to him and the entire team. Be on your toes. Change is coming.
Question: Any chance some of the Stars' struggles stem from a young
captain with so many seasoned veterans to choose from?
Tim Cowlishaw: I don't think I would put that on Jamie. The vets on this team
don't play at a level -- I'm talking about Ray Whitney, Shawn Horcoff,
certainly Gonchar so far -- that you would say they should be captain. I think
Jamie will be OK in that role. They need to defend better, and they can't
afford to lose Lehtonen for a stretch again.
724043
Dallas Stars
As Dallas Stars improve, more may be worthy of team cowboy hat
MIKE HEIKA
Check out Lindy Ruff's media scrum, and Cody Eastwood's accompanying
video. It's like you're almost there in Frisco.
Not much in the way of news out at practice in Frisco today.
Lines stayed the same. The Stars seem to be over the flu and have no
nagging injuries. Travis Morin was sent back to the AHL and Ryan Garbutt is
one game away from returning from his five-game suspension. It looks like
business as usual for Friday's home game against Colorado.
Here were your lines:
Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Erik Cole
Ray Whitney-Cody Eakin-Alex Chiasson
Valeri Nichushkin-Shawn Horcoff-Rich Peverley
Lane MacDermid-Vern Fiddler-Antoine Roussel
Brenden Dillon-Stephane Robidas
Trevor Daley-Sergei Gonchar
Alex Goligoski-Jordie Benn
Looks like Kari Lehtonen in goal again on Friday.
Here's Lindy Ruff on what the team is working on: "I think we're getting
closer to where we want to be. We've really cut down on some of the
careless plays. I want to see us creating more. I thought there were some
opportunities to carry the puck over the line where we gave up possession.
We looked at some of those plays this morning. The last two games, our
discipline , our power play looked good, our penalty killing was strong, our
faceoffs are getting better. We're making steps. Now, the only thing that
counts right now is learning how to win. That might be by blocking a shot,
that might be by creating an extra chance, but I don't think we're quite there
yet."
Ruff was asked about a couple of traditions the new-look Stars are starting,
including awarding a key player the "Cowboy hat" after the game and
embracing the phrase: "Everbody Ropes, Everybody Rides." So what does
all of this mean?
"The meaning behind it is we need everybody to do the little things, If it takes
getting your body in front of a puck late in a period or late in the game to
prevent a puck from getting to the net, it's got to be done. It's sticking up for a
teammate if something on the ice occurs where you have to have everybody
in there. In today's game, it the willingness of everybody to commit to the
system you're playing and play it as strong as you possibly can play it."
And he was asked about the intricacies of the power play, and why the team
is 0-for-16 at home: "I think we can do things differently. It starts with trying
to get a little too fancy and not getting enough pucks to the net, passing
around the perimeter when you have seams to get it there. I think the road
has done a good job of moving the puck around, getting the puck to the net,
battling for the second opportunities, and part of that is retrieval. Our
retrievals at home, I don't think we've been desperate enough."
As for Friday's opponent Colorado, the Stars lost a 3-2 game in Denver
earlier in the season, but had a huge advantage in shots on goal. Here's
Ruff take on the rematch: "I think it is strong play by their goaltending,
everything would start there. They're young forwards up front have been
fabulous. I think they've found ways to win games they probably shouldn't
have won, even the game against us. We played a pretty strong contest, but
we didn't get enough by their goaltender."
724044
Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars' next opponent Colorado dealing with standout goalie Semyon
Varlamov's charges of assault on his girlfriend
Associated Press
Published: 31 October 2013 11:52 AM
DENVER — Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is accused of
assaulting his girlfriend, kicking her in the chest and dragging her by the
hair, and was scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday.
The 25-year-old turned himself into police Wednesday evening, after
practicing with the team that day. He was arrested on suspicion of
second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault.
His arrest warrant details the alleged assault, which took place Monday. In
addition to kicking the woman, police say Varlamov told her in Russian that if
this were Russia, he would have beat her more.
Varlamov’s attorney, Jack Rotole, declined to comment on the case going
into Varlamov’s court appearance. Rotole told The Associated Press he
planned to talk to the judge about the probable cause affidavit, but he
wouldn’t elaborate.
Varlamov’s agent, Paul Theofanous, said Varlamov “is completely innocent
of all of these charges.”
The Avalanche said in a statement they were aware of the allegations but
wouldn’t comment further until the conclusion of the investigation.
Acquired from Washington in a 2011 trade, Varlamov is 7-1 this season with
a 1.76 goals-against average. On Sunday night, he made 24 saves in a 3-2
home victory over Winnipeg.
The Avalanche play at Dallas on Friday night and Varlamov was scheduled
to start. His backup, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, has been just as good in net,
recording two shutouts.
Varlamov is in the midst of a resurgent season under new coach Patrick Roy
and a staff that includes goalie guru Francois Allaire, who once mentored
Roy and Giguere.
Between Roy and Allaire, they’ve restored Varlamov’s confidence a year
after he allowed three goals a game. Varlamov said he credits his
improvement to Allaire altering his form in goal. Just minor tweaks, he said,
but wouldn’t elaborate on the specifics of what they were.
Whatever was changed, it has been paying off as he’s among the NHL
leaders in goals-against, wins and save percentage (.945).
After practice Wednesday, Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson said it was
“pretty cool to see Varly transition into an elite NHL goalie.”
724045
Dallas Stars
Gameday: Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars
Posted Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013
From wire and online reports
Stars vs. Avalanche
7:30 p.m. Friday, American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV: FSSW Plus Radio: KTCK/1310 AM and 96.7 FM
Records: Stars 5-6-1, 11 points; Avalanche 10-1-0, 20 pts.
About the Stars: Dallas is coming off a 2-1 loss Tuesday to the Montreal
Canadiens. … The Stars lost to the Avalance 3-2 on Oct. 15 in Denver. The
Stars are 3-1-1 at home this season and have picked up points in four
consecutive home games, including three wins. … Dallas is 0-16 on the
power play at home. … Of the Stars’ 30 goals this season, 7 have been
scored by defensemen. Only Phoenix (11), Boston (8), Los Angeles (8) and
Ottawa (8) have received more goal production from their defense. …
Goalie Kari Lehtonen ranks fourth in the NHL in goals-against average
(1.66) and fifth in save percentage (.945).
About the Avalanche: Colorado is off to an impressive start, winning 10 of its
first 11 games under rookie coach Patrick Roy. … Colorado acquired
forward Maxime Talbot from the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. … Goalie
Semyon Varlamov was allowed to travel with the team while prosecutors in
Colorado consider whether to charge him with assaulting his girlfriend.
Varlamov was arrested Wednesday. He appeared in court briefly Thursday
and was released on $5,000 bond. Roy would not comment on whether
Varlamov, who is 7-1 with a 1.76 goals-against average, would start
tonight’s game.
Star-Telegram LOADED: 11.01.2013
724046
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg on Johan Franzen's return: Could be a
Mule game at Calgary
9:32 PM, October 31, 2013
By Helene St. James
CALGARY, ALBERTA — Henrik Zetterberg sees a “Mule game” on the
horizon, and it can’t come fast enough as the Red Wings try to bank points
after a dry stretch.
Franzen is scheduled to center Daniel Cleary and Daniel Alfredsson Friday
night against the Flames at the Saddledome. The Wings want to build on
Wednesday’s victory at Vancouver, which ended an 0-2-2 skid. Franzen
missed the game because of what he said was an upper-body injury.
Two weeks have passed since the last Mule game, which saw Franzen
score twice in a win over Colorado. Those are his only goals through 12
games, not a shining performance for a top-six forward who tops 17 minutes
per game and is a power-play mainstay.
It has been a recurrent theme the past few years, Franzen underperforming.
“Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them at the start,” coach Mike
Babcock said. “Mule has the ability to be a real good player in the league.
You’ve got to bring it out of yourself each and every night if you’re going to
be successful. Goal scorers have got to shoot the puck.”
Franzen has a temper so quiescent it’s hard to picture him fired up. He
himself laughed off questions about his lack of productivity, saying: “I feel
really effective, actually. I’ve had two good chances, and I scored on both of
them. So it feels pretty good, actually.”
Asked if he needs to generate more, Franzen said: “We need to generate
more.”
The Wings beat Vancouver, 2-1, and average 2.25 goals. Zetterberg, Pavel
Datsyuk, Todd Bertuzzi and Alfredsson account for 17 of the 29 goals.
Zetterberg said Franzen is due: “I think he is doing a lot of good things,
except scoring. He creates a lot of chances. He hasn’t been with us this
week — he came in this morning, he looked pretty fired up. Could be a Mule
game tomorrow.”
Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.01.2013
724047
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings optimistic Johan Franzen will end scoring drought
... Mikael Samuelsson and Jordin Tootoo are likely to remain healthy
scratches against the Flames.
Red Wings at Flames
Faceoff: 9 Friday, Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Ted Kulfan
Calgary, Alberta — Henrik Zetterberg saw a certain look in Johan Franzen’s
eyes Thursday at practice.
Which could mean a good sign for the Red Wings tonight when they play the
Calgary Flames.
“It could be a Mule Game,” said Zetterberg, describing one of those games
Franzen dominates in all zones and is the best player on the ice.
There haven’t been many of those types of games this season. Franzen
missed Wednesday’s victory in Vancouver with an upper body injury, didn’t
even make the trip with the team, and arrived in Calgary hours before
practice.
Franzen has two goals — both Oct. 17 in Colorado — with three assists in
12 games with a minus-1 rating. Franzen has gone scoreless in nine of his
12 games.
“We need to generate more, we need to create more chances,” said
Franzen, who added he’s feeling good about the chances he’s getting. “I’m
part of we.”
Franzen wouldn’t get specific about his injury, only saying he’s “95 percent”
sure he’ll play against the Flames.
Franzen will center a line with Daniel Cleary and Daniel Alfredsson against
the Flames, and it’s at center the Red Wings feel Franzen can thrive, with
more responsibility and chances to handle the puck.
“Sometimes things don’t go the way you want them in the start,” Babcock
said. “Mule has the ability to be a good player in this league. You have to
bring it out of yourself each and every night. He had seven shots on net
(Saturday against the New York Rangers). He was real good.”
Franzen has been a streaky scorer throughout his career. The Red Wings
are banking a positive streak is coming soon.
“He scores in bunches, we’ve all seen it,” Zetterberg said. “He just needs to
stick with it, keep shooting and finding your spots, and and get some ugly
(goals). He hasn’t been with us this week. He looked fired up. It could be a
Mule Game.”
Hot Hudler
Former Red Wings forward Jiri Hudler leads the Flames with 13 points (five
goals, eight assists) in 12 games.
Hudler has a point in 10 of the 12 games this season.
“He’s a good player, and there’s a reason why Calgary went after him (in
free agency in July 2012),” Zetterberg said. “He’s not a big guy but he plays
big and he has real good balance. He’s strong, and can play the net front.
He’s a great kid and obviously we miss him.”
Babcock has always been impressed with Hudler’s instincts.
“He’s brilliant with the puck, he knows how to play,” Babcock said. “He was
in a good organization for a long time and he learned how to play without the
puck. I think he’s a real good player, I really do.”
Ice chips
With Franzen returning, the Red Wings returned forward Luke Glendening to
Grand Rapids.
... Forward Stephen Weiss is still looking for his first assist (he has two
goals) but Babcock is seeing progress.
“Finding your game within (the team’s) game is absolutely critical for him,”
Babcock said. “It’s going to take some time but he’s getting better.”
... With the Saddledome unavailable, the Red Wings practiced in the arena
at the Canadian Olympic Park.
TV/radio: FSD/1270
Outlook: The first of two games this season between the former Western
Conference rivals. ... Only Edmonton (54) has allowed more goals than the
Flames (43). ... Former Red Wings G Joey MacDonald (3-2-1, 3.01 GAA,
.894 SVS) is likely to get the start, while former Red Wings C Jiri Hudler (13
points) leads offensively.
Detroit News LOADED: 11.01.2013
724048
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings 'play the right way,' rediscover winning formula with good
structure, puck possession
The Red Wings improved to 10-4-2 in their past 16 games in Vancouver.
“Any time you go four games, with eight possible points, and you only get
two of them, you’re not rolling along,’’ Babcock said. “The rest of the league
is rolling along and you’re just watching them get further ahead.
“I haven’t looked at the stats in a week because I can’t stand looking at
them. Maybe I’ll check them out tomorrow.’’
Ansar Khan
on October 31, 2013 at 6:05 AM, updated October 31, 2013 at 6:09 AM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Detroit Red Wings spent the past
week talking about the need to play the right way, something their coach,
Mike Babcock, felt they weren’t doing even when they were winning.
A matchup with one of the hottest teams in the NHL Wednesday enabled the
Red Wings to rediscover their winning formula.
Daniel Alfredsson and Tomas Tatar scored in the second period and Jimmy
Howard needed to make only 19 saves in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver
Canucks at Rogers Arena.
“We had the puck a lot more because we executed out of the D-zone fast,
we didn’t waste a lot of time in there and we got through the neutral zone,
and ended up having way more puck possession in the offensive zone
because of it,’’ Babcock said. “And that’s the right way to play.
“We believe we’ve gone through enough details that we should know how to
play and be able to do it on a nightly basis, but we haven’t shown thus far we
can. So tonight was a good step.’’
The Red Wings (7-4-2) ended a four-game winless skid (0-2-2) and snapped
Vancouver’s four-game winning streak. Grinding one out was a good way to
start a four-game Western Canada trip.
“We played desperate today and found a way to win,’’ Red Wings captain
Henrik Zetterberg said.
“We found a way to get the puck out of our end. We didn’t do that the last
four games. One quick pass and we went.’’
The Red Wings had been allowing an average of 32.5 shots per game. They
had 15 blocked shots.
“The guys did a great job in front of me,’’ Howard said. “They allowed me to
get out, be big, see the shots. And if they were able to get one through and
there’s a rebound, they cleared it out for me.’’
Babcock said both of his club’s goals were the result of good middle drives.
Alfredsson scored his third of the season at 11:37 of the second from close
range.
“It was a loose puck and I just tried to go far side,’’ Alfredsson said. “I don’t
know if it hit something on the way there.’’
Tatar notched his first of the season at 18:58 with an innocent-looking wrist
shot from the point on which Roberto Luongo was screened.
“I got nice pass from Kronner (Niklas Kronwall) and I just cut in the middle
and waited for Pav (Datsyuk) and Z (Henrik Zetterberg) to get open but they
drove the net,’’ Tatar said. “So I just shoot it on net and the puck end up
somehow in.’’
Said Babcock: “Anytime you have people driving through the middle and
creating confusion good things can happen.’’
Tatar was sporting an ice pack on his left hand and wrist after the game but
said it's just precautionary, he expects to play Friday at Calgary.
The Red Wings’ top line of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Todd Bertuzzi and top
defense pairing of Kronwall and Danny DeKeyser did a good job containing
the Canucks’ potent line of Daniel and Henrik Sedin with Ryan Kesler.
Daniel Sedin, however, opened the scoring at 14:12 of the first period by
one-timing a pass from his twin brother from a sharp angle.
“That was a great play,’’ Howard said. “They’re world-class players. They’re
very dangerous, (wherever) they are on the ice. I think that’s the first time
I’ve ever seen someone go bar-down from the corner. It was really
impressive. Right after that our top line did a good job limiting their
chances.’’
Michigan Live LOADED: 11.01.2013
724049
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg says Johan Franzen due for 'a Mule game'
Friday vs. Flames
Ansar Khan
on October 31, 2013 at 6:16 PM, updated October 31, 2013 at 6:32 PM
CALGARY, Alberta – Johan Franzen joined his teammates for practice
Thursday after being away for a few days and, according to captain Henrik
Zetterberg, looked pretty fired up.
“It could be a Mule game tomorrow,’’ Zetterberg said.
The Detroit Red Wings could use one of those. They’ve had only one “Mule
game’’ this season, when Franzen scored a pair of power-play goals in a 4-2
victory at Colorado Oct. 17.
Those are Franzen’s only goals in 12 games (he has three assists). The Red
Wings are struggling to score (averaging 2.23 goals per game, 23rd in the
NHL) and need more production from the big forward. He has scored
between 27 and 34 goals in his past four full seasons.
Despite the lack of production, Franzen believes he’s playing well.
“I feel really effective, actually,’’ he said. “I had two good chances and
scored on both of them this year, so it feels pretty good, actually.’’
Franzen missed Wednesday’s 2-1 win in Vancouver with what he said was
an upper-body injury. He did not practice Monday or Tuesday, joining the
club in Calgary on Thursday. He was back at center in practice, with Daniel
Alfredsson and Daniel Cleary. Coach Mike Babcock said he’ll use that line
Friday against the Flames at the Saddledome. Luke Glendening was
reassigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Franzen said he and the team need to generate more scoring chances. He
did that in his previous game, registering seven shots in a 3-2 overtime loss
Saturday to the New York Rangers.
But Franzen isn’t shooting enough. He is averaging only 2.08 shots per
game, the lowest average since his rookie season of 2005-06 (1.49), when
he played on a checking line.
“I think he’s doing a lot of good things except scoring,’’ Zetterberg said. “He
creates a lot of chances.’’
Inconsistency has been an issue with Franzen. He scores goals in bunches
and goes through long stretches where he’s not skating hard and isn’t
effective.
“He just has to stick with it, keep shooting, keep being in the right spots,’’
Zetterberg said. “Get some ugly ones.’’
Babcock said of Franzen, “Sometimes things don’t go the way you want at
the start. Mule has the ability to be a real good player in the league and you
got to bring it out of yourself each and every night if you’re going to be
successful. Goal-scorers got to shoot the puck.’’
Part of the reason Franzen is playing center is the team is thin at the position
and that’s the position he played much of his career before coming to the
NHL in 2005-06.
But, he’s also playing center because it forces him to skate more.
“He’s more involved in the game, he gets more pucks,’’ Zetterberg said. “He
always wants to have the puck and it’s easier to have that as the center than
a winger. In the games he’s played as the center I think he’s had the best
games.’’
Franzen still is seeking his first even-strength goal.
“I think he missed us, actually,’’ Zetterberg said. “He looked happy to be
back here again. Obviously, had a long day already, but he’s going to be
fired up tomorrow.’’
That can only mean one thing, he’s due for a Mule game, right?
“I think so,’’ Zetterberg said. “It will be here soon.’’
724050
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings reassign Luke Glendening to Grand Rapids as Johan Franzen
ready to return Friday
By Ansar Khan
updated October 31, 2013 at 6:33 PM
CALGARY, Alberta -- The Detroit Red Wings today reassigned center Luke
Glendening to the Grand Rapids Griffins, as forward Johan Franzen is ready
to return for Friday's game at Calgary (9 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).
Franzen missed Wednesday's 2-1 win at Vancouver due to an upper-body
injury, the team said.
Franzen was back at center during Thursday's practice, on a line with Daniel
Alfredsson and Daniel Cleary.
Glendening has appeared in six games with the Red Wings this season (no
points, averaging 9:18 of ice time).
Coach Mike Babcock said Franzen-for-Glendening is the only lineup change
for Friday. Here are the lines and defense pairs they skated with on
Thursday:
Henrik Zetterberg-Pavel Datsyuk-Todd Bertuzzi
Danny Cleary-Johan Franzen-Daniel Alfredsson
Tomas Tatar-Stephen Weiss-Justin Abdelkader
Drew Miller-Joakim Andersson-Patrick Eaves
Jordin Tootoo, Mikael Samuelsson and Darren Helm wore gray jerseys,
indicating they won't play the next game. Helm is expected to make his
season debut Saturday in Edmonton.
Niklas Kronwall-Danny DeKeyser
Kyle Quincey-Brendan Smith
Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl
Jimmy Howard (starting)
Jonas Gustavsson.
724051
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings end four-game slide with solid defensive effort in 2-1 win over
streaking Canucks
Ansar Khan on October 31, 2013 at 12:57 AM, updated October 31, 2013 at
3:30 AM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Detroit Red Wings, who have been
careless with the puck and have allowed more scoring chances than usual in
many games this season, turned in the kind of defensive performance they
needed on Wednesday.
The Red Wings got goals from Daniel Alfredsson and Tomas Tatar and held
the streaking Vancouver Canucks to 20 shots on goal in a 2-1 victory at
Rogers Arena.
The Red Wings (7-4-2) stopped their four-game winless skid (0-2-2) and
snapped the Canucks’ four-game winning streak. It was the start of a
four-game Western Canada trip for Detroit, its longest of the season.
Jimmy Howard made 19 saves to pick up his first win since Oct. 12. He
improved to 10-5-2 lifetime vs. Vancouver. The Red Wings came into the
game allowing an average of 32.4 shots per game, five more than they did
last season.
Babcock had expressed concern about his team’s performance in the
second period of several games this season.
This time, the Red Wings outscored the Canucks 2-0 in the second to take a
2-1 lead.
Alfredsson tied it at 1-1 at 11:37 by scoring his third goal of the season
during a scramble around the crease. His shot rattled off the post and hit the
back of Roberto Luongo’s pad and went in.
Tatar snapped the tie on what appeared to be an innocent-looking shot. He
skated over the blue line and fired a long shot that went through Luongo’s
pads with 1:02 to play in the period. It was his first point of the season.
The Red Wings registered the first six shots of the game and outshot
Vancouver 12-7 in the first period but the Canucks emerged with a 1-0 lead
on a goal by Daniel Sedin.
Sedin fired in a one-timer from a sharp angle. He was set up by his brother,
Henrik, who entered the game leading the league with 14 assists.
The Red Wings improved to 10-4-2 in their past 16 games in Vancouver.
724052
Detroit Red Wings
Blog recap: Detroit Red Wings end four-game skid with 2-1 victory over
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver (9-4-1) has won four straight to match Colorado for the longest
active winning streak in the NHL.
The Red Wings are 6-4-2 after going 0-2-2 in their last four games.
Join Brendan Savage and Ansar Khan to discuss all the action.
Brendan Savage
on October 30, 2013 at 9:30 PM, updated October 31, 2013 at 1:58 AM
If you're viewing this on MLive's mobile app, click here to view updates and
comment
FINAL
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (0:00): Red Wings four-game skid is over. So is
Vancouver's five-game unbeaten streak. Jimmy Howard with 19 saves.
Vancouver's 20 shots are the fewest against the Red Wings this season.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (0:25.4): Vancouver will have a one-man
advantage with Kronwall in the box for holding and Luongo on the bench for
an extra attacker.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (1:18): Red Wings on the power play when Daniel
Sedin hooks Alfredsson as he tries to skate the puck out of the zone.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (1:37): Canucks net is empty. Timeout Vancouver.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (2:57): Red Wings outshooting Vancouver 9-6 in
the third, 27-19 for the game.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (4:14): Luongo makes great save on Abdelkader
during a 3-on-1. Red Wings call timeout.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (8:29): Vancouver with 10 giveaways to Red
Wings' three.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (12:36): Red Wings outhitting Canucks 13-11.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (17:57): Canucks on the power play when Brendan
Smith goes off for high sticking.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (19:59): The final period is underway at Rogers
Arena. The 13 shots allowed are Detroit's second-fewest since the season
game of the season, according to Ken Daniels.
SECOND PERIOD
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (0:00): Red Wings outshooting Vancouver 18-13.
Both teams with six in the second.
Red Wings 2, Canucks 1 (1:02): Tomas Tatar's wrist shot through traffic puts
the Red Wings on top. His first of the season. From Kronwall and DeKeyser.
Red Wings 1, Canucks 1 (5:18): Both teams 0-for-2 on the power play but no
penalties yet in the second period.
Red Wings 1, Canucks 1 (8:23): Daniel Alfredsson puts back a rebound to
tie it. His third goal of the season.
Canucks 1, Red Wings 0 (8:50): Vancouver has blocked 10 shots. Red
Wings with four.
Canucks 1, Red Wings 0 (13:59): Still no shots for Vancouver in the second.
Red Wings have two.
FIRST PERIOD
Canucks 1, Red Wings 0 (0:00): Red Wing outshoot the Canucks 12-7 in the
first.
Canucks 1, Red Wings 0 (5:48): Daniel Sedin opens the scoring on a pass
from his brother, Henrik.
PREGAME
The Detroit Red Wings will be trying to snap out of a four-game skid tonight
against the Vancouver Canucks.
It's probably not going to be an easy chore.
Not only are the Red Wings are the road – tonight's game is the first of a
four-game Western swing – but they'll be facing one of the NHL's hottest
teams to boot.
724053
Detroit Red Wings
Young defenseman Danny DeKeyser continues to impress Red Wings with
poise, hockey sense
Holland said the reason DeKeyser went undrafted is he’s a late bloomer.
“(Former Red Wings center) Adam Oates wasn’t drafted and he’s in the Hall
of Fame,’’ Holland said. “Some people peak at 18, some people peak at 25,
you never know. Sometimes it’s opportunity. But there’s lots of good players
that weren’t drafted.’’
Ansar Khan
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – To see Danny DeKeyser make good
decisions with the puck over and over again, to seldom make a bad play
defensively, it’s easy to forgot he was playing at Western Michigan seven
months ago and has only 23 NHL games under his belt.
He displays uncommon poise for a 23-year-old defenseman.
“This is the first time I see it, to be able to play like that right off the hop,’’ Red
Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “And coming in last year, it’s one
thing to do it a game or two, to keep doing it over and over and over, we
should be very happy he chose to come to the Detroit Red Wings
organization.’’
DeKeyser was promoted to the top defense pairing with Kronwall for
Wednesday’s game in Vancouver. Jonathan Ericsson has been out since
suffering a shoulder injury on Oct. 19 and Red Wings coach Mike Babcock
felt DeKeyser was ready to be matched up against one of the most potent
lines in the NHL – Henrik and Daniel Sedin with Ryan Kesler.
DeKeyser doesn’t shrink from a challenge.
“I always look forward to playing against the other team’s best players
because it challenges you, makes you better and it’s fun,’’ DeKeyser said.
“Just keep the game as simple as possible and play defense first and the
rest will take care of itself.
“It’s good when the coaches put you in there and have that kind of
confidence in you. Now it’s just up to me to go out there and play and show
them they made the right choice.’’
The key is keeping it simple. Be in the right spots. When you get the puck,
get it to a forward quickly, don't turn it over.
“That’s my game,’’ DeKeyser said. “I try to play solid in the D-zone and if
there’s a chance to jump up in the play and get some offense going I will. It’s
always important to take care of your own zone first.’’
That defense-first mindset, coupled with what Babcock described as elite
skating ability and a great hockey mind, have enabled DeKeyser to flourish
at this level with seemingly no growing pains or adjustment period.
“I use the word ‘defender,’ ’’ Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said.
“That’s what he was in college hockey, he was good defensively.
“Most players, the biggest adjustment from juniors/college to pro is the
ability to check because many of those players were offensive players.
Unless you can step into the NHL and continue to produce, and many can’t,
you got to know how to check. He’s got attention to detail defensively. Then
you add in he’s (6-foot-3), he’s mobile. It’s allowed him to transition from
college to pro very smoothly.’’
One of the best compliments a defensive defenseman can receive is that
he’s not noticeable on the ice. That is often the case with DeKeyser.
“I think that says it all,’’ Kronwall said. “That’s how good he’s been for us. He
never really puts himself in bad spots. He keeps it simple out there and
makes the right decisions.
“And he’s going to keep growing and become even better.’’
One of DeKeyser’s challenges coming into the season was adjusting to an
82-game grind. He appeared in only 42, 41 and 35 games the past three
seasons at Western Michigan.
“In college we only played Fridays and Saturdays, and some Friday nights I
wouldn’t have any legs because you’re off the whole week and only
practicing,’’ DeKeyser said. “So far (playing) every 2-3 nights has been good
for me.’’
The Red Wings felt like they won the lottery last March when the Macomb,
Mich., native chose his hometown team over many other suitors.
724054
Detroit Red Wings
• Winter Classic Alumni Showdown tickets on sale Monday
• Red Wings careless with puck in 3-2 OT loss to Rangers
Detroit Red Wings Gameday: What needs to be done differently to end
four-game skid?
• Vancouver's top line powers 3-2 victory over Washington
• Canucks' Jordan Schroeder to miss two months because of ankle surgery
POINT TO PONDER
Brendan Savage
GAME INFORMATION
• Who: Detroit Red Wings (6-4-2) vs. Vancouver Canucks (9-4-1)
• Faceoff: 10:30 p.m. at Rogers Arena
• Live coverage: Join the MLive conversation at 9:30 p.m. ET and follow
Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) and Brendan Savage (@BrendanSavage)
on Twitter.
• TV: Fox Sports Detroit
• WXYT-FM (97.1), WXYT-AM (1270) and the Red Wings Radio Network
• Latest line: Canucks -1.5 (5.5)
THE STORYLINE
After starting the season with a 6-2 record, the Detroit Red Wings find
themselves stuck in their first slump.
They're 0-2-2 in their last four games and the losses during that stretch
include a 5-2 setback against Phoenix and a 6-1 drubbing by Ottawa.
Now, it's clearly too early to panic. Remember what happened last season,
when the Red Wings needed to win their final four games simply to make the
playoffs and then came within one goal of eliminating eventual Stanley Cup
champion Chicago in the playoffs.
But with four straight games on the road beginning tonight in Vancouver, the
Red Wings don't want to let this slump fester much longer.
So with that in mind, what do the Red Wings have to do in order to get
themselves straightened out?
Does coach Mike Babcock need to shuffle his lines some more, do they
need an infusion of new blood from Grand Rapids, is it a matter of doing
something differently on the ice or do they simply ride it out since it's only
been four games?
HISTORY
The Red Wings lead the all-time series with Vancouver 84-54-18-6.
In their most recent meeting, the Red Wings lost a 2-1 shootout April 20 in
Vancouver. That was their last loss before the aforementioned four-game
winning streak that extended their playoff streak to 22 seasons.
They lost the game despite outshooting the Canucks 34-14.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Forward Patrick Eaves will make his season debut for the Red Wings tonight
after suffering a sprained medial collateral ligament and sprained ankle
Sept. 19 during a collision in practice. He's expected to play on a line with
Todd Bertuzzi and Joakim Andersson.
Twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin have 17 and 14 points, respectively, to lead
the Canucks' scorers. Henrik Sedin has a point in nine straight games and
13 of 14 this season. Ryan Kesler has a goal in four straight games and has
eight for the season.
RECENT NEWS
Here's some light reading to tide you over until the opening faceoff
• Red Wings kick off four-game road trip with tough test in Vancouver
• Sergei Fedorov to play in Alumni Showdown, reuniting Russian Five
• Mike Babcock: 'We're not very good right now (but) we're going to be'
• Johan Franzen out vs. Canucks; Luke Glendening recalled from Grand
Rapids
How do the Red Wings snap out of their four-game slump?
724055
Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings' plan is for Darren Helm to play Saturday; Jonathan Ericsson
might go on long-term IR
Ansar Khan
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken
Holland said the plan is for center Darren Helm to make his season debut
Saturday in Edmonton and also play Monday at Winnipeg.
If that comes to fruition, if there are no setbacks, the Red Wings will need to
trim some salary-cap space before they can activate Helm from long-term
injured reserve.
Holland indicated they might transfer defenseman Jonathan Ericsson from
short-term IR to long-term IR, which would give them cap relief and enable
them to further postpone having to trade or waive somebody to make room
for Helm.
“That’s what we’re shooting for, Saturday and Monday (for Helm),’’ Holland
said. “We’ll see what Ericsson is doing by the end of the week. He won’t play
(next) Thursday and Saturday. He’s already out for nine (games) before
there’s a conversation if he can play.’’
Ericsson (dislocated left shoulder) is not on the trip to Western Canada.
Holland said he won’t start practicing until next Wednesday. If goes on
long-term IR he must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days, retoactive
to when he was injured (Oct. 19 in Phoenix).
Holland said forward Johan Franzen (undisclosed injury) has been cleared
to play Friday in Calgary and will join the team on Thursday. He said he did
not know if Luke Glendening would be reassigned to Grand Rapids at that
point.
Helm has appeared in only one game over the past 18 months, due mostly
to a back injury. The back is fine now, but a pulled groin is preventing him
from playing.
724056
Detroit Red Wings
Todd Bertuzzi, Danny DeKeyser join Red Wings' top players in trying to
contain Canucks' potent top line
Ansar Khan on October 30, 2013 at 3:45 PM, updated October 30, 2013 at
4:58 PM
VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Todd Bertuzzi is back on the Detroit Red
Wings’ top line, with Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, just in time to
face what is perhaps the most potent line in the NHL tonight.
How challenging will it be to defend the Vancouver Canucks’ top line of
Henrik and Daniel Sedin, along with Ryan Kesler?
“I believe we have two of the best players in the world on our team, so I’m
looking at it the other way around, what they’re going to do to cover those
two,’’ Bertuzzi said. “My job is basically to get in there, cause some trouble
down low, hold onto the puck, get the puck to them, get to the net and
hopefully get a couple of bounces.’’
The Red Wings (6-4-2) look to end a four-game winless skid (0-2-2) against
the Canucks (9-4-1), who are riding a four-game winning streak. The game
starts at 10:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Detroit.
“I think the key for us is we got to get some goals and play well defensively,
especially with the Sedins and Kess playing so well right now,’’ Bertuzzi
said. “We got to make sure we kind of bottle them up and frustrate them a bit
and spend more time in their zone.’’
Henrik Sedin leads the NHL with 14 assists and is tied for second with 17
points. Daniel Sedin has 14 points and Kesler leads the team with eight
goals.
But, they also have to defend Datsyuk and Zetterberg.
“They’re both very skilled, they use each other a lot, they’re great passers,
so it’s going to be a challenge tonight,’’ Daniel Sedin said. “If we can keep
the puck in their end and try to spend some time down there it’s going to tire
them out. It’ll be a lot of fun.’’
Rookie defenseman Danny DeKeyser will be paired with Niklas Kronwall.
They’ll be matched up against the Canucks’ top line whenever possible.
“I always look forward to playing against the other team’s best players
because it challenges you, makes you better and it’s fun,’’ DeKeyser said.
Said coach Mike Babcock: "DeKeyser is going to have fun tonight. He’s
playing against real good players.''
Here are the Red Wings’ anticipated line combination and defense pairings:
Henrik Zetterberg-Pavel Datsyuk-Todd Bertuzzi
Danny Cleary-Stehpen Weiss-Daniel Alfredsson
Tomas Tatar-Joakim Andersson-Justin Abdelkader
Drew Miller-Luke Glendening-Patrick Eaves
Scratched: Jordin Tootoo, Mikael Samuelsson, Johan Franzen (injured)
Niklas Kronwall-Danny DeKeyser
Kyle Quincey-Brendan Smith
Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl
Jimmy Howard (starting)
Jonas Gustavsson.
724057
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers head coach Eakins understands frustrated fans’ passion
By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal October 31, 2013
EDMONTON - There’s no mistaking the mood of fans who are again
watching the Edmonton Oilers struggling to find their way into the win
column, but it’s an ill humour head coach Dallas Eakins accepts.
So when a passerby took the time to yell out his car window
just continued to pump gas into his vehicle.
“You suck,” he
He might not have missed a step the other day either, save for the fact he
was walking his five-year-old daughter to school when a kid blurted out:
“You suck.” She was his immediate concern. He, on the other, can take the
heat.
“I’m not OK with our record. I’m OK with the fire, with the passion of the
fans,” he said on Thursday when the Oilers started preparing for Saturday’s
8 p.m. game against the Detroit Red Wings (7-4-2) at Rexall Place.
“I understand the passion. I understand the guy who yells out of his car at
me when I’m at the gas station, then speeds away. I understand people, as I
walk into a restaurant, murmuring something under their breath. I’m OK with
it.
“When we do turn this thing around ... that passion will turn the other way.
The guy at the gas station will probably buy me my gas and the people in the
restaurant are probably going to buy me dinner. So if I’m OK with that part of
it, I’d better be OK with this.”
With a record of 3-9-2, the odds are already stacked against the Oilers
making the playoffs. It’s a fate that could by sealed by the end of November,
which is traditionally when teams have to be in contention if they are going to
be in the running for a post-season berth in April.
“We have full confidence we can come back. It’s going to turn around,”
Jordan Eberle said. “I think there’s a lot more panic with you guys and in the
city than there is in this dressing room. That’s normal.”
Defenceman Ladislav Smid dismissed the theory that the Oilers’ days are
already numbered and said it was essential to maintain a positive
atmosphere in the locker room.
“Everybody is talking ‘You’re out of the playoffs. You’re this and that,’ ” said
Smid. “It’s way too early. There are plenty of games to be played. There are
plenty of points on the table and nobody is going to quit here. Everybody
believes we can make it.
“Nobody wants to be in this situation ... but we cannot do anything about the
record. That’s in the past. All we can focus on is the next game, which is
Saturday against the Red Wings.”
Eakins said that along with looking for the right combinations, he tweaked
his defensive system seven games ago, but it’s an ongoing mission to get
his players to show as much enthusiasm for preventing goals as they do for
scoring goals.
He wasn’t going to use injuries as a crutch or make excuses for the record or
shrug off the league-high 54 goals against.
Nor was he about to accept the fact that all has been already lost, which is
obviously a sentiment that spread throughout the dressing room.
“If we look at it and go, ‘We’re out of the playoffs,’ then what? Just pack up
our stuff?” asked Eakins. “You have to dig your heels in. I firmly understand
where we’re at with our record, but if we were 15-2 or 20-5 or 30-0, the next
game would be as desperate to me as our game against Detroit right now.”
“Nobody wants the record we have right now,” captain Andrew Ference
said. “Dropping those points in some of those games and losing some of the
close ones and blowing some leads with mistakes just makes it that much
more of a challenge to make sure guys are focused on what we’re trying to
accomplish, which is the long-term building of a solid foundation for this
whole group.”
“Mentally, you have to be strong and keep the negativity out,” said veteran
Ryan Smyth. “But we’re the ones who can change this — one game at a
time. We just need to chip away.”
OIL DROPS: Smyth, who has missed the last five games with a groin injury,
practised Thursday, but was filling in as a defenceman in the absence of
Justin Schultz ... Goaltender Devan Dubnyk (ankle) was on the ice and
expects he’ll be ready to play on Saturday ... David Perron is still struggling
with some back/neck issues and was not practising ... Defencemen Corey
Potter and Denis Grebeshkov cleared waivers and were assigned to the
Oklahoma City Barons in the American Hockey League ... Anton Lander,
who was recalled from the Barons, skated with Mark Arcobello and Boyd
Gordon. Ryan Hamilton (recovering from a knee injury) subbed on that line,
as well.
Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724058
Edmonton Oilers
While he's not sick anymore, Oilers forward David Perron dealing with aches
and pain
By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun
EDMONTON - Oilers winger David Perron, a last-minute scratch last game
against Toronto, didn’t practise Thursday as his condition changed from
illness to injury.
“We’ll see,” said head coach Dallas Eakins, when asked about Perron’s
status for Saturday against Detroit. “He wasn’t feeling well the other day. I
think he’s over that, and he’s got a ton of pain in his back and up in his neck.
He took some serious whacks the other night. He’s kind of day to day.”
Goaltender Devan Dubnyk, who missed two games with a bad ankle,
practised with the team. If he’s ready it’ll mean Richard Bachman or Jason
LaBarbera will be sent to OK … With Justin Schultz taking the practice off
and Corey Potter and Denis Grebeshkov placed on waivers for the purpose
of assignment to Oklahoma City, Ryan Smyth skated as the sixth
defenceman Thursday.
Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724059
Edmonton Oilers
Oilers not giving up on post-season, despite statistics
By Robert Tychkowski,Edmonton Sun
EDMONTON - Halloween is barely over and the Oilers have already ruined
Christmas.
Nice.
To be 10 points out of a playoff spot after 14 games, to know the season is
all but over before the smoke has even cleared from the opening night
pyrotechnics, is beyond comprehension.
This was the season the Oilers were finally going to stop being doormats
and start showing some progress in the never-ending rebuild, but if you
believe the statistics, they are out of it earlier than they’ve ever been out of it
before. They will miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
“Somehow we have to find some strength within this team and push back
and win some games,” said veteran Ladislav Smid, who joined the
organization in 2006 and has yet to see a post-season game. “Obviously,
nobody wants to be in this situation, but for the past four or five years it’s
been the same story.”
There are extenuating circumstances involved in why they’re this deep in the
mud — like uncharacteristically weak goaltending that lost them a few
games they should have won early, like a ridiculous stretch of 12 of 15
games on the road, and like the laundry list of key injuries that always seems
to plague this team.
But legitimate excuses or not, they might actually be out of it after 14 games,
and that’s bad, even for the Oilers.
“I think it’s way too early to talk about this,” said Smid, refusing to believe it
could all be over so soon. “There are plenty of games to be played and
nobody is going to quit here. Everybody still believes we can have a good
run and make the playoffs.”
That’s not what the numbers say.
Since 2005-06, no team has ever come back from more than seven points
out of a playoff spot on Nov. 1. The Oilers are 10. Sports Club Stats, a site
that calculates these things, says Edmonton has a 3.1% chance of making
history.
While it’s possible the Oilers will get healthy and use a string of home games
to go about 10-2-2, get themselves back in the race and do what no other
team has ever done before, it seems more likely at this point that the Oilers
will do what they always do.
Either way, the show must go on.
“I deeply care about the playoffs, that’s our goal, but you can’t listen to it or
look at it,” said head coach Dallas Eakins said of the long odds. “If we look at
it and go, ‘OK, we’re out of the playoffs,’ then what? Just pack up our stuff
leave?
“You have to dig your heels in. I firmly understand where we’re at with our
record, but for me it’s dig our heels in and win the next game, dig our heels
in and win the next game and try to get back into it.”
For a franchise that’s made a comfortable and profitable habit of losing, this
season is an absolute stunner.
“It’s been tough,” said Jordan Eberle. “We’re digging ourselves a hole, we
talked about it today. That being said, all we can do is work hard today, work
hard tomorrow and try to beat the Detroit Red Wings.”
Or else. The Oilers were out of it seven years in a row, losing is nothing new
here, but it’s hard to imagine that this team, this year, is psychologically
prepared to be entirely without hope by the middle of November.
“Nothing is over on Nov. 15,” said Eberle. “We have full confidence that we
can come back. We’ve shown that we have a good team. It’s going to turn
around.
“People are making a big deal of it, that it’s over, but in this lockerroom I
think we’re probably the calmest ones. I think there’s a lot more panic in you
guys and in the city than there is in the dressing room. That’s normal.”
724060
Edmonton Oilers
Eakins said they decided to go to a traditional defence from the swarm
defence he was trying to sell.
Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins hears the fans griping
“My bad. I assumed that we knew what traditional D zone coverage was. It
was clear that we didn’t.
By Terry Jones,Edmonton Sun
“The penalty kill is all new. The aggressiveness of it is something that is
different for these guys. And we’re not going to change that. We’re going to
stay with it.
EDMONTON - Your name is Dallas Eakins and 14 games into your NHL
head coaching career your team appears to already have been eliminated
from the playoffs as a result of the second-worst October in franchise
history.
Your name is Dallas Eakins and there are questions about how how a
power-play unit could have gone from eighth last year to 24th, how penalty
kill unit could have gone from ninth to 26th, how your five-on-five could have
given up more goals than any other team in the league and if the so-called
swarm defence is understood by any of your defencemen.
Your name is Dallas Eakins and you’re on the hot seat with fans wanting to
stick your feet in the fire.
“I feel it. I understand it,” said the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers
when your correspondent asked what it’s like to be in this sort of jackpot to
begin a NHL head coaching career.
“I have kids bugging my daughter at school. That’s not very much fun.
“I’m walking my daughter to school yesterday and I have one kid yelling at
everybody ‘There’s the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers!’ And my
five-year-old daughter gets real excited because, ‘That’s my daddy.’
“And then I have another kid yelling, ‘You suck!’”
“So, yes, that’s happening. But it’s going to go the other way, too. I’m OK
with the fire right now. I’m not OK with our record. But I’m OK with the
passion of our fans in the fire.”
His daughter is OK with it, too.
“She’s only five. I checked into it after to see if she even remembered it and
she didn’t. We’ll cross our fingers to hope it doesn’t turn into something
bigger.”
Eakins said it’s not as if this is his first rodeo.
“I’ve just come from Toronto. I’ve seen this before,” said the Maple Leafs
assistant for two seasons who went on to coach the Toronto AHL farm club
for four years.
“I’ve seen every little bit of this. I’ve seen it for way longer than however
many games its been since I’ve been here. I’ve taken good notes, believe
me.
“I understand the guy who yells out of his car at me when I’m at the gas
station and he speeds away. And I understand people as they walk into a
restaurant murmuring something under their breath. I’m OK with it. That’s
the passion.
“When we do turn this thing around and when we are a winning, strong team
every night, the passion is going to turn the other way and it’s going to be all
smiles and giggles in here and the guy at the gas station is probably buy me
my gas and the people in the restaurant are probably going to buy me
dinner. If I’m going to be OK with that part of it, I better be OK with this.”
I asked Eakins about self-evaluation.
“I’m always self-evaluating. I think it’s important to do.
“Whatever system you are running, you have to have everybody executing it
to be effective. We’ll play a pretty good 15 minutes and then have a
two-minute lapse, and it’s in our net.”
The defence?
“Without saying anything, we tweaked it probably seven games ago. We
found that we were giving up that prime scoring chance in front of the net.
We still want to double up in our zone when we can. But the guys were too
over-zealous with it. I’ll be very up front with this. Until we deaden the play in
the corner, we’re not doubling up.”
“The power play has been different, probably because of personnel with
guys in and out of the lineup and guys who have been hurt.
“Our five-on-five play on defence is a great concern to me. The message to
our team over the last, probably, week, is that I see our group so excited to
score goals. Like, boy, they like to score. But we need a group that is equally
excited to stop goals. It’s the same thing on the scoreboard. I’m not sure our
group is wired like that. But eventually they will be wired like that because in
the end you have to be wired like that to win.”
Your name is Dallas Eakins and you’ve definitely found out this rodeo isn’t
going to be easy.
Hold on, cowboy.
724061
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers ‘Iron Man’ Tomas Fleischmann unhappy streak ended
By George Richards
By no means was Tomas Fleischmann the so-called “Iron Man’’ of the
Panthers, but he admits it was tough watching his
consecutive-games-played streak come to a close Sunday.
Fleischmann had played in all of the 148 games — including the postseason
— the Panthers had since he signed with Florida on July 1, 2011, going into
Sunday’s game against the Lightning.
Yet Fleischmann was so sick Sunday he says he couldn’t “hold a stick,
much less shoot the puck.” The Panthers, for the first time since he joined
the team, were without No. 14.
“I wasn’t close enough to be able to help the team out,’’ Fleischmann said
after Thursday’s practice. “I was really achy, couldn’t compete at all. It’s
tough, but those things happen. There’s nothing I could do about it. I always
want to play.’’
When Fleischmann signed with the Panthers in 2011, few could have
imagined it would take him two-plus seasons to miss a single game.
The Panthers took a risk in making Fleischmann their highest-paid forward
(at the time) when he was signed to a four-year deal worth $4.5 million
annually.
Fleischmann, after all, had missed the second half of the previous season
with Colorado after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. In the two
seasons before signing with the Panthers, Fleischmann missed an average
of 43 games.
The Panthers are certainly more of a threat offensively with Fleischmann in
the lineup. He led the team in goals (27) and points (61) in 2011-12 and in
points (35) last season.
Fleischmann has two goals this season, but leads the team with nine points.
“He’s played a lot of hockey under a lot of physical conditions,’’ coach Kevin
Dineen said. “He’s an impact player in our lineup, and we’re better when
he’s in it at his full effectiveness. He had a nice little streak that was broken.’’
Thomas’ status
Tim Thomas didn’t practice Thursday as he was seen goofing around by
shooting pucks — pretty accurately, too — from just inside the blue line as
the rest of his teammates skated off to a different sheet of ice.
Thomas had worked out the previous three days but took Thursday off
making him unlikely to return to the lineup this weekend. Florida plays host
to St. Louis on Friday and travels to Washington the following night.
The Panthers haven’t disclosed Thomas’ recent injury saying only it’s
unrelated to his previous groin injury.
“He’s still being evaluated each day,’’ Dineen said. “He’s doubtful for the
weekend.’’
• Dineen turned a little salty when he was asked how he would use Florida’s
7-0 loss to the Blues on Oct. 5 in St. Louis in preparation for Friday’s home
game. The Panthers have lost three in a row to the Blues.
“We got our [behinds] kicked, so how do you think we’re going to react to it?’’
Dineen said. “You get beat bad, a team spanks you and we’re all
professional and have pride. We know we took a really good kicking.’’
• San Jose’s Logan Couture used the Panthers as an example when he said
his team’s loss at Los Angeles on Wednesday had nothing to do with a
so-called Staples Arena curse. The Sharks have won just one of their past
12 in L.A.
“We could have played in Florida tonight and probably lost that game, too,’’
Couture told The San Jose Mercury News. “We just didn’t play well enough
to win.”
For the record, the Panthers have won four in a row against the Sharks and
haven’t lost to San Jose since Halloween night 2006.
Miami Herald LOADED: 11.01.2013
724062
Florida Panthers
LOGAN COUTURE: Sharks Would Have Lost in Florida
Posted by George Richards at 04:00 PM
San Jose's Logan Couture used the Panthers as an example when he said
his team's loss at Los Angeles Wednesday had nothing to do with a
so-called Staples Arena curse. The Sharks have won just one of their past
12 in L.A.
"We could have played in Florida tonight and probably lost that game, too,''
Couture told the San Jose Mercury News. "We just didn’t play well enough
to win.”
A few fans took to Twitter on Thursday as they felt Couture was slighting the
Panthers with his comment. I just think there are few places in the NHL
further from Los Angeles than Florida.
For the record, the Panthers have won four straight against the Sharks and
haven't lost to San Jose since Halloween night 2006.
724063
Florida Panthers
PANTHERS NOTEBOOK: St. Louis Blues Come to Town; Tim Thomas Not
Likely to Play
Tim Thomas didn't practice Thursday as he was seen goofing around by
shooting pucks -- pretty accurately, too -- from just inside the blue line as the
rest of his teammates skated off to a different sheet of ice.
Thomas had worked out the previous three days but took Thursday off
making him unlikely to return to the lineup this weekend. Florida plays host
to St. Louis on Friday and travels to Washington the following night.
The Panthers haven't disclosed Thomas' recent injury only saying it's
unrelated to his previous groin injury.
"He's still being evaluated each day,'' coach Kevin Dineen said. "He's
doubtful for the weekend.''
-- Dineen turned a little salty when he was asked how he would use Florida's
7-0 loss to the Blues on Oct. 5 in St. Louis in preparation for Friday's home
game. The Panthers have lost three straight to the Blues.
"We got our [behinds] kicked so how do you think we're going to react to it?,''
Dineen said. "You get beat bad, a team spanks you and we're all
professional and have pride. We know we took a really good kicking there.''
TIM THOMAS MASK PHOTO COURTESY @FlaPanthers
FRIDAY: BLUES AT PANTHERS
When, Where: 7:30 p.m.; BB&T Center, Sunrise
TV/Radio: FSNF; WQAM-560
The series: St. Louis leads 16-7-3
Scouting report: The Panthers will play the finale of their season-long
six-game homestand. Florida is 1-2-2 so far with nine of the next 11 away
from Sunrise after Friday. The Blues, who beat Florida 7-0 in the second
game of the season, have won seven of their first 10 and two straight.
724064
Florida Panthers
TOMAS FLEISCHMANN: Day Off Not By Choice
By no means was Tomas Fleischmann the so-called 'Iron Man' of the
Panthers, but he admits it was tough watching his consecutive games
played streak come to a close Sunday.
Fleischmann had played in all of 148 games -- including the postseason -the Panthers had since he signed with Florida on July 1, 2011 going into
Sunday's game against the Lightning.
Yet Fleischmann was so sick Sunday he says he couldn't "hold a stick much
less shoot the puck." The Panthers, for the first time since he joined the
team, were without No. 14.
"I wasn't close enough to be able to help the team out,'' Fleischmann said
after Thursday's practice. "I was really achy, couldn't compete at all. It's
tough but those things happen. There's nothing I could do about it. I always
want to play.''
When Fleischmann signed with the Panthers in 2011, few could have
imagined it would take him two-plus seasons to miss a single game.
The Panthers took a risk in making Fleischmann their (at the time)
highest-paid forward when he was signed to a four-year deal worth $4.5
million annually.
Fleischmann, after all, had missed the second half of the previous season
with Colorado after blood clots were discovered in his lungs. In the two
seasons before signing with the Panthers, Fleischmann missed an average
of 43 games.
The Panthers are certainly more of a threat offensively with Fleischmann in
the lineup as he led the team in goals (27) and points (61) in 2011-12 and in
points (35) last year.
Fleischmann has two goals this season but leads the team with nine points.
"He's played a lot of hockey under a lot of physical conditions,'' coach Kevin
Dineen said. "He's an impact player in our lineup and we're better when he's
in it at his full effectiveness. He had a nice little streak that was broken.''
724065
Florida Panthers
Preview: Panthers vs. Blues, 7:30 p.m., Friday
4:11 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2013
Craig Davis
Panthers vs. Blues
When/where: 7:30 p.m., BB&T Center, Sunrise
TV: FSF Radio: 560-AM
Scouting report: The Panthers have a score to settle after getting
embarrassed 7-0 at St. Louis in the second game of the season. It got
chippy in the third period as 15 penalties were assessed against 12 players.
Blues G Jaroslav Halak, who had 19 saves in the shutout, is 8-1 against
Florida and has a 0.75 goals-against average while winning the past four
meetings. LW Alex Steen has scored in his past five games, including a pair
in two of them. Three of Steen's past four goals have come on the power
play, where St. Louis is 4 for 13 in the past three games. The Blues have
won two in a row following a 1-1-2 stretch. The Panthers are 4 for 41 with a
man advantage and have gone 1 for 16 on the power play while losing six of
seven. Former Panthers D Jay Bouwmeester has six assists in his past five
games. Brian Cambell leads Panthers blue-liners with five points this
season. LW Tomas Fleischmann, who missed Sunday's overtime loss to
Tampa Bay with the flu, leads the Panthers with nine points. D Ed
Jovanovski (hip) and G Tim Thomas (groin) are out for Florida. Blues F
Magnus Paajarvi (upper body) and LW Brenden Morrow (ribs) are out.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.01.2013
724066
Florida Panthers
Rout at St. Louis still sore subject for Panthers
By Craig Davis, Sun Sentinel
5:43 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2013
The Panthers' last encounter with the Blues was a dose of harsh reality after
a feel-good opening to the season.
Coach Kevin Dineen bristled Thursday at the mention of that 7-0 trouncing in
St. Louis, the day before a rematch in the finale of a six-game homestand.
"You get beat bad, a team spanks you, you know what? We're all
professionals, we all have pride, we know we took a really good kicking
there, so that's how you react," Dineen said.
The memory understandably strikes a raw nerve as one of the two lopsided
losses in the Panthers' 3-7-2 start. Turning the tables will take more than an
emotional response against the Blues, who are 7-1-2 and led by Alex Steen,
the league's top goal scorer with 11.
"That's a well-rounded team that doesn't really have a weakness in any area
of their game. When they find a weakness in ours, they take advantage of it.
That's what we're going to have to shore up and really be good," said
forward Kris Versteeg, one of several Panthers involved in skirmishes when
frustrations boiled over in the third period at St. Louis. "You've got to look at
it and what happened. In the end, you're a professional and you play so
many games in a season, you do want to put it behind you."
Versteeg said having four days to recharge and work on sharpening their
game could prove beneficial.
The Panthers, 1-2-2 on the homestand, will have to kick it into gear quickly
with back-to-back games against the Blues and the Capitals on Saturday in
Washington. After Friday, they play four of the next five away.
"I talked about this Washington game before the season even started, that
the back-to-back in Washington hasn't been a good game for us," Dineen
said. "Every game is important to us right now. We've got to get things
stabilized."
They will likely be without goalie Tim Thomas this weekend as the veteran
continues to recover from a leg injury. Thomas did not practice Thursday,
and Dineen has hinted that Scott Clemmensen may see his first action of the
season in one of the games.
Jovo on track
Defenseman Ed Jovanovski returned to practice after missing one day for
medical reasons unrelated to his recovery from hip surgery.
Although the team has targeted his return to game action for November,
Jovanovski said there is no specific date he is aiming for.
"I'm kind of working every day to get stronger. I just kind of go on how my
body reacts the next day," he said, adding that he believes he is close to
being ready.
Dineen's trick
Dineen was reminded that he was the last NHL player to score four goals in
a game on Halloween. He did it for the Flyers in a 9-6 victory at Chicago in
1993.
Among the league's other memorable Halloween moments was the
legendary Rocket Richard's debut in 1942 (he notched an assist in the first
36 seconds) and Hall of Fame goalie Ed Giacomin's departure from the
Rangers.
Flash back
Forward Tomas Fleischmann is back skating on the first line after missing
his first game Sunday due to the flu after playing in all 141 since joining the
Panthers. He leads the team's sluggish offense with nine points (seven
assists).
"I would much rather have healthy, hungry guys than somebody who is not
feeling up to par when we have the options that we do," Dineen said of the
game-time decision to give Fleischmann the night off.
Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.01.2013
724067
Los Angeles Kings
The view from San Jose
Posted by JonRosen on October 31, 2013
David Pollak: San Jose Sharks lose to Los Angeles Kings in overtime
-McLellan acknowledged his team had issues to work on — “Yeah, when we
have the lead we should be able to shut it down,” he said — but overall said
the game “wasn’t the end of the world.”
“Some of it’s just individuals being sharp,” he added. “You can’t beat teams
like that with a few guys that aren’t quite there. It’s as simple as that.”
David Pollak: Marty Havlat returns to Sharks with something to prove
-”It’s not about scoring goals and having the skill and all that type of stuff.
Can he play his game in our structure, our environment and be effective?,”
McLellan said. “That is the only part that he has to prove to anybody — to
himself, to his teammates or to the coaching staff. And we certainly believe
he can.”
David Pollak blog post: Couture on Staples curse: “It has nothing to do with
that . . . We could have played in Florida tonight and probably lost that
game, too”
CSNBayArea.com
Kevin Kurz: Late penalties doom Sharks in another loss in L.A.
-The too-many-men penalty in the third period, their second of the night, led
to Justin Williams’ game-tying goal at 12:21. That was particularly irksome to
head coach Todd McLellan.
“Penalties are an issue, and too many men on the ice is an issue for me.
You’d think after it happened the first time, that everybody would be a little
more alert on the bench. But for the same line coming up – and maybe even
the same individual – for it to happen twice, is unacceptable,” McLellan said,
without identifying the perpetrator.
Kevin Kurz: Instant Replay: Staples Center still a house of horrors for Sharks
-On the day before Halloween, the Staples Center remains a house of
horrors for the San Jose Sharks.
Kevin Kurz: Couture: That wasn’t a shot at the Panthers
SBNation.com: Fear the Fin
The Neutral: Home team wins one-goal game between Sharks and Kings.
This is not a recording.
-It isn’t a game between the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings unless
it ends in a one-goal victory for the home team. Tonight’s contest between
two of the best clubs in the Western Conference stuck to that familiar script,
with Anze Kopitar pounding a one-timer from the high slot past Antti Niemi
on a 4-on-3 power play in overtime to send the Sharks home to San Jose on
a sour note following a 3-1-1 road trip.
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724068
Los Angeles Kings
Waking up with the Kings: October 31
Posted by JonRosen on October 31, 2013
-While closing up shop in the Bob Miller Press Box Wednesday evening, I
was chatting with one of the San Jose writers before he stepped into the
elevator. I don’t recall his words verbatim, but they were to the extent of “I
wouldn’t mind having a few more of these this year.” Amen. It’s impossible to
recreate the drama and heightened stakes of playoff hockey in late October,
but for an early season divisional game against an in-state rival, last night’s
4-3 overtime win by the Los Angeles Kings elicited the excitement and
volatile momentum swings more closely associated with spring hockey. The
game was more of a quiz than a test – with a Stanley Cup and the
experience of having taken part in 38 playoff games over two seasons, the
Kings clearly know that the weightier “tests” take place six months from now
– and with three visits to the Shark Tank looming, the team will certainly be
faced with a midterm exam on November 27. Really, this game was
perfectly placed, a narrative I may have hit over the head a few too many
times in the 24-hour lead-up. To be able to quickly return to action buoyed
with the adrenaline of facing an NHL-leading team that they had dispatched
in a gripping seven-game series some five months prior negated much of
the mental and physical strain of playing on consecutive nights and allowed
the team to quickly sublimate any negative intangibles conjured up by the
loss to Phoenix the night before.
Noah Graham / NHL
-If you can forgive his offensive zone penalty that led to a go-ahead power
play goal by Logan Couture (kind of a big “if”!), Kyle Clifford was very good
for the second consecutive game. The good thing is that unlike the Phoenix
game, when he was arguably the Kings’ best forward on the ice, there were
a variety of top-six forwards that also stepped up with fine efforts in the win
over San Jose. Anze Kopitar registered the game-winning goal and a
game-tying assist and registered four shots without being credited with a
giveaway in 23:24 of ice time. Mike Richards was mostly good in all areas of
the ice and finished with two assists in 22:48 of ice time, his highest regular
season total in almost two years. Credit is also due for Jarret Stoll, who has
snapped out of his scoring schneid with goals in back-to-back game to
provide some valuable scoring depth.
-Generally amongst the most disciplined teams in the league, the Sharks
afforded the Kings six power plays, and Los Angeles took advantage twice.
While the Kings were only whistled for five total penalties – one of which was
a Clifford fighting major – three of their four shorthanded situations came as
the result of an offensive zone penalty. Whether or not Daniel Carcillo’s
take-out of Logan Couture along the boards should have warranted a
penalty, Darryl Sutter does have a valid point that Carcillo has a reputation
amongst league referees, and should he put himself in the position in which
a questionable hit is made, the verdicts generally won’t return in his favor.
-Credit San Jose for directing shots away from Antti Niemi. Though Los
Angeles registered 23 shots on goal, 17 attempts were blocked and the
Kings were credited with a bizarrely high 23 missed shots.
-The Kings have outshot their opponents 13-3 through six overtimes this
season. Even before their power play, the Kings were generating heavy
pressure. Dustin Brown hit the crossbar and Mike Richards was denied with
a Niemi glove save from a high-quality scoring area before Jeff Carter found
a loose seam and was ultimately hooked by Justin Braun. Other than a
Nashville power play that hemmed Los Angeles in its own zone on October
17, the Kings have dominated the extra five minutes this season.
-Why do I even attempt to provide line pairings in game previews? It is a
futile and sad endeavor.
From Robert P. of Jewels from the Crown:
Kings Line Combos
Noah Graham / NHL
LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724069
Minnesota Wild
Wild practice: Coyle back in lineup Friday as new lines debut
Blog Post by: Rachel Blount
October 31, 2013 - 3:48 PM
With a second consecutive day of practice before Friday's game against
Montreal, the Wild spent Thursday morning getting used to the new line
combinations coach Mike Yeo instituted Wednesday. No one was happier
than Charlie Coyle, whom Yeo confirmed would rejoin the lineup Friday.
Coyle had missed 11 games because of a sprained knee. Thursday, he
centered a line with one familiar face--left wing Zach Parise, a former Coyle
linemate--and had Justin Fontaine and Dany Heatley taking turns on the
right side. Coyle also worked with the first power-play unit, joining Parise
and Mikko Koivu with Ryan Suter and Jason Pominville at the points.
Coyle said he could feel the knee getting better every day as he did
workouts and physical therapy. Lots of time on the bike kept his conditioning
from slipping, though he said his legs were not quite in game shape because
he couldn't do a lot of "stride stuff'' on the ice. "That was the hardest part,''
Coyle said. "I'm on the right track.''
He also likes the new lines because "there's a little of everything on each
line.'' That's just what Yeo was going for. The coach said Thursday that even
though the new combinations don't feature a clearly defined checking line,
strong defensive play throughout the lineup means that role can be played
by any threesome. With everyone taking responsibility in that area, Yeo felt
he could mix and match freely in an effort to spark more scoring.
"Part of the reason behind it is we feel we have anybody we can put out
against anybody,'' Yeo said. "If (Mikael Granlund) was not playing as well
defensively as he has ... He's proven he can be on the ice against anybody
and defend against anybody. Likewise, there's no reason why (Coyle)
shouldn’t be very effective at that, too. (He has) a big body, he's a smart
hockey player, he moves well. He understands the structure we play with, so
we expect him to be like that. And obviously Mikko, we have no concerns
about him going against top guys. We should feel comfortable with any line
going out against anybody.''
Much of Thursday's focused, fast-paced practice was dedicated to
developing familiarity with the new groupings. In addition to the Coyle line,
the others are: Matt Cooke-Granlund-Pominville, Nino
Niederreiter-Koivu-Kyle Brodziak, and Fontaine/Heatley-Zenon
Konopka-Torrey Mitchell.
One issue Yeo will have is transitioning between the power play and even
strength. He's mixing things up there, too, using players from several
different lines on both units. The second unit features defensemen Jared
Spurgeon and Keith Ballard at the points, with Niederreiter, Granlund and
Heatley.
"That’s tricky,'' Yeo said. "It's something we'll have to look at a little bit there
and keep an eye on. It's something, certainly, we discussed. If you have a
line out there for 40 seconds and they draw a power play, that’s going to be
pretty tough. To have a tired player go out there, that doesn’t benefit
anybody. We wanted to try that today, and we've got to figure some stuff out.
We have to make sure we use this opportunity to try to figure out what are
the best options for us.''
While Yeo sounded as if he is leaning against playing Jonas Brodin on
Friday, he said Ballard is expected to play. Brodin continues to recover from
a broken cheekbone; he said Thursday that he feels pretty good and is
excited to get back in, but Yeo reiterated that he doesn't want to play him
until he is certain he's ready for the long haul. Ballard missed seven games
because of a concussion and appeared ready to go Thursday.
Yeo had special praise for what Ballard brings to the power play. "He's got
the mobility to walk the blue line to be able to open up shooting lanes, and
he's got a good shot through to the net,'' Yeo said. "He's got his head up.
He's walking the line. He made some nice reads as far as when to move the
puck, when to distribute the puck, and when there's a (shooting) lane, he's
taking that shot. And I like that.''
Other notes from practice:
--Yeo said he isn't concerned about Coyle's conditioning, because he wasn't
out long enough to develop any real rust.
--The players, Yeo said, have responded positively to the line changes. "The
guys are excited and anxious to try it out,'' he said.
--Coyle, a native of the Boston area who played at Boston University,
admitted he didn't follow the Red Sox closely this season but got on board
for the World Series victory. "After everything that's happened,'' he said, in a
reference to the Boston Marathon bombing, "it's nice to see (the Sox
championship) happen.''
--If you go trick-or-treating at the Konopka residence tonight, you could see
Hoppy the bunny wearing one of two costume choices: a pumpkin or a lion.
"He loves it,'' Konopka said of his rabbit's penchant for dressing up in Wild
sweaters and other outfits. "He won't shut up about Halloween.''
Star Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724070
Minnesota Wild
Wild's reworked lines ready for game action
Article by: RACHEL BLOUNT
November 1, 2013 - 12:15 AM
On Day 2 of his latest experiment with the Wild’s lines, coach Mike Yeo liked
the way his players were adapting to the new combinations. “The guys are
excited and anxious to try it out,’’ Yeo said after Thursday’s practice. “But it’s
one thing to do it in practice and another to do it in a game.’’
That next step will come Friday, when the Wild plays Montreal at Xcel
Energy Center. Yeo reworked his lines Wednesday in an attempt to trigger
more five-on-five scoring throughout the lineup, addressing a lingering sore
spot for a 6-4-3 team. Thursday’s workout was designed to give the new
lines more familiarity with each other as players learn how they fit in fresh
roles and untried combinations.
One thing Yeo is not worried about: defense. Though the lineup does not
include a clearly defined checking line, Yeo said the commitment to defense
he has seen from all of his players gives him the flexibility to experiment
more freely.
Yeo asserted that center Mikael Granlund has developed the ability to
defend any opposing player, and he expects center Charlie Coyle — who
will return to the lineup Friday after missing 11 games because of a sprained
knee—to do the same.
“It’s easy to look at what [Granlund] has done offensively in the last little bit,
but it started with his defensive game,’’ Yeo said. “There’s no reason why
Charlie shouldn’t be very effective at that, too. [He has] a big body, he’s a
smart hockey player, he moves well. And obviously Mikko [Koivu], we have
no concerns about him going against top guys.
“We think the wingers complement the guys they’re around. We should feel
comfortable with any line going out against anybody.’’
The new combinations, Yeo hopes, will give the Wild three lines that can
score. Coyle will center Zach Parise and either Justin Fontaine or Dany
Heatley, while Granlund will center Matt Cooke and Jason Pominville. Kyle
Brodziak has moved to wing, joining Nino Niederreiter on a line centered by
Koivu.
Save for a shift or two, Brodziak hasn’t played on the wing for some time. He
is game to try it and eager to see where the experiment leads.
“I think it’s beneficial for the team,’’ said Brodziak, who had been
centering the Wild’s third line and has two goals and two assists. “Especially
early on, it’s nice to be able to try different things and see what options we
have.’’
724071
Minnesota Wild
Wild-Montreal game preview
November 1, 2013 - 12:14 AM
RACHEL BLOUNT
7 p.m. vs. MONTREAL • XCEL ENERGY CENTER • FSN-Plus, 100.3-FM
Preview: The Wild is eager to regroup after Monday’s 5-1 loss to Chicago,
which put the brakes on a four-game home win streak. Coach Mike Yeo said
Montreal will provide a stiff challenge because of its speed, depth and strong
team play. The Canadiens also boast a 4-1 road record and a pair of solid
goaltenders in Carey Price and Peter Budaj, who have combined for a
goals-against average of 1.77.
Players to watch: Montreal D P.K. Subban, who beat out Wild D Ryan Suter
for the NHL’s Norris Trophy last season, is tied for the NHL scoring lead
among defensemen with 11 points (two goals, nine assists). Subban is the
last player to score a hat trick at Xcel (March 20, 2011). … Wild LW Zach
Parise is tied for second in the NHL with four power-play goals.
Numbers: With 10 points at Xcel (4-1-2), the Wild has the 11th-best home
record in the NHL. … C Mikko Koivu has scored two power-play goals since
the 2010-11 season, with none since March 27, 2012.
Injuries: Wild D Jonas Brodin (broken cheekbone) is questionable; LW Mike
Rupp (knee) is out. Montreal LW Max Pacioretty (strained hamstring), C
Daniel Briere (concussion) and LW Brandon Prust (upper body) are out; LW
Travis Moen (facial fracture) is unlikely to play.
724072
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild: Charlie Coyle ready to hit the ice again
By Chad Graff
Posted:
Updated:
10/31/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT
10/31/2013 11:38:17 PM CDT
Charlie Coyle felt something was wrong with his left knee after a fluke
collision. So he decided to test it by putting some pressure on it. That's what
had always worked to alleviate pain for him after blocking shots.
During a stoppage in play, Coyle skated a quick circle in front of the bench.
As play was set to resume, Coyle tried to climb over the boards back to the
bench. He couldn't do it. A teammate opened the door, and Coyle went
straight back through the tunnel as the Wild continued their game.
"I could just tell," Coyle said. "I couldn't put my leg over the boards.
Something's got to be wrong at that point. And that was that. I just knew."
That was Oct. 5, three days into the Wild's season.
After what coach Mike Yeo dubbed one of the best training camps of all Wild
players, Coyle was out with his first injury as a professional.
Coyle missed four weeks and 11 games but is set to return to the lineup
Friday night against the Montreal Canadiens.
"To get hurt so early into the season was disappointing because he was
proving that he was ready for a breakout season," Yeo said.
Without Coyle, the Wild's creativity was limited. They missed Coyle's size
and ability to get to the net, and the Wild had trouble scoring five-on-five.
His return, on the heels of a 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks, spurred an overhaul
of the lines.
Yeo has enough confidence in Coyle, even in his first game back, to have
him center Zach Parise on the Wild's top scoring line. Friday will be Parise's
first game in a Wild sweater without Mikko Koivu centering his line.
"We love seeing him play," Parise said. "I don't have to pump him up so
much because we all know how good of a player he is. He brings a lot of
speed and particularly protects the puck really well, and he can put the puck
in the net."
In November 2010, Parise suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic
surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Thursday, Parise offered Coyle a few
words of comfort about returning from knee injuries.
"It's kind of nice to hear about other guys and how well they're doing now
and stuff like that," Coyle said.
Coyle, 21, will wear a knee brace that he joked will be great for blocking
shots.
In his first game back, Coyle will join the top power-play unit alongside
Koivu, Parise, Jason Pominville and Ryan Suter. The 6-foot-3, 221-pound
Coyle will camp out in front of the net on the man advantage.
"Obviously, he's a big body, and he's strong on both ends of the ice," Koivu
said. "You can never have too many players like that on your team. He's
hard to play against, and he's strong on the puck and has a good shot. He's
the whole package."
Coyle skated with Parise and Koivu last season and proved a talented
complement to the two stars. Entering this season, Coyle was prepared to
anchor a line for the first time.
His addition gives Yeo the ability to create three scoring lines, scrapping his
traditional system of two scoring lines and a defensive third line.
"With Charlie here, there's more guys in play," Yeo said. "We're looking at
five-on-five production, and now we can have at least three lines that are a
real threat to score. That was the basis for (the lines)."
Coyle said he didn't care who he was playing with -- as long as he was
playing again.
"Obviously, you want to start off the season fresh and healthy and be able to
play with the guys," Coyle said. "But it happens with everyone, and you just
stay positive and try to work your way back into the lineup."
Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.01.2013
724073
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild: Keith Ballard set to return
By Chad Graff
Posted:
Updated:
10/31/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT
10/31/2013 09:17:13 PM CDT
Defenseman Keith Ballard is expected to return to the Wild lineup Friday
night against Montreal.
Mathew Dumba will be the odd defenseman out as Ballard returns. Jonas
Brodin, who has practiced the past two days with a clear bubble mask after
breaking his cheekbone Oct. 22, is questionable.
"I don't know," coach Mike Yeo said of Brodin's status. "He looks good in
practice, but we don't want to rush him. That's more up to the trainers than
us. We have to look at the big picture and that when we get him back, we get
him back for good.
"Conditioning shouldn't be a problem; it's more about swelling and making
sure there's no risk of doing any extra damage."
Yeo said he has decided which goalie will start, but he wouldn't announce it
Thursday.
724074
Minnesota Wild
Minnesota Wild send Stephane Veilleux to AHL
By Chad Graff
Posted:
Updated:
10/31/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT
10/31/2013 06:25:00 PM CDT
Fourth-line forward Stephane Veilleux has been reassigned to the Iowa of
the American Hockey League, the Wild announced Thursday.
The move means Veilleux cleared waivers and is a strong indication Charlie
Coyle will return from a sprained knee for Friday's game against Montreal.
Coyle hasn't played since suffering the injury in the team's second game of
the season Oct. 5.
Veilleux was called up Oct. 9 and appeared in 10 games with the Wild,
recording 11 hits.
An update from coach Mike Yeo is expected after the team's Thursday
morning practice.
724075
Montreal Canadiens
Habs not helping Subban shake bad rep ahead of Winter Olympics
SEAN GORDON
Published Thursday, Oct. 31 2013, 10:40 PM EDT
has more ice time this year than he did last year, his progression is part of
the equation here.”
That’s true.
Subban is averaging 24 minutes 33 seconds a game, a little over 1:20 more
than last year, when he started the season late after a brief contract dispute
(by way of comparison, the league leader in ice time, Minnesota’s Ryan
Suter, averages nearly 29 minutes).
Last updated Friday, Nov. 01 2013, 12:30 AM EDT
But this year’s average is only 15 seconds more per game than in 2011-12
under Jacques Martin and Randy Cunneyworth, and just over two minutes
more per game than in his first full season in the NHL in 2010-11.
Could the Team Canada brain-trust really be thinking about leaving a player
who was chosen the NHL’s top defenceman last season at home next
February?
And Subban’s average on the penalty kill is 1:01 per game, almost half a
minute less than last year and the lowest of his career (he has played a
grand total of 1:45 while short-handed in the past four games, 1:44 of it
came in a win over Anaheim).
According to reports from the hockey insiders at TSN and TVA, they very
well may do just that. With the Sochi Games less than 100 days away, the
latest speculation suggests P.K. Subban is now a long shot to make the
Olympic squad.
Detroit Red Wings right winger Daniel Alfredsson, of Sweden, concentrates
on the puck as it flies through the air near the blue line during the third period
of an NHL game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Tuesday, Oct. 15,
2013, in Detroit.
Hockey
Video: Daniel Alfredsson: Mixed emotions ahead of Senators game
Podcast
P.K., Price and the Canadiens
Toronto Maple Leafs' James Van Riemsdyk, left, celebrate his goal with
teammate Dion Phaneuf during first period NHL hockey action against the
Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013
Podcast
Is JVR a future NHL superstar?
Not that the Montreal Canadiens blueliner is much concerned about it.
“I think it can bother you if you’re focused on it, but the reality is I’m not
focused on it, I’m focused on this team here ... you look at the start of the
season, I don’t think it’s a bad start, but I think there’s room for improvement,
so I’ll just get better every day,” the 24-year-old said before the Habs flew
out on a two-game road swing with the players’ dads in tow.
It might seem curious that Team Canada would pass over as gifted a skater,
stickhandler and shooter as Subban for a tournament on Olympic-sized ice,
but doing so would surely owe to a tag that has stuck to him since he was a
junior player: risky in his own end.
The stats don’t bear that out – by any measure, Subban is an
above-average defender, and has shown elite defending ability in his career
– but how can Steve Yzerman and the other Team Canada selectors trust
Subban to be steady and reliable when there are recent indications the Habs
have their doubts?
Earlier this week coach Michel Therrien sent Andrei Markov, Subban’s
regular partner, out with Francis Bouillon in the final two minutes of a 2-0
game at Madison Square Garden.
On Tuesday, with Montreal clinging to a 2-1 lead against Dallas, Therrien
nailed Subban to the bench for the final 2:56, and threw the statuesque
Douglas Murray on the ice alongside Markov.
Though Dallas generated a couple of quick scoring chances, the Habs held
on.
But Therrien’s decision to keep his stud defenceman off the ice raised
eyebrows, and voices, on Montreal talk radio and in fan forums – all amid
the usual circumspection, which is to say borderline hysteria.
It’s also odd that the Habs don’t often use Subban on the penalty kill,
considering his effectiveness on the first unit as recently as two seasons
ago.
Therrien was asked if that’s a function of Subban’s defensive ability,
reliability and maturity on Thursday, and said this: “I look at his ice time, he
Asked about his usage, Subban joked about not having any coaching
qualifications and said “I don’t make those decisions”.
Therrien can reasonably argue the Habs’ resurgent penalty killing doesn’t
need Subban, who can be rested for the power-play, on which he is
averaging 4:39 per game, fourth-highest in the league.
It’s also true that the Habs are the league’s second-stingiest defensive team
with the current blueline configuration – the imminent return of the injured
Alexei Emelin, who signed a four-year, $16.4-million contract extension
Thursday, will only make them tougher to score on.
So there doesn’t appear to be anything sinister at play, the simple and most
obvious explanation is that Therrien truly believes in bringing Subban along
slowly.
But when Therrien was asked if Subban should be on Team Canada, he
said, “It’s not for me to say. I’m in charge of the Montreal Canadiens.”
On whether Subban is a world-class player he added: “Whether I see him
that way or not, my opinion doesn’t change anything.”
Therrien's caution stands in contrast to the recent boosterism from hockey
people such as Larry Robinson, David Poile and Lindy Ruff, each of whom
put in a public word for their players.
When pressed on what he makes of the James Norris Memorial Trophy
winner’s recent form – he has been held off the scoresheet in four in a row
after a blazing start in which he scored 11 in his first seven – Therrien said:
“[Subban] is a player who brings a lot of energy, he’s able to contribute goals
and points offensively. We have a team concept in our organization, that we
follow and that we believe in. It’s our team concept that will get us to the
playoffs, and it’s our team concept that will allow to progress as a team.”
There’s a tendency in the overheated market that is Montreal to make
irrational inferences, but at the very least, it doesn’t appear Subban’s team is
mounting an aggressive lobbying effort to combat the perception he is a
one-dimensional player.
Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.01.2013
724076
Montreal Canadiens
Parros, Pacioretty set to return to Habs’ lineup
some Habs fans. Subban is averaging 1:01 of ice time per game on the
penalty kill this season, while his average last season was 1:27.
Subban is averaging 24:33 of ice time per game this season, ranking second
on the Canadiens behind Andrei Markov’s 25:01. Last season, Subban
averaged 23:14.
By Brenda Branswell, THE GAZETTE October 31, 2013
“He has more ice time this year than he had last year,” Therrien said when
asked about using Subban less on the penalty kill. “So there’s a progression
in the equation.”
MONTREAL — The Canadiens’ lengthy injury list is starting to shrink with
George Parros and Max Pacioretty poised to return to the lineup during the
team’s weekend road trip.
Before the team left for Minnesota, Parros had his substantial and distinctive
moustache shaved off for the annual “Movember” campaign that raises
awareness about, and money for, men’s health issues.
Parros, who suffered a concussion during the Canadiens’ season opener on
Oct. 1, will play Friday when the Habs face off against the Minnesota Wild (8
p.m., RDS, TSN Radio 690).
“I’ve done it for a number of years and everyone always asks me why, but
nothing draws more attention to the cause than getting rid of this thing and
re-growing it,” Parros said.
Pacioretty, who has been out with a strained hamstring, will play this
weekend, coach Michel Therrien confirmed Thursday before the team left for
Minnesota. The Canadiens will wrap up a two-game road trip against the
Avalanche Saturday in Colorado (10 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
“It’s a little embarrassing, at first. My upper lip looks a little smaller. And I
have a few more challenges for fights because I look about 10 years
younger,” Parros joked.
“We’ll see for (Friday),” Therrien said.
The other piece of good news for the Canadiens and their fans was the sight
of 6-foot-2 defenceman Alexei Emelin skating with his teammates at practice
Thursday in Brossard for the first time since reconstructive surgery last May
on the ACL and MCL in his left knee.
Emelin wore a no-contact jersey at practice, after which the Canadiens
announced they’ve signed him to a four-year contract extension. The team,
as per its usual policy, didn’t disclose the financial terms of the deal, which
will pay Emelin $16.4 million, an average of $4.1 million per season.
“He can play big minutes against the opponents’ best players, and
hard-hitting defencemen of his type are hard to find,” Canadiens general
manager Marc Bergevin said in a press release.
“We are very confident that he will fully recover from his knee injury and be
able to compete at a high level for many years to come.”
The 27-year-old Russian, who has been learning English, briefly addressed
the media for the first time en masse in a scrum. He called it a great day.
“I’m very happy to stay for a long time in Montreal,” Emelin said. “It’s a great
city, great team. I’m happy. My family, too.”
The contract negotiations weren’t long, Emelin added.
The 6-foot-5 forward suffered a concussion on Oct. 1 during a fight with
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Colton Orr when he fell and his chin struck the
ice.
“It feels good to come back, get off the (injured reserve),” said Parros, who is
cleared to play. “I feel good. I feel good in my head, no headaches, no
symptoms. Looking forward to it. You can’t sit around thinking about what
happened. You’ve got to press forward and play the same way. So I’m
looking forward to that opportunity and putting the past behind me.”
Carey Price will get the start in net on Friday. Therrien didn’t reveal more of
his goaltending plans for the back-to-back games. Peter Budaj played with
the Avalanche for six seasons before joining the Habs.
About 40 people headed to Minnesota with the team as part of a Habs’
father-son trip for the two games. Therrien called it well-deserved. Fathers
make a lot of sacrifices for their kids, bringing them to practice and showing
up at games, he said.
“It’s a great experience for not only the players, but for the parents, too, to be
able to share that experience,” the coach added.
Therrien, whose father passed away a few years ago, has his son with him
on the trip. Parros’s father couldn’t make it, but his brother is joining him.
The fathers travelling with the team include Alex Galchenyuk’s dad and Karl
Subban.
“I feel good,” he said about being back on the ice with the team.
“It will be cool having my Pops on the road, said Subban, noting his father is
now retired.
“I think I need a couple of weeks more ... (to be) ready to play,” he added,
suggesting perhaps a mid-November comeback.
“It’s going to definitely be a fun trip for everybody.”
Emelin would also like to take part in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.
TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted on Thursday that P.K. Subban, who won the
Norris Trophy last season as the NHL’s top defenceman, is a long-shot at
this point for the Canadian Olympic team, based on information he’s
gathered. It doesn’t mean Subban won’t make the team, Dreger added, “but,
management concerns with high risk play still outweigh his offensive
strengths.”
Subban, who is tied for the Habs’ lead in points (11) with Tomas Plekanec,
suggested his focus isn’t on the ongoing speculation about the Olympic
team makeup.
“I’m focused on this team here. ... And play hard and just trying to play my
best every game, and do the best that I can,” he said.
“When you look at the start of the season, I don’t think it’s a bad start. But I
think there’s room for improvement, so I’ll just get better every day.”
Therrien steered clear of the Olympic topic. When the coach was asked if he
was satisfied with Subban’s play over the past few games, Therrien said:
“P.K. is a player who brings us a lot of energy. He’s a guy who offensively is
able to score, get points.
“We have a team concept within our organization that we follow. And we
believe — it’s our team concept that will get us in the playoffs and it’s our
team concept that will make us progress as a team.”
Subban leads the Canadiens in power-play minutes, averaging 4:31 per
game, but his limited play on the penalty kill is a bone of contention with
Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.01.2013
724077
Montreal Canadiens
Alexei Emelin signs four-year contract extension with Habs
The Gazette October 31, 2013
MONTREAL - Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on
Thursday that defenceman Alexei Emelin has been signed to a four-year
contract extension that will run through the 2017-18 season.
Emelin hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury on April 6 against the
Boston Bruins. He skated with his teammates for the first time since
suffering the injury during Thursday’s practice in Brossard.
“We are very happy to have secured a long-term agreement with Alexei,”
Bergevin said in a statement. “He is an important part of our group of core
players. He shows a very good work ethic and has a good attitude. He can
play big minutes against the opponents’ best players, and hard-hitting
defencemen of his type are hard to find. We are very confident that he will
fully recover from his knee injury and be able to compete at a high level for
many years to come.”
Said Emelin: “I am very pleased to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens
organization for the coming years. I love Montreal and I am confident that I
will soon return to the ice fully recovered from my injury and contribute to the
success of our team.”
In 38 games last season with the Canadiens, Emelin posted 3-9-12 totals
and led the team with 110 hits.
724078
Montreal Canadiens
Habs’ Emelin signs four-year contract extension
Posted by Stu Cowan
Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced on Thursday that
defenceman Alexei Emelin has been signed to a four-year contract
extension that will run through the 2017-18 season. The deal is reported to
be worth $16.4 million, an average of $4.1 million per season.
Emelin hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury on April 6 against the
Boston Bruins. He skated with his teammates for the first time since
suffering the injury during Thursday’s practice in Brossard while wearing a
no-contact jersey. The defenceman underwent reconstructive knee surgery
on May 21 to repair both the aneterior cruciate and medial collateral
ligaments.
“We are very happy to have secured a long term agreement with Alexei,”
Bergevin said in a statement. “He is an important part of our group of core
players. He shows a very good work ethic and has a good attitude. He can
play big minutes against the opponents’ best players, and hard-hitting
defencemen of his type are hard to find. We are very confident that he will
fully recover from his knee injury and be able to compete at a high level for
many years to come.”
Said Emelin, who thinks he might return to the lineup by mid-November: “I
am very pleased to be a member of the Montreal Canadiens organization for
the coming years. I love Montreal and I am confident that I will soon return to
the ice fully recovered from my injury and contribute to the success of our
team.”
In 38 games last season with the Canadiens, Emelin posted 3-9-12 totals
and and led the team with 110 hits.
After practice Thursday, coach Michel Therrien confirmed that George
Parros, sidelined since suffering a concussion in the season opener on Oct.
1, will play Friday night in Minnesota (8 p.m., RDS, TSN Radio 690) and that
Carey Price will start in goal.
Max Pacioretty, who has been sidelined since Oct. 15 with a lower-body
injury but practised Thursday, is expected to play this weekend. The
Canadiens will be in Colorado Saturday to face rookie coach Patrick Roy
and the Avalanche (10 p.m., CBC, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
The two-game road trip will be a father/son event for the Habs. A number of
the Habs fathers attended practice Thursday before heading out on the road
with their sons. The only injured players who won’t make the road trip are
Emelin, Travis Moen and Davis Drewiski.
Parros shaved off his trademark moustache on Thursday for the start of
“Movember”. He then sent out this tweet, along with a photo of his
clean-shaven face: “Day 1 is always a sad day… Donate in memory of my
former facial hair”
Brandon Prust also shaved off his beard and moustache for “Movember”.
His girlfriend, Maripier Morin sent out this tweet afterwards: “bye bye
beard..hello movember @brandonprust8 !! #willmissyou #stache”
Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at Thursday’s practice:
Galchenyuk – Eller – Gallagher
Bournival – Plekanec – Gionta
Bourque – Desharnais – Leblanc
Blunden – White – Pacioretty
Parros
Markov – Subban
Gorges – Diaz
Murray – Bouillon
Emelin – Pateryn
724079
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators lose to Phoenix 5-4 in shootout
Nov. 1, 2013 2:56 AM
Josh Cooper
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Forward Eric Nystrom shook his shaved head
back-and forth as he tried to collect his thoughts. Nystrom, who is one of the
more outwardly emotional Predators, could hardly hide his disgust in the
errors, the turnovers, and just the overall result following Nashville’s 5-4
shootout loss to Phoenix.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot,” Nystrom said. “It’s just frustrating.
Everything is preventable. Those can’t happen. That’s tough. We should
have had two points in that game 100 percent. We just let off the gas pedal,
and a couple of broken plays end up in our net, and that’s got to be the only
time that happens this year.”
Though the Predators (6-5-2) understood that a point on the road is nothing
to scoff at, they knew they let that extra point slip away, blowing leads of 3-0
and 4-2 to the Coyotes.
While there were several mistakes by Nashville throughout the game, two
proved extra costly. In the third period, with Nashville ahead 4-2, forward
Matt Cullen took a delay-of-game penalty with 14:42 left when he used his
hand to move the puck after a faceoff. The Coyotes capitalized when
forward Shane Doan took a feed from Mike Ribeiro and fired a shot past
goaltender Carter Hutton. This made the score 4-3 in favor of Nashville.
Then with 11:43 left in the third, defenseman Seth Jones went for an
ill-advised change with the puck not in Phoenix’s zone and the Predators
without outright possession. Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette countered
quickly with a breakaway score that knotted the game at 4-4.
This ruined what should have been a two-point night for Nashville, which
picked up a quick 3-0 lead in the first period off goals by Matt Hendricks,
Nystrom and David Legwand. The Predators were also aggressive
offensively, firing 40 shots on goal on Phoenix backup netminder Thomas
Greiss.
“I don’t even remember the last time we had that (many shots on goal),”
defenseman Shea Weber said.
Nashville goaltender Carter Hutton stopped 21 of 25 shots on goal.
“I thought it came real easy to us in the first period. I said ‘Guys, it came way
too easy to us in the first, they’re going to come with a push and we have to
be ready for it,’ ” coach Barry Trotz said. “The whole deal with that is you
have to play sound defensively.”
Tennessean LOADED: 11.01.2013
724080
Nashville Predators
Odd bounce on goal hurts Predators
Nov. 1, 2013 1:41 AM
Staff
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Predators coach Barry Trotz didn’t have much
problem with Carter Hutton’s game. He thought he looked fine in the
shootout where he kept Nashville in the breakaway contest until the fifth
round.
But it was one goal allowed by Hutton that didn’t exactly look aesthetically
pleasing that got the Coyotes back in the game in their 5-4 shootout victory
over the Predators that was somewhat of an issue.
Just 2:21 into the second period Phoenix forward Jordan Szwarz sped down
the wing, and fired what appeared to be a harmless wrist shot at Hutton. The
puck was deflected by defenseman Kevin Klein and slid under Hutton’s
glove. This made the score 3-1 in favor of the Predators and gave Phoenix
some life. The Coyotes would score twice in the second period to cut
Nashville’s lead to 3-2.
“The one thing you don’t want to do is give up that one goal to give them
some momentum, and (Hutton) did tonight,” Trotz said. “But still, the game
should have been in our favor.”
Said Hutton, “It got deflected. It was coming over to my blocker side. I went
over to play it and it just hit our D man’s stick and redirected over and I
wasn’t able to get a pad or glove on it.”
Still, Hutton excelled in the shootout stopping for Coyotes shooters until
Mikkel Boedker faked him out with a strong backhand move. Overall, Hutton
made 21 saves on 25 Coyotes shots on goal.
“A lot of guys have a lot of tricks in their bags, and obviously seeing them
when we scout and stuff, but I thought it went good,” Hutton said. “Boedker
made a pretty good fake, and I bit and he was able to get it up in my pad.
That was enough to do it.”
Stalberg plays a lot: Forward Viktor Stalberg returned to the lineup and saw
his ice-time increase by a large amount with a season-high of 18:36. This
came after two straight games in which he was a healthy scratch.
Stalberg played on a line with Colin Wilson and Mike Fisher. He did not fire a
shot on goal.
“I thought I felt better and better as the game went along,” Stalberg said. “In
the third period I thought we played very well and had the puck in their end
every single shift.”
Tough for Jones: Defenseman Seth Jones had a bit of a rough night as his
bad change led to Phoenix’s game-tying goal in the third period.
Jones left the ice when Nashville didn’t have possession and the puck was
not in the Phoenix zone. Antoine Vermette then sped in on a breakaway.
This put a damper on Jones’ night, in which he played a career-high 30:19.
No Smith: The Coyotes went with backup Thomas Greiss to start Thursday’s
game. This meant Pred-killer Mike Smith was not in the lineup. Smith
backstopped the Coyotes to their Western Conference semifinal victory over
Nashville in 2012.
Injury: Forward Matt Hendricks sustained an upper-body injury 33 seconds
into the second period.
Hendricks was hit hard by defenseman Derek Morris and his face hit the ice
when he landed. He stayed down on the ice for several minutes before
skating off on his own power.
724081
Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators lose 5-4 to Phoenix in shootout
Nov. 1, 2013
Josh Cooper
NEXT GAME
PREDATORS AT KINGS
• When: 9:30 p.m. Saturday
• TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM
GLENDALE, ARIZ. — Two seasons ago, Predators coach Barry Trotz once
referred to a three-goal lead as one of the most dangerous in hockey.
While at the time, the comment was received with some scorn, Trotz’s words
proved prophetic almost two years later. The Phoenix Coyotes bounced
back from a three-goal deficit, and a two-goal deficit as well, to beat the
Predators 5-4 in a shootout at Jobing.com Arena.
The loss for Nashville (6-5-2) was a tough start to its 17-day roadtrip, the
longest in franchise history. Still, the Predators did pick up one point.
Nashville dropped to 0-2 in the breakaway contest this year.
Mikkel Boedker scored the shootout winner in the fifth round.
Nashville’s three-goal outburst came in the first period and put the Predators
up 3-0 with 1:36 left in the first. Goals came from forward Matt Hendricks,
Eric Nystrom and David Legwand. The Coyotes started their comeback with
goals from Jordan Szwarz, and a slap shot blast by Derek Morris. Phoenix
got goals from Shane Doan and Antoine Vermette in the third period to cut a
4-2 Predators lead to 4-4. Hendricks left the game 33 seconds in the second
period with an upper body injury.
Goaltender Carter Hutton made 21 saves in the loss. Nashville fired 40
shots on goal.
724082
Nashville Predators
Roman Josi, Viktor Stalberg back in Nashville Predators lineup
Oct. 31, 2013
Josh Cooper
GLENDALE, Ariz. — For Roman Josi and Kevin Klein it’s almost like muscle
memory.
The two Predators defensemen, who were paired during Josi’s rookie
season in 2011-12, will be back as a duo tonight against the Coyotes after
almost a year apart.
Josi has been out since Oct. 4 with a concussion. He and Klein should
provide a solid second option on the blueline. Josi played last season and
the first two games this season with Shea Weber.
“He’s one of our key pieces to our team,” Klein said. “He skates really well.
He has that experience under his belt now, and he knows his game. He’s
used to playing a lot of minutes for us, and it’s nice he’s back in the lineup
and I get to play with him.”
The last time Josi and Klein played together consistently, Josi was learning
his way around the NHL, while Klein was tasked with bringing the talented
Swiss defenseman along. Now, Klein will be playing with a more finished
product.
“Both of them understand what they both do,” coach Barry Trotz said. “Josi
looks like he’s excited to be back in the lineup, and that’s good for us. We
need our pairings to be strong and I think it’s pretty diverse now.”
There will be little trepidation in Josi’s usage tonight. Before his concussion,
the Predators were expected to play him upwards of 23 minutes per night.
Bartley scratched: Victor Bartley will be scratched to make room for Josi.
With the Predators averaging just 1.92 goals per game, the coaching staff
opted for Ryan Ellis, who has a bit more upside to his offensive game.
“He can play on the power play,” Trotz said.
Stalberg in: Forward Viktor Stalberg, a healthy scratch the past two games,
will return to the lineup tonight.
Stalberg was signed to a four-year, $12 million contract in the offseason, but
he has no points in six games played.
Judging by practice lines, it appears Stalberg will play with Colin Wilson on
wing and Mike Fisher at center.
“Hopefully I can make a difference out there. It’s what I do,” Stalberg said. “I
have to find a way to be better and get it done.”
Other scratches: Forwards Filip Forsberg and Rich Clune will be the other
scratches tonight, Trotz said.
724083
New Jersey Devils
Devils' Cory Schneider hopes to play one of back-to-back weekend games
Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger
Goalie Cory Schneider hopes to play one of the Devils’ back-to-back games
this weekend at home against the Flyers or in Minnesota against the Wild.
After dealing with a sore groin that was aggravated in last Thursday’s 3-2
shootout loss to the Canucks, Schneider returned to practice with the team
and is eligible to be taken off the injured reserve list Friday.
“Nothing serious. As the coach said, it was a lower body injury that kind of
cropped up and just needed a few days to calm down,” Schneider said. “I
think the way the schedule worked out, only playing once in a week, we saw
as an opportunity to be overly cautious and make sure that I’m better and
not try to rush back.
“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling 100 percent, it’s I’m good to go.”
But with Martin Brodeur having won two in a row, coach Pete DeBoer will
remain cautious with Schneider. There were no issues during practice, with
Schneider going the distance while rookie Keith Kinkaid watched from a seat
on the bench.
“Not so far. We’ll see. We’re going to take it day to day,” DeBoer said. “I said
right from the start of the season in a perfect world and if everyone’s healthy
I’d like to use both guys in back-to-back situations, but I’m not going to
jeopardize his health to do it.”
Schneider will almost surely play one of the weekend games.
“I think that’s the plan. We haven’t gotten to that point yet,” the goalie said. “I
just wanted to see if I could make it through today with no issues and I did,
so I’m sure we’ll talk about that. But backs-to-backs and travel, so I’m sure
I’ll be ready to go for one of those.”
He said he was dealing with soreness prior to the Vancouver game.
“A little bit,” Schneider said. “Sometimes you get things and they go away.
You don’t think twice about them. Sometimes you do something minor and it
sort of lingers and gets worse. You have to pay attention to it.
“I’m still figuring some of this stuff out. I’ve been very fortunate in my career
that I haven’t missed a lot of time either practice or games. Sometimes
you’re not used to knowing when you feel right or don’t feel right and they
have to tell you to take a few days.”
The injury is behind him at this point.
“I hope so. I think so,” he said. “I want to be a guy who’s consistently in the
net and you don’t have to worry about if he’s going to be hurt or not.”
Schneider said he had skated on his own briefly on Tuesday and again
Wednesday.
"A little bit on my own," he said. "Very light. Mostly Wednesday."
The Devils did a lot of skating in practice, including laps and stops and
starts.
“It was a good practice. We got a little sweat on, did a little bit of work we
haven’t had an opportunity to do in a while,” DeBoer said. “Some
conditioning. It was a good day.”
Jaromir Jagr, 41, looked like the skating took its toll, but he laughed it off.
“The last drill was a little bit tough but, hey, it’s nothing for us young guys,”
he said. “The older guys might have a problem.”
DeBoer said he wants to keep the team sharp on the three days between
games.
“We want to keep this going,” he said of the two-game winning streak. “We
have a good feeling. We’re starting to get a good feel about what our game
should look like on a nightly basis. You want to keep that going. You don’t
want to take your foot off the gas.”
Star Ledger LOADED: 11.01.2013
724084
New Jersey Devils
Devils' Jaromir Jagr laughs off loss of game-winning goals record
Devils winger Jaromir Jagr did not know Tuesday night that his 119th
game-winning goal was thought to be a new NHL record, surpassing the 118
scored by Phil Esposito. He found out when he was told by reporters after
the game and when the team took a commemorative photo with him holding
the puck.
Interestingly, Jagr also didn't know that he actually does not hold the record.
It still belongs to Gordie Howe (121), who scored all but 18 of his
game-winners before the NHL kept that stat. Both the league and Devils had
the wrong information.
“I didn’t know I was, so I didn’t know I wasn’t,” Jagr said about being the
all-time game-winning goals leader and then not.
“At least I got a good picture.”
Of course he is just two behind Howe. That's reachable, even though he is
41 and on a one-year contract with the Devils.
“I just have to sign for two more years. That’s all,” Jagr said with a smile.
724085
New Jersey Devils
Devils: All three goalies, including Cory Schneider, practice
The Devils had all three goalies on the ice Thursday for practice at
AmeriHealth Pavilion.
Cory Schneider, who is on injured reserve with a lower body injury, took part
along with Martin Brodeur and Keith Kinkaid.
Schneider and Brodeur were in the two nets while Kinkaid watched practice
from a seat on the bench. Schneider lasted the entire practice and
apparently felt good enough to take laps in drills with teammates. Kinkaid,
who watched the entire practice, also had to take laps.
Ryane Clowe and Bryce Salvador, both on IR, \were the only two players
absent.
A puck deflected off Ryan Carter's stick and hit Eric Gelinas in the mouth.
Gelinas stayed on the ice but seemed to be stunned a bit.
Just over a year ago, Gelinas suffered a broken jaw when he was hit in the
mouth by a puck during a preseason game with Albany (AHL).
Lines:
Patrik Elias-Andrei Loktionov-Jaromir Jagr
Rostislav Olesz-Adam Henrique-Damien Brunner
Dainius Zubrus-Travis Zajac-Michael Ryder
Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier
Jacob Josefson-Mattias Tedenby
Defense
Andy Greene-Mark Fayne
Eric Gelinas-Adam Larsson
Anton-Volchenkov-Marek Zidlicky
Peter Harrold
724086
New Jersey Devils
Devils' Schneider is back to work
BY
TOM GULITTI
NEWARK – Goaltender Cory Schneider was back on the ice with his Devils’
teammates Thursday afternoon after missing two games with a lower-body
injury and hopes to start one of the team’s games this weekend – Saturday
at home against Philadelphia and Sunday in Minnesota.
"That’s the plan," Schneider said. "We haven’t gotten to that point yet. We
just wanted to see if I could make it through today with no issues and I did,
so I’m sure we’ll talk about that. But, [it’s] back-to-back [games] with some
travel, so, hopefully, I’ll be ready to go for one of those."
Schneider said he skated "a little bit" on his own the previous two days, but
Thursday’s practice was his first since he aggravated his injury in a 3-2
shootout loss to Vancouver on Oct. 24. He was placed on injured reserve
Monday retroactive to that game, so he is eligible to be activated today.
Schneider said his injury was "nothing serious," and it was bothering him "a
little bit" before the game against Vancouver.
"I had a lower-body injury that kind of cropped up and I just needed a few
days to let it calm down," Schneider said. "I think the way the schedule
worked out, only playing once in a week, we saw it as an opportunity to be
overly cautious and make sure that I’m better and not trying to rush back.
So, fortunately, we had a few days here and I’m feeling great, feeling 100
percent, so I’m good to go."
Devils coach Pete DeBoer is taking the cautious approach, though, and
wouldn’t commit to starting Schneider this weekend. Martin Brodeur has
started the last two games and the Devils won both, putting together
consecutive wins for the first time this season.
"We’ll see," DeBoer said of whether Schneider will start one of the next two
games. "We’re going to take it day to day. I said right from the start of the
season, if everyone’s healthy, I’d like to use both guys in back-to-back
situations, but I’m not going to jeopardize his health to do it."
SAY CHEESE: As Jaromir Jagr was initially unaware Tuesday night about
the game-winning goals record he was thought to have broken, the Devils
right wing was also unaware of the correction from Elias Sports Bureau that
clarified that he is two behind Gordie Howe’s 121 for the most in NHL
history. "I didn’t even know," Jagr said. "Like I didn’t know I was [the record
holder], I didn’t know I wasn’t. At least I got a good picture."
Jagr then struck a pose and smiled as if he was recreating the picture the
Devils took of him in front of his locker holding the puck from his 119th
career game-winning goal, which he scored in Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over
Tampa Bay. An error by the Devils and the NHL had everyone initially
believing that Jagr had taken over first place in league history with that goal.
Now, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer has to score three more
game-winning goals to pass Howe and get the record for real.
"I’ll just have to sign for two more years then," he said.
Bergen Record LOADED: 11.01.2013
724087
New Jersey Devils
Statistics mixup means record not Jaromir Jagr's
Tom Gulitti
After the Devils’ 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, Jaromir Jagr
posed for a photo in front of his locker holding the puck from what was
thought to be a record-breaking game-winning goal.
Although it was the 119th game-winning goal of Jagr’s career, moving him
one ahead of Phil Esposito, that total is good for only second place all time.
Gordie Howe still holds the NHL record with 121 game-winning goals. An
error, in which the NHL, the Devils and the Boston Bruins all played a part,
had everyone thinking Jagr had tied Esposito for the NHL record when he
scored his 118th winner last April 21 for the Bruins against Florida. After
Jagr scored his winner Tuesday night, Elias Sports Bureau and the NHL
issued corrections, pointing out Howe still owned the record. The error was
due in part to the career statistics section on the NHL website not including
game-winning goals scored prior to 1967-68.
724088
New York Islanders
He wouldn't address whether he'd consider re-signing after this season if the
Islanders wanted him back.
New Sabres forward Matt Moulson opens up about trade off the Island
"That'd have to be something I'd talk about with my family and agent,"
Moulson said. "I honestly haven't even thought about that really at all, just
concentrating on this team right now and we'll get to that when we have to."
By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
But the trade came as a surprise, and now Moulson, a family man, is trying
to navigate the uncertain path ahead.
Thursday, October 31, 2013, 2:36 PM
Ex-Islander Matt Moulson gets off to a fast start in Buffalo scoring two goals
in Sabres debut.
John Tavares was at Matt Moulson's house Sunday night when the
Islanders unexpectedly traded Moulson to Buffalo. On Wednesday night,
when Moulson returned to New York to face the Rangers with his new team,
he and his wife again had Tavares over.
"It was almost like saying goodbye again," Moulson said Thursday morning,
looking foreign in his Sabres gear at the Garden. "So it was sad all over
again."
Moulson, 30, may be a Sabre now, but he is still an Islander. He and his
family, including a wife and two young children, live in the area. The
godparents of his newborn son, even, are Islanders forward Kyle Okposo
and his wife.
Moulson played parts of five seasons with the Islanders. He never scored
fewer than 30 goals in any of his three, full seasons from 2009-10 through
2011-12. He posted 15 goals and 44 points in last year's lockout-shortened
season.
When the Islanders didn't extend his contract this summer going into its final
year, Moulson resigned himself to the possibility a trade could happen, but
he still didn't think it would.
"I think me and my wife, we always knew it was a possibility, but I think I
believed in my heart that things would work out," Moulson said. "So even
though I said it was a possibility, I didn't think it was actually gonna happen.
But so be it. That's what happens in sports, and I've moved on."
The Islanders sacrificed Moulson and two draft picks just for the potential
rental of forward Thomas Vanek, who is also in the last year of his contract.
But while the deal made Vanek appear the bigger catch, Moulson and
Vanek actually have averaged a near-identical amount of goals per game
(.39) since the beginning of the 2009-10 season. Vanek has averaged .84
points per game, to Moulson's .74.
Moulson scored two goals in his Sabres debut on Monday, a 4-3 loss to the
Dallas Stars, and is saying all the right things about Buffalo.
"They have a lot of elite young guys with a lot of potential," Moulson said.
"That's how you build a team."
Matt Moulson spends four-plus seasons with the Islanders before recent
trade to Buffalo.
Julio Cortez/AP
Matt Moulson spends four-plus seasons with the Islanders before recent
trade to Buffalo.
Still, even as he plays wearing a new jersey, rumors have floated that
Buffalo could flip Moulson in a deal somewhere else later this season to get
more draft picks and rebuild for the future.
"I think that's obviously something everyone's brought up to me – no one
within the organization, but a lot of media question about it," Moulson said.
"It's a similar attitude that I had with the Islanders. I didn't have a contract
past the year, and I always said take it day by day and make sure I'm getting
better and doing whatever I can to help the team win.
"So that's what I'm going to do here, help whoever I can share some
knowledge I guess I've gained the last couple years, and if it's for a couple
months, a year, couple years, I don't think my game style changes at all,"
Moulson said. "I'm going to go out there and try to score goals and help the
team win."
Moulson deflected Tavares' praise of him earlier in the week, calling the
Islanders captain "one of the best players in the world." He said humbly of
succeeding as a duo on Long Island: "I'm sure he'll do well with anyone."
"I had to pick up my winter coat because it was freezing in Buffalo," he
laughed, about returning home Wednesday night.
It gets cold on the Island, too, but it's just more familiar. It's home.
New York Daily News LOADED: 11.01.2013
724089
New York Islanders
Matt Moulson on Islanders exit: ‘You move on in life’
By Larry Brooks
October 31, 2013 | 2:16pm
It is back to the future for Matt Moulson, the high-scoring winger who for four
years was an essential building block in the Islanders’ climb to respectability
and now gets to fill that same role — at least temporarily — for the
bottom-feeding Sabres.
“It’s tough anytime to leave a place where you’ve put in so much time, effort
and work to help make a success,” Moulson, the key component on the
other side of Sunday’s deal for Thomas Vanek, said following Buffalo’s
morning skate at the Garden in advance of Thursday night’s match against
the Rangers.
“We all kind of grew together and got better together, so that’s tough, but I
got over it pretty quickly. You move on in life.”
Moulson, who recorded 118 goals in 304 games as an Islander before
scoring twice in his first game in a Buffalo uniform in Tuesday’s 4-3 home
defeat to the Stars, more likely than not will be on the move again in
advance of the March 5 deadline.
The Sabres, who obtained first- and second-round picks from the Islanders
in Sunday’s deal, are expected to wheel Moulson for more picks as a rental
property with the 30-year-old (his birthday is Friday) eligible to become an
unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“Everyone’s brought that up, but no one from the organization,” Moulson
said. “I have a similar attitude as when I was with the Islanders that I don’t
have a contract [for next year].
“I’m taking it day by day, trying to get better, doing whatever I can to help the
team win and sharing my knowledge with my teammates,” he said. “Whether
I’m here for a couple of months, a year or a couple of years, I don’t think my
game of style will change at all.”
Moulson, the father of a not-quite-3-week-old son and a 14-month-old
daughter, was able to spend Wednesday night at his Long Island home.
Guess who came for dinner? Close friend and former linemate John
Tavares.
“I got to say goodbye again and be sad again,” Moulson said. “He’s a great
kid, and we had chemistry on and off the ice. To have chemistry like that
with one of the best players in the world … I’m sure he’ll do well with
anyone.”
Vanek skated on Tavares’ left with Kyle Okposo on the right in his debut as
an Islander on Tuesday against the Rangers. Moulson is skating on the
Sabres’ first line with Cody Hodgson and Tyler Ennis.
“The young guys are pretty much like with the Islanders,” said Moulson, a
Cornell product who originally was selected 263rd overall by the Penguins in
the ninth round of the 2003 Entry Draft. “They’re enthusiastic and want to get
better. I love to talk, so I’ll share my experience with the guys.”
Moulson’s fate as an Islander was essentially sealed over the summer when
general manager Garth Snow failed to grant the first-line winger a contract
extension. Indeed, the parties never engaged in any type of serious
negotiation.
“Obviously anytime you’re in the last year of a contract, specifically, there’s a
chance you could be traded,” Moulson said. “Me and my wife always knew
that was a possibility, but I believed in my heart that it would work out.
“I didn’t think this would happen, but it’s sports. You move on.”
Moulson was asked whether he would consider signing with the Islanders as
a free agent if they were to come calling over the summer. It’s a far-fetched
scenario given the organization made no attempt to lock him up when the
opportunity was there to do so.
“I haven’t thought about that at all,” he said. “That’s something I’d have to
talk about with my family and agent. I’m concentrating on this team. I’ll get to
that when I have to.”
New York Post LOADED: 11.01.2013
724090
New York Islanders
Meet hockey’s human zambonis
“My favorite memory was my first game,” Ashleen said. ”As a New York
Islanders fan my whole life, being able to apply my skating and work with the
team I had supported since I was young…stepping onto the ice for the first
time was a surreal feeling and it really showed the joy I knew I was going to
have from this job.”
By David Satriano
October 31, 2013 | 12:03pm
When John Tavares skates in on a breakaway and roofs a goal top shelf at
Nassau Coliseum, he has the Ice Girls to thank.
The 12 women who make up the Islanders Ice Girls team ensure the ice is
clean of snow and debris every game, so Tavares and his teammates have
a clear surface on which to play.
“As a team, we’re required to clean the ice three times a period in 90
seconds or less,” said Ashleen, who has been an Ice Girl for three seasons.
“Ninety seconds may seem like a very long time, however when you’re
clearing the ice, having to go around players and refs, making sure you do
not miss anything, it can get a little hectic.”
The work the Ice Girls do can’t be seen on TV, but from the stands on Long
Island, it becomes clear see how good they are at their craft, even sweeping
the ice in synchronization. So how does one become an Ice Girl?
“Most of our audition is on ice,” said Christi, a five-year Ice Girl veteran. “Our
coach, Linda, will ask us to do crossovers, T-stops, lunges, spirals, and
those types of things, then there’s an interview before you go back on the ice
and skate with the [Islanders] flags and some of the shovels.
“About six years ago in December, I came to an Islanders game with my
friends and I saw all the ice girls on the ice. They were playing games with
the fans and they wore Christmas outfits, and I thought it looked like so
much fun that I decided then I wanted to do it.”
In addition to cleaning the ice, the Ice Girls take part in activities during the
game around the Coliseum and make approximately 200 appearances
throughout the community each year.
“You might see us running around selling raffle tickets, making
appearances, doing fan interactions, making announcements on the
jumbotron,” Ashleen said. “My favorite part is dancing and getting the crowd
into the game.”
There were a fair share of quiet nights at the Coliseum prior to last season.
But the Islanders’ resurgence and playoff appearance last spring made it a
happening place to be with sellout crowds of more than 16,000.
“My favorite memory was last year when we were about to get into the
playoffs, just feeling the stadium shaking from everyone cheering for the
Islanders and feeling all of the fans energy,” Christi said. “It was such an
exciting feeling and to get to be a part of that was something amazing.”
The troupe started 13 years ago, when the NHL mandated ice-removal
personnel know how to skate. Since then, the Ice Girls have become almost
as popular as the Islanders themselves. Fans take pictures with them and
sometimes ask for autographs.
“Back in 2001, we started with four girls. That year, we struggled just to get
four girls who could skate and make the time commitment and be a part of
the team — and now as we’re in our 13th year, we have 12 girls on the
squad,” said Tim Beach, vice president of Game Operations and Events.
“And now when we have our auditions during the summer, we’re happy to
say that we actually have to turn away really good skaters and really the
program has evolved.
“To this day, we get calls from other teams asking us: ‘Who makes the
uniforms for you guys?’ and ‘How do you do this with the girls? How do you
get them to participate in this?’ ” Beach said. “Our program has become a
model throughout the NHL.”
And the Ice Girls are much more than pretty faces. Christi is finishing her
final year of law school and does voiceover work for a radio station. Ashleen
is getting her Master’s in special education, a certification in American sign
language, and works for a physical therapist and in a school district.
Both are also avid hockey fans — they root for the Islanders, of course —
which makes this a dream job.
724091
New York Islanders
Islanders' defensemen playing big minutes
Originally published: October 31, 2013 10:12 PM
Updated: October 31, 2013 10:29 PM
By ARTHUR STAPLE
Ask an Islanders defenseman who is playing increased minutes of late and
he'll say it makes him a better player.
Ask the Islanders' coach and you get a slightly different answer.
With the Islanders short two regular defensemen as they headed to Ottawa
on Thursday for a game with the Senators Friday night -- Lubomir Visnovsky
(concussion) and Brian Strait (upper body) still were not back on the ice and
will miss their fifth and fourth game, respectively -- Jack Capuano still was
down to six healthy defensemen.
That means his three best regulars, Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic
and Thomas Hickey, are going to carry the load again in Ottawa, as well as
Saturday at home against the Bruins.
Those three are fine with that.
"I honestly think I'm a better defenseman when I'm playing over 25 minutes,''
said Hamonic, who is averaging 25:10 per game through 12 games and is
averaging just shy of 27 minutes a game since Visnovsky left late in the first
period against the Hurricanes on Oct. 19. "I'm more into the flow, I feel like,
and I love the challenge.''
MacDonald, who has taken Visnovsky's spot on the top power-play unit, is
up to 26:43 per game, fourth-highest in the league. Those two, having been
the top defense pair for more than two seasons now, are accustomed to big
minutes.
Hickey is definitely not, but the 24-year-old has tried to assume a more
important role in the absence of Visnovsky, his regular partner.
"You have to work a little harder to affect the game in a positive way,'' said
Hickey, who had his first two points of the season and is a plus-3 in his last
three games. "But I definitely enjoy those minutes and I'm trying to make the
best of them.''
Capuano is leery of leaning too heavily on his regulars, but veterans Radek
Martinek and Matt Carkner have struggled to shoulder a consistent
workload. Rookie Matt Donovan showed some good signs of confidence
against the Rangers on Tuesday night after a few glaring mistakes in
previous games.
"It's definitely something you have to watch for,'' Capuano said. "You can't
just throw guys like Travis and A-Mac out there for 28, 30 minutes a game,
night after night.''
For the near term, however, the players will win out and get the big minutes.
With the Isles in a 1-3-1 funk since Visnovsky went down, the coach may be
on to something.
Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724092
New York Islanders
Matt Moulson gets to come home, sees John Tavares
By MARK HERRMANN
At least the schedule did Matt Moulson a favor. It brought him to Madison
Square Garden for a game Thursday night against the Rangers, which
meant he could go back to his Long Island home Wednesday. Seeing his
family, including the son who will be three weeks old Friday, he said, "Made
me miss them a little less."
And seeing another dinner guest made him miss that person a little more.
John Tavares was over again, as he had been on Sunday, just before the
Islanders traded the captain's best friend for Thomas Vanek. "It was almost
like saying goodbye all over again. It was sad all over again," Moulson said
after he completed the morning skate with his fellow Sabres.
Moulson, who turns 30 Friday, is not sure if he still will be with the rebuilding
Sabres after the trade deadline in March. He certainly isn't focusing on
where he will be after he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. At
the moment, he is just trying to do the best he can without looking backward.
"Me and my wife, we always knew it was a possibility," he said, referring to a
trade. "But I believed in my heart that things would work out. So even though
I said it was a possibility, I didn't think it was actually going to happen. But so
be it. That's what happens in sports. I've moved on."
Typically, on the ice, he moved quickly. In his Sabres debut Monday, he
scored two goals. The next morning, Tavares said, "I'm not really surprised.
He's going to find his way, like he always has. He has overcome a lot in his
career. It's good to see him get off on the right foot in Buffalo."
Moulson was held without a shot Thursday night in the Sabres' 2-0 loss to
the Rangers.
Aside from parting with Tavares, Kyle Okposo (he and his wife are
godparents to baby George Benjamin Moulson) and many other Long
Islanders inside and outside the organization, the hard part for Moulson is
knowing that he paid his dues, then had to leave a team that looks as if it
finally is on the verge of something more.
"We all were kind of growing together and getting better together. That's
tough, but you get over it pretty quickly I think," he said. "The young guys
here are much like when I first went to the Islanders, a lot of energetic guys,
enthusiastic about playing in the NHL, wanting to learn and get better. I love
being in situations like that and I love talking. So sharing the experiences
I've had with these guys, it's been fun so far."
Not totally fun. Even being in a hockey household -- Moulson's father-in-law,
Mike Backman, played for the Rangers and his brother-in-law, Jonathan
Quick, is the Kings' goalie -- lessened the sting for his wife, Alicia, who also
is watching their 14-month-old daughter.
"Having to pick up and move your life isn't easy, but people have obviously
done it many times before in professional sports,'' Moulson said. "She knows
it's a business. As gut-wrenching as it was, you get over it pretty quickly."
At least he got an assist from the schedule this week. "I had to pick up my
winter coat," he said. "It's freezing in Buffalo."
724093
New York Rangers
NY Rangers shut out Sabres behind 29-save effort from Henrik Lundqvist
Updated: Friday, November 1, 2013, 1:21 AM
The Rangers achieved comforting confirmation of their superiority to the
last-place Buffalo Sabres Thursday night, but their dominant 2-0 win at the
Garden was more significant for what it meant to their franchise goalie.
Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves for his first win in 15 days, a drought that
had dragged on due to injury, a loss in Monday’s home opener to Montreal
through little fault of his own, and a seat on the bench for Tuesday’s 3-2 win
on Long Island.
The Rangers (5-7-0) are on a bit of roll with three wins in four games. Chris
Kreider scored his second goal in two games, Derick Brassard buried the
team’s third power-play goal in the same span, and the Blueshirts rattled off
a season-high 46 shots on net in Alain Vigneault’s first Garden victory as
Rangers coach.
But nothing is more important during this four-game home stand than
instilling confidence and focus in Lundqvist, the backbone that – like every
other year prior – will determine just how far this club goes.
“It’s hard to be satisfied when you lose; you want to win,” Lundqvist said
after improving to 3-5-0. “It comes down to winning. I can do a lot of great
things, but if we don’t win, I’m not satisfied. So it’s definitely a big win for the
team and me personally, too, to feel like I’m helping the team to get points.”
Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller (44 saves) was the game’s biggest star, giving the
Sabres (2-12-1) a chance while continuing to audition as an attractive trade
chip for a contender. Still, Lundqvist made the saves he hadn’t made out
west during the Rangers’ 1-4 season-opening road trip, protecting a 1-0 lead
in the second period and making 11 stops in the third when the game got
sloppy.
“Our game has been getting better,” Vigneault said. “In the third, it seemed
like a few of our defensemen wanted to give Hank a little bit of work and they
turned the puck over a couple times, but that’s why we pay him the big
dollars.”
It was a perfect choice of words in Lundqvist’s contract year, but that’s for
another day.
For a second straight game, the Derek Stepan line with Kreider on the left
wing and Mats Zuccarello on the right was buzzing, combining for 18 shots
on goal that paced a 76-shot attempt barrage.
“It’s easy to see when ‘20’ gets going, it’s hard to slow him down,” Stepan
said of Kreider, who wears No. 20. “He’s speeding my game up … And I
don’t know how many times tonight Zucc(arello) made a great pass that
really breaks down a defense.”
Zuccarello, J.T. Miller, and Michael Del Zotto all had assists. The Rangers’
inability to blow out Buffalo highlighted their continued struggle to score
goals without Rick Nash (concussion, out indefinitely) and captain Ryan
Callahan (broken left thumb). They really only used 11 forwards, since
Brandon Mashinter hardly played in replacement of fourth-line center
Dominic Moore (strained oblique, out 7-10 days).
The good news, though, is that Callahan practiced with the team Thursday
for the first time since the injury and said he is a week to 10 days away from
returning.
724094
New York Rangers
NY Rangers need Henrik Lundqvist back in form to climb out of early hole
But after that initial shock or that initial disappointment, you get the mindset
of ‘Let's heal. Let's get back.'"
Rick Nash (concussion) remains sidelined indefinitely from the Oct. 8
headshot by Brad Stuart in San Jose and still has not been seen around the
team.
Thursday, October 31, 2013, 1:19 PM
Center Dominic Moore suffered a strained oblique muscle in the first period
of Tuesday's win on Long Island and will miss a week to 10 days, Vigneault
said. Brandon Mashinter replaced Moore in Thursday's lineup against
Buffalo, but the Rangers may recall other forwards from Hartford during this
homestand as necessary.
Henrik Lundqvist gives up a goal to Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec
during Monday's 2-0 loss.
The Rangers only can feel as confident as Henrik Lundqvist does.
Tuesday's win over the Islanders lifted the team's spirits, but rookie backup
Cam Talbot was in net, meaning Lundqvist still had not won a game in more
than two weeks going into Thursday night's Garden visit from the Buffalo
Sabres (2-11-1).
In the big picture of an 82-game season, the Blueshirts (4-7-0) need their
franchise goalie in his preferred mental state – focused and optimistic – to
climb out of the Metropolitan Division basement.
"It's always a good feeling to win, that's how you really feel confidence,"
Lundqvist (2-5-0) said Thursday morning before making his eighth start of
the season. "But as a goalie, you can only focus on your own game and give
(the team) a chance to win. You can't control how you play as a team. The
most important thing for me is just to go out there and give us a chance."
Righting their goaltender should be the Rangers' foremost priority in this
four-game homestand, which will continue with games every other day
against the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Lundqvist seemed on his way to re-centering himself on Monday, when he
made 22 saves in a 2-0 loss to Montreal in his first game back from an
undisclosed injury. But then coach Alain Vigneault sat Lundqvist Tuesday on
Long Island, even though the former Vezina Trophy winner had said he
wanted to play.
There was a gray area of why Vigneault had gone to the rookie Talbot: did
Lundqvist's mystery injury act up? Was Vigneault afraid to push Lundqvist
too hard coming off the injury? Was it simply a case of the coach preferring a
goalie split in back-to-backs?
"I think, ask AV," Lundqvist said Thursday morning, using his coach's
nickname. "I just try to push myself here, try to be ready every game they tell
me to play. Ya know, it turned out great (on Tuesday). Cam came in and
played really well again, and that's what we need. We need wins right now.
I'm not going to focus too much on if I'm playing back-to-backs or not. I'm
ready for tonight (against Buffalo) and that's all I'm thinking about."
Vigneault acknowledged Lundqvist's recent injury played a small part but
said it wasn't the deciding factor.
"It might have been honestly 10, 15 percent that Hank was coming off an
injury," Vigneault said Thursday morning. "But it had more to do with
back-to-back and it had a lot to do with Cam playing real well and us having
confidence in him, and that's what we did."
Lundqvist, who missed two starts last week due to the injury, shrugged off
Thursday a suggestion that he still may be fighting the ailment.
"I feel good. There (are) no issues," he said.
CAPTAIN ON SKATES
Captain Ryan Callahan participated in Thursday morning's pre-game
practice for the first time since breaking his left thumb blocking a shot Oct.
16 in Washington. Callahan wore a non-contact jersey but is on schedule to
return to the lineup in a week-to-10 days, Vigneault said, which could put
him back in the lineup as early as next Wednesday against the Penguins or
Thursday in Columbus against old friends Marian Gaborik, Brandon
Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov.
"It's extremely frustrating," Callahan said Thursday morning, with his left
hand wrapped in ice. "I worked hard all summer to get back from that
shoulder injury (that kept him out of the season-opener in Phoenix). I came
back a little bit sooner than expected, which was good, and I felt good. I felt
the last couple games I started to feel my game a little bit, getting back in it,
and then this happened … I felt it those first couple days. I was pissed off …
724095
New York Rangers
morning the physical issue was no more than “10, 15 percent’ of the reason
he used Talbot on the Island.
Lundqvist, Rangers blank lowly Sabres
“But it had more to do with back-to-back and it had a lot to do with Cam
playing real well and us having confidence in him,” Vigneault said.
By Larry Brooks
Again. That’s different from what we have become accustomed to in these
parts regarding goaltending assignments, but it’s up to Lundqvist to earn his
starts on the ice rather than with his résumé or marquee value.
October 31, 2013 | 11:28pm
This 2-0 victory over the Sabres at the Garden on Thursday night marked a
return to order in the Rangers’ universe.
First and foremost, Henrik Lundqvist — remember him? — was as close to
peak form as he has been all season in recording the 29-save shutout
during which he was in complete command, even if against an inferior foe.
Though Cam Talbot’s emergence as a reliable understudy is a fine thing for
the Blueshirts, the club’s persona is largely defined by their No. 1 goalie,
who has struggled pretty much from the start of camp to establish the game
everyone had become accustomed to over Lundqvist’s first eight NHL
seasons.
“It has been different,” The King told The Post after recording his first victory
since his Oct. 16 shutout of the Capitals in Washington. “It’s been a
challenge for me, for sure.
“I have to keep working to turn things around.”
The Rangers have sure turned things around since the season-opening
five-game debacle out west in which the club allowed 25 goals in dropping
four of its first five games. Since a return to normalcy, the Blueshirts have
gone 4-3 in yielding a sum of 12 goals. They have allowed six goals in
winning three of their last four to climb within one point of a playoff spot.
“I think the guys are getting pretty confident with good chemistry as far
where the puck is going,” Ryan McDonagh said. “We had five guys close to
the puck all night, so we had good support, which is key.
“We played a simple game. It was a good example of what we have to
continue to do and it was good to see Hank playing the way we know he’s
capable of.”
The Rangers used speed to dominate the sad-sack Sabres, who have
scored 22 goals in their 2-12-1 getaway. They wheeled through the neutral
zone with ease, got the puck in deep, and smothered Buffalo’s attempts to
clear the zone.
By the end of the first period, the Rangers owned a 19-6 edge in shots and a
whopping 34-10 advantage in attempts. The numbers mounted steadily for
the Blueshirts until the final 10 minutes when the Sabres were able to test
Lundqvist four or five times on one-and-dones the netminder turned aside.
The total shots were 46-29, the final attempts were 76-50, and it only
seemed as if the line with Derek Stepan centering Chris Kreider and Mats
Zuccarello accounted for all of them for the Rangers. Fact is, the unit
combined for 18 shots on 22 attempts with Kreider scoring on a
second-period rebound for the 2-0 lead after Derek Brassard got the lone
first-period goal by beating Ryan Miller on a power-play slap shot.
“A big part of our line right now is Chris Kreider moving his feet,” Stepan
said. “When he’s on the puck he gets the puck to Zuke, and Zuke is making
plays.
“It’s easy when 20 [Kreider] gets going. It’s hard to slow him down.”
The Rangers have played within a structure the last two weeks. They are
playing a safer brand of hockey than they did on the trek through the
badlands. They have improved their battle-level immeasurably since losing
4-0 to the Devils at the Prudential Center on Oct. 19.
“I think our confidence is getting higher,” Lundqvist said. “We trust each
other and we trust the system. We have to continue to improve, but it’s
getting better and better, I think.”
The same applies to the goaltender, who was passed over in favor of Talbot
for Tuesday’s match at the Coliseum on the second half of the back-to-back
that began with Lundqvist’s 2-0 home-opening defeat to Montreal.
Lundqvist, of course, was coming off the unidentified injury that had
sidelined him for two games, but coach Alain Vigneault had said in the
“I think I’m getting there,” Lundqvist said. “It’s been bumpy and I still have
work to do, but it was definitely a good game for me.
“I want to win. It comes down to winning.”
It comes down to order being restored.
724096
New York Rangers
Ryan Callahan 7-10 days from Rangers return
By Larry Brooks
October 31, 2013 | 12:55pm
Ryan Callahan is approximately “a week to 10 days’ from returning to the
Rangers’ lineup, coach Alain Vigneault said before Thursday night’s 2-0
victory over the Sabres at the Garden.
“It was my first day handling the puck, stickhandling and passing,” Callahan,
who sustained a broken left thumb blocking a shot late in the Oct. 16 victory
over the Capitals, said following the morning skate in which he participated
wearing a non-contact jersey. “As far [as a return], I’m sticking with the
original three-to-four weeks.”
Callahan had spent the summer and training camp rehabbing from
offseason shoulder surgery. He scored three goals in five games after
missing the regular-season opener.
“It’s extremely frustrating after working hard all summer and coming back a
little sooner than expected,” said Callahan, who sustained a broken hand
and a broken foot blocking shots during the 2010-11 season. “I was just
starting to feel my game coming, and then this happens.
“It [stinks]. The first couple of days I was pissed off, but after the initial shock
and disappointment, I started working hard so it would get better,” he said.
“It’s part of the game, and unfortunately I’ve been through injuries before, so
I’m just working to get back.”
Dominic Moore, who missed the final two periods of Monday’s game at the
Coliseum with what has been identified as a strained oblique, sat out against
the Sabres and is expected to be sidelined up to 10 days.
Brandon Mashinter, the lone spare forward on the roster, replaced Moore in
the lineup and nominally on the fourth line against the Sabres. The
25-year-old, 6-foot-4 winger who fought Cody McCormick in the first period,
played 4:09 and did not get on the ice in the third period.
It is likely the Rangers will make a personnel move in advance of Saturday’s
Garden match against the Hurricanes.
“We have [a number] of home games coming up and Hartford’s not too far
away, so we can go on a game-by-game basis,” Vigneault said following the
skate. “Dom has been helping that line and the penalty-kill, so we have to
have more penalty-killers.”
Vigneault threw Mats Zuccarello into the penalty kill mix against Buffalo, the
diminutive winger getting 55 seconds of shorthanded time. Zuccarello has
gotten 3:25 of penalty-kill time this year after having played a sum of 49
seconds of shorthanded hockey his three previous partial seasons in the
NHL.
The shutout was Henrik Lundqvist’s second of the season and 47th of his
career, two behind Ed Giacomin’s franchise record of 49.
Vigneault parceled out between 11:58 (Taylor Pyatt) and 20:18 (Derek
Stepan) for the 11 forwards other than Mashinter. Dan Girardi, who had
played just 10:59 through the first two periods, got 7:30 in the third to finish
with 18:29.
Matt Moulson was no factor for the Sabres, held without a shot (on two
attempts) in 17:28 playing left wing on the Sabres’ top unit featuring center
Cody Hodgson and right wing Tyler Ennis .
724097
New York Rangers
Rangers notes: Ryan Callahan on the mend
Andrew Gross
Cally on mend
Ryan Callahan participated in the Rangers’ morning skate Thursday in a
non-contact jersey, his first time on ice with his teammates since breaking
his left thumb late in the third period of the Rangers’ 2-0 win at Washington
on Oct. 16.
Coach Alain Vigneault said Callahan is a week to 10 days away from
playing.
Callahan played just five games with three goals — two on the power play —
after returning in the season’s second game following off-season surgery to
repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
"It’s extremely frustrating," Callahan said. "I worked hard all summer to get
back from that shoulder injury and came back a little bit sooner than
expected. … It [stinks] and I felt it those first couple of days. I was [ticked]
off."
Disciplined play
The Sabres had just one power play and took one shot with the man
advantage. The Rangers’ penalty kill is 23-for-26 over the past seven
games.
"Because we were spending a lot of time in their end we forced them to take
a couple of penalties," Vigneault said of the 1-for-3 power play. "It wasn’t as
many as maybe we would have liked, but staying out the box is a very
important thing."
Briefs
D Marc Staal played in his 400th NHL game. … C Derek Stepan took a
career-high seven shots. … Vigneault said C Dominic Moore (strained
oblique) will miss seven to 10 days after injuring himself in the first period
Tuesday. … RW Rick Nash (concussion) missed his ninth straight game. …
D Justin Falk was a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game.
724098
New York Rangers
Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist blank Sabres, 2-0
12:15 AM
BY
Last updated: Friday November 1, 2013,
ANDREW GROSS
NEW YORK – It’s only a two-game winning streak so, even if it’s the
Rangers’ first of this season, they’re not willing to pretend all facets of their
game are in place.
At the same time, after a dominant, 2-0, Halloween win over the scary-bad
Sabres on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden to start a four-game
homestand, the Rangers can sense it happening.
“The way things have been going, it’s not hard to realize how important
these points are,” said Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped 29 shots for his
second shutout of the season and 47th of his career. “We played so well I
wanted to be there for the guys to get this win and continue what we started
in Long Island. It’s important we get a few wins here and start building our
confidence and climbing in the standings.”
The Rangers (5-7-0) spent a better portion of the game in the offensive zone
as they took a season-high 46 shots on Ryan Miller, who was brilliant in net
for the NHL-worst Sabres (2-12-1).
As in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum, Derek
Stepan’s line with wings Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello was the
Rangers’ best as they combined for 18 shots and Kreider scored for the
second straight game.
“It’s nice but, at the same time, for the number of chances, we want to keep
scoring,” said Kreider, who took six shots and banked in a sharp-angle goal
from the left off Miller’s backside to make it 2-0 at 11:21 of the second
period. “We talked about that. Our line might be a little greedy but we want to
score more.”
Perhaps the most important aspect of Thursday’s win was how the Rangers
dictated the pace for a second straight game. The Rangers, who began a
stretch of eight of 10 at home, have also won three of their past four.
Center Brian Boyle said coach Alain Vigneault emphasized setting the
tempo.
“That’s what he demanded of us,” Boyle said. “He wants us to do it more and
more and he was harping on it the whole game. Even when we’re having
shift after shift in their end, he wanted us to score. It’s good. It kept us
focused and kept us pushing.”
Kreider’s play in the five games since he was recalled from Hartford (AHL) –
Vigneault said he’s been “if not our best forward, one of our best forwards
every game” – and the return of left wing Carl Hagelin from off-season
shoulder surgery Tuesday has made the Rangers a much tougher team to
play against because of the speed and offensive skill each brings.
“Confidence is key in this game and his speed is amazing and his strength
with the puck, he runs over guys,” Lundqvist said of Kreider. “You can just
tell he’s confident.”
The Rangers took 19 shots apiece in each of the first two periods and took a
1-0 lead on Derick Brassard’s power-play goal at 8:23 of the first period, as
he blasted a shot from the blue line through J.T. Miller’s screen at the net.
The Sabres finally started to test Lundqvist late in the second period and he
made 11 saves in the third period, thanks, in part, as Vigneault dryly noted,
some turnovers by the Rangers’ defensemen.
“He played like Hank,” Kreider said. “I can sit here and talk about him all
night, but there are only so many superlatives. He’s unbelievable.”
The Sabres, who dressed three teenagers, traded their co-captain, Thomas
Vanek, to the Islanders on Sunday for left wing Matt Moulson and a first- and
second-round pick. Moulson and Miller, impending unrestricted free agents,
are expected to be moved before the March 5 trade deadline.
724099
New York Rangers
Henrik Lundqvist makes 29 saves in Rangers' 2-0 victory over Sabres
By STEVE ZIPAY
When Mats Zuccarello's shot bounced off Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller to
Chris Kreider midway through the second period last night, the Rangers
forward figured he had nothing to lose.
"It's a play I've tried a lot. I don't know if it's ever worked for me," said
Kreider, who was to Miller's right. "You throw it in front because you don't
have any other option. You see the goalie's a little out. Best case, it goes in,
but hopefully it just sits there where your teammates can bang it home. It
worked out, but it was just a whole lot of luck."
Kreider's wrister banked off Miller's back and caromed in to give him two
goals in the last two games and provide a 2-0 lead at 11:21 of the second.
That wound up being the final score in the Rangers' most dominant
performance of the season as they won their second consecutive game and
first at Madison Square Garden.
The final tally could have been far more lopsided. A vintage Miller faced 46
shots, a season high for the Rangers (5-7). Henrik Lundqvist (29 saves),
who earned his second shutout of the season and 47th of his career, was
tested only in spots, mostly in the third period, when he made 11 saves.
"The last five or six minutes, they came a little harder, but we deserved this
one for sure," Lundqvist said.
Lundqvist and rookie Cam Talbot, who backstopped a 3-2 win over the
Islanders at Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday night, have been impressive in
the past seven games, allowing only 12 goals.
Neither the Rangers nor the Sabres has been producing much offense. The
Rangers entered ranked 29th in the NHL with 1.64 goals per game and
Buffalo (1.57) was last. But in the opener of a four-game homestand after
playing 10 of their first 11 on the road, the Rangers kept the pedal down.
"We created enough chances to score more than two," said Carl Hagelin,
who played a confident second game after coming off long-term injured
reserve after offseason shoulder surgery. "I think guys are finding their
groove."
The first came on a power play -- the third man-advantage goal for the
Rangers in two games. With Tyler Myers off for tripping, Derick Brassard's
right-point blast went through J.T. Miller's screen at 8:23 for Brassard's
second goal in three games.
But it was the line of Stepan, Kreider and Zuccarello, who was awarded the
first star, that excelled. They had 18 shots, led by Stepan's seven.
"It's easy to see when 20 [Kreider] gets going," said Stepan, who won 15 of
24 faceoffs as the Rangers controlled the play for the majority of the
evening. "He's actually speeding my game up. He's pushing the pace."
Coach Alain Vigneault credited Miller for giving the Sabres (2-12-1) a
chance in the game. He also singled out the Hartford coaches for helping
Kreider improve. He had two goals and four points in six AHL games.
"Using his speed and size, he's been making it real tough on the other
team's defense," Vigneault said. "Since he's been back [for five games], he's
been, if not our best forward, one of our best."
724100
New York Rangers
Ryan Callahan skates with teammates for first time since thumb injury
By STEVE ZIPAY
Frustrated by another twist of fate but seeing the light at the end of the
tunnel; that sums up Rangers captain Ryan Callahan's feelings. His broken
left thumb is healing on schedule and he skated with his teammates
Thursday for the first time since the injury.
"It was good . . . first day handling pucks, stickhandling and passing," said
Callahan, who wore a non-contact jersey and is seven to 10 days from
returning.
Callahan, who was injured while blocking a shot by Caps defenseman John
Carlson on Oct. 16, called it "extremely frustrating," particularly coming so
soon after he rehabbed from off-season shoulder surgery.
"I worked hard all summer," said Callahan, who scored three goals in five
games. "And I came back a little bit sooner than expected . . . I felt the last
couple of games I was starting to feel my game a little bit, getting back in it,
and then this happens."
Callahan recalled his immediate reaction: "I knew it wasn't good; I was
hoping it was just a bruise and not a break. I was [ticked] off. You don't want
to get hurt like this, especially coming off an injury, but after that initial shock
or that initial disappointment, you get that mind-set of 'let's heal and let's get
back.' ''
Callahan's hard-nosed game won't change. Asked if he would block a shot
with five seconds left in his first game back, he responded: "I think you know
the answer to that."
Moore sidelined
Dominic Moore, who strained an oblique muscle against the Islanders, will
miss a week to 10 days. Brandon Mashinter stepped in on a line with Brian
Boyle and Derek Dorsett. But coach Alain Vigneault said that with a
favorable home schedule (six of the next seven games), someone could be
recalled. "We're going on a game-to-game basis," he said. "Dom was
helping us on that line and helping us on the penalty kill, so we're going to
have to find some more penalty-killers." Jesper Fast, sent down when Carl
Hagelin was activated from long-term injured reserve Tuesday, had played
regularly with the team shorthanded and is a potential call-up.
724101
New York Rangers
Rangers-Baby Buffaloes in review
01 November 2013, 5:16 am by Carp
big-salary marquee names, of course. So, yeah, it was a really good idea to
fire Lindy Ruff (and James Patrick), huh?
14) Wow. Almost forgot about Henrik Lundqvist, who threw his second
shutout (in three wins). With the Rangers defending better and now with two
goalies playing well, maybe they can win enough 1-0, 2-1, 2-0 games.
Lundqvist readily admits he fought it in the early going this season. He
looked darn good when he had to be in this one.
My Three Rangers Stars:Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers
Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers
1. Henrik Lundqvist.
Thoughts:
2. Chris Kreider.
1) Yeah, so they beat a bad team. That was a popular theme last night. But
those are games you need to win, and earlier the Rangers weren’t winning
them, so stop whining, take the win, move on. The Rangers played well.
Could they have scored more? Yeah. Did they do enough stuff well enough
to win handily? Yup. Was this game, even at 2-0 with a lot of time left, ever
really in doubt? I don’t think so.Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers
3. Derek Stepan.
2) Thought it was interesting listening to Derek Stepan talking about how
Chris Kreider and the rejuvenated Mats Zuccarello (since his benching in
Philly) have forced him to pick up his pace. (listen to the audio in a prior
thread). And I agree with Alain Vigneault that Stepan was much better the
last two games. Had a bunch of chances early last night and finished with
seven shots. He’s going to, obviously, be a very critical piece for this team.
3. Mats Zuccarello.
3) Same thing with Brad Richards, who has been boosted by having Carl
Hagelin on their wing.
4) Did you see that shot by Derick Brassard? That’s why he needs to shoot it
more. He has two of their last three game-winners, by the way. Thought I’d
point that out before his tweet-happy agent does … unless he has already.
Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers5) THE Kreider. As Vigneault said, in all
three games, he’s been one of their best, if not their best, forward. Agree,
again. And he, Zuccarello, Hagelin and J.T. Miller have made this lineup
look a lot faster and deeper.
6) Don’t look now, but the Rangers have a power play. A power play that
almost always has a man in front and another rotating into the slot, a power
play where a point man moves to the half boards and the other rotates to the
middle, and a forward steps back, and there is a lot of movement to open
ice, and three men are almost always below the top of the circles instead of
having three above, as under the previous administration.
7) Good thing that the Rangers seem to be getting better each game,
because this homestand is going to get more difficult as it goes on. Carolina,
then Anaheim, then Pittsburgh.
Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers8) Sometimes I defend Michael Del
Zotto, and I really thought last year that, at least, he had improved
defensively even though he was giving them zilch offensively … but it’s
tough to defend the way he’s playing in both ends so far this season. Yeesh.
He has to be better.
9) John Moore, on the other hand, turns situations into non-situations just
by accelerating. So cool to watch. Ryan MacDonagh does the same thing.
Moore struggled a bit early – who didn’t? – he’s getting better now.
10) Dan Girardi skated in his 500th NHL game. Marc Staal skated in his
400th. Makes you realize how much of Staal’s still young career has been
lost to injuries.Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers
11) Funny that some of you guys call Brandon Mashinter “Monster Mash”
and that on Halloween he did what he did. Good for him. I think he’s a
decent player with toughness rather than a tough guy who can play a little.
Don’t know where he fits, if he fits, when Dominic Moore and Ryan Callahan
get back, but it never hurts to have a guy that size in the lineup.
12) Speaking of which, the Sabres were without their cheapshot twins, John
Scott and Patrick Kaleta. That didn’t mean their captain couldn’t inflict a few.
And he did. Nice way to lead there, Steve Ott. I am not 100 percent sure
what Ott did to Girardi in the final minute, but he sent him slipping head-first
into the boards, and when Girardi got up he went directly after Ott. That’s not
like Girardi, so he must have done something dirty, I’m guessing. And
Vigneault had Derek Dorsett go line up against Ott for the next faceoff. Ott,
shockingly, had no interest. But good for Vigneault. That type of thing must
be dealt with immediately.Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers
13) These Sabres remind me of the Rangers circa 2000, where they just
stand around and glide a lot and aren’t interested in competing. Minus, the
Kenny Albert’s Three Rangers Stars:
1. Henrik Lundqvist.
2. Chris Kreider.
Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724102
New York Rangers
Rangers 2, Sabres 0 … post-game notes & quotes
31 October 2013, 10:44 pm by Carp
Team Notes:
The Rangers opened their four-game homestand with a 2-0 win
tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden.
The Blueshirts are now 5-7-0 overall (10 pts), including a 1-1-0
mark at home this season. The Rangers have won three of their last four
games, with wins in each of their last two games.
The Rangers have now out-scored the Sabres, 10-4, in their last
two meetings, including an 8-4 win in their final meeting last season on Apr.
19 at Buffalo.
New York out-shot Buffalo, 46-29, in the contest, including a 38-18
advantage after two periods. The 46 shots on goal mark a season-high for
the Rangers, and are the most by the team since Mar. 15, 2011 vs. NY
Islanders (47 shots).
The Rangers tallied one power play goal in three attempts (5:39),
and are now 4-15 (26.7%) with the man advantage in the last four games.
The Blueshirts’ penalty kill held the Sabres scoreless in one shorthanded
situation (2:00) to improve to 23-26 (88.5%) in the last seven games.
The Blueshirts improved to 3-0-0 when leading after the second
period this season, and have now registered at least a point in 95
consecutive regular season games when entering the third with the lead.
The Rangers’ last regulation loss in a game when entering the third with the
lead was Feb. 4, 2010 (6-5 loss vs. WSH).
With the win, Head Coach Alain Vigneault moved past Jacques
Demers into 28th on the NHL’s all-time head coaching points list, earning
950 points in 818 career games coached (427-295-35-61).
Player Notes:
Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 29 shots faced to post his
second shutout of the season, and the 47th shutout of his career. He
improved to 3-5-0 overall, including a 1-1-0 mark at home this season.
Lundqvist has posted a shutout in two of his last four appearances, and is
2-2-0 with a 1.52 goals against average and .938 save percentage over the
span.
Derick Brassard notched a power play goal to open the game’s
scoring at 8:28 of the first period, and logged 14:34 of ice time. He has now
registered two goals in the last four games, and ranks third on the team in
scoring with six points (two goals, four assists) this season.
Chris Kreider registered a goal and a career-high, six shots on
goal in 17:26 of ice time. He has now tallied three points (two goals, one
assist) in five games with the Rangers this season, including a goal in each
of the last two games.
Mats Zuccarello tallied an assist and five shots, and was credited
with two blocked shots in 17:57 of ice time to earn First Star honors. He has
now registered three points (one goal, two assists) in the last four games,
following his healthy scratch on Oct. 24 at Philadelphia.
Michael Del Zotto recorded a power play assist and two shots in a
team-high, 22:23 of ice time. He has now tallied an assist in each of the last
two games.
Ryan McDonagh registered an assist and was credited with two
blocked shots in 18:46 of ice time. He has now tallied three points (one goal,
two assists) in the last four games, including a point in each of the last two
games (one goal, one assist).
J.T. Miller recorded his first point of the season with a power play
assist, and registered two shots and two hits in 14:58 of ice time.
Dan Girardi was credited with a team-high, four hits, in 16:18 of ice
time while skating in his 500th career NHL game.
Marc Staal registered two hits and logged 19:57 of ice time while
skating in his 400th career NHL game.
Derek Stepan led all skaters and tied his career-high with seven
shots on goal, and won a game-high, 16-25 faceoffs (64%) in 20:18 of ice
time.
Post-Game Quotes:
Alain Vigneault on tonight’s game… “I think our game has been
getting better. It’s been getting better on both sides of the rink, defensively
and offensively. We are doing a lot of the things that we have to do to put
some good performances together, and that’s what we did tonight. We came
out extremely hard and spent a good portion of the first two periods in their
end. We had some great chances and their goaltender kept them in [the
game].”
Henrik Lundqvist on the team’s momentum… “Ever since we
came back, the guys have stepped their game up. We were looking for our
game a little bit and we were playing the best teams in the league at the time
and we got exposed a little bit, but coming back, we are finding our game
more and more and trusting each other more and more and that’s a big
thing. We need to continue to improve but it’s looking better and better.”
Ryan McDonagh on tonight’s game… “I think guys are getting
pretty confident. There is good chemistry as far as where pucks are going.
It’s not a big adjustment; it’s just a matter of making simple plays, not trying
to be pretty. We were pretty simple against this team and worked them
down low and that’s where we generated offense. I think it was a good
example tonight of what we need to continue to do.”
Team Schedule:
-
Friday, Nov. 1 – Practice, 12:00 p.m. at MSG Training Center
Next Game – Saturday , Nov. 2 vs. Carolina (7:00 p.m. ET – TV:
MSG Network)
724103
New York Rangers
It’s Go Time! … Baby Buffaloes at Rangers
31 October 2013, 6:30 pm by Carp in
Baby Buffaloes at Rangers.
Happy Halloween! The Empire State Building is lit in orange tonight … but
this time I don’t think it’s for Mr. Snider’s Flyers.
Hard to believe more than an eighth of the season is gone already. Ya boys
have won two of three. They look for their first home win to start a four-game
homestand tonight.
Henrik Lundqvist is back in goal. Brandon Mashinter is in for Dominic Moore
(oblique). Moore and Ryan Callahan (thumb) are expected to miss the next
7-10 days. Rick Nash (concussion) is indefinite. Justin Falk is prucha’d.
Matt Moulson returns to the New York area after his trade earlier this week
from the Islanders, for Thomas Vanek. Moulson had eight goals for the
season, for for Buffalo. Ex-Ranger John Scott today was suspended by the
NHL for seven games (first offense) … which kind of reduces the Rangers’
chances. Patrick Kaleta is also still serving his 10-game suspension.
Hey, I get to see my buddy Jim Corsi tonight … and tell him how much I love
his statistic. (sarcasm).
Don’t forget to vote for the Three Rangers Stars in the poll on the left.
724104
NHL
NHL, NBA could put a stop to tanking
By Bucky Gleason +
on October 31, 2013 - 11:55 PM
Sometimes, we overlook the simplest ideas that make sense. You know the
orange plastic bags that look like pumpkins and are ideal for collecting
leaves? It was an uncomplicated yet brilliant concept. The same goes for
Velcro and zippers and long-stem grill lighters and … you get the point.
Since my idea to invent triangular, sealable Baggies that would be used to
store leftover pizza slices has gone nowhere, allow me to introduce the
following format that should be used for determining draft order in the NHL
and NBA:
The team with the highest winning percentage at the time it’s eliminated
from postseason contention gets the first pick overall. The second-best team
that fails to make the playoffs would get the second pick, and so on. The
worst team would receive the last pick before playoff teams, or near the
middle of each round.
Make sense?
The incentive of an improved draft position would force teams to make an
honest effort to reach the postseason, which should be the minimum
standard in professional sports. Teams in contention that fall short of the
postseason would be rewarded. The top pick the following year would
improve its chances of taking the next step.
Teams that flounder around the bottom of the standings because they have
poor players or incompetent general managers would be penalized. It would
force them to build better teams that can compete for the postseason. If they
make the playoffs, it’s a success. But if they come close and miss, they win
a prize for giving it their best shot.
It would put more pressure on franchises to succeed. It would make for
stronger, more competitive leagues and better balance. It would create more
excitement in late-season games involving poor teams and inject stakes into
otherwise meaningless games. Every contest would matter on some level.
And it would all but eliminate tanking.
Draft lotteries were implemented because teams started losing intentionally
late in the year to improve their draft positions. The weighted lottery system
was designed to curb the practice and make more teams eligible to select
elite players usually found early in the first round. But losing continued to
pay dividends.
Teams these days brace their fans for terrible seasons knowing they will be
rewarded the following year. It’s not how professional sports were designed.
The people paying most are fans who purchased season tickets under the
guise their favorite teams would make an effort to compete when, really, it
was all just a show.
Just so you know, this isn’t specifically about the Sabres. It’s about them and
any other franchise that purposely patches together inferior rosters with the
idea that losing today means winning tomorrow.
The Sabres appear to be trying to develop players on the fly. If they lose,
well, they lose. They believe a few miserable seasons will be quickly
forgotten if they turn around the franchise. It’s a big if, by the way, but at
least they warned their fans.
The Philadelphia 76ers, despite their win Wednesday over the Heat, are one
of several teams taking a similar tack in the NBA. The Sixers did almost
nothing to improve in the offseason. The upcoming draft is considered one
of the deepest in years. The worse they play this year, the better their
chances of landing an elite player.
You can’t blame them. Instead, blame the rules.
In professional sports, winning should be the goal. That’s why they keep
score. It’s a simple concept that’s often overlooked.
Miller could appeal to Avs
The Avalanche will likely let the legal process take its course, but it’s difficult
to fathom them keeping goaltender Semyon Varlamov if accusations against
him in a domestic-violence case are remotely true.
Varlamov faces kidnapping and assault charges after his girlfriend told
police he kicked her, threw her to the ground, stomped her and dragged her
out of his bedroom by her hair. He has been released on $5,000 bail. His
agent claims he’s innocent.
The 25-year-old goaltender has played a major role in Colorado’s great
start. He has a 7-1-0 record with a 1.76 goals-against average and a .945
save percentage. He will be allowed to travel but has been ordered to stay
away from his girlfriend.
You can’t help but wonder if Varlamov’s legal problems could lead the
Avalanche to turn their attention toward Ryan Miller. I’m not suggesting the
two sides are talking, but Miller would be a good fit on a team with
postseason aspirations.
Chamblee backpedals
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee admitted he crossed the line a few
weeks ago when he compared Tiger Woods violating golf rules to cheating
on a fourth-grade math test. Chamblee drew the comparison in a piece that
appeared on Golf.com.
“In comparing those incidents to my cheating episode in the fourth grade, I
went too far,” Chamblee told the Associated Press. “Cheating involves
intent. Now, I know what my intent was on that fourth-grade math test. But
there’s no way that I could know with 100 percent certainty what Tiger’s
intent was in any of those situations. That was my mistake.”
Chamblee didn’t realize when writing the piece that he was flirting with a
potential libel lawsuit against him. He could have suspected Woods of
cheating without any trouble, but he couldn’t conclude Woods cheated
without having factual evidence. It may look like a fine line but, when it
comes to journalism, it’s a huge difference.
He should have followed the advice of his editors. They tried telling him to
change the piece, but he refused to listen.
FAU coach breaks bad
So much for any “Say no to drugs” lecture Florida Atlantic coach Carl Pelini
may have given over the years.
Pelini, the brother of Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, and defensive coordinator
Pete Rekstis resigned immediately after they were presented with evidence
from FAU administrators showing they were doing drugs. They were
escorted off campus by security after meeting with Athletic Director Pat
Chun and admitting their involvement.
No charges are expected but, apparently, the proof was indisputable.
“It was an emotional meeting, but once I articulated all the facts I had, they
tendered their resignation,” Chun told the Sun Sentinel. “There wasn’t a high
level of debate.”
Quotable
Devils winger Jaromir Jagr on not being the all-time leader in game-winning
goals after initially being told he was: “I didn’t know I was, so I didn’t know I
wasn’t.”
Stats Inc.
20 – Career RBIs in the postseason with the bases loaded for Red Sox
outfielder Shane Victorino, who has two grand slams and six hits in eight
at-bats.
1 – Victories this season in First Niagara Center for Stars coach Lindy Ruff.
0 – Victories this season in First Niagara Center for Sabres coach Ron
Rolston.
Quick hits
• The Florida State-Miami game this weekend marks the first time since
2004 that they meet when both were ranked in the Top 10. Said Seminoles
defensive back Terrence Brooks on opposing players talking trash: “I really
wish teams would be quiet and play football. … It’s kind of like those
commercials you see – messing with Sasquatch.”
• Why the hubbub over the Orlando, Fla., man who is $13 million richer after
twice winning the state lottery? According to Forbes, he wouldn’t have
cracked the Top 100 highest-paid athletes for 2013. Tiger Woods is
expected to earn $78 million, including $65 million from endorsements, this
year.
• Charles Barkley is capable of saying just about anything, but he’s
incapable of referring to the NBA team in New Orleans as the “Pelicans.” It’s
not because it’s offensive to pelicans, but because it’s offensive to him. “I’ll
never say that silly nickname for that team in New Orleans,” Barkley said.
724105
Ottawa Senators
Pageau needs to play in all situations: Murray
by Ken Warren
on October 31, 2013
Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray sincerely believes the
short-term pain will result in long-term gain for centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
On Thursday, Pageau was shipped back to Binghamton, where Murray
hopes he’ll play anywhere from 15-20 minutes per night, regain his offensive
confidence and possibly make a return to the big leagues later this season.
Following an outstanding playoff performance and standout play in rookie
camp and in the pre-season, Pageau lost his edge — and ice time — during
the club’s six-game road trip to begin the season. He has been in and out of
the lineup for the past two weeks and when he has been in, he has played
sparingly.
“He has to play,” said Murray. “He’s a young player and was very productive
and important for us at the end of last year. He came in (this season) and
had a chest injury that set him back a little bit, but the way our team was
playing, and the change we made to bring Derek Grant up, affected him a
little bit.”
Murray has talked with Binghamton coach Luke Richardson and the
understanding is that Pageau will be surrounded by offensive wingers and
play in all situations in the AHL — conditions that should result in scoring
opportunities.
“He (shouldn’t) be a fourth-line player here,” said Murray. “This guy has the
potential to be more than that. Sitting on the sidelines, killing penalties only,
that isn’t enough.”
LEHNER RETURNS
Robin Lehner has had a few signature moments against the New York
Islanders during his brief NHL career, including his first win on Jan. 13,
2011, and a celebrated between-period run-in with former Islanders
goaltender Kevin Poulin.
This time around, he’s facing some pressure to add a couple more
significant milestones — his first win of the 2013-14 season and the 10th win
of his NHL career — while trying to stop the Senators’ three-game losing
streak.
“For me, it’s just go out there and try to do my best and see where it takes
me and hopefully we can turn this around,” said Lehner, who hasn’t played
since a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 19. “It’s tough for all of us.
We want to win and are capable of winning and we’re just not doing the right
things, but we need to find it pretty fast.”
Lehner suggests that goaltending partner Craig Anderson is unfairly taking
all the blame for the Senators’ struggles, but he understands that’s the
nature of the position. From his view at the end of the bench, he says there’s
plenty of blame to go around.
“Last year, (the media) called us pesky. We were defence first. We hit
everything. We got it deep and that kind of opened things up for us. And now
we’re trying to open up before we do all of that.
“We were very tough in front of both nets and now we’re not as tough in front
of the nets. We’re not as tough along the boards and people are taking it to
us. And for some reason, there are some breakdowns here and there.
“It’s the whole team. It comes down to forwards coming back, so that the
(defence) has confidence in standing up (at the blueline). It’s a mix of
everybody.”
Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.01.2013
724106
Ottawa Senators
Few line combos safe as Senators do the monster mash
by Ken Warren
on October 31, 2013
Few line combos safe as Senators do the monster mash
Chris Neil (L), Jason Spezza (2nd from L), and Cory Conacher (2nd from R)
are the Ottawa Senators new line in attack formation against Craig
Anderson during morning practice at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa,
October 31, 2013. (Wayne Cuddington/Ottawa Citizen)
You might excuse former Ottawa Senators Peter Regin and Matt Carkner if
they ask themselves a few questions when they line up against their old
team Friday as members of the New York Islanders.
Questions like …
— What the heck is Jason Spezza doing on a line with Chris Neil and Cory
Conacher?
— Is that really Zack Smith centring Milan Michalek and Mika Zibanejad?
— Why have seemingly inseparable defence partners Erik Karlsson and
Marc Methot been split up?
Always one to try new things to solve persistent problems, MacLean’s latest
efforts to end a stretch which has seen the Senators lose three straight
games and four of the past five makes him look a tad like a mad scientist,
desperately searching for successful chemistry experiments.
“I’m trying to get our team ready to play the Islanders and give ourselves the
best chance, that’s all we’re doing,” MacLean said following Thursday’s
practice. “We’ve changed (the lines) before, but at this point in time, with a
chance to prepare (Wednesday and Thursday), we feel that’s the way we’ll
start the game. But who knows by the end of the game?”
As shakeups go, the only way the Senators could have sent a stronger
message was to assign a player to the American Hockey League or bring in
the backup goaltender to play against the Islanders.
Well, actually, they did that, too, sending Jean-Gabriel Pageau to
Binghamton and tabbing Robin Lehner as the starting netminder Friday.
This is the kind of stuff that happens when you lose eight of your first 12
games.
“It’s kind of a wake-up call,” said Methot, who will play alongside Patrick
Wiercioch against the Islanders. “It does change your outlook. Maybe it’s a
bit of a fresh start or a restart for us. If that’s the answer, at least temporarily,
I’m all for it. Maybe shuffling them up will be the answer.”
The defence change also means that Methot will move to right defence from
his natural left spot, while Wiercioch will go back to his preferred side.
Wiercioch has struggled attempting to make the switch through the first
dozen games, most of that spent with Jared Cowen. Cowen, who has also
endured plenty of rough patches, has been pushed back to a third defence
pairing with Joe Corvo.
“We’re trying to find some stability in (Karlsson’s) game and Chris Phillips is
the most veteran player we have on defence,” said MacLean, conceding that
his young defencemen need help to rediscover their top form.
Now, back to the flip-flopping forwards. While the Clarke MacArthur-Kyle
Turris-Bobby Ryan line stays intact and fourth line of Colin Greening-Derek
Grant-Erik Condra is the same as it was in Wednesday’s 6-5 loss to
Chicago, the big change involves who is surrounding Spezza and Smith.
If there’s any way to read between the lines, it’s to see that MacLean wants
all four lines to play a much simpler game, getting the puck deep in the
opposition end, avoiding the neutral zone turnovers which have burned the
Senators over and over again, as well as getting the puck to the net however
possible.
It looks like a demotion for Spezza, but he has been around long enough to
know that losing results in change.
“When you’re not winning hockey games, you have to try different things,”
said Spezza, who suggests he will do what he can to play to the
drive-the-net strengths of Neil and Conacher. “(MacLean) is inclined to put
whoever he wants on the ice, whenever he wants, and we’re just not winning
games and we’re trying to find combinations that will work.
“I have to continue to work on my game and try and play my game. If it’s five
minutes a night getting the puck deep, then I do that. If it’s 25 minutes a
night trying to score goals, it’s that. You have to do what you have to do.”
Smith, on the other hand, is being handed a rare opportunity to play with
offensively-gifted wingers Michalek and Zibanejad.
“We’re 12 games in now and not where we want to be,” said Smith. “We’ve
had meetings and talks for the past week or longer, and not much has
changed. Drastic is too (strong) of a word, but when you change lines up like
that, it’s another (approach). We have to start winning games here or
something (else) is going to change.”
While Smith concedes he’ll never match Spezza’s offensive skills, he
acknowledges there are some offensive expectations which come with
playing on the new-look line. He also knows it may not last long.
“You never know, but that’s what happens when you’re losing,” he said.
“There’s a little uncertainty when you’re coming to the rink.”
Smith and Methot are among those who suggest the team needs to
rediscover the desperate mentality that carried them through the
injury-plagued 2013 season.
“We’re a different team than last year and I think that’s something we’ve got
away from,” Smith said. “We’re not as persistent. Last year, we would hang
around in those one goal games and find a way to win. It’s the mistakes
defensively that are kind of eating us up and maybe we’re trying to do too
much.”
And now MacLean is trying everything to put an end to that.
724107
Ottawa Senators
Senators send Pageau to Bingo
by Ken Warren
on October 31, 2013
Playoff hero Jean-Gabriel Pageau has been sent to Binghamton of the AHL.
It’s not a surprise.
After an outstanding pre-season, Pageau slumped during the six-game road
trip to open the season and has been used sparingly since, in and out of the
lineup.
For the time being, Derek Grant has assumed fourth line centre duties.
724108
Ottawa Senators
'Piques top Cup champs
By Darren Desaulniers, Ottawa Citizen October 31, 2013
Gatineau Olympiques forward Martin Reway, right, battles with the Halifax
Mooseheads' Brent Andrews during Wednesday night's game at the Robert
Guertin Centre.
The last time the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads met, they
were on very different paths.
The Olympiques had just come off a major upset over the Rimouski Oceanic
in the opening round of last spring's Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
playoffs.
The Mooseheads meanwhile, were just beginning to put the final touches on
their Memorial Cup championship season when the two teams met in the
second round.
It wasn't even as close as the Mooseheads' four-game sweep appeared with
Halifax outscoring the Olympiques 21-5. That was then, this is now. The
Mooseheads, while still
a very good team, aren't as dominating as they were one season ago. The
Olympiques, meanwhile, have improved by leaps and bounds, as their 5-2
win over the Mooseheads on Wednesday at the Robert Guertin Centre will
attest.
Olympiques captain Taylor Burke opened and closed the scoring with a
short-handed goal and another later on the power play in what was a special
team's bonanza. All but one of the goals in the game came with one of the
team's on the power play.
Elie Berube, Vaclav Karabacek and Vincent Dunn also scored for the
Olympiques (13-6-0), who have won seven of their past eight games, and
they did it Wednesday without leading scorer Emile Poirier, who was
suspended one game for a hit to the head in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the
Remparts in Quebec.
Martin Reway had three assists while Robert Steeves turned aside 27 shots
in the Gatineau goal.
The two that did get by him were both on the power play as Darcy Ashley
connected during a five-on-three advantage in the second period for the
Mooseheads (12-8-0) and Andrew Ryan made the score 4-2 midway
through the third.
For two teams that haven't met in eight months and outside of the playoffs
don't really have much of rivalry, Wednesday's early season meeting was
quite intense. The teams combined for 29 infractions that resulted in 14
power plays, including six for the Olympiques.
There were also a couple of fights, one of which ended the night for
Mooseheads defenceman and Ottawa native Mac Weegar, who left late in
the second period after a scrap with Derek Sheppard.
A member of last season's QMJHL all-rookie team, Weegar needed to be
helped off the ice and was putting absolutely no weight on his right leg.
It was unclear whether Weegar would accompany the team as they head to
the Abitibi for games in Rouyn-Noranda and Val d'Or this weekend.
724109
Ottawa Senators
GM Bryan Murray confident Ottawa Sens will get their act together
By Bruce Garrioch
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 06:53 PM EDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 09:38 PM EDT
Bryan Murray hasn't lost confidence in this group of Senators.
Though coach Paul MacLean performed what would amount to a cabinet
shuffle on Parliament Hill by moving the lines and defensive pairings around
Thursday at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators GM isn't ready to start
wheeling and dealing to wake the club up.
Murray wasn't happy with the way the club finished the month of October
under .500 but he's hopeful the players will get their act together starting
with Friday's visit by the New York Islanders to the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators will play 20 of their next 30 games at home and though Murray
has had calls from other teams he's not prepared to shake up the lineup ...
yet.
"We're still there. We've got a good hockey club," Murray said Thursday
after practice. "We've got a chance to play some games at home and,
hopefully, play a lot better than we have in the last couple of games.
"I think it's a good group. We've got lots of talent. I don't think we've played
the team game as well as we have to and defensively we have to become
more concious of who is on the end and how to play properly against them.
"In a number of games, the best players on the other team have beaten us
and we've got to match up better and do a better job against them."
Murray said he felt the club could have closed out October with a better
record than 4-6-2.
"I'm disappointed that we weren't a .500 hockey club," said Murray. "There
were two winnable games at least: The Edmonton game (a 3-1 loss Oct. 19)
and the (6-5 loss) in Chicago (Tuesday). Both games we were certainly in a
position to win them.
"The breakdowns in the Chicago game and the recognition of the top players
on their team and the mistakes we made against them allowed them to
come back and win the game. I'm glad it's over in that respect."
OFF THE GLASS
Given all the changes up front, the defensive pairings were also new with
Erik Karlsson and Mac Methot being split up. Methot, who has played the left
side for nearly 18 months, will to the right side of Patrick Wiercioch. "It's
going to be an adjustment but that's what practice is for. I'll get used to it,"
said Methot. The change was made to assist Wiercioch, who has been
struggling. "We asked Patrick to play on the right side throughout camp and
to start the season and hat's a difficult adjustment for him so we've put him
back on the left side to give him an opportunity to get his game," said coach
Paul MacLean. "He might be more comfortable there and give him a better
opportunity to be a better player." ... There has been plenty of angst about
Karlsson's play coming off the Achilles injury, but his numbers in October are
nearly the same as they were in Oct., 2011 _ the same season he won the
Norris Trophy. He finished this month with 3-8-11 points, 36 shots, minus-3
and average of 27:39 TOI in 12 games. In Oct., 2011, Karlsson was 1-11-12
, 36 shots, minus-3 with 25:04 TOI in 12 games.
AROUND THE BOARDS
Methot said he wasn't going to dress up for Halloween this year while
handing out candy Thursday night. "I tried that last year and I had about 20
kids," said Methot. "I didn't get anything out of it." However, Methot may
have had a long night ahead of him. "The doorbell is disconnected so I may
have to sit at the door all night to see if anybody is coming," said Methot,
who noted the lousy weather might hamper what was already weak
attendance. Though some may have opted for healthy treats for kids, Methot
confirmed he was giving away chocolate ... C Zack Smith said the Senators
will have a Halloween party when they get a break in the schedule in a
"couple of weeks. By then all the costumes should be discounted." Former
captain Randy Cunneyworth once told me that "organizing the Halloween
party is my most important job as captain." Not sure if Spezza will get called
on the carpet for this party being late as well. Seems like he's being blamed
for everything else these days.
THE LAST WORD
Smith said nobody should be surprised by all the changes that went on with
the lines and defensive pairings Thursday. Something has to be done.
"We're 12 games in now and we're not where we want to be. We've had
meetings and talks for the past week or longer and not much has changed,"
said Smith. "I think drastic is too much of a word. It's another (option
MacLean can resort to) to start winning games or something is going to
change."
Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.01.2013
724110
Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner gets start against Islanders
By Bruce Garrioch,Ottawa Sun
The Senators will turn to Robin Lehner Friday.
The club's backup goalie will make the start against the Islanders at the
Canadian Tire Centre as Ottawa tries to snap its three-game losing streak at
home. This will be Lehner's first start since a 3-1 loss to the Oilers Oct. 19.
This will be Lehner's fifth career start against the Islanders.
"I've played them a few times," said Lehner, who record his first NHL victory
against the Isles on Jan. 13, 2011 with 20 stops in a 6-4 victory. "They're a
good team. They are getting better. Pretty competitive and tough to play
against."
Lehner said he doesn't feel any extra pressure.
"I just want to do my best. Hopefully we can get this turned around," said
Lehner. "It's tough for all of us. We want to win and we're very capable of
winning. We're very good.
"We're just not doing the right things right now. As soon as we find it, we're
going to get on a roll but we better find it pretty fast."
724111
Ottawa Senators
Jean-Gabriel Pageau sent down to Binghamton Senators
By Bruce Garrioch
,Ottawa Sun
Jean-Gabriel Pageau went from playoff hero to zero.
As the Senators stepped on the ice for practice Thursday, there was no sign
of the club's diminutive centre and just as coach Paul MacLean blew his
whistle to start the proceedings the club confirmed Pageau had been sent
down.
While the Senators were preparing to face the New York Islanders at the
Canadian Tire Centre, the Gatineau native, who stole the hearts of fans with
a gutsy post-season effort last spring, was making the trek to Binghamton.
A healthy scratch in the club's loss to the Hawks Tuesday, Pageau, 20, was
scheduled to be a healthy scratch against the Islander so GM Bryan Murray
felt it was in Ottawa's best interests to get him playing in Binghamton.
"He has to play," said Murray. "He's a young player. He was very productive
and important to us at the end of last year. He came in and he had a chest
injury that set him back a little, but the way our team is playing the change
we made to bring Derek Grant up effected him a little bit.
"I asked the coaches if he was going to play this weekend and it was
doubtful so I think for this type of the player _ that we think will be important
in the future _ (it's best for him) to get down, get playing and get the 15-to-18
minutes per-game. This will be very beneficial to him long-term."
Pageau, who had a hat-trick in a 6-1 victory over the Habs in the club's first
round playoff series last April, had a strong camp, but couldn't get it done
once the puck was dropped for real. His ability to win faceoffs even slipped.
"We just want him to go down, feel good, be important, get some confidence
and get (his) game going," said Murray. "This guy is not a fourth-line player
here. This guy has potential to be more than that and we want that to
happen.
"Sitting on the sidelines or playing limited minutes killing penalties only
doesn't cut it for me and the organization."
Now, it'll up to the fans at the Broome County Arena to pick up sing the
"Pageau, Pageau, Pageau" song that fans in Ottawa winger bellowing out
when he was at his best in the playoffs.
724112
Ottawa Senators
Blurred lines: Ottawa Senators get a new look
"I can't speak for (MacLean). I don't know if he is trying to send a message
or what," said Smith. "Like I said before, you try not to read into it too much.
You just go out there and play. There's not much you can control beyond
your play.
"Especially with the lines, the coach is going to play lines that he feels will
give us the best chance to win."
By Bruce Garrioch,Ottawa Sun
On Halloween, Paul MacLean tried to put a scare into the Senators.
Maybe none more so than captain Jason Spezza.
As the Senators arrived at the Canadian Tire Centre Thursday in the midst
of a three-game losing skid, MacLean unveiled a new look with his lines and
defensive pairings that he vowed to start with Friday against the New York
Islanders.
While only the line of Kyle Turris, Clarke MacArthur and Bobby Ryan was
kept intact, the biggest change saw Spezza skating with Chris Neil and Cory
Conacher while the defensive pairing of Erik Karlsson and Marc Methot was
shelved completely.
Instead, veteran Chris Phillips was taking turns with Karlsson while Patrick
Wiercioch was on the right side of Methot. After a 6-5 loss to the Chicago
Blackhawks Tuesday, MacLean sent notice keeping the status quo isn't
good enough.
"We're trying to find a way to play better. We haven't played a consistent,"
said MacLean. "I don't think we can just keep doing the same thing and
expect to get better results.
"We have to try to make some changes and find some combinations at
forward and defence that are going to work for us. That's all we're trying to
do is find a way to give our team the best chance to win."
If MacLean was trying to deliver a wakeup call in the dressing, it was
received loud and clear.
"Mac's probably just trying to send a message and wants our line to be
better," said Spezza. "When you're losing everybody has to be better and it
always falls on the top players when the team doesn't do well.
"I would imagine he's probably trying to send a message."
Is that to you, Spezza was asked.
"Probably," he said bluntly.
Spezza understands accountability is part of his job in his new role as
captain.
"I'm the leader of this team," said Spezza. "It's always been that way when
things don't go well. It's up to me to find a way to get us out of it. I don't
imagine that's going to change."
MacLean said these changes aren't just about Spezza and was quick to
spread the blame for the club's malaise around.
"I think (Spezza) has to play better, I think (Turris) has to play better, I think
(Karlsson) has to play better, I think our whole team has to play better. I
point the finger at everybody I point it at myself, I point it at my coaching
staff, we haven't done a good enough job to be successful on a consistent
basis," said MacLean.
"Have we had a difficult schedule? Sure, everyone in the league is going to
have a difficult schedule, but that's not an excuse for us not to play well for
60 minutes. That's on all of us, that's on the whole team. We're not just
asking or pointing a finger at Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson.
"It's not all of their faults, leadership is an everybody thing and everybody
here is accountable for how they do their job and the expectation is you're
going to do your job. That's the coaching staff along with the players. We're
all in this together and we haven't done a good enough job to this point to
win consistently and that's what we're searching for."
Centre Zack Smith, who took Spezza's spot between Milan Michalek and
Mika Zibanejad, said he was caught off guard when he arrived for practice
and saw the combinations.
MacLean said keeping the status quo with the state the Senators are in
wasn't an option.
"We have to find solutions, we haven't consistently played game after game
after game and played the whole game that we can say we'll just leave it and
it'll be okay. I don't believe in that at all," said MacLean.
We'll find out quickly if this latest set of moves will provide any solutions.
724113
Philadelphia Flyers
Tocchet said that when he coached Downie, the winger was sometimes out
of control on the ice, "but there was some smooth sailing, too. You have to
work with him."
Flyers trade Talbot to Avalanche and bring back Downie
Tocchet added that Downie is the type of player who can win battles in front
of the net and "wake your bench up."
Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer
Posted: Friday, November 1, 2013, 2:02 AM
In recent years, the Flyers have reacquired numerous players besides
Downie, including Ray Emery, Simon Gagne, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike
Knuble, Vinny Prospal, Todd Fedoruk, Brian Boucher, Michael Leighton,
Josh Gratton, Mark Greig, Tocchet, Mark Recchi, Chris Therien, and Jim
Vandermeer.
The Flyers bolstered their sagging offense and weakened their
penalty-killing unit Thursday, reacquiring feisty right winger Steve Downie by
sending forward Max Talbot to Colorado.
Talbot is a "veteran forward who has won a Stanley Cup and has a lot of
NHL experience," Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said. "We're looking
forward to him bringing that experience to our club."
"We needed something to stir the pot," said general manager Paul
Holmgren, whose 3-8 team has scored two goals or fewer in 10 of the first
11 games.
Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.01.2013
Downie, 26, likes to stir things. A physical player, he has been suspended
twice in his NHL career, and he is known as one of the league's top
agitators. But the Flyers hope he shows more maturity on the ice than he did
in his first stint with the team, and he scored 22 goals for Tampa Bay while
on its top line with Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis in 2009-10.
In 11 games with Colorado this season, Downie had a goal, six assists, and
a plus-4 rating while usually playing on the top line with Matt Duchene and
Ryan O'Reilly. He has 36 penalty minutes, which entering Thursday was tied
for eighth in the NHL, and his eight minors were tied for sixth.
Downie keeps opponents "off balance when he's in control," said Rick
Tocchet, who used to coach the forward in Tampa Bay and is now a Flyers
analyst for Comcast SportsNet. "He can't take stupid penalties.
"I'm sure Chief will be on top of him for that," he added, referring to Flyers
coach Craig Berube by his nickname.
Tocchet said some defensemen are "scared" when Downie is on the ice
"because they don't know what he's going to do. . . . He does have that
intimidation and he's an underrated passer. He can pass the puck, and he's
a very underrated corner guy."
Downie, who played for Berube when he coached the AHL's Phantoms, still
plays the game with an edge but says he is more disciplined than the player
who broke in with the Flyers in 2007-08.
"I think I've grown as a player and as a person," he said. "I'm excited to show
Philly what an older Steve Downie looks like."
Now in his seventh season, Downie said he has "grown with the game. I've
learned the game. I know when to pick my spots now."
Downie, the Flyers' first-round pick in 2005 (29th overall), missed 46 of 48
games last season with a torn ACL in his right knee. Early in the 2008-09
season, the Flyers traded him and Steve Eminger to Tampa Bay for Matt
Carle.
"I like the hunger and energy he brings," Holmgren said. "I think he'll help
us."
Downie may be used on the top line to give Claude Giroux more room.
Downie can play either wing - he could replace Michael Raffl on the left side
on Giroux's line. "He goes to the front of the net with a purpose and he can
really hold onto the puck and make plays," Holmgren said. "Steve's a good
player, a better player than maybe people give him credit for."
Talbot, 29, one of the Flyers' top penalty killers, had one goal and one assist
this season. He led Flyers forwards with an average of 3 minutes, 35
seconds per game on the penalty kill. Talbot was signed through the end of
2015-16 with a $1.75 million annual salary-cap hit.
Downie, who lost the hearing in his right ear at age 13 and wears a hearing
aid, has a $2.65 million cap hit and can become an unrestricted free agent
after the season.
"He's been hurt and has had some issues, but there's a hockey player
there," said Tocchet, who thinks the contract issue will serve as a motivator
for Downie. "I think he's played well for Colorado."
Downie, who sometimes played on current Flyer Vinny Lecavalier's line with
Tampa Bay, was suspended for 20 games in 2007 and for one game in
2011.
724114
Philadelphia Flyers
Downie says he has grown up since leaving town.
Reacquiring Downie 'to stir the pot'
"I had a couple suspensions," Downie admitted. "Now I've been in the
league seven seasons, I've learned the game. I play the game hard. I like to
play a physical game. I know how to pick my spots now."
FRANK SERAVALLI,
That's something sure to be enforced by Craig Berube, who coached
Downie on the Phantoms the only other time he was a head coach.
STEVE DOWNIE saw the writing on the wall. Entering training camp,
Downie had a feeling he might not make it through training camp with the
Avalanche.
"You look at Colorado, with how many young players they've got there and a
lot of money invested in them, I might be moved just because of my contract
situation," Downie said.
To be packing 11 games into the season, especially when your team is 10-1
and you're a member of the first line, is still a surprise.
But when Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy told Downie he would be
heading back to Philadelphia, any lingering shock turned to excitement.
"This is where it all started for me," Downie said. "This is where the NHL
became a reality for me."
Nearly 5 years to the day (Nov. 7, 2008) he was traded, Downie is back. The
Flyers reacquired Downie yesterday from Colorado in exchange for forward
Max Talbot. It was a straight-up swap in which the Flyers brought back a
more talented scorer in place of a older grind-line player.
Downie, 26, is the 11th player reacquired by Flyers general manager Paul
Holmgren since he assumed his GM post in 2006. Downie was drafted by
the Flyers in the first round (29th overall) in 2005 and played 38 games for
the team before being dealt to Tampa Bay for Matt Carle in 2008.
Downie was expected to arrive in Philly last night. He will resume his Flyers
career tonight vs. Washington. Talbot did not immediately respond to a
request for comment left on his cell phone yesterday by the Daily News.
"We needed something to stir the pot," Holmgren said. "Steve is a good
player, a better player than maybe people give him credit for. He's good with
the puck, strong with the puck. He's a very hungry player. It's not like we
wanted to get rid of him - we traded him for Matt Carle. He's blossomed into
a pretty good player."
Reports indicated the Avalanche had no plans in re-signing Downie after this
season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $2.6 million
salary-cap hit. The deal does not appear to be part of a larger shift in the
works, though Holmgren said the Flyers will "continue to look around."
Sources said many teams had inquired about Talbot over the past year, but
the Flyers and Avalanche had spoken multiple times about this deal before
pulling the trigger yesterday.
Downie played in a top-line role with the Avalanche this season. Talbot, 29,
is going to the league's top penalty killing team that was looking for more
depth. Downie has played 230 fewer games than Talbot but he has scored
just 21 fewer goals than Talbot.
"I think the risk-reward for the Flyers in this trade is huge," said Rick
Tocchet, the former Flyer who coached Downie in Tampa Bay. "His upside
is still big. Max Talbot is a good player, but he's not going to score goals.
Steve has a lot of passion for the game. He was probably a little immature.
He's had some issues, ran into some trouble in his career, but he can be a
great player with the right coach."
From 2009 through 2012, only three players in the NHL scored 40 or more
goals to go along with 400 penalty minutes: Downie, Scott Hartnell and
Buffalo's Steve Ott. For sure, Downie has a checkered past.
He was suspended for 20 games for a preseason hit while a member of the
Flyers. Two years later, he was suspended another 20 games in the AHL for
slashing an official in the leg. He also has had his fair share of questionable
hits from playing with such emotion.
"I think he's probably matured exponentially in that regard," Holmgren said.
"But he still plays the game hard - he's probably going to take the odd
penalty because he plays the game hard. I think that's a good thing. I think
he'll add a lot to our team. He's more of a playmaker than a scorer. He's a
good, all-around player."
"I think Craig Berube will be the perfect coach for him," Tocchet said. "He
needs someone who is going to communicate with him, talk to him every
day. He has to be in control; his anger cost him a lot in the past. Steve needs
someone he respects and he can look up to."
Downie has been a capable scorer with the right linemates. He played with
Vinny Lecavalier and Alex Tanguay for most of 2009-10 and posted a
career-high 22 goals and 24 assists. He also showed chemistry with Steven
Stamkos. In Colorado, he played just 33 games, missing the final 46 games
of last season with a torn ACL.
Skating with Giroux and Lecavalier, Downie may have that opportunity - if he
can stay out of the box.
"I was a lot younger then," Downie said. "I think I've grown as a player and a
person. I'm excited to show Philly how much I've changed."
724115
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers' Hartnell's offense way down
FRANK SERAVALLI,
SCOTT HARTNELL has played seven games and his name has not yet
been registered on the score sheet, save for 2 penalty minutes on Oct. 5.
It is the longest Hartnell has gone without a point to open a season since
2002-03. Even two seasons ago, when he exploded for 37 goals after his
seventh game, Hartnell netted an assist.
Drastic times call for drastic measures.
So, Hartnell took a trip to the local salon. And those free-flowing ginger curls,
a staple to Hartnell's identity, are completely gone.
"Why not?" Hartnell said yesterday. "Change it up."
Hartnell said it's just the third haircut he has gotten since arriving in
Philadelphia in 2007 via free agency.
"He's a different man out there now," linemate Brayden Schenn said.
All joking aside, Hartnell needed to do something to change the course of
his season - the first of a 6-year, $28.5 million deal that features a full
no-movement clause.
Hartnell posted seven shots on net - a quarter of the Flyers' 28 total against
Anaheim - in his second game back from an "upper-body" injury on
Tuesday. He skated with Jake Voracek and Schenn, a combination coach
Craig Berube said he "really liked."
"There were some pretty good shots, but it seems like I hadn't gotten any
shots in the first six or seven games I'd been playing," Hartnell said. "We had
a couple chances late. They're not going in right now.
"I have to play better. I have to be stronger. I have to do everything better."
The injury to his midsection, which does affect some passing and shooting,
cut short what might have otherwise been a positive start since the Flyers
lauded him for coming into training camp in the best shape of his career.
Hartnell, 31, wouldn't let his injury be an excuse for not scoring.
"I still think he's OK," Berube said. "He didn't miss that much time. I think
he's on the right path, to be honest with you. I expect big things out of him."
With a few pounds less hair, Hartnell may even be a tad faster on the ice. He
just needs a smaller helmet - and a lot less shampoo.
Ovechkin out
Capitals star Alex Ovechkin did not make the trip to Philadelphia and will not
play tonight. He's sidelined with an "upper-body" injury suffered against the
Canucks on Monday.
Ovechkin, 28, entered last night second in the league in goals with 10.
Going back to last season, Ovechkin has netted 33 goals in 35 games, not
far from a 50-in-50 pace.
"Doesn't change anything," Berube said. "They're going to play hard.
They're a good team with or without him."
Berube isn't lying. Ovechkin has only missed 21 games in his career (13 due
to injury, eight because of suspension) and the Capitals are 11-8-2.
Washington has outscored opponents, 71-66, in those games, for a healthy
3.38 goals per-game.
Slap shots
Don't be surprised to see backup Ray Emery start one of the two games this
weekend. Craig Berube said, "We'll see how the first game goes," when
asked if Emery will play. The Flyers visit New Jersey tomorrow night . . .
Yesterday's practice indicated Erik Gustafsson will return on defense,
leaving Andrej Meszaros as a healthy scratch for the sixth time in seven
games. Berube said he still wasn't totally sure if that will be the case . . .
Tonight is the Flyers' first divisional matchup with Washington since April 11,
1998 (4-3 win), thanks to the NHL's realigned Metropolitan Division . . . The
Flyers are 12-7-2 against Washington since 2008.
724116
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Notes: Caps will take on Flyers without Ovechkin
The Flyers will catch a break Friday: Washington's superstar right winger,
Alex Ovechkin, who is second in the NHL with 10 goals, will not face them at
the Wells Fargo Center.
Flyers right winger Jake Voracek took a cautious approach to the news that
Ovechkin would sit out with an upper-body injury.
"Obviously, he's one of the best players in the league and is a big part of
their team, but I think they'll come in even harder," Voracek said after
Thursday's practice in Voorhees. "Sometimes, when a team's best player
doesn't play, they know they have to dig in even harder.
"We have to play like we did for the first half of last game and we'll be fine."
In the second half of Tuesday's game, the Flyers blew a 2-0 lead and lost to
Anaheim, 3-2. They fell to 3-8, their worst 11-game record at the start of a
season in franchise history.
"We have to play 60 minutes and play desperate," said left winger Scott
Hartnell, who had his long locks cut and was sporting a short haircut just to
"change it up" and perhaps change his luck.
Hartnell, still trying to regain his form after missing four games with a
rib-cage injury, is looking for his first goal. He had seven shots in the loss to
Anaheim.
The Flyers have wasted brilliant play from goalie Steve Mason (2.25
goals-against average, .928 save percentage), who is expected to make his
sixth straight start Friday.
"He's been our MVP," Voracek said.
The Capitals are 5-7 and have lost two straight.
"They're a good team, with or without [Ovechkin]," coach Craig Berube said.
"We prepare the same."
Berube put the Flyers though some hard skating drills Thursday, apparently
trying to get them better conditioned for the third period of games. They
have been outscored, 14-5, in the final periods.
"I think the third period is a mental thing. I don't think it's an effort thing,"
Berube said. "It's a mental thing that we need to get over."
Breakaways
Eric Fehr is expected to replace Ovechkin (minus-6) on the Capitals' first
power-play unit. Ovechkin was hurt in Washington's 3-2 loss to Vancouver
on Monday. . . . Erik Gustafsson was back with the top six on defense
Thursday, paired with Kimmo Timonen. After sitting out the last game,
Gustafsson will likely replace Andrej Meszaros, though Berube said he had
not decided. . . . Claude Giroux (minus-7) will try to snap a 17-game goalless
streak, including six at the end of last season.
724117
Philadelphia Flyers
Not exactly a new deal for the Flyers
Mike Sielski, Inquirer Columnist
Steve Downie was on a conference call late Thursday afternoon, another
former Flyer back again to return the team to glory, and the way he
described his playing style was sure to get the organization's old guard and
the hardest of hard-core fans tingling with anticipation.
"I like to play a physical game," Downie said. "I play the game on the edge. I
just like to play as hard as I can night in and night out. I'll bring my energy
night in and night out and hopefully help this team win."
Lord, the Flyers make it easy sometimes. They make it so, so easy. They
acquired Downie in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche, sacrificing Max
Talbot and the two remaining years on his contract for a familiar face who
becomes an unrestricted free agent at season's end. And a little more
salary-cap space for the offseason does have some value for the Flyers. It
certainly has more than whatever Downie will deliver until then.
Look, the problem here is not that Downie is a lesser player than Talbot. He
isn't. The problem isn't even the timing and optics of the trade, as
unflattering and as open to mockery as they are.
Though he has matured from his first stint with the Flyers, Downie still piles
up penalty minutes at a faster rate than most players. He has 36 already this
season. So in the midst of a 3-8 start, the Flyers and general manager Paul
Holmgren have decided that the best way to right themselves is to promote
former tough guy Craig Berube to head coach and trade for a tough guy in
Downie. So much for a fresh, clean start. So much for a culture change.
No, the primary problem here is the Flyers' belief that a marginal move like
this was worth making in the first place, that a player who brings an "edge"
was what they were missing most. It's not.
The Flyers play hard. When they squandered that two-goal lead against the
Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, they didn't suddenly get lazy. The Ducks
simply matched their intensity and overwhelmed them, because the Ducks
have better players, and this trade doesn't narrow that gap enough to make
a difference.
Downie has one goal in 11 games, yet Holmgren told reporters Thursday
that, Talbot's conscientious defensive play notwithstanding, the Flyers
needed "something to stir the pot" on offense. By that logic, perhaps
Holmgren should have traded Claude Giroux.
The Flyers captain hasn't scored a goal this season, and it's easy to interpret
Holmgren's quote to mean that Downie will play alongside Giroux in an
attempt to "create space" for him and snap him out of his slump. After all, in
2009-10, when he was with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Downie scored a
career-high 22 goals while playing on a line with superstars Steven Stamkos
and Martin St. Louis.
This theory is ludicrous. Take a look at Stamkos' and St. Louis' statistics.
Take a good, long look. Since the start of the 2009-10 season, Stamkos has
averaged (averaged!) 52 goals every 82 games. St. Louis - a former league
MVP, a player who averages more than a point per game in the playoffs - is
on track to earn induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The notion that they
needed a player like Downie so they could be productive is absurd on its
face. His presence didn't transform them into transcendent talents.
If anything, Downie was benefiting from Stamkos and St. Louis, not the other
way around, and it's hard to imagine he'll elevate Giroux's game. He doesn't
control the puck with the same skill, doesn't demand the same attention in
the offensive zone, that Jaromir Jagr did when Giroux collected those 93
points in 2011-12.
Besides, if there were any validity to the idea that a player cut from Downie's
mold - one who is willing to fight and intimidate to protect his team's top
scorers - is essential to Giroux's success, why did Colorado trade him at all?
At 10-1, its roster stocked with young, fast forwards and defensemen, the
Avalanche entered Thursday with the NHL's best record.
Maybe, on a team like that, Steve Downie is an expendable part, nothing
more. Here, he's the thin hope for a rise back to relevance. Here, he's the
same old solution to a problem still unsolved.
724118
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers deal Talbot for Downie
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 1:35 PM
The Flyers bolstered their sagging offense and weakened their
penalty-killing unit Thursday, re-acquiring right winger Steve Downie by
sending forward Max Talbot to Colorado.
Downie, 26, the Flyers' first-round pick in 2005 (29th overall), had one goal
and six assists in 11 games with the Avs this season. A physical player,
Downie missed 46 of 48 games last seasson with a torn ACL in his right
knee.
"I like the hunger and energy he brings," GM Paul Holmgren said. "I think
he'll help us."
The Flyers have scored two goals or fewer in 10 of their 11 games. The lack
or production is why Holmgren made the move. Holmgren said Talbot's
defensive play will be missed, "but we felt at the other end, we needed
something to stir the pot."
Downie may be used on the top line to give Claude Giroux more room.
Holmgren called Downie someone "who goes to the front of the net with a
purpose and he can really hold onto the puck and make plays. Steve's a
good player, a better player than maybe people give him credit for."
When he was with Tampa Bay, Downie was on the top line with Steven
Stamkos and Marty St. Louis; he sometimes was on a line with current Flyer
Vinny Lecavalier, and he scored 22 goals with the Lightning in 2009-10.
Talbot, 29, one of the Flyers' top penalty killers, had one goal and one assist
this season. He led Flyers forwards with an average of 3:35 per game on the
PK.
In 127 career games with the Flyers, Talbot had 25 goals and 21 assists.
Downie, an agitator, has a $2.6 million cap hit and can become an
unrestricted free agent after the season.
"He's been hurt and has had some issues, but there's a hockey player
there," said CSN Flyers analyst Rick Tocchet, who coached Downie in
Tampa.
Downie was suspended for 20 games in 2007 and for one game in 2011.
"This is my seventh year in the league. I've grown with the game. I know
when to pick my spots now," said Downie, who played for Flyers coach
Craig Berube when he coached the Phantoms.
This year, Downie usually played on Colorado's top line, with Matt Duchene
and Ryan O'Reilly.
Tocchet said when he coached Downie in Tampa, the winger was
sometimes out of control on the ice, "but there was some smooth sailing,
too. You have to work with him."
Talbot is a "veteran forward who has won a Stanley Cup and has a lot of
NHL experience," Colorado GM Joe Sakic said. "We're looking forward to
him bringing that experience to our club."
In recent years, the Flyers have re-acquired numerous players besides
Downie, including Ray Emery, Simon Gagne, Ruslan Fedotenko, Mike
Knuble, Vinny Prospal, Todd Fedoruk, Brian Boucher, Michael Leighton,
Josh Gratton, Mark Greig, Tocchet, Mark Recchi, Chris Therien, and Jim
Vandermeer.
724119
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers trade Talbot for Downie
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 1:50 PM
Staff
The Flyers have traded forward Max Talbot to the Colorado Avalanche for
Steve Downie. The trade was first reported by the Denver Post.
Downie was a first-round draft pick of the Flyers in 2005, the 29th pick
overall. He played 38 games for the Flyers over two seasons (2007-08). He
had six goals, six assists and 84 penalty minutes.
In November 2008, Downie and Steve Eminger were traded to Tampa Bay
for defenseman Matt Carle.
Talbot was acquired via free agency on July 1, 2011, after playing six years
with Pittsburgh. He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009.
724120
Philadelphia Flyers
NHL Fans Are Wimps and Should Act More Like Philadelphia Crazies
Written by: Rocco Pendola 10/31/13 - 9:51 AM EDT
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Earlier this week, Lindy Ruff, former coach of the
Buffalo Sabres, returned to First Niagara Center behind the Dallas Stars'
bench. The Western New York crowd gave Ruff a standing ovation after a
video chronicling not only his coaching career in Buffalo, but his days as a
player.
A couple of seasons ago, Dallas Stars' fans said what they thought was
goodbye to Mike Modano during one of the most emotional nights the
National Hockey League has ever delivered:
And, of course, emotion spewed like water from a Bronx fire hydrant on that
landmark day when Wayne Gretzky confirmed he would accept a trade from
the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings:
In each of these instances, I would expect nothing other than raw emotion
from coach, player and fan. Truly seminal times in the the player's personal
and professional lives as well as the lives (even if lived somewhat
vicariously) of their fans, franchises and league.
Ruff coached in Buffalo for 16 years. That's history-making tenure. Modano
put hockey on the map in North Texas, roughly a couple of decades after
Gretzky did it in Los Angeles and, really, across large swaths of the United
States east and south of, say, Pittsburgh.
You can't blame Buffalo for firing Ruff, though you could argue ownership
should have started with the general manager. But armchair stuff aside, it
was probably time for a change. Modano ended up leaving Dallas to play for
the Detroit Red Wings, but Stars fans can't feign anger; a green GM no
longer wanted Mo.
In parts of Ontario, hockey fans still hold a grudge against Gretzky. But the
folks who would deface a statue of The Great One, in his hometown for
goodness sake, are nothing but long-suffering losers. They're just pissed
that he still resides in the U.S. and never put on a Toronto Maple Leafs
sweater. Gretzky was a kid when he left Edmonton. The franchise was
hurting financially and he was being asked to carry an entire league on his
back. End of story.
But this goodwill and emotion, channeled through rousing national anthems,
roaring applause, sticks tapping the boards and epic video tributes on
jumbotrons, has to stop somewhere. I have two examples to present as
verbal specimens. And I just can't get past the way fans have reacted and
continue to react to these two guys.
Daniel Alfredsson
As a Leafs fan, I've never liked Alfie. But I don't think my bias influences my
take here.
The other night, Alfredsson returned to Ottawa with the Red Wings. He left
the Senators when, reportedly, contract talks went south. He opted to go to
Detroit. Maybe Alfredsson felt personally slighted or something, but if he
thinks he has a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup in Detroit, he's
mistaken.
Things can shake out in any shape or form, but, on paper, I would take the
Sens over the Wings this season. And that's coming from a Leafs fan!
Ottawa is stacked. And, if Alfie wasn't such a (insert word you might hear in
the blue seats here), he would have stayed the course with that team,
rounding out a roster that could use a still-capable veteran.
Guys like Jason Spezza say all the right things about Alfredsson's departure
in the media, but that's because a) they're classy and b) they really have no
choice. As Spezza said recently, the Sens have been preparing for Alfie's
departure for a while now, they just didn't expect him to retire elsewhere.
The Ottawa fans gave the guy a standing "O" when he came back the other
night. That's crap. He should have been treated like the traitor he is. Just the
way Leafs fans boo him every time he touches the puck at the ACC.
Jarome Iginla
This one's difficult for me because, like pretty much any sane person, I love
Jarome Iginla. He appears to epitomize so much of what we love about
hockey. He's a down to Earth guy, blah, blah, blah, blah ...
But he bolted Calgary for Pittsburgh, after everybody thought he was
headed to Boston. It didn't work out with the Penguins so he decided to give
the Bruins a chance this season.
My daughter, an Iginla fan, now has NHL merchandise from the Flames,
Pens and Bruins. It's been painful watching her wear a Bruins' cap just
because Iginla plays in Boston.
Yet, Flames' fans don't seem to care much about Iginla's defection.
The guy wants to win a Stanley Cup. That's not going to happen in Calgary
so he's testing the rent-a-player, sign-a-star, but
the-chemistry-blows-so-you're-probably-not-going-to-end-up-winning-anywa
y waters. Abandon your teammates, many of whom will never have win a
Cup either, but it's all good because you smile for the camera and give
money to charity (just like your lesser-known teammates do).
Iginla should receive the same treatment at the Saddledome as Santa Claus
experiences at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. Same goes for Alfredsson.
724121
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers get break: No Ovechkin
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 10:27 AM
The Flyers will catch a huge break Friday: Superstar Alex Ovechkin will not
be in the Caps' lineup, according to reports from Washington.
Ovechkin was injured in the first period of Monday's 3-2 loss to Vancouver.
He is second in the NHL with 10 goals.
The Flyers can use all the breaks they can get. They are 3-8, their worst
11-game start in franchise history.
724122
Philadelphia Flyers
NHL Power Rankings: Winning returns to the northeast
The Canadiens have eight wins on the year, and it wasn't until Tuesday that
one of them was decided by one goal. The Habs have been blowing out their
opponents when they win and hanging tough in games they lose. That'll go a
long way for them.
11. Vancouver Canucks (9-4-1) (Last week: 13)
Alex Ott
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013, 8:42 AM
Well, well, well. The Devils, Flyers and Rangers finally realized there's no
lockout this season and combined to win six games this week.
So what if three of the four wins during Vancouver's winning streak have
come in overtime or by shootout? The Canucks are tied for third-most points
in the league with 19, which is more than any team in the Eastern
Conference.
12. Los Angeles Kings (8-5-0) (Last week: 14)
The top ten remains fairly constant, while the basement got some
redecorating done.
Maybe Jonathan Quick still has it after all. After a brutal start, Quick's
goals-against average has dropped all the way to 2.53 and his record has
skyrocketed to 7-4-0. They're getting scoring contributions from nearly
everyone, but they seriously lack a go-to threat.
Enjoy.
13. Tampa Bay Lightning (8-4-0) (Last week: 12)
1. San Jose Sharks (10-1-1) (Last week: 1)
The Bolts had won five of their past six until the pesky Devils knocked them
off their high horse in New Jersey. Their eight wnis in October were a
franchise record. All 5' 8" of Martin St. Louis continues to be the team's jolt of
energy even at 38 years old.
Well, they had to lose at some point, right? The craziest thing is, had it not
been for had it not been for David Krejci squeaking a goal past Antti Niemi
with 0.8 seconds left, the Sharks would still be unbeaten in regulation. Still,
there's no shame in a 10-1-1 record, especially with a goal differential of
+28.
2. Colorado Avalanche (10-1-0) (Last week: 2)
Just how much of a difference do Patrick Roy and Nathan MacKinnon make
in Colorado? Put it this way: The Avs, who finished with the worst record in
the Western Conference last season, didn't hit double-digit wins last year
until their 24th game. This year? 12.
3. Anaheim Ducks (10-3-0) (Last week: 6)
All-Stars will be All-Stars. Veterans Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are both
averaging a point per game as the Ducks are amidst a three-game winnning
streak. Frederik Andersen has been an unbelievable safety net in goal for
the Ducks, going 3-0 with a 1.50 GAA.
4. St. Louis Blues (7-1-2) (Last week: 5)
If you're not familiar with Alexander Steen's work, you're not alone. But the
29 year-old Canadian is turning heads with his play early on, tallying a
league-leading 11 goals (including seven in his past five games). Not bad for
a guy that scored eight total in last year’s lockout-shortened season.
5. Boston Bruins (7-3-0) (Last week: 9)
Boston was about two minutes away from being a top three team on the list.
The B's were as hot as any team in the league could be, lighting up the
Lightning and Sabres on the road before handing the Sharks their first
regulation loss of the season at TD Garden. Then came a matchup with the
Devils that the Bruins were leading 3-2 with under two minutes remaining.
Not only did they give up the lead, they lost in regulation! They’ll be kicking
themselves for that loss for a while.
6. Chicago Blackhawks (8-2-3) (Last week: 3)
After seven straight games of allowing three goals or fewer, the Hawks have
given up at least five in three of their past four contests. The good news?
they've also scored at least five in three of their last four.
7. Toronto Maple Leafs (9-4-0) (Last week: 7)
That Phil Kessel extension keeps looking better and better. He's tied for
second in the league in points with 18, sandwiched between two somewhat
decent players, Sidney Crosby and Steven Stamkos. David Clarkson is
playing again, but he has yet to record a point in his first three games.
8. Phoenix Coyotes (8-3-2) (Last week: 8)
The Coyotes were playing some of the best hockey in the NHL before
self-destructing in Los Angeles last week. But as good teams do, Phoenix
got their revenge when they met on Tuesday, beating the Kings 3-1.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins (8-4-0) (Last week: 4)
A three-game losing streak for Crosby and crew? Yep, it happened. The
Pens finally stopped the bleeding with a win over Carolina on Monday and
Sid the Kid still leads the league in points, so it’s not all bad.
10. Montreal Canadiens (8-5-0) (Last week: 11) The
14. Minnesota Wild (6-4-3) (Last week:18)
The Wild are finally coming around. They've won three of their past four,
largely in part to Ryan Suter. Though he's yet to score a goal, he's
contributed seven assists and leads the league in ice time.
15. Nashville Predators (6-5-1) (Last week: 15)
It's a sad week here at Philly.com as Seth Jones gave us nothing to drool
over in the past week. Still, the Predators are continuing to surprise people
with their play and are very much alive for a playoff spot.
16. New York Islanders (4-5-3) (Last week: 20)
It's tough to say that the Islanders are worse due to the Thomas Vanek deal,
but they might be. Matt Moulson and John Tavares had unmatched
chemistry on the first line, plus losing this year's first rounder and next year's
second rounder for what could be a rental player is a steep price. Still,
Vanek is one of the game's elite and should thrive when playing in games
with actual meaning.
17. Columbus Blue Jackets (5-6-0) (Last week: 22)
Amazingly, of the eight teams in the Metropolitan Division, only the Jackets
and the Pens have .500 records or better over their last ten games. They
really shouldn't be considered a threat to make the playoffs, but I'd be
surprised if they didn't get there with how the rest of the division is playing.
18. Calgary Flames (5-5-2) (Last week: 17)
Dear Flames: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? The Sabres just traded
Vanek, and they're likely going to sell Ryan Miller as well. Calgary's two
goalies rank 31st and 32nd respectively in save percentage, which is about
as miserable as it gets. This is a team that could make the playoffs if they
had more than a folding chair in net.
19. Dallas Stars (5-6-1) (Last week: 26)
They may not win all the time, but they're fun to watch on offense. The duo
of Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin has been electric as both are averaging a
point per game through the first dozen. Kari Lehtonen is third in the league in
save percentage and GAA.
20. Detroit Red Wings (6-4-2) (Last week: 10)
It's been nearly two weeks since the Red Wings last won a game. The
offense has been practically non-existent, combining for just five goals
during their current four-game losing streak. With Datsyuk and Zetterberg,
the offense will come back, but they need it soon.
21. New Jersey Devils (3-5-4) (Last week: 27)
The Devils have earned a point in three straight games, two of which were
wins. Their two goals in 100 seconds to win in Boston has the potential to be
a major turning point in their season. Holding Tampa Bay to just one goal is
also one heck of a feat.
22. Washington Capitals (5-7-0) (Last week: 19)
Alex Ovechkin is an unbelievable scorer, but unlike Crosby, he just doesn't
make other players around him better. He doesn't have much help to begin
with, though, as the Capitals are pretty starved for scorers.
23. Winnipeg Jets (5-7-2) (Last week: 21)
The Jets just aren't a scary team. Nothing about their game is overwhelming
or intimidating. Yet somehow, they are hovering around .500 and give
themselves a chance in nearly every game.
24. Carolina Hurricanes (4-5-3) (Last week: 16)
This is where the job gets hard. The Hurricanes are second in the
Metropolitan Division which should warrant some love, but they've lost three
straight! Their goal differential is -10 and frankly, they would be sixth or
seventh in either of the Western divisions.
25. New York Rangers (4-7-0) (Last week: 30)
They survived playing their first nine on the road, and now it's time for the
Rangers to show us something. They have four straight home games
coming up, including hockey's version of a 'gimme' against the Sabres.
26. Philadelphia Flyers (3-8-0)
Anyone know if that Claude Giroux guy still plays for them? The captain has
a big fat goose egg in the goal column and a -7 rating. LeCavalier is picking
up the slack for now, but the Flyers need Giroux to get going if they plan on
making a jump in the standings.
27. Ottawa Senators (4-6-2) (Last week: 24)
Losers of three straight and on the verge of being caught by the Panthers,
it's not a great time to be a hockey fan in Ottawa. Put a lot of that blame on
Craig Anderson, as the offense has been solid. Tough to complain when
there's four guys already with double digit points.
28. Florida Panthers (3-7-2) (Last week: 25)
The Panthers aren't a great hockey team, but no one expected them to be. If
they get to 75 points this season, their front office has a lot to be proud of.
It's hard to win in a market that simply doesn't care about the sport.
29. Buffalo Sabres (2-11-1) (Last week: 29)
Not putting them in 30th is simply a reward for a great trade. Moulson, a first
and a second for Vanek - who wasn't going to re-sign with the team next
year anyway - is pure genius, especially considering Moulson found the
back of the net twice in his first game.
30. Edmonton Oilers (3-9-2) (Last week: 23)
I'm not mad Edmonton, I'm just disappointed. After making me think things
were clicking last week, the Oilers went ahead and dropped four straight
(one in shootout), proving that they still have a long way to go in overcoming
their growing pains.
724123
Philadelphia Flyers
When: 7:05.
Where: Prudential Center.
Downie: 'I know when to pick my spots now.'
TV/Radio: TCN/97.5-FM.
Season series: First meeting.
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 4:58 pm
Wayne Fish Staff writer
What to watch: Devils are playing a little better after slow start. . .Flyers are
0-2 in the second half of back-to-back games. . .Philadelphia is 1-3 on the
road. . .New Jersey captain Bryce Salvador is sidelined with a broken ankle.
Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
VOORHEES – The bad boy that was Steve Downie circa 2008 says he’s
matured over the past five years since his first tour of duty with the Flyers.
But that doesn’t mean he’s a model of decorum.
Told that general manager Paul Holmgren described him as someone who
can “stir the pot,’’ Downie – reacquired in a trade with Colorado for Max
Talbot on Thursday – indicated he’s better at knowing when to let loose.
“My first year (2006) I took a couple suspensions (one the fifth-longest in
NHL history),’’ he acknowledged during a conference call. “I was really
eager to get to the league and make an impact.
“Now I’ve been in the league, this is my seventh season. I’ve grown with the
game, I’ve learned the game, I know when to pick my spots now.’’
Downie said he wasn’t caught completely off-guard by the deal.
“In the back of my mind, I had a feeling coming into the season that I might
be moved,’’ he said. “I didn’t think about Philly. There was always that
possibility because of my contract situation (he’s an unrestricted free agent
at the end of the season).
“But I’m excited about coming back to Philly, this is where it all became
reality in the NHL.’’
Earlier in the day, former Flyer Rick Tocchet, who coached Downie when the
two were in Tampa Bay, said Downie can be a productive, disciplined player
with the right kind of coach. He believes Craig Berube fits that bill.
“I had Berube in the minors when I was in Philly,’’ Downie said. “I’m pretty
familiar with Chief, I’m a big fan of his. It’s going to be exciting. I know he’s a
great coach, so I’m just excited to talk hockey with him.’’
Downie said he believes he can help out on any of the Flyers’ four lines.
“I play the game hard,’’ Downie said. “I like to play a physical game. I play
the game on the edge. I’m going to bring energy every night, hopefully help
the team win.’’
The Hartnell hair hack: Scott Hartnell, known for his lengthy hair, decided to
part ways with his flowing locks on Wednesday. Some speculated it was a
move to change his luck (he hasn’t scored yet in seven games). But he just
shrugged at the notion.
“Change it up,’’ he said. “I’ve cut it a couple times since I’ve been here
(2007). Different look at yourself, like a totally different man.’’
Told by a reporter that he looks older, Hartnell paused and said with a bit of
sarcasm, “Thanks.’’
Flyers tonight
What: Washington Capitals at Flyers.
When: 7:05.
Where: Wells Fargo Center.
TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM.
Season series: First meeting.
What to watch: Superstar Alex Ovechkin will not play this game due to an
upper-body injury. . .The Flyers practiced with Erik Gustafsson (scratched
for the Anaheim game) paired with Kimmo Timonen. But coach Craig
Berube said that doesn’t mean Andrej Meszaros won’t be in the lineup
against the Caps. . .The Flyers are expected to split goaltending duties this
weekend because they play at New Jersey on Saturday but Berube wouldn’t
which games Steve Mason and/or Ray Emery might play.
Flyers Saturday
What: Flyers at New Jersey Devils.
724124
Philadelphia Flyers
GM says new Flyer Downie can 'stir the pot'
Posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 3:35 pm | Updated: 10:12 pm, Thu Oct
31, 2013.
By Wayne Fish
VOORHEES – The need to create some energy on both sides of the puck
finally resulted in a Flyers’ trade on Thursday when the team reacquired
forward Steve Downie from Colorado in exchange for Max Talbot.
Downie, 26, played in 38 games for the Flyers before a November 2008
trade to Tampa Bay, recording six goals and six assists for 12 points.
He was the Flyers’ first-round draft pick (29th overall) in 2005.
“We felt we needed someone to stir the pot,’’ general manager Paul
Holmgren said. “I think Steve is going to help us in that regard.’’
Downie has a $2.6-million salary cap hit and is scheduled to become an
unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
In his NHL career, Downie has played in 285 games, with 56 goals, 89
assists for 145 points and 696 penalty minutes.
He missed all but two of last year’s 48-game season due to a torn ACL in his
right knee.
Talbot, 29, signed as a free agent three years ago ($9 million for 5 years,
$1.75-million salary cap hit), and scored 19 goals his first season.
In 127 games for the Flyers, Talbot had 25 goals and a total of 46 points. For
his career, Talbot has 515 games, with 77 goals, 77 assists and 154 points.
Rick Tocchet, who coached Downie in Tampa, agreed with Holmgren’s
assessment. In addition to providing badly needed energy, Downie,
according to Tocchet, can be effective on Claude Giroux’s line and help the
captain get out of his scoring slump.
“Stir the pot? Yeah,’’ Tocchet said in a conference call. “I like to call it
changing the momentum. Perfect example is when they’re playing Anaheim
(Tuesday, a 3-2 loss in which the Flyers fell apart in the third period).
“They play a great first, second period was OK and they started losing
themselves in the third period. Who’s that guy that can go out there and
change the momentum? Get in front of the goalie, win battles in the corner,
even have collisions with guys?
“You need that kind of player to wake your bench up. And you can play him
on your top six. He’s a natural right shot (who might play the off-wing) that
can help Giroux. Claude should start to score goals.’’
The departure of Talbot leaves a big vacancy on the penalty kill but
Holmgren was willing to take that risk to get Downie back.
Holmgren knows Downie probably won’t provide instant offense. He had
only one goal in 11 games for the Avalanche.
“He’s more of a playmaker than a scorer,’’ Holmgren said. “He has the ability
to score goals, he’s scored 20 goals at least once in his career (22 with
Tampa in 2009-10). He’s a good all-around player.’’
Colorado is off to a quick start and Downie had been right in the middle of it,
playing on the top line with Matt Duchene on most nights.
Early in his career, Downie had some issues both on the ice (lengthy
suspension for a preseason hit on Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond) and off (a
hazing incident in junior hockey). But Holmgren says he’s done a lot of
maturing.
“He’s probably going to take the odd penalty because he plays hard,’’
Holmgren said. “Sometimes that’s a good thing. You want hard players that
are hungry and want to get to the front of the net.
“He’s a good player, maybe better than people give him credit for. He’s
strong on the puck, he can make a lot of plays.’’
The Flyers originally traded Downie to the Lightning to acquire defenseman
Matt Carle.
Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724125
Philadelphia Flyers
“He’s been hurt, and has some issues,” Tocchet said, “but there’s a hockey
player there.”
Flyers hope Downie will up their scoring success
It’s already being presumed that Downie’s act might play best on the Flyers’
top line, at least now while Giroux continues to struggle.
By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times
“Who’s that guy that can go out there and change the momentum? Get in
front of the goalie, win battles in the corner, even just collisions with guys?”
Tocchet said, verbally scanning the Flyers roster. “You need that kind of
player to wake your bench up.”
Posted: 10/31/13, 3:52 PM EDT | Updated: 3 hrs ago
VOORHEES, N.J. — The Flyers Thursday traded defensive forward Max
Talbot to Colorado for Steve Downie, a forward with a sharper scoring sense
who is a former Flyers first-round draft pick.
Downie, who had a goal and seven points in 11 games with Colorado this
season, is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee that wiped out essentially
all of his 2013 short season. But he has had his moments as a scorer, too,
registering 22 goals and 46 points in 77 games with the Lightning in
2009-10, and 56 goals and 145 points in 285 career NHL games.
“Steve’s a good player, a better player than maybe people give him credit
for,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “He’s good with the puck,
strong on the puck. He can make a lot of plays.”
Downie also brings a reputation for taking bad penalties for much of his
career. That began with Philadelphia, where in 38 games as a Flyer he
scored six goals and 12 points while putting up 84 penalty minutes.
“My first years I had a couple of suspensions,” said Downie, who first stuck
with the Flyers in 2007-08. “I was really eager to get into the league and
make an impact. Now that I’ve been in the league for seven seasons, I’ve
grown with the game, I’ve learned the game. I know when to pick my spots
now. I’m excited to show Philadelphia what I have to offer.”
Downie’s history included a suspension in junior hockey when he
cross-checked a teammate in the face, knocking out three of his teeth. The
altercation was said to have stemmed from a hazing incident and wound up
with his coach, Moe Mantha, getting fired. He started his NHL career in
September 2007 with a vicious hit on Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in a
preseason game, leaping off his feet to sandwich McAmmond’s head into
the boards, knocking him cold. That earned a 20-game suspension for
Downie and didn’t do him any favors with upright coach John Stevens.
“I think he’s probably matured exponentially in that regard,” Holmgren said.
“But he still plays the game hard and he’s going to take the odd penalty just
because he plays the game hard.”
The young Downie was traded by the Flyers to Tampa Bay on Nov. 7, 2008
with Steve Eminger for defenseman Matt Carle. In Tampa, Downie first
thrived under head coach Rick Tocchet, and would act as right-hand fist to
top Lightning scorers Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis.
“Anybody can play with those guys,” said Tocchet, now an analyst for
Comcast SportsNet. “But there was chemistry there. Steve Downie can keep
people off balance when he is under control.”
But how easy was it to keep Downie under control? He was a rare entity that
season in Tampa when he scored 20-plus goals while registering 200-plus
penalty minutes. And every now and then, Tocchet added, “I’d have to read
him the riot act.”
Tocchet also thinks his old buddy Craig Berube, who coached the rookie
Downie with the Phantoms, will be good at helping him keep focused on the
job at hand, especially if that role includes getting Claude Giroux to play like
he’s supposed to play.
“With a team struggling to win games, the last thing you want is guys taking
stupid penalties,” Tocchet said. “But Steve’s smart enough to recognize that
and Craig will make him realize that.”
Downie doesn’t see it being any problem.
“I was 19 or 20 years old the first time I played (here),” he said. “I was
younger and, I don’t know if immature is the word, but I think I’ve grown as a
player and as a person. I’m excited to show Philly what an older Steve
Downie looks like.”
Tocchet went so far as to say he’s had recent conversations with referees
he knows who say Downie has cleaned up his act in recent seasons, though
injury problems have continued to haunt him.
Tocchet also offered the opinion that Downie, being a right-handed shot that
can play left wing, would be a natural fit next to Giroux and across from
former Lightning teammate Vinny Lecavalier.
“Claude should start to score goals,” Tocchet said.
Downie was traded to Colorado in February 2012, and this season was
stationed at right wing on the Avalanche’s most productive line with Matt
Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly. Downie, scheduled to be an unrestricted free
agent this summer, will bring the Flyers a $2.6 million cap hit, while Talbot’s
hit was only $1.75 million with two years remaining on his contract. Just two
years ago, he scored 19 goals for the Flyers, but premier penalty killing was
his primary contribution.
“Max was a great player for the Flyers in his time when he was here,”
Holmgren said. “It’s a tough call. Right now other players are going to have
to fill that role and continue to do a good job killing penalties.”
NOTES: The lucky Flyers get another break Friday night, when they host a
Washington Capitals team that will have Alex Ovechkin out with a shoulder
injury. “He’s got what, 30 percent of our team’s goals? Any time you miss a
guy like that it’s pretty detrimental,” Troy Brouwer said. ... Scott Hartnell’s
Wednesday tweets showing pictures of a pile of curly red locks was no joke.
He now has an accountant’s ’do. “Why not?” regular-cut guy Hartnell said.
“Change it up.” Asked if he did it as a superstitious attack on his current
slump, he said, “No, I’ve done it a couple of times since I’ve been here.”
Then Hartnell was told it made him ... “I look older?” he repeated, “Thanks.”
Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724126
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers send Talbot to Avalanche for Steve Downie
By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times
Posted: 10/31/13, 3:37 PM EDT | Updated: 11 hrs ago
VOORHEES, N.J. - The Flyers Thursday traded defensive forward Max
Talbot to Colorado for Steve Downie, a forward with a sharper scoring sense
who is a former Flyers first-round draft pick.
Downie, who had a goal and seven points in 11 games with Colorado this
season, is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee that wiped out essentially
all of his 2013 short season.
But Downie has had his moments as a scorer, too. He registered 22 goals
and 46 points in 77 games with the Lightning in 2009-10, and in 285 career
NHL games has 56 goals and 145 points.
“Steve’s a good player; a better player than maybe people give him credit
for,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “He’s good with the puck,
strong on the puck. He can make a lot of plays.”
Downie also brings a reputation for taking bad penalties. That began with
Philadelphia, where in 38 games as a Flyer he scored six goals and 12
points while putting up 84 penalty minutes.
Downie’s history included a suspension in junior hockey when he
cross-checked a teammate in the face, knocking out three of his teeth. The
altercation was said to have stemmed from a hazing incident and wound up
with his coach, Moe Mantha, getting fired.
Downie also started his NHL career in Sept. of 2007 with a vicious hit on
Ottawa’s Dean McAmmond in a preseason game, earning a 20-game
suspension. That didn’t make Downie a favorite of coach John Stevens,
which put him in a bad light during his time here.
“I think he’s probably matured exponentially in that regard,” Holmgren said
of Downie’s purported self-discipline improvement. “But he still plays the
game hard and he’s going to take the odd penalty just because he plays the
game hard. Sometimes that’s a good thing. You want hard players; you want
players that are hungry and get in front of the net and do things. And that’s
Steve.”
The young Downie was traded by the Flyers to Tampa Bay Nov. 7, 2008
with Steve Eminger for defenseman Matt Carle. In Tampa, Downie thrived
under head coach Rick Tocchet, and would act as right-hand fist to top
Lightning scorers Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis for the Lightning.
“Anybody can play with those guys,” said Tocchet, now an analyst for
Comcast SportsNet. “But there was chemistry there. Steve Downie can keep
people off balance when he is under control.”
But how easy was it to keep Downie under control? He was that rare entity
that season in Tampa when he scored 20-plus goals to also register
200-plus penalty minutes. And every now and then, Tocchet added, “I’d
have to read him the riot act.”
But Tocchet also thinks his old buddy Craig Berube will be good at helping
Downie keep focused on the job at hand, and that job might be getting
Claude Giroux to play like he’s supposed to play.
“With a team struggling to win games, the last thing you want is guys taking
stupid penalties,” Tocchet said. “But Steve’s smart enough to recognize that
and Craig will make him realize that.”
While Tocchet said he’s sure Berube will have Downie “on a short leash,” he
added that Downie “wants to show everybody he can play the game and
play it clean.” Tocchet went so far as to say he’s had recent conversations
with referees he knows who say Downie has cleaned up his act in recent
seasons, though injury problems have continued to haunt him.
“He’s been hurt, and has some issues,” Tocchet said, “but there’s a hockey
player there.”
It’s already being presumed that Downie’s act might play best on the Flyers’
top line, at least now while Giroux continues to struggle.
“He’s a guy that can go out there and change momentum,” Tocchet said.
“He’ll stand in front of a goalie ... get in collisions with guys. He can play in
the top six; he’s a natural right-hand shot. ... He’s going to be good for
Claude. I really think he can help.”
Downie was traded to Colorado in Feb. 2012, and this season was stationed
at right wing on the Avalanche’s top line line with Matt Duchene and Ryan
O’Reilly. Downie, scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this summer,
will bring the Flyers a $2.6 million cap hit, while Talbot’s hit was only $1.75
million.
Avalanche vice-president Joe Sakic called Talbot, “a veteran forward who
has won a Stanley Cup (with Pittsburgh) and has a lot of NHL experience.
We look forward to him bringing that experience to our club.”
Talbot had 77 goals and 154 points in 515 games with the Flyers and
Penguins, and has two seasons remaining on the five-year, $8.75 million
contract he signed in July 2011.
“Max was a great player for the Flyers in his time when he was here,”
Holmgren said. “It’s a tough call. Right now other players are going to have
to fill that role and continue to do a good job killing penalties.
“We felt at the other end we needed something to stir the pot and I think
Steve’s going to help us. He’s more of a playmaker than a scorer but he has
an ability to score goals. He’s a good all-around player.”
Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724127
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers Notes: Hartnell's hair, third-period woes
Berube agrees.
“The third period is a mental thing, not an effort thing,” Berube said. “It’s a
mental thing we need to get over.”
How do you reverse that? Berube says through positive reinforcement.
October 31, 2013, 2:45 pm
Staff
“Keep bringing it up, keep talking about it, keep working on it,” he said. “The
third period on [Long Island], that wasn’t there. We did a good job. Little
things sometimes cause you to go the other way.”
The Flyers were ahead 3-2 going into the third period against the Islanders
and closed the game out.
If you watch the line rushes tomorrow night before the game, you might not
recognize the head inside the No. 19 helmet.
They were ahead 2-1 against the Ducks but got steamrolled in the final
period.
That’s because Scott Hartnell’s long locks –- not as long as Michal Handzus'
13-inch locks, but a worthy attempt, nonetheless -- are gone.
Youth Tournament
Hartnell cut his hair this week. No longer the wild image. More stately now.
Older-looking, too.
Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees and Pennsauken will host the inaugural
National Hockey League Youth Tournament Friday through Sunday.
“Why not?” Hartnell said, when asked why. “Changed it up. I’ve done it a
couple of times since I’ve been here. It’s different looking at yourself in the
mirror. Like a total different man.”
Fifteen teams are competing in it.
Hartnell doesn’t have a point in seven games. He’s been back in the lineup
two games after missing the previous four with a rib cage injury.
The Flyers are the official hosts of the tourney, which features AAA youth
programs affiliated with several other NHL clubs, including the Columbus
Blue Jackets, the Detroit Red Wings, the New Jersey Devils, the New York
Islanders, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals.
He appears healthy. He had three shots during the 5-2 win against the
Islanders, but none against Anaheim.
Team Comcast will be representing the Flyers organization in this
tournament. An additional 17 teams will also be participating in Pittsburgh,
hosted by the Penguins.
“I really liked him in the Island,” coach Craig Berube said. “The other night
[against Anaheim], like the rest of the team, I didn’t mind them until the third
period. They got good speed there with Jake [Voracek].
“Got some grit and goal-scoring ability with Schenner [Brayden] and Hartsy
to go to the net. It’s a good combination. As long as they’re doing the right
things out there, good things will happen if they play the right way.”
Voracek said this line “couldn’t bury” any of their chances against the Ducks.
“It wasn’t very good but as long as the chances are there, we have talent in
this room and we can bury those chances,” Voracek said.
Hartnell came into camp in the best shape of his Flyers career. He
anticipated a quick start then suffered a freak, non-contact rib injury against
the Coyotes.
Berube said he’s fine and that Hartnell is “on the right path” to breaking out
of this slump.
The more you shoot, the more you increase your chances to do just that.
Hartnell has nine shots this season.
“There’s been some perimeter shots, but it seemed like I didn’t get any shots
the first six or seven games,” Hartnell said. “It’s nice to find the net, too. [I
had] a couple chances to tie it up. They’re not going in right now.
“You just have to stick with it. When the shots aren’t there, that is when you
have to worry. It’s going to be a dirty one off a shin pad or off a skate or
whatever. It doesn’t matter how it goes in. I just can’t find the back of the
net.”
Maybe the hair cut will change his luck.
Skate 'em
Since taking over for Peter Laviolette, Berube has skated the Flyers hard at
every practice.
Lots of wind sprints and suicides at practice’s end.
Now since both he and his players openly admitted they didn’t do much
skating in the third period on Tuesday against Anaheim, it seems logical that
they would do quite a bit on Thursday.
Could be the coach is sending a message to his players about letting
two-goal leads go by the wayside when you stop skating.
“I’m not sure it’s really sending a message with the third period,” Berube
said.
Voracek said a few weeks ago that the Flyers have a very fragile mentality
about the third period in tight games. Until they start believing in themselves
and their ability to come from behind or close games out, that mental block
won’t change, he said.
724128
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers trade Talbot to Avalanche for Downie
“Craig Berube is a great coach for him,” Tocchet said. “The upside is very
big in a top-six forward in a playoff series, who can play against someone
seven nights, keep teams off balance and make that great pass. It’s a good
trade for the Flyers. Not much of a risk.”
October 31, 2013, 3:30 pm
Downie carries a $2.65 million salary cap hit while Talbot had a $1.75 million
cap hit. Through 11 games this season in Colorado, Downie had just one
goal and six assists.
Staff
Although healthy, he suffered a torn ACL (right knee) injury with the
Avalanche last season and missed all but two games.
Steve Downie is a Flyer. Again.
“He’s been hurt and has some issues, but there’s a hockey player there,”
Tocchet said.
The former first-round pick in 2005 (29th overall) was obtained Thursday
afternoon from Colorado for the Flyers’ top forward on the penalty kill, Max
Talbot.
Talbot, one of just two players who is a plus player (plus-1), had two points
with the Flyers –- a goal and an assist -- but was a terrific penalty killer,
averaging 3:35 a game, most of any forward.
The 26-year-old Downie is a more talented version of Zac Rinaldo –- he has
better hands and was once a 20-goal scorer with Tampa Bay -- but hasn’t
scored more than 12 since the 2009-10 season.
“He’s done a good job for us,” Holmgren said. “Max was a great player for
the Flyers in the time he was here. It’s a tough call. Right now, other players
are going to fill that hole.”
Downie will give the Flyers only a marginal scoring boost over what they
have now unless they intend to use him on Claude Giroux’s line to create
space for Giroux, who has no goals this season and none in his last 17
games going back to last season.
The Flyers had used the 29-year-old Talbot a few times on the first line in
recent games. Obviously, they were showcasing him.
"I'm definitely thinking about that," head coach Craig Berube said of playing
Downie on Giroux's line, "but there are some other things we can use
[Downie] for as well."
General manager Paul Holmgren said he didn’t ask Vinny Lecavalier for a
recommendation.
“[Downie’s] a good player, a better player than maybe people give him credit
for,” Holmgren said. “He’s good with the puck, strong on the puck. He can
make a lot of plays.
“I’m not sure how Chief (coach Craig Berube) is going to use him. We were
talking about it a few minutes ago. We’ll get him in there tomorrow. He’ll add
a lot to our team.”
Downie, a right wing, can play three positions.
“He goes to the front of the net with a purpose and can hold onto the puck
and make plays," Holmgren said. “He’ll add a lot in that department.”
Creating space appears to have been Downie’s role in Colorado on Matt
Duchesne’s top line with Ryan O’Reilly. He played briefly on a line with
Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis in Tampa Bay, as well.
Of course, if Downie fails at this role, don’t look for him to add a ton of goals.
Downie’s biggest numbers are 696 career penalty minutes in 285 NHL
games.
As a Flyer, he was often out of control. He has since settled down.
“He’s matured exponentially in that regard,” Holmgren said. “But he still
plays the game hard. He’s probably going to take the odd penalty just
because he plays the game hard.
“Sometimes, that’s a good thing. You want hard players and players who are
hungry and get to the front of the net, and that’s Steve.
“I like the hunger and energy he brings to the game. He’ll help us. ... We
needed something to stir the pot. I think Steve will help us in that regard.”
Former Lightning coach Rick Tocchet, who had Downie in Tampa Bay, says
the Flyers lack something and it was evident in the third period collapse
against Anaheim.
“He changes the momentum,” Tocchet said. “Against Anaheim, a good first
(period). Second period was okay. And you could tell they were losing
themselves in the third period. He’s a guy who can go out and change
momentum.
“Get in front of a goalie, win two battles in the corner, kick the puck to the
net. He hits guys and wakes your bench up. He plays a top six.
“And he’s a natural right shot which would help Giroux. ... Claude Giroux
might start scoring goals playing with Steve Downie.”
Tocchet cautioned that Downie needs “a short leash” from Berube.
The Avs, who are first in the Central Division, have the No. 1 penalty kill in
the league at 92.3 percent.
They didn’t need a Max Talbot. So why make the trade?
Leadership: Talbot’s won a Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh and was the guy
who carried the Pens in Game 7 in Detroit with two goals.
724129
Philadelphia Flyers
Ovechkin won't be in Caps' lineup vs. Flyers
October 31, 2013, 1:00 pm
Staff
Back-to-back games can be a challenge to even the best teams in the NHL.
Yet for the Flyers, a team still struggling to find consistency, the task at hand
is that much harder.
It might become a tad easier for coach Craig Berube’s club come Friday,
though, after the Caps announced team captain and leading scorer Alex
Ovechkin won't make the trip to Philly because of an upper-body injury.
Ovechkin’s 10 goals represent nearly 30 percent of the Caps’ scoring. That’s
a huge loss for Washington and a huge gain for the Flyers, who only once
this season have scored more than two goals in a game.
Now try convincing Berube he’s catching a huge break here.
“You know for sure he’s not playing?” Berube asked. “Doesn’t change
anything.”
Good for your team?
“Is it? I hope so,” Berube replied. “They’re a good team with or without him.
You gotta prepare the same and go out there with the same attitude and
competing hard. Do the right things.”
Ovie has 15 points, which ranks seventh in the NHL. His 10 goals are
second.
“Anytime you lose your best player, it obviously is going to hurt,” Scott
Hartnell said. “You buckle down and play harder as a forward group. It’s not
like they’re going to come in here and hand us two points. We’re a desperate
hockey team. We have to play desperate and get two points.”
Jakub Voracek doesn’t see it that way.
“I don’t think it makes any difference,” Voracek said. “Most of the times,
when a team’s best player doesn’t play, teams dig in and play even harder
and it becomes hard to play against them. We don’t change our approach at
all. We have to prepare the same way we would prepare even if he was in
the lineup.”
Caps forward Troy Brouwer told CSNWashington, “He has what, 30 percent
of our team’s goals? So anytime you miss a player like that it’s pretty
detrimental.
“We’re going into a building that’s tough to go into and against a team that
has a lot of offensive weapons. We’ve got to find ways to keep them off the
scoreboard before we go on the offensive.”
724130
Philadelphia Flyers
10 observations from a Flyers off day
October 31, 2013, 10:45 am
Staff
Ten random observations from Wednesday, the Flyers' full day away from
the ice:
1. Third-period meltdowns. My feeling is that it’s become a mental choke
collar on the Flyers. Unless they are feeling good about themselves when
that period begins –- which is seldom the case -- they seem to play overly
cautious, almost fearful of making a mistake that becomes fatal. That
happened twice in the final period against Anaheim and resulted in two
goals against, including the game-winner.
2. Sean Couturier had his fourth consecutive game in which he won better
than 50 percent of his faceoffs. His 54.2 percent is almost 11 points higher
than last season. He is 27th overall among faceoff-percentage leaders. His
ice time under coach Craig Berube is up by at least two minutes a night. He
has increased responsibility, too. He still draws tough defensive
assignments against the top line every game. He averaged 14:24 ice time
last season and is at 17 minutes this season.
3. It's been 11 games now for Claude Giroux without a goal. You could have
won big in Vegas if you had bet that would have happened. The good news
is that he’s not down on himself, and if there’s a concentration issue, you
wouldn’t know it because he is currently 11th overall in the NHL in total
faceoff draws taken. He’s at 50.4 percent a game.
4. Ray Emery has sat five consecutive games. Berube is caught between a
rock and a hard place. The Flyers need points. They’re buried in the NHL
standings. Steve Mason is “The Man” right now, and frankly, Berube can’t
afford to use Emery except in back-to-back situations, which happens with
weekend against Washington and New Jersey.
5. Andrej Meszaros finally got into a game after being benched for five. He
drew a lukewarm postgame response from Berube, who felt his game tailed
off in the latter stages of the game when Anaheim was taking it to the Flyers.
The Flyers showcased Meszaros in the preseason for a trade, but it didn’t
happen. So if Meszaros sits, it’s not going to hinder his chances all that more
than if he plays.
6. Lecavalier had a nice power play goal against Anaheim, but was stripped
of a puck for one third-period goal, and tried to make a big hit along the
boards that created an open lane on what would become the winning goal.
That aside, there is nothing comforting right now about the fact that the
Flyers' leading scorer is 33 years old when there is so much young offensive
talent on this team. Vinny should complement scoring –- not lead in it.
7. Luke Schenn is staying out on the ice every day in practice for extra
skating work, even at morning skates on game day. “I need to work on my
footwork,” he said. He insists this is his idea, not the coaches'. He needs to
improve his footwork to help him recover in dicey situations around the net
where he is a second too late or slow. Right now the pendulum has swung
clearly back to JVR on that trade of two years ago.
8. More than a few people impressed upon Jakub Voracek that he needed to
start putting some pucks at the net. He was averaging one shot through the
first eight games, but has picked it up a bit with 10 shots over his last four
games. Berube expects him to average three shots a game. He’s right, too.
9. Will someone please turn down the volume on Lou Nolan’s mic? In fact,
how about turning down the speaker volume all around at the Wells Fargo
Center? As bad as the Islanders’ building is, you don’t need a hearing aid
after sitting in your seat several years in a row like you do in Philadelphia.
10. The Flyers' wives are honoring the 1973-74 and '74-75 Stanley Cup
champion teams this season at their annual Carnival. So is the Philadelphia
Sportswriters Association, because this is the 40th Anniversary of the first
Cup team. We don’t know what the Flyers themselves plan, but this is dicey.
Given last season and the disappointment already this season, fans have
never been angrier or more vocal. You can see their dissatisfaction by the
number of empty seats now at games. The vast majority of their current fan
base wasn’t around for the Cup years and deeply resents being reminded of
it every year. Bob Clarke said a few years ago it was time to move on. He’s
right. If the club is going to do this, it has to figure how to do it without further
alienating their current fans who wonder only one thing: When are we going
to win the next Cup?
724131
Philadelphia Flyers
Downie may get first-line minutes
Oct. 31, 2013 11:28 PM
Dave Isaac
VOORHEES — Steve Downie had a funny feeling heading into this season,
and it had nothing to do with the Colorado Avalanche’s 10-1-0 record to start
the year.
The 26-year-old forward thought he might get traded.
Thursday, it was made a reality when the Flyers reacquired Downie, whom
they drafted 29th overall in the 2005 draft. They sent center Max Talbot the
other way.
“I didn’t think about Philly, but there was always that possibility because of
my contract situation,” said Downie, who has one goal and six assists in 11
games. “I’m excited to come back to Philly. This is where it all started. This is
where it became a reality for me. I’m just excited to put that orange on.”
Downie, who has a $2.65 million cap hit, will become an unrestricted free
agent at the end of the year. That puts the Flyers $900,000 closer to the
salary cap.
In 38 games with the Flyers to start his career, Downie had six goals and six
assists. Although he has 696 penalty minutes in his 285 career NHL games,
Downie has decent hands when they stay in his gloves.
“Steve’s a good player, a better player than maybe people give him credit
for,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “He’s good with the puck. He’s
strong on the puck. He can make a lot of plays. I’m not sure how (coach
Craig Berube) is going to use him.”
Downie scored 22 goals in 79 games in 2009-10 with the Tampa Bay
Lightning, although he was on a scoring line at the time. This year, he was
playing right wing on Colorado’s top line with Ryan O’Reilly and Matt
Duchene. It’s unclear how the Flyers will use Downie going forward, but the
omission of Talbot, 29, means that Adam Hall will take over centering the
fourth line.
Talbot, who has two years on his deal after this season, was being used on
the Flyers’ top line a little bit in the past two games and was the team’s best
penalty killer.
In 127 games with the Flyers, Talbot had 25 goals and 21 assists.
“Max was a great player for the Flyers in the time that he was here,”
Holmgren said. “It’s a tough call. Right now, other players are gonna have to
fill that hole and continue to kill penalties when we do take them, because
you’re gonna. We felt at the other end we needed something to stir the pot. I
think Steve’s gonna help us in that regard.”
“You need a player to wake your bench up,” added Rick Tocchet, who
coached Downie in Tampa and put him on the top line with Martin St. Louis
and Steven Stamkos. “I think that he’s a guy that can do that for the Flyers if
you play him in the top six. He’s a natural right shot, which might help
Claude Giroux. It might be just the law of averages, but I think you might
start to see Claude score goals with Steve Downie. I really think he will
help.”
Trading for Downie is a curious move for the Flyers, who are in desperate
need of offense. The Flyers are 27th in the league, averaging 1.84 goals per
game. Since Downie was on the top line in Colorado and is able to play both
wings, perhaps they do put him on the top line.
Holmgren said finding where Downie fits will be trial and error.
“I don’t know what my role will be, but I can pretty much play all four lines,”
Downie said. “It’s really up to them. I just want to help the team as much as I
can.”
Courier-Post LOADED: 11.01.2013
724132
Philadelphia Flyers
Flyers hope to get Hartnell going
Ovechkin has 10 of Washington’s 32 goals on the year. Heading into
Thursday’s action, he ranked second in the league in goals and seventh in
points.
Oct. 31, 2013 11:16 PM
“Most of the time when their best player doesn’t play, that means they dig in
even harder to play,” Voracek warned. “It doesn’t change our approach at
all. We’ve got to just be prepared, even the same way we’d prepare if
Ovechkin were in the lineup.”
Dave Isaac
VOORHEES — When Scott Hartnell looked at himself in the mirror
Wednesday night after cutting off his trademarked locks, he almost didn’t
recognize himself.
“You look like a totally different man,” said the 31-year-old left wing, who’s
had no goals in seven games.
He hopes he’ll play like a new man, too. In practice, he sniped a shot from
the left wing. Usually having a sense of humor and celebrating in such a
situation, the frustrated Hartnell skated to the boards and gave a subtle nod
to a fan standing at the glass.
After missing four games with a rib injury, Hartnell has been attacking the
net. Tuesday against the Anaheim Ducks, he led the Flyers with seven shots
on net.
“There was a fair number of shots, but it seemed like I hadn’t gotten any
shots in the first six or seven games that I played,” Hartnell said.
“It’s gonna be a dirty one off a shin pad or off a skate, but it doesn’t matter
how they go in. You’ve just got to find the back of the net.”
His line with Brayden Schenn and Jake Voracek has had its chances
recently. The results just aren’t there yet.
“I really liked them on the Island,” coach Craig Berube said. “The other night,
like the rest of the team, I didn’t mind them until the third period. They’ve got
good speed with Jake and grit and goal-scoring ability with Schenner and
Hartsy to go to the net. It’s a good combination.”
The Flyers are hoping for more scoring out of that line, as the line of Matt
Read, Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds are used more as a checking
line, being matched up against opponents’ top lines.
“With me, Schenner and Hartsy, we need to step in and score some goals
as well,” Voracek said. “That’s how the teams win the games. Everybody
comes together, chips in goals-wise, defensive-wise, and we’ve just got to
make sure we put some goals together and win some games.”
Gus back in for Meszaros:
After a one-game stint in the press box as a healthy scratch, defenseman
Erik Gustafsson is slated to return to the lineup tonight. He took shifts with
Kimmo Timonen in practice Thursday. Andrej Meszaros was skating with
Hal Gill, suggesting both will be healthy scratches as Gill has been every
game this season.
Berube told the 24-year-old Gustafsson he’s looking for more consistency in
his game.
“I wasn’t really happy with myself either, but you know what, sometimes the
hard part right now is to find the consistency and be good every night,”
Gustafsson said.
Adding more pressure to Gustafsson is his contact with Peter Popovic,
coach of the Swedish national team, for which Gustafsson has an outside
shot of playing in the upcoming Olympics. Popovic came and met with
Gustafsson earlier in the year when the latter was a healthy scratch and saw
him play in Detroit. Since then, the two have exchanged emails.
“To be honest with you, it would be a huge bonus and something I’d really
like to do if it happens,” Gustafsson said, “but my main focus is just trying to
be in the top six every day here and trying to be better.”
No Ovechkin tonight for Caps:
Alex Ovechkin came off the ice during Capitals practice Thursday morning,
and the team said its captain would not make the trip to Philadelphia for
tonight’s game.
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Philadelphia Flyers
Talbot's game gives Flyers options
Oct. 31, 2013
Dave Isaac
PHILADELPHIA — When the Flyers took the ice Saturday against the New
York Islanders, Max Talbot lined up at Claude Giroux’s left on the opening
faceoff.
It wasn’t a permanent move, and he wasn’t there long. Coach Craig Berube
was looking for energy and good defense, knowing the Isles would start stud
forward John Tavares.
Talbot was just the right guy for the job.
“He’s always been a player like that,” Berube said. “He scored a couple big
goals in the Finals playing with (Pittsburgh star Evgeni) Malkin. He’s the kind
of player that can play anywhere, and he’s very useful that way. It’s
important to use him that way.”
After that shift, Talbot went back to centering the fourth line between Zac
Rinaldo and Jay Rosehill. The process was repeated Tuesday against
Anaheim. The Flyers double-shifted Talbot, not because they don’t trust
rookie Michael Raffl but because they know what Talbot can bring.
The 29-year-old Quebec native has always been defensively responsible.
When he was in juniors, Hull Olympiques coach Benoit Groulx saw the
potential for more.
“If you want to go to the next level,” Groulx told Talbot, “you really need to
get that (offensive) side a little bit better.”
In 2002-03, Talbot scored 104 points in 69 games and 44 more in 20 playoff
games.
Even though the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is no National
Hockey League, Talbot has found an offensive touch in the NHL also.
“When I got to the NHL, that’s when I got to look at other players like John
Madden in New Jersey, who had a really long career and stuff like that, a
more defensive player,” Talbot said. “It was easy to work with the offensive
guys we had in Pittsburgh.”
He scored a career-high 19 goals for the Flyers two seasons ago after
spending six years in Pittsburgh, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2009 and
scored both Penguins goals in Game 7. Through 11 games this season,
Talbot has a goal and an assist.
This is the same guy that kills penalties for the Flyers, takes faceoffs and
nearly broke his nose the other night when he slammed face first in the
boards trying to chase down a loose puck.
He was one of few Flyers who kept skating when they blew a two-goal lead
Tuesday. Not moving the feet was identified as the biggest factor of why the
team couldn’t stop turning the puck over. They coughed it up 16 times in the
game.
“Well it’s tough when you lose the puck and turn it over too much, and you’re
not really skating too much and you’re in your own end too much,” Berube
said. “We didn’t do a very good job with the puck half of the second and third
period, and that caused all the problems.”
And why didn’t they skate?
“I have no clue,” Matt Read said. “I couldn’t tell you.”
Talbot had two blocked shots and a pair of hits while having responsibilities
on two lines and the top penalty-killing unit. He didn’t stop skating because
that’s not his game.
“He plays with a lot of heart and a lot of hard work,” Giroux said. “He’s been
doing that his whole career. When you’ve got a guy like that working his (tail)
off, you want to follow him.”
That’s what Berube was counting on.
724134
Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes' Thomas Greiss makes 'scary' start in goal
By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:29 PM
His scary, Yeti-inspired mask was an appropriate touch for Halloween, but
backup goalie Thomas Greiss didn’t earn the start Thursday against the
Nashville Predators because of the artwork on his lid.
“We know we have to give (No. 1 Mike Smith) some breaks here and there,
and this is a break Smitty can have one game in six days,” coach Dave
Tippett said.
This was Greiss’ second start. He made 36 saves in a 2-1 win against the
Flyers in Philadelphia Oct. 11 and has appeared in two other games in relief
of Smith.
“I try to pretty much do the same thing if I’m starting or not so I’m always
ready,” Greiss said. “So it’s not really that big of a difference.”
The next three games are against division opponents, and two of those
come in a back-to-back set. It’s possible Greiss plays again next week,
although Tippett used Smith in both games the last time the team had a
back-to-back.
“He’s a young player who wants to prove he’s a good NHL player,” Tippett
said of Greiss. “His first start in Philadelphia he was very strong for us. He
had a good training camp. The couple times he’s come in for cleanup duty
he’s played well.”
Roster moves
The Coyotes activated winger Lauri Korpikoski from injured reserve, and
Korpikoski played against the Predators after missing the previous three
games with an upper-body injury.
“He’s a guy who helps a lot of parts of the game,” Tippett said. “He’s a good
penalty killer, can play critical minutes for us. He’s just a real stable player in
our lineup, so it’s good to have him back.”
To make roster room for Korpikoski, the Coyotes pushed center Jeff Halpern
onto injured reserve. Halpern hasn’t played since Saturday when he
suffered an upper-body injury against the Edmonton Oilers.
Defenseman David Schlemko (lower-body injury) didn’t play against the
Predators.
To bolster their defensive options, the Coyotes assigned winger Tim
Kennedy to their American Hockey League affiliate and recalled
defenseman Brandon Gormley, who has yet to play in an NHL game.
Gormley didn’t play Thursday. Instead, the Coyotes called on David
Rundblad to take Schlemko’s spot. It was Rundblad’s first game since Oct.
8. He was a healthy scratch for 10 consecutive games.
As for defenseman Rusty Klesla, he’s still on injured reserve but continues
to practice. “He’s skating, but he’s still a few days away,” Tippett said.
Up next
Coyotes at Sharks
When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, Calif.
TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).
Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.01.2013
724135
Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes rally back to defeat the Nashville Predators in a shootout
By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:57 PM
GLENDALE -- Coyotes coach Dave Tippett paced back and forth behind
the bench, absentmindedly crossing him arms and then stuffing his hands
his pockets before repeating the process.
He had a front-row view to a Halloween horror show when he signed on to
watch a hockey game.
The Coyotes fell into an early 3-0 hole, but that meant they had plenty of
time to clean up their act against the Nashville Predators.
And they did, erasing that deficit and rallying to win 5-4 in a shootout
Thursday in front of 7,401 at Jobing.com Arena.
“That was Jekyll and Hyde wasn’t it?” Tippett said. “That was perfect for the
night.”
Winger Mikkel Boedker was the lone player to score, in the fifth round, and
that kept the Coyotes unbeaten (6-0-1) on home ice in regulation. With the
win, Tippett tied Bobby Francis for most wins in franchise history for a head
coach, 165.
The Predators offered a reprieve from a division-heavy schedule, which
continues for the next three games, but they weren’t a pushover.
The Coyotes should have been well-aware of that considering how similar
both teams’ styles are, but their performance in the first period suggested
otherwise. The Predators averaged 1.92 goals-per-game before meeting the
Coyotes but racked up three in the first 20 minutes of play.
“I think there’s been some soft goals go in, and I think we’ve taken some
untimely penalties,” Tippett said. “If you add those two things up, I think
you’re going to see a lot of chances-against or goals-against in the first
period.”
Center Matt Hendricks snuck behind the Coyotes defense and wired a shot
far-side nine minutes into the game on goalie Thomas Greiss, who started
so No. 1 Mike Smith could enjoy a night of rest. Greiss finished with 36
saves.
the shot he had tonight – he shoots to score. He doesn’t shoot to hope to
score. He almost put that through the net today. He shoots it hard.”
The Predators bumped their lead to two 4:15 into the third when center Paul
Gaustad poked in a rebound at the top of Greiss’ crease, but the Coyotes
earned it back only 2:01 later on the power play. Defenseman Keith Yandle
jumped at the blue line to keep the puck in the zone, and center Mike Ribeiro
set up Shane Doan in front of the net.
“That was a pretty deflating feeling,” Doan said about the Predators fourth
goal. “That was one of those ones not a lot was going on and we were trying
to get back into it, and then all of a sudden you’re down two again. But our
PP has helped us and gotten big goals for us.”
Another 2:01 later, the Coyotes tied it when center Antoine Vermette scored
on a breakaway. Vermette ran into Hutton and the goal had to be reviewed,
but the puck went in five-hole before the collision.
That sent the game to overtime, and in the shootout Ribeiro, winger Radim
Vrbata, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and defenseman David
Rundblad were blanked before Boedker scored, with Greiss stopping all five
Predators shooters.
“We’re finding ways to get points, and hopefully that continues,” Tippett said.
“But the biggest thing we have to continue to improve. We want to be a top
team in this league, if we’re going to be a top team, there are areas we have
to improve.”
Report
Key player: Predators center David Legwand had a goal and added a pair of
assists through regulation.
Key moment: The Coyotes secured at least one point when center Antoine
Vermette scored on a breakaway at 8:17 of the third period to tie it at 4.
Key number: 3 goals allowed in the first period by the Coyotes. They’ve
been outscored 17-5 in that period so far this season.
View from the press box: Once the Coyotes’ forward group gets back to full
strength, it looks like they’ll have some tough decisions to make. Call-ups
Andy Miele and Jordan Szwarz have done well with this opportunity, but
someone will have to come out of the lineup once center Martin Hanzal
returns Saturday from suspension. They’ll have to send someone back to
the minors once center Jeff Halpern comes off injured reserve. Right now,
there doesn’t seem to be an obvious answer.
Up next
Coyotes at Sharks
The Predators went up 2-0 at 14:12 when winger Patric Hornqvist’s
cross-crease feed banged off winger Eric Nystrom, who had positioning on
winger Lauri Korpikoski.
When: Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Later in the period, after center Mike Ribeiro was already in the box for a
tripping call, Boedker was whistled for an illegal check to the head.
TV/radio: FSAZ/KTAR-AM (620).
The Predators capitalized on the 5-on-3 power play at 18:24 on a shot from
center David Legwand. Nashville scored three goals on nine shots. The
Coyotes have now been outscored 17-5 in the first period.
“We were unhappy with it,” defenseman Derek Morris said. “We all said (in
the first intermission) we have to be better, a little more intensity. Hopefully
get one in the first 10 minutes of the second, and we were fortunate enough
to do it.”
Winger Jordan Szwarz scored his first NHL goal in only his second game.
His shot off the wing deflected off of Predators defenseman Kevin Klein’s
stick at 2:21 and skidded past goalie Carter Hutton, the team’s interim
starter while Pekka Rinne is out for at least a month with an infection in his
hip.
“Great feeling,” Szwarz said. “To get one under my belt early is often.
(Zbynek Michalek) gave a great pass to me there, so my mindset is just
getting the puck on net there with teammates going to the net. Fortunately, I
got a good bounce and it went in.”
Morris pulled the Coyotes within one at 9:51 of the second when he let loose
a slap shot at the top of the faceoff circle. With four goals, Morris not only
has the most among the Coyotes’ defensemen but he’s also tied for most
goals among defensemen in the league.
“People don’t know how hard he shoots it except the goalies,” Tippett said.
“They know how hard and the one thing I’ll say when he shoots it, you saw
Where: SAP Center at San Jose, Calif.
724136
Phoenix Coyotes
Glendale, Coyotes court Canadians to bolster NHL franchise
One of the strongest lures the Coyotes have for Canadians is the team’s
ticket prices.
The Coyotes offer the lowest average ticket price in the NHL at $78 a seat,
LeBlanc said. In contrast, western Canadian teams’ prices all average more
than $260 a seat.
By Paul Giblin The Republic | azcentral.com Thu Oct 31, 2013 9:14 AM
With that price difference, it’s fairly economical for hockey-loving Canadians
to fly to Arizona, catch a couple of Coyotes games and take in a round or
two of golf while they’re in town, LeBlanc said.
Glendale tourism officials and Phoenix Coyotes executives are turning to the
Great White North as a source for tourists looking to package warm weather
and hockey.
“I can say this as a Canadian — trust me when I tell you — in the winter
months, there are not too many Canadians who wouldn’t choose spending a
weekend in Arizona over a weekend in our hometowns,” he said.
The city’s hospitality efforts and the team’s marketing strategy can’t be
separated, said Anthony LeBlanc, the Coyotes’ co-owner, president and
CEO and the keynote speaker at the recent Glendale Convention & Visitors
Bureau annual meeting.
Ideally, Canadians would come to Arizona when their local teams play, then
stick around to watch the Coyotes play another opponent. Ultimately,
Coyotes owners want Canadian tourists to view the Coyotes as their second
favorite team, LeBlanc said.
“Our view is those two topics are very intertwined in regards to our recipe for
success, because obviously, we feel we need to capitalize on the tourism
market to make this a successful franchise,” he said.
Coyotes executives are exploring ways to enhance the game-day
experience for Canadians.
LeBlanc and the other investors who purchased the Coyotes during the
summer are in a good position to know such things. Most of them are
Canadians.
It makes perfect business sense, LeBlanc said, for the team to partner with
city officials to attract Canadian tourists. Glendale and Arizona Office of
Tourism officials have focused on developing the Canadian market for
years.
This year, Glendale has increased its advertising in Canadian publications,
such as travel magazines, meeting planners’ trade journals and Air
Canada’s in-flight magazine, among others, said Glendale spokeswoman
Jennifer Stein. City officials also have traveled to Canada to meet with travel
writers.
Canadian travelers are ideal customers for the Coyotes, said LeBlanc, a
former marketing executive for BlackBerry manufacturer Research in
Motion.
“One thing you learn when you become a salesperson is the expression
‘Fish where the fish are.’ There is no question that we have a very resilient
and devoted fan base here, but there’s also no question that we have to
grow that fan base,” he said.
The Coyotes’ owners plan to expand the base by drawing in their
countrymen.
LeBlanc frequently jokes that during the winter months, metro Phoenix
becomes the third-largest city in the Canadian province of Alberta. “The
reality is that it’s not a joke,” he said at the tourism meeting on Oct. 22 at
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
“Over 500,000 Canadians from Alberta and British Columbia alone spend
the winter here in Arizona. Put that into perspective. The city of Winnipeg
has just over 600,000 people, and they have a full arena every night to
watch their hometown Jets,” he said.
Figures provided by the Arizona Office of Tourism are somewhat more
conservative.
The tourism office says 728,000 Canadians visited Arizona in 2012 overall.
Of those, 243,600 were from Alberta and 164,500 were from British
Columbia, combining for 408,100 from the western provinces.
Overall, Canadians comprise about 15 percent of the state’s international
travelers, according to the Office of Tourism. Mexican tourists comprise
approximately 68 percent, while overseas travelers make up 17 percent.
However, Canadians are the top spenders, accounting for 52 percent of all
expenditures by international travelers in Arizona. Overseas tourists
generate 28 percent, while Mexican tourists are responsible for 19 percent,
according to the Office of Tourism.
No matter the specific numbers, Canadian hockey fans make their presence
known at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, where the Coyotes play, LeBlanc
said.
“When the teams from Calgary and Edmonton and Vancouver are in town,
we have a full building. We feel the opportunity is to turn those fans into
Coyotes fans,” he said.
LeBlanc said team executives are looking into the possibility of bringing a
Tim Hortons doughnuts and coffee shop to Glendale to cater to Canadians.
Timmy’s, as the chain is affectionately called, is based in Canada and has
been expanding into the United States, but there are no outlets in Arizona.
Tim Hortons spokeswoman Brynn Burton told The Arizona Republic that she
was unaware of any discussions with Coyotes representatives about
possible expansion in Glendale.
The new Coyotes owners also are looking into creating other
Canadian-themed attractions before and after games in the hope of
attracting both long-term winter visitors who stay in Arizona for most of the
NHL season, and short-term tourists who come long enough for just a
couple of games.
“This isn’t to say that our plan for success is to draw fans from other regions
exclusively. However, we realize that we have a natural advantage that very
few other clubs have, and that is the fact that we are in a market that is a
destination that people want to visit. We do need to take advantage of this,”
LeBlanc said.
Tourism officials are in full agreement, said Lorraine Pino, manager of the
Glendale Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“Our Canadian travelers are perfect visitors, and they’re our prime target.
They spend money in our communities. They stay in our hotels. They love to
eat in our restaurants and do some shopping while they’re here,” she said.
Marketing efforts up north are under way, she said.
Glendale communications officials traveled to Vancouver last month to meet
with dozens of travel writers to pitch stories about spending cold Canadian
winters in warm Arizona.
Four Canadian publications have published articles based on that effort, and
more articles are expected in coming weeks, Stein said.
Glendale tourism officials also are trying to reach the Canadian market
through targeted online initiatives and social media, Pino said.
This month, Glendale City Council members asked city administrators to
explore the possibilities of developing Sister City relationships with
Canadian cities, particularly cities with teams that play the Coyotes
frequently.
The goal, Mayor Jerry Weiers said, is to create greater exposure for
Glendale as a warm-weather winter vacation spot.
724137
Phoenix Coyotes
Game Day: Predators at Coyotes
-This is center Mike Ribeiro’s 799th career game.
-The Coyotes defensemen lead the league with 11 goals. Their 35 points are
tied with Chicago for the league-lead.
-The Predators are 5-0-1 in games in which they score first.
Staff
-This is the first game of a 17-day road trip for the Predators, the longest in
franchise history.
Predators (6-5-1) at Coyotes (8-3-2)
Puck drop: 7 p.m.
TV/Radio: FSAZ/KMVP-AM (860).
Possible Coyotes lines:
Klinkhammer-Vermette-Doan
Boedker-Ribeiro-Vrbata
Korpikoski-Miele-Moss
Szwarz-Chipchura-Bissonnette
Ekman-Larsson-Michalek
Yandle-Morris
Rundblad-Stone
Greiss
Potential scratches: Schlemko, Hanzal and Halpern. Center Martin Hanzal is
serving a two-game suspension for charging.
Injury update: Winger Lauri Korpikoski came off injured reserve.
Defenseman Rusty Klesla is still on injured reserve (lower-body injury). The
Coyotes moved center Jeff Halpern to injured reserve (upper-body injury),
assigned forward Tim Kennedy to the American Hockey League and
recalled defenseman Brandon Gormley. Defensemen David Schlemko
(lower-body injury) and Zbynek Michalek (banged up) are game-time
decisions.
Possible Predators lines:
Nystrom-Legwand-Hornqvist
Bourque-Cullen-Smith
Wilson-Fisher-Stalberg
Hendricks-Gaustad-Spaling
Jones-Weber
Josi-Klein
Ekholm-Ellis
Hutton
Potential scratches: Forsberg, Clune and Bartley.
Injury update: Goalie Pekka Rinne (infection in hip).
On the Predators:
“They’ll be a solid team,” coach Dave Tippett said. “They’re a well-coached
team. They’re going to come in and work hard. They’re going to make you
earn everything you get. Our styles have both been similar over the last
number of years, so it’s always a very competitive game against them.”
On the importance of faceoffs:”It’s always a big factor,” Tippett said. “With
Fisher, Legwand, Cullen and Gaustad, all veteran guys on faceoffs, we’re
going to have to be faceoff-ready tonight. That’s a big part off the game if
you can start with the puck.”
Greiss starts:
“It’s exciting to play at home,” Greiss said.
-Tippett is one win shy of tying Bobby Francis for most wins all-time by a
coach in franchise history. He has 164.
-The Coyotes are 6-0-1 in games in which defenseman Derek Morris
registers a point.
724138
Phoenix Coyotes
Mike Smith's goal, re-enacted with bobbleheads
MATT SWARTZ
Mike Smith is one of 11 goalies in NHL history to score a goal, but he's
almost certainly the only one of those to have his historic achievement
re-enacted in bobblehead form.
Smith, the Phoenix Coyotes' veteran netminder, shot a puck the length of
the ice into an empty net in the final second of a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red
Wings on Oct. 19 -- the puck crossed the line with 0.1 seconds left -- in the
process becoming the first goalie to actually put the puck into the opposing
net (rather than be credited with a goal as the last player to touch the puck)
since 2002.
Coincidentally, the Coyotes had scheduled a Mike Smith bobblehead
giveaway for a game against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 9. And since
the bobblehead was in their possession (along with the others the team has
previously released) and there was a moment that demanded historical
preservation, what better way to go than bobblehead-themed stop-action
video?
East Valley Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724139
Phoenix Coyotes
It helped de Bever avoid a major brouhaha recently with the Wildrose Party,
which de Bever describes as Alberta's version of the Tea Party.
CRAIG MORGAN
"They were about to go on a rampage against my company due to a
misunderstanding about our intentions until he sat me down with the party
leaders and diffused the whole thing," de Bever said. "He knows all the
politicians of the party in power here but he went to school with all the guys
in the opposition party."
Tailgating with Coyotes' new co-owners
Gosbee considers deal-making and compromise a necessity of life -- a
lesson hammered home by the unique layout of Calgary's business
community.
Gosbee puts passion to work while taking ownership plunge
COYOTES VS. FLAMES
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Jobing.com Arena
TV: FOX Sports Arizona
Radio: KMVP 860 AM
Records: Calgary 4-2-2, Phoenix 5-2-2
Outlook: Calgary has been one of the league's biggest surprises. The
Flames ended a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win on Monday in Los
Angeles on T.J. Brodie's power play goal with 30 seconds left in regulation.
Despite the trade of longtime captain Jarome Igila (now in Boston) and the
retirement of goalie Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames have been competitive
when many predicted they'd be the NHL's worst team. Phoenix is riding a
six-game point streak (4-0-2) that coincides with center Mike Ribeiro's
six-game point streak (three goals, four assists). This game begins a stretch
where the Coyotes play seven of eight games against Pacific Division foes.
"You've got every major oil and gas company in the world within a
9-square-block radius," he said. "You learn the skill of acting with integrity
and trust really quickly or you get kicked out of the sandbox."
While profit has obviously been a driving force in his ventures -- and de
Bever says Gosbee "seems to have the golden touch" where that is
concerned -- buying a hockey team creates a bit of a conflict.
"I think his passion for hockey will ensure that this won't be his best
investment because it’s not just about making money," de Bever said,
laughing. "He'll probably spend money on this that he could have gotten a
much better return on elsewhere. But I think George has reached a stage in
life where he wants to have some fun. This is about applying his business
acumen to something he's passionate about."
Gosbee still sees opportunity in this latest venture, which he views as buying
a share in the league as much as it is buying a team. But there are
challenges in a venture that is largely foreign to him, from increasing
corporate sponsorships to increasing the franchise's charitable and
community presence.
While family members and friends fretted over impending surgery to remove
a large tumor from his mid-brain, 21-year-old George Gosbee felt nothing
but anger.
"Absolutely," he said. "There's nothing like going to work every day with a
steep learning curve, surrounding yourself with good people and then going
after it."
"I had a talk with my dad the night before the surgery and I said, 'Dad, I've
never seen Michael Jordan play. I've never even been to a Super Bowl,"
Gosbee said Monday. "I was so mad. I felt ripped off. I was this young,
ambitious guy, and while I understood everybody being concerned about
me, there was just too much to do in life, so never did I doubt I'd come
through it."
Gosbee, 44, admits that with three kids (John, Carter and Isla) and the
arrival of middle age, some believe he has slowed down. But he still lists
heli-skiing as his favorite activity. He still loves rock climbing and he still
considers himself a "live sports junkie" who followed Jordan around to see
his last game, attends Chelsea FC games and has seen two Olympic gold
medal hockey games and five Winter Olympics overall.
Obviously, he did. And the guy that came out the other end of that "wake-up
call" event adopted a supercharged, seize-the-day mentality that has fueled
a dizzying 20-year career in corporate finance, investment banking and
global capital markets.
"I didn’t think owning a hockey team could bring me this much energy," he
said. "I didn't think I could get to a higher level of being a fan than I was
already, but that last game against Detroit (Oct. 19), when all the owners
were there and we were high-fiving and fist pumping, that was incredible.
"George is a guy that doesn't like grass to grow under him," said former
Calgary Flames goaltender and decade-long friend Mike Vernon. "He just
keeps moving forward -- on to the next challenge."
"When you own a team, you feel more connected. You feel this obligation to
perform because you want it to work for everyone involved: the investors,
the management and coaches, the team and the fans. Maybe that's why it
feels so elevated."
Most of those challenges have originated from his hometown of Calgary,
where he is currently the chairman and CEO of AltaCorp Capital. But
Gosbee's old world and new one will collide when the Phoenix Coyotes host
the Flames on Tuesday at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.
"I think I got the jitters out when the Coyotes went to Calgary during the
preseason, but you’re always going to be attached to the sports team you
grew up with," said Gosbee, a lifelong Flames fan who was there in 1989
when Vernon helped lead them to the Stanley Cup. "I'm always going to like
the Flames."
Calgary will probably always be home for Gosbee, who bought a new home
there recently after his previous one was destroyed by floods in June. His
wife, Karen, is searching for a second home in the Phoenix area while the
family attempts to sell its other house in Palm Desert, Calif., and Gosbee
noted there is no shortage of Albertans in the Valley. The family recently
spent Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct. 14) with about "15 other Calgarian
couples."
But it will take some time for the Coyotes' new co-owner to establish the
roots and relationships that he has in Calgary.
"If I need help with anything in Alberta -- Calgary in particular -- I call George
and he puts me in touch with the right people," said Leo de Bever, the CEO
of AIMCo, an investment management corporation on whose board Gosbee
sits. "He knows everybody and he gets along with everybody. Alberta is a
small, tight-knit society, so to have someone like that to lead you through it
and tell you how it works is invaluable."
foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Kovacevic: 'Home' is where Dupuis' heart is
Concurrently, the only way he can play that way is to be a conditioning freak.
The tales of his sunrise-to-sunset summer regimens have been told and
retold, and the truth is, they haven't changed much at age 34.
“Well, one thing's different,” Dupuis corrected. “I lose one pound every year.”
Who tracks a single pound?
Dejan Kovacevic
Updated 7 hours ago
“That's my average playing weight. One pound a year allows me to maintain
my quickness as I get older. Other than that, no, nothing changes. It can't.
Again, I don't have a choice.”
Someone else makes sure of that, as well.
It was 11:14 p.m. The fluorescent lights were about to flicker out inside the
home locker room at Consol. Pascal Dupuis was among a handful of
stragglers, still seated at his stall and soaking wet, right down to the
curled-up socks he'd just pried out from his skates.
I asked Crosby after the game Wednesday to assess Dupuis' value to the
team, and he replied, “He just works so hard, clears out so much space,
makes so many things happen for us. And he's so strong.”
“This,” the man was telling me through the softest, most satisfied of
gap-toothed smiles, “this is why I stayed.”
Crosby caught himself with that last sentence and motioned across the room
toward Dupuis' stall.
I'll fess up right here: I think the world of Pascal Dupuis, as a human and an
athlete. He's been a pleasure to cover, a delight to know for a few years
now.
“But don't tell him that.”
But I've never seen a moment that more sweetly summarized who and what
he stands for than this one Wednesday night.
For one …
“We just beat Boston. And that's a team we really don't like.”
‘Don't have a choice'
Hm. Seems the obsessively competitive captain and his longtime linemate
have an ongoing conditioning duel, and it just might be the case that the old
man wins out more often than not.
‘Where I belonged'
Dupuis lives his life with the same drive, the same spirit. He's identified
what's important, from his four-child family to friends to fun, and embraces it
all with the same zeal he shows each time over the boards. He's one of
those genuinely joyful people that culls the most from every moment.
Yeah, let's start there. The Penguins outgutted the Bruins, 3-2, in one of the
most intense October hockey games you're likely to witness. The whole
thing was a blast from front to finish, great goals, seismic checks, dramatic
saves ... very much worthy of conference finalists.
It's no wonder he stayed, huh?
Yet somehow, even in sharing an ice surface with Sidney Crosby and
Evgeni Malkin, the latter having his “best game of the year” per Dan Bylsma,
as well as Boston's superlative Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron in peak
form, no one – at least to these eyes — made a bigger impact than Engine
No. 9.
For some, that's cause to celebrate, the imminent biggest payday of their
careers.
And I do mean impact.
That was Dupuis slamming into the 6-foot-9 Chara at the tail of a long shift to
cut loose Crosby for a break.
That was Dupuis ramming Johnny Boychuk with such force that he was
flung up onto Boychuk's shoulders, then came crashing down on his back,
all to clear a path for Chris Kunitz.
That was Dupuis twisting a wrist for the prettiest one-handed tip of a stretch
pass to spring Brandon Sutter for a goal.
Remember this past summer, when Dupuis was about to become an
unrestricted free agent?
For Dupuis, it was a nightmare.
He desperately wanted to stay, but he and agent Allan Walsh also were
aware that the cap-strapped Penguins couldn't match the open market,
much as Ray Shero and his staff wanted to.
Dupuis was coming off another career year with 20 goals, 18 assists in the
lockout-shortened 48-game season, all despite seldom participating on the
power play. He also led the NHL with a plus-31 rating. The feelers were
coming in at figures Dupuis never dreamed he'd be offered.
On the eve of free agency, Dupuis, Walsh and Shero agreed to invest every
effort toward a deal. But before that, Dupuis consulted his wife, Carole-Lyne.
The couple considered Pittsburgh their home in every way.
That was Dupuis banging more bodies for a late clear as the Bruins pressed
to tie, prompting franchise patriarch Eddie Johnston to observe from
upstairs, “The guy's just relentless.”
As wives are wont to do, Carole-Lyne took care of the hard part.
And yeah, that was Dupuis, as caught by the NBC cameras, ensuring he
wouldn't miss any of the above, casually yanking out a jarred tooth right
there on the bench.
The deal was done, four years and $15 million.
“It hurt maybe a little,” he'd wryly offer later to a pack of cameras and
microphones. “But you can't be going back to the room in a game like that.”
A game like that?
Which game is it that Dupuis doesn't compete at that level?
For all that stood out about this performance, it wasn't the stats or even the
self-dentistry. It's that, on an occasion where both teams were flying around
the rink, finishing every check, face-washing at every whistle, they still
couldn't keep pace with Dupuis' default mode.
It's the same mode he'll bring to a Game 7, the same he'll bring to this
weekend's home-and-home with the Blue Jackets.
“I don't have a choice,” Dupuis was explaining once that locker room had
mostly emptied. “That's not just how I see it. That's really how it is. I have
one way to be successful.”
“Play where you want to play,” she told him. “But know that this is where we
want to be.”
“This is home. This is where I wanted to be. This is where my heart is. This is
where the fans treat me so well, where the franchise has treated me so well,
where I can play with so many great players … this is where I belonged.”
As Dupuis rose to exit, he was still smiling, but he had one concern.
“My wife saw me take the tooth out, and she's mad at me. She said I
shouldn't have done that myself.”
Smart woman. I'd listen to her.
Tribune Review LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Change in defensive philosophy forces Pens' goaltenders to adjust
“I think that game is an example of why it can be tough,” Zatkoff said. “I'm
watching Flower go 10 minutes without seeing a shot, then I see one coming
at him from out of midair — and it seems like from out of nowhere. It's almost
not fair, because you're not in any kind of rhythm and you've got to make this
save or the game changes completely.
By Rob Rossi
“It's a mental battle, but with the way our guys are playing defense it's
something I think we're going to have to get used to.”
Updated 8 hours ago
Marc-Andre Fleury and Jeff Zatkoff are learning some new tricks in their
down time.
Through the opening month of this NHL season, the Penguins' new
neutral-zone defensive philosophy has left their goalies to deal with long
stretches of nothingness.
“Sometimes it's just me back there for a while, so maybe I'll move around for
no reason — just to do something,” Fleury said.
Zatkoff, a grizzled veteran of two NHL games, suggested an alternative
option.
“He laughed, but I told Flower that I'll spray myself with the water bottle just
to wake myself up,” Zatkoff said.
“Our guys are playing great defensively, and that's definitely a challenge for
a goalie because you want, probably, 30 shots a night.”
The Penguins finished October third overall at 25.3 shots allowed per game.
They were 16th last season at 29.2.
Shots are one thing.
Shot attempts are another, and there is a statistical trend that suggests the
Penguins' reliance on a left-wing lock approach is working.
The Penguins have held an opponent to 60 or fewer attempted shots (shots
+ attempts blocked + missed shots) in 12 of 13 contests. Four times — or
about 31 percent of their games — the Penguins have held opponents to 50
or fewer attempted shots.
That has translated directly into fewer scoring chances for opponents.
Limiting scoring chances — specifically by preventing opposing forwards
from entering the offensive zone with speed — is the aim of the left-wing
lock approach.
For a goalie, however, that can prove to be a boring way of life.
“That's probably not the word I'd go with for how we're playing,” Penguins
defenseman Robert Bortuzzo said. “‘Sound' is better. Or ‘hard.' Or ‘honest.'
“If I'm a goalie, I have no problem when things are easy for me.”
Easy is somewhat problematic for goalies, Fleury and Zatkoff said.
“I grew up watching those great Detroit teams, and (Red Wings goalie) Chris
Osgood probably had to face only 20 shots a game,” Zatkoff said. “But he
had to make all of those saves. There was no room for error.”
Fleury is off to the best overall statistical start of his career. He is 9-2-0 with
a 1.81 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.
He has faced 273 shots, an average of 24.8 per game. Opponents have
connected on just 48.1 percent of attempted shots (273 of 568) in his 11
appearances.
“It's the most defensive (stretch) since I've been here,” said Fleury, who
assumed the No. 1 goalie role during the 2005-06 season.
It could have long-term benefits, he said.
Fleury said he has noticed “quicker recovery” for his body days after games
“because sometimes I'm not doing much in games.”
“I'm not as tired in practices,” Fleury said.
That is a benefit given that he is in the first year of working with goalie coach
Mike Bales.
Still, the life of a goalie on a defensively sound club is not without challenges
— as Zatkoff witnessed from the bench at Carolina on Monday.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins notebook: Bennett skating, but no timetable for return
Rob Rossi
Updated 9 hours ago
Very few Penguins practiced Thursday. Winger Beau Bennett was among
that majority.
Bennett (lower-body injury) will miss his ninth and 10th consecutive games
this weekend when the Penguins play a home-and-home series against
Columbus.
He is unlikely to practice before next week, coach Dan Bylsma said.
“He's progressing,” Bylsma said.
Bennett was injured in a win at Tampa Bay on Oct. 6. He is skating on his
own before team sessions, but a date for his return to games is not yet set.
The Penguins have played three complete games with at least two of their
top three right wingers in the lineup.
James Neal (upper body) has missed 12 consecutive contests, and there is
no prognosis for when he can resume practicing. Unlike Bennett, Neal is not
skating on his own.
Neal was injured in a win over New Jersey on Oct. 3.
Coaching call
Matt D'Agostini was a surprise — and healthy — scratch against Boston on
Wednesday night.
Bylsma called the move a “lineup decision” Thursday.
The Penguins again dressed Deryk Engelland, a defenseman, as a
checking-line forward against Boston. Engelland, who played nearly seven
minutes, is preferred by coaches to play against more physical opponents
such as Boston.
Dustin Jeffrey also dressed against the Bruins. He was a healthy scratch for
six prior contests.
D'Agostini has played in only two games. He began the season on the
long-term injury list and missed the Penguins' opening 10 contests.
Real life
The Penguins welcomed a special fan to practice Thursday.
Monroeville's Matthew Jacko visited with players, including a private
meeting with captain Sidney Crosby.
Jacko, 8, has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He is confined
to a wheelchair, rarely speaks and is under hospice care.
The Penguins invited him to practice after learning that he dreamed of
meeting Crosby.
At one point during their conversation, Jacko asked Crosby to spell out the
word “image” then say “light bulb.”
Crosby played along, and while squatting with his hands over his head,
Crosby said, “I am a GE light bulb” — laughing while Jacko smiled.
Around the boards
Only eight players practiced Thursday. … Rookie defenseman Olli Maatta
on his first experience with the Bruins: “I felt more intensity than in the other
games. That is a game you like to play in. It is something you want to enjoy.”
… The Penguins will host the inaugural NHL Youth Cup from
Friday-Sunday. The event features Triple-A youth programs affiliated with
the Penguins, Flyers, Blue Jackets, Red Wings, Devils, Islanders and
Capitals. Bladerunners-Harmarville, New Kensington's Pittsburgh Ice Arena
and Shadyside Academy will host local games.
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Long trip worth the effort for Penguins defenseman Bortuzzo
October 31, 2013 10:23 PM
By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Robert Bortuzzo has gone about things the old-fashioned way. That’s not
necessarily by choice, but it’s worked so far.
It’s by far the exception when a 19-year-old defenseman such as Penguins
teammate Olli Maatta gets a chance to play full time in the NHL.
Now in his seventh season with the Penguins organization, Bortuzzo, 24,
finally has made it.
Probably.
At least until the team gets fully healthy on defense, if it ever does.
Bortuzzo has taken a traditional path for someone at his position — that is,
one that takes a little time.
A third-round draft choice in 2007, Bortuzzo is expected to play in his 31st
NHL game tonight when Columbus visits Consol Energy Center. He has
been a spectator in the press box as a healthy scratch for more games than
that in his time on the NHL roster.
And then there are the 236 games he has played with
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. And before that the
two seasons of junior hockey in Kitchener, Ontario, after Bortuzzo was
drafted.
Patience has become as important to him as moving the puck up to the
forwards or putting his 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame to good use in a contact
sport.
“It’s not easy,” Bortuzzo said. “I know we have a deep squad here. It’s not
easy being up there [in the press box]. You never want to be watching
hockey games. You want to be in them.
“As a young guy, it’s tough because you want to develop and become better
as a hockey player.”
Bortuzzo has played in nine of the team’s 12 games this season with no
points, 21 hits and seven blocked shots.
Someone who has seen Bortuzzo’s lengthy development appreciates how
much his game has matured.
“Right away, I was able to see some real high-level character in terms of his
work ethic, his dedication and his desire to be an NHL player,” said
Penguins assistant Todd Reirden, formerly the Wilkes-Barre coach. “Those
are the things that most impressed me. He was pretty raw in terms of
whether he was ready to play in the National Hockey League, but he’s taken
all the steps and strides he needed to to improve his game both on the ice
and off the ice.”
So much so that, despite his small number of NHL games he has played,
Bortuzzo has been paired a lot this season with Maatta.
“It’s by design,” Reirden said. “Robert has been in our organization, knows
the details and the habits that are expected from our defensemen and our
system as well as anybody after the years he’s put in. I thought he’d be a
perfect match in terms being able to instill some of those things in Olli and
give Olli the confidence that he needed.
“Robert talks a lot on the ice. He exudes confidence right now and belief in
how the right way to play is. I think that’s had a real positive effect on Olli.”
Maatta quicky seconded that.
“He plays like a pro, a full timer,” Maatta said. “He makes it easier for me. He
can do everything. He plays good, solid defense. He moves the puck. He
can join the rush. He’s really a good player to play with.”
Bortuzzo has bucked a stereotype sometimes attached to large
defensemen. Sure, he’s a physical player — Reirden credited Bortuzzo’s
fight with Boston’s Jordan Caron seconds after a Bruins goal as a spark for
the Penguins in a 3-2 win Wednesday. But Bortuzzo is more than that.
“It’s a fine line in terms of a bigger guy,” said Reirden, a former defenseman
who stands 6-5. “It’s something that’s been easy for Robert and I to relate to.
“With expectations sometimes on bigger guys, he’s done a great job of being
able to manage it — invest physically, playing a hard game on the opponent,
but also not taking himself out of position.
“His reach and his ability to read plays, the detail in his game, is really
impressive. [Wednesday] night was a perfect example of other dimensions
he can add. That was a great Robert Bortuzzo game.”
Against Boston, Bortuzzo had six hits, and Reirden said by the Penguins’
measure he did not give up a scoring chance.
With defenseman Rob Scuderi out long term after surgery this week on a
broken ankle, Bortuzzo is one of seven healthy defensemen and has carved
out a niche as a good partner for Maatta.
“At this point, I know what they want, and I know what I want to bring to the
team,” Bortuzzo said. “I’ve been in the organization a long time. Even
through Wilkes-Barre, it was the same. That did a great job of preparing me.
“This year, there’s a little bit more of a comfort factor. I think that goes a long
way in terms of confidence. I’m just going to take little things I keep learning
every year and, hopefully, keep building on them.”
Post Gazette LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Penguins notebook: Columbus must deal with awe of Crosby
October 31, 2013 10:07 PM
By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Columbus hasn’t played since Sunday, plenty of time to prepare for a
home-and-home series against the Penguins on back-to-back days, starting
with a game tonight at Consol Energy Center.
Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards, though, wonders if some of his players
will fall a little short in one area of preparation.
“How many guys on our team are going to go out on the ice Friday night and
be in awe of Sidney Crosby and stand and watch instead of playing against
Sidney Crosby?” Richards told the Columbus Dispatch of the Penguins’ star
center and, going into the Thursday games, the NHL’s leading scorer with
21 points in 13 games.
“That’s one of the things you have to guard against.”
Although the Penguins and Blue Jackets have played preseason games in
recent years, there have been only seven regular-season games between
them over the past decade, the most recent one Feb. 26, 2012, a 4-2
Penguins win at home.
They did not play last season, when Columbus was in the Western
Conference and there was no interconference play because of a
lockout-shortened schedule.
Under realignment, the teams are now in the Eastern Conference’s
Metropolitan Division.
Seven players on the Blue Jackets roster were born in the 1990s.
So, while veterans such as Plum native R.J. Umberger and former Penguins
center Mark Letestu are familiar with Crosby — and other Penguins
luminaries such as center Evgeni Malkin, defenseman Kris Letang and
goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury — many are not, beyond perhaps watching
them on TV.
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma has seen the awestruck look before.
“There’s no question that that does happen,” Bylsma said.
“You are looking across the ice whenever you play someone that’s the
highest caliber in the league, a great player. So, for a young team, a young
player, your first time against Sidney Crosby  …  you’re going to be looking.
“That doesn’t mean they’re going to be staring at him like a deer in the
headlights, but you can’t help it when you get on the ice against them [for]
the first time.”
Malkin raises his game
Malkin had three shots but no points Wednesday in the 3-2 victory against
Boston.
What didn’t show up on the scoresheet was what had Bylsma gushing over
Malkin, who has performed most of the season a little under the usual
standard for a former NHL scoring champion and MVP.
“That was Evgeni’s best game of the year,” Bylsma said. “He was dominant.
He stripped pucks, got great chances. He was great down low. He set up
[linemates] Jayson Megna and Jussi [Jokinen] about four or five times.
“I thought he was exceptional, and physical in the game as well. I thought he
kept his cool as well when they came after him a couple of times and [was]
real focused in how he played the game.
“I was looking for him to break through with one or two chances.”
Malkin has three goals, 10 points in 13 games. He has taken six minor
penalties, none against the Bruins.
Tip-ins
Eight Penguins participated in an optional practice Thursday at Consol
Energy Center: forwards Megna, Dustin Jeffrey and Matt D’Agostini,
defensemen Olli Maatta, Robert Bortuzzo and Deryk Engelland and
goaltenders Fleury and Jeff Zatkoff. … After playing in two games following
a long-term, undisclosed injury, D’Agostini was scratched against Boston.
Bylsma said that was a lineup decision, not a precaution or indication that
D’Agostini is reinjured. … Winger Beau Bennett, who has missed the past
eight games because of an undisclosed injury, skated before practice with
conditioning coach Mike Kadar for the third day in a row. Bylsma said with
morning skates today and tomorrow, Bennett won’t return to practice until
next week at the earliest. … Winger Chuck Kobasew, injured Monday in the
game at Carolina, is wearing an orthopedic boot on his left foot. … Three
others have long-term injuries: winger James Neal (undisclosed),
defenseman Rob Scuderi (ankle surgery) and goaltender Tomas Vokoun
(blood clot/blood thinners).
Post Gazette LOADED: 11.01.2013
724145
San Jose Sharks
Malhotra agrees to professional tryout with AHL team
October 31, 2013, 2:45 pm
Staff
Unable to find a spot on an NHL team, veteran center Manny Malhotra has
accepted a 25-game professional tryout with Carolina’s AHL affiliate, the
Charlotte Checkers.
A 33-year-old unrestricted free agent who suffered a serious eye injury in
March of 2011, Malhotra played just nine games in 2013 before the
Vancouver Canucks placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the
season.
During his season with the Sharks in 2009-2010, Malhotra played in 71
games and had 19 assists and 14 goals.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724146
San Jose Sharks
Couture: That wasn't a shot at the Panthers
October 31, 2013, 1:45 pm
Staff
"Some reporters have chosen to try and twist those comments into a slam
against the Florida Panthers." (AP)
Sharks center Logan Couture clarified the comments he made Wednesday
night following the Sharks' loss to the Kings in LA.
Couture said he wasn't taking a shot at the Florida Panthers when he told
reporters the following:
"We could have played in Florida tonight and probably lost that game, too.
We just didn’t play well enough to win."
Couture jumped on his Twitter account Thursday to set the record straight.
I want to clarify a comment I made after last night's game. I was asked if
playing in Staples Center had an affect on the way we played last
— Logan Couture (@Logancouture) October 31, 2013
night and the outcome. I answered no, that we (meaning the Kings and
Sharks) could have played in Florida and it wouldn't have mattered.
Some reporters have chosen to try and twist those comments into a
slam against the Florida Panthers. Couldn't be further from the truth.
We could have played in a building where we were undefeated and had
the same result. All I was saying was we wouldn't have beat the Kings
Anywhere. The arena (Staples Center) was not the issue.
San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.01.2013
724147
St Louis Blues
Blues call up Porter
“We’re not doing that enough. We’re still trying to play at times a different
game than we’re going to have to play if we’re going to win. We’ve had
success playing that funnel hockey game and using it to set up puck
possession.
“I’ve always said the more you shoot it, the more you’re going to get it back.
But we’re still trying to make the next play a little bit too much right now.”
4 hours ago
•
By Dan O’Neill
The Blues recalled forward Chris Porter from the Chicago Wolves of the
American Hockey League on Thursday.
Porter had four assists in seven games with the Wolves. He played in 29
games with the Blues last season and has 10 goals and 14 assists in 127
games with the team over parts of four seasons. Porter, 29, will join the
Blues in time for tonight’s game at Florida.
The Blues play the Panthers tonight and the Tampa Bay Lightning on
Saturday before visiting Montreal on Tuesday.
The team went through a vigorous practice at St. Louis Mills on Thursday,
but it did so without forward Brenden Morrow. The recipient of a cross-check
to the ribs early in the third period against Winnipeg on Tuesday, Morrow
has not skated since and did not make the trip to Florida.
“Morrow’s going to just stay here, and we’re going to evaluate him on
Monday to see if he can join us in Montreal,” coach Ken Hitchcock said after
practice.
Anticipating as much, the Blues created roster room by placing Magnus
Paajarvi on injured reserve Wednesday, which is retro-active to last
Saturday when he was injured at Nashville. Forward Max Lapierre’s
suspension officially has ended, so there were 12 forwards to occupy four
lines without Morrow.
But the addition of Porter gives the team an extra body. Paajarvi is making
the trip and is scheduled to skate with the team this morning. He would be
eligible to come off IR and play on Saturday at Tampa Bay, but that seems
unlikely.
STEEN’S BACKHAND
Some might suggest Alexander Steen is a throwback-type of player, both in
the way he plays and the way he approaches the profession. Another aspect
of that is his use of the backhand shot.
Steen’s backhand shot beat goalie Ondrej Pavelec on Tuesday night,
netting a game-winning goal with 59 seconds remaining. He has used the
backhander — aka the Red Berenson special — often this season.
“I’ve always had a pretty straight stick,” said Steen, who has 11 goals in 10
games “I wouldn’t say it’s straight, but it’s straighter than a lot of sticks. I
have a little bit of curve on the top, I need something. But there’s not much to
it. It helps when it comes to catching passes or shooting a backhand shot.”
SHOOT MORE?
With his 11 goals on 31 shots for a 35.5 percent success rate, Steen leads
the NHL in shooting percentage. With six goals, David Backes (27.3
percent) is fifth, and four-goal scorer Vladimir Tarasenko (22.3 percent) is
19th.
So all the Blues have to do is have those guys shoot more, right? Not
exactly.
“I think it’s a misleading stat,” Hitchcock said. “I think what shooting
percentages don’t tell you is how you create your offense. Like some teams
like San Jose, and ourselves and Detroit, we create our puck possession
game off shots on goal. So, we take a lot of long shots to create puck
possession, and that’s why you see the distribution of shots throughout our
lineup is pretty significant.
“We don’t have guys that are getting eight, nine, 10 shots on goal. I think it’s
a little bit of a misleading stat, so I wouldn’t put too much into it.”
That said, the Sharks lead the NHL in average shots on goal, with 36.5. The
Blues are 13th, with 30.4 shots.
“What I would put into it, though, is when we’re not getting 40 shots on goal,
which is our goal every game, then we’re not doing our job,” Hitchcock
added. “Our goal is to get close to 40 shots on goal because it sets up the
rest of our puck possession game.
St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.01.2013
724148
St Louis Blues
BLUES-PANTHERS MATCHUP BOX
5 hours ago
•
By Don Reed
When • Tonight at 6:30
Where • BB&T Center
TV, radio • FSM, KMOX (1120 AM)
Blues • Having played the fewest games in the league (10), the Blues (7-1-2)
begin a month in which they play 15 times, starting with back-to-back nights
against Florida and Tampa Bay. The Blues are 2-0-1 on the road and have
at least a point in five straight games. Left winger Alexander Steen scored
with 59 seconds remaining in the third period on Tuesday to beat Winnipeg
3-2. Steen was leading the NHL in goals with 11. Netminder Brian Elliott will
get his second start of the season against the Panthers, while Jaroslav
Halak will start in goal against Tampa Bay.
Panthers • The team (3-7-2) should be well rested, with four nights off since
a 4-3 shootout loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Panthers trailed 3-1
before getting two third-period goals to send that game into overtime. It was
the third shootout in four games for Florida, and second shootout loss. The
Panthers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, their third of the
season. Former Blues forward Brad Boyes leads Florida in goals with five,
while another former Blue, Mike Weaver, occupies a spot on defense.
Veteran Tim Thomas figures to be in goal.
Dan O’Neill
724149
St Louis Blues
Expectations have grown for Blues' Reaves
By Dan O’Neill
The name of the show is “Expectations,” the most entertaining sports
program you’ll never see.
Your hosts are Ryan Reaves and Vladimir Tarasenko, and they’re also the
featured guests. The talk show takes place just about every day in the Blues’
dressing room, with one of the two forwards interviewing the other.
Production values leave something to be desired, then again there’s no
budget. A cellphone or some type of prop serves as a microphone. For the
most part, the camera man is make-believe, although Tarasenko recorded a
session with his phone the other day.
There is no commercial content on “Expectations” and no discernible script.
“It just depends on who grabs the microphone first,” Reaves said. It’s a show
is about nothing, but there is a method to the madness. For one, it helps the
Russian native Tarasenko improve his English language.
“He threw out ‘expectations,’ ‘responsibilities,’ ‘relationships,’” Reaves said.
“He was just throwing all these words at me I didn’t think he even knew.”
Reaves laughs. Tarasenko laughs. Those around them shake their heads
and laugh. On the surface, “Expectations” seems like pure silliness. But it’s
part of the camaraderie and companionship that makes the room click. The
fact Reaves has a leading role is no surprise.
The son of a football star has matured into much more than a hired gun or a
tough guy. He has become a vital piece of the landscape. He has raised
expectations for himself as a hockey player. He has embraced more
responsibilities. His relationship to a 7-1-2 start for the Blues is significant.
“He’s a much better player this year,” coach Ken Hitchcock said. “He’s a
much better player in playing the game the right way, not on a search and
destroy mission. He’s getting all of his offensive opportunities because he’s
in the right place defensively.
“Whether the game has slowed down for him, whether his mind has caught
up ... whatever. But he’s in a really good position defensively, and it’s
allowing him to have the puck more.”
The 26-year-old Reaves is the son of Willard Reaves, a standout running
back for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the mid-1980s and a member of
the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Reaves’ father has never truly
understood the fighting part of Ryan’s job, and his mother and grandmother
abhor it.
“They hate when I fight,” he said.
The pugilistic threat is still a large part of Reaves’ profile. Since 2011-12, his
first full season, the Blues have a 13-2-2 home record when Reaves logs
five or more penalty minutes. But the profile has expanded. Reaves has
become more discriminating about penalty minutes, more distinctive as a
regular player.
“This is the lightest and leanest he’s been since he came into the league,”
Hitchcock said. “He’s eight pounds lighter than he was last year. So he’s
faster, quicker and more agile.”
At 6-1, 217 pounds, Reaves is still in the heavyweight division. But he knows
when to hold ‘em, knows when to throw ‘em, and he knows when to skate
away.
“Sometimes it’s not the right time,” Reaves said. “You try to make sure
you’re doing the right thing for the team and building momentum positively.
That’s the focus.”
More often, Reaves has been going to the body. He leads the team in hits
with 30 and with the fourth line he has become a main source of
momentum-building. He has two scraps this season, and he has a goal and
two points.
On Tuesday, he made the play that got the Blues heading in the right
direction against Winnipeg. He came across the blue line and fired a hard
shot that forced goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to give up a rebound. Brenden
Morrow converted to give the Blues a 1-0 lead.
Improving his shot is something Reaves has worked on extensively,
something the Blues have asked him to work on.
“Last year at the end of the year, when I met with Hitch, that’s one of our
biggest discussions we had,” Reaves said. “We talked about getting a little
quicker with my shot and my releases, and just doing everything a little bit
quicker.”
At the same time, Reaves has lost the aforementioned weight and, 141 NHL
games into his career, gained a better understanding of his surroundings.
“I’ve tried to take on being one of the energy leaders on this team,” Reaves
said. “I think when the team is lagging a little bit, my first goal is to get out
there and have a shift in their end, get a couple of hits and at least get the
crowd into it. And if we’re away, the team will draw off the energy.”
In his previous NHL life, Reaves always was on the playing-time bubble.
Whether he was in the lineup or in the press box often depended on which
team the Blues played, whether they were starting a tough guy or playing it
straight up.
During this season, in training camp and since, the discussions about
competition for spots and lineup changes haven’t included Reaves.
“I hated the last couple of years, when you come to the rink every morning
wondering if you’re going to be in or out of the lineup, waiting until after
warmups to see if you’re going to be in,” Reaves said. “Everything they’ve
needed me to do — so I haven’t been that guy — I’ve tried to do.
“So far it’s been working, so I just want to keep on that path.”
You might never see or hear Ryan Reaves on “Expectations.” But he’s
playing every night and playing a bigger role for the Blues.
724150
St Louis Blues
Blues travel without injured Morrow; Elliott to start
16 hours ago
•
By Dan O'Neill
The Blues had a vigorous practice on Thursday morning at St. Louis Mills
before catching a 12:30 p.m. plane to Florida.
They will play the Panthers on Friday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on
Saturday, but they will be without Brenden Morrow. The left winger took a
cross-check to the rib area early in the third period against Winnipeg on
Tuesday.
Morrow did not skate during an optional day on Wednesday and was not on
the ice again Thursday. With the forward Max Lapierre's suspension
officially ended on Tuesday and with Adam Cracknell already in the lineup,
the Blues have12 forwards to occupy four lines. But chances are they will
make a roster move later today to add an extra body.
“Morrow's going to just stay here and we're going top evaluate him on
Monday to see if he can join us in Montreal,” coach Ken Hitchcock said.
The Blues placed Magnus Paajarvi on injured reserve, which is retro-active
to Saturday when he was injured at Nashville. Paajarvi is making the trip and
will skate with the team tomorrow. He would be eligible to come off IR and
play on Saturday at Tampa Bay, if he was ready. But that seems unlikely.
Some might suggest Alexander Steen is a throwback-type of player, both in
the way he plays and the way he approaches the profession. Another aspect
of that is his use of the backhand shot.
Steen's backhand shot beat goalie Ondrej Pavelec on Tuesday night,
netting a game-winning goal with 59 seconds remaining. He has used the
backhander – aka the Red Berenson special - quite often this season.
“I've always had a pretty straight stick,” said Steen, who has 11 goals in 10
games “I wouldn't say it's straight, but it's straighter than a lot of sticks. I
have a little bit of curve on the toe - I need something - but there's not much
to it. It helps when it comes to catching passes or shooting a backhand
shot.”
Steen said Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby uses a straight stick.
The Blues will start Brian Elliott in goal against the Panthers tomorrow night.
Jaroslav Halak will get the call in Tampa Bay.
With his 11 goals on 31 shots for a 35.5 percent success rate, Steen leads
the NHL in the dubious category of shooting percentage. With six goals,
David Backes (27.3 percent) is fifth, while four-goal scorer Vladimir
Tarasenko(22.3 percent) is 19th.
So all the Blues have to do is have those guys shoot more, right? Not
exactly.
“I think it's a misleading stat,” Hitchcock said. “I think what shooting
percentages don't tell you is how you create your offense. Like some teams
like San Jose, and ourselves and Detroit, we create our puck possession
game off shots on goal. So, we take a lot of long shots to create puck
possession, and that's why you see the distribution of shots throughout our
lineup is pretty significant.
“We don't have guys that are getting eight, nine, 10 shots on goal. I think it's
a little bit of a misleading stat, so I wouldn't put too much into it.”
That said, the Sharks lead the NHL in average shots on goal, with 36.5. The
Blues are 13th, with 30.4 shots.
“What I would put into it, though, is when we're not getting 40 shots on goal,
which is our goal every game, then we're not doing our job,” Hitchcock
added. “Our goal is to get close to 40 shots on goal because it sets up the
rest of our puck possession game.
“We're not doing that enough. We're still trying to play at times a different
game than we're going to have to play if we're going to win. We've had
success playing that funnel hockey game and using it to set up puck
possession.
“I've always said the more you shoot it, the more you're going to get it back.
But we're still trying to make the next play a little bit too much right now.”
724151
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tonight: Lightning at Carolina
Published: November 1, 2013
Erik Erlendsson
WHERE/WHEN: PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C.; 7 p.m.
TV/RADIO: Sun Sports/970-AM
INJURIES: Lightning - D Brian Lee (knee), C Tom Pyatt (broken collarbone),
out. Hurricanes - G Cam Ward (lower body), G Anton Khudobin (lower
body), D Joni Pitkanen (broken heel), C Jeff Skinner (upper body), RW
Kevin Westgarth (upper body), LW Radek Dvorak (lower body), out; D Brett
Bellemore (lower body), probable.
NEED TO KNOW: This is the first of three meetings between the former
Southeast Division foes. ... Tampa Bay has won four consecutive games at
PNC Arena and seven of the past nine, outscoring Carolina a combined
39-21. ... The Lightning have killed 25 of the past 26 power plays in seven
games. ... C Steven Stamkos has four goals and eight points during a
four-game scoring streak. ... The Hurricanes have been outscored 10-4 in
the first period. ... RW Alexander Semin has one goal and four assists during
a four-game scoring streak. ... Carolina is 11-for-16 on the penalty kill in the
past four games. ... The Hurricanes have scored three or fewer goals in 11
of 12 games.
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724152
Tampa Bay Lightning
Bolts hope to build on fast start
By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff
Published: October 31, 2013
RALEIGH, N.C. — One month and 12 games into the season, the Tampa
Bay Lightning have exceeded expectations.
With eight wins and 16 points, Tampa Bay is tied for third in the Eastern
Conference.
But that doesn’t mean the Lightning are one of the top teams in the league.
After all, through seven games last season, Tampa Bay was 6-1 and looked
like one of the top teams in the league before it all unraveled and the team
finished 28th in the league standings, making a coaching change along the
way.
“It’s not like we are sitting here thinking we are the best team in the league,”
center Steven Stamkos said. “We want to be, but we have a lot of work to be
that.
“We are not satisfied. We are sitting (near) the top of the standings, but it’s
not like we are sitting here having that feeling that we are the best team. We
have to earn that by being consistent, and it’s done by playing like that for
the full year. We know what happened last year and the way we started, so
we have to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
One of the challenges to finding consistency is avoiding those dips during
the season that can lead to losing streaks. Heading into today’s game at
Carolina, Tampa Bay has not lost consecutive games. Coming off Tuesday’s
loss in New Jersey, the Lightning hope to continue that early-season trend.
“That’s the mindset that we have going to the game that we never lose two
in a row,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “That’s a pretty great mindset to
have that after we lose a game, we never lose two in a row, so we are going
to keep that up going into (today) against Carolina. We want to make this an
excellent road trip, and to do that, we need to win the next one and it’s going
to be huge for us.”
Though it’s early in the season and the schedule has yet to kick into high
gear, one of the strengths of the Lightning appears to be a resilient attitude
and a strong penchant for responding well to adversity. Whether the team
has blown third-period leads, suffered a last-minute loss, fallen behind by
two goals in a game or just flat-out lost, the Lightning have put it behind
them and moved forward.
“I think part of what has gone on is the guys don’t like to lose, so you like to
have that inside,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “They’ve just responded
and recognize what went wrong, why did we take a step back and then we
take two steps forward.
“I think, as a group, what we’ve just talked about is we need to keep
munching points. And this group, they’ve responded to every challenge.”
Cooper hopes to kick-start that process by getting back to playing a game
that utilizes the team’s speed, something it failed to do in the loss to New
Jersey.
“If we don’t do that consistently with the potential players that we have, it is
frustrating,” right wing Teddy Purcell said. “It is early (in the season), but it
does stink to have two days off to kind of sit here and think about
(Tuesday’s) loss. But we had a good practice and want to get back to that
speed game, that quick game.
“Hopefully we can apply that to (today’s game).”
CALLED UP: The Lightning recalled RW Brett Connolly from Syracuse of
the American Hockey League on Thursday, and he is expected to join the
team for today’s game at Carolina. Connolly, who tied for the team lead with
four goals during the preseason, started the season in the AHL, but was
called up for one game earlier this season. In six games with Syracuse, he
has one assist, but general manager Steve Yzerman noted Connolly has
played well “even without putting up numbers.”
Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.01.2013
724153
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning's Salo feeling younger than his 39 years
Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, October 31, 2013 3:29pm
RALEIGH, N.C. — Sami Salo would like to continue playing hockey after this
season.
The Lightning defenseman said he still has the passion and the game still is
fun. The only question is, at 39 years old, is there still time?
"We'll see during the season how things progress and how I feel," Salo said.
Right now, though, he said, "I don't feel like I'm 39."
For the record, Salo, in his 15th NHL season, is the league's ninth-oldest
player. But as coach Jon Cooper said, "I don't look at his age. It's just a
number for me. You look at him and say, 'Can the guy play?' And Sami can
clearly still play."
Salo has a goal and five points and is plus-2 in 11 games. He has blocked
10 shots and, perhaps most impressive, averages 20:26 of ice time, fourth
on the team, while taking regular shifts on the power play and penalty kill.
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Finn also has been durable with the Lightning,
playing 46 of 48 games last season and missing only this season's opener
for an unspecified upper-body injury.
"We're looking at our forward group not so much to shake things up,"
general manager Steve Yzerman said. "We just feel Brett can help us out. It
gives us a little bit more depth, a little bit more speed, a little bit more size as
well."
Connolly, 21, the No. 6 overall pick of the 2010 draft, has zero goals and one
assist in six games for Syracuse, but he had four goals during training camp
to tie Steven Stamkos for the team lead and had 31 goals last season for the
Crunch.
NHL's oldest players
PLAYER TEAM
POS
AGE
Teemu Selanne
Ducks
RW
43 years, 4 months
Jaromir Jagr
Devils
RW
41 years, 8 months
Ray Whitney
Stars
LW
41 years, 5 months
Martin Brodeur
Devils
G
41 years, 5 months
Daniel Alfredsson
Red Wings
RW
40 years, 10 months
Nik Khabibulin
Blackhawks
G
40 years, 9 months
Sergei Gonchar
Stars
D
39 years, 6 months
Tim Thomas
Panthers G
39 years, 6 months
Sami Salo Lightning D
39 years, 2 months
PLAYER TEAM
POS
AGE
Teemu Selanne
Ducks
RW
43 years, 4 months
Jaromir Jagr
Devils
RW
41 years, 8 months
That's quite different from his previous 13 seasons, split between the
Senators and Canucks, which were marked by significant and frequent
injuries.
Ray Whitney
Stars
LW
41 years, 5 months
Martin Brodeur
Devils
G
41 years, 5 months
Those injuries — about 40, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper once
reported, including an Achilles rupture, having his nasal and sinus cavities
caved in by a shot, and a testicle bruised by a shot — have at times caused
Salo to consider retiring.
Daniel Alfredsson
Red Wings
RW
40 years, 10 months
Nik Khabibulin
Blackhawks
G
40 years, 9 months
Sergei Gonchar
Stars
D
39 years, 6 months
Tim Thomas
Panthers G
39 years, 6 months
That is when Salo has thought about his father, Toivo, who in 1995 died of
stomach cancer at age 52 just before Salo played his first pro game in
Finland.
"There have been times that's been in my mind: 'Is it really worth it to keep
putting yourself out there?' " said Salo, who is in the final year of a two-year,
$7.5 million deal. "But that's how I was raised by my dad, who fought cancer
and died after three months of battling. That's how I learned to never quit
and keep playing until you can't."
Watching Salo play makes one appreciate veteran savvy, especially in a
league getting so much younger and faster.
He hardly ever is flustered with the puck, runs the power play from the blue
line (though the Lightning surely would like to see more of his big slap shot)
and is efficient in his skating.
Older but smarter is how Cooper described it.
"Sometimes it takes Sami less energy to do things than it takes other guys
because he knows where the puck is going and what's going to happen,"
Cooper said. "But when we've asked him to play at pace, Sami has played at
pace."
There might come a time when Cooper cuts back on Salo's minutes just to
save the defenseman wear and tear, but that is not the plan tonight against
the Hurricanes at PNC Arena.
"That he even keeps up with the younger guys, it's something special and
unique," said 22-year-old teammate Andrej Sustr.
Said Victor Hedman, Salo's 22-year-old defensive partner: "He doesn't look
39, no way. You can see him going on like this for many more years."
That is something Salo wouldn't mind at all.
CONNOLLY RECALLED: Right wing Brett Connolly was called up from AHL
Syracuse, two days after the Lightning was sluggish and outshot 22-17 in a
dreary loss at New Jersey.
Sami Salo Lightning D
39 years, 2 months
Source: NHL Players Association
. Tonight
Lightning at Hurricanes
When/where: 7; PNC Arena, Raleigh, N.C.
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM
Key stats: The Lightning has won four straight at Carolina, with an 18-6
goals advantage. … Tampa Bay's power play is on a 5 for 17 streak. The
Lightning also has killed 25 of its past 26 penalties. … RW Richard Panik
entered Thursday leading league rookies with four power-play assists and
tied for the lead with four power-play points. … The Hurricanes, losers of
three straight, have been outscored 10-4 in first periods.
Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724154
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning recalls Brett Connolly from AHL Syracuse
Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, October 31, 2013 5:37pm
Last modified: Thursday, October 31, 2013 6:14pm
The Lightning on Thursday recalled right wing Brett Connolly from AHL
Syracuse.
Tampa Bay did not practice on Thursday and no players missed
Wednesday's practice, so there were no additional injuries that prompted the
call-up. Right wing Richard Panik has been struggling, though, with zero
goals and five assists and at minus-9. He has had just four shots on goal in
his past five games. ALl the shots came Oct. 26 against Buffalo.
But general manager Steve Yzerman said the move is not exclusively tied to
Panik, about whom he said, "We're pleased with his effort. He's doing a lot of
good things on the ice."
"We're trying to find the right fits, the right line combinations," Yzerman said.
Yzerman added there are no immediate plans to send anyone down to
Syracuse and no trades are imminent.,
Coach Jon Cooper certainly did not like the Lightning's past two games, a
4-3 shootout win over the Panthers on Sunday in which Tampa Bay scored
two goals in the game's first five minutes but only one thereafter, and
Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Devils in which the team was sluggish and outshot
22-17.
Connolly, 21, hasn't been tearing it up at Syracuse, either, with just one
assist in six games. He did, however, impress during training camp with four
goals, which tied Steven Stamkos for the team lead, and Yzerman said he
has played well for the Crunch despite the lack of production.
"We're looking at our forward group not so much to shake things up, we just
felt like Brett can help us out," Yzerman said. "He gives us a little bit more
depth, a little bit more speed, a little bit more size as well."
Here is the announcement from the team:
The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forward Brett Connolly from the
Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, vice president and
general manager Steve Yzerman announced today.
Connolly, 21, has skated in six games with the Crunch this season,
collecting one assist. He ranked tied for first on the Lightning during the
preseason with four goals in five games. The Campbell River, British
Columbia native also ranked tied for second for points with four and his
plus-4 rating ranked tied for fourth on the Lightning during the preseason.
During the 2012-13 season, Connolly appeared in five games with the Bolts,
scoring one goal. The 6-foot-2, 193-pound forward has skated in 73 career
NHL games with the Lightning, recording five goals and 16 points with 30
penalty minutes. Two of Connolly’s five career goals have been
game-winners. He scored his first career NHL goal on November 1, 2011 at
Carolina and also made his NHL debut against the Hurricanes on October 7,
2011.
Connolly was originally drafted by the Lightning in the first round, sixth
overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724155
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs’ captain Phaneuf playing quieter brand of hockey
Eric Duhatschek
Published Thursday, Oct. 31 2013, 11:37 PM EDT
Last updated Friday, Nov. 01 2013, 1:12 AM EDT
The evolution of Toronto Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf into a more
complete player is a fascinating case study for anyone who watched him in
his younger days with the Calgary Flames.
Once upon a time, Phaneuf was a rookie sensation for Flames, scoring 20
goals in his first NHL season, and pulverizing opponents with punishing,
Scott Stevens-like hits. He was the original Pierre McGuire ‘monster’ –
someone who played big minutes right from the get-go, an eye-catching,
high-risk high-reward brand of hockey.
Chicago Blackhawks' Marian Hossa is taken off the ice on a stretcher after
being injured following a check by Phoenix Coyotes' Raffi Torres during
Game 3 of their NHL Western Conference quarter-final playoff game in
Chicago, Illinois April 17, 2012.
Hockey
Toronto Maple Leafs' James Van Riemsdyk, left, celebrate his goal with
teammate Dion Phaneuf during first period NHL hockey action against the
Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013
Is JVR a future NHL superstar?
Calgary Flames goalie Joey MacDonald lifts a pad to celebrate a 3-2 victory
over the Montreal Canadiens after third period NHL action in Calgary, Alta.,
Wednesday, October 9, 2013.
The Flames enjoy a furious start
Apart from McGuire, no one appreciated Phaneuf’s contributions more than
Mike Keenan did in the 2007-08 season, a year in which Phaneuf scored 60
points, piled up 182 penalty minutes and was a massive presence on a
Flames’ team that went out in seven hard games to the San Jose Sharks in
the opening playoff round. Phaneuf won them some games and lost them
others and eventually, after Keenan’s departure, he and his $6.5-million
annual contract were deemed expendable – controversially traded to the
Toronto Maple Leafs in one of the more one-sided deals that general
manager Brian Burke pulled off when he was running that organization.
Burke runs Calgary now, but he was nowhere in sight Wednesday night,
when Toronto took on the Flames. But Phaneuf was front and centre on
another roller coaster night for a Leaf team that is rarely predictable but
always fun to watch.
Whatever their shortcomings may be, the Leafs are winning and putting on a
show while they’re doing it, which are the prime directives in the
entertainment business. And Phaneuf is a big part of what’s going right, by
playing a far quieter brand of hockey than he once did. This, by the way, is
meant as a compliment. It sometimes takes years for players and especially
for defencemen to absorb the lesson – that less can sometimes be more.
When asked, Phaneuf will tell you, in his own mind, the biggest
improvements in his game have come in his own end.
“I’m a lot more responsible there,” he said, “and that’s a learning curve that a
lot of young D-men have when they come in. When you first start as a young
age, you’re usually protected by different match-ups. The coaching staff
usually puts you out there against the guys that they want to match you up
against.
“As you get older and as you gain more experience, you’re playing against
better players. I feel as I’ve grown in my role and in the way I play the game
defensively.”
As a rookie, Phaneuf played a lot with the veteran Roman Hamrlik and they
were a good pair together. Over time, the Flames invested a lot of dollars
into their defence corps – signing Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr and then
adding Jay Bouwmeester as a free agent. Eventually something had to give
... and all three have now moved on.
Soon, Phaneuf will be in the negotiating stages again – with an expiring
contract, he will be an unrestricted free agent once the season ends. It will
likely cost the Leafs in the $7-million range on a term of seven years to get
him signed. Phaneuf earned top dollar from Calgary because he scored 54
goals in his first three years in the league, but if he gets the sort of long-term
extension the Leafs almost certainly have to give him, it will because he’s
become a more responsible penalty killer, with better stick positioning, and a
greater sense of how to front opposing forwards in an era where the
open-ice body check is on the endangered species list.
Most important, it looks as though Leafs coach Randy Carlyle trusts
Phaneuf more. Phaneuf is averaging about 24 minutes a night, a little less
than usual, which seems to be a good number for him.
“Different nights you’re going to play different amount of minutes,” Phaneuf
said. “Whenever you’re asked to go, you go and do your job. Some nights,
it’s more. Some nights, it’s less. The biggest thing is, as a group, we’ve done
a good job of working together. It’s all about getting wins – whether you’re
playing 25 or 27.
“Everyone has their opinion and different take on every issue of the game –
whether it’s the offensive side of your game or the defensive side of your
game. I feel good about where my game is at personally and where our
team game is at, more importantly.”
Phaneuf played for years in Calgary with Jarome Iginla, who was signed to
five-year extensions for $7-million a year because this is where he wanted to
be. Phaneuf looks happy playing in Toronto and being captain of the Leafs.
For their part, the Leafs would be hard-pressed to replace Phaneuf’s
minutes if he were to hit the market as an unrestricted free agent, given how
few high-end defencemen ever get there.
He likes them and they need him and that’s usually a formula for a
successful contract conclusion. Maybe investing $15-million in two players –
Phaneuf and the recently extended Phil Kessel – doesn’t make sense when
the NHL salary cap is at $64.5-million, but since most GMs believe it will go
north of $75-million within the next two to three years, the Leafs can
probably make the dollars work. In the meantime, it probably heartens
general manager Dave Nonis to know that Phaneuf likes his day job a lot.
“It’s a real fun team to be a part of,” he said. “It’s a young exciting team.
We’ve played well here early. We’ve done a lot of real good things here the
last year and a half. Obviously, with the additions we’ve made over the
summer, the guys that have come in have really helped our team. Depth is a
big thing in the NHL. I think you see that year in and year out. The teams
that have success have depth.
“I feel our team is going in the right direction.”
Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.01.2013
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time we want him to find that checking, physical aspect to his game without
completely sacrificing offence.”
Maple Leafs: Prospect Tyler Biggs third-liner with Marlies
The Leafs as an organization are showing patience with their prospects and
are beginning to have success at the draft table.
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Thu Oct 31 2013
Truth is, however, Biggs has been passed in the depth chart among Leafs
prospects. Both Josh Leivo, picked two rounds after Biggs in 2011, and
David Broll, picked five rounds after him, have gotten their first NHL games
under their belt.
Tyler Biggs has gone from a first-round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs
to a third-line winger with the Toronto Marlies.
Leivo, with his quick release and hockey smarts, is projected as a top-six
forward. Broll, with his hard-nosed style, is more bottom-six.
And concerns are quietly emanating from Leafs camp about the upside of
the 20-year-old.
Biggs, with speed, a good shot and hard body checking, is a bit of both. But
he hasn’t been able to put it together in the early going with the Marlies.
If he’s playing on the third line in the AHL, they’re not counting on him to
become a top-six forward in the NHL, where he was projected when the
Leafs traded up to take him 22nd overall in 2011.
“I don’t think a lot of our young guys (have had offence) really,” said Biggs,
adding he doesn’t feel the pressure of being a first-round pick. “Not really. I
have a good relationship with this coaching staff. There’s no pressure
coming from them. I don’t feel pressure from fans or media, or anything like
that. I’m just out here trying to play.”
“That’s a fair statement,” said Marlies coach Steve Spott. “He’s going to
have to come to grips with that. Talking to our management staff, that’s
where they see him, as a player that can create offence, but ultimately, he’s
got to be a third-line right winger in the National Hockey League.
“When you look at players like David Clarkson, or Chris Stewart, those
players, he has to get more of that in his game. More energy, more bump.
He’s getting more comfortable with that.”
Last year, Biggs has 26 goals and 27 assists in 60 games with the Oshawa
Generals, his first and only season in the OHL after jumping ship from the
NCAA. He has one goal in eight games with the Marlies
“This is my first year pro, so everything is a new experience right now,” said
Biggs. “It’s coming along good.”
Biggs was also a member of the gold-medal winning Team USA at the world
junior hockey championship in Russia. The Americans used Biggs on the
third line.
“I don’t think anything is (forever),” said Biggs. “It’s a role that I’m trying to do
right now, to be a reliable guy in that role. That means playing defensively
and be responsible there. I can chip in offensively.
“I’m okay with any role they give me. I’m just trying to play the game.”
Spott, having been an assistant or head coach in the OHL since 1997 before
signing up with the Marlies this year, is intimate with Biggs’ progress from a
teenager to the pro ranks. And he understands it can take time to convert
from being the top guy on the power play to the guy who is supposed to shut
down the other teams’ top guys.
“For him, it’s probably adapting to a different type of a role,” said Spott.
“Watching him is a minor midget, he was a pure goal-scorer, a player that
used his shot as a weapon, was expected to provide offence on a regular
basis. In Oshawa, same thing.
“Here, he’s going to be more a third line, checking, energy-type player.
Top-line penalty killer. But still we don’t want to take away from his offence.
If you’ve got a player like Tyler (Biggs) on your third line, he should still be
able to create offence.
“Understand, we expect him to be a complete 200-foot player and also a
penalty killer.”
Drafting is never an exact science. Teams find it important to deal with the
prospects they have and not fret over what they might have had or what they
thought a player might have been.
And it’s far too early to worry about whether Biggs is a bust as a
first-rounder. In fact, only 16 players taken in the first round of 2011 draft
have played in the NHL. And if he does make it as a third liner, well, third
liners play as much as second-liners.
Daniel Cleary, Frederik Sjostrom, David Steckel. Boyd Gordon, Brian Boyle,
Steve Bernier are all first-round picks who eked out decent NHL careers
deep in the lineup.
In fact, Spott likens Biggs to Stewart, an 18th overall pick of the Colorado
Avalanche in 2006, now a power forward with the St. Louis Blues.
“For me, he can be that type of player,” said Spott. “He can use his size, be
a dominant physical player. Be hard on the body. Be physical. At the same
Toronto Star LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Maple Leafs goalies are among the top five in the NHL: Feschuk
By: Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist, Published on Thu Oct 31 2013
VANCOUVER—With an impressive October schedule in their rear-view
mirror, the East-leading Leafs are enjoying an off day in the lead-up to
Saturday’s game against the Canucks
Riding a three-game win streak, with 10 wins in their opening 14 contests,
Thursday’s West Coast chill-out has been well-earned by the entire roster.
Still, if you’re handing out credit, you can begin in the crease.
A month into the NHL season there are only seven goaltenders with five
starts or more who boast a save percentage of .930 or greater. The Leafs
employ two of them. James Reimer, whose most recent appearance saw
him make 41 saves in a shutout victory over the Oilers on Tuesday, is
stopping pucks at a .949 rate. Among those who’ve started five or more
games, only Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild has done better (.953).
Meanwhile Reimer’s counterpart Jonathan Bernier, who stopped 41 shots in
Wednesday’s 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames, currently sits at .933.
The other four goaltenders in the elite group include Colorado’s Semyon
Varlamov and Dallas’s Kari Lehtonen (both at .945), Boston’s Tuukka Rask
(.943) and Montreal’s Carey Price (.939).
Toronto’s team save percentage of .937 ranks third in the league, which
helps explain how they sit atop the Eastern Conference standings despite
being outshot in 12 of their 14 outings.
Toronto is currently getting outshot by an average of about 9.5 shots a night
— up from 5.8 a season ago. Only two teams in the league are registering
fewer shots on goal per game than Toronto’s 26.5, specifically Tampa and
Buffalo. Only one team is averaging more shots against than Toronto’s 36.1
— that’d be Ottawa.
The Maple Leafs, who are scheduled to return to the practice ice Friday
before Saturday’s 7 p.m. (ET) game at Rogers Arena, will be preparing to
face one of the hottest teams in the West. Under newly inserted coach John
Tortorella the Canucks are 9-5-1 and sit fifth in the Western standings.
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Maple Leafs: Carter Ashton shrugs off bloody nose in win over Flames:
DiManno
By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Thu Oct 31 2013
CALGARY—There was fresh blood all over the ice and, later, crusty blood
all over the nostrils.
Somehow, though, Carter Ashton’s honker held together.
“It can take a punch again,” the, uh, hard-nosed Leaf winger observed
following Toronto’s 4-2 squeaker — empty-net goal only a semi-clincher with
nearly one-and-a-half-minutes left — over the Flames.
Most unfortunate, further, that Ashton bled-out at the Saddledome right in
front of his undoubtedly aghast mother. However, as a hockey mom, 15
years schlepping her kid to the rink along with Carter’s dad — also in the
house Wednesday evening — bloody battery would not be an uncommon
sight, particularly given her boy’s rambunctious style of play.
“It’s too bad I was bleeding on the ice but that happens. She understands it’s
part of the game. She’s seen worse.”
Ashton’s proboscis took the full impact of a second-period fight with Shane
O’Brien. The D-man took exception to the walloping Ashton had just laid on
teammate Derek Smith along the boards. That was a dumb, reckless play
that drew a boarding call and Leafs were lucky the avenging O’Brien took an
instigator penalty in the aftermath, along with off-setting fighting majors that,
in the upshot, left the teams at even strength.
Didn’t mean it, said Ashton afterwards of the bone-jarring splat on Smith.
“Finishing checks is part of the game, taking the body,” he reminded,
defensively.
He’d gained speed charging up the ice to the neutral zone in pursuit of the
puck when — inadvertently, says Ashton — that sequence transected with
Smith.
“I was following the puck. It happened to come to him at the same time I was
coming up fast.”
Ashton hadn’t yet seen a replay of the episode so reserved further comment.
He did talk about his shnozz, though — apparently fused together even
better since it was broken during a fight with Montreal’s Jarred Jonordi in
Toronto’s season opener. Ashton variously wore a cage and full face shield
but has since discarded both — exposing his sweet baby-face to all potential
blows.
“I didn’t know if I’d broken it again or not. But it’s fine. Just a little bloody. It
held up after.”
Randy Carlyle was more concerned about the scratch to Frazer McLaren’s
eye, suffered in a first period punch-off with Calgary enforcer Brian
McGrattan. The seriousness of the eye ailment is — like McLaren’s vision —
not yet clear. There was no residual animosity towards McGrattan over the
event.
“I don’t think he was trying to scratch Frazer’s eye.”
As for Ashton’s beak: “Ah, he’s got a bloody nose. It wasn’t his first.”
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Maple Leafs penthouse-doghouse: Bernier, Ranger superb in win over
Calgary
By: Mark Zwolinski, Published on Thu Oct 31 2013
Toronto dumped the Flames 4-2 Wednesday night in Calgary to hand the
home side its first regulation home-ice loss of the season. The Maple Leafs
won their 10th game on the strength of a 40-save effort from Jonathan
Bernier, and a pair of short-handed goals. Penthouse dwellers? There were
a few for sure. The Doghouse had some occupants too — here’s a look at
both:
Penthouse
We gotta go with Bernier and that 40-save game. We have to give the nod,
too, to Paul Ranger, who scored one of the short-handed goals.
For Ranger, it was his first NHL goal since 2009, and it must have felt
extremely good for the comeback player (who was out of the NHL for three
seasons). Ranger’s goal was an empty-netter and also gave the Leafs a 4-2
edge. Calgary was pushing hard for the equalizer at the time and had a
power play at the tail end of the third period and down only one goal.
Paul Ranger's goal
Bernier was simply superb, following up James Reimer’s 43-save game
Tuesday night with an especially timely effort, given the fact the Leafs were
loose and very shaky in their own zone for two periods.
It was almost difficult to keep up with the number of tough saves Bernier
turned in while his club built a 2-0 lead in the first. Toronto was also outshot
20-8 in the second, and gave up only one goal, thanks to their tack-sharp
goalie.
Toronto is now 10-4 — the club’s best start to the season since it opened
1999-2000 at 10-3-1.
Doghouse
The top line — Nazem Kadri, Phil Kessel and James Van Riemsdyk — was
shaky defensively through two periods.
On one play, when the Flames scored their second goal, the entire line was
floating around, making the Flames look like geniuses.
Kadri lost the faceoff to Curtis Glencross and then failed to hold up
Glencross, who fed into the slot for a wrister by ex-Leaf Matt Stajan.
The D was also suspect there; Dion Phaneuf, who has been strong all
around, might have gone down to block Stajan’s shot attempt. The Leafs, in
fact, have been poor in blocking shots and clogging shooting lanes. But it
hasn’t cost them yet.
The club is also the NHL’s worst team in shot differential at minus-8. But 10
wins drowns out any complaints about shots and puck possession.
And when all else fails, the Leafs have Bernier and Reimer — the goalies
are THE reason the team is where it is now.
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Maple Leafs: Carter Ashton to have hearing for hit on Flames’ Derek Smith
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Thu Oct 31 2013
Maple Leafs forward Carter Ashton will have a hearing with the NHL’s
department of player safety on Friday for a hit on Calgary Flames
defenceman Derek Smith.
Ashton was called for boarding at 16:56 of the second period as well as a
major for fighting Calgary’s Shane O’Brien, who took offence at Ashton’s hit
from behind.
The Leafs should know Ashton’s fate before Saturday’s game in Vancouver.
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Maple Leafs forward David Bolland not a fan favourite in Vancouver
By Mike ZeisbergerToronto Sun
Given their mischievous ways, Vancouver’s famed spandex-clad Green Men
could be poised to smear some rubber rats against the glass at Dave
Bolland should Public Enemy No. 1 find his way into the visitors penalty box
on Saturday night.
The locals here say the Green Men have been scarce at Canucks games
thus far this season. But if anything can draw them into the arena, it would
be the prospect of mocking Bolland — or, “The Rat,” as some call him here.
Sure, Mimico’s Bolland may have exchanged his Blackhawks jersey for
Maple Leafs blue and white during the off-season. But that doesn’t change
the fact that the local citizenry here on the picturesque left coast still can’t
stand him.
It has been almost two years since Bolland, speaking on Chicago radio
station WGN, referred to the Sedin twins as “sisters” and implied they sleep
in “bunk beds.” He has since apologized for his comments. But here in
hockey-crazed Vancouver, they have not forgotten. Nor forgiven.
“It was the one mistake I’ve made in my life,” Bolland said in an interview this
week. “Everyone makes them. Things like that happen. It’ll be something I
put behind me.”
At the time of Bolland’s controversial remarks in December of 2011,
then-Canucks coach Alain Vigneault lashed back with some biting barbs of
his own.
“When you have comments like Bolland’s, he’s obviously an individual
whose IQ is probably the size of a birdseed,” Vigeanult said. “And he has a
face that only a mother could look at.”
Ouch!
“It wasn’t a smart thing that I did,” Bolland says now, looking back. “It was a
pretty dumb move.
“But it’s over with now and it’s behind me. It’s a new chapter with the Leafs.”
Indeed. Bolland is now with Toronto, Vigneault has moved on to coach the
Rangers and, as a result, time should heal all wounds, right.
Not quite.
Last Saturday, for example, yours truly penned a column on Bolland’s
outstanding performance in a 4-1 win over the Penguins, a game in which
he helped keep Sidney Crosby off the scoresheet for only the second time
this season while scoring a shorthanded goal himself. The accompanying
headline above the yarn blared: “Maple Leafs’ Bolland a beast against
Pens.”
Within hours of the piece appearing, an e-mail came in from a female
Canucks fan from Surrey, B.C., suggesting Bolland was something other
than a “beast.”
“He is a goon, especially when he played with the Chic-town boys (Hawks),”
she wrote.
Truth be told, Bolland has been everything but a goon in his time in Toronto.
He has scored huge goals, been outstanding on the penalty-kill and likely
will be given the task of trying to shut down the Sedins on Saturday in much
the same way he smothered Crosby one week earlier, although Canucks
coach John Tortorella has the advantage of the final line change.
“The Sedins are great players,” Bolland said. “I played so many games
against them in the past. If you let them go for a second or two, they’ll be
putting the puck through your legs and in the back of your net. So when we
do go in there, we’ve got to be ready for them.
“When you get under guys’ skins, you get them off their games. It’s huge for
your team and it’s huge for confidence when you get them off their games.”
As for the frosty reception from the capacity throng that awaits him, well,
he’s already prepared.
“You feed of it when you go into a rink and the fans don’t like you and all
that,” Bolland said. “But for me, whenever you are going into a rink for a big
game to face a great team, you always get a rush.
“When you see the signs that people make about you, you laugh and have
some fun with it. It’s fun when you get a reaction. You want to go into a
building and you want to play hard so that the fans remember who you are
when you come back all the time.
“I think Vancouver was that one place that, when we went back, the team
and myself always got up for.”
And come Saturday, count on Canucks supporters to be “down” on David
Bolland. As usual.
ENEMIES NOW BUDS
On the same ice surface where they experienced so many grudge matches
against each other over the years, bitter foes Mason Raymond and David
Bolland have now become friends with a common goal: Help the Leafs beat
the Vancouver Canucks Saturday at Rogers Arena.
Not so long ago, Chicago’s Bolland was trying to defeat Raymond’s
Canucks. Now they are linemates with the Leafs along with David Clarkson.
We’ve had some huge battles,” Bolland said, “although I’m probably the one
who’s disliked in Vancouver over the past years.
“Hockey is different in that way. One day you’re against each other and the
next thing you know you’re sitting beside him in the room, you’re buddies,
and you’re on the same line.”
Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.01.2013
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Former Leafs GM Brian Burke fights for fights
By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 10:25 PM EDT | Updated: Friday,
November 01, 2013 12:08 AM EDT
VANCOUVER - When it comes to commenting about his new team, former
Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke, now the director of hockey
operations for the Calgary Flames, is pretty tight-lipped.
When it comes to speaking about fisticuffs on the ice, well, that's a different
story.
In Thursday's edition of USA Today, Burke penned a column supporting
fighting in the sport. Leave it to Burke to always take the controversial side of
a story.
"Reduced to its simplest truth, fighting is one of the mechanisms that
regulates the level of violence in our game," Burke wrote. "Players who
break the rules are held accountable by other players. The instigator rule
has reduced accountability. Eliminating fighting would render it extinct.
"Hockey is a game played on the edge. Large men with tempers explode
around an enclosed surface carrying carbon-fiber instruments. They are
legally permitted -- in fact, encouraged -- to collide with each other at high
speeds. We all want this physicality, adrenaline and contact. We all treasure
it."
Burke added that he is sensitive to the medical consequences and that
safety should come first.
At the same time, he once again reiterated his long-time stance that fighting
is a way to control the "rats" in the sport.
"Ninety-eight percent of NHL players voted to keep fighting in the game, yet
somehow members of the news media take it upon themselves to try to
convince the players that the scribes know what is best for them," Burke
continued.
"They don't write about the times a heavyweight skates by his opponent's
bench to say, "Settle down, or I'll settle you down," and it works. They don't
notice a tough guy warning an opponent at a faceoff. They've never heard a
star player march into their office, slam the door and demand the team get
tougher because he's getting killed out there by opponents playing without
fear. They've never seen a chippy game on the edge settle down after a
good fight.
"It's not a perfect system. Not every fight is a good fight. Not every fighter is
a perfect policeman. There are a small number of rats in the game who live
outside the code. But our game is improved tremendously by players' ability
to police the game. It makes it more exciting and honorable. It allows skill
players to focus on the skilled aspects of the game because someone else
can watch their back. And it fundamentally makes our game safer."
There you have it.
Feel free to discuss.
KUDOS FOR KADRI
Leafs centre Nazem Kadri certainly has left an impression on young Flames
forward Sven Baertschi.
"I read about Nazem when he got called up and sent back down, and he was
doing so well, and I think the main thing is he never forgot who he was,"
Baertschi told the Calgary Sun. "He always kept going, and that's the main
thing for me, too.
"I mean ... look at him now. Holy! He's just unbelievable. Even when I played
him last year in the AHL, he just stood out. He was just so much better than
everybody else."
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Maple Leafs' Mason Raymond returns to old stomping ground
By Mike Zeisberger,Toronto Sun
VANCOUVER - There admittedly will be a tinge of revenge on Mason
Raymond’s mind when he steps on to the ice Saturday at Rogers Arena, a
place he fought so many battles in while wearing a Vancouver jersey over
the years.
Will he be out to prove that the Canucks erred by letting him leave as a free
agent?
“Yeah, of course,” Raymond said. “It’s going to be a little different. But it’s
part of hockey and it’s something that you are going to go through.
“Right now, the entire situation hasn’t really set in yet so I don’t know what I’ll
feel. I started my career in Vancouver. I started my family there. I still have a
lot of good friends there.
“So, maybe it’s a fun experience, but it will be different for sure.”
From 2007-13 Raymond played 374 games as a Canuck, compiling 80
goals and 98 assists for 178 points. But since that gut-gnawing defeat to the
Boston Bruins in the 2011 Stanley Cup final, he slowly seemed to fall out of
favour here.
Critics point to the three goals in his past 37 post-season games as one of
the reasons that ties were cut. Moreover, the Canucks looked to get beefier
up front since going down to the ornery Bruins and the lanky Raymond really
didn’t fit that mould.
As Mason scoured for a job during the offseason, Dave Nonis, his former
GM in Vancouver, brought him to the Leafs’ camp on a tryout contract. He
went on to impress the brass enough to land a one-year, $1-million deal in
Toronto
Through the first month of the season, Raymond has proven to be one of the
NHL’s best bargains. In 14 game,s he has chalked up 11 points including
two game-winning goals.
Now he goes up against the Canucks in what stands to be a very emotional
contest.
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Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo thought he'd be a Maple Leaf
By Mike Zeisberger,Toronto Sun
VANCOUVER - As Olympic hopeful Roberto Luongo makes his bid to once
again don a red-and-white maple leaf on his chest, there was a time not so
long ago when he was relatively certain he'd be wearing a blue and white
one, as well.
Luongo isn't too shy to admit it all these months later -- he thought he was
going to be a Toronto Maple Leaf.
"I was pretty sure I was going to end up there," the personable Luongo told
the Toronto Sun in an interview on Thursday. "I was pretty shocked and
surprised when I didn't."
When approached by Canucks general manager Mike Gillis prior to the
2012 draft, Luongo has said in the past that he asked that a deal be worked
out with Tampa Bay or Florida, teams in the state where he spends his
off-seasons.
As time passed, however, there was more and more interest shown by the
Leafs. So much so that, 11 months ago, Luongo decided to have some fun
with all the Toronto speculation, courtesy of his alleged phantom Twitter
account @strombone1.
Back on Dec. 3, a photo appeared on the account showing racks of Leafs
jerseys including a blue James van Riemsdyk model. Of interest here:
Hanging right beside it was one with the name 'Luongo' stitched on the back
along with his familiar No. 1. The stripes on the bottom were altered, but the
implication was there -- Luongo Leafs jersey.
Accompanying the picture were the words from @strombone1: "Wow this is
so crazy....... You could barely fit JVR's name on the back of that
jersey........"
There was far more space to put L-U-O-N-G-O on the adjoining one. Which
was the light-hearted message being sent out by Luongo -- or whoever the
account actually belongs to (nudge, nudge, wink wink).
"Yeah, I remember that (pic)," he chuckles now. "When did that run? That
long ago, eh?"
While the jersey pic was all in good fun, Luongo understands that Leafs
general manager Dave Nonis was very serious in his efforts to land Team
Canada's 2010 gold-medal winning goalie,
It wouldn't have been the first time. During his tenure as Canucks GM, it was
Nonis, after all, who fleeced the Panthers in a 2006 trade by bringing
Luongo to Canada's left coast for a package that sent Todd Bertuzzi, Bryan
Allen and Alex Auld to Florida.
From the 2012 draft to the 2013 trade deadline, it is no secret that Nonis
attempted to land Luongo yet again, this time for the Leafs. Whether it was
the Canucks' refusal to pick up $1 million of Luongo's salary or Vancouver's
penchant of raising the asking price, the deal, for whatever reason, never
materialized.
Unable to move Luongo in the end, the Canucks ended their goaltending
circus by shipping Cory Schneider to the Devils at the 2013 draft.
All the while, Luongo is quite open in his appreciation of Nonis and the
efforts his former GM made to try to acquire him. Again.
"Its flattering that somebody holds you in that high regard," Luongo said. "It's
appreciated, of course. I respect Dave a lot. It's nice sometimes to hear
things like that from around the league about you, especially guys higher up
top like general managers."
Unable to swing deals for either Luongo or Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff last
season, Nonis, determined to strengthen the Leafs' goaltending situation
even with James Reimer's career on the upswing, pulled the trigger on a
summertime swap that sent Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin and a second-round
pick to the Los Angeles Kings for highly coveted Jonathan Bernier.
Through the first month of the season, the goaltending situations in both
Toronto and Vancouver have worked out quite well. Outshot in 12 of their 14
games, the Leafs are off to a 10-4 start, largely due to the sizzling play of
Bernier (6-4, 2.31, .933) and Reimer (4-0, 1.99, .949). Luongo, meanwhile,
is 7-4-1 (2.46, .909) for the 9-5-1 Canucks -- not bad for a guy whose team
tried so hard to move him and the 12-year, $64-million contract he signed in
2009.
"A lot has happened over the past year and a half, two years," said Luongo,
who actually in the summer explored the option of having his contract
voided. "To be honest, I'm just excited to be playing again and to play every
night."
Still, you have to wonder if, at some point during the Leafs-Canucks game
Saturday night here in beautiful Vancouver, Luongo will look down at the guy
guarding the Leafs net and think: "That could have been me."
In the mind of Roberto Luongo, it very well could have been.
BRODEUR BELIEVES LUONGO DESERVES OLYMPIC NOD
In the opinion of Martin Brodeur, the frontrunner for Team Canada's starting
goalie's job should be Luongo, the man who backstopped them to a gold
medal in 2010.
Of course, as Luongo well knows, his critics claim the title was won in spite
of him, not because of him. He's heard it all before.
"That's pretty much been the story of my career," Luongo said. "There's
always seems to be a 'Yeah, but...' I can't control that. All I can do is maybe
change people's minds by the way I play. You can't control what is being
said about you.
"I'm a dedicated athlete. I work hard every day. I've had some ups and
downs but so has everyone else. It's part of the game."
724165
Toronto Maple Leafs
Win takes toll on Leafs
By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 12:25 AM EDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 12:27 AM EDT
CALGARY - Frazer McLaren had a scratched eye ball, while Carter Ashton
had a suspected busted nose.
Joffrey Lupul had a slight limp, but probably wasn't feeling too bad after his
first-period goal.
The Leafs' 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday certainly took its
toll on the winners.
Coach Randy Carlyle hopes to get reinforcements on Saturday in
Vancouver. Nikolai Kulemin and his healing foot is probably a better bet to
return than defenceman Mark Fraser, who admitted his knee has not been
tested in a full contact practice as of yet.
Meanwhile it will be interesting to see if Ashton gets a call from league
disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan after he shoved Derek Smith into the
boards from behind in the second period.
724166
Toronto Maple Leafs
Maple Leafs giving their best out west
By Lance Hornby,Toronto Sun
First posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 11:58 PM EDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 12:04 AM EDT
With Halloween around the corner, the Maple Leafs’ goaltenders made sure
their team ended a bit of a scary skid in Alberta.
Thanks to James Reimer in Edmonton and Jonathan Bernier’s efforts on
Wednesday at the Saddledome, the Leafs swept their Death Valley trip for
the first time since October of 2000. Sure, they’re not exactly the Cup calibre
teams the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames were once capable of icing,
but this was a difficult double play for Randy Carlyle’s team to pull off.
The Flames came right at the Leafs to take advantage of them playing the
night before, but what Bernier didn’t stop, the Leafs managed to solve with
more strong special teams play.
And speaking of exorcisms, there was the first Leaf point for David Clarkson
after a tough start to his season, though he is looking persecuted every time
he takes a penalty.
And getting his first Leaf goal and first in the NHL since leaving the Tampa
Bay Lightning four years ago was defenceman Paul Ranger, an empty net
dagger.
Now, will the Leaf potion make it to the ocean for Saturday’s game against
Vancouver?
Leafs and life of Brian
Brian McGrattan has a long history of going up against Leafs heavyweights,
dating back to the Battle of Ontario with the Ottawa Senators.
McGrattan has fought Tie Domi, Wade Belak, Jay Rosehill, Colton Orr and
now Frazer McLaren. After absorbing a couple and then dominating at the
end, McGrattan gave the raised fist salute to his worthy opponent. McLaren
did not return.
Now ear this
The TSN quip crew called it a Van Gogh — the sliced ear of referee Paul
Devorski when Leaf Cody Franson caught him in the side of the head with a
clearing pass.
But Devorski didn’t see anything funny in the Leaf defenceman managing to
hit him with so much time to make a clearing play on the glass during a
first-period penalty kill.
As he was getting cleaned up at the Flames bench, the highlight caught the
pained Devorski yelling at Franson.
Devorski came back six minutes into the second period.
The referee and Bernier shared a laugh later on when a shot ripped
Bernier’s mask off.
Captain’s curse?
Several participants in the Sun’s live chat during Wednesday’s game were
not buying the hype about contract talks between Dion Phaneuf’s camp and
the Leafs.
It’s not just the anticipated gulf between what Phaneuf is worth now versus
what state he’ll be in his mid-30s if he seeks after a long-term deal. They
fear the Curse of Ballard.
No Leaf has retired as a captain since George Armstrong in 1969. Ballard’s
watch saw the alienation of Dave Keon and Darryl Sittler. Rick Vaive was
stripped of his C, then traded, Rob Ramage was lost to expansion, Wendel
Clark and Doug Gilmour were traded by Cliff Fletcher (both returned, but not
as captain) and a disillusioned Mats Sundin chose free agency.
Will Phaneuf have a better fate?
Game gab
The Leafs already have four short-handed goals, including James van
Riemsdyk’s first ever against the Flames. Since 2005-06, when they
exploded for 14, the Leafs have never had more than six in one 82-game
season ... Ex-Leafs Joe Colborne and Matt Stajan saw lots of ice for the
Flames. Had to think Colborne needed a big game on this night of all nights,
though he has been making progress in his hometown. The big kid simply
has to play bigger ... Not a great game for Phaneuf against his old team. He
had a couple of first-period giveways and coverage mistakes. Calgary and
Washington are the only teams Phaneuf has not scored against in his
career. He even had two goals and three assists against the Leafs in five
games as a Flame ... Carter Ashton’s father Brent was in the Calgary crowd,
watching his son play for the Leafs.
724167
Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly one of many young defenceman leaving
a good impression early on
Stephen Whyno, Canadian Press | 31/10/13 | Last Updated: 31/10/13 9:36
AM ET
Defencemen take longer to develop than forwards, or so the theory goes.
Calgary Flames’ surprising start takes hit with loss of Mark Giordano to
broken ankle
“We joke, defencemen joke, that you can turn your brain off and go play
forward,” Pittsburgh Penguins coach and former NHL defenceman Dan
Bylsma said.
Playing on the blue-line in the NHL is challenging at times even for
established veterans. But this season a handful of defencemen who haven’t
even turned 20 have made their debuts and are sticking around for the long
term.
In some cases, like fourth-overall pick Seth Jones of the Nashville
Predators, it was expected. But many others, like the Toronto Maple Leafs’
Morgan Rielly, the Penguins’ Olli Maatta and Anaheim Ducks’ Hampus
Lindholm, have done enough to show that they belong in the pros.
“There’s quite a good group of us,” Rielly said. “It’s tough to make that jump,
but we’ve all been able to do it. That’s pretty cool.”
But it’s still uncommon to see so many of these players eating up minutes at
this age. Trotz sees the trend continuing because of the head-start they get
before getting to the minors or the NHL.
“I just think it’s the evolution of the young player. They have more access to
what the pros do,” he said. “I think they’re more advanced in a lot of areas in
terms of training. It’s evolution: You’ve got better athletes playing the game
than ever before because you have more. You have more American players,
you have more Canadians, you have more Europeans playing the game.
The game continues to grow.”
Not everyone is an immediate success story. The New York Islanders
figured Griffin Reinhart needed another year of seasoning, and the
Washington Capitals sent Connor Carrick to the AHL after a brief cameo at
the start of the season.
The Wild still have yet to decide whether to keep Dumba around or send him
back to Red Deer of the WHL. With nine games down, decision time is
approaching, but coach Mike Yeo has wanted to be patient with Dumba.
“Every game you’re under the spotlight,” Yeo said. “There’s going to be ups
and downs for young players and we’re not going to overreact when he
plays really well and we’re not going to overreact if he has a shift or two
where things aren’t great, too.”
Those are the same kind of “youthful mistakes” that Columbus Blue Jackets
coach Todd Richards sees in 2012 No. 2 pick Ryan Murray, who turned 20
last month and is playing his first NHL season.
“There’s lots of things I like about Ryan Murray and his adjustment in the
NHL. It’s been really smooth,” Richards said. “I think when you come from
really dominating the league that he played in, having lots of success in a
league that you play in, you come in and some of those [things] are habit
and you just do that.”
Cool, and not a coincidence. Counting the Minnesota Wild’s Mathew
Dumba, the Winnipeg Jets’ Jacob Trouba and the Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus
Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, six teenage defencemen have played in at
least five games.
Ryan Murphy of the Carolina Hurricanes isn’t a teenager anymore, either,
and like Murray and some of these slightly younger defencemen he’s
“progressing every shift,” according to coach Kirk Muller.
Predators coach Barry Trotz has a theory on the influx of youth on blue-lines
around the league.
“It’s a big step,” Muller said. “We’ve put him in there to run the power play
back there, a quarterback at a young age. And he’s got great skill, he sees
the game well. It’s growing pains. You’re learning every game you play in.”
“There’s a number of young defencemen in the league because they can
skate. That’s No. 1,” Trotz said in a phone interview. “And the good ones
have really good instincts, they have good hockey IQ. That’s what’s needed.
There’s a lot of kids that skate, but they don’t have the hockey IQ to go along
with all the physical attributes.”
Perhaps it’s that hockey IQ that made a lot of decisions tough for these
teams. Jones was considered NHL-ready coming out of June’s draft, and
Trouba (who’s now injured) figured into the Jets’ plans out of training camp.
There’s going to be ups and downs for young players and we’re not
going to overreact when he plays really well and we’re not going to overreact
if he has a shift or two where things aren’t great, too
But Rielly and Maatta have already earned a spot beyond the magic
nine-game mark at which teams burn the first year of a player’s entry-level
contract. Penguins general manager Ray Shero said the organization
believes Maatta’s development is best served continuing to play there rather
than returning to the London Knights of the OHL.
“He’s given us the best chance to win hockey games,” Bylsma said.
Same goes for Rielly, who had a good enough camp to make the Leafs and
took advantage of a knee injury to Mark Fraser to stick in the lineup ever
since. Goaltender James Reimer saw the 19-year-old’s potential early in
training camp and, after playing behind him, described his game as
“mature.”
“He doesn’t really look like a rookie to me,” Reimer said. “He makes
mistakes, obviously, but it feels like he never gets panicky or really unsure of
himself. I think there’s times where he does a little bit, but just as much as
anybody else would.
“To me, he just thinks the game well. It looks like he’s been there. He’s not
overconfident, he’s not cocky. He’s not anything like that. But when he’s on
the ice he’s confident in his own ability and he just makes smart plays.”
At the core, that’s what it takes for young defencemen to succeed at such a
high level. It’s no surprise that Trotz cited Jones’ personal and professional
maturity, as well.
National Post LOADED: 11.01.2013
724168
Toronto Maple Leafs
Has MLSE boss Tim Leiweke put Quebec City in higher regard for a NHL
team?
Sean Fitz-Gerald | 31/10/13 9:54 AM ET
TORONTO – Marcel Aubut, the president of the Canadian Olympic
Committee and a driving force behind the quest to return a National Hockey
League franchise to Quebec City, was asked about remarks made this week
by Tim Leiweke, the chief executive of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment.
“When it comes from him,” Aubut said, “it’s an important voice.”
On Tuesday, Leiweke told a room filled with members of Toronto’s business
community he believed Quebec City was owed “another shot” at hosting an
NHL team. Leiweke has been inside the NHL’s corridors of power for almost
two decades, with his work at AEG, which counts the Los Angeles Kings
among its holdings.
“He’s very, very powerful,” Aubut said on Wednesday. “He’s on the
executive committee of the NHL and he’s a friend of mine. He believes that
Canada should have more representation, and [we should] correct the fact
that Quebec lost the Nordiques.”
Aubut, a well-known lawyer in Quebec, was the team president when the
Nordiques were sold to a Denver-based group for US$75-million in 1995.
The franchise has gone on to win two Stanley Cup titles in Colorado,
re-named the Avalanche.
Efforts to repatriate a team have been underway for years. Aubut said
construction on a new 18,000-seat, $400-million arena is 30% complete,
and that it remains on target to be fully operational by August 2015.
In his remarks to The Empire Club of Canada on Tuesday, Leiweke said the
NHL should aim to place a franchise in Seattle, where another arena is
being planned. He also named Las Vegas and Kansas City as markets that
could suit the NHL.
Quebec, though, was right at the top of Leiweke’s list.
We acknowledge that the decision is from 30 owners, who we respect.
And we have to be patient
“They’re way ahead of anyone else as to considerations, because we took a
team from Quebec,” he told the crowd. “And like we did in Winnipeg, where
we felt an obligation to return the team to Winnipeg — and they’re doing an
unbelievable job of supporting it — do we not, as a league, also owe Quebec
another start?”
Graeme Roustan, the former chairman of Bauer Performance Sports Ltd.,
has been trying to secure approval and funding for an NHL-ready arena in
Markham, Ont., for two years. Those plans rely on help from the city,
though, and there is a chance the whole enterprise could be scuttled at the
council level.
And according to Leiweke, that is probably just as well.
“I haven’t heard one person at the board of governors talk about Toronto,”
Leiweke said on Tuesday. “It’s never been a topic of conversation. I’ve read
some articles here where people said they’ve gone out and applied. I’ve
never heard Toronto and a second team mentioned at the board of
governors.”
So what does all of this suggest for Quebec City?
“All those good testimonies are very important, and of great influence,”
Aubut said. “But we acknowledge that the decision is from 30 owners, who
we respect. And we have to be patient. We’re going to be like Winnipeg —
not much noise, and wait for a great day.”
724169
Toronto Maple Leafs
At the core, that’s what it takes for young defencemen to succeed at such a
high level. It’s no surprise that Trotz cited Jones’ personal and professional
maturity, as well.
Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly one of many young defenceman leaving
a good impression early on
But it’s still uncommon to see so many of these players eating up minutes at
this age. Trotz sees the trend continuing because of the head-start they get
before getting to the minors or the NHL.
Stephen Whyno, Canadian Press | 31/10/13 | Last Updated: 31/10/13 9:36
AM ET
“I just think it’s the evolution of the young player. They have more access to
what the pros do,” he said. “I think they’re more advanced in a lot of areas in
terms of training. It’s evolution: You’ve got better athletes playing the game
than ever before because you have more. You have more American players,
you have more Canadians, you have more Europeans playing the game.
The game continues to grow.”
Toronto Maple Leafs teenage defenceman Morgan Rielly, second from left,
had his first NHL goal taken away when replays showed his shot against the
Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night deflected off forward Nazem Kadri and
into the net.
Defencemen take longer to develop than forwards, or so the theory goes.
Calgary Flames’ surprising start takes hit with loss of Mark Giordano to
broken ankle
“We joke, defencemen joke, that you can turn your brain off and go play
forward,” Pittsburgh Penguins coach and former NHL defenceman Dan
Bylsma said.
Playing on the blue-line in the NHL is challenging at times even for
established veterans. But this season a handful of defencemen who haven’t
even turned 20 have made their debuts and are sticking around for the long
term.
In some cases, like fourth-overall pick Seth Jones of the Nashville
Predators, it was expected. But many others, like the Toronto Maple Leafs’
Morgan Rielly, the Penguins’ Olli Maatta and Anaheim Ducks’ Hampus
Lindholm, have done enough to show that they belong in the pros.
“There’s quite a good group of us,” Rielly said. “It’s tough to make that jump,
but we’ve all been able to do it. That’s pretty cool.”
Cool, and not a coincidence. Counting the Minnesota Wild’s Mathew
Dumba, the Winnipeg Jets’ Jacob Trouba and the Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus
Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov, six teenage defencemen have played in at
least five games.
Predators coach Barry Trotz has a theory on the influx of youth on blue-lines
around the league.
“There’s a number of young defencemen in the league because they can
skate. That’s No. 1,” Trotz said in a phone interview. “And the good ones
have really good instincts, they have good hockey IQ. That’s what’s needed.
There’s a lot of kids that skate, but they don’t have the hockey IQ to go along
with all the physical attributes.”
Perhaps it’s that hockey IQ that made a lot of decisions tough for these
teams. Jones was considered NHL-ready coming out of June’s draft, and
Trouba (who’s now injured) figured into the Jets’ plans out of training camp.
There’s going to be ups and downs for young players and we’re not
going to overreact when he plays really well and we’re not going to overreact
if he has a shift or two where things aren’t great, too
But Rielly and Maatta have already earned a spot beyond the magic
nine-game mark at which teams burn the first year of a player’s entry-level
contract. Penguins general manager Ray Shero said the organization
believes Maatta’s development is best served continuing to play there rather
than returning to the London Knights of the OHL.
“He’s given us the best chance to win hockey games,” Bylsma said.
Same goes for Rielly, who had a good enough camp to make the Leafs and
took advantage of a knee injury to Mark Fraser to stick in the lineup ever
since. Goaltender James Reimer saw the 19-year-old’s potential early in
training camp and, after playing behind him, described his game as
“mature.”
“He doesn’t really look like a rookie to me,” Reimer said. “He makes
mistakes, obviously, but it feels like he never gets panicky or really unsure of
himself. I think there’s times where he does a little bit, but just as much as
anybody else would.
“To me, he just thinks the game well. It looks like he’s been there. He’s not
overconfident, he’s not cocky. He’s not anything like that. But when he’s on
the ice he’s confident in his own ability and he just makes smart plays.”
Not everyone is an immediate success story. The New York Islanders
figured Griffin Reinhart needed another year of seasoning, and the
Washington Capitals sent Connor Carrick to the AHL after a brief cameo at
the start of the season.
The Wild still have yet to decide whether to keep Dumba around or send him
back to Red Deer of the WHL. With nine games down, decision time is
approaching, but coach Mike Yeo has wanted to be patient with Dumba.
“Every game you’re under the spotlight,” Yeo said. “There’s going to be ups
and downs for young players and we’re not going to overreact when he
plays really well and we’re not going to overreact if he has a shift or two
where things aren’t great, too.”
Those are the same kind of “youthful mistakes” that Columbus Blue Jackets
coach Todd Richards sees in 2012 No. 2 pick Ryan Murray, who turned 20
last month and is playing his first NHL season.
“There’s lots of things I like about Ryan Murray and his adjustment in the
NHL. It’s been really smooth,” Richards said. “I think when you come from
really dominating the league that he played in, having lots of success in a
league that you play in, you come in and some of those [things] are habit
and you just do that.”
Ryan Murphy of the Carolina Hurricanes isn’t a teenager anymore, either,
and like Murray and some of these slightly younger defencemen he’s
“progressing every shift,” according to coach Kirk Muller.
“It’s a big step,” Muller said. “We’ve put him in there to run the power play
back there, a quarterback at a young age. And he’s got great skill, he sees
the game well. It’s growing pains. You’re learning every game you play in.”
724170
Washington Capitals
Eric Fehr ready for responsibility on the power play with Alex Ovechkin
injured
By Katie Carrera
October 31 at 2:45 pm
Technically Eric Fehr has always been the second option on the depth chart
for the one-timer spot from the left circle on the Capitals’ power play. But
when the person in front of him in the pecking order is Alex Ovechkin, who
often plays the full length of any man advantage, there isn’t much regular ice
time available.
With Ovechkin sidelined at least through Friday’s game at the Philadelphia
Flyers, though, the Capitals will rely on Fehr to fill in that spot on the top
power-play unit and as the right wing playing alongside Nicklas Backstrom
on the top line. They aren’t easy skates to fill and arguably no one in the
league has the type of wicked one-timer release on the power play that
Ovechkin does, but Fehr is ready for the responsibility.
“I don’t think they’ll be covering me quite as closely as they cover Ovi,” Fehr
said. “Ovi does his thing out there and I haven’t had the opportunity. He
makes it look pretty easy. He’s been doing that for many years. I’m not going
to be shooting it like him, I’ll have my own spin on that position and hopefully
it works out.”
Coach Adam Oates took some extra time in Thursday’s practice to help Fehr
get a little more familiar with the way the power play works the puck around
to that location on the ice. From the angle he’s receiving the puck to the
speed of a pass and how much time Fehr will have, Oates wanted to give
the winger as many repetitions through that play as he could.
While Ovechkin’s shot demands a certain amount of respect from opposing
penalty kills, Oates believes that the power play should be able to create the
same type of quality opportunities regardless who is in the lineup at any
particular moment. The power play is now ranked fifth (24.4 percent) in the
league after going 1-for-15 in the past four games after starting off the year
as the top unit in the league.
“To me the philosophy of the power play should be that anybody’s
interchangeable,” Oates said. “Guys have strengths and weaknesses but
the system still runs itself, we still expect guys to make reads. Fehrsie’s got
a good shot there as well. If we put Carly there he’s got a great shot as well.
I expect them to make the reads.”
Still, if there’s anyone whose absence will most certainly impact the power
play, it’s Ovechkin. He has four of the team’s 11 goals on the man
advantage, has fired 22 of the team’s 62 total shots on goal (35.5 percent)
and taken 44 of 113 shots they’ve attempted (38.9 percent) while on the
power play.
Teams often try to cheat to Ovechkin’s side in what is often vain hope that it
will disrupt or prevent him from unleashing that dangerous shot. That
defensive commitment from a penalty kill can open up more space inside for
plays down low or create more lanes for Mike Green at the point. In
Ovechkin’s absence opposing penalty kills may focus on taking away
Backstrom’s options of the half wall or Green’s. But it could also create
space for the power play in unexpected ways.
“Obviously he’s a big key, he takes a lot of shots for us,” Backstrom said.
“It’s a good opportunity for Fehrsie. He has a great shot as well, and
hopefully that will make [penalty kills] a little confused maybe, since Ovi’s not
there.”
Washington Post LOADED: 11.01.2013
724171
Washington Capitals
Marcus Johansson is no passenger
By Neil Greenberg
October 31 at 12:10 pm
With Alex Semin and Jeff Schultz no longer available to push around, some
have chosen Marcus Johansson as their new favorite whipping boy.
#Caps top line would be SO much better if they had someone like Alex
Burrows instead of Marcus Johansson
— B in DC (@B_in_DC) October 29, 2013
After finally learning how to shoot, Marcus Johansson has appears to
have, once again, forgotten how to shoot. — Tyler Dean Duchaine
(@tylerduchaine) October 29, 2013
When MJ90 is on the ice, it’s like a power play for the opponent. #Caps
— Capsaholic (@Capsaholic) October 29, 2013
Part of the high expectations come from Johansson skating almost 84
percent of his even-strength minutes with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas
Backstrom. And so far, I’d argue the young Swede has done his part.
Johansson has an assist on seven of Ovechkin’s 10 goals, and five of those
are the primary helpers. In fact, all seven of his even-strength assists so far
this year have been the primary setup pass, which already equals his total
from last year. Overall, his 10 assists are good for fourth in the league.
Perhaps even more important, it does not appear he is a passenger on the
top line anymore. For example, ignoring score effects and lead-protecting
situations, the Capitals have taken 47.8 percent of the shot attempts with
Johansson on the ice. When those same linemates skate without
Johansson, that number drops to 36.4 percent. That means superstars
Ovechkin and Backstrom actually direct less shots at net when their “third
wheel” is on the bench. Small sample size? Perhaps, but last season it was
49 percent vs. 47 percent, so we are indeed seeing a trend in the right
direction.
It isn’t easy to meet the expectations that comes along with being a
first-round pick. And it certainly isn’t helped when you are sharing ice time
with two of the league’s best players. But Johansson has shown that he is
maturing into the perfect complement player for Washington’s top line —
especially if Ovechkin is on the sidelines for any length of time.
724172
Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin to miss Capitals’ game against Flyers with shoulder injury
By Katie Carrera
October 31 at 11:22 am
Updated, 12:40 p.m.
Alex Ovechkin will not travel with the Capitals to Philadelphia and will miss
Friday’s game against the Flyers because of the apparent shoulder injury he
suffered earlier in the week. This will mark the 13th game in his career
Ovechkin has missed because of injury and the first since Feb. 22, 2012 at
Ottawa. The Capitals lost that game 5-2 to the Senators.
Ovechkin was on the ice doing sprints under the watchful eye of strength
and conditioning coach Mark Nemish Thursday morning prior to the start of
full team practice, along with defenseman John Erskine, who was placed on
LTIR. At no point did Ovechkin fire a shot or handle a puck in the workout,
though, so it appears as though it was mainly an effort to keep up his
conditioning level.
The star winger suffered the injury to his right shoulder in the first period of
the Capitals’ 3-2 loss in Vancouver Monday night. While the Capitals have
declined to share any details on the specific nature of Ovechkin’s injury,
Coach Adam Oates confirmed that it occurred when Ovechkin was tripped
by Alexander Edler 1 minute 19 seconds seconds into the contest and sent
crashing into Roberto Luongo and the Canucks’ net.
Repeat viewing of that incident shows Ovechkin falling with the bulk of the
weight on his right arm and then colliding with Luongo head and shoulder
first. As he gets out from under the net, Ovechkin extends his arm to touch
the ice and gives Luongo a pat before extending it once more on the
goaltender’s pad. As he stands up his right arm hangs rather gingerly by his
side.
At this stage it’s difficult to gauge exactly how much time Ovechkin might
miss. Asked for a potential timeline on Ovechkin’s return, Oates said
“maybe” Saturday against the Florida Panthers.
Here’s replay of the trip along with the penalty shot that was awarded to
Ovechkin via CSN Washington.
Here’s what the lineup looks like this morning.
Erat-Backstrom-Fehr
Laich-Johansson-Brouwer
Chimera-Grabovski-Ward
Volpatti-Latta/Beagle-Wilson
Alzner-Carlson
Schmidt-Green
Orlov/Urbom-Oleksy
724173
Washington Capitals
Former Capitals goalie Semyon Varlamov arrested on domestic violence
charges
By Katie Carrera
October 31 at 10:27 am
Colorado Avalanche goaltender and former Capitals netminder Semyon
Varlamov was arrested Wednesday night on domestic violence related
charges including kidnapping and assault.
Here’s the full explanation of the charges from the Denver Post:
Varlamov turned himself in to police around 6 p.m. and is being held
without bond on second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault
charges, police said. The kidnapping charge is a Class 4 felony, punishable
by to two to six years in prison, according Colorado statutes. Class 4 felony
kidnapping is defined by taking someone and moving them to another place
without their consent.
The assault charge is a misdemeanor.
Varlamov was to remain in jail overnight because he could not post bail
due to the assault charge. Varlamov must first appear before a judge — he
has a court date set for 10 a.m. Thursday.
Thursday morning, details about the charges emerged. The attorney of the
accuser spoke with CBS 4 Denver and alleged that Varlamov threw the
woman into a wall, stomped on her and that this is not the first time he has
assaulted her.
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Washington Capitals
things about him. I think we’re all pretty confident this is going to get
resolved pretty quickly.”
Avs goalie Varlamov accused of kicking girlfriend
Varlamov was scheduled to start in goal on Friday night in Dallas against the
Stars. Roy wouldn’t commit to whether that’s still the plan. Varlamov will
make the trip to Dallas with the team.
By PAT GRAHAM and COLLEEN SLEVIN
“We’re going to take it one day at a time, like we’ve been doing all year
long,” Roy said.
DENVER (AP) - Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov will be able
to travel with the team while prosecutors consider whether he should be
charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
On Thursday, a judge said Varlamov could be released if he posted $5,000
bond and be allowed to travel with the team but he was ordered to stay away
from his girlfriend, among other restrictions.
The girlfriend, Evgeniya Vavrinyuk, told investigators that Varlamov kicked
her in the chest, knocking her down, and stomped on her chest as she lay
on the ground in her apartment on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit.
She also accused Varlamov of dragging her by her hair and telling her that
he would have beaten her more if they had been in Russia.
Varlamov appeared in court briefly Thursday. He spent the night in jail after
turning himself in on Wednesday. He stood next to his lawyer to face Denver
County Judge Claudia Jordan, who also told him, through a Russian
interpreter, that he couldn’t drink or possess firearms. He also had to sign a
waiver that he would be immediately sent back to Colorado if he fled.
The 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of second-degree kidnapping
and third-degree assault.
Robert Abrams, the attorney for Vavrinyuk, said the couple had been dating
for a year and that Varlamov assaulted her on four other occasions. Abrams
said this one wasn’t the most serious _ and followed hours of drinking by
Varlamov _ but that his client decided to tell police this time because after
the assault she went home and found all her things had been thrown into the
hallway and her bank account had been cut off by Varlamov.
Abrams said he asked Vavrinyuk to wait a day to think about whether she
wanted to go to the police. She did and went to the police on Wednesday
morning. Afterward, she went to the hospital, where she was examined and
released.
“She wants the world to know that this famous star is a mean, nasty and
hostile individual,” Abrams said.
Varlamov’s agent, Paul Theofanous, said he “is completely innocent of all of
these charges.”
Varlamov’s attorney, Jack Rotole, declined to comment on the case, saying
he would defend his client in court.
Vavrinyuk said in an interview through an interpreter with The Denver Post
that she had canceled a modeling contract in Hong Kong to be with
Varlamov in Denver “because he asked her to.”
“He has no concept of when to stop drinking, and when he drinks he turns
into an animal,” Vavrinyuk said through the interpreter.
Rotole told the judge that the team is standing behind Varlamov.
“He has the full and total support of the Colorado Avalanche,” he said.
The Avalanche said in a statement that they were aware of the allegations
but wouldn’t comment further until the conclusion of the investigation.
Varlamov’s teammates took to the ice for practice on Thursday about the
time he appeared in court.
“It’s an unfortunate situation and hopefully it gets resolved real soon, but
we’ll focus on hockey right now,” forward Matt Duchene said. “That’s what
we’re worried about.”
The Avalanche are off to a torrid 10-1 start and have become the talk of
hockey under first-year coach Patrick Roy. Duchene doesn’t think this will
derail the Avalanche.
“You just don’t think about it,” Duchene said. “It’s tough. You’re concerned
about your teammate. We all love Varly in here. I can’t say enough great
“He’s a big part of what we’ve been doing so far, a huge part, actually,”
forward P.A. Parenteau said. “So we’re behind him and hopefully it will take
care of itself.
“We’ll handle the situation as a family, as a team, and we’ll go from there.”
Washington Times LOADED: 11.01.2013
724175
Washington Capitals
$5,000 bond set for Colorado Avs goalie Varlamov
By PAT GRAHAM and COLLEEN SLEVIN
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) - Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov
(var-LAH’-mawf) will be allowed out of jail and be able to travel with the team
while prosecutors consider charging him in a domestic violence case.
Varlamov appeared in court Thursday dressed in a yellow jail jumpsuit. A
judge set his bond at $5,000, and his attorney said he would be able to post
that immediately.
Denver County Judge Claudia Jordan ordered Varlamov to stay away from
his girlfriend and not contact her.
Varlamov also was ordered to relinquish any firearms in his possession. He
said through his lawyer he didn’t have any guns.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information. AP’s earlier story is below.
Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is accused of assaulting his
girlfriend, kicking her in the chest and dragging her by the hair, and was
scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday.
Roy and Giguere.
724176
Washington Capitals
Semyon Varlamov accused of kicking girlfriend, dragging her by hair
By Pat Graham
Associated Press
DENVER — Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is accused of
724177
Washington Capitals
Avs goalie Varlamov’s agent says allegations false
By PAT GRAHAM
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) - The agent for a Colorado Avalanche goalie who was
arrested in an alleged domestic violence incident says the accusations are
false.
Semyon Varlamov (var-LAH’-mawf) was arrested on charges of kidnapping
and third-degree assault. He’s being held in a Denver jail and is scheduled
to appear before a judge Thursday morning.
practicing with the team that day.
Varlamov’s agent, Paul Theofanous, says he is “completely innocent.”
Police have released no details about the case, other than to say it involved
someone with whom Varlamov was in an intimate relationship.
The Avalanche said in a statement they’re aware of the allegations but won’t
comment further until the conclusion of the investigation.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further
information. AP’s earlier story is below.
Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was being held in jail
Thursday after being arrested on charges of second-degree kidnapping and
third-degree assault in what authorities are calling a domestic violence
incident.
Varlamov was scheduled to appear before a judge in the morning.
practicing with the team that day.
Police haven’t released details about the case, other than to say it involved
someone who Varlamov was in an intimate relationship with. It’s not clear if
Varlamov has an attorney.
Roy and Giguere.
724178
Washington Capitals
Avs goalie Varlamov jailed for domestic violence
By PAT GRAHAM
Associated Press
DENVER (AP) - Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov is accused of
into Varlamov's court appearance. Rotole told The Associated Press he
Roy and Giguere.
724179
Winnipeg Jets
Enstrom says no to Swedish Oly team
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 11/1/2013 1:00 AM
HE'S putting his NHL team first, Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom said
Thursday when asked to discuss his decision to pass on playing for Sweden
in the upcoming Olympic hockey tournament.
Enstrom told Swedish national coach Par Marts two weeks ago he'd rather
not go to Russia, and instead concentrate on helping the Jets get into the
playoffs.
"The roster's not set," Enstrom said. "I sat down with the national team
coach a couple of weeks ago, he came to visit me here, and first of all it was
a hard decision to make but I decided not to play on the national team.
"I just felt I wanted to focus on Winnipeg here, and the team, and really push
for playoffs and I really want to take that time to rest and just be healthy."
Enstrom did play in the Vancouver Games for his country. He said injuries
that kept him out much of last season were also a consideration.
"Last year was a tough year for me and I feel like ... I haven't played in the
playoffs in six years and that's what I want to do," he said. "That's a big
reason why I said no to the national team. I want to focus on Winnipeg and I
want to rest my body and be prepared for the (stretch) run.
"It was not an easy decision to make. I've been talking to a lot of people
involved and after seeing him a couple of weeks ago, it's been tough but I
felt like I did the right thing.
'If I didn't feel 100 per cent about going, I wanted to make it clear to him so
I'm not saying that in the last second."
Returns not imminent
There wasn't much good news from Thursday's injury report.
Defenceman Paul Postma is out long-term with a blood clot in his leg.
Veteran centre Jim Slater, who has already missed six games, is not close
to returning.
"I was hoping he'd be skating by now," Jets coach Claude Noel said.
Defenceman Mark Stuart missed practice Thursday to receive treatment.
Noel said he's waiting on a further assessment of Stuart's condition before
saying anything more.
And rookie defenceman Jacob Trouba is also not close to returning, despite
being spotted a couple of times without his neck brace recently. He has not
yet skated since being hurt Oct. 18.
"A couple of Jacob Trouba sightings?" Noel said. "He's not a UFO, last I
checked. My understanding is the brace is a part-time thing and he's not
day-to-day. He may have it off; he's not in a great deal of discomfort but he
takes it off, I do know that."
Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.01.2013
724180
Winnipeg Jets
Confidence game
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 3:20 AM
"There's a reason everybody plays in this league. Every player who's in this
league is a pretty good player. Teams go through some tough times and
some players want to produce more than they're producing. Confidence
should not be an issue. I think it's more of a frustration that builds up when
you lose.
"With that, you have to be able to snap out of it. You keep trying to get better
every day. A lack of confidence, I personally don't like that. I'm confident
enough. To me, that's an excuse, but everybody's different, has different
words to use."
Jokinen said trust can make the difference.
The frustration remains but the long faces and the short tempers have faded
somewhat with the Winnipeg Jets' disappointing 1-2-1 road trip.
The 5-7-2 team was back to work on Thursday, readying for the next
challenge -- Saturday afternoon's home game against the Stanley Cup
champion Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago's first regular-season visit in the
Jets 2.0 era.
Welcome to Canada
ASKED to comment on his players being frustrated by negative press in
recent weeks, head coach Claude Noel offered this:
"My only comment would be we need to deal with what we need to deal with,
what we can control. We can't control... those are things outside our house.
We can control how we play, we can control how we deal with things. If that
leads to them being frustrated, then don't read it, I guess.
"I don't have much more of a comment than that.
"We're in Canada. That's what we do in Canada. We assess and we all have
an avenue to make those statements in today's world. That's what we deal
with."
Jets head coach Claude Noel recognized his team was at a "boiling point" in
the way it lost Tuesday's 3-2 decision in St. Louis, on a final-minute
power-play goal, kind of the way many things went on the road trip.
"How much more do you need to punch yourself in the face before you
realize that it's not very much fun?" Noel said after Thursday's practice at the
MTS Centre. "The word 'frustration' doesn't bother me. It's a bad emotion
that we have to deal with and how are we dealing with this?"
Noel answered his own question, sort of, by pointing out there are ample
positives to go with the negatives.
"When you watch the games, it's pretty obvious what you see in some ways;
it's both good and bad," he said. "I can see the good things our team can do,
how we play and how we can be difficult to play against and I do like some of
those things.
"But I don't like the results of the games because of the way we're letting
those results get away from us. If you're asking me if there's progression, I
do see that and I do see some things that I do like."
Noel even liked much or most of the way the team played in St. Louis,
despite the end-game disappointment.
"That's a hard team to play in that building," he said. "We played a good
game in that building."
Jets centre Bryan Little, who had his second short-handed goal of the
season Tuesday, also acknowledged the frustration.
"We're still in it and we're playing really good teams and we're playing with
them and I think everyone believes we can beat teams like these," Little
said. "It's not going to get any easier but we're still positive and we're trying
to figure out ways to win games."
Jets centre Olli Jokinen wants his team to keep pushing.
"I think we played better but it's still not good enough to win games," Jokinen
said. "You play against top teams, you're able to keep the games close, but
close is not going to cut it."
"So this won't do anything for your confidence, then?" Jokinen was asked.
"I just don't understand why you'd blame it on confidence," said Jokinen. "To
me, I never buy in that your confidence is low so you can't score or you're
losing your confidence. You should be confident. Every player should be
confident. Your confidence should never go down.
"You have to have confidence to believe in the system, confidence that
we're doing the right things, that the guy next to you is going to do the right
things," he said. "I don't like the sound of lack of confidence at all."
724181
Winnipeg Jets
THIS SEASON: 11.1 per cent; 26th
LAST SEASON: 17.9 per cent, 14th
Crunching the numbers
By: Tim Campbell
Last season, the Jets' power play started OK, but sank dramatically to last
overall. This season it started just fine but swooned badly -- zip for eight
games -- before finally breaking a drought on Tuesday night. There is real
concern about this liability.
Posted: 11/1/2013 1:00 AM
6. Penalty killing
THIS SEASON: 83.0 per cent, 10th
One of the most popular questions about the Winnipeg Jets has been: "Are
they any better for 2013-14?"
The definitive answer comes at the end of the season -- still more than five
months away -- but enough of a sample size is starting to reveal some of the
evidence.
There are basically four changes to the roster. Devin Setoguchi, Michael
Frolik and rookies Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba have taken the places
of Alex Burmistrov, Kyle Wellwood, Nik Antropov and Ron Hainsey.
And, of course, all that money or new contracts -- in several cases both -- to
at least nine returning free agents.
LAST SEASON: 65.9 per cent, 30th
After a nightmare start last season, the Jets finally caught on to their new
system and finished strongly in this department (the awful start held them to
a final ranking of 24th). It has been something of an asset so far in 2013-14,
especially in light of a troubling sub-statistic, that the team has seen an
increase of short-handed time of nearly 45 per cent this season over last.
Winnipeg was short the fewest minutes of any NHL team last season (4:34
per game). Right now, in the straight 14-game comparison, that time has
gone from 4:42 to 6:48 per game, now the second-highest in the league. It's
called playing with fire.
7. Drop the puck
Now 14 games into their season, the 5-7-2 Jets have run into several
elements of frustration as they get settled in their new Western Conference
home in the Central Division.
THIS SEASON: 51.6 per cent on faceoffs
Consistency has been mystifying and several games have slipped from their
grasp.
To start answering the question of "better," we've pulled 10 categories and
laid down the hard numbers against the first 14 games of the 2013 lockout
season:
The Jets sagged to a final tally of 48.9 per cent last season, and 22nd
overall. This season so far, the team is second-worst in the NHL and more
troubling, has been getting killed in this department on many nights. Last
season's won-lost tally on a game basis was 9-5 through 14 games. This
season it's 3-11 and the decline is one of the new realities of the Western
Conference.
1. Record
8. Shoot it
THIS SEASON: 5-7-2, 12 points
THIS SEASON: 445 shots, 205 misses.
LAST SEASON: 5-8-1, 11 points
LAST SEASON: 389 shots, 208 misses.
Is one point better than last season making anyone feel better? No. The
mark includes a 1-1-1 tally against Eastern Conference opponents. There
were no out-of-conference games last season, when Winnipeg did pull up its
socks to finish 24-21-3. Somewhat troubling today is that the team has just
three regulation/overtime wins; that's in the NHL's low-rent district.
There is more shooting in Jets' games, on the 14-game comparison. While
shots are up, so are shots against. Both this season and last, the averages
almost match, that shots for and against are nearly equal. At least one
annoying trend seems to be going the right way, that the percentage of
missed shots is lower. All of this fairly flies in the face of the early theory that
the west is tighter. Mitigating factors are the three non-conference games
and that the team is at least doing a slightly better job of putting pucks on net
no matter how little room or how tough the sledding.
2. Standing
THIS SEASON: Tied for 12th in the 14-team Western Conference; sixth in
the seven-team Central.
LAST SEASON: 14th in the 15-team Eastern Conference; tied for fourth in
the five-team Southeast Division.
In both cases, it's a lot of looking up.
3. The Line
THIS SEASON: Four points away from the final playoff spot.
LAST SEASON: Five points away from the final playoff spot.
When you are not one of the few elite teams in the NHL, the line is always a
part of your day. Now, as then, the Jets have ground to make up and the
season is barely four weeks old, not a great position considering some
history showing teams out of the playoffs in the first month or two don't have
great odds of moving in.
4. Goals
THIS SEASON: 34-40 for vs. against. A deficit of six.
LAST SEASON: 35-46 for vs. against. A deficit of 11.
It can't be denied there is some small progress here but still, a minus
number is a near death sentence when it comes to determining playoff or
non-playoff teams. And it's a valid argument that the only real difference so
far, with goals scored about the same, is that this season is just missing the
two defensive debacles for losses at Florida and Tampa Bay early last
season. Winnipeg surrendered 14 goals in those two.
5. Power play
LAST SEASON: 44.1 per cent
9. Blockage
THIS SEASON: 225 shots blocked by opponents, 16.1 per game.
LAST SEASON: 193 shots blocked by opponents, 13.8 per game.
Yes, more shooting will mean more blocking but here's another stern reality
of the west. The Jets have experienced an early increase of 17 per cent
here.
10. Balance
THIS SEASON: Top six goal scorers have 7-6-5-3-2-2.
LAST SEASON: Top six goal scorers have 7-4-4-3-2-2.
Winnipeg appears slightly more top-heavy this season but has made do with
fewer goals from defencemen, just three so far. Last season at this time,
defencemen accounted for nine goals and Dustin Byfuglien was among the
top six. However you slice it here, the Jets still aren't getting much
production from their third and fourth lines. Period.
724182
Winnipeg Jets
Enstrom would rather push for playoffs than head to Olympics
By: Tim Campbell
Posted: 10/31/2013 1:31 PM
WINNIPEG — Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom expanded today on his
decision to take a pass on the 2014 Olympic hockey tournament.
He told Swedish national coach Par Marts two weeks ago that he’d rather
not go to Russia, and instead concentrate on helping the Jets get into the
playoffs.
"That’s correct," Enstrom said after Jets practice this morning. "The roster’s
not set. I sat down with the national team coach a couple of weeks ago, he
came to visit me here, and first of all it was a hard decision to make but I
decided not to play on the national team.
"I just felt I wanted to focus on Winnipeg here, and the team, and really push
for playoffs and I really want to take that time to rest and just be healthy."
Enstrom did play in the Vancouver Games for his country. He said injuries
that kept him out much of last season were also a consideration.
"Last year was a tough year for me and I feel like... I haven’t played in the
playoffs in six years and that’s what I want to do," he said. "That’s a big
reason why I said no to the national team. I want to focus on Winnipeg and I
want to rest my body and be prepared for the (stretch) run.
"It was not an easy decision to make. I’ve been talking to a lot of people
involved and after seeing him a couple of weeks ago, it’s been tough but I
felt like I did the right thing.
"If I didn’t feel 100 per cent about going, I wanted to make it clear to him. So
I’m not saying that in the last second."
724183
Winnipeg Jets
With the Olympics fewer than 100 days away, Toews has his game
humming on all cylinders and he’s a lock to wear the Maple Leaf in Sochi
this February.
Captain Serious Jonathan Toews is seriously pumped about return to
Winnipeg
With seven goals and 13 points in 13 games, Toews leads the Blackhawks
in scoring but as always, his impact stretches well beyond the numbers.
By Ken Wiebe,Winnipeg Sun
It’s the intangibles, the leadership and the Selke-winning defence that helps
separate him from most others around the NHL.
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 09:20 PM CDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 10:11 PM CDT
All of those things should be on display Saturday in what should prove to be
a monumental event as Manitoba’s Golden Boy comes home.
Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.01.2013
Toews Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has never had a chance to play
a regular season NHL game in his hometown of Winnipeg but will do so
Saturday when the Stanley Cup champs visit the Jets.
He’s brought the Stanley Cup home twice during the past four years.
He’s seen the community club he honed his skills in, named after him.
But on Saturday afternoon, Jonathan Toews will experience a memorable
first as he skates onto the MTS Centre ice with the Chicago Blackhawks
against the Winnipeg Jets.
Sure, Toews played a pre-season game against the Tampa Bay Lightning in
his hometown back in 2010 but this is different.
This one actually counts in the standings and will mean so much more to the
Blackhawks captain.
The Jets faced the Blackhawks once during their inaugural season back in
the NHL, but that game took place at the United Center in October of 2011
and now the two teams find themselves as foes in the Central Division.
There’s a rivalry to build and that will come with time.
Toews is sure to play many games in his hometown during the coming
seasons, but you always remember that first one, especially when you
dreamed of the magical moment so many times while skating on the
backyard rink in St. Vital.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Toews told reporters in Chicago on Thursday.
“You just take a moment to think about it, it brings back a lot of memories. If
anyone asks me why I wanted to be a hockey player, that’s how it started —
watching the Winnipeg Jets play as a young kid. Never really thought,
throughout those years that there was no team in Winnipeg, that I’d get the
chance to go back there.
“I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Toews, the third overall pick in the 2006, is looking forward to having friends
and family in attendance.
Many others he has no personal connection to will be sporting jerseys with
his name and number on the back.
Toews inspired a legion of Blackhawks’ fans when the Jets were gone, so
some will have their allegiance tested on Saturday.
To suggest this is just another game among 82 would be silly, so Toews
didn’t bother with that cliché.
Captain Serious is going to be all business once the game is underway but
he’s also planning to soak in the entire experience.
“A lot of guys have been a part of games that had meaning to them, whether
there’s a lot of stuff going on before and after,” said Toews. “But once the
puck drops, we’ll be focused it like it’s just another game. I’ll be ready for
that. At the same time, I’ll enjoy it. The first game back in Winnipeg will be a
special one for me and I’ll make the best of it.”
Toews, 25, spends some of his off-season in Winnipeg and realizes what
the return of the Jets has done for the city.
“It’s nice for everyone back there. People really love hockey, they’re very
passionate about it,” said Toews, now in his seventh NHL season. “For
everyone on the trip this weekend, we’ll see what that atmosphere is like
and it’s like that game in, game out. They’re still looking to make the playoffs
for the first time since they came back, but people are still excited.
“It translates into everyday life that people have something to follow and be
a part of, it definitely brings a city together a little more.”
724184
Winnipeg Jets
Toby Enstrom puts Jets ahead of his country, passes on Olympics
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 09:26 PM CDT | Updated:
Thursday, October 31, 2013 09:33 PM CDT
Toby Enstrom is putting his club team before his country.
The Winnipeg Jets defenceman confirmed on Thursday that after careful
consideration, he’s decided to remove his name from consideration for
Sweden’s men’s Olympic hockey team that will compete at the 2014
Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Enstrom wasn’t invited to Sweden’s summer camp, but that was more to do
with the fact he was recovering from shoulder and back injuries that limited
him to 22 games with the Jets last season.
A few weeks ago, Swedish head coach Per Marts and assisstant Peter
Popovic were in Winnipeg for a pair of Jets’ games and Enstrom told them
afterward that he was taking a pass on the Olympics.
While there were many factors to consider, Enstrom — who had two assists
in four games during the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver — said he wasn’t
concerned by the extensive travel required or swayed by the fact many
pundits are predicting Sweden could be one of the gold-medal favourites.
“I want to focus on Winnipeg, rest my body and be prepared for the last run
(for the playoffs),” said Enstrom, who has a goal and seven points in 144
games with the Jets this season. “It was not an easy decision to make. I’ve
been talking to a lot of people involved but I felt like I did the right thing.
“I didn’t feel 100% about going, that’s why I said no. I wanted to make it clear
to them too, so I’m not telling them at the last second.”
Enstrom, who turns 29 on Nov. 5, is coming off two injury-plagued seasons
and while he’s feeling good so far, he just didn’t want to run the risk of
getting hurt or burned out by the two-week tournament.
“This is the first time I’ve actually been healthy in a long time, so it feels
good,” said Enstrom. “I’m looking forward to the (NHL) games this season.”
As for the current campaign, which has the Jets sitting at 5-7-2 entering
Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Enstrom is feeling
encouraged.
“It feels like the team is moving the right way, every game we go here,” said
Enstrom. “We’re in a tough division and we’re facing a lot of good teams. But
we have a good team here and good things going.”
How would Enstrom assess his own play so far?
“It’s been a little up and down,” said Enstrom. “I want to be better and I want
to help the team in any way that I can.”
Jets head coach Claude Noel sounds reasonably happy with Enstrom’s play
so far.
“He’s been good. If he was fabulous I would say that,” said Noel. “I like his
evasiveness, I like the fact he’s going into hard areas for a smaller guy. He
gets hit more than I’d like but at least he’s going there.
“He’s doing some things that are clever and I’d like him to be better in some
areas and those would be potentially offensive areas. He’s played fairly
well.”
724185
Winnipeg Jets
Jets await word on Stuart; Chiarot staying ready
First posted: Thursday, October 31, 2013 01:30 PM CDT
The Winnipeg Jets are waiting to hear if defenceman Mark Stuart is going to
be available for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Stuart has been dealing with a hip issue and received treatment on
Thursday, but his status has not yet been determined by team doctors.
“We’re waiting to see how he’s doing, we’re assessing the situation,” said
Noel. “We’re trying to get out from under the rocks, trying to see where he’s
at. Is he getting better? We’ll see.”
If Stuart can’t play, Ben Chiarot would make his NHL debut.
“Nothing is for sure yet,” said Chiarot. “The first NHL game, that’s what every
player works for. It will be exciting.”
Speaking of injuries, defenceman Jacob Trouba still hasn’t skated since
suffering a neck injury, so he’s not going to be part of the plans for the time
being either.
“I have to get on Twitter here, so that I have the same information as you
guys,” said Noel. “A couple of Jacob Trouba sightings? He’s not a UFO the
last I checked. My understanding is the brace is a part-time thing and he’s
not day-to-day. He hasn’t skated.”
Centre Jim Slater remains more than day-to-day with an undisclosed
ailment.
Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom confirmed he has withdrawn his name from
consideration for Sweden’s Olympic team so he can focus on staying
healthy and refreshed for his own team’s stretch drive.
“I want to focus on Winnipeg and rest my body and be prepared for the last
run,” said Enstrom. “It was not an easy decision to make. It’s been tough but
I felt I did the right thing.”
The Jets (5-7-2) are coming off a 1-2-1 road trip and are preparing to host
the defending Stanley Cup champions in what will be Jonathan Toews’ first
regular season game in his hometown.
724186
Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver fishbowl may have pushed Bure out
By Jim Jamieson, The Province October 31, 2013
There may have been a lot of reasons why Pavel Bure wanted out of
Vancouver.
But Beth Novokshonoff believes a key factor was living in a fishbowl in a
hockey-mad Canadian city.
Novokshonoff, who speaks Russian fluently, offered her services as an
interpreter to the Canucks when the team was able to bring Igor Larionov
and Vladimir Krutov to Vancouver in 1989.
She also worked with the players’ wives to help them settle into their new
city and did the same with Bure, whose English was spotty when he arrived
in 1991 and had no experience of living on his own.
“Vancouver was too small,” she said on Thursday.
“Sometimes, people wouldn’t leave him alone.”
It got so bad, said Novokshonoff, that when Bure was living in his posh
home on a walled property on Southwest Marine Drive in the latter part of his
tenure in Vancouver, fans would sometimes scale the wall and knock on his
window hoping to meet the Russian Rocket.
She believes he was much more comfortable in Florida and, later, New
York, where he could walk the streets and not be bothered.
“There really was no privacy,” she said. “And Pavel was a really private
person.”
Novokshonoff said she really enjoyed getting to know Bure.
“We had a lot of laughs with him,” she said. “When the Red Wings were in
town, the Russian Five (Larionov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Sergei Fedorov,
Slava Kozlov and Vladimir Konstantinov) and Pavel and (Alexander)
Mogilny would come over for to our place for dinner afterwards. Igor would
do his impression of (dictatorial Russian coach Viktor) Tikhonov. I’ve never
seen Pavel laugh so hard.”
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Jamieson: From Russia, with Larionov
“When you see a player in and out, in every city in the NHL and at his best,”
he said. “All those games at the Pacific Coliseum and then in others cities, in
Florida and New York. You have a chance to see the artist. You can see
something special coming out every time. It’s a gift to be able to understand
the game right and to be in position to get the puck and score the goal. You
have to cherish that as a player, a teammate and a friend.
By Jim Jamieson, The Province October 31, 2013
“As a fan, you spend a all day long in your workplace and come to see the
show, and it was worthwhile because Pavel Bure was providing the
entertainment.”
Pavel Bure hangs out in his new apartment in Vancouver in 1991.
Larionov will be on hand for Saturday’s ceremony.
It’s tempting to think that Pavel Bure simply fell out of the sky and instantly
gave the Canucks the killer goalscorer they’d always needed but never had.
“He’s a good friend and my linemate,” he said. “So it’s going to be a special
evening to be to part of that kind of honour for Pavel and help him celebrate
his accomplishment.”
Yes, Bure — who went on to become the franchise’s most exciting and
greatest player — didn’t take long to get there, but he was wracked with
uncertainty as he began his NHL career in Vancouver.
To point where the player, who’ll have his jersey number retired at a formal
ceremony before Saturday’s game with Toronto, was concerned he might be
sent down to the minors after he’d failed to score after his first three games.
Bure’s electrifying performance in his first NHL game against the Jets is
burned into Canucks’ fans memory banks, but he didn’t actually put the puck
in the net until Game 4 (twice).
“To be honest with you, he was troubled for a while,” Bure’s all-too-brief
linemate and Russian countryman Igor Larionov said over the phone from
his home in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
“He was actually worried (to start the season) because he didn’t score any
goals. He was worried they were going to send him down to the minors.”
Laughable as that sounds, Russian players coming to North America in
1991 didn’t make the seamless transition they do now. The Soviet Union
was about to break apart, but they’d all grown up within its tight structure.
“When you are 20 years old and you come to North America, and it’s the first
wave of Russian players, myself and a couple other guys coming over in
1989, and Pavel was this baby-face,” said Larionov, 52.
“To deal with a new lifestyle, new hockey in the NHL, it’s overwhelming for a
young guy to come and to do well.”
Larionov, who had been a teammate of Bure’s for one season on the Central
Red Army team, became the youngster’s mentor and hosted him in his
North Vancouver home for the first few weeks.
“I told Pavel, ‘don’t worry, take your time,’ said Larionov. “It’s a game of
patience. Just read the play and the people around you. Not long after that,
Pat (then GM and coach Quinn) put him with myself and Greg Adams and
we started to get the chemistry. From that point, the game was so easy
when you play it right.”
Bure actually scored three goals in those next two games, but — though he
was a human highlight reel — still had just seven goals in his first 30 games.
But the Russian Rocket put it into high gear following the NHL All-Star break
in mid-January, scoring 27 goals in his final 35 games en route to overtaking
favourite Tony Amonte for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
“After the All-Star game, I think the end of January, I said to him, ‘Pavel
you’ve been around for a couple of months, so now you have to calm down
and listen,’” recalled Larionov. “I told him it’s a game of skill, patience and
commitment. Let me and Greg Adams do some stuff for you that’s special.
At that time he was chasing Tony Amonte, who he was behind by many,
many points. I said with the right approach to the game, you can catch him
and be the top guy for the season.”
Larionov left Vancouver the next season through a convoluted turn of
events, and he went on to a great NHL career that included three Stanley
Cup rings with the Red Wings. But he admits he wondered at time how his
chemistry with Bure would have turned out if the two had stayed together.
“I knew the kid was getting very confident and he had a great future and I
wanted to be part of that,” said Larionov. “But circumstances took me in a
different direction. I don’t regret it. I got three Stanley Cups, but it would have
been nice to have a couple more years playing alongside and have the
opportunity to lead this kid. But without me, he was gracious and a great
hockey player, a superstar.”
Larionov, who retired in 2004, said he has no doubt that Bure, 42 — who
finally followed him into the Hockey Hall of Fame last year — is right up there
with the greatest players he’s seen in the NHL.
SATURDAY
Pavel Bure’s jersey retirement ceremony will take place at 4 p.m. on
Saturday at Rogers Arena, preceding the Canucks’ with Toronto — which is
scheduled to start at 4:20. The ceremony will be carried live on CBC’s
Hockey Night In Canada.
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And while using that as an illustration of how opinions differ on the
committee as well, Quinn showed he doesn’t have a lot of sympathy for that
position.
Gallagher: Scotty Bowman, Pat Quinn clear about value of Pavel Bure
“His departure from here, good or bad, should have no effect on the decision
being made,” he said.
By Tony Gallagher, The Province October 31, 2013
“It may have affected individual people in some way, but players move for
lots of reasons. I’m not really sure what happened — I was gone by then —
but it shouldn’t be part of the decision.”
There’s very little doubt the celebration of Pavel Bure’s jersey being retired
Saturday night would not be happening had he first not been inducted into
the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bowman was also keen to wonder out loud of how wonderfully effective
Bure might have been had he played when there was no red line.
And it’s extremely unlikely he’d be in the Hall today had it not been for Scotty
Bowman and selection committee chairman Pat Quinn, both of whom were
instrumental in Bure getting at least 14 of the 18 votes needed for induction.
Quinn is expected to accompany Bure to centre ice Saturday afternoon in
what he says will be a most happy duty, but Bowman, the man who originally
nominated Bure long before he was ever inducted, is visiting his daughter in
Oakland this week and not expected to be here unless there are some
last-minute changes.
But the greatest coach in hockey history was happy to talk about the
Russian Rocket while expressing the opinion, which Quinn himself shares
readily, that the hall of fame is supposed to be for the whole world and other
earlier Russian players, such as Anatoly Firsov and Boris Mikhailev, should
also be getting very serious consideration.
“He was a special player; those guys don’t come along too often,” Bowman
said of Bure, having coached against him when he was at his very best
before he first injured his knee.
“In his prime he was the most prominent offensive player, for sure. He was
pretty well unstoppable. He knew when to leave (the defensive zone) and
when to get the puck on the fly. He was well named, ‘the Russian Rocket.’
“Those offensive players can smell out that opportunity, although you don’t
score goals like that without the extra ability that he had.
“I haven’t seen a lot of guys like him. Rocket Richard was a lot like that when
I saw him when he was in his prime, but it was a different game altogether,
the guys then didn’t have the kind of speed they do now.
“But he used to be able to get pucks on the fly and he had a good
centreman. Pavel played with Igor (Larionov) for a bit, didn’t he, but I don’t
recall who played with him after that.”
Quite so. Nobody does. Even when he went to Florida he never really found
a centre with whom he had chemistry. Part of that was his style, which made
him difficult to mesh with, but the Canucks haven’t had much up the middle
for decades. The present team is hardly an exception.
Imagine the numbers Bure might have put up had he been able to play more
than one year with Larionov, the two having such a great understanding on
ice in their one year together.
Further, the Wayne Gretzky of Russian hockey would have been able to
make life away from the rink so much more comfortable for the young Bure,
even though they embodied different views of Russian society, Bure more
the traditional Soviet, Larionov the more westernized version.
Quinn joked Thursday about having to fire Bowman if he had spoken about
what goes on in the Hall of Fame selection committee discussions, because
that’s a no-no, but admitted he was glad to see Bure get in and have his
number raised Saturday.
“When you’ve got 18 people on a committee, quite frankly, you have 18
different opinions,” said the man who probably should be in the Hall himself
as a coach but can’t yet be a candidate because he’s on the selection
committee.
“There were a lot of things to consider with Pavel (his injury-shortened
career foremost) but we had precedent, first with maybe the best player of
all time in Bobby Orr and then more recently Cam Neely.”
Quinn lives in Vancouver and doesn’t miss much. He’s been hearing the
various protests from those who are not fans of Bure about having his
number retired by the team, those arguments essentially based on his
desire to be traded.
“The Russian style has always been built around the forward, and their style
was to have a guy leave the zone early and he’d take a defenceman with
him,” said Bowman. “I remember (former Red Army coach) Anatoly Tarasov,
talking with him one day after he’d watched a couple of our practices in
Montreal, asking me why we didn’t have (Guy) Lafleur leave early.
“The (NHL) teams are beginning to use the no-red line a little more now, but
it surprises me how little. Bure would have been something with Igor and no
red line.”
It’s going to be even better to finally see Bure’s number join those of Markus
Naslund, Trevor Linden and Stan Smyl at Rogers Arena.
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Willes’s Canucks Hat Trick: Shoot da puck, stop da puck, score on da power
play
October 31, 2013. 9:23 am • Section: The White Towel
Jonathan McDonald
Province Sports columnist Ed Willes delivers the Hat Trick — three things
he’s thinking about in the wake of the Canucks’ 2-1 loss to the Detroit Red
Wings Wednesday night at the Rog …
1. The big game has already been dissected to within an inch of its life but,
really, it’s simple. You get good pitching and timely hitting and you’ll be
successful. The Red Sox formula isn’t advanced trigonometry, people.
And then there’s the Canucks. Their formula is equally basic, revolving
around producing offence through their best players and quantity, not
necessarily quality, of shots. Against the Wings, Daniel and Henrik Sedin did
score the team’s only goal but, collectively, the Canucks generated a
season-low 20 shots on Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. Ryan Kesler and
Henrik both failed to record a shot on net, and Daniel finished with three.
Alex Burrows led the Canucks with six shots on goal, which is also
interesting because he was playing just his second game since returning
from a foot injury. Burrows had some energy. The rest of the team, not so
much.
2. Much was made of the big line’s ineffectiveness against the Wings but
they could have salvaged their night with one power-play goal. Instead, the
Canucks went 0-for-3 and had a man advantage over the last 30 seconds
with Roberto Luongo pulled for an extra attacker. That was bad enough. But
the two power plays in the first period were completely ineffectual and killed
any Canucks’ momentum. The twins and Kesler generated some chances
on their third opportunity, early in the final period, but couldn’t beat Howard.
This is also part of a disturbing trend. The Canucks now have, yikes, the
29th-ranked power play in the NHL. It’s worse than Florida’s. It’s worse than
Buffalo’s. It’s 4-for-43 on the year, which makes it the David Freese of power
plays, and it’s now facing huge issues. Jason Garrison, who was supposed
to trigger the unit with his big shot from the point, has one power play goal all
season. The second unit has yet to score on the power play. Henrik has
figured in all four Canucks’ power play goals. That’s the good news. The
not-so-good news is that’s accounted for four points, which puts Henrik 60th
among NHLers in power play points. Remarkably, he’s also fourth in league
scoring, with 18 points overall.
At the risk of stating the obvious, the Canucks can’t make the playoffs if this
goes on all year.
3. Luongo’s numbers are slowly increasing but they’ve still got a ways to go
before he starts to appear among the leaders. He stopped 25 of 27 on
Wednesday night in front of Mike Babcock, who’ll be coaching Canada at
the Olympics in Sochi. All told, Luongo is now 17th in the NHL with a 2.42
goals-against average, and 24th with a .909 save percentage. Just so you
know, Montreal’s Carey Price is sixth with a .939 save percentage, and 2.02
GAA. As for dark-horse candidates, here’s a name to keep in mind:
Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury — remember him? — is top 10 in the league
in both GAA and save percentage. Toronto’s James Reimer, meanwhile, is
second in the league in save percentage.
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ESPN / Swapping Downie for Talbot is puzzling
By Scott Burnside
Before the start of the regular season, Steve Downie was chatting with great
enthusiasm about being back in NHL competition after a couple of years
marked by bad luck and injury. He was on a line with Matt Duchene -maybe the player who has made the most dramatic steps in his evolution
through the first month of the regular season -- and Ryan O'Reilly.
Through 11 games for the surprising 10-1-0 Avs, Downie collected a goal
and six assists. He averaged 16:43 a night in ice time, including 2:43 a night,
on average, on the Avs' power play.
So it was more than a bit of a surprise that on Thursday afternoon the Avs
announced they had traded Downie to Philadelphia for Maxime Talbot.
Given the growing up that Downie has done in recent years, he’ll surprise
folks in Philadelphia -- the team that drafted the rough-around-the-edges
winger with the 29th overall pick in 2005 and later shipped him off to Tampa.
In fact, Downie may be just the tonic for a Flyers team that has sleepwalked
through the first month of the season with an embarrassing 3-8-0 record
heading into action Thursday.
Downie, 26, is in the final year of a deal that carries a $2.65 million cap hit
and can become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, so that
was a factor in the decision to send him packing by Colorado hockey boss
Joe Sakic and coach Patrick Roy.
Talbot, 29, has two more years on his deal with a cap hit of $1.75 million
annually. Surely the Avs aren’t thinking about shaving a little money off the
bottom line while the team is finally creating some positive buzz after years
of being a nonfactor in that market. Surely ownership wouldn’t be that
shortsighted.
This isn’t to suggest Talbot isn’t a useful player. In fact, he is exactly the kind
of player an emerging team would covet. He was part of a Pittsburgh
Penguins team that accelerated through the learning curve to advance to
Stanley Cup finals in 2008 and 2009, playing inspired minutes on the third
and fourth line and chipping in on the penalty kill. In 2009, Talbot scored the
Cup winner in Game 7 in Detroit.
But he seems like the kind of player a team would add as a complementary
player, someone to augment a lineup as opposed to swapping out a
younger, more talented player like Downie.
"He’s a character player. He will help our penalty killing," Roy told
ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun before boarding a team flight Thursday. "It also
gives us some lineup flexibility as a guy that can play both center or wing.
And he’s a guy that’s performed well in the playoffs. He’s won a Stanley
Cup. I really think he’s going to help us.
"We like the fact that he’s got this year plus two more seasons on his
contract. That was also a factor."
Bottom line, unless there’s an unknown backstory, this one is a bit of a
puzzler.
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FOXSports.com / Resilient Kings come back to beat Sharks in OT
ABBEY MASTRACCO
|
LOS ANGELES -- The Kings fell behind in the opening seconds of play
Wednesday night against the Sharks, and do so two more times before the
game was over.
But each time, the Kings managed to find a way to come back and tie,
keeping the pressure firmly on their Northern California rivals.
Finally, the Kings took one definitive lead when Anze Kopitar ripped a
one-timer past Sharks' goaltender Antti Niemi with 2:32 left in overtime for a
game-winning power play goal to earn the win 4-3 win and cap off a thrilling
contest.
The game had a playoff-like atmosphere right from the start. It was fast,
physical and a sellout crowd of 18,118 only added another level of hype.
"That's probably the closest you can get to playoff hockey at this time of
year," Kopitar said. "I thought there was a lot of intensity, lots of hitting."
No shortage of penalties, the game came down to special teams play in the
end as the last three goals were all on the power play.
"As usual, when we play these guys it comes down to special teams,"
Kopitar said. "Whoever wins special teams battle got the two points."
The Sharks came in having won four of their last five and in first place in the
Western Conference with 22 points. The Kings kept San Jose's winning
streak to just two, earning two points and gaining valuable ground in the
Pacific Division.
The Kings were coming off a dismal performance in Phoenix Tuesday night
and finishing a tough stretch of three games in four nights. It looked as
though Tuesday's play had carried over when Marc-Edouard Vlasic put the
Sharks on the board just 13 seconds into play.
But only a few minutes later, a Drew Doughty snap shot evened the score at
1-1.
"We're playing the best team in the league," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said.
"The best part for me was the fact that they scored a few seconds in and we
were coming right back."
The Kings refused back down the rest of the night. There was a high level of
forechecking and the Sharks were held to just 20 shots while the Kings fired
off 23.
"It shows the character," Kopitar said. "There's no quitting in this one. I know
it was just the first period, but we could have easily packed it in after the first
13 seconds, just decided not to show up. But we came back just a few
minutes later and made it a different game."
The blood between the two opponents is most typically associated with the
postseason. The Kings eliminated the Sharks last year, while San Jose
remains the only team in California to have never won a Stanley Cup.
Kopitar joked that every team might as well be the Kings' rivals but to the
locals, the Northern vs. Southern rivalry will always be a marquee event.
"How many rivals do we have now? Phoenix, Ducks – everybody is a rival,"
Kopitar said.
"For us, it's a matter of focusing on the stuff that we're doing and following
the game plan. I think we did a pretty good job of that tonight."
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USA TODAY / Sabres' John Scott suspended 7 games for head shot on
Eriksson
Jimmy Hascup, USA TODAY Sports 7:35 p.m. EDT October 31, 2013
Buffalo Sabres forward John Scott is used to seeing limited ice time as a
noted enforcer on the ice.
But now he'll do so lighter in the wallet after the NHL on Thursday
suspended him seven games without pay for his head shot Oct. 23 on the
Boston Bruins' Loui Eriksson that left the forward concussed.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced the suspension after an
in-person hearing with Scott, who had missed the past three games on an
indefinite suspension while the league decided his ultimate penalty.
"Scott cuts across Eriksson and delivers a shoulder to Eriksson's head,
making it the main point of contact and causing a serious injury," said
Brendan Shanahan, the NHL's senior vice president of player safety. "This is
an illegal check to the head. Although Eriksson is eligible to be checked on
this play, he is not eligible to be checked in this fashion."
Eriksson has missed the past three games, and there is no timetable for his
return, The Boston Globe reported.
Scott, averaging about five minutes of ice time in seven games this season,
was given a match penalty in the third period for the hit. He will forfeit
$26,923.05 in salary.
"It is important to note that Eriksson does not materially change the position
of his body -- or head -- just prior to, or simultaneous, with the hit,"
Shanahan said.
Continuing, Shanahan said the "onus" is on Scott to ensure Eriksson's head
isn't the "main point of contact" on the hit.
Many expected the punishment to be harsher for Scott, who also was
involved in a preseason incident in which he challenged Toronto Maple
Leafs forward Phil Kessel. But Shanahan said that Scott has recorded 217
hits in his career and has no suspension history. It also means the 6-8 Scott
understands how to hit within the rules, Shanahan said.
It isn't the first time a Sabre has been suspended this year. Forward Patrick
Kaleta, a repeat offender, was banned 10 games Oct. 15 for his head hit on
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson. He can return on
Saturday.
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USA TODAY / Avalanche trade Steve Downie to Flyers for Max Talbot
Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 3:03 p.m. EDT October 31, 2013
Talbot brings playoff experience to Colorado; the Flyers like Downie's
aggressiveness.
The Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche gave up some offense for
cost certainty and postseason experience Thursday when they sent feisty
forward Steve Downie to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Max Talbot.
Downie, 26, with seven points in 11 games, will be an unrestricted free
agent this summer. Talbot, with a goal and an assist in 11 games, has this
season and two more remaining on a contract paying him $1.75 million per
season.
Downie had injury issues in 2012-13, but he has scored as many as 22
goals in a season. He's viewed as an aggressive player who can score
20-plus goals and accumulate more than 100 penalty minutes.
He is making $2.65 million this season, and he likely will be looking for a
raise next season.
The Philadelphia fan base has long appreciated aggressive players, and
Downie has the potential to be an instant fan favorite. The Flyers, in last
place in the Metropolitan Division, are looking for a spark.
Talbot, 29, has scored as many as 19 goals in a season, but his expectation
is probably in the range of 12-15 goals per season. Before coming to the
Flyers, he helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup in 2009. His
playoff experience certainly is appealing to the Avalanche.
"We look forward to him bringing that experience to our club." said
Avalanche vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic.
The Avalanche have a collection of talented young players, and Talbot will
be expected to help mentor them.
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USA TODAY / Veteran center Malhotra gets shot with Hurricanes
Manny Malhotra's effort to resume his NHL career paid off Thursday when
the Carolina Hurricanes signed him to a one-year, two-way contract worth
$600,000.
"Manny brings a level of veteran leadership to the Hurricanes and gives the
team depth at center," said Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford. "He
has demonstrated in his career that he can be an extremely good defensive
player and faceoff man."
Malhotra, one of the NHL's most respective role players, played only nine
games last season for the Vancouver Canucks while dealing with eye issues
resulting from severe trauma when he was struck by a puck during a game
against the Colorado Avalanche on March 16, 2011. He was not re-signed
by the Canucks.
The Hurricanes signed him to a minor-league tryout contract, and he played
eight games without registering a point for the American League's Charlotte
Checkers.
But the Hurricanes apparently saw enough from Malhotra, 33, to give him
the contract, which will pay him $125,000 if he plays in the minors. He is
guaranteed at least $250.000.
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USA TODAY / Girlfriend: Semyon Varlamov kicked and stomped on me
Blair Shiff, USA TODAY Sports 1:14 a.m. EDT November 1, 2013
DENVER — In documents released Thursday, Colorado Avalanche goalie
Semyon Varlamov's girlfriend goes into detail of the domestic abuse
allegations.
Varlamov appeared in a Denver court on Thursday, facing charges of
second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault related to this incident.
He bonded out of jail Thursday after his court appearance.
His girlfriend, 24-year-old Evgenia Vavinyuk, says the encounter happened
on Monday at her home in the 1700 block of Bassett Street.
EARLIER: Avs goalie arrested
According to the police report, Varlamov allegedly kicked her, stomped on
her, dragged her around the house and threatened her. The woman had
bruises consistent with a physical encounter, the police report said.
Varlamov surrendered to police on Wednesday.
According to the Vavinyuk's attorney Jack Abrams, the couple have a history
of domestic disturbances. He says this marks the fourth or fifth time they
have had run-ins with one another - including one occasion where he says
she was knocked unconscious over the summer during a vacation on a
Mediterranean island. They have been together for about four years after
meeting in Russia. She works as a model in the U.S.
TRADE: Flyers, Avs make a move
KUSA-TV crime and justice reporter Anastasiya Bolton spoke with Evgenia
Vavrinyuk.
Evgenia, who only speaks Russian, told Bolton she and Varlamov have
known each other for four years, but have been dating for one.
The story of how they met still makes Vavrinyuk smile. The two met in
Russia. She said Varlamov was supposed to go out with a friend of hers, but
didn't show.
"I wanted to teach him a lesson," she said. "I was thinking what kind of a guy
is he and started exchanging messages with him. That's how we became
friends."
The relationship between the goalie and the model wasn't perfect. Vavrinyuk
said they broke up and got back together twice.
Vavrinyuk told KUSA she went to police this time, because she's in the U.S.
"I want the American government to defend me," she said. "I want everyone
to know, all the fans to know, that he's not the great Semyon Varlamov.
Great people don't beat up their women. They don't give them concussions.
They don't belittle them, throw out like dogs. I want people to know this, that
this man can be an animal."
The story of the hockey star is all over the Russian media. One channel
interviewed Semyon's father, who told them, "I know Semyon is innocent."
At this point, these are just accusations against a famous man, a man
Vavrinyuk believes feels invincible.
"I want to say women can't allow men to abuse them. You absolutely can't
stay quiet about it. I think I did the right thing by not staying silent. I wasn't
scared of his fame, his popularity," she said.
The Colorado Avalanche sent out a statement on Wednesday that read:
"The Colorado Avalanche organization is aware of the allegations
concerning Semyon Varlamov. At this time, and until the conclusion of this
investigation, the Avalanche organization will have no further comment on
this situation."
Avs coach Patrick Roy held a press conference on Thursday and spoke to
the situation.
"It's a law thing, and it's important for me as a coach that I keep my focus on
our team, and we keep our focus there," Roy said. "At the same time, we let
the law decide what's going to be."
Varlamov, 25, has led the Avalanche to a 10-1 start and is 7-1 in the games
he has started. He has played in the NHL for five seasons, and the Avs
picked him up in July 2011 after a trade with the Washington Capitals.
Varlamov was born in Samara, Russia and started playing for the Capitals in
the 2008-09 season. He was drafted by Washington in 2006 in the first
round (23rd overall).
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy was arrested for domestic violence in October
2000, but that case was later dismissed by the Arapahoe County judge, who
ruled it fell short of the standard needed for misdemeanor criminal mischief
during an act of domestic violence.
724196
Websites
USA TODAY / Canadiens shore up defense with extension to Emelin
The Montreal Canadiens took a step toward removing some uncertainty
from their defensive future by agreeing to a four-year contract extension with
hard-hitting shutdown defenseman Alexei Emelin.
Before that deal was made, Josh Gorges was the only prominent Montreal
defenseman under contract for next season.
Emelin will receive salaries of $3.9 million, $3.9 million, $4.2 million and $4.4
million. For salary-cap purposes, that's a yearly average of $4.1 million.
The contract is in the the range that would be expected for defensemen of
his caliber. Had he tested the open market, he probably could have found a
more lucrative deal, depending upon where he was willing to play. He would
have been among the hottest players in the free-agent marketplace.
Emelin, 27, is currently out of the lineup while recovering from a knee injury,
and is expected to resume playing some time in November.
His signing has to be viewed as an important move for the Canadiens,
because Emelin would have been an unrestricted free agent this summer.
He is a dependable all-around defenseman who hits and blocks shots. He
led Montreal in hits last season.
The Canadiens still have to re-sign defensemen P.K Subban, Andrei
Markov, Raphael Diaz and Francis Bouillon. Subban will be a restricted free
agent, while Markov, Diaz and Bouillon will be unrestricted. The Canadiens
like their defensive unit, and they were expected to be aggressve re-signing
those players.
724197
Websites
YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Early season NHL deceptions, from
Toronto's torrid start to Alex Steen's goal explosion
By Nicholas J. Cotsonika 13 hours ago
Nicholas J. Cotsonika’s weekly Three Periods column appears on
Thursdays. This week’s topics include teams and players who might be
deceiving a month into the season; Ryan Getzlaf’s work-life balance;
Stephen Weiss’ difficult adjustment from Florida to Detroit; the problems with
extending supplemental discipline beyond the players; and who is the best
at “legal interference.”
FIRST PERIOD: Things aren’t always as they seem at this time of year
It’s Halloween, and people are playing dress-up, masquerading a month into
the NHL season. The best costumes:
— The Colorado Avalanche, as Central Division leaders: The Avs are
allowing 32.6 shots per game, 7th-most in the NHL. They’re 10-1-0 mainly
because goalies Semyon Varlamov (7-1-0) and Jean-Sebastien Giguere
(3-0-0) have bailed them out with a combined save percentage of .955, best
in the league. Now Varlamov faces domestic violence-related charges.
Hockey is not the most important issue here, obviously. But the fairytale
might be ending.
sense, that incident needs to be separated from fighting. He had no previous
history of illegal checks to the head. But the fact remains he has five points
and 324 penalty minutes in 187 games. He doesn’t want to be known as a
goon, but if he isn’t a goon, what is he?
SECOND PERIOD: Work-life balance helps Getzlaf get his groove back
He had won a Stanley Cup. He had won an Olympic gold medal. He had put
up more than a point a game in the NHL. But until his first child was born in
February 2011, Ryan Getzlaf had never been a father, and until 2011-12, he
had never tried to balance hockey and family.
When you’re home, you’re not home on game day – skating in the morning,
napping in the afternoon, playing at night. When you’re on the road, you’re
just gone – not there to help your wife, not there to see your kids develop. “I
felt like I was missing everything,” said Getzlaf in an interview before this
season. “Every time I left, I was guilty.”
The puck wouldn’t go in that season, either. Getzlaf’s shooting percentage
was 5.9, by far the worst of his career, and he scored 11 goals, a career low.
The Anaheim Ducks fired coach Randy Carlyle and replaced him with Bruce
Boudreau, and they failed to make the playoffs despite a late run.
“I went through some struggles, obviously, emotionally,” Getzlaf said. “I
learned a lot.”
Getzlaf had 15 goals and 49 points in 45 games last season, as the Ducks
posted the second-best record in the West. He also signed an eight-year,
$66 million extension. He and the Ducks are off to another good start this
season. He has five goals and 13 points in 13 games, and the Ducks are
10-3-0.
— The Toronto Maple Leafs, as the top team in the East: The Avs have won
six games when outshot. Only one team has won more: the Leafs, who have
won eight. The Leafs have been outshot 12 times in 14 games and yet are
10-4-0, flying in the face of the philosophy that possession leads to winning.
In their defense, they made the playoffs like this last season, winning 21
games when outshot, four more than anyone else. This is now a 62-game
sample size. Still, that 18-wheeler seems headed toward the cliff, and the
teams in the rear-view mirror are closer than they appear. Everyone chasing
the Leafs has at least a game in hand.
[Also: Why is fighting down in the NHL this season?]
— Alexander Steen, as a 90-goal scorer: Steen leads the NHL in goals with
11, and he has played only 10 games, putting him on a 90-goal pace. But he
has a shooting percentage of 35.5, and his career shooting percentage is
9.7. His career high in goals? Twenty-four. The St. Louis Blues need a
dynamic scorer. The puck is going in right now, and it’s an awesome sight.
But he’s Alexander Steen, not Alexander Ovechkin, let alone Wayne
Gretzky.
“Now I think we just kind of go back and get back to playing hockey, knowing
that what I’m doing is what allows our family to do what they do.”
[Fantasy hockey tips: Studs, duds & waiver-wire steals]
— The Metropolitan Division, as an NHL division: Maybe they should have
renamed this division the East Coast Hockey League. Why not? The ECHL,
like KFC, doesn’t actually stand for anything anymore, and other than the
9-4-0 Pittsburgh Penguins, everyone on this part of the East Coast is playing
at a lower level. Seven teams are under .500. Their saving grace is
realignment itself, which guarantees playoff spots to the top three teams. All
the history you hear about poor starts doesn’t apply. No one is out of it yet,
not even the 3-8-0 Philadelphia Flyers, five points out with a game in hand.
— Erik Karlsson, as a mortal: Karlsson complained to reporters that they
had put him on a marble pedestal, saying they had talked about him like an
“(effing) god or something.” Yes, he does have an Achilles heel. No, he
hasn’t worked miracles this season as the 4-6-2 Ottawa Senators have
searched for their identity. But he’s not fooling us. He does walk on frozen
water, at least as an offensive force. For all his faults, months after a season
abbreviated by lockout and injury, he’s tied with the Montreal Canadiens’
P.K. Subban for the scoring lead among defensemen with 11 points.
— Marc-Andre Fleury, as the Marc-Andre Fleury from 2008 and ’09: Did you
see Fleury slide to his right and rob David Krejci on Wednesday night in the
closing seconds of the Pens’ 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins? The save
looked like the one he made on Nicklas Lidstrom in the closing seconds of
Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, preserving a 2-1 victory over the
Detroit Red Wings. The playoffs have been the problem the past two years,
not the regular season, and Fleury will have to prove himself come spring.
But with a new goalie coach and a new approach, he’s off to a strong start –
9-2-0, 1.81 goals-against average, .927 save percentage.
— John Scott, as a hockey player: After drilling the Bruins’ Loui Eriksson last
week, Scott had his hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety
Thursday. (UPDATE: Scott was suspended seven games for the hit.) In a
He and his wife, Paige, have two kids now – Ryder, 2-1/2, and Gavin, 10
months. He said they have “kind of figured it out.”
“My wife helped me a lot with that taking a lot of the responsibilities and still
allowing me to be there for the kids as much as I could,” Getzlaf said. “We
needed to figure out collectively how that was going to work. She was going
to manage the family and make it a happy environment for both of us. I can’t
come home and ruin her schedule just because I’m home.
THIRD PERIOD: Weiss struggling to adjust from Florida to Detroit
Valtteri Filppula, 29, left the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent and signed a
five-year, $25 million contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, run by former
Wings captain and front-office apprentice Steve Yzerman. The Wings
signed Stephen Weiss, 30, to a five-year, $24.5 million contract. It was
almost an even trade, but the feeling in Detroit was that Weiss would provide
more grit and offensive upside at second-line center.
The early returns are not good for the Wings. While Filppula has four goals
and nine points in 12 games with Tampa Bay, Weiss only has two goals in
13 games with Detroit. He has gone seven games without a point. The
Wings have demoted him to the third line to take some of the pressure off.
But the Wings are still confident in Weiss in the long term. Remember that
he had played only 17 games in a year-and-a-half, thanks to the lockout and
a wrist injury last season, and he had spent his entire NHL career with the
Florida Panthers. He needed to get his legs under him and learn the system.
Asked what was unnatural for him in Detroit, Weiss said: “Pretty much
everything. Honestly all three zones are the complete opposite of what I’ve
been used to my whole career. So that’s been a big change.”
Weiss said he had been thinking too much and trying too hard at times, and
it had backfired.
“As soon as you start thinking too much, you slow down and you’re dead,”
Weiss said. “So I’m trying to eliminate the thinking process and just go out
and play. That’s where you’re going to be better off.
“It’s going to take time. You’ve just got to be patient and stick with it and
keep trying to do what you’ve done over your career that’s made you
successful, and eventually you’re going to get a bounce, and something
good’s going to happen, and it’s going to turn around.”
OVERTIME: Should the NHL extend supplemental discipline beyond
players?
In the wake of the Scott-Eriksson incident, there is buzz again about
extending supplemental discipline to coaches, general managers and
owners, making them share in the responsibility for the actions of their
players.
Fining coaches and GMs for repeat offenders makes sense because they
run the benches and build the rosters, and if someone keeps running around
hurting opponents, at some point it’s on them for failing to change his
behavior, for putting him out there or for giving him a job in the first place.
[Watch: Penguins' Pascal Dupuis pulls out two of his teeth on bench]
But are they always responsible for what happens on the ice in a
split-second or in the heat of the moment, and how do you judge their level
of responsibility? What happens when teams change coaches or GMs, or
when coaches or GMs change teams? What happens when teams change
players or players change teams? Do you reset the clock or carry over the
history?
Fining organizations seems to make sense. If suspensions affect the
owners’ bottom lines, they should affect how GMs build rosters and how
coaches run benches. After a Penguins-Islanders brouhaha in 2010-11,
Pens co-owner Mario Lemieux wrote a letter to commissioner Gary Bettman
suggesting a system in which teams would be fined based on the length of
suspensions – from $50,000 for one or two games to $1 million for more
than 15 games – with the fine doubling if the player was a repeat offender
within that season.
But a system like that could be problematic, too. Would the fines affect how
the NHL handed out suspensions – or would that be the perception, at
least? Would this make big markets bullies? In other words, could a team
like Toronto afford to be more truculent than, say, the Phoenix Coyotes?
And lastly, are the owners ever going to approve fining themselves?
SHOOTOUT: Notes from around the NHL
— Darcy Regier did a hell of a job flipping Thomas Vanek for Matt Moulson,
a first-round pick and a second-round pick, even if the Buffalo Sabres
swallowed some of Vanek’s salary and allowed the New York Islanders to
defer the first-rounder to 2015 if the pick is in the top 10 this summer. Regier
has a history of dumping players for good assets, and he no doubt will dump
more players – Moulson, goaltender Ryan Miller – for more assets. Scouts
are heading to Sabres games to hover like vultures. The question is whether
Regier is the right GM to handle those assets as the Sabres rebuild.
— Darren Helm finally should return for the Red Wings on Saturday night at
Edmonton. But he has played only one game since April 11, 2012, because
of back and groin injuries, and now the problem is his mind as much as
anything. He needs to trust his own body to hold up, and he needs to trust
himself to play at the NHL level again. The Wings don’t expect him to be
himself – a player who can make a difference at center with his speed – for a
while yet.
— New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault, on the frustration of facing the
Wings: “They’re probably the best in the league, or close to it, as far as
making the legal interference.” The Wings make it difficult to get to open ice
with their positioning – off the draw, especially, but with their skating and
positioning in general. You have to manage the puck well so you don’t feed
their transition game, and you have battle for your space.
— This is a brutal stretch for the Nashville Predators. Goaltender Pekka
Rinne is expected to miss at least three more weeks recovering from a hip
infection, and they are beginning the longest road trip in franchise history –
17 days, seven games, from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Colorado to
Winnipeg to New Jersey to Long Island to Pittsburgh. They will rely on
rookies Carter Hutton and Magnus Hellberg, who have appeared in six NHL
games combined.
— Manny Malhotra, whose NHL career was cut short by an eye injury, is
struggling in his comeback attempt with the American Hockey League’s
Charlotte Checkers. He has zero points in eight games playing in a
bottom-six role. One person who had watched him closely recently said he
was not a factor, other than on faceoffs. Teams from Europe are inquiring
about him, but Malhotra signed a one-year, two-way contract on Thursday
with the Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte's parent team, so the 'Canes appear
willing to give him a shot – or at least more time.
YAHOO.COM LOADED: 11.01.2013

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