Philadelphia Flyers Daily Clips – October 25, 2014

FLYERS Headlines

1. Philadelphia Inquirer - Flyers get devastating news on defensive front 2. Philadelphia Inquirer - Injury-ravaged Flyers call up Gostisbehere 3. Philadelphia Inquirer - Lecavalier returns to ice for Flyers 4. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers' Coburn and MacDonald out for a month 5. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers' Hextall not ruling out acquiring a free-agent defenseman 6. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers call up Gostisbehere 7. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers' test: Carry over momentum from Penguins win 8. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers call up Shayne Gostisbehere from Phantoms 9. CSNPhilly.com - In loss of Coburn and MacDonald, Flyers see 'opportunity' 10. Delaware County Times - Flyers opt for ‘Ghost’ of a defensive chance 11. Camden Courier-Post - After rash of foot injuries, Hextall says not wearing skate guards is 'crazy' 12. Camden Courier-Post - Shayne Gostisbehere will make NHL debut against Detroit 13. Camden Courier-Post - With Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald out long term, Flyers thinking trade 14. Camden Courier-Post - Vinny Lecavalier returns to practice from left foot injury 15. NJ.com - Flyers call up Shayne Gostisbehere; Elite blueline prospect to make NHL debut Saturday 16. NJ.com - Should Flyers wear skate guards? Ron Hextall says yes, Vincent Lecavalier not so sure 17. NJ.com - Ron Hextall Q & A: Flyers GM weighing trade options due to bad news on Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald 18. HockeyBuzz.com - Flyers Gameday: 10/25/14 vs DET, Phantoms Update 19. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - OTF: Gostisbehere recalled by Flyers 20. TSN.ca - Flyers lose defencemen MacDonald and Coburn for four weeks 21. SI.com - Flyers recall Shayne Gostisbehere

Detroit Red Wings Headlines

1. The Detroit News - Red Wings hope momentum can carry them past Flyers 2. MLive.com - Detroit Red Wings, Jonas Gustavsson look to snap eight-game losing streak in Philadelphia

PHANTOMS Headlines

1. Allentown Morning Call - Three goals in 2 minutes lift Lehigh Valley Phantoms over Hershey Bears, 4-2

NHL Headlines

1. TSN.ca - Iginla scores twice as Avalanche rout Canucks in Denver 2. TSN.ca - Drouin scores first NHL goal as Lightning storm past Jets 3. TSN.ca - Eberle scores twice as Oilers beat Hurricanes for third win in a row 4. TSN.ca - Benn, Eaves score as Stars hand Devils fourth straight loss 5. TSN.ca - Report: NHL in "advanced talks" about Las Vegas team

6. NHL.com - Ducks top Blue Jackets; Gibson wins first of season 7. NHL.com - Senators, Leafs, Habs to stage coordinated tribute

FLYERS Articles

1. Philadelphia Inquirer - Flyers get devastating news on defensive front

Sam Carchidi

The Flyers' already-thin defense got even thinner Friday, when it was announced that Braydon Coburn (left foot) and Andrew MacDonald (lower-body) would miss about four weeks because of injuries. They are the Flyers' top D pairing. GM Ron Hextall, whose team is allowing 3.71 goals per game (28th in the NHL), said he would explore the trade and free-agent market, and that he expected to make a callup later today. "There's not a lot out there, and the guys that are out there, you're worried if they haven't played and what kind of shape they're in," Hextall said. Mark Alt's nameplate was on a locker in Voorhees, but Hextall said no decision had been made (yet) to recall the Phantoms' defenseman. (wink, wink) He did not rule out recalling Shayne Gostisbehere, but made it sound like a longshot, saying it was "a shame" he only had two AHL games under his belt this season. The implication: He needs more seasoning. Coburn has missed the last six games, and was close to returning in Chicago Tuesday before suffering a setback. The Flyers host Detroit on Saturday night, and, assuming Alt is recalled, the pairings will probably look like this: Mark Streit and Nick Grossmann; Luke Schenn and Michael Del Zotto; and Nick Schultz and Alt. BTW, Alt's dad, John, was a standout offensive left tackle with the Kansas City Chiefs, playing there for 13 seasons.

2. Philadelphia Inquirer - Injury-ravaged Flyers call up Gostisbehere

Sam Carchidi

After learning Friday that top-pair defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald will miss about four weeks because of apparent foot injuries, the Flyers saw a Ghost. Shayne Gostisbehere, the heralded defenseman who led tiny Union College to the NCAA championship last season, was recalled from the AHL Phantoms on Friday, and he will make his NHL debut Saturday night against Detroit at the Wells Fargo Center. The player known as "Ghost" played three games with the Phantoms this season, notching two assists and a minus-1 rating. Gostisbehere, 21, selected in the third round of the 2012 draft (78th overall), appeared in three preseason games with the Flyers, recording two goals and an assist. Earlier in the day, while still mulling his options, general manager Ron Hextall - who has stressed patience in developing young players - appeared to be leaning away from Gostisbehere, saying it was a "shame" and "unfortunate" he had played only a few games with the Phantoms. The implication: he needed more seasoning. But later in the day, perhaps after conferring with Phantoms coach Terry Murray and Flyers coach Craig Berube, Gostisbehere was on his way to Philadelphia. Even before the news on Coburn and MacDonald, the Flyers defense had already been reeling because Kimmo Timonen, the team's best defenseman last season, has been sidelined by blood clots and will likely never play again. "You take two guys out of your lineup that play over 20 minutes, obviously it's a big hole," Hextall said. "Other guys have got to step up. . . . Maybe this will help us put a little more focus on the team defense." The Flyers are allowing 3.71 goals per game, which, entering Friday, placed them 28th in the 30-team NHL. "We have a little challenge in front of us, but this team loves challenges," captain Claude Giroux said. "So let's go out there and kind of have fun with it." The Flyers' forwards "need to come back hard," winger Wayne Simmonds said, "and take care of our own zone."

Hextall said "defensive hockey is everybody on the ice, and I think people unfairly always put the onus on the defensemen. There's three parts to it; there's the defense, there's the forwards - and trust me, they have a bigger part to do with it than people think - and then there's the goalie. Defense is threefold, and if one of your sectors is breaking down, you're not going to play good defense. So it's a team effort, and we're going to have to dig in now and really have big team efforts." The Flyers' revamped defense against Detroit might look like this: Mark Streit and Nick Grossmann; Luke Schenn and Michael Del Zotto; and Nick Schultz and Gostisbehere. Coburn has missed the last six games with an injured left foot, but he was making progress and penciled into the lineup Wednesday in Chicago before suffering a setback in warm-ups. Hextall, who has about $2 million in cap space, said he would explore the trade and free-agent markets. "There's not a lot out there, and the guys that are out there, you're worried if they haven't played and what kind of shape they're in," Hextall said. Hextall said the NHL and Players Association need to make skate guards mandatory, calling it one of his "pet peeves." This season, the Flyers have had three players - Simmonds, Vinny Lecavalier, and Coburn - suffer injuries when shots hit their left foot. MacDonald also was hurt blocking a shot late in Thursday's 4-3 win in Pittsburgh, and he also appeared to injure his foot. "To demand our players be in the shot lanes all the time and have them out there with somewhat inadequate protection is crazy," Hextall said. Lecavalier skated Friday for the first time since suffering his injury on Oct. 11, but he won't be ready to play Saturday. Lecavalier wore a skate guard for the first time. Breakaways. Mark Alt's nameplate was put on a locker at the team's Voorhees practice facility, but the defenseman remained with the Phantoms. . . . The Flyers will probably go with just six defensemen until they travel to Tampa Bay on Thursday. . . . Winger Zac Rinaldo will also miss Saturday's game with an undisclosed injury, and Blair Jones took his spot at practice Friday. . . . Berube said he was undecided on his goalie for Saturday.

3. Philadelphia Inquirer - Lecavalier returns to ice for Flyers

Sam Carchidi

Veteran center Vinny Lecavalier, who has not played since an Oct. 11 game against Montreal, was back on the ice at practice Friday in Voorhees. Lecavalier, 34, skated by himself for a while, then took joined a handful of players taking shots at Ray Emery. He remained on the ice for team drills, but it would be surprising if he played Saturday against visiting Detroit. Lecavalier, who did not take part in line rushes Friday, injured his left foot when he inadvertently blcoked a shot by his teammates, Mark Streit. Zac Rinaldo (upper-body injury) and Braydon Coburn (left foot) are not on the ice at practice

4. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers' Coburn and MacDonald out for a month

Frank Seravalli

If you thought the Flyers' defense was falling apart without Braydon Coburn over the last couple weeks, it's about to get worse. A lot worse. The Flyers announced on Friday that both Coburn and defenseman Andrew MacDonald will miss the next 4 weeks with vague, "lower-body" injuries. Coburn injured his left foot in the Flyers' season-opening loss in Boston on Oct. 8. He returned to the ice for practice on Oct. 13 and many thought he would be available for the Flyers' game in Dallas on Oct. 18. That didn't happen. Coburn then tried to play on Tuesday night in Chicago but asked out of Craig Berube's lineup after he didn't feel 100 percent comfortable when he tested it out in warmups. He didn't try again in Pittsburgh on Wednesday and now he is out with an apparent setback. Much less is known about MacDonald's injury. He finished Wednesday's win in Pittsburgh - stepping off the ice with 1:43 remaining in the third period, shortly before Sean Couturier's empty-net goal to seal the game. With both players out, the Flyers are left with just 5 healthy defensemen. They will need to either make a trade or recall a defenseman from Lehigh Valley to play in Saturday's game against Detroit.

Phantoms defenseman Mark Alt had his nameplate fixed atop a stall in the Flyers' locker room on Friday, but GM Ron Hextall said he had not made any decisions yet. It sounded as if Hextall was more keen on Friday on signing a defenseman or trading for one, rather than making a call-up. Also, the Flyers updated Zac Rinaldo's status: he is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He did not practice on Friday. He is probably doubtful for Saturday's game. If he does not play, Blair Jones will take his spot on the fourth line with Jason Akeson and Chris VandeVelde. 5. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers' Hextall not ruling out acquiring a free-agent

defenseman

Frank Seravalli

SHAYNE Gostisbehere will make his NHL debut tonight, the first step in determining his length of stay in Philadelphia. A permanent spot on the Flyers' roster is far from guaranteed - though an exceptional start could go a long way in convincing GM Ron Hextall he is ready for the bright lights. Before deciding on Gostisbehere last night, Hextall spent most of yesterday working the phones to try to acquire a veteran replacement for the injured Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald, both out for about a month. "I can tell you I'm hoping to get a defenseman for a hell of a lot less than $2 million," Hextall said, revealing the Flyers' salary cap opening. Did the Flyers make the right move by calling up top prospect Shayne Gostisbehere? Yes. Give him a shot. No. He needs more time to develop. View Results But with a thin trade market for defensemen, Hextall had few options. So, Hextall set his sights on the free-agent market. And he might have found a viable option.

According to a source, the Flyers reached out to defenseman Ryan Whitney's camp yesterday to gauge interest. No deal had been reached yesterday, but one could be brokered soon, depending on how Gostisbehere plays and whether the Flyers can get eyes on Whitney's physical condition. Whitney, 31, arrived in Sochi, Russia, only yesterday after signing with the KHL's HC Sochi. His deal with HC Sochi is a 1-year deal and he has an "out clause" to return to North America at any point. HC Sochi plays next tomorrow. A text message delivered to Whitney's cellphone by the Daily News in Russia went unreturned. His agent, Paul Krepelka, neither confirmed nor denied the Flyers' interest. "Ryan is signed with a KHL team as of now," Krepelka said. "I don't want to comment any further than that - I'll leave that up to Ronnie ." Even if Gostisbehere is impressive, he is not guaranteed to stay in the NHL. Hextall has preached his "plan and vision," which is driven by young players honing their game in the AHL. "In a perfect world, you let the kid stay there and play, but we don't live in a perfect world," Hextall said yesterday. "You know, you come up with a plan and vision and sometimes you have to adjust and be flexible. Assuming we don't make anything happen real quick here, we'll call up one guy and get through Saturday and go from there." Whitney has bounced around a bit as of late. He was waived by the Florida Panthers only seven games into last season and finished the season in AHL San Antonio. He went to training camp with the St. Louis Blues this fall, but failed to earn a contract. A chronic foot injury, which has included multiple procedures to realign the bones in his foot, has derailed his once-promising career. Whitney netted 59 points in 81 games for the Penguins in 2006-07, which earned him a $24 million deal. He was still near his peak in 2010, when he helped the United States earn a silver medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Whitney followed up the Olympics with 3 injury-filled years in Edmonton before testing the waters in Florida. He went unsigned this summer. Through it all, Whitney's sense of humor has kept him afloat. "Four years ago after the Vancouver Olympics, my goal was Sochi 2014," Whitney (@ryanwhitney6) tweeted, after signing with the KHL's HC Sochi. "It's always satisfying when you reach your goals." Preventable injuries?

If Ron Hextall had it his way, every Flyer would always wear clear, hard-plastic covers over their skates. Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald and Vinny Lecavalier are all now on the shelf with foot injuries as a result of getting hit in the skate by a puck. Unfortunately for Hextall, teams cannot mandate equipment requirements for players - something that is bargained by the NHL Players Association. "It's one of my pet peeves," Hextall said. "I think the league and the Players Association should do something there. To demand players to be in the shot lanes all the time and have them out there with somewhat inadequate protection, it's crazy." Acknowledging that he "can't force guys to wear certain things," coach Craig Berube said the current rash of injuries is "just unlucky, to be honest with you." He'd still like to see his players wearing them. "I don't think there's any reason not to wear them in practice," Berube said last week. "A game? That's a different story. You don't want guys going out there wearing something they're uncomfortable with or something they have to think about." Lecavalier, who has been out of the lineup since he got hit with a Mark Streit slap shot, said he tried the protective skate covers yesterday for the first time in his career. He will wear them as long as his foot is vulnerable, probably including games, but wasn't thrilled with the idea. "It feels different, a little stiffer," Lecavalier explained. "Some guys feel great in them. It's a little heavier . They weigh just a couple ounces, but you definitely feel it." Lecavalier fractured a bone in his foot in 2001 in similar fashion. Other players have complained about the protective guards changing the angle of their skates on turns, since it could rub against the ice and cause them to lose an edge. Still, players hate missing time worse than an uncomfortable and ugly cover. "I definitely would like to wear them. We'll see," Lecavalier said. "It's a lot like the visors - I wish I wore it my entire career. I think it's the best rule for young players." 6. Philadelphia Daily News - Flyers call up Gostisbehere

Frank Seravalli

THE LAST time Shayne Gostisbehere played a meaningful hockey game on Wells Fargo Center ice, he netted three points and skated off with Union College’s first NCAA championship in a win over powerhouse Minnesota. Gostisbehere, 21, will have a slightly different set of nerves and expectations when he makes his NHL debut tonight against Detroit. Many hope Gostisbehere will provide a shot in the arm for the sagging Flyers, who announced yesterday both top pairing defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald will miss the next 4 weeks with injuries. After preaching patience, the Flyers decided on recalling Gostisbehere, who was one of their best defensemen in training camp. “You know, you come up with a plan and a vision and sometimes you just have to be flexible,” Ron Hextall said. “We’re going to bring up the player that helps our team.” Hextall said Coburn and Vinny Lecavalier would be retroactively placed on injured reserve, allowing the Flyers space on the 23-man roster. Gostisbehere had two assists in the Phantoms’ first three games of the season. He scored twice and added one assist in three preseason NHL contests - where his flashy transition game was on full display. Coburn has been out since Opening Night, Oct. 8, with a left foot injury and experienced “a setback” this week after it appeared he was close to returning. MacDonald suffered his unknown injury in the Flyers’ win in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, despite finishing the game. “There’s no such thing as replacing guys,” Schenn said. “Those are two of our big-minute guys. We’re going to need to fill that void and step up.” Hextall was not available yesterday to explain exactly why the Flyers chose Gostisbehere over other Phantoms players, including Mark Alt, Oliver Lauridsen or Brandon Manning. Both Lauridsen (15 games) and Manning (10 games) have NHL experience. Gostisbehere brings something those players do not: excellent puck-moving capabilities and copious amounts of confidence. He might experience growing pains in his own zone - particularly against bigger, stronger forwards on the forecheck - but his upside is unmatched in the Flyers’ talent pool. Plus, it’s not as if any of the Flyers’ other defensemen had been exceptional in their own end in the first seven games to start the season. “Defensive hockey is everybody on the ice,” Hextall said. “I think unfairly, people put the onus always on the defenseman.

“There’s three parts to it: there’s the defense, there’s the forwards, and trust me, they have a bigger part to do with it than people think. And then there’s also the goalie. If one of your sectors is breaking down, you’re not going to play good defense. It’s a team effort. We’re going to have to dig in now and really have big team efforts.” In a strange way, Hextall said the injuries could actually be a good thing. “Maybe this will help us put a little more focus on team defense,” Hextall said. “Because I think at times, we could use that.” Coach Craig Berube said the defensive effort from his forwards has been better at times during recent games. There are still issues he’d like to correct, many of which were on display in Chicago last Tuesday night. One of the biggest complaints from Berube is that his players do a fine enough job breaking up plays in the defensive zone, but don’t act definitively enough to get the puck out of the zone. Suddenly, with a turnover, the opposition’s cycle starts all over. “If you break up a play, you have to do something with it. Make a play and get it out,” Berube said. “Make a hard play at that time. It might be [as simple as] getting the puck out of your zone [off the glass].” Making plays with the puck, particularly in tight quarters, is Gostisbehere’s specialty. He has little hesitation with the puck on his stick - and that’s something Phantoms coach Terry Murray said he didn’t try to change. Murray has coached high-powered offensive defensemen before, such as Al Iafrate and Paul Coffey, who “play on the edge in their back end” and said that he’s learned to accept their style of defending. “I want to encourage big stuff from this kid because he’s got some big stuff in him,” Murray said last week in Allentown. “When our team has the puck, he excels. He’s really explosive. He has incredible quickness - two strides. His hands are very quick. He pulls the puck from one side of his body to the other as good as most people you’re going to see. What I love for a player who has really good puck skill is he’s got a shot-first mentality - and he’s got a really good, heavy, accurate shot that he gets through to the net.” Slap shots Pierre-Edouard Bellemare left practice early yesterday after taking a puck in the face. He is fine to play tonight . . . Zac Rinaldo (upper-body injury) will not play tonight . . . Detroit has not won in Philadelphia (0-8-0) since sweeping the 1997 Stanley Cup final . . . Flyers chairman Ed Snider donated $5 million to his alma mater University of Maryland to fund the "Ed Snider Center for Enterprise & Markets" on campus.

7. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers' test: Carry over momentum from Penguins win

Sarah Baicker

VOORHEES, N.J. -- It was, by far, the best game of the season. But the Flyers’ challenge now is to carry over the momentum from Wednesday’s big win in Pittsburgh to Saturday night's game at the Wells Fargo Center against the Detroit Red Wings. That’s something they weren’t able to do after their first win of the season last week in Dallas. The Flyers were shellacked by the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0, just three days after their wild OT win against the Stars. What’s the key to avoiding a big step back this time? “We’ve just got to realize, as a group and as a team, how we played in Pittsburgh and how we played in Chicago,” defenseman Mark Streit said. “It’s a whole different story. We just need to build on the game in Pittsburgh. I thought it was a defense-first mentality. Everybody was skating, everybody was checking hard, everybody was battling for the other player next to him. That’s what we have to take from it. “Detroit, it’s no different. A great team, a lot of offense, a lot of puck possession. I think for us it’s really important that we play well defensively. On the other hand, we have a lot of speed and a lot of skill as well, so we want to use that.” Aside from about the first five minutes of Wednesday’s game, the Flyers were at their best against the Penguins (as, it seems, they often are). Especially defensively. In order to beat the Red Wings, who are 4-1-2 on the season, they’ll have to do it without Andrew MacDonald, who will miss the next four weeks along with Braydon Coburn (see story). “I thought we played our best defensive game in Pittsburgh the other night,” general manager Ron Hextall said. “Defensive hockey is everybody on the ice. I think unfairly people put the onus always on the defensemen. There’s three parts to it: There’s the defense, there’s the forwards, and trust me they have a bigger part to do with it than people think, and there’s also the goalie. Defense is threefold, and if one of your sectors is breaking down, you’re not going to play good defense.”

Wayne Simmonds, too, acknowledged the importance of team defense — especially in the absences of Coburn and MacDonald. They know how to do it, Simmonds said, they just need to execute. “We’ve just got to be smart,” Simmonds said. “Obviously, we’re coming home, our fans are great. It’s the first couple shifts of the game in which we’ve got to establish our forecheck and our backcheck. We’ve just got to make sure we’re not messing around with pucks in the neutral zone, make sure we’re strong on the walls, it’s either out of our zone or it’s into their zone.” 8. CSNPhilly.com - Flyers call up Shayne Gostisbehere from Phantoms

Tim Panaccio

Ron Hextall’s mantra since the summer with regards to all his defensive prospects has been “patience.” Let them grow, let them develop at their own pace and not an accelerated one at the NHL level. Specifically, he was speaking about Sam Morin and Shayne Gostisbehere. Well, all it took for the Flyers' general manager's hand to be forced in re-calling "Ghost" from the Phantoms was two mid-term, lengthy injuries to two of his defensemen — Braydon Coburn (left foot) and Andrew MacDonald (foot). The Flyers on Friday night -recalled Gostisbehere, the 21-year-old flash who was nothing short of dazzling last season for Union College at the Frozen Four held in Philadelphia. Hextall made a veiled reference on Friday afternoon about the shame of having just a couple AHL games to evaluate prospects, such as Gostisbehere, but apparently the urgency of the moment — the Flyers have just two wins and are in 14th place in the Eastern Conference — consumed him. Gostisbehere has two assists in three games for the Phantoms this season. The Flyers have been actively trying to trade for a defenseman a while now without success. Sources have said the asking price by most clubs, who realize the Flyers are in dire straits for defensive help, has been exceedingly high.

Every club Hextall talked to wanted Braydon Schenn, whom the club is reluctant to part with. So the short-term solution for four weeks is essentially to give “Ghost” a decent audition. At the very least, Hextall likely would have preferred Gostisbehere play a few months in the AHL to get used to the skating, the pace and especially, the physicality. He is barely 5-11 — if that. Gostisbehere, along with Morin, were very impressive during the Flyers' training camp, although Morin outlasted him as a final cut. Gostisbehere doesn’t have to be impressive in this situation, so much as play consistently hard and learn on the job. He has a month to show what he can do, which is a lot more than most Phantom callups get. Fans have been clamoring for “Ghost” since before the season began. There’s been some empty seats at Wells Fargo Center lately, and some deeply-discounted Flyers tickets on StubHub. This is sure to get more bodies into the building and generate some much-needed “buzz” around a team that is struggling. With “Ghost” coming to South Philly, it may feel like Halloween on Saturday night when Detroit meets the Flyers. 9. CSNPhilly.com - In loss of Coburn and MacDonald, Flyers see 'opportunity'

Sarah Baicker

VOORHEES, N.J. -- If you’ve been around the league long enough, Luke Schenn said, you’ve seen plenty of teammates get injured. Often, it happens at inopportune times and to key players. It’s just part of the game. For the Flyers, who have struggled defensively since the start of this season, losing Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald is no different. Disappointing, yes. And certainly challenging to overcome.

“But overall,” Schenn said, “I look at it as an opportunity.” He’s not alone. The Flyers will be without Coburn and MacDonald for the next four weeks (see story). The two were the team’s top defensemen, and the loss is jarring to a defense already spread thin. Coburn had only played in the season opener in Boston before falling to injury, but MacDonald had played in all seven games, earning significant minutes in all situations. The Flyers, however, aren’t worried. The way they see it, they won’t have Coburn or MacDonald, but they will have six other blueliners with big chances to prove they can rise to the occasion. They’re not in crisis mode. “I don’t see why it would be the end of the road,” Nick Grossmann said. “It’s part of the game. People get hurt. Other people step up. That’s a part of it, and that’s the way we’ve got to look at it. It’s an opportunity for guys to take more responsibility, play more minutes, and that’s what we’re going to do.” The Flyers have allowed the most goals against during five-on-five play in the league (20), tying them with the basement-dwelling Buffalo Sabres. Overall, they’ve given up 26 goals in seven games, good enough for second-to-worst in the league, above only the Sabres and Edmonton Oilers. And defensemen leaving and entering the lineup is a particular challenge to goaltenders, something that will add on to the tough job Steve Mason and Ray Emery already have. But even Emery said he wasn’t concerned. Whoever plays in front of him, he said, deserves to. “All you can do is communicate and adjust as quickly as you can,” Emery said. “Guys are good players. Guys are in this position for a reason, and for the most part it’s pretty easy to adjust.” The Flyers’ general manager offered a different take. While the losses are big and the holes left by Coburn and MacDonald will be difficult to fill based on the state of the team’s minor league system and cap limitations, he still sees a bit of a silver lining. “It comes down to battling and working hard and playing good team defense,” Ron Hextall said. “Maybe this will help us put a little more focus on team defense, because I think at times we could use that.” At least to start, the Flyers will recall highly touted prospect defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, after Friday night’s game in Allentown, a source tells CSNPhilly.com. From there, Hextall said, the Flyers will regroup and consider their options for the next month (see story).

Beyond Saturday's game against the Red Wings, nothing is certain except for a lengthy absence of the Flyers' top D-men. “It’s disappointing, but it’s hockey,” Mark Streit said. “Things happen, and you’ve got to be prepared as a team and as an individual if you get the call to play up in the NHL. It’s a great opportunity. Obviously, I feel bad for the guys being out a month here, but we’ve got to deal with it. I think we have a good team. “It’s like when teams get hit with the injury bug and they just have to deal with it. For us, it’s no different. Tough challenge for us, but we’ll expect it as a team.” 10. Delaware County Times - Flyers opt for ‘Ghost’ of a defensive chance

Rob Parent

VOORHEES, N.J. >> The Flyers began the season with more than an acceptable share of defensive miscues. That shortcoming-in-progress has been made worse by ill-timed injuries, which began in the offseason with the news that Kimmo Timonen probably couldn’t play any more, and continued Friday with the announcement that two of their more reliable minutes-eaters on the blue line won’t be available for the next four weeks. Defensive errors were an obvious factor in their winless start over the first three games, and Braydon Coburn was a key loss when he went down after apparently taking a shot off his foot. While Coburn’s return was expected to be imminent, the news Friday morning that he and defensive mate Andrew MacDonald would each miss the next four weeks with similar injuries hit like a bolt out of the blue line. So what’s a team with such defensive boo-boos to do? “We’ve just got to deal with it,” Mark Streit said. “I feel bad for guys that are out a month here, but we have to deal with it. It’s a tough challenge for us, but we’ll accept it as a team.” That’s the kind of spoken confidence that perhaps moved general manager Ron Hextall to do something late Friday that he had been reluctant to do before. Rather than give up the ghost about his team’s defensive weaknesses, Hextall decided to bring up “The Ghost” to try to help alleviate them.

The Flyers announced that heralded defensive prospect Shayne Gostisbehere, 21, who has just two games with the Phantoms on his professional resume, will be promoted to the big club in time for Saturday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. A hero at the NCAA tournament last spring and impressive in preseason action, it remains to be seen what Gostisbehere can do with such an early and sudden callup. Considering the circumstances, however, he should know what to expect. “It’s an opportunity for guys to play more; take on more responsibility,” stand-up survivor Nick Grossmann said. “Guys are used to playing with different players. ... I think they can and will adjust.” That’s what hockey players do. Injuries happen, and the Pavlovian response is to band together and sing the praises of “stepping up.” From his management chair earlier in the day, Hextall indicated that he’d be trying to do just that. He dropped hints about pondering a trade for a defenseman (he’s been doing that since the preseason, anyway...) or maybe trying his luck with an affordable, unsigned free agent. Predictably, he instead opted for a rush order defender from the AHL home office in Allentown. But going with The Ghost instead of Phantoms defender Mark Alt, who had his name tacked above an empty locker stall earlier in the afternoon might have surprised a few people. Meanwhile, it’s not surprising that the Flyers have adopted an All-for-one, One-for-Ouch verbal mantra. “Other guys get opportunities to step up,” Luke Schenn said. “Obviously a month is a long time and some guys will definitely have to try to fill the void here.” Schenn is also a believer in sharing the load, if not the blame. “Overall, you can say it’s just the defensive core (at issue), but I think it’s been the overall team defense,” he said. “At times we’ve looked strong and there’s been other times where it could have been better. It has to be good team defense and try to play it for a whole, 60-minute game.” Whatever the approach, the Flyers know they have to be in it together, because it’s highly unlikely anyone’s going to cut them a break, especially those old Red Wings guys. “Nobody else is going to give a crap about that,” best team spokesman Jake Voracek said. “We’ve got to find a way to win the games.”

Like his teammates on defense, Voracek thinks the only way out of this porous injury mess is to band together as one. “It’s not just about the goalie and defense. It’s about forwards helping out the defensemen and I don’t think we did a very good job the first five games to maintain that,” Voracek said. “When you look at our start in Chicago, and against Anaheim at home, it’s where we didn’t get the puck out or we didn’t box out people around the net. It’s all a five-man unit where whoever’s on the ice has to help out and play defense.” That said, Voracek pointed to the win over the Penguins Wednesday as a sign of better things to come. But then, that performance came before the latest injury report. • • • The Flyers’ two hurtful defensive injuries are matched by two injuries on offense to Vinny Lecavalier and Zac Rinaldo. While Rinaldo might only miss the Detroit game going forward, Lecavalier is likely another week away after skating on his own for the first time Friday. He’s missed two weeks already after ... um, taking a shot off his foot. That puts him in the same walking boot boat as Coburn and MacDonald. It also moved him to try to move around in skate protectors Friday for the first time. Lecavalier admitted some discomfort with them, but said he’d try to continue using them. “Maybe I can get used to them,” he said. Hextall went a step further, saying skate protectors should be mandatory: “It’s one of my pet peeves,” he said. “To demand our players to be in the shot lanes all the time and have them out there with somewhat inadequate protection is crazy.” 11. Camden Courier-Post - After rash of foot injuries, Hextall says not wearing

skate guards is 'crazy'

Dave Isaac

Wayne Simmonds sat in his locker stall and took off his skate guards, the plastic shell that goes over a the boot. Then off came the skates and he was ready to talk. First order of business, he was told that the team announced defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald were both out for a month. Lehigh Valley Phantoms defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was recalled and will make his NHL debut Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Simmonds dipped his head back with a four-letter response before apologizing for his language. He didn't know that two more foot injuries had plagued the team. Lehigh Valley Phantoms defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was recalled and will make his NHL debut Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings. "I had no clue," he said. "Obviously it sucks and it's not really what you want to happen at this time of the year, but we're gonna have to rally around it. Cobs has already been out a little bit. Mac is a new thing. We're just gonna have to take a little bit more on our shoulders, each guy in here and try to carry the load collectively." Simmonds missed time in the preseason with a left foot injury. Coburn had been considered day-to-day since Oct. 13 after he got hit in the left foot with a shot on opening night. Vinny Lecavalier got hit with friendly fire on his left foot in the third game of the season against Montreal and hadn't skated until Friday's practice. MacDonald blocked two shots in Wednesday's win over Pittsburgh and was seen wincing as he skated to the bench when he stopped Paul Martin's wristshot with 1:51 to go in the game. "I think it's just unlucky to be honest with you," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. Lucky or not, the Flyers would love to do something about it. General manager Ron Hextall wants all the players to wear the plastic skate guards over the boot like Simmonds has worn since his injury and like most penalty-killing skaters do. They're usually a generic boot shape that sometimes awkwardly fits over players' boots and have plastic straps with snaps in the end to fasten the plastic shell over the skates. "I think the league and the players' association should do something there," Hextall said. "It's one of my pet peeves. To demand our players to be in their shot lanes all the time and have them out there with inadequate protection is crazy." If Hextall could he'd mandate that his players wear the skate guards, but league rules won't let him. "I don't think I would have a problem with that," said Jake Voracek, who briefly wore skate guards when he first came to the Flyers, "but you can't tell a player what to wear unless it's mandatory." Considering the Flyers have had six skaters get hurt since the start of training camp and four of them missed time with foot injuries, they'll do their best to put pressure on players to wear them. "Everyone's getting fitted for individual skate guards," said Simmonds, who broke his foot a couple times last year. "I think that's the way it should be. We've had the same thing at the beginning of every year the last three years I've been here. We've had guys go down. We had (Scott Hartnell). We had (Brayden Schenn). It just seems this year we have more guys going down with the same types of injuries. Guys are gonna block shots

in this league. Guys shoot the puck 100 miles an hour. There's bound to be injuries. I think we've got to take extra caution to protect ourselves." The debate on wearing skate guards is similar to wearing a visor, something Lecavalier didn't wear until he got hit in the eye with a stick and Simmonds still refuses to do. "It was tough. I still hate it," Lecavalier said. "I don't like wearing it … but out of all the rules, I think that's the best thing that they could have done. Especially young guys coming in from juniors, they're already wearing it. Why take it off?" The detractors in this case say the skate guards slow players down and feel bulky. The upside, of course, is another layer of protection before the puck hits the boot of the skate, which offers little protection to the foot. "I think it's more mental than anything," Simmonds said. "You've got some of the ones that come right out of the box and feel a little different here or there. I think they're customizing them now. They're molding them to your foot. I've got a few pairs now and honestly I don't really notice them now." In the days to come, you might notice them a lot. With a little pressure, you might see every skater in orange and black uniforms having the plastic shells on over their skates. RED WINGS AT FLYERS When: 7 p.m., tonight TV/Radio: CSN/97.5 FM 12. Camden Courier-Post - Shayne Gostisbehere will make NHL debut against

Detroit

Dave Isaac

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall was as patient as possible. He didn't choose any of his promising, young defensive prospects for the final roster. He didn't recall any of them when Braydon Coburn went down, instead rolling with six defensemen.

When Andrew MacDonald went down, and is expected to miss the next month, with a foot injury, Hextall simply couldn't wait any longer. Shayne Gostisbehere, the Flyers' most NHL-ready defensive prospect, has been recalled and will make his NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday night. "In a perfect world, you let a kid stay there and play," Hextall said, "but we don't live in a perfect world so one of them has to come up." Gostisbehere was a healthy scratch with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Friday before what would have been his fourth game of the season. Instead, he packed his bags and drove to Philly. In his first three, which came last weekend, he had a pair of assists. It's not a big sample size for the Flyers to have evaluated whom they wanted to bring up. "He's played (three) games," Hextall said. "That's the unfortunate thing. I wish our (minor-league) guys have played more games, but typically that's the American League at the start of the year. So I haven't seen much of him. I saw him in preseason and then I watched the opening night." Gostisbehere, the team's 2012 third-round pick, is generously listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds. His being undersized for an NHL defenseman was Hextall's biggest fear in putting him in the starting lineup to begin the season, even though he had two goals and an assist in three preseason games with the Flyers. Now, with two minutes-eating defensemen on the shelf for a month, the wait is over to see the Hobey Baker Finalist who won a national championship in Philadelphia last spring with Union College. Already, the Flyers have had to dip into their reserves. "Last year we signed an extra defenseman just in case we had guys hurt, and we didn't have anybody hurt and carried eight defensemen all year," said Hextall, referencing Hal Gill, who played only six games last year. "Now we don't and this happens. But, hey, you know what? Things happen. We're going to deal with it as a group and we'll do as good a job as we can as a management team to fill the holes for the month." 13. Camden Courier-Post - With Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald out long

term, Flyers thinking trade

Dave Isaac

An already depleted Flyers blueline just got worse.

The team announced that defenseman Andrew MacDonald and Braydon Coburn will both miss four weeks. Coburn hasn't played since the season opener, blocking a shot from Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug with his left foot. MacDonald blocked two shots against the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night and will also be out a month. General manager Ron Hextall's phone is about to be very busy. "Yeah, it's different if you lose a guy for a game or two or even a week," Hextall said. "It does change things. We gotta take a look what's out there and move on our best option." Hextall would prefer to pull the trigger on a trade rather than keeping a call-up with the Flyers and doesn't have much breathing room, kind of like the offseason. With Kimmo Timonen (likely done for his career with blood clots) on long-term injured reserve, the Flyers have about $2 million in cap space. The team retroactively put Vinny Lecavalier (left foot injury) and Coburn on injured reserve as well. "There's not a lot out there and the guys that are out there you wonder if they haven't played and what kind of shape they're in and stuff," Hextall said. "We gotta do our research here and come up with the best solution we can." The likely scenario, assuming there isn't a trade at Flyers-o'clock (around 5:45 p.m. on a Friday) is that the team calls up one player to play against the Detroit Red Wings Saturday. They can roll with six defensemen until leaving next week for a Florida roadtrip. Mark Alt seems to be the top candidate, considering he already has a locker stall prepared at the team's practice facility, but Hextall said that wasn't a lock. "He's got a locker down there? That's news to me," said Hextall, who was visibly surprised. "We haven't even discussed that and I'm being perfectly honest with you. I've had small internal discussions there, but I have not made a decision, nor discussed at length who's coming up. That's premature to say the least." Alt, who plays for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, has a game Friday night at home against the Hershey Bears. The Phantoms are in New York against the Binghamton Senators Saturday and at the Hershey Bears Sunday. If Alt gets called up, it could happen after Friday night's game. "He's a good skater," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "That's what jumps out at you. He's got good size and he knows how to defend and he's a right-handed shot." If Alt does get recalled for his NHL debut, he could play nine games and be on the roster for 29 days before he has to be waived in order to be sent back down.

If there is a trade, the Flyers have been rumored to be interested in Buffalo defenseman and former first-round pick Tyler Myers, but the price would be pretty high for him and probably especially bloated considering the Flyers' current defensive health situation. Myers is in the third of a seven-year deal worth $38.5 million. Hextall would have to move a big chunk of salary to make that happen, aside from whatever demands Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray makes. With that kind of cap hit, $5.5 million is a little out of Hextall's price range. Apparently so is the $2 million he has available at the moment because he hopes to acquire someone for "a hell of a lot less than that." "You take two guys out of your lineup that play over 20 minutes, obviously it's a big hole," Hextall said. "Other guys gotta step up. I think Nick Schultz really stepped up for us and logged some good minutes for us. That's something that I expected at some point, but I don't think a lot of other people did." 14. Camden Courier-Post - Vinny Lecavalier returns to practice from left foot

injury

Dave Isaac

True to the timeline of two weeks, Flyers center Vincent Lecavalier returned to the ice 13 days after blocking a teammate's shot with his left foot. The 34-year-old Lecavalier skated for a bit on his own before the rest of the team took the ice for practice and bowed out as the team took line rushes. The second-line center won't play Saturday when the Detroit Red Wings come to town, but hopes next week is a possibility, especially considering the Flyers make a trip south to play Lecavalier's former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. "I definitely want to be there for that one," Lecavalier said with a smile. "All that said, we'll re-evaluate tomorrow and talk. I'll skate a few days and see how it feels after that. It's tough for me to predict how it's gonna feel tomorrow. I felt pretty decent today, better than I thought for being in a boot for two weeks." It was the first period of the Flyers' third game of the season, against the Montreal Canadiens, when Lecavalier took friendly fire from Mark Streit to his left foot while the Flyers were on the power play. Lecavalier finished the game, but until Friday's practice

he hadn't been on skates. The team also has injuries to defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald in addition to forward Zac Rinaldo, who has an "upper-body injury." "It's definitely adversity," Lecavalier said. "I still think we're playing some pretty good hockey. I watch the games when we're on the road. Just coming back the way we do and we have a lot of character. We're doing a lot of good things out there. Losing guys is always tough. A lot of teams lose players. You've got to battle through it until they come back and then you're probably better off. You've worked so hard to get to a certain level and then your guys are back and you keep going." This is Lecavalier's second foot injury in his career. He broke his left foot in January, 2001, against the Flyers, and missed 14 games. He doesn't think this injury is as bad. "I think it's been two weeks now," said Lecavalier, who wouldn't confirm his most recent injury is a fracture. "I think just being out of the boot, start moving around, I think that helps with the atrophy. When you're in the boot for a long time, your muscles kind of weaken and stuff like that. It's nice to be out of it or mostly be out of it and start working out more normal." "He looked OK out there," GM Ron Hextall said. "He's gotta skate for a few days. That would be my guess. When a guy skate's the first day, then how does he feel the next morning? It's kind of a process where you work your way through a number of steps. I guess I'm hopeful in a few days (he'll be cleared to play), but I can't confirm that right now." Lecavalier's teammates, who were dealing with the loss of Coburn and MacDonald, were happy to see a player actually on his way to returning. "I feel like I haven't seen the guy in two weeks," Simmonds said. "It's really nice to see him get on the ice today." If Lecavalier had his way, he'd be out there Saturday to continue what he thought was a good start to the season. He had a goal and two assists in his first three games. "I did feel pretty good," Lecavalier said. "I felt like training camp went really well. We didn't get the wins that we wanted the first three games when I was in, but I still felt the Montreal game definitely could have been different and also New Jersey. We could have gone 2-1, for sure. I felt very comfortable out there and confident. There's nothing you can do now. You can't go in the past. I hoped that I would have jumped over that shot and it would have went in, but it didn't. So you gotta move on."

15. NJ.com - Flyers call up Shayne Gostisbehere; Elite blueline prospect to make

NHL debut Saturday

Randy Miller

VOORHEES - It's still October and already these are desperate times for the Flyers. GM Ron Hextall preferred to have very highly regarded defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere spent at least a good chunk of his first pro season learning the ropes playing in the AHL for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The plan changed Friday after the Flyers learned they'd be without big-minutes defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald for a month due to foot injuries. After considering all options, including swinging a trade, Hextall announced late Friday afternoon that Gostisbehere, 21, had been recalled after just two AHL games this season. "In a perfect world, you let a kid stay there and play, but we don't live in a perfect world," Hextall said. Gostisbehere was scratched from the Phantoms' lineup for their game in Allentown on Friday night against the Hershey Bears and is expected to make his NHL debut on Saturday night at Wells Fargo Center against the Detroit Red Wings. At this point, the Flyers have no choice because they needed six defensemen and they were down to five after getting the bad news on Coburn and MacDonald. Earlier Friday, Hextall was asked if calling up Gostisbehere was an option. "Um ... I don't know," he said. "We're going to discuss that as the day goes on. ... He's played two (AHL) games. That's the unfortunate thing. I wish our (Phantoms players) have played more games, but typically that's the American League at the start of the year. So I haven't seen much of him. I saw him in preseason and then I watched the opening night." Known for his offensive skillset, Gostisbehere was a 2012 third-round draft pick who received national attention last spring with a dominating performance in leading Union College to an NCAA championship. Gostisbehere was impressive in his three preseason games last month for the Flyers - he registered two assists - but was reassigned to the Phantoms, where he had a goal, two assists and was a minus-1 in three games.

Gostisbehere's recall is a big surprise because of Hextall's repeated stances on not wanting to rush his top prospects to the NHL and also because Mark Alt, another defense prospect, had a locker Friday at the Flyers' Skate Zone practice rink. "He's got a locker down there?" Hextall said. "That's news to me. ... Wow. We haven't even discussed that to be perfectly honest with you. I've had small internal discussions there, but I have not made a decision nor have discussed at length who's coming up." Later in the day, it was Gostisbehere on his way to Philadelphia, not Alt. 16. NJ.com - Should Flyers wear skate guards? Ron Hextall says yes, Vincent

Lecavalier not so sure

Randy Miller

VOORHEES - Go back and look at highlights of the Broad Street Bullies and you'll see just a few Flyers skaters wearing helmets - Ross Lonsberry, Andre Dupont, Orest Kindrachuk, Larry Goodenough, and that's about it. Nowadays, everyone wears a helmet because it's a rule. Not long ago there weren't many players wearing visors on their helmets. Beginning last season, all players are required to wear them. If it was Flyers general manager Ron Hextall's call, all players would be wearing skate guards, too. Since training camp, seven Flyers players missed together with injuries and all but three were due to foot injuries. The latest big blows were announced Friday: Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald, the Flyers' top-defense pair, will miss the next month due to foot injuries that apparently occurred on blocked shots. Center Vincent Lecavalier also is sidelined with a foot injury, his occurring on friendly fire, and right wing Wayne Simmonds missed time during training camp to an injury that stemmed from a shot off his foot.

"I think the league and the players' association should do something there," Hextall said. "It's one of my pet peeves. To demand our players to be in their shot lanes all the time and have them out there with inadequate protection is crazy." Told about Hextall's point of view, Lecavalier said, "It's understandable. We've had three injuries in a week. With how hard the slapshots are and everybody blocking shots, we need be protected. If you're not, you might get injured. For being a rule, I don't know if they can do that or not, but it's understandable that he would want that, for sure." As of now, few NHL players wear skate guards, which are plastic shells that protect the least-protected part of the foot when on skates - such as the in-steps and laces areas. Flyers right wing Wayne Simmonds is an exception. Before Flyers practice, so was Lecavalier for his first skate since injured a foot on Oct. 11 when he was hit on a shot by Flyers defenseman Mark Streit. This was his first time using them, and while he's not crazy about them, he sees their purpose. "It feels different, a little stiffer," Lecavalier said. "Some guys feel great in them. (The skates are) a little heavier. It's a couple ounces, but you definitely feel it. (But) you want to protect yourself and you want to make sure you don't go out with another injury like that. I'll definitely try that." Sometimes safety is more important than comfort. Lecavalier wore a visor playing junior hockey, then ditched it when reaching the NHL before adding it again before it was mandated. "I tried it a couple games, took it off for a year, came back in the summer time, tried it and kept it on," Lecavalier said. "It was tough. I still hate it. But out of all the rules, I think that's the best thing that they could have done. Especially young guys coming in from juniors, they're already wearing it. Why take it off? "It was kind of different when I came in (the NHL) in '98. It was kind of like a mentality. When you get in the NHL you take off your visor. Especially from having kids ... now thinking back I wish I would have worn it my whole career because there are a lot of close calls and high sticks right in the crease of your eyes. A stick in the eye, I was out a little bit. So I think it's important." More Flyers could feel the same about skate guards if this rash of foot injuries doesn't end soon. "I definitely would like to wear them," said Lecavalier, who missed a month during the 2000-01 season due to a broken foot that occurred on a shot to the foot. "I tried them on today for pretty much the whole time. I took them off for two minutes before I came off (the ice) just to see the difference in how it felt and all that. No matter what, I'm gonna

have to protect where it's been hit. It's the same thing as ... I didn't wear a visor for 12 years and wore a visor after that." 17. NJ.com - Ron Hextall Q & A: Flyers GM weighing trade options due to bad

news on Braydon Coburn, Andrew MacDonald

Randy Miller

VOORHEES - Flyers general manager Ron Hextall made a jarring announcement via email Friday morning while his team was practicing at Skate Zone: Andrew MacDonald and Braydon Coburn, both halves of the Flyers' top defense pair, will miss the next month due to injuries. Coburn was thought to be close to returning from a foot injury, so this is a major setback. MacDonald's injury was unknown until this announcement, and it, too, apparently is a foot injury that occurred Wednesday with 1:51 to go in the Flyers' 5-3 win in Pittsburgh. Counting Vincent Lecavalier and Zac Rinaldo's injuries, the Flyers now have four of their 18 skaters from their opening-night lineup sidelined. After the Flyers' practice, Hextall addressed all the injuries in a 10-minute interview: Here's the entire Q & A with Flyers beat writers: Hextall: "Every time I talk to you guys it's such good news. Q: When you lose two guys for a month, does that change your perspective on whether you'll make a call-up from the AHL or look to make a trade? Hextall: "Well, yeah. It makes you think it's different when you lose a guy for a game or two. So it does change things. We've got to take a look at what's out there and move on our best option." Q: You seemed to have your finger on the pulse to trade for a defenseman for awhile. Has the market changed at all recently? There doesn't seem to be good options available. Hextall: "Well, there's not a lot out there and the guys that are out there you worry if they haven't played and what kind of shape they're in. So we gotta do our research here and come up with the best solution we can."

Q: How much are your hands tied making a trade due to your cap situation? Hextall: "They're somewhat tied, but we'll look for the best option that we can within the circumstances." Q: If you make a trade, you have to give up someone from roster due to having under $2 million in cap space, right? Hextall: "Not necessarily. We've got $2 million, but that's for call-ups and everyone else. It gets dicey if all of a sudden those (injured) guys come back (and come off the injured list)." Q: Can you find a defenseman that can help you for $2 million? Hextall: "I hope to find one for a hell of a lot less than that, to be quite honest with you." Q: Did you get a text from Hall Gill. He doesn't have a team after being a seldom-used defenseman for the Flyers last season, but might be skating to stay in shape? Hextall: "There are a lot of guys out there skating, but I could go be out there skating, too, and I can't play." Q: Have you made a decision on who you are calling up? Hextall: "No. Not yet." Q: You only have five healthy defensemen. Is there a chance you'll only call up one for the upcoming two-game homestand, then add another for next week's games at Tampa Bay and Florida? Hextall: "Right now, assuming we don't make anything happen real quick (via trade), we'll call one guy up and get through Saturday and go from there." Q: Mark Alt already has a locker in the Flyers' Skate Zone dressing room. What are the reports on him? Hextall: "Um ... He's got a locker down there? That's news to me. You guys don't miss a thing. Wow. We haven't even discussed that to be perfectly honest with you. I've had small internal discussions there, but I have not made a decision nor have discussed at length who's coming up. So that's premature to say the least and I'll get to the bottom of it. ... I kid you not and I'll have to find out about that one. Maybe Mark Alt's dad (former Kansas Chiefs tackle John Alt) is down there." Q: Is Shayne Gostisbehere, one of the organization's top defense prospects, a possibility or is it too soon?

Hextall: "Um ... I don't know. We're going to discuss that as the day goes on. Figure out what's out there and we'll made a decision probably tonight." Q: How much have you seen of Gostisbehere in the minors and has he progressed since training camp? Hextall: "He's played two games. That's the unfortunate thing. I wish our (AHL) guys have played more games, but typically that's the American League at the start of the year. So I haven't seen much of him. I saw him in preseason and then I watched the opening night." Q: How much reluctance do you have calling up a young defenseman (with no NHL time such as Robert Hagg, Alt and Gostisbehere, then sending him back to the AHL rather than letting him stay with the Phantoms? Hextall: "In a perfect world, you let a kid stay there and play, but we don't live in a perfect world so one of them has to come up." Q: What happened with Coburn? It seemed like he was getting pretty close to being game ready. When he was first injured, you said he'd be out awhile, then it was day-to-day. Hextall: "I'm not exactly sure yet (what happened). I've got to talk to our people on that one, but we thought it was going to be longer than it was and then it wasn't going to be and then he felt good and then he had a setback. So I don't know yet the answer to the question, but I will find out." Q: How concerning is it when you announce both of your top-pair defenseman will be out the next month on the same day? Hextall: "Well, I thought we played our best defensive game in Pittsburgh the other night (in a 5-3 Flyers win). Defensive hockey is everybody on the ice and I think unfairly people put the onus always on the defensemen. There are three parts to it. There's the defense, there's the forwards - and trust me, they have a bigger part to do with it than people think - and there's also the goalie. So defense is threefold and if one of your sectors is breaking down, you're not going to play good defense. So it's a team effort and we're going to have to dig in now and really have big team efforts because obviously we've lost to our of high-minute guys." Q: Are you leaning toward a trade or call-up so that you have six defensemen for Tuesday's game? Hextall: "No idea. I'm going to look what's out there - guys that aren't playing, guys that are available and then what we've got in the minors." Q: Where do your injured players stand right now in regard to being on the roster or going on IR?

Hextall: "Vinny (Lecavalier) is going on IR. Coby will go on IR." Q: Has Lecavalier been on IR since his injury two weeks ago? Hextall: "No. We haven't had a reason to put him on. There's no sense putting him on until you need him on. So he's on, but he could (come off at any time and) play tomorrow. They're all retroactive (IR stints), so Coby is the same way. If we put him on, there's no damage done." Q: Lecavalier skated on Friday morning for the first time since he suffered a foot injury. Is there a chance he can play Tuesday against Detroit? Hextall: "No." Q: Is Lecavalier close to being game ready? Hextall: "That's his first skate, so I haven't even heard yet how he did. He looked OK out there. He's gotta skate for a few days. That would be my guess. When a guy skate's the first day, then how does he feel the next morning? It's kind of a process where you work your way through a number of steps. I guess I'm hopeful in a few days (he'll be ready to play), but I can't confirm that right now." Q: What's the latest on Zac Rinaldo, who is listed day-to-day with an upper-body injury that occurred during Wednesday's game in Pittsburgh? Hextall: "I expect him to miss one game, but you know how that goes." Q: This has kind of been a Murphy's Law start to the season for the Flyers. You couldn't do much in the summer do to having very little cap space. You need this team to stay healthy and it's been one injury after another thus far. Hextall: "It's kind of funny. Last year we signed an extra defenseman just in case we had guys hurt, and we didn't have anybody hurt and carried eight defensemen all year. Now we don't (have eight) and this happens. But, hey, you know what? Things happen. We're going to deal with it as a group and we'll do as good a job as we can as a management team to fill the holes for the month. Then we'll move on. But I have any direction right now in terms of where we'll move." Q: Do you think with Coburn that you didn't know the severity of it all this time or is it a re-injury? Hextall: "I need to talk to our people in-depth to see what changed and why it changed." Q: Are the defensemen that you have now capable of helping this team be a winning team?

Hextall: "You take two guys out of your lineup that play over 20 minutes, obviously it's a big hole. Other guys have to step up. I think Nick Schultz has really stepped up for us and logged some good minutes for us. That's something that I expected at some point, but I don't think a lot of other people did. So that's a positive. If can't make something happen here (in a trade), we're going to have to put some young guys in there and hopefully they can give us some good minutes. Like I said, defense is a five-man unit out there plus your goalie every shift. It comes down to battling and working hard and playing good team defense. Maybe this will help us put a little more focus on the team defense, because I think at times we could use it." Q: What did you think your forwards did better in Pittsburgh than they had been doing? Hextall: "We didn't get three guys caught deep in the offensive zone. I think they a really good job of angling through the neutral zone and really helped our D out. You can have the greatest D in the league, but if (they're facing 3-on-2, 4-on-2 all the time teams are going to score goals. I thought the forwards did a great job with their reads, their angles and not getting caught deep." Q: If MacDonald's injury is foot related, that's four since late in training camp. How close are you to mandating your players to wear skate guards? Hextall: "We can't mandate it. Q: Would you like to? Hextall: "I think the league and the players' association should do something there. It's one of my pet peeves. To demand our players to be in their shot lanes all the time and have them out there with inadequate protection is crazy." 18. HockeyBuzz.com - Flyers Gameday: 10/25/14 vs DET, Phantoms Update

Bill Meltzer

Searching for their first home win of the young season, the Philadelphia Flyers (2-3-2) return to the Wells Fargo Center tonight to take on Mike Babcock's Detroit Red Wings (4-1-2). Game time is 7 p.m. EDT. The game will be televised locally on Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia.

This is the first of three meetings between the teams this season, and the first of two in Philly. The clubs will rematch on Nov. 26 in Detroit and March 14 at the Wells Fargo Center. Following tonight's game for the Flyers, the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings come to town on Tuesday night. Thereafter, the Flyers embark on a two-game Florida road trip against Tampa Bay and Florida before returning home for a three game homestand. Detroit heads next to play Washington at the conclusion of a two-game road trip. The Red Wings are back home at Joe Louis Arena next Friday to take on the Kings. 2013-14 Season Series in Review Last season, the Flyers won the second and third games of the three-game season series with the Red Wings. They were 1-1-0 on the road and won the lone game in Philadelphia. On Oct. 12, 2013, the Flyers fell to 1-5-0 on the season after suffering a 5-2 loss in Detroit. The Red Wings went 3-for-7 on the power play and pulled away in the third period. Henrik Zetterberg (two goals, one assist), Pavel Datsyuk (one goal, two assists), Niklas Kronwall (one goal, two assists) and Daniel Alfredsson (three assists) all had three-point nights. Ray Emery absorbed the loss in goal for the Flyers, while Jimmy Howard made 32 saves to earn the win. On Dec. 4, 2013, the Flyers trailed the host Red Wings by a 3-1 score before exploding for five unanswered goals, including four in the third period. Sean Couturier set a single-game career high with four points (two goals, two assists), while linemates Matt Read (one goal, two assists) and now-former Flyer Steve Downie (one goal, one assist) also enjoyed multiple-point nights. Detroit, which got two early goals by Tomas Tatar, was playing without numerous injured key players. Among the absentees were Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi. On Jan. 28, 2014, Steve Mason backstopped the Flyers to a 33-save shutout in a 5-0 home win over the still-depleted Wings. Claude Giroux (one goal, two assists) and now ex-Flyer Scott Hartnell (two goals, one assist) led the Philadelphia attack on this night, while defenseman Nicklas Grossmann (six hits, six blocks, no giveaways) had a monster night on the blueline. Mason's shutout was the fourth of his career against Detroit. On this night, the Wings were missing the injured Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Johan Franzén from the lineup. Flyers outlook The Flyers enter this game coming off a 2-1-0 road trip that saw them sandwich wins against the Dallas Stars (a comeback 6-5 overtime win) and Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3) around an ugly 4-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

On Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the Flyers shrugged off a slow start in the first period and skated off with a 5-3 victory. Mark Streit, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (first NHL goal), R.J. Umberger (first goal since his return to the Flyers), Read (first goal of the season) and Couturier (empty net goal to cap off a three-point game) tallied for Philadelphia. Emery stopped 22 of 25 shots to earn the win. After an off-day on Thursday, the Flyers returned to practice yesterday. The club revealed disturbing news: key defensemen Andrew MacDonald (lower body injury) and Braydon Coburn (left foot injury) would be sidelined for approximately four weeks. MacDonald got injured in the Pittsburgh game but finished out the game. Coburn, who got hurt on opening night and has not played since then, was downgraded from day-to-day status and placed on injured reserve. Early yesterday evening, the Flyers recalled highly touted rookie offensive defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms. He will make his NHL regular season debut tonight. Gostisbehere had two assists (both in the Phantoms' home opener) in three regular season games with the Phantoms. He tallied a pair of goals for the Flyers in the preseason. The recall of Gostisbehere came as something of a surprise. Earlier in the day, there was a nameplate in the dressing room for Mark Alt; a big-framed righthanded shooting second-year pro who is more of a defensive defenseman. However, Alt remained in Allentown with the Phantoms, while Gostisbehere was scratched for last night's game against Hershey in anticipation of his callup to the Flyers. Elsewhere on the injury front, the Flyers remain without Vincent Lecavalier (foot injury). He has resumed skating and could return to the lineup as soon as Tuesday night. Zac Rinaldo (upper body) left Wednesday's game after the second period and missed practice on Friday. He is officially on a day-to-day basis. Flyers top-line center Giroux and linemate Jakub Voracek enter tonight's game sharing the club overall scoring lead with nine points (two goals, seven assists apiece). Wayne Simmonds, who was held without a point on the three-game road trip, holds the club goal-scoring lead with five tallies (three power play, two even strength). The Flyers played an improved two-way game against the Penguins after their slow start in the game. All five goals Philly scored came at even strength; an encouraging sign for a team that struggled in five-on-five play through lengthy segments of the first six games. Umberger, who has had his greatest career success in games against Pittsburgh, Detroit and the New York Islanders, enters tonight's game with 12 career goals in 33 games against the Red Wings. He has only scored more goals (14) against the Islanders. Red Wings outlook

Detroit has reeled off a 3-0-1 run in its last four games. The club enters tonight's game after reeling off three unanswered goals in the third period and overtime to seize a comeback 4-3 win over the Penguins on Thursday night. Second and third period goals by Kronwall keyed the comeback for the Red Wings. The second goal, scored with 39 seconds remaining in regulation forced overtime. The latter tally came just two minutes after Zetterberg brought the Red Wings back within 3-2. In overtime, Justin Abdelkader completed the victory with his third goal of the season. Zetterberg earned his seventh assist of the season on the winning play, running his team-high point total to 10. Jimmy Howard (23 saves) earned the win in net against the Penguins. Tonight, backup Jonas Gustavsson will make his second start of the season. Key team stat comparisons (NHL overall ranking) Non-shootout goals per game: Flyers 3.14 (T-7th), Red Wings 2.29 (T-24th) Non-shootout goals against per game: Flyers 3.71 (27th), Red Wings 1.71 (T-4th) Even strength Goals For/Against Ratio: Flyers 0.70 (25th), Red Wings 1.20 (T-13th) Power play efficiency: Flyers 26.9% (5th), Red Wings 7.4% (25th) Penalty killing efficiency: Flyers 73.7% (27th), Red Wings 100% (1st) Faceoff percentage: Flyers 50.8% (12th), Red Wings 51.5% (8th) Projected lineups (Subject to change, will be updated) FLYERS 12 Michael Raffl - 28 Claude Giroux - 93 Jakub Voracek 10 Brayden Schenn - 78 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 17 Wayne Simmonds 18 R.J. Umberger - 14 Sean Couturier - 24 Matt Read 41 Blair Jones - 76 Chris VandeVelde - 42 Jason Akeson 8 Nicklas Grossmann - 32 Mark Streit 55 Nick Schultz - 53 Shayne Gostisbehere 15 Michael Del Zotto - 22 Luke Schenn 35 Steve Mason / 29 Ray Emery Scratches: Andrew MacDonald (lower body), Braydon Coburn (IR, left foot), Vincent Lecavalier (IR, left foot), Zac Rinaldo (upper body, day-to-day). RED WINGS

8 Justin Abdelkader - 40 Henrik Zetterberg - 14 Gustav Nyquist 21 Tomas Tatar - 43 Darren Helm - 13 Pavel Datsyuk 49 Andrej Nestrasil - 15 Riley Sheahan - 26 Tomas Jurco 20 Drew Miller - 41 Luke Glendening - 18 Joakim Andersson 55 Niklas Kronwall - 52 Jonathan Ericsson 27 Kyle Quincey - 65 Dan DeKeyser 4 Jakub Kindl - 2 Brendan Smith 50 Jonas Gustavsson [30 Jimmy Howard] Scratches: Johan Franzén (IR, lower body), Stephen Weiss (healthy), Daniel Cleary (healthy), Brian Lashoff (healthy). **************************** PHANTOMS DOWN HERSHEY, HEAD TO BINGHAMTON The Lehigh Valley Phantoms (3-1-0) got a weekend three-in-three slate off to a good start on Friday night, grabbing a 4-2 win on home ice against the rival Hershey Bears. Outshot 12-4 in the third period, the Phantoms made their few shots count, scoring three unanswered and closely spaced games over the final six minutes to erase a 2-1 deficit and skate off with the win. Rob Zepp (29 saves) was stellar in goal for Lehigh Valley, backstopping the club to victory. Veteran forward Darroll Powe notched a pair of goals (one power play, one even strength) to key the offense, while Taylor Leier and Petr Straka tallied once apiece. Nick Cousins earned two assists for the Phantoms, and Scott Laughton (one assist) drew a point on what proved to be the game-winning goal. Defenseman Robert Hägg (power play assist on a Powe tip-in, two shots on goal, plus-one) and Mark Alt (one assist, plus-one, crucial stop along the goal line of a would-be tying goal for Hershey) also contributed strongly to the Lehigh Valley win. Prior to the game, Shayne Gostisbehere was recalled to the Flyers. Early in the second period, the Phantoms Jay Rosehill dropped the gloves with Hershey's Tim Spencer for the first regular season fight at the new PPL Center. Later, Steven Delisle fought Garrett Mitchell. A crowd of 7,881 turned out for the game. Lehigh Valley is back in action in each of the next two nights. Tonight, the Phantoms travel to Binghamton for a 7:05 p.m. game with the Senators. On Sunday, the Phantoms head to Hershey for a 5:00 p.m. return match with the Bears.

19. PhiladelphiaFlyers.com - OTF: Gostisbehere recalled by Flyers

PhiladelphiaFlyers.com Staff

OCT. 24 5:28 p.m. GOSTISBEHERE RECALLED The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have recalled defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, according to GM Ron Hextall. Gostisbehere will be available for Saturday’s Flyers-Red Wings game at the Wells Fargo Center, and should he get in the line-up would make his NHL debut. After a strong training camp, Gostisbehere opened his first pro season in Lehigh Valley with the Phantoms, posting two assists in three games. He also appeared in three preseason games for the Flyers and recorded two goals and an assist for three points and six shots on goal. The transaction comes following Friday’s injury announcement that defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald will be out for approximately four weeks due to lower-body injuries. Coburn had been out of the line-up for the previous six contests, but MacDonald will miss his first game of the season. 11:01 a.m. COBURN & MacDONALD OUT Shortly after the Flyers resumed practice on Friday morning, Flyers GM Ron Hextall announced that defensemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald both have lower-body injuries and will be out for approximately four weeks. Coburn had been skating with the team for a full week, rehabbing from an injury he suffered on opening night in Boston that has kept him out of the last five games. MacDonald has appeared in all seven of the Flyers contests, recording three points (1g-2a) and an average ice-time of 22:55 to rank second on the team, behind Mark Streit. Also on the injury front, Zac Rinaldo is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He did not return for the third period in the Flyers’ 5-3 victory over the Penguins on Wednesday.

Hextall also announced that call-ups for the injured defensemen are undetermined at this time. VINNY SKATING Vincent Lecavalier is back on the ice and getting closer to a return. The 6-4, 215-pound center skated on his own this morning for 15-20 minutes before being joined by Chris VandeVelde, Jason Akeson and goaltenders, Steve Mason and Ray Emery, who came out early from the team practice. This is the first time he’s taken to the ice, since being out of action for the last four games with a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury during the Flyers-Canadiens game on Oct. 11 and it was announced on Oct. 13 that he would miss approximately two weeks with the injury. Lecavalier has recorded three points (1g-2a) in his first three games, with two of his three points coming on the team’s power play. The Flyers return to action as they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. 20. TSN.ca - Flyers lose defencemen MacDonald and Coburn for four weeks

TSN.ca Staff

Philadelphia Flyers defencemen Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald will both miss approximately four weeks with lower body injuries. Coburn has not played since the Flyers' opening night loss to the Boston Bruins. He attempted to return to the line-up for the Flyers' game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday but left the ice after pre-game warm-ups and did not dress for the game. The 29-year-old did not register any points in his lone 2014-15 contest, but scored five goals and added 12 assists in a full 82 games last season, averaging a team-high 22:26 time on ice. MacDonald was in the line-up for the Flyers' 5-3 Wednesday night win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has appeared in seven games for the Flyers so far in 2014-15, scoring one goal and adding two assists. Only Mark Streit has logged more ice-time so far in 2014-15 than the 28-year-old MacDonald, who has averaged 22:55 per game.

The injuries further deplete a Flyers' blue line that was already without Kimmo Timonen. The veteran Finn is out until at least the start of 2015 with blood clots. Timonen, 39, posted 35 points in 77 games with the Flyers in 2013-14, leading Philadelphia's defenders in power play ice-time. 21. SI.com - Flyers recall Shayne Gostisbehere

SI.com Staff

The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Shayne Gostisbehere from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley, the team announced on Friday. Gostisbehere recorded two assists over three games with Lehigh Valley. The 21-year-old was named a finalist for the Hobey Baker award and MVP of the NCAA Frozen Four after helping Union College win the national championship earlier this year. The Flyers selected Gostisbehere in the third round of the 2012 draft. Gostisbehere could make his debut in the Flyers' home game Saturday against the Red Wings. Philadelphia is 2-3-2 this season. Detroit Red Wings Articles

1. The Detroit News - Red Wings hope momentum can carry them past Flyers

Ted Kulfan

Detroit — The Red Wings feel they can build off and gain momentum from Thursday's electrifying, 4-3 comeback win in overtime against Pittsburgh. Which is good, considering where they're going next.

The Red Wings play Saturday in Philadelphia, where, as coach Mike Babcock said, they haven't won a game "since Christ was a kid." Well, maybe not long. But it feels like it. The Red Wings haven't won a regular-season game in Philadelphia since Jan. 25, 1997. They also won two Stanley Cup Finals games in Philadelphia that spring, helping the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup. But back to the regular season. They've lost all nine games in Philadelphia since that victory in 1997, getting outscored 33-13 in the process, and are 13-38-11 lifetime in Philadelphia. It's not a place where the Red Wings have a lot of success. "They've been way better than us in there," Babcock said of the Flyers' dominance at Wells Fargo Center. "We have to play a good game, have to play way better this time. "The game is on the ice. We have to get out there and have a good start. We had a heck of a win (Thursday), found a way to get a win, and we want to build off that." That was a popular and possible notation in the Red Wings' locker room — building momentum off the incredible and improbable rally against the Penguins and stringing together some victories. "You can build momentum and try to steamroll into more wins," goaltender Jimmy Howard said. "But it doesn't mean anything unless we go and take care of business (in Philadelphia)." If ever the Red Wings are going to get a win, Saturday appears to be as good a chance as possible. The Flyers are decimated on defense, having lost Andrew MacDonald and Braydon Coburn to lower body injuries. But up front, the Flyers are as deep as any team in the league. "They have good depth up front, they look like a real good team," Babcock said. "We'll have our hands full." Gustavsson starts Babcock will start Jonas Gustavsson in net, Gustavsson's second start this season (he shut out Toronto Oct. 18), giving Howard a night off. Gustavsson was in net for the Red Wings' lone game, and loss, in Philadelphia last season. But he doesn't dwell on the Red Wings' difficulties in Philadelphia.

"New game, new challenge," Gustavsson said. "Just go out there and try to do my best. "It's a great building. They have good fans, and it's a good team there, too. It's always fun to play there, a good atmosphere. You get excited (to play there)." Gustavsson is pleased to get another opportunity to play this early in the season. "It's always good to get a game in, that's when you learn and gain experience," Gustavsson said. "You try to take advantage of all the practices, too, but playing the games are the most fun and that's what you want to do." Interestingly, Philadelphia is the one NHL city in which Howard has not started a game. The quirk surprised Babcock. "Maybe that's why we haven't won there," Babcock said. Ice chips Johan Franzen (thigh) can come off the seven-day injured list Saturday, but he didn't practice Friday and doesn't appear ready to play. Saturday will be his fourth consecutive missed game. …The lines could be shuffled. Babcock split Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk in some drills, though it's not a lock they'll be apart against the Flyers. …The Red Wings' troubles on the power play are well-documented (2-for-27) but Babcock isn't thinking about trying Brendan Smith. "I'm not getting into every detail why I play everyone and why I don't," Babcock said. "That's the beauty of being the coach. You get to decide, and you guys get to speculate." Preview: Red Wings at Flyers Time: 7 p.m. Saturday TV/radio: FSD/97.1 Records: Red Wings 4-1-2, 10 points; Flyers 2-3-2, 6 points. Outlook: The Red Wings have lost their last eight games in Philadelphia and haven't won a regular-season game there since 1997 … C Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek lead offensively with nine points each … The Flyers' penalty kill ranks 27th (73.7 percent).

2. MLive.com - Detroit Red Wings, Jonas Gustavsson look to snap eight-game losing

streak in Philadelphia

Ansar Khan

DETROIT - Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock might have been exaggerating slightly when speaking about his team's record in Philadelphia. "I don't think we've won in Philly since Christ was a kid," Babcock said. It only seems like that. The Red Wings have lost eight consecutive games in Philadelphia, getting outscored 33-13, since winning there when it mattered the most - in Games 1 and 2 of the 1997 Stanley Cup finals en route to a sweep. They'll have another chance Saturday at Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) and will turn to backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson in an effort to snap the streak. Gustavsson, who turned 30 on Friday, made 30 saves in a 1-0 overtime victory over Toronto last Saturday, his lone appearance thus far. "It's going to be a new challenge," Gustavsson said. "I put that (first win) behind me and I'm going to go out there and do my best. "I don't think we've won in Philly since Christ was a kid." -- Mike Babcock "It's always good to get the games in; that's when you learn, gain experience. You try to take advantage of the practices, too." The Red Wings (4-1-2) rank fourth in the NHL in goals-against average (1.66) and are the only team that hasn't allowed a power-play goal (21-for-21). Jimmy Howard has been their best penalty killer but will get a break Saturday, watching in the only building he said he has never played in. "Howie's never played there?" Babcock said. Then he turned to Howard, who was sitting in his stall, and said, "Howie, you're not getting to play in Philly, buddy! I didn't know that. ... Maybe that's why we never win there." Since their last regular season victory in Philadelphia on Jan. 25, 1997, with Mike Vernon in goal (also the starter in the Cup finals that year), the Red Wings have started four goalies in Philly - Chris Osgood (0-4), Joey MacDonald (0-2), Curtis Joseph (0-1) and Gustavsson (0-1).

Detroit's all-time regular season record there is 13-38-11 (W-L-T). The Flyers (2-3-2) historically have been a big, physical team that likes to rough it up, especially at home. Asked if they still play like that, Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said, "Maybe not as much, but I think they still have that mentality. That's the Philly way of playing." But, he added, "You need to have some quickness on your team. If you have big guys you usually don't get the quickness at the same time. I think they have a good mixture there but probably not as many hard-hitting big guys anymore." The Flyers' blue line is banged up. Braydon Coburn and Andrew MacDonald are out four weeks with lower-body injuries and Kimmo Timonen is out until at least January with blood clots. They're led up front by Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek and Wayne Simmonds. "I watched them the other night (5-3 win at Pittsburgh); I thought they played real well, real solid through the neutral zone," Babcock said. "I think their power play is impressive, they got the puck back. I was really impressed with Simmonds, I thought he had a heck of a game. The (Sean) Couturier line was solid. I didn't know who (Pierre-Edouard) Bellemare, their second line center, was but he looks like a good player. They've got good depth up front. They look like a real good team. We'll have our hands full. PHANTOMS Articles

1. Allentown Morning Call - Three goals in 2 minutes lift Lehigh Valley Phantoms

over Hershey Bears, 4-2

Gary R. Blockus

Down 2-1 with less than 15 minutes left in the game, Steven Delisle did what he knew best. He dropped 'em. Delisle got in a fight with Hershey's Garrett Mitchell 5:05 into the final period, and his decisive win gave the Lehigh Valley Phantoms new energy against the Bears.

Playing the first of three consecutive games, the Phantoms rallied for three goals in the closing 5:59 for a 4-2 win. Alternate captain Darroll Powe scored a pair of goals, rookie Taylor Leier scored his first-ever pro goal, Petr Straka added another goal, and Nick Cousins had a pair of assists while veteran goalie Rob Zepp had another strong showing by making 29 saves. Leier's goal with 5:59 started a three-goal rally that took just 113 seconds. "It was a pretty good feeling at that point of the game," the 20-year-old Leier said. "We needed a goal. We were pushing and the flood gates opened after that. Other guys got a couple too, and I was just happy to chip in for a win." Leier said the Delisle fight really sparked the team in the third period, and then the electric response of the 7,881 fans at the PPL Center after his goal became the first of three goals in less than two minutes. Just 57 seconds after Leier tied the game, Powe scored his second on a redirect from in front of Hershey goalie Philipp Grubauer to put the Phantoms (3-1) on top while keeping them undefeated at home (2-0). "Those two [goals Powe scored], you're going to the hard areas," Phantoms coach Terry Murray said. "He's right in front of the net on both goals. That's a good place to go "Once we started getting the puck deep and going to the net, things started going well for us," Powe said. "I think that's a lesson for the future." The Phantoms play at Binghamton on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Hershey at 5 p.m. Sunday, with Zepp expected to start in Binghamton and rookie Anthony Stolarz expected to start in Hershey. "I think a lot of guys did a lot of good things for us," Powe said, deflecting any credit. "Leier has been all over the puck and we knew it was just going to be a matter of time for him. We had big fights from Rosie [Jay Rosehill] and Diesel [Delisle] that really got us going." Murray liked the way Delisle's fight changed the tone in the third period. "Those were pretty spirited fights," Murray said. "Delisle is a tough guy, he knows how to handle himself. I don't think he knows how tough he really is. Whenever you have players respond like that, it affects the bench big-time, either way. A player does well or not so well, it has a way of igniting the bench." Straka capped the scoring in a beautiful set-up from Nick Cousins on a breakout. He fed Straka in the left circle for a one-time to make it 4-2 with 4:06 left in the game.

"We sort of talked about it before the draw [in the Phantoms zone]," Cousins said. "We wanted to go out the weak side and sort of went through their defense. He made a nice shot. It was a big goal for us." The Bears took a 1-0 lead after Kris Newbury scored on Casey Wellman's rebound with 6:33 left in the first period on Newbury's fourth goal of the season. The heavyweights went off in the second period when Hershey's Tim Spencer challenged Rosehill after a hit near the boards by Rosehill left defenseman Patrick Wey motionless in the Flyers zone. The Phantoms picked up a penalty because Hershey's Garrett Mitchell got hit for roughing. Powe tied the game on a high redirect tip from the doorstep in front of Grubauer on the power play with 8:49 left in the second period. Defenseman Brandon Manning passed from the right point to Robert Hagg on the left point for a slapshot. Powe got the blade of his stick on the rising shot and redirected it back to the stickside over the blocker. Less than six minutes into the third period, defenseman Mark Alt made a heads-up defensive play to keep the puck out of the net after it got behind Zepp just short of the goal line. PHANTOMS FILES: The big pre-game buzz dealt with rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere getting recalled by the parent club Philadelphia Flyers after they announced that defensemen Andrew MacDonald and Braydon Coburn will each be out for approximately four weeks with "lower body" injuries. Coburn has not played since being injured in the Flyers' season-opening loss and had a setback this past week. MacDonald was injured blocking a shot in Wednesday's win over Pittsburgh. Earlier in the day, social media was all atwitter that the Flyers would recall 23-year-old defenseman Mark Alt, a right-handed shot. Credible reporters claimed there was even a nameplate for Alt put up in the Flyers' practice facility in Voorhees, N.J. A little more than an hour before Friday night's 7:05 game start, the Flyers issued a release saying they were recalling the 21-year-old Gostisbehere, a left-handed shot who made a big impression during the home opener with a dazzling assist on Brandon Manning's game-winning goal. Gostisbehere, who wears No. 14 for the Phantoms, will wear No. 53 for the Flyers in his NHL debut Saturday night when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Wells Fargo Center. Phantoms winger Brett Hextall was a game-time scratch with an upper body injury suffered during the loss at Adirondack last Saturday.

Youth is served: Former Flyers great Brian Propp signed autographs for fans before the game at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth Hockey booth. According to Larry Fortunato with LVPYH, the group is working on getting more autograph sessions at games Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. The chorus from Jaindl Elementary School in the Parkland School District sang the national anthem. NHL Articles

1. TSN.ca - Iginla scores twice as Avalanche rout Canucks in Denver

The Canadian Press DENVER - Colorado's best game of the season began with a goal for Vancouver just 10 seconds into the opening period. The Avalanche dominated the rest of the way. Jarome Iginla collected his first two goals for Colorado and had an assist, helping the Avalanche beat the Canucks 7-3 on Friday night. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists and Erik Johnson had a goal and an assist for Colorado, which broke out of an offensive slump to earn its first home win of the season. "We've had games where we probably could have scored that many goals and we didn't," Duchene said. "It's frustrating and really nice to see all those go in tonight." It also was the first win for goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who returned from injured reserve to make 26 saves. Varlamov missed three games with a groin injury suffered in a morning skate last week. Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist for Vancouver. Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows also scored, and Eddie Lack stopped 41 shots. "It was a tough game for me," Lack said. "You are never happy when you give up seven goals." Colorado outshot the Canucks 16-9 in a dominating second period. The Avalanche got the only two goals in the frame, with Jamie McGinn tying it at 2 at 6:06 and Johnson scoring on a 5-on-3 power play to give Colorado its first lead of the night. Daniel Briere's second goal of the season made it 4-2 lead at 2:05 of the third.

Duchene added a breakaway score at 5:55. "The fourth one was an important one. It was a great play by our D to put it on net," Avalanche coach Patrick Roy said. "Daniel was right there to put it on net. He has great hands and took advantage of the situation." Daniel Sedin scored midway through the third to get Vancouver within two, but Gabriel Landeskog answered with his third goal of the season. Iginla scored in the final minute for career goal No. 562, passing Mike Modine for 23rd on the NHL list. "It felt good," Iginla said of his first goals. "I was getting a little frustrated in the first. I had some great looks from (Alex Tanguay) and Dutch. The one Dutch gave me a nice pass right in the slot. I had it on my backhand and just tried to get it as high as I can. It was very nice to see it go in. It sure felt good to get it and I'll just keep trying to go from here." The Avalanche, who dropped their first two home games, got off to a slow start. Johnson's clearing attempt off the opening faceoff was intercepted by Daniel Sedin, who fed Henrik Sedin in the slot. His shot 10 seconds into the game beat Varlamov and gave Vancouver a 1-0 lead. Colorado responded by controlling the next 15 minutes. The Avalanche finally cashed in on Iginla's first goal of the season at 14:28. "We really didn't have a good start. They outplayed us pretty bad the first 15 minutes of the game," Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said. "We played better the last five. Started pretty good at the second period and penalties put us back on our heels." Burrows gave the Canucks the lead again when Nick Bonino's pass to the front of the net went off his skate. The referee ruled he kicked it in and waved it off but the call was overturned after a video review. NOTES: Tyson Barrie had three assists for Colorado. ... To make room for Varlamov, the Avalanche assigned G Calvin Pickard to Lake Erie of the AHL. ... Avalanche RW Cody McLeod surpassed 1,000 career penalty minutes. 2. TSN.ca - Drouin scores first NHL goal as Lightning storm past Jets

The Canadian Press

WINNIPEG - Ben Bishop stepped up when the Tampa Bay Lightning needed him most. Although they were outshot 42-27, Bishop kept the Lightning in the game as Tampa Bay downed the Winnipeg Jets 4-2 on Friday. "He was the factor in the first two periods for sure," said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. "You need that last line of defence and if you're going to win some games and you want to put yourself in a position to be in the playoffs, you need goaltending." Bishop gave was modest, giving credit to his team's defensive play. "We went out and got some key acquisitions in the summer," said Bishop. "Everybody that plays, plays well and it was no different tonight." The Lightning were without one of their top defencemen. Victor Hedman is out four to six weeks with a fractured finger and the team lost forwards Ryan Callahan and Alex Killorn on this road trip as well. Right winger J.T. Brown left Friday night's game in the first period. "It's part of the game," Bishop said of the rash of injuries. "It happens to every team. Right now it's happening to us a little more." Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Drouin, Vladislav Namestnikov and Ondrej Palat scored as the Lightning (5-2-1) took the fourth game of a five-game road trip that has seen them go 3-1-0. Nikita Kucherov picked up three assists. Bryan Little scored a moral victory for the Jets (2-5-0), when his wrist shot from the slot at 5:33 of the second period finally made Winnipeg's power play successful and brought the Jets briefly within one goal. It was Winnipeg's first power-play goal of the season. Blake Wheeler scored the Jets' second goal in the third period. "They're definitely an offensive team and they took advantage of the opportunities we gave them tonight," said Little. "But it's the kind of game that gives you a sour taste in your mouth because we made a couple of big mistakes they took advantage of, but for most of the game I thought we outplayed them." Wheeler agreed with his linemate. "Ninety-five per cent of that game we were pretty in control of and playing really well and their chances were good chances and they capitalized," said Wheeler. He gave Bishop credit but said the Jets didn't make the best of the chances he presented.

"He kicked out some rebounds and we can do a better job of getting on those rebounds, those second chances." Coach Paul Maurice said it wasn't so much the chances they had but the ones they gave up that were the problem. "The quality of the chances we gave up was too high . . . It was just positional and fairly basic things," he said. Lightning sniper Stamkos scored his sixth of the season at 4:41 of the first to get things started off a feed from Drouin. They got a two-on-one against Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec after a missed pinch. It was Stamkos who finished the give-and-go with a puck on Pavelec's stick side that the Winnipeg goalie had little chance of stopping. Drouin added his own at 4:45 of the second, his NHL first, and Namestnikov tipped Palat's shot past Pavelec on a power play at 12:52 to make it 3-1. Then Palat put one of his own past his Czech countryman with less than two minutes to go in the period to make it 4-1. Pavelec was pulled after the second and replaced by Michael Hutchinson. At one point the Jets were ahead 28-12 on shots in the second but they just couldn't get anything past Bishop. They kept up the pressure and Wheeler was finally rewarded when he flipped one into an open corner of Bishop's net at 10:19 of the third. Winnipeg's power play continued to fail them in the first, even with a five-on-three, although it helped them take a 16-12 lead in shots at the end of the period. But there was a huge roar of approval from the crowd when Little finally broke the jinx. Their best pressure and some of their best scoring chances followed the five-on-three power-play and Tampa Bay called a time out to slow things down. The Lightning were well-rested after a two-day break following a pair of games in Alberta. They end their road trip Saturday in Minnesota. Injured defenceman Radko Gudas returned to the lineup Friday night after missing four games with a lower-body injury. He got in a scrap with Dustin Byfuglien after a high stick that gave Winnipeg their five-on-three, and was slammed to the ice by the hulking Jet in the fracas.

Notes: Andrew Ladd picked up his 199th career assist Friday night on Little's goal and needs only one more goal himself to hit 100 with the franchise. 3. TSN.ca - Eberle scores twice as Oilers beat Hurricanes for third win in a row

The Canadian Press

EDMONTON - It was just last week that the Edmonton Oilers and the Carolina Hurricanes were the two remaining teams without a win in the NHL. Things have picked up for one of those clubs. Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist as the Oilers won their third straight game, defeating the Hurricanes 6-3 on Friday. Jesse Joensuu, Leon Draisaitl, Matt Hendricks and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored for the Oilers (3-4-1), who have turned things around on their current homestand after a troubling beginning to the season. "We found a way to win in the third, and that's the most important thing," Eberle said. "We got the win, we got the two points. That's something we weren't doing last year. We have a little bit of a streak going here." Eberle's goals were his first two of the season. "It's definitely nice to get the monkey off my back," he said. "It seems like it's the same every year, you get one and I feel good and I start playing my game again. "It's funny how it works, you get one and the net turns into a soccer net." Joensuu said he feels the current Oilers group has a bit more composure this year. "Last year we had some frustrating losses in games like this," he said. "This time it was a good frustration in some of the guys. We knew we had the tools to win the game, we have the skill in this room. We said let's go out and do it instead of talking about it." Riley Nash, Jeff Skinner and Jay Harrison responded for the Hurricanes, the only team in the NHL yet to record a win. They are off to a franchise-worst 0-5-2 start. "It was tough the way it ended, it's tough to swallow," Skinner said. "We showed some character coming back as many times as we did. We just couldn't find that one goal to put us up."

Harrison said the Hurricanes need to find a solution to their winless woes — and fast. "We're a bit emotional in here right now," he said. "We knew it wasn't going to be easy and it is not going to get any easier. It's up to the guys in this room to get us out of this. We're professional athletes and nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to continue to get better and work our way out of this. It is the only way." There was almost an early start to the scoring as Hurricane Jay McClement hit a post behind Oilers starter Ben Scrivens in the opening minute. Carolina had 15 shots on Scrivens in a scoreless first period, while the Oilers put 10 on Anton Khudobin in the Hurricanes net. Edmonton finally scored the first goal of the game midway through the second period as Eberle picked off Harrison's clearing pass and went in on a two-on-one, dishing it off to Taylor Hall before getting it back and scoring his first goal of the season. Carolina tied the game up with five minutes left in the middle frame as Nash tipped a Justin Faulk point shot past Scrivens to make it 1-1. The Oilers regained the advantage two minutes later as Khudobin mishandled a Nikita Nikitin shot, allowing Joensuu to bang in the rebound from the doorstep. However, Carolina came right back to knot the game 2-2 with two minutes left in the second as Skinner fought off Martin Marincin and then sniped the top corner for his first of the year. Edmonton moved ahead once more four-and-a-half minutes into the third period with a power-play goal as Eberle used Hall as a screen before beating Khubodin glove-side with a slap shot. Carolina complained that there should have been a penalty on the play to Edmonton's Benoit Pouliot after breaking his stick on a slash of Hurricane defender Brett Bellemore, who then turned the puck over to Eberle. The Hurricanes battle back eight minutes into the third as Scrivens got caught out of position after trying to play the puck behind the net, allowing Harrison to score on a wrist shot through traffic. Edmonton went up 4-3 with seven minutes left as Draisaitl scored his first NHL goal, picking up his own rebound and sending a backhand into the net. "It was really exciting, that's something that every hockey player as a kid dreams about," said the German product. "To make this happen with this team is even more special."

Draisaitl, the third overall pick in the 2014 Entry Draft, was playing his eighth game with one more to go before the Oilers need to decide whether to keep him for the entire season or send him down to junior with Prince Albert of the Western Hockey League. "It was good that he (Draisaitl) stayed with the puck, he had the chance and then to get the goal, that was a big burden off his back," said Oilers coach Dallas Eakins. "I don't know if he's ever in his life gone that long with only a point or two. It's not mandatory for him to get points every night, but it wears on a kid like that when he doesn't." The Oilers added some insurance with four minutes left as Hall raced to negate an icing and then crowded the front of the net, allowing Nugent-Hopkins to score his third goal in as many games. Hendricks sealed the deal with an empty-net goal. "We need a win, sooner rather than later," said Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters. "It's a good group of guys who work hard. They believe and they work for each other. It will happen, we just have to stay with it." The Oilers play the fifth game of a season-long seven-game homestand against the Montreal Canadiens on Monday. The Hurricanes conclude a five-game road trip in Vancouver on Tuesday.

4. TSN.ca - Benn, Eaves score as Stars hand Devils fourth straight loss

The Canadian Press

NEWARK, N.J. - Once Dallas got New Jersey to a shootout, it was all over for the Devils. Jason Spezza and Jamie Benn scored in the tiebreaker, and Dallas beat New Jersey 3-2 on Friday night, extending the Devils' NHL record for shootout losses to 18 straight. Star goaltender Kari Lehtonen finished with 25 saves. It didn't appear as if he had to stop any in the shootout, with Mike Cammalleri's shot going over the net on the first attempt and Jaromir Jagr losing control of the puck on the second. New Jersey's shootout woes date to March 15, 2013.

"You have to score," Devils coach Pete DeBoer said "You've got Benn and Spezza coming down for them the first two shooters. That's tough with the two shots those two guys made. We'll just pick up and move on. I'm not concerned about it. I know we're going to win some shootouts, so we'll take the point and move on." Spezza scored after Cammalleri missed with a dancing backhander in front. Benn beat Cory Schneider skating across the crease from right to left. "Those points are important and shootouts can be finicky," Spezza said "Shootouts are one of those things that if you get momentum as a team and start winning a couple, you get a bit of good feeling about them." It was the Stars' first win in three overtime games this season. They lost the season opener in a shootout and were beaten in overtime by Philadelphia recently. "I thought tonight was by far our best game overall," Stars coach Lindy Ruff said. "That looked a lot like how we played last year. We eliminated a lot of the mistakes. We got pucks out and put on some pressure in the neutral zone." Benn scored for the fifth straight game for Dallas and Patrick Eaves got the other goal in regulation. Eric Gelinas and Damien Brunner scored for New Jersey, which has lost four in a row. Schneider made 35 saves, including a breakaway stop on Erik Cole late in the third period. The Stars now have points in five straight games (4-0-1), and they have won three straight on the road. The Devils tied it at 2 at 8:18 of the third period on a controversial goal by Brunner. A prone Patrik Elias used his glove to slide the puck from the right corner of the net to the other side, where Brunner tapped it in for his first goal of the season. The Stars complained about net being dislodged. The play was reviewed and the goal counted. "We have faced some adversity in some games and we have been able to keep our composure," Ruff said. "As a coach, it something you like to see. We just went back to work." Dallas was outshot 7-3 in the opening nine minutes and fell behind 1-0 on Gelinas' first goal of the season. Jacob Josefson, playing for the first time this season, collected a turnover by defenceman Jamie Oleksiak and found Gelinas for a shot from the left point at 5:21.

Dallas, which outshot New Jersey 11-2 in the final 11 minutes of a fruitless first period, took the lead with two goals in the second. Benn went top shelf from in close one second before a tripping penalty on Gelinas expired. Spezza and Tyler Sequin outworked Andy Greene behind the net, with Seguin finding Benn for his fifth goal. The Devils nearly re-took the lead midway through the period when Michael Ryder hit the post. Eaves put Dallas in front with 4:12 left in the period with a goal that Schneider probably should have prevented. Eaves got the puck in the right circle and his unscreened shot found its way between the goaltender and the post. It was Eaves' first goal since signing with the Stars in free agency in the off-season. NOTES: The Devils honoured recently retired hockey analyst Chico Resch before the game, pushing the start back to nearly 7:30 p.m. ... Josefson got in the lineup because of an injury to RW Jordin Tootoo (foot). He was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 21. ... Star D Jyrki Jokipakka made his NHL debut. ...The Devils and Stars are both playing back-to-back games. Dallas is at the Islanders. The Devils will face the Senators in Ottawa in the first game since Wednesday's shooting death of a soldier in Canada's capital. ... Devils captain Bryce Salvador and Stars forward Antoine Roussel had a big fight in the second period. It was a draw. ... New Jersey did not have a power play in the game. 5. TSN.ca - Report: NHL in "advanced talks" about Las Vegas team

TSN.ca Staff

Las Vegas as an NHL destination was back in the news on Friday. Josh Kosman and Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that billionaire William Foley is in "advanced talks" with the league about acquiring a team, with an eye on a 2017-18 debut season. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly denied the report to the National Post. "Completely untrue," Daly said in an email. "Has never even been discussed internally, much less actually considered." The report in the New York Post suggested one potential deal would be to buy the Arizona Coyotes and relocating the team.

The other scenario was getting a team through expansion. "The Arizona Coyotes are absolutely not relocating," Coyotes co-owner and CEO Anthony LeBlanc told the New York Post. "IceArizona is committed to our market and our fans." Earlier this month, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman suggested the league was open to expansion, including bringing a team to Las Vegas. "We're going to continue to listen to expressions of interest, and that's gratifying that we're getting them, but we're not ready to go through a formal expansion project," he said. Foley is a 70-year-old businessman who made his fortune forming home title insurer Fidelity National Financial and consolidating the industry. He also owns 14 West Coast wineries.

6. NHL.com - Ducks top Blue Jackets; Gibson wins first of season

Curtis Zupke

ANAHEIM -- The last time John Gibson was in goal for the Anaheim Ducks, he didn't get much help from his defense and allowed six goals in front of friends and family in his hometown of Pittsburgh. The Ducks made it up to him Friday. Anaheim held the Columbus Blue Jackets to 17 shots, and Corey Perry scored his NHL-leading ninth goal in a 4-1 win at Honda Center. Anaheim won its seventh straight to match its start of last season (7-1-0). Gibson got the start, his first since the Oct. 9 season opener, a 6-4 loss at the Pittsburgh Penguins, even though Frederik Andersen is on a six-game winning streak. Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau wants to keep Gibson sharp, and Gibson got defense and goal support. "I think we've been playing well lately and, even in the past couple of games, we've been keeping the shots down, so it makes Freddie and my job a lot easier," Gibson said.

"I think it was a good starting point tonight to get a win and hopefully I'll get another chance soon." The Blue Jackets were playing the second of back-to-back games and were held to seven shots through the first 30 minutes. Their first shot of the second period didn't come until 10:22, and they had five shots in the third even with two power plays. "[Gibson] hadn't played since that first game and so I think both John and the team wanted to buckle down," Boudreau said. "I don't know about any of that possession stuff, but I thought we played well. Limiting that team to under 20 shots was a real coup, no matter how many they've got injured or if they played last night. They're still a really good team. I thought we did a really good job at that." Columbus did not have a good start or ending because right wing Cam Atkinson left in the third period when Ryan Kesler's skate accidentally struck him in the face. Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards did not have an update but talked to Atkinson and said, "He's not as pretty as he once was but he's in good spirits." Perry scored 88 seconds into the game after David Savard took a tripping penalty on Jakob Silfverberg. Sami Vatanen executed a slick shot-pass to a cutting Perry, who backhanded it around Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Perry became the fastest player in Anaheim history to nine goals. He leads the NHL with four power-play goals and is tied with linemate Ryan Getzlaf, who had a goal and an assist, for the lead with 12 points. "[Perry] certainly is feeling it right now," Boudreau said. "He's feeling every time he touches the puck, I can't think for him, that he's going to score. That's the way he's feeling. He's going to slow down eventually and, hopefully, when he does, somebody else will pick up the slack." Vatanen and Perry made it 2-0 with another power-play goal, a slap shot from Vatanen with Perry screening Bobrovsky at 8:37 of the first period. Anaheim, ranked 22nd on the power play last season, is 8-for-31. Devante Smith-Pelly gave Anaheim a 3-1 lead with a deft redirect of Perry's pass that trickled five-hole on Bobrovsky at 13:06 of the second period. The Blue Jackets never mounted a push; center Ryan Johansen had one shot on goal. "It's tough to get shots when you're playing D-zone a lot and you're chasing the puck around and it seemed like when we did have it, we didn't get shots," Columbus forward Scott Hartnell said. "But they have a puck-control team and their big guys, I think, outplayed our big guys, and we've got to learn from that. We've got to play with the puck more. It just seems like we were chasing it the whole night."

Columbus pulled to 2-1 at 14:00 of the first period when Hartnell's shot bounced off Ducks defenseman Hampus Lindholm into the net. It was the first power-play goal the Ducks have allowed at home this season. Richards mentioned the early goal and the Blue Jackets' tendency toward slow starts this season. Columbus, which defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-4 Thursday after trailing 2-0, has been outscored 7-5 in the first period and 11-3 in the second period. "We weren't ready to start the game," Richards said. "We couldn't execute. We couldn't make a pass and ending up chasing most of the first period. And we weren't engaged in the game. They were ready to play and we weren't." 7. NHL.com - Senators, Leafs, Habs to stage coordinated tribute

NHL.com Staff

To honor the brave soldiers who lost their lives this past week in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Ottawa, and to show appreciation for the men and women whose selfless actions stopped the attackers and aided the victims, the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will stage a coordinated tribute Saturday immediately preceding the 7 p.m. ET puck drops at their respective arenas. The show of solidarity, to be staged simultaneously by the three Canadian teams hosting 7 p.m. ET games at Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, Ontario, Bell Centre in Montreal and Air Canada Centre in Toronto, will be broadcast live on CBC, Sportsnet ONE, City, and TVA Sports in Canada and on NHL Network in the United States.