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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/17/2014

Anaheim Ducks 738893 Lack of balance costs Kings in loss to Ducks

Boston Bruins 738894 Jarome Iginla brings consistency to Bruins’ top line 738895 Bruins Wild about recent stretch

Buffalo Sabres 738896 Sabres goalie prospect Lieuwen gets first NHL call; Neuvirth injured 738897 Don't go downtown: Sabres cancel morning skate 738898 Vanek recalls good, bad times with Sabres 738899 Lieuwen climbs Sabres’ depth chart in loss to Habs 738900 Vanek honored, surprised the Sabres chose to recognize his time in Buffalo 738901 In return to Buffalo, Thomas Vanek has plenty to say 738902 Neuvirth injury latest obstacle; Enroth to start tonight

Calgary Flames 738903 Johnson: Flames fall to Coyotes 3-2 after six straight third-period penalties 738904 5 Burning Questions 738905 Calgary Flames' Curtis Glencross passing along help of Sergei Federov 738906 Johnny Gaudreau fails to fly by Paul Kariya's NCAA mark 0

Carolina Hurricanes 738907 Time running out on Hurricanes after 2-1 loss to Oilers 738908 Oilers @ Canes

Chicago Blackhawks 738909 Blackhawks await Teravainen's arrival 738910 Blackhawks get Marian Hossa back, get a win 738911 Top prospect Teuvo Teravainen likely to land spot on Blackhawks 738912 Hossa returns, Q shakes it up as Blackhawks pound Red Wings 738913 Blackhawks game day 738914 Hawks happy to have Hossa back 738915 Teravainen on the way for Blackhawks? 738916 Blackhawks clip Red Wings 4-1 738917 Marian Hossa's goal 'absolutely killed' Red Wings 738918 In Marian Hossa's return, Blackhawks down Red Wings, 4-1 738919 Teuvo Teravainen done in Finland, are Blackhawks next? 738920 Five Things to watch: Blackhawks vs. Red Wings

Colorado Avalanche 738921 John Mitchell "super happy" playing for Colorado Avalanche 738922 Avalanche runs away from Senators in Andre Benoit's return to Ottawa 738923 Avalanche vs. Senators postgame: Varlamous

Columbus Blue Jackets 738924 Blue Jackets 2, Wild 1: Ryan Johansen’s goal gets good review 738925 Blue Jackets notebook: Fedor Tyutin returns to lineup following ankle injury

Dallas Stars 738926 Observations from a 7-2 loss against Winnipeg Sunday: Stars have to remember what got them here 738927 Stars take beating, increase playoff drama instead of knocking down Jets 738928 Allen Americans finish busy weekend with 4-3 shootout loss n Denver 738929 Stars allow six unanswered goals in 7-2 blowout loss to Winnipeg Jets 738930 Stars assign Travis Morin back to AHL, looks like Cody Eakin is ready to go 738931 Postponed Stars game vs. Blue Jackets has been rescheduled for April 9 738932 Jets soar past defenseless Stars 7-2

Detroit Red Wings 738933 Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Why the Red Wings lost Sunday 738934 Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Johan Franzen says Red Wings 'need to believe in ourselves a little bit more' 738935 Detroit Red Wings need Jimmy Howard to step up in final run to playoffs 738936 Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Red Wings lack offensive punch, losing time for playoff push 738937 Rookie Riley Sheahan earns his place with Red Wings 738938 Red Wings' offensive cold spell continues against Blackhawks 738939 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Will Chicago Blackhawks repeat as Stanley Cup champs? 738940 Red Wings aim to improve entries on power play, maintain strong penalty kill vs. Blackhawks 738941 Marian Hossa returns from injury to lead Blackhawks past offensively challenged Red Wings 738942 Injury plagued Red Wings fall to Blackhawks

Edmonton Oilers 738943 Eakins happy to see Yakupov come to teammate’s aid 738944 Oilers score power-play goal to cap successful road trip 738945 Edmonton Oilers edge Hurricanes in Carolina

Florida Panthers 738946 Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers fall to Canucks in shootout 738947 HUBERDEAU HURT: Not Going to California 738948 SHOOTOUT REDUX: Vancouver Avenges Earlier SO Loss to Panthers, Top Luongo 4-3 738949 Matthias takes a few shots at Panthers; Markstrom returns 738950 Luongo and Panthers comes up tad short in 4-3 shootout loss to Canucks

Los Angeles Kings 738951 Lack of balance costs Kings in loss to Ducks 738952 NHL preview capsule: Third-place Kings play host to fourth-place Coyotes 738953 March 16 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter 738954 Brown dealing with minor issue 738955 Waking up with the Kings: March 16 738956 Martin Jones feels good with where his game is at

Minnesota Wild 738957 Homecoming Day for Wild's Coyle 738958 Wild's Charlie Coyle to make Boston homecoming before family and friends

Montreal Canadiens 738959 Rookie Tokarski earns shutout as Habs blank Sabres 738960 A now-you’ve-seen-everything win for Habs 738961 Tokarski gets start for Habs in Buffalo 738962 Dustin Tokarski doesn’t have time for pregame jitters 738963 Habs sweep weekend, hit second place in division 738964 About this weekend …

New Jersey Devils 738965 Bishop Gets 31st Win, Lightning Top Devils 3-0 738966 Devils GM, players credit coach Pete DeBoer with keeping team in hunt, but now the pressure is on 738967 Devils’ Adam Henrique still carries memory of late Mickey Renaud with him 738968 Devils: Player's health scare hits close to home for Adam Henrique 738969 Devils notes: Former teammate Bobby Holik says Jaromir Jagr's great

New York Islanders 738970 Isles Score Twice in 1st and 3rd, Top Sabres 4-1

New York Rangers 738971 Rangers Lose Game and Their Cushion in the Race for the Playoffs 738972 Niemi, Couture Lift Surging Sharks Over Rangers 738973 No-goal call dooms Rangers to 1-0 loss against Sharks at MSG 738974 Blueshirts come up empty in painful loss 738975 Sharks 1, Rangers 0: Wrapping up 738976 Sharks 1, Rangers 0: The video review 738977 Live Blog: Rangers vs. Sharks, 3/16 738978 Rangers notes: Team had plenty of chances 738979 Vigneault cites 'friends' in questioning disallowed goal 738980 Upon further review, Rangers blanked by Sharks, 1-0 738981 Sharks at Rangers … It’s Go Time! 738982 Rangers-Sharks in review 738983 Sharks 1, Rangers 0 … post-game notes & quotes

Ottawa Senators 738984 The Senators this week 738985 Scanlan: Senators reach Hail Mary time 738986 Loss to Avalanche caps nightmare weekend for Senators 738987 Numbers Game: Why last season’s ‘strong defensive team’ was a mirage 738988 Senators No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson missing second straight game to injury 738989 Senators star Bobby Ryan insists team can salvage season 738990 Ottawa Senators drop 3rd straight, lose 3-1 to Avs

Philadelphia Flyers 738991 Flyers sweep home-and-home series with Pens 738992 Flyers Notes: Flyers' penalty killers snuff out the Penguins 738993 Flyers get more than points out of sweeping Penguins 738994 Special teams boost Flyers 738995 Flyers hold on to win, complete weekend sweep 738996 Special teams especially key in dominating Pens 738997 Flyers serve notice with weekend sweep 738998 Flyers hold off Penguins comeback to sweep weekend 738999 Power play a force on the road 739000 Flyers-Penguins: 5 things you need to know 739001 Flyers edge Penguins to take weekend set 739002 Instant Replay: Flyers 4, Penguins 3 739003 Sean Couturier dominant in win over Penguins 739004 Simmonds helps Flyers edge Penguins 739005 FLYERS NOTES: Immortalizing Shero brings back memories for son 739006 Flyers eager to see how playoff structure works out 739007 Flyers dominate home half of back-to-back with Penguins 739008 Another win has Flyers in Penguins' heads

Phoenix Coyotes 739009 Never the easy way, but Coyotes prevail

Pittsburgh Penguins 739010 Penguins notebook: Bennett to return to full practice 739011 Penguins' Letang cleared for full practice 6-plus weeks after stroke 739012 Flyers complete weekend sweep of Penguins with another win at Consol 739013 Penguins end lost weekend against Philadelphia with 4-3 loss 739014 Ron Cook: Injuries hurt, it's no excuse for Penguins 739015 Penguins notebook: Letang, Bennett fully cleared

San Jose Sharks 739016 Antti Niemi leads San Jose Sharks past New York Rangers 739017 Antti Niemi stops 41 shots, Sharks shut out Rangers 1-0

St Louis Blues 739018 Battered Berglund has found scoring touch 739019 Blues lose Tarasenko to hand injury

Tampa Bay Lightning 739020 10 years after Bolts’ title, Andreychuk etched in eternity 739021 2003-04 Lightning: Where are they now 739022 Members of Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup team share memories 739023 Preview: Lightning-Canucks

Toronto Maple Leafs 739024 Mirtle: Leafs playoff hopes remain high despite loss to Capitals 739025 Leafs can’t recover from groggy start in road loss to Capitals 739026 Maple Leafs' penthouse-doghouse: Reimer looks sharp, the offence does not 739027 Maple Leafs get off to slow start and lose to Capitals 739028 Capitals keep Maple Leafs' top line in check 739029 Maple Leafs' Dion Phaneuf plus-minus rating taking a dive 1 739030 Toronto Maple Leafs can’t climb out of early hole in loss to Washington Capitals

Vancouver Canucks 739047 Canucks outlast Panthers in shootout, 4-3 739048 The Van Provies from Florida where math isn’t good but Lack in the shootout sure is 739049 Kevin Bieksa: The save heard around the world 739050 Canucks’ new hero Nicklas Jensen continues to impress 739051 Canucks 4 Panthers 3: Lack outduels Luongo in shootout win

Washington Capitals 739032 Nicklas Backstrom’s unselfish play leads to Troy Brouwer’s 20th goal 739033 Brooks Laich will not join Capitals on West Coast trip 739034 Adam Oates is cautious over Evgeny Kuznetsov’s ‘wow factor’ 739035 With west coast trip looming, Capitals take care of business by toppling Toronto 739036 Capitals double up Maple Leafs 4-2

Websites 739052 FOXSports.com / Controversy aside, Ducks back on the rise after beating Kings 739053 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Sabres salute Thomas Vanek with video tribute during Canadiens’ Buffalo visit 739054 CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Canadiens comeback; Sens choke job; Bruins peaking; more links 739055 USA TODAY / Who'll make the playoffs in the NHL West? 739056 USA TODAY / Capitals must get on serious roll, and even that might not be enough

Winnipeg Jets 739037 Hope springs eternal for Jets 739038 Time to bring back Burmi 739039 Jets show star power 739040 Jets-Stars summary 739041 Montoya gung-ho for big game against Blues 739042 Hutchinson's heartwarming tale of hard work and reward 739043 Jets' goalie Hutchinson knows how to bide his time 739044 Jets blast Stars 7-2 739045 Jets Snapshots: Monday morning reality check, Jets fans ... Byfuglien almost fills hat ... Maurice raises eyeb 739046 GAME DAY: Stars at Jets SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 3.17.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

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Buffalo Sabres

Michal Neuvirth's misfortune means Nathan Lieuwen will have a memorable day.

The Sabres have called up the netminding prospect from Rochester on an emergency basis. It's the first time the 22-year-old has been summoned to the NHL.

Neuvirth, who made 51 saves in his last start Thursday night, will miss tonight's game with a lower-body injury. Jhonas Enroth started for the Sabres on Saturday. While he certainly can go to the crease on back-to-back days, there's a chance Lieuwen will play rather than be the backup. Lieuwen, though, started for the Amerks on Friday and Saturday.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks looked way out of sorts with Marian Hossa missing from the lineup.

With the veteran winger back, they more resembled the team that stormed to the Stanley Cup last season.

Hossa returned after a five-game absence with an upper-body injury to help the Hawks break out of the doldrums with a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings on Sunday night at the United Center. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Hawks and they remained one point behind the second-place Avalanche in the Central Division.

After suffering an upper-body injury late in the second period, Brandon Saad did not return to the ice for the final 20 minutes Sunday.

“He seemed all right; I don’t think it’s too serious,” Joel Quenneville said.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Three weeks and three days after he suffered a high ankle sprain, Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin was back in the lineup last night against the Minnesota Wild.

“It doesn’t surprise me, because it’s Fedor,” coach Todd Richards said. “I just remember him, at the end (of the 2011-12 season) when he couldn’t play because of a broken hand, how upset he was that he couldn’t be out there — and that was a lost season.”

Defensemen Nick Schultz and Frederic St. Denis and forward Matt Frattin were healthy scratches last night.

Dallas Stars

Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has reassigned forward Travis Morin to the Texas Stars, Dallas' top development affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Detroit Red Wings

Tough guy Jordin Tootoo is back with the Red Wings after being recalled from Grand Rapids when Todd Bertuzzi suffered a lower-body injury in Friday's 2-1 shootout victory over Edmonton.

How much playing time Tootoo gets remains to be seen but you can bet he'll be looking to agitate the Blackhawks in a bid to see more ice time and stay in Detroit.

Florida Panthers

Reigning rookie of the year Jonathan Huberdeau left the game in the second period with an undisclosed upper body injury and didn’t return.

The Panthers left his gear hanging in their locker room after the game while packing up the rest of the team. That would suggest Huberdeau was not on Florida’s charter flight to California on Sunday night.

Drew Shore could be called up from AHL San Antonio for the upcoming four-game west coast set.

Florida placed defenseman Alex Petrovic (upper body) on injured reserve as it still has three injured players (Jesse Winchester, Erik Gudbranson and Sean Bergenheim) on the active roster.

Los Angeles Kings

Following the Kings’ practice Sunday morning at Toyota Sports Center, reporters learned that Dustin Brown, while recovering from an illness that also kept Jonathan Quick away from the team’s facility for the last two days, is also battling through a minor lower-body injury suffered earlier in the week.

Noted by the team’s hockey operations on Friday that Brown’s absence from practice was due to “more maintenance than anything,” the news confirms earlier reports by The Fourth Period that Brown’s absence wasn’t due solely to illness.

Brown did not practice on Sunday, though Quick did. At this point, it appears unlikely that Los Angeles’ captain will play against the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday at Staples Center. His availability for Thursday’s home game against Washington will be determined later in the week.

Montreal Canadiens

Following Saturday night’s remarkable 5-4 comeback overtime win over the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens headed to Buffalo, where they will face the Sabres Sunday night (7 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

But goaltender Carey Price didn’t make the trip. After playing in his first game Saturday since suffering a lower-body injury at the Sochi Olympics, the Canadiens decided to leave Price behind to rest after he made 30 saves to improve his record to 27-17-5. Coach Michel Therrien said he didn’t want Price playing in back-to-back games so soon after coming back from injury.

The Canadiens recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski from the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday morning. The Canadiens had sent Tokarski down Saturday, but he never actually left Montreal and was at Saturday’s game.

Therrien announced Sunday afternoon that Tokarski will get the start in goal against the Sabres and that Jarred Tinordi, who was a healthy scratch Saturday, will return to the lineup, taking Douglas Murray’s spot.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey C Ryan Carter didn't play due to an upper-body injury. ... B. J. Crombeen had been a healthy scratch the previous four games and six of the last seven.

New York Islanders

New York agreed to terms with 2012 draft pick D Adam Pelech on a three-year, entry-level contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins

More than four months after suffering a broken wrist, forward Beau Bennett was cleared to return to full practice Monday.

A first-round pick in 2010, Bennett, who has missed the past 43 games, has one goal and two assists in 12 games this season.

He was playing as Sidney Crosby's wing at the time of his injury Nov. 12. Bennett had 14 points in his final 22 games as a rookie last season.

After going three years between missing games with an injury, Chris Kunitz missed his second consecutive game Sunday. Kunitz suffered a lower-body injury after crashing into the goal post in Tuesday's win against Washington. Kunitz practiced Friday. “He's doing well, but not well enough to be in the lineup,” coach Dan Bylsma said.

For the first time this month, defenseman Simon Despres was a healthy scratch. Robert Bortuzzo was back in the lineup after being scratched Saturday. Despres took a penalty during his first shift Saturday, and the Flyers scored on the resulting power play.

Winnipeg Jets

Jets winger Chris Thorburn will be out indefinitely with a broken talus bone, which is in his ankle, that he suffered blocking a shot on Friday night against the Rangers. Also, Jim Slater is day-to-day with a lower body ailment.

SPORT-SCAN NHL REPORT FOR 3.17.2014 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

SPORT-SCAN, INC. ♦ [email protected]

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Ottawa Senators

Craig Anderson wasn't ready to return to face his former teammates.

The Senators' No. 1 goaltender may have skated Saturday in Montreal but after suffering what coach Paul MacLean called "a stinger" last Monday Anderson wasn't even on the bench Sunday night.

That meant backup Robin Lehner, who has allowed 20 goals in his last four starts going into Sunday's game, made the start against the Avalanche as Anderson missed his second straight.

There is no timetable for Anderson's return and MacLean didn't offer any kind of update before the game. Asked if Anderson was on the ice Sunday, MacLean was tight-lipped.

St Louis Blues

The Blues have lost forward Vladimir Tarasenko for at least six weeks with a right hand injury, the team confirmed late Sunday afternoon. Tarasenko will have surgery Wednesday and be re-evaluated after the six-week period.

He will be out for the remainder of the regular season, and it appears the team would have to go deep into the playoffs for Tarasenko to have a chance to return.

He sustained the injury late in Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Nashville. There was no indication the forward had hurt his hand seriously during the game. He scored a goal in the second period and did not miss a shift, playing more than 15 minutes.

His injury comes with the playoffs on the horizon and just 15 games remaining in the regular season. The 46-14-7 Blues lead the NHL with 99 points as they prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets tonight at Scottrade Center.

Washington Capitals

Brooks Laich’s lingering groin injury will sideline him for at least another week. Capitals Coach Adam Oates announced after Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs that Laich will not travel with the team on its three-game trip to California but will instead head to St. Louis to meet with groin specialist Michael Brunt for the second time in a week.

Oates said Laich might undergo a “small procedure” similar to the one he had last spring, part of a disastrous 2012-13 season in which the troublesome injury limited him to nine games.

“We talked, and we shut Brooksy down,” Oates said of his decision not to play Laich on Sunday. “He wasn’t feeling good. He’s going to go to St. Louis and see the same doctor.”

Oates said Laich flying from St. Louis to join the team in California at some point wasn’t a possibility, and that he “might have a little procedure” done. He said the team will know tomorrow whether or not Laich will have the procedure, and that he doesn’t know the specific timetable for the 30-year-old forward’s return if he does.

NHL Daily Transactions

Dallas Stars Dallas Stars Travis Morin C Sent To MinorsTexas-AHL

Columbus Blue Jackets Columbus Blue Jackets Blake Comeau LW Suspension Over

Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres Nathan Lieuwen G Called Up From Minorsfrom Rochester-AHL

Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Jets Michael Hutchinson G Called Up From Minorsfrom St. John's-AHL

Winnipeg Jets Winnipeg Jets Patrice Cormier C Called Up From Minorsfrom St. John's-AHL

Florida Panthers Florida Panthers Alex Petrovic D Placed On IRUpper-body injury

St. Louis Blues St. Louis Blues Dmitrij Jaskin RW Called Up From Minorsfrom Chicago-AHL

END

738893 Anaheim Ducks

Lack of balance costs Kings in loss to Ducks

By Lisa Dillman

6:56 PM PDT, March 16, 2014

The stretch run has such a way of magnifying the good and the bad.

For instance, a puck banks off the skate of Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin past his goalie Martin Jones and a segment of Kings fans want Muzzin put on the next plane back to the minors.

The Ducks beat the Kings, 2-1, Saturday night at Staples Center, putting together consecutive victories after Wednesday's loss at Calgary. That 7-2 pratfall against the Flames now appears more like a wake-up call at a key time rather than a precursor of doom.

Anaheim felt as if it was able to find its identity again in the last two games. The Kings, who face Phoenix on Monday night, have lost twice since the Olympic break, and it is exactly the same with the Ducks, who are off until Tuesday against Washington.

"Last night, was sort of a microcosm of it because we made two really soft plays in our zone that cost us two goals against," Coach Darryl Sutter said Sunday after practice. "If you want to be a playoff team, win in the playoffs, you don't do that. It's very simple. We had plenty, lots of opportunities to score and just didn't quite get it done."

The Kings often hit the right balance during their recent eight-game winning streak, getting unexpected offensive contributions from the likes of forward Trevor Lewis and defenseman Alec Martinez, as well as strong sustained play from the line of Dwight King-Jarret Stoll-Dustin Brown. That line struggled against Toronto on Thursday and Brown sat out Saturday's game because of illness and an unspecified lower-body injury, not believed to be serious.

"You can't win with one line or one or two guys," Sutter said. "You can't win consistently. You can steal it or surprise it. Just look at last night. I mean, we played really well against the [Ryan] Getzlaf line and did a good job in special teams, which is just about what you do in playoff time.

"You match up. But lesser guys scored goals for them. Lesser lines or lesser guys that don't get as many minutes and that's what we need."

Kings No 1 goalie Jonathan Quick, who has been sick, practiced Sunday but Brown did not. Several players have been under the weather of late. Brown is not expected to play Monday; Thursday against Washington is a more likely possibility. His injury was previously reported by the Fourth Period.

Recently acquired Marian Gaborik has enabled the Kings to make proper adjustments. Gaborik has two points in five games since joining the Kings from Columbus at the trade deadline.

"It puts all those guys right now in slots," Sutter said. "In today's game, the teams are too balanced. If you bunch everybody together and you don't have the personnel to do it, you're not going far. It looks good tonight. But it's not going to look good tomorrow.'

Sutter detailed the fine balance that helped push the Kings to the Stanley Cup two years ago and the final four last season. Gaborik adds a new piece.

"With us, if [Marian] can play with Kopi [Anze Kopitar], that's good," he said. "That means Willie [Justin Williams] has got to step up and play because if we put Jeff [Carter] there, you're overloading it. Jeff and Mike [Richards] are familiar with each other. That means Mike's got to step up and play a stronger brand of hockey for us.

"And that puts Brownie where he should be. It puts him in that third-line role with guys who go up and down and check and play hard, chip in your 15 to 20 [minutes]. It all shakes out perfectly."

UP NEXT FOR THE KINGS

VS. PHOENIX

When: 7:30.

On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 1150.

Etc.: Center Martin Hanzal (lower-body injury) has sat out seven straight games for the Coyotes, and Coach Dave Tippett has indicated there is a chance he might return against the Kings.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.17.2014

738894 Boston Bruins

Jarome Iginla brings consistency to Bruins’ top line

By Amalie Benjamin

| Globe Staff March 17, 2014

Before the season, before the Bruins’ Jarome Iginla even had donned the spoked-B sweater in a regular-season game, he was asked about possibilities missed and taken, about chances that might have been lost forever. He was asked about a Stanley Cup that could have been his.

“No,” he said. “Honestly not a lot of what-ifs.”

He said he didn’t regret the trade that almost was — when he was minutes from being dealt to the Bruins before asking onto the Penguins at last season’s deadline, a trade that could have been the missing piece to a second Cup in three seasons for Boston.

“I just keep trying to go forward and keep looking forward,” Iginla said then. “There’s so many different plays that happen. It’s not like I could come in . . . it changes the whole dynamic. It just changes the whole dynamic.”

That, in fact, is what Iginla has done this season, bringing consistency and heightened play to a line that has, in past years, been streaky through the regular season before raising its level in the postseason. And while it’s impossible to know what could have happened had it been Iginla as the addition to the Bruins last season instead of Jaromir Jagr, the fact that both Iginla and general manager Peter Chiarelli checked their pride for the greater good could mean an excellent chance at altering that outcome this season. It could mean a Cup for Iginla.

The winger — who now is 26th in all-time goals with 553 — is likely on his way to the Hall of Fame. He has more than $78 million in career earnings, according to capgeek.com. He has All-Star games and trophies (Art Ross, Maurice Richard, King Clancy, Ted Lindsay). He has worn a C. His next game, Monday night against the Wild at TD Garden, will be his 1,300th in the NHL. He does not have a Cup.

But coming to Boston and joining a line with David Krejci and Milan Lucic has proven fruitful for all concerned. Iginla leads the team with 23 goals, and is second in points (53) to Krejci’s 59. The trio has 47 points combined in its last 14 games, which coincides nicely with the team’s performance, an 11-1-2 mark in that time.

“They’re right up there,” Iginla said, when asked how Krejci and Lucic rank with the linemates in his career. “I’m very fortunate to get to play with them.

“They’re very competitive, they’re very hungry. It’s not just their skill level, which is very high, but it’s their compete level and their drive. Physically, Krej, his poise with the puck, his speed, his change of speed, they’re fun to play with and they have great chemistry, too. So I’m very fortunate to come this year and get to play with them right out of training camp.”

Asked about Iginla’s influence on his linemates, coach Claude Julien said, “The other day I said [to Krejci], ‘This is as consistent as I’ve seen you since you’ve been here,’ and that’s all part of growing as a player, maturity, understanding his role. Looch has come back this year and has played the way he finished last year. We can’t forget these are still young players. They are in their 20s and they’re young players so there’s always room for them to grow and I think that’s what we’re all seeing here is growth in some of those players.

“But at the same time, you’re right. You got a guy like Jarome Iginla, for a guy who’s been in the league this long has really done a great job in maintaining his conditioning, comes into practice and games and works hard, competes hard all the time. So those young guys don’t have an opportunity to do [anything] more than try and follow his lead.”

Iginla has kept his level strong, even at age 36, and raised the level of those around him. After a slow start — just four goals in his first 24 games — Iginla now has his 15th 20-goal season in 17 NHL seasons. The only times he has not scored 20 were in his second season in the league and in the lockout shortened 2012-13.

“He’s exactly what he was advertised as, as a good team player, a hard worker, competitive guy, and again I can see why he had a letter in Calgary because he’s got that leadership quality in him,” Julien said.

He has maintained that in Boston, part of a core group that helps make decisions between coaches and players, acting as a leader even without the captaincy that he had for years in Calgary.

But it’s what he has done on the ice that has been crucial to the team’s success this season. Iginla and his scoring touch, his physicality, his presence, have been excellent fits, and have yielded a line that has found its footing at just the right time of the season.

“It’s been great having him here,” Lucic said. “You can see he’s obviously come into his own here and starting to feel good about himself, as he has the last, I’d say, 10, 20 games.

“We all know what he can do from what he’s done in the past, and you know he’s definitely a confident guy that’s always pushing for more. You see the little things in him that has made him so successful throughout his career, and I think it’s starting to show more and more as the season’s gone on.”

And maybe, in the end, it even will yield that ever-elusive Cup for Iginla.

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.17.2014

738895 Boston Bruins

Bruins Wild about recent stretch

Monday, March 17, 2014

Stephen Harris

The Bruins enjoyed an extremely well-earned day off yesterday after rolling to their eighth consecutive victory Saturday at the Garden, 5-1, over the Carolina Hurricanes.

The B’s no doubt would love to start the playoffs today rather than waiting a month for the postseason. The Eastern Conference leaders’ challenge, in the meantime, is to remain focused and hungry, and keep improving over the final 15 games.

The first two of those will happen quickly, as the B’s host the Minnesota Wild tonight, then visit the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night. The team then heads west for games against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday and the Phoenix Coyotes on Saturday.

“I think you just go out on a nightly basis, (and) you’re trying to fine-tune your game,” said B’s defenseman Torey Krug. “We’re playing good hockey. We’re still fine-tuning some things. Defensively, we’re playing well right now. Our goalies are unbelievable, as usual. We’re scoring goals. Everything’s coming together well.”

During their winning streak, the Bruins have outscored their eight opponents, 33-12. That’s despite a power play that’s had few opportunities (14) and failed to score in 7-of-8 games. Instead, the B’s are doing the job with strong 5-on-5 play — with and without the puck.

The B’s are known as one of the “heaviest” teams in the league for the physical and aggressive style they play. The B’s were credited with 27 hits against Carolina, none bigger than defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s open-ice demolition of Hurricanes star Jeff Skinner.

“It’s been better, obviously,” said Hamilton of the B’s hitting game. “You just have to look at the stats, and you know you’re seeing a lot more of it. I think right now we’re really feeling good about ourselves as a team.

“I think we can be pretty intimidating when all four lines are rolling and forechecking hard and hitting. It puts the other team on their heels. Our team’s pretty good at that. When we play hard and hit and move our feet, I think we’re pretty good.”

The Bruins will attempt to stretch their win streak to nine games tonight at the Garden, where they are 27-7-2 — the best home mark in the NHL. As it is, they are riding their longest winning streak since a 10-gamer in November, 2011, and are 16-2-3 in their last 21.

Minnesota is a team known for solid defense but not a whole lot of offense. In a statistical oddity, the Wild are at 2.34 in both goals-against per game — which ranks fourth in the league — and in goals scored, which ranks them a mere 27th. The Wild are currently entrenched in seventh place in the Western Conference.

The key to stopping the Wild is containing their top line of Zach Parise, Mikael Granlund and Jason Pominville — a trio that’s produced 35 points since being formed a dozen games ago. And, of course, Ryan Suter is one of the more talented defensemen in the NHL.

But the B’s should be fine unless they succumb to complacency and drift from their recent adherence to coach Claude Julien’s system, which stresses hard work, puck pressure and cohesive support. While winger Milan Lucic said he hoped his team wasn’t peaking too early, for now, clearly, the B’s are playing very well and loving life.

“You can definitely tell that guys are confident and times are good right now,” said Bruins winger Matt Lindblad, who skated well in his NHL debut Saturday, then was sent back to Providence of the AHL.

“It’s definitely a playoff-like atmosphere in there. You get that sense in the locker room that they know every game counts and every game means something.”

As long as the B’s hang on to that attitude, there’s no reason they can’t keep it going until the games really start to mean something next month.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.17.2014

738896 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres goalie prospect Lieuwen gets first NHL call; Neuvirth injured

March 16, 2014 - 12:45 PM

By John Vogl

Michal Neuvirth's misfortune means Nathan Lieuwen will have a memorable day.

The Sabres have called up the netminding prospect from Rochester on an emergency basis. It's the first time the 22-year-old has been summoned to the NHL.

Neuvirth, who made 51 saves in his last start Thursday night, will miss tonight's game with a lower-body injury. Jhonas Enroth started for the Sabres on Saturday. While he certainly can go to the crease on back-to-back days, there's a chance Lieuwen will play rather than be the backup. Lieuwen, though, started for the Amerks on Friday and Saturday.

Lieuwen has excelled with the Amerks this season. The organization originally expected him to merely compete with Connor Knapp for the backup job, but he's wrestled the starting role away from Matt Hackett. Lieuwen, drafted in the sixth round in 2011, has appeared in 32 games with a 17-11-2 record, .922 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average.

"“Nathan Lieuwen has been a really outstanding surprise,” Amerks coach Chadd Cassidy recently told The News. “He really is developing nicely and has taken the ball and run with it in terms of the opportunity that we’ve given him.

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

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.17.2014


Don't go downtown: Sabres cancel morning skate

March 16, 2014 - 8:37 AM

By Mike Harrington

Tonight's game against the Montreal Canadiens is the Sabres' fifth in eight days and comes following their late-night return from Long Island and their 4-1 loss to the Islanders. And with a long flight to Calgary scheduled after practice Monday, the Sabres have announced they have canceled their morning skate today in First Niagara Center.

I've already gotten an email and some inquiries on Twitter because the morning skates on the weekend tend to be popular with fans. So this is your official notice: Don't go downtown. The building will be shuttered because there's nothing to see today.

The Sabres haven't been much to see of late either. They've lost five straight, equaling their season high, and have scored just five goals in those games. The Habs, meanwhile, were four minutes away from falling to 0-4 with old friend Thomas Vanek in the lineup but pulled off a miracle rally Saturday night against Ottawa.

Trailing, 4-1, Montreal scored three goals to tie the game -- with the equalizer by David Desharnais coming with three-tenths of a second left -- and got a Francis Bouillon goal in overtime to post a stunning 5-4 win.

In fact, it was more than stunning. It was historic. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the first time in NHL history a team has trailed by three goals in the final five minutes and came back to win a game. Wow. NEVER happened before? Amazing.

Vanek will be making his first appearance in Buffalo since getting traded by the Sabres to the Islanders on Oct. 27. He has 21 goals and 33 assists this season in 64 games between the three teams. He has just one assist so far with the Habs, who have already bounced him between some lines.



Vanek recalls good, bad times with Sabres

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

on March 17, 2014 - 12:33 AM

Thomas Vanek, seated in the middle of his new Montreal teammates, gazed up from the bench as nine years of his life flashed by on the scoreboard. The applause and emotions grew as goal after goal went in the net, highlights of his time with the Sabres that spanned 598 games and three uniform overhauls.

When the video ended, Vanek and the fans in Buffalo were both on their feet. He waved, the crowd cheered, and the mutual admiration was evident in First Niagara Center.

“All I know is I have a lot of good memories in this building, in this town,” Vanek said Sunday. “It’s something I’ll cherish forever.”

The Sabres’ former captain and perennial scoring leader returned to the arena for the first time since being traded in October. It felt strange walking through the hallways as a visitor, but being an opponent couldn’t mask his love for Buffalo.

Or his regrets.

While Vanek walked down memory lane, the path occasionally veered toward disappointing times.

“Looking back at it and even talking to some of the guys who are not here anymore, it’s unfortunate,” Vanek said before Montreal’s 2-0 victory.

The left wing, drafted fifth overall in 2003, joined the Sabres in 2005-06 as a complementary piece. Chris Drury and Daniel Briere led Buffalo to the Eastern Conference final that season and the next. They departed July 1, 2007, and Darcy Regier responded by betting on Vanek, Jason Pominville, Ryan Miller and Derek Roy to be the next leaders.

They never won a playoff series, and they’re all gone.

“I thought we were a good team, a solid core,” Vanek said. “We always talked about not getting to the next level, but I thought if you really look back at what happened is that Danny and Chris left at the time, and they told us to step up, which is great. We all wanted that to happen, but we never replaced two good players.

“In this league you need depth, and I think five, six players can only take you so far. The way I look at it, I wish we would have went and got two, three, four more good guys. We really could have made some runs.”

Vanek, who will be an unrestricted free agent July 1, knew after an organizational meeting last summer that his run in Buffalo was coming to an end.

“I just asked what direction this team was going in,” Vanek said. “No one really had an answer. That’s when I kind of made up my mind that July 1 is probably a goal of mine.”

Knowing Vanek wouldn’t re-sign, Regier sent the forward to the New York Islanders in one of his last acts before getting fired.

“It looked like I was the last domino to fall, and then things started to change,” Vanek said. “It’s tough to see some of the guys go through this, but I think change was needed, and it happened.”

Vanek put up 44 points in 47 games with the Islanders, but he turned down a reported $50 million contract offer. Word of the rejection leaked out, ending the good times Vanek was having in New York. He went to Montreal at the trade deadline and is looking forward to a playoff race.

But first he had to say goodbye to Buffalo, and the Sabres said goodbye to him.

“It was great,” said Vanek, who was still in the organization when it failed to recognize Pominville’s return. “My previous experience when someone else came back they didn’t do much, so I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was very nice and very classy of them.

“When guys ask me about Buffalo, there’s nothing bad I could really say about it.”



Lieuwen climbs Sabres’ depth chart in loss to Habs

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

on March 16, 2014 - 10:07 PM

, updated March 17, 2014 at 12:32 AM

You think the Buffalo Sabres’ season – both in the standings and the injury list – can’t get any worse. Then Sunday happens.

The Sabres lost, 2-0, to the Montreal Canadiens in First Niagara Center in the latest mind-numbing affair they’ve produced on the road to last overall in the NHL. The Sabres have lost six straight in regulation for the first time since December 2003 – and have scored just five goals in those games.

And now, all of a sudden, they have two banged-up goaltenders and no idea how healthy either can be with the longest road trip of the season looming.

Michal Neuvirth missed the game with a lower-body injury apparently suffered during his 51-save outing Thursday in Carolina and aggravated sometime Saturday on Long Island. And starter Jhonas Enroth got knocked from the crease with 3:51 left in the second period Sunday with an apparent right leg injury.

That left emergency call-up Nathan Lieuwen to finish things – and potentially left the 22-year-old temporarily atop the franchise’s depth chart in the net.

Enroth was injured on a drive to the net by Montreal winger Brendan Gallagher, who cut hard from Enroth’s right and was bumped into the goalie by Sabres defenseman Jamie McBain.

Enroth stayed down for a moment, got up and tried to flex his legs under the watchful eye of trainer Tim Macre. But it was clear Enroth was in discomfort, and he strode off the ice putting no weight on the leg and putting his reign as No. 1 in the wake of the Ryan Miller trade in major doubt.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be short-term,” said a disappointed coach Ted Nolan, who said Enroth will be examined again today for a definitive diagnosis.

Enroth has a 2.46 goals-against average and .932 save percentage in seven games since the Miller trade.

“It’s a bummer for sure,” said defenseman Henrik Tallinder, Enroth’s teammate with Sweden in both the world championships and Olympics. “The games he’s played after Ryan’s departure have been amazing for him. Even if he’s hurt now, he’s still proven a lot during those games.”

There wasn’t much McBain could do on the play, lest he let Gallagher walk in alone.

“I put a stick and a body on him and it’s unfortunate when plays like that happen,” McBain said. “You’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. You can’t just let him go. ... It’s an unfortunate thing that happened and hopefully Jony is OK. You never want to see it happen to anyone and he’s been playing absolutely unbelievable for us.”

The 6-foot-6 Lieuwen, a sixth-round draft pick in 2011, has been a huge surprise in Rochester this year as he has supplanted Matt Hackett as the Amerks’ No. 1 in the net by going 17-11-2, 2.34, .922. He played Friday and Saturday for the Amerks and got the call to come to Buffalo on Sunday morning.

“I was shocked. I was nervous. I was everything,” Lieuwen said. “I couldn’t stop smiling all morning. To get here and end up playing, it’s a wild ride.”

Lieuwen got a quick indoctrination into life in Sabreland, as he had to make four saves in the first 67 seconds of his NHL career. He stopped all 10 shots he faced, including a sizzler from the slot in the third period from ex-Sabre Thomas Vanek.

“It’s was almost disbelief. It felt like a dream,” Lieuwen said. “I had to pinch myself a little bit. But once I got in there, I felt pretty good.”

Nolan said there’s a good chance Hackett may need to join the team for practice today and that both Rochester goalies will be on today’s charter to Calgary.

...

The Canadiens scored twice in the first period on goals by Dale Weise and Gallagher and that was that. Nolan thought Weise’s goal was a kick that should not have counted, and the Gallagher goal actually went in off Chad Ruhwedel.

Third-string goalie Dustin Tokarski made 29 saves for his first career shutout. Vanek had a game-high six shots on goal in the game.

...

The Habs hit town off Saturday’s stunning 5-4 win over Ottawa in the Bell Centre. Montreal scored three goals in the final 3:22 of regulation – with David Desharnais tying the game with three-tenths of a second left – and won it on Francis Bouillon’s goal early in OT.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time in NHL history that a team was down by three goals inside the final five minutes and came back to win a game. The feat has been accomplished in the playoffs a couple of times but never in the regular season.

...

Nolan said Tyler Myers (arm) remains day to day, although the team is hopeful he’ll go on the Western swing. Torey Mitchell skated well on his own and Nolan said he could play Tuesday in Calgary.

The Sabres will practice at Bud Bakewell Rink in Riverside today before flying West.



Vanek honored, surprised the Sabres chose to recognize his time in Buffalo

March 16, 2014 - 10:35 PM

By John Vogl

Thomas Vanek was still in Buffalo when the Sabres ignored the return of Jason Pominville. He took note. He didn't know what to expect for his first game back tonight.

He got a quality video salute, which can be seen here.

"It was great," Vanek said after the Habs' 2-0 win. "I didn’t know. My previous experience when someone else came back they didn’t do much, so I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was very nice and very classy of them."

Vanek played 16:32 in his first game against the Sabres and had a game-high six shots. He's still looking for his first goal in five games with the Habs.

"Coming here, mixed emotions again and still trying to get that one," he said. "I think it was just a little too much thinking, not enough playing.

"For us it was good we got that two-goal lead early on and after that I thought the game was not too much action."



In return to Buffalo, Thomas Vanek has plenty to say

March 16, 2014 - 6:01 PM

By John Vogl

Thomas Vanek knew last summer that his time with the Sabres would soon be over.

"I just asked what direction this team was going in," Vanek said this evening. "No one really had an answer. That’s when I kind of made up my mind that July 1 is probably a goal of mine."

While Vanek has unrestricted free agency ahead of him in July, this evening was a time to look back. The Sabres' erstwhile perennial scoring leader is back in First Niagara Center for the first time since being traded to the Islanders in October. He has since been dealt to Montreal and will take the ice as a visitor tonight.

"Last night coming in and today was a different feeling, for sure," Vanek said. "I felt actually pretty good all day. As soon as I walked in here I started to get the jitters.

"I don’t know what to expect really. All I know is I have a lot of good memories in this building, in this town. It’s something I’ll cherish forever."

There are regrets, however. He wishes the organization had done more following its failure to keep Chris Drury and Daniel Briere in 2007.

"Looking back at it and even talking to some of the guys who are not here anymore, it’s unfortunate," Vanek said. "I thought we were a good team, a solid core. We always talked about not getting to the next level, but I thought if you really look back at what happened is that Danny and Chris left at the time, and they told us to step up, which is great. We all wanted that to happen, but we never replaced two good players.

"In this league you need depth, and I think five, six players can only take you so far. The way I look at it, I wish we would have went and got two, three, four more good guys. We really could have made some runs."

Instead, the core is gone. So is Darcy Regier, the general manager who assembled the players and started shipping them out. One of Regier's final moves before being fired in November was to trade Vanek.

"It looked like I was the last domino to fall, and then things started to change," Vanek said. "It’s tough to see some of the guys go through this, but I think change was needed, and it happened."

While Vanek loved his time and teammates in New York, his stint with the Islanders had an unfortunate moment for him. Intent on becoming a UFA, Vanek turned down a $50 million offer from the Isles, and the decision was leaked to the public.

"I don’t know what the right word for it is. Unnecessary, I guess," Vanek said. "I don’t think it did good for both sides of us. At the end of the day, whoever came out with it, so be it. I had to answer the questions and move on.

"I think after that it was hard to focus, even though the guys in the room on the island were great. They understood it’s business. It’s nothing against them. It’s just I made up my mind a year ago that July 1 was a priority for myself.

"But now I’m glad it’s over with and I’m in Montreal. I’m going to finish the year there."



Neuvirth injury latest obstacle; Enroth to start tonight

March 16, 2014 - 5:31 PM

By Mike Harrington

Coach Ted Nolan clarified the Sabres' goaltending situation in his pregame briefing with the media this way: Jhonas Enroth will start tonight against Montreal and emergency callup Nathan Lieuwen will be the backup. Michal Neuvirth is day to day with a lower-body injury suffered while he was in the crosshairs of the Carolina shooting gallery Thursday in Raleigh.

Nolan said Lieuwen may need to travel with the team tomorrow to Calgary if Neuvirth is not responding well to treatment. Nolan said the injury happened during Thursday's game but Neuvirth backed up yesterday on Long Island and the Sabres weren't clear there was an issue until after the morning skate.

"All of a sudden one of the guys told us he wasn't feeling too good going in," Nolan said, referring to the team trainers. "We went in the pregame skate and he did everything. He must have just tweaked something, I don't know, maybe walking over to the rink. I don't know when. It was serious enough to warrant a recall."

Enroth will be meeting Montreal third stringer Dustin Tokarski in net tonight. Tokarski has played just two games for the Habs but is spelling backup Peter Budaj. Starter Carey Price, who played last night against Ottawa for the first time since the Olympics because of a lower-body injury, did not even make the trip as the team opted to keep him home. Clearly no concern of a Sabres offensive explosion.

And why should there be? Buffalo has scored five goals in losing its last five games -- and all of them have been by either Drew Stafford or Tyler Ennis.

"We have what we have," Nolan said. "In order to score goals in this league, I don't care if you're a seasoned veteran or a rookie, it all stems from how hard you want to crash the net and the price you want to pay to go in front of that net to screen, rebound, fight for that. We're almost there but almost doesn't count. You've got to pay a certain price to score some goals."

The Sabres don't have much offense and they're still looking to fill the huge leadership void left by the trade of captain Steve Ott to St. Louis.

"When you lose your leadership, it takes a little while for it to come back," Nolan said. "Steve Ott was a big leader in that room. I noticed that the first day I got here. And all of a sudden he's gone. So we're waiting for certain guys to emerge as the next leaders. and it's tough. But they've got to find a way."

Nolan said Tyler Myers (arm) will be out tonight and remains day to day, although the team is hopeful he'll go on the Western swing. Torey Mitchell skated well on his own today and Nolan said he could play Tuesday in Calgary.


738903 Calgary Flames

Johnson: Flames fall to Coyotes 3-2 after six straight third-period penalties

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald March 16, 2014

Johnson: Flames fall to Coyotes 3-2 after six straight third-period penalties

Bad calls. Bad reaction.

Bad result.

“I control only our players,” said Bob Hartley, taking the high. “That’s my responsibility. We went to the box too many times.

“It’s tough. We’re a young team. We want to win. We have the menalty that we’re in the playoffs and we’re fighting for our lives every game. That’s a credit to our guys. They bought in.

“We got frustrated. It’s a new experience for us. We’ll learn.”

In search of a third consecutive win, the Calgary Flames collapsed under the weight of a third-period penalty epidemic, falling 3-2 to the Phoenix Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.

So they head home 1-1 on this short junket, having come back from two down to edge the Dallas Stars on Friday.

During one dizzying stretch Saturday, Calgary was whistled for six consecutive third-period penalties. The queue to the visiting box looked like the lineup that’ll undoubtedly form for tickets to Katy Perry Prismatic Tour stop here in late September.

That barrage of bad behaviour, some the punishment deserved, some frankly mysitifying and some borne out of exasaperation wore them down, drove them batty and ultimately did them in.

“I haven’t,” murmurred captain Mark Giordano, “seen too many third periods like that, where it’s tied going in and I don’t know how many row it was? Five or six? You’re not going to win too many games where you’re shorthanded 12 of 20 minutes.

“I thought it was a hard-fought game. I didn’t think it was that lopsided that one team had to take so many more penalties than the other.”

The aging warrior, Shane Doan, as he’s done so often during his career, tipped home a Keith Yandle point shot for the game winner, his 350th career goal, at 8:49. On that one, Calgary defenceman Tyler Wotherspoon had been confined to the bad-boy bin for tugging back David Moss as the ex-Flame got an outside step on the rugged rookie.

But he wasn’t alone in being censured.

In order of transgression:

*Curtis Glencross for roughing (legit).

*Paul Byron for boarding (legit).

*Tyler Wotherspoon for holding (marginal).

*Mikael Backlund for cross-checking, before a face-off (silly).

*Mikael Backlund for roughing (avoidable).

*T.J. Brodie for unsportsmanlike conduct (unnecessary).

“We’re all emotional,” said Hartley. “It’s not only the players. We’re trying to regain composure but it piles on. For example, Brodes. He never says a word. He’s probably the quietest guy on the team, If you’d ask me who was the last guy to take an unsportsmanlike it’d be Brodes. But he got it.

“We got frustrated. And we paid for it.”

“I think there’s a little bit of a lesson to be learned,” echoed Mike Cammalleri. “Whether you gree with the calls or not we’re better off staying away from the ref and turning the other cheek. It’s just human nature when you get combative like and maybe go out of your way to show that it usually doesn’t work out in your favour.

“It we could’ve kept our emotional level in check a little better, maybe you don’t get to three and four (penalties).”

The two points were certainly there for the taking after Hartley’s crew put in one of its most complete periods in recent memory to erase a 2-0 first-intermission deficit.

In typical swashbuckling fashion, Hartley’s charges refused to buckle under. Getting things going, the surging Cammalleri spun off the half boards and Glencross, setting up squatter’s rights at the lip of the crease, deflected the ensuing shot behind Smith at 7:46.

The goal was the injury-plagued left winger’s first since Dec. 15th. The look of his relief on his face

Right in their wheelhouse, staging a comeback, the Flames poured forward. They very nearly equalized shorthanded, an atrocious pass selection by Coyotes’ skipper Shane Doan sending Paul Bryon into the Phoenix zone on the fly, 2-on-1. A desperate Antoine Vermette managed to tug at Byron and put him him down some, but the speedy centreman still slung a diagonal pass across to Cammalleri, forcing Smith to an awkward save.

The way the fortunes had tilted, though, it only seemed a matter of time before Calgary would draw level. And the goal came via the powerplay TJ Galiardi going down awfully, easily on minimal contact from Jeff Halpern.

If the call was undeniably iffy, the finish proved anything but, Cammalleri’s pinpoint pass finding Backlund at the near post for a tip-in at 15:37.

Calgary pounded 18 shots at Smith that period, as opposed to only six directed at Ortio.

“Our guys deserve credit,” praised Hartley. “Joni Ortio didn’t panic after the second goal. We didn’t panic. We talked in between the first and second. We’re very focused.

“And then that third period ... pretty tough to explain.”

The ‘Yotes had pushed into the lead at 4:35 of the first, defenceman Chris Summers hustling up into the attack as both defenceman Kris Russell and the backchecking Sean Mohanan both peeled away, deflecting a hard centring pass from left winger Lauri Korpikoski beyond Ortio.

The quality of the tip belied the fact that it marked Summers’ first NHL career goal.

The second goal was one of thos embarrassing moment a goaltender lives through every once in a while, Ortio caught puck-watching behind the net and as it lay at his feet, Rob Klinkhammer stealing in to retrieve as Ortio stood as if in a trance, and casually opened the gift.

“Right from Day One, he’s got a little bit of a swagger to him, in his personality and his game, which I like to see,” said Cammalleri of Ortio. “You like it when he’s got a bit of ‘Oomph!’ to his game.

“That’s Joni. He said ‘Sorry, boys, my bad’ and then went out and shut the door for us for a while.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.17.2014


5 Burning Questions

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 09:51 PM MDT | Updated: Sunday, March 16, 2014 10:11 PM MDT

Ortio

Calgary Flames: Spoilers.

Mission: Possible.

In fact, in the last couple of week,s the Flames have done a whale of a job either crimping hopes of teams — such as the Ottawa Senators — or at least putting a heck of a scare into them, as we saw with the Vancouver Canucks and the Phoenix Coyotes.

This week, though, the closest thing the Flames have to being spoilers is when they play host to the Nashville Predators on Friday, which will be a chance to put a big nail in the coffin of the visiting club to the Saddledome.

Instead, the games will be about building more positive vibrations and positive marks for the coaching staff and brass as the team goes forward.

Will the young Flames, who earned an extra day-off Sunday after a stretch with six games in nine days in three different time zones, keep their pesky reputation?

Only time will tell, but here are five other burning questions on our minds.

1. Will more youngsters be sent down?

Before the club left for a two-game sojourn to Dallas and Phoenix, head coach Bob Hartley said he figured forward Jiri Hudler and goalie Karri Ramo would return from their injuries this week.

Plus, Matt Stajan may return at some time this season, a decision completely left to the veteran cemtre.

Ideally, the Flames would keep as many young players in the lineup, even when those players are back, but with the struggles going on for the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat — in big part due to a shortage of players — it could mean a departure or two to the minors.

On one hand, the influx of youthful enthusiasm has been a boon for the Flames and been a factor in the club’s never-say-die attitude.

On the other hand, the Heat have just one victory in their last 10 games and been greatly impacted by the number of players brought up to the big club.

Bonus question, will the Flames send down rookie goalie Joni Ortio or pending UFA Joey MacDonald when Ramo returns? Another option — send Ramo to the minors for a conditioning stint.

2. Is Mikael Backlund a 20-goal scorer?

The Flames have 14 games remaining. Backlund, the centre having a breakout season, needs three more goals to reach a significant achievement, the 20-goal plateau.

Considering Backlund’s previous high for goals in a season was 10, and he’s already set a career high with 34 points, it’s fair to say the 2007 first-round pick who turns 25 Monday is finally reaching the standards hoped for by the club years ago.

Sean Monahan and Michael Cammalleri both need one more goal to hit 20. For Backlund to also do it would be a huge boost for him and the team — and likely as much of a surprise as Monahan doing it in his rookie season.

Remember, when Backlund was a healthy scratch early in the season, Hartley said he wanted the centre to think more about creating offence.

Backlund has done just that and may be the league’s most improved player because of it.

3. Does Mark Giordano have any hope of Norris consideration?

It’s a true shame the Flames captain missed 18 games early in the season due to a broken ankle. Had he not been injured and maintained the level of

play he’s shown all season, he not only would have likely been named to Canada’s Olympic team, but he would have received bigger due around the league come award time.

It’s not likely the Flames captain would win the Norris even if he wasn’t hurt due to the club’s playoff fortunes and his lack of name recognition, but he certainly should merit much more attention.

Giordano, who has stretch of 11 points in the last nine games, has a better points-per-game mark than the likes of Duncan Keith, PK Subban, Dustin Byfuglien and Keith Yandle.

Plus, Giordano has a plus-5 rating on a team that’s minus-36.

While Giordano was out of action, the Flames posted a 5-11-2 record. With him, their mark is 22-22-5.

4. Will any NCAA players turn pro this season?

Ken Agostino’s season with at Yale has come to a close. Could the forward acquired in the Jarome Iginla trade last season be willing to leave school for an audition in Calgary or Abbotsford?

We should know more soon.

All of the other possible collegiate players currently in the Flames system are either likely to remain in school for another year or two or about to see their seasons extended, and that includes Boston College senior Bill Arnold and John Gaudreau, who’s scoring exploits sure make it seem there’s nothing else for the junior player to achieve at the college level.

The Flames have been very active pursuing other college players in the past few years, but this year’s crop of free agents isn’t considered to be a thin crew, with just a few players causing much excitement.

5. Who gets last laugh in the Alberta rivalry?

This season’s Battle of Alberta is even — two wins for the Flames and two for the Edmonton Oilers, with Saturday’s clash in the provincial capital the fifth and final match.

However, both of the Calgary club’s victories have come in overtime, so the Flames must win Saturday’s clash in regulation time to be considered the season-series victors.

More important is the impact the game could have on the regular-season standings — and subsequently the draft lottery — with the lower-finishing team between the two having better odds at the No. 1 pick.

Curiously, the visiting team has won all four meetings this year, too.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Calgary Flames' Curtis Glencross passing along help of Sergei Federov

By WES GILBERTSON ,Calgary Sun


For a prairie boy trying to win a job in the NHL, it’s hard to guess what would have been a bigger deal …

The driver?

Or the ride?

Calgary Flames alternate captain Curtis Glencross was being quizzed the other day about his leadership role in a locker room full of youngsters, and the 31-year-old left-winger singled out longtime NHL star Sergei Federov as a guy who made him feel welcome when he first arrived at hockey’s highest level.

“It started when I was in Anaheim. We came back off an exhibition road-trip, and I was going to jump back on the bus and head back to the hotel, and Sergei came off the bus and asked me if I wanted a ride,” Glencross recalled. “So I jumped in. At that time, he had a Ferrari in Anaheim, and I was kind of in shock. He said, ‘Let’s go have a beer, and then I’ll take you back to the hotel.’ I was like, ‘Alright, this is kinda awesome.’

“From there, it went on. When I got traded to Columbus, (Federov) was in Columbus, and it was the same thing. He just took me under his arm right away again, and we became really good friends.”

Fast-forward a few years — and Glencross was recovering from a high-ankle sprain when the likes of Corban Knight, Joni Ortio and Tyler Wotherspoon were summoned from the AHL’s Abbotsford Heat for their first taste of big-league action with the Flames recently, but he was still a behind-the-scenes player in trying to help the call-ups get settled at the Saddledome.

After all, if Federov — a three-time Stanley Cup champ during his days with the Detroit Red Wings, the winner of the Hart Trophy in 1994 and No. 48 on the NHL’s all-time scoring charts with 1,179 points in 1,248 games — could make time for a wide-eyed rookie, why couldn’t he do the same?

“Anytime he was going for dinner, he always asked me to come. He was one of the first guys to see if I needed a ride anywhere when I was in the hotel or anything like that,” Glencross said. “He was one guy that always kind of had me under his arm, and I like to hand that down. That’s part of the pecking order. When you become an older, veteran guy on the team, you have to look out for the young guys.

“Anytime you can chat it up with the younger guys … Just having a quick conversation with them or ask them how it’s going, that’s something where it helps. It makes them more comfortable in the room, and it helps them play better.”

The Flames, who had Sunday off after returning from a two-game roadie to Dallas and Phoenix, have suffered through a seemingly endless string of injuries to key contributors, but the bright side is the way the youngsters have capitalized on their opportunities with the big club.

Ortio, 22, has three wins in seven starts between the pipes and showed terrific composure after a puck-handling screw-up led to a goal against in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Coyotes.

Before being sidelined by a shoulder injury, 20-year-old centre Markus Granlund had scored in back-to-back games.

Knight, 23, ended the skills competition with the decisive snipe in Friday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Stars, while the 21-year-old Wotherspoon has been steady on the blueline, has collected his first NHL assist and even has his first big-league scar after needing seven stitches to close a cut to his right cheek.

What’s also encouraging is how Glencross has performed in three outings since returning from a 29-game layoff.

Some guys never seem to be the same after a high-ankle sprain, but the Flames winger showed flashes of his old self on the road.

He had an assist — a beauty, too — on Paul Byron’s powerplay tally in Dallas.

He had a goal in Phoenix and, proof he’s already feeling comfortable out there, was also involved in extra-curriculars after the whistle.

Glencross has embraced his mentorship role, but it’s nice to be able to lead by example once again.

“I’m one of those guys — I don’t like watching, I like playing …” Glencross added. “When you can be out there and anytime you can be a factor and make a difference, it means a lot.”



Johnny Gaudreau fails to fly by Paul Kariya's NCAA mark 0

BY RANDY SPORTAK ,CALGARY SUN

FIRST POSTED: SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014 09:43 PM MDT | UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014 09:51 PM MDT

The streak is over.

Touted Calgary Flames prospect Johnny Gaudreau was held off the scoresheet in Boston College’s 4-2 loss to Notre Dame Sunday. Boston College was eliminated from the Hockey East championship in the quarterfinals.

The fourth-round pick in the 2011 NHL Draft had pushed his streak to 31 games, which tied him with Paul Kariya for the longest run in Hockey East history. During his spree, the 5-foot-8, 160-lb. left winger netted 29 goals and 61 points.

Boston College, which has been led by Gaudreau, 20, and fellow Flames draft choice Bill Arnold all season, is still expected to advance to the 16-team NCAA tournament that will begin March 28.

The Eagles were ranked second before being upset by the No. 9 ranked Fighting Irish.

In his junior season, Gaudreau has collected 32 goals and 69 points in 37 games.

The Flames are expecting to offer him a contract once his season is done, as they have in each of the last two years.

Arnold, Calgary’s fourth-round pick in 2010 who has collected 12 goals and 48 points in 37 games, is likely to turn pro after this season.

Kariya set the conference mark as a freshman at University of Maine in 1992-93.


738907 Carolina Hurricanes

Time running out on Hurricanes after 2-1 loss to Oilers

By Chip Alexander

[email protected] 16, 2014 Updated 44 minutes ago

RALEIGH — Time is running short for the Carolina Hurricanes and the games running out.

The Edmonton Oilers handed the Canes a tough loss Sunday at PNC Arena, taking a 2-1 victory behind the strong play of goalie Ben Scrivens.

Defenseman Justin Schultz scored on a power play with 10:59 left in regulation to give the Oilers (24-36-9) a 2-1 lead. Matt Hendricks scored a first-period goal for Edmonton.

Jordan Staal scored his 14th of the season in the first period for the Hurricanes (29-30-9), who have lost two straight. With 14 games remaining in the regular season, the Canes have little chance of reaching the playoffs for the first time sine 2009.

Schultz scored on a shot from the right circle after Canes forward Andrei Loktionov was called for high-sticking. It was only the 12th power-play goal on the road this season for the Oilers, who ranked 29th on the road.

Jordan Staal's goal with 17.2 seconds left in the first period gave the Canes a 1-1 tie.

The Oilers, playing the last of four road games, took the lead on Matt Hendricks' score with 13:17 left in the first. And for much of the period the Canes mustered little offense.

After the Canes failed to score on a pair of power plays late in the first, Staal scored off the rush. After an Oilers turnover, defenseman Justin Faulk pushed the puck ahead to Eric Staal along the left boards. Staal passed to Jordan Staal, who had his shot from the slot hit off the stick of the Oilers' Sam Gagner and up in the air.

Scrivens rose up to swat at a high-bounding puck with his paddle, only to have Staal swat it in the net on the way down.

Staal pushed his point streak to six games and has three goals and six assists in the six. Eric Staal and Faulk earned assists.

Jordan Staal had a good scoring chances 20 seconds into game. Nathan Gerbe, who replaced an injured Jiri Tlusty on Staal's line, passed from behind the net to Staal for a shot in tight quarters but Scrivens -- second in the NNHL in save percentage at .930 -- made the save.

Staal also was denied in the final minute of the second period. After a shot by Alex Semin off the rush, Staal was crashing the net and got a piece of the rebound, but Scrivens made the stop.

A brief melee broke out in the second period after the Oilers' Matt Hendricks hit Brett Bellemore behind the Canes net. Ron Hainsey went after Hendricks and the Oilers' Nail Yakupov also entered the fray. All four players ended up in the penalty boxes.

Tlusty is out with a lower-body injury. The Canes also lost forward Radek Dvorak to an upper-body injury during the game.

Anton Khudobin was the starter in net for the Canes in the second of the back-to-back set. Cam Ward was in net Saturday in the 5-1 loss in Boston.

Scrivens was obtained by the Oilers in a Jan. 15 trade with the Los Angeles Kings. On Jan. 29 he set an NHL record for saves in a regulation shutout (59) against the San Jose Sharks.

The Oilers won the first game against the Canes in Edmonton, taking a 5-4 overtime victory.

News Observer LOADED: 03.17.2014

738908 Carolina Hurricanes

Oilers @ Canes

Posted by Chip Alexander on March 16, 2014

The Canes and Oilers are tied 1-1 after two periods at PNC Arena.

Jordan Staal's goal with 17.2 seconds left in the first period gave the Canes a 1-1 tie after one.

The Oilers, playing the last of four road games, took the lead on Matt Hendricks' score with 13:17 left in the first. And for much of the period the Canes mustered little offense.

After the Canes failed to score on a pair of power plays late in the first, Staal scored off the rush. After an Oilers turnover, Justin Faulk pushed the puck ahead to Eric Staal along the left boards. Staal passed to Jordan Staal, who had his shot from the slot hit off the stick of the Oilers' Sam Gagner and up in the air.

Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens rose up to swat at a high-bounding puck with his paddle, only to have Staal swat it in the net on the way down.

The goal was the 14th of the season for Staal, who has three goals and six assists in the past six games. Eric Staal and Justin Faulk earned assists.

Jordan Staal had a good scoring chances 20 seconds into game. Nathan Gerbe, who replaced an injured Jiri Tlusty on Staal's line, passed from behind the net to Staal for a shot in tight quarters but Scrivens made the save.

Staal also was denied in the final minute of the second period. After a shot by Alex Semin off the rush, Staal was crashing the net and got a piece of the rebound, but Scrivens made the stop.

A brief melee broke out in the second period after the Oilers' Matt Hendricks hit Brett Bellemore behind the Canes net. Ron Hainsey went after Hendricks and the Oilers' Nail Yakupov also entered the fray. All four players ended up in the penalty boxes.

Tlusty is out with a lower-body injury. The Canes also lost forward Radek Dvorak to an upper-body injury during the game.

Anton Khudobin was the starter in net for the Canes in the second of the back-to-back set. Cam Ward was in net Saturday in the 5-1 loss in Boston.

News Observer LOADED: 03.17.2014

738909 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks await Teravainen's arrival

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

10:04 PM CDT, March 16, 2014

The Teuvo Teravainen watch is officially under way.

The Blackhawks' top forward prospect had his season with Jokerit of the SM-Liiga in Finland end Sunday and Teravainen is expected to travel to North America soon. Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said the team's top pick (18th overall) in the 2012 draft could see some action before the regular season ends.

"We saw what he's capable of in (training camp) and I guess there was some real good progression to his season as well," Quenneville said before the Hawks faced the Red Wings on Sunday night at the United Center. "It could happen at some point. Young guys at this time of the year can give you a little bit of a jump."

The 19-year-old Teravainen displayed impressive offensive skills during training camp and was one of Jokerit's top players with nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games. He also led Finland to the gold medal at the World Junior Championships where he had two goals and 13 assists in seven games.

"I watched those World Championship games where it really looked like he was one of the top guys," Quenneville said. "It seemed like he had the puck a lot. I think his recognition offensively is really high end."

Teravainen has been penciled in as the Hawks' No. 2 center for the 2014-15 season and could get a look there down the stretch of '13-14. The spot is currently held my veteran Michal Handzus.

"(Teravainen) is going to be an awesome player for this team for a long time," Handzus said. "I know that he's going to be great here. He's still going to have a lot to learn but it seems like he's a big talent. He's got great vision and hands."

He said it: Wings coach Mike Babcock had nothing but high praise for Hawks captain Jonathan Toews, who helped Team Canada — coached by Babcock — win gold at the Olympics.

"He's a … great, great player — ultra-determined," Babcock said. "He's the kind of guy who makes your franchise win for a long time."

In 'n out: Michal Rozsival served as the Hawks' sixth defenseman against the Wings with Sheldon Brookbank, David Rundblad and Peter Regin healthy scratches.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2014


Blackhawks get Marian Hossa back, get a win

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

11:07 PM CDT, March 16, 2014

The Blackhawks looked way out of sorts with Marian Hossa missing from the lineup.

With the veteran winger back, they more resembled the team that stormed to the Stanley Cup last season.

Hossa returned after a five-game absence with an upper-body injury to help the Hawks break out of the doldrums with a 4-1 victory over the Red Wings on Sunday night at the United Center. The win snapped a two-game skid for the Hawks and they remained one point behind the second-place Avalanche in the Central Division.

"It took me a little bit to get into it," said Hossa, who had a goal and two assists in his first game since March 1. "Missing five games, you feel it. As the game went on, I felt more comfortable."

In addition to Hossa's exploits, Ben Smith added a goal and an assist, Nick Leddy and Jonathan Toews scored and Duncan Keith had two assists to stake goaltender Corey Crawford to a lead he didn't relinquish.

Crawford made 19 saves, allowing only a power-play goal by Gustav Nyquist that caromed off the skate of Hawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

The only downside of the night for the Hawks was when winger Brandon Saad left the game in the second with an upper-body injury. Coach Joel Quenneville said Saad "seemed all right. I don't think it's too serious."

The injury-riddled Wings were without 10 regulars, including Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

"I liked our game," Quenneville said. "We played the right way, way stronger and way more intensity in the puck areas and found a way to come up with way more loose pucks than we had in the prior two games."

Smith had a big night after being moved from wing on the fourth line to center the second line with wingers Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell. Smith had a hand in the first two Hawks scores and they both came from gritty plays in front of the net. The first came when he set up shop in front and screened goalie Jimmy Howard on a long shot from Leddy.

After Nyquist was credited with the tying goal, Smith put the Hawks in front when he banged in a rebound of a Keith shot in the waning moments of the second period.

"That's how you have to score goals in this league any night," Smith said. "You try to get to the net, take away his eyes (and) find rebounds."

In the third, Hossa took a nice feed from Patrick Sharp and beat Howard off the rush with a snipe past the goalie's stick. Hossa then helped the Hawks seal things late in the third while short-handed when he scooped up the puck in the neutral zone and fed Toews.

"(Hossa) changes the complexion …of our team game," Quenneville said. "We seem to have the puck a lot more when he's out there. It made a big difference having him back."

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2014


Top prospect Teuvo Teravainen likely to land spot on Blackhawks

BY MARK LAZERUS

Staff Reporter

Last Modified: Mar 16, 2014 10:26PM

Teuvo Teravainen’s season in Finland is over. His NHL career might be about to begin.

With Jokerit being eliminated from the Liiga playoffs Sunday, the Blackhawks’ top prospect likely is headed to Chicago in the near future.

“It’s something we’ll talk about,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We saw what he’s capable of in camp, and I guess there was some real good progression to his season, as well. It could happen at some point.”

It wouldn’t be unprecedented. Marcus Kruger came over from Sweden in March 2011 and played in seven regular-season games before playing in five playoff games against the Canucks. And Brandon Saad played in two playoff games against the Coyotes in 2012 after his junior season ended.

One catch: If Teravainen plays 10 games — regular season and/or playoffs — it burns the first year of his three-year, entry-level contract.

Teravainen, a 5-10, 185-pound center, is a highly skilled playmaker who had nine goals and 35 assists in 49 games with Jokerit this season. He also led the world juniors in scoring with two goals and 13 assists.

Quenneville said Teravainen has gotten stronger and more defensively responsible during the course of the season.

Teravainen is pegged as the Hawks’ second-line center of the future. And while Quenneville said Sunday he’s “comfortable” with Michal Handzus in that role, Teravainen is likely to get a crack at it.

“Young guys this time of the year can give you a little jump,” Quenneville said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Hossa returns, Q shakes it up as Blackhawks pound Red Wings

BY MARK LAZERUS

Staff Reporter

Last Modified: Mar 16, 2014 10:13PM

Sure, part of it was the work ethic instilled during an intense Saturday practice spent on battles along the boards. And yeah, a dramatic shakeup of the lines surely injected some life into the Blackhawks offense.

But Sunday night’s 4-1 victory over the injury-ravaged Detroit Red Wings can be summed up pretty simply: Marian Hossa’s back.

“I guess you could say it was pretty evident tonight that we had been missing him the last couple of weeks,” Ben Smith said.

Hossa returned from a five-game absence with an upper-body injury to score a goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Smith took advantage of a surprise — even to him — first-period move to second-line center to post a goal and an assist, and Duncan Keith chipped in a pair of assists as the Hawks offense came to life after scoring just two goals in each of the last three games.

It started at the top, where Hossa had an immediate impact with Jonathan Toews and Kris Versteeg.

“He changes the look, the complexion of that line and our team game,” said Joel Quenneville, who deemed Friday’s effort in a loss to Nashville the worst of the season, prompting the heightened practice and the line changes. “We seem to have the puck a lot more when he’s out there.”

One big negative in an otherwise happy night was an upper-body injury suffered by Brandon Saad, who left the game midway through the second period and didn’t return. Quenneville said he “seemed all right” and that he didn’t “think it’s too serious,” but said he’d have a better idea on Monday.

Other than that, it was a much-needed uplifting night for the Hawks, who stayed one point behind second-place Colorado.

“I’m glad I can help a little bit,” Hossa said. “I thought everybody played pretty well.”

After a scoreless first period, Nick Leddy scored a power-play goal through a Smith screen at 8:44 of the second. After Gustav Nyquist tied it on a power play, Smith scored a huge goal with 13.7 seconds left to make it 2-1.

Smith had no idea he’d get a shot at playing with Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell, but made the most of it. A center in college who’s been converted to right wing, Smith not only had the goal and assist, he won 7-of-10 faceoffs. The restricted free-agent-to-be (there have been no talks between his agent and the Hawks) has been coming on strong lately.

“You have to be prepared for any opportunity,” he said. “Any opportunity you get, any chance, you have to try to make the most of it, and I was just trying to work hard and complement those two guys.”

Hossa scored off a Patrick Sharp feed early in the third, then Hossa set up Jonathan Toews for a shorthanded goal to seal it.

Quenneville doesn’t mess with what works, so expect Smith to be back on the second line Tuesday in Philadelphia.

“I liked our lines,” Quenneville said. “I liked the balance, I liked the pace, I liked the four-line rotation. It’s only one game, but it seems like a real balanced attack.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Blackhawks game day

Tim Sassone

The skinny: The Red Wings come in beaten, battered and fighting for their playoff lives in the Eastern Conference. They were 4 points out of a wild-card spot and chasing two teams before Saturday’s games. They will be without captain Henrik Zetterberg (back), Pavel Datsyuk (knee), Darren Helm (concussion), Daniel Cleary (knee), Joakim Andersson (broken foot) and Stephen Weiss (sports hernia). Jimmy Howard will start in goal against Corey Crawford. Marian Hossa is expected to return for the Hawks after missing two weeks with an upper-body injury.

Next: Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Hawks happy to have Hossa back

By Mike Spellman

Article updated: 3/16/2014 11:21 PM

In his first 300 games with the Blackhawks, Marian Hossa racked up 265 points with an astounding plus-96 rating.

Before returning from an upper-body injury Sunday night against Detroit, the 35-year-old winger had accumulated 50 points in 57 games this season while sporting a simply ridiculous plus-25 rating.

Oh, and he also boasts an NHL-leading 65 take-aways, and, just for good measure, leads all active players with 29 short-handed goals.

But if you ever heard Hossa boast about any of those numbers, that would be the first time ever, because the guy never brags … ever.

And that’s among the many characteristics that make No. 81 so valuable and so revered amongt his teammates.

“His veteran leadership is — bar none — probably the best in the league,” said Kris Versteeg, who skated alongside Hossa and Jonathan Toews in the Hawks’ 4-1 victory over the Red Wings.

“I’ve never seen a guy at his age be so humble. I’ve been on many teams and played with many guys, and he’s someone I look up to.”

In the five games Hossa missed since injuring himself in the outdoor game against Pittsburgh at Soldier Field, the Blackhawks were 2-3. And overall in games he has missed this season, the Hawks are a middling 5-5.

Playing in game No. 301 of his Hawks career Sunday at the United Center all Hossa did was score a goal and add a pair of assists for his 14th multipoint game of the season to help the Hawks snap a rare two-game losing streak.

“I guess you could say it was pretty evident tonight that we have been missing him the last couple of weeks,” said Ben Smith, who finished with 1 goal and 1 assist. “To get him back and to get a performance like that from him was special. It gives us a lot of motivation moving forward.”

Hossa’s presence was felt all over the ice as he recorded 3 shots, a couple of take-aways and finished the evening with a plus-2 rating.

“He changes the complexion of our team game. It made a big difference tonight having him back,” coach Joel Quenneville said.

“It’s great to come back and try to help the team,” Hossa said.

In addition to Smith’s first career game-winning goal, Nick Leddy scored on the power play and Toews added a shorty to give Corey Crawford (19 saves) quite a comfortable lead, something that hasn’t often been the case lately.

“Everybody expects us to score 5 goals each game, but it’s the best league in the world, and especially toward the end of the season, you’re going to face great defensive teams,” Hossa said. “Even our team is going to have a time to grind for the puck. If we have to do it, we’ll be fine with it.”

There’s that leadership again.

“He’s going to be a Hall of Famer, and there’s a reason for it,” Versteeg said. “Being able to skate alongside him is an absolute pleasure.”



Teravainen on the way for Blackhawks?

By Mike Spellman


Now that his season in Finland is finished, Teuvo Teravainen’s run to the postseason with the Blackhawks may just be getting started, and perhaps as early as this week.

The 19-year-old’s season ended Sunday when his team, Jokerit, was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Might the Hawks’ 2012 first-round pick be the answer to the eternal question of who is going to center the second line for the Hawks?

That’s TBD, but coach Joel Quenneville sounds like he’s open to giving the youngster a shot.

“We saw what he’s capable of in camp, and I guess there was some real good progression to his season here, as well, so you know, it could happen at some point,” Quenneville said.

Teravainen had 9 goals and 35 assists in 49 games in Liiga and was a standout for Finland in the World Junior Championships.

“I think he got stronger and better defensively,” Quenneville said. “I watched some of those World (Juniors) Championship games, where he really looked like he was one of the top guys.”

Maybe not so bad:

While Joel Quenneville could not have been more unhappy with his team’s play Friday against Nashville, and in Colorado, too, for that matter, Detroit’s Mike Babcock said those back-to-back losses might not be such a bad thing for the defending champs.

“Every time you have a good team you experience what they’re experiencing right now. It’s a good thing,” Babcock said. “It’s good to be that good and take a couple of days off.”

Trending upward:

It has been well noted that not much has gone right for the Hawks of late, but one of the positives in the eyes of Joel Quenneville has been the play of power forward Bryan Bickell.

“I see a trend,” Quenneville said. “I think the last three or four games Bicks has been much better.”

Including Friday’s clunker against Nashville.

“I think he’s coming off one of his best games … one of the few guys the last game that we liked the way he played,” Quenneville said. “When he elevates his game to a different level, it’s like, ‘Wow, he really impacts the game.’ ”

Saad injured:

After suffering an upper-body injury late in the second period, Brandon Saad did not return to the ice for the final 20 minutes Sunday.

“He seemed all right; I don’t think it’s too serious,” Joel Quenneville said.

He said it:

“He’s the kind of guy that makes your franchise win for a long time because he does it right.”

— Red Wings coach Mike Babcock on Hawks’ captain Jonathan Toews



Blackhawks clip Red Wings 4-1

By Associated Press


Marian Hossa celebrated his return to the lineup with a goal and two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Detroit Wings 4-1 on Sunday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Ben Smith had a goal and assist, and Nick Leddy and Jonathan Toews scored for defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago, which is struggling to keep up with the top contenders in the Western Conference.

Despite the win, the Blackhawks are 11-8-7 in 2014 and remained fifth in the conference and third in the Central Division.

Gustav Nyquist scored for the injury-depleted Red Wings, who are desperate for wins as they try to get into the playoffs for the 23rd straight time.

Chicago’s Corey Crawford made 19 saves and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard had 26.

The 35-year-old Hossa was back in action for the first time in two weeks. The right wing was knocked out with an upper-body injury in the Blackhawks’ 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh at Soldier Field on March 1.

The banged-up Red Wings played without 10 injured players, including stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Forward Todd Bertuzzi joined the list on Sunday, sitting out after suffering a lower-body injury on Friday against Edmonton.

The Blackhawks faced Detroit for the second time since beating them in overtime in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series last year to complete a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The Red Wings defeated Chicago 5-4 in a shootout on Jan. 22 at Joe Louis Arena.

The Blackhawks and Red Wings were division rivals for the past 31 years until Detroit moved from the Western to Eastern Conference this season. The NHL Original Six teams were grouped together in the Central Division for the previous 19 seasons and in the Norris Division for 12 years before that.

The Blackhawks outshot the Red Wings 11-5 in the scoreless first, but neither team generated sustained pressure or many prime scoring chances.

The Blackhawks turned up the pressure early in the second and outshot Detroit 14-7 in the period.

Howard came up with close-in pad saves on Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson during a flurry about 5 minutes into the period to keep it scoreless.

Leddy’s power-play goal, on Chicago’s 19th shot, finally opened the scoring at 8:44 of the second. His drive from just inside the left point sailed through a screen and slipped between Howard’s pads.

Nyquist tied it at 1 with 4:50 left in the period with a power-play goal that deflected in off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

After the Red Wings had controlled the puck in the Chicago zone, Nyquist shot from the inside of the edge of the right circle. The shot appeared to be heading wide of the lower left corner of the net, but struck Seabrook’s left foot and got past Crawford.

Smith put Chicago back in front 2-1 on a rebound with 14 seconds left in the period.

Defenseman Duncan Keith carried the puck down the right wing boards, closed to the circle and then fired through a scrum. Howard got a piece of the shot, but Smith muscled in the loose puck from the edge of the crease.

Hossa gave Chicago a 3-1 lead at 6:33 of the third. After taking a feed from Patrick Sharp, Hossa raced down the right wing, cut in around Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith and beat Howard from close range.

Hossa’s set up Toews’ short-handed goal with 2:10 left that iced it.

After stealing the puck from Johan Franzen near the Chicago blue line, Hossa skated down the right wing. He pulled up and then fed Toews, who cut to the net and tucked in a shot.



Marian Hossa's goal 'absolutely killed' Red Wings

March 16, 2014, 10:30 pm

Nina Falcone

The Blackhawks and Red Wings were just moments away from finishing the second period of Sunday's game tied at 1, but with just 13.7 seconds remaining, the goal horn sounded and "Chelsea Dagger" rang throughout the United Center.

Ben Smith found the back of the net to give the Blackhawks an edge in scoring and momentum just before the second intermission, and the Red Wings found themselves in an all-too-familiar situation.

"It's paying attention to detail. The (goal) in the second period late there with 13 seconds left, that shouldn't happen," goaltender Jimmy Howard said following the Red Wings' 4-1 loss. "It just comes down to the details of the game. The final minute in the periods, that stuff can't happen."

Smith's shot ended the period on a sour note for Detroit, but it wasn't until the next goal that the Wings' confidence took a hit.

Just more than six minutes into the final period, Marian Hossa — who returned to the Blackhawks' lineup for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury during the Stadium Series game earlier in the month — got a breakaway of his own after Detroit's defense got caught up near center ice, and just like that, the Blackhawks gained a two-goal lead.

"It's another bad break," Howard said of the goal. "Both had defensemen hit each other and they fall down and Hossa's off to the races. He came in and I was trying to read him. He was coming with so much speed, I thought he was going to try to drag me across, he's got that quick shot."

Coach Mike Babcock said Hossa's goal was a game-changer.

"The third goal absolutely killed us," he said. "Two defensemen ran into each other in the neutral zone, and that's the end of the night. We still thought on the power play there, we were going to pull our goalie on the second half of it. And we turned it over and they scored."

It was another tough break for the Red Wings, who have found themselves fighting desperately to see the postseason as injuries have continued to mount. Only Pittsburgh has seen its players miss more combined games (397) than Detroit (303).

With Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and a number of others sidelined as the final weeks of the regular season play out, the Red Wings are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 23 seasons.

But after Sunday's game, the Red Wings weren't interested in focusing on their banged-up roster. They have a job to do as the remainder of the campaign plays out, and they're ready to put their frustrations aside and get to work.

"We just have to bear down. I don't know what else to do other than that, we just have to find a way to bear down in those situations," Niklas Kronwall said. "We have to be better as a team."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.17.2014


In Marian Hossa's return, Blackhawks down Red Wings, 4-1

March 16, 2014, 9:15 pm

Tracey Myers is the Blackhawks Insider

When Marian Hossa went down for two weeks with an upper-body injury, the Chicago Blackhawks weren’t just missing another forward. With Hossa, the contributions are so numerous, from his puck possession to his defense to that great scoring ability.

And when he comes back, you remember why it’s so hard to replace him in the first place.

Hossa scored a goal and added two assists, and Ben Smith had a goal and an assist as the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings, 4-1, at the United Center on Sunday night. The Blackhawks halted a two-game losing streak and moved to within one point of Colorado in the Western Conference standings.

The one blemish was the loss of Brandon Saad, who left the game with an upper-body injury. Coach Joel Quenneville said Saad “seemed all right” after the game but that the Blackhawks would re-evaluate him on Monday.

Duncan Keith had two assists while Corey Crawford stopped 19-of-20 for the Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks, who had lacked battle and their typical four-line attack in their last two games, had both going on Sunday against a Red Wings team hobbled by injuries. From the start the Blackhawks had more jump, more fire, more of a purpose to their game. Hossa played a big part of all of it, with his all-around game evident from start to finish.

“He changes the complexion of our team game. We seem to have the puck a lot more when he’s out there,” Quenneville said. “He definitely had some nice jump to his game, definitely made a difference tonight.”

Hossa had the primary assist on Nick Leddy’s power-play goal, which got through traffic to give the Blackhawks a 1-0 lead in the second period. His 25th goal of the season put the Blackhawks up 3-1 six and a half minutes into the third period, and his steal and pass set up Jonathan Toews’ shorthanded goal with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.

Not a bad night for a guy who missed the last two weeks.

“It took me a little bit to get into it. Missing five games you feel it,” said Hossa. “You try to get short shifts in the beginning and try to get yourself into the game and as (it) went on I felt more comfortable.”

Smith said Hossa’s return, “just makes our deep team that much deeper. You could say it was pretty evident tonight we’d been missing him the last few weeks. To get him back and to have a performance like that, it was special.”

[WATCH: Marian Hossa scores in first game back for Blackhawks]

The Blackhawks reconfigured lines a bit, with Smith moving up to the second-line center spot. Smith, who’s also gotten some power-play time lately, made both opportunities pay off with his two-point night. His goal, a put-back on a Keith rebound, proved to be the game-winner.

“On this team it’s tough to get those opportunities, there are so many good players,” Smith said. “I’ve just been trying to work hard, and it’s been nice getting good opportunities and making the most of them.”

The Blackhawks looked more like themselves on Sunday night. They played their game, they dictated their pace and they brought their balance. Having the all-around Hossa game back didn’t hurt.

“From the first shift on he put on a clinic with the puck,” Kris Versteeg said. “He’s a player that every team who’s ever had him would miss if he wasn’t in the lineup. Tonight he showed why he’s one of the best to ever play. It was fun to watch him play tonight, even more of an honor to play with him.”



Teuvo Teravainen done in Finland, are Blackhawks next?

Tracey Myers is the Blackhawks Insider for CSNChicago.com.

March 16, 2014, 8:15 pm

Teuvo Teravainen’s season, at least on the other side of the pond, ended on Sunday. Now the anticipation for his arrival on this side of the Atlantic is in full swing.

Teravainen’s Finnish squad Jokerit was eliminated from the postseason on Sunday afternoon, and Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said he and team brass will discuss the center’s arrival after Sunday night’s game.

The 19-year-old Teravainen, who had a solid training camp before heading back to his homeland, is a much-anticipated arrival here. He had a strong season with Jokerit and was a standout for gold medal-winning Finland in the world junior hockey tournament in January.

Count Quenneville among those who’d like to see what the Teravainen can do down the stretch.

“He got stronger and better defensively. There seems to be an awareness,” Quenneville said of Teravainen. “You watched him in world juniors, he was one of the top guys and had the puck a lot. His recognition is really high end. I think improving his strength is something that also happened over the course of a year.”

Asked if Teravainen could play in the postseason, Quenneville didn’t rule it out.

“It’s happened before,” he said. “Whether you’ve got some kids coming out of juniors who can help the organization, young guys at this time of year can give you jump.”

Indeed, it has happened before here. Marcus Kruger came from Sweden to play the Blackhawks’ final seven regular-season games and five postseason games in April of 2011. Brandon Saad, who played most of 2011-12 with the Saginaw Spirit, played in two postseason games against Phoenix that season.

But however Teravainen fits into the lineup, the Blackhawks are not going to put the onus on him. General manager Stan Bowman said that prior to the Stadium Series game on March 1.

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



Five Things to watch: Blackhawks vs. Red Wings

Tracey Myers is the Blackhawks Insider for CSNChicago.com.

March 16, 2014, 5:15 pm

It wasn’t that long ago that a Chicago Blackhawks-Detroit Red Wings had bigger implications than most games. It was a great, classic, divisional rivalry that entertained us for many a season.

Well, those days are gone, or at least they’re fewer. With Detroit in the East and the teams just facing each other twice a season, the matchup doesn’t have quite the same feeling. Still, the two enter tonight’s game with plenty in common. Each team is playing .500 hockey lately and each is trying to improve their standing in their respective conferences.

Will that old rivalry feeling be rekindled? With each team take its recent on-ice frustration out on the other? Will it ever warm up, ever, in this city? While we ponder these and other questions, let’s look at the Five Things to watch for in tonight’s Red Wings-Blackhawks game.

1. Again, how about that fast start. We’ve been preaching this one quite a bit. The Blackhawks got off to a decent one in the first 10 minutes against Nashville on Friday. The next 10 minutes, however, prompted coach Joel Quenneville to say it was “as bad as we’ve played for any stretch all year.” Too often the Blackhawks’ urgency hasn’t shown until the last 10-15 minutes of their games. That has to change.

2. Welcome back, Mr. Hossa. Marian Hossa’s return should be a boost, both for him and for the Blackhawks. We all know what Hossa brings, from being a constant scoring threat to his defensive abilities. Perhaps his return can prove some of the spark the Blackhawks need right now.

3. Bring back the battle. The Blackhawks were fully ensconced in battle drills on Saturday’s practice, mainly because they’ve lacked that in their last two games. Quenneville didn’t mince words on the subject. “If you’re looking for a perimeter, non-confrontational kind of game, the other team will accommodate that,” he said. “You’ll be on the outside the whole game.” The Blackhawks have to get inside more and challenge more tonight.

4. Bryan Bickell “trending.” That’s what Quenneville said about Bickell’s game recently, and it’s that time of the year when it usually does. Bickell’s got to be playing at his best as the Blackhawks head to the playoffs, and he seems headed in that direction. The Blackhawks need him to keep going on that trend tonight.

5. Our pick to click tonight? We’re going to go with Brent Seabrook. Perhaps we’re just caught up in what he did against the Red Wings in the postseason but we see him having a good outing against them again this evening.


738921 Colorado Avalanche

John Mitchell "super happy" playing for Colorado Avalanche

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

Posted: 03/17/2014 12:01:00 AM MDT

KANATA, Ontario — Google the name "John Mitchell," and the late United States attorney general in the Richard Nixon administration pops up first.

It's unlikely the Avalanche center with the same name will outrank him anytime soon, given the other John Mitchell's notoriety in the Watergate scandal.

But the Avalanche's John Mitchell continues to make a name for himself with Avs fans, and that's good enough for the cerebral native of Oakville, Ontario.

Mitchell put his name on the scoresheet Sunday during the Avs' 3-1 victory over Ottawa, scoring their third goal. A few days before the game, he received a three-year, $5.4 million contract extension. So, overall, life is good for the 29-year-old forward.

"I'm super happy. Myself, my family, we're thrilled to call Denver home for the next three seasons," Mitchell said. "It's a great organization, with great management, and the boys in this dressing room are phenomenal. It was a pretty easy decision (to sign the contract extension)."

Paul Stastny is out with a back injury, so Mitchell centered a line with Gabe Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon. Mitchell scored for the second time in as many games.

"When I play in the top six, I've got to go out there and produce and score some goals," Mitchell said. "Playing with those two guys, it makes it easier for me."

Footnotes. Stastny didn't play Sunday, but he is on this trip with the Avs and will be evaluated again Monday. ... Forward Ryan O'Reilly left the Avs' bench near the end of Sunday's game, but the team said afterward that he was OK. ... Coach Patrick Roy, speaking to a large contingent of media afterward, was asked for his thoughts about returning to Montreal on Tuesday. "I've told the players to take it one day at a time," he said, "and I guess I have to do the same.

Submit a Question

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

I have a lot of respect for the Montreal organization and the fans. But I'm just going to try to approach it as a hockey game." .... Paul Carey, Ryan Wilson and Reto Berra were healthy scratches Sunday for the Avs, who will practice Monday afternoon at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Avalanche runs away from Senators in Andre Benoit's return to Ottawa

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

Posted: 03/16/2014 05:34:19 PM MDT4 comments | Updated: about 7 hours ago

KANATA, Ontario — "Benoit from Bordeleau" — that probably wasn't the offensive combination most thought would be the big story line to a potential Avalanche win Sunday. That was the case, though, in Colorado's 3-1 victory over Ottawa.

Andre Benoit, a former Senators player, converted Patrick Bordeleau's saucy crossing pass late in the second period to break a scoreless tie. That was enough for Avs goaltender Semyon Varlamov, who was superb in rebounding from an off game Friday against Anaheim.

Benoit and Bordeleau grew up near Ottawa and both had a lot of family members and friends in the stands Sunday. Benoit, who is married to the daughter of Ottawa goalies coach Rick Wamsley, has four goals in nine games since the Olympic break. He has six goals overall, in 66 games.

Ottawa Senator goaltender Robin Lehner(40) looks on as Colorado’s Andre Benoit (61) celebrates his goal with teammate Maxime Talbot (25).

Ottawa Senator goaltender Robin Lehner(40) looks on as Colorado's Andre Benoit (61) celebrates his goal with teammate Maxime Talbot (25). (Fred Chartrand, The Canadian Press)

"Knock on wood, I hope they keep going in," said Benoit, who played with the Senators last season before signing with the Avs as a free agent. "I've just tried to get in good spots and get good quality shots off, and lately they've been going in."

Benoit roofed a shot past Senators goalie Robin Lehner to finish an odd-man rush with Bordeleau and Max Talbot. Nick Holden scored a power-play goal during the third period as the Avs stayed in second place in the Central Division while reaching the 93-point mark.

"I was at the end of my shift. I was gassed," said Bordeleau, who added that he had about 100 family members and friends from his offseason home of Valleyfield, Ontario, at the game. "It was a great shot by Benny. It's nice. It's the first time most of my family has seen me play in the NHL in person."

The Avs managed only 12 shots through two periods and were being outshot 14-1 at one point in the second. But Varlamov was tremendous, and for the most part the Avs limited Ottawa to longer-range shots and cleared rebounds quickly. Not that Varlamov gave up many rebounds either. After allowing five goals Friday in a loss to Anaheim, Varlamov was looking to bounce back.

"Friday night was a nightmare for me," Varlamov said. "I should play better. I can't give up five goals in 10 minutes, so I was (upset) about that game. Today was a game where you have to show the team you're ready to play better."

Submit a Question

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

Varlamov's best save Sunday probably was his glove-hand grab of Cody Ceci's walk-in bid down the right side in the second period. Ceci had all kinds of time and space and was below the hash marks when he shot, but Varlamov practically took the puck right off his stick.

John Mitchell scored to give the Avalanche a three-goal cushion.

"Varly was very solid. He made some very key saves, especially in that second period," Avs coach Patrick Roy said. "I thought we had too many turnovers in that second period, and Varly was there for us. He gave us a chance to stay in the game."

Two of the Avalanche's goals were scored by defensemen. Last season, the Avs received only five goals in 48 games from their D-men.

"It really helps when you get help from the back end," Mitchell said. "Today we got a great boost from those guys, when we didn't bring as much up front as we wanted."



Avalanche vs. Senators postgame: Varlamous

By Adrian Dater

The Denver Post

March 16, 2014, 11:28 pm

MONTREAL, VIA KANATA, ONTARIO AND BACK – Back from a nearly three-hour drive from Kanata back to Montreal, after a nearly three-hour drive to Kanata for the game. Six hours in the car, with a nearly three-hour game interlude. All of it good. Driving at home in Colorado is almost always tedious for me, but most always relaxing on the road. New things to look at, strange pitstops along the way, etc. For instance, a lovely brunch today at a little restaurant in Alfred, Ontario, on the way to the game. Picture a man in a little vinyl-coated bench seat in a booth reading the day’s newspaper while sampling a local hole-in-the-wall’s buffet spread (eggs, sausage, some neat fried rice thing, a couple of pancakes, Canadian bacon, strong coffee) and you get a good picture of me a few hours ago. Extremely fun for me, those kinds of things. I even got to try out my French to the waitress, which isn’t very good at all, but passable in limited conversation.

That was after making a right off of Hwy. 417 to stop in Hawkesbury, Ontario, hometown of former Avs coach Bob Hartley, where I cruised along main street, stopped at a gas station for a Rockstar energy drink, a stick of pepperoni and a chicken salad sandwich. Hawkesbury is kind of a town that time forgot, but I love those kinds of places.

Anyway, the game today: Avs get outshot once again, but win anyway. Kind of a theme isn’t it? The Avs have won 30 games this season while being outshot. But in many of these games, they scored the first goal. In fact, Colorado’s record when scoring first this season is 34-1-3. That is the best such record in the league. When they haven’t scored first, they are 10-17-2.

Semyon Varlamov is a huge reason for all of this. So many of these games have been decided by one goal too. The Avs are 23-4-5 in one-goal games – the most wins by such a margin in the league. Today’s game was a two-goal margin, but it seemed like a one-goal win all the way today, right?

Varlamov wasn’t exactly cheery after the win. You would have thought the Avs had lost if you’d seen him in the locker room. He had his head down the entire two minutes me and another reporter talked to him (I asked all the questions though, as often is the case on the road). I think it’s just his nature, though. Varly doesn’t get excited too often about anything. Win or lose, he often is the same after a game: very quiet.

But this was even a little surprising to me. Seriously, Varly never looked up the whole time.

Otherwise, it was a jubilant room. A big crowd around Andre Benoit, following his game in which he scored that all-important first goal. He grew up about an hour away from Ottawa, in St. Albert, Ontario, and played for the Senators last year. He is married to the daughter of Sens goalie coach Rick Wamsley. So, this was a big day for Mr. Clean.

Some video of his plain-spoken talk:

Other thoughts/highlights from the day/game:

- Ryan O’Reilly missed some time at the end of the game, disappearing down the tunnel and thereby freaking out half the people on my Twitter feed. But the word is: he’s OK. He seemed fine after the game, though it’s still a secret as to exactly why he went to the room prematurely. A little ding somewhere on the body I think, but he seemed none the worse for wear 20 minutes after the final horn sounded when I saw him.

- Paul Stastny missed another game with the back issue, but he’s on the trip and seems like he’s inching closer to a return. Of course, I can’t talk to him while he’s injured, because that would violate national security.

- Unbelievable gallery of old hockey photos on the entire circle of a floor of the building – the press box level – in the building in Ottawa. It’s like a great old hockey museum, the photos. You could stare at them for hours.

- Patrick Roy will meet the media tomorrow after practice at the Belle Centre in Montreal. The media will be ready to meet him, too. I hear the crowd will be more than 100. Roy tried to downplay going back to Montreal

to coach for the first time in the NHL Tuesday, saying he hadn’t been thinking about the game much. Not sure I believed that.


738924 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets 2, Wild 1: Ryan Johansen’s goal gets good review

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Sunday March 16, 2014 7:16 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — From Wes Walz’s metaphysical goal in 2006 to Rick Nash’s highly suspicious goal overruling in 2008, the Xcel Energy Center has been a house of mysterious and crushing video review rulings for the Blue Jackets through the years.

So when last night’s game hung in the balance as that process endured yet again — would Ryan Johansen’s shootout goal count? — the ghosts of heartbreaks past could be heard cackling in the catacombs.

This time, though, they taunted the Wild.

Johansen’s goal in the fourth round of the shootout was allowed to stand, giving the Blue Jackets a 2-1 victory before 19,042.

In question was whether Wild goaltender Darcy Kuemper made an initial stop on Johansen’s attempt, or if Johansen maintained possession until he converted it behind the Wild’s rookie. (Once a goalie makes a save, the attempt is over.) NHL official Kelly Sutherland initially ruled no goal on the ice, but video replay showed Johansen’s stick blade between Kuemper’s right pad and the puck.

“(Assistant coach) Dan Hinote was on the headset, talking with (video coach) Dan Singleton, and (Singleton) thought it was a goal,” Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said. “But just because we think it’s a goal doesn’t mean it’s going to be a goal.”

Sutherland skated to center ice, made the announcement and was booed lustily by the crowd as the Blue Jackets jumped off the bench to swarm Johansen and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

“It’s an absolutely huge win for us,” Johansen said. “You never know how that’s going to go when it goes to review, but I think they got the call right. I think we deserved to win this game, absolutely. We hung in there. We were down 2-0 in the shootout, we had two guys keep it alive, we had Bobrovsky playing out of his mind, and we found a way.”

The win pushed the Blue Jackets ahead of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia and into second place in the Metropolitan Division.

Artem Anisimov and Mark Letestu each kept the game alive in the shootout, scoring in the second and third rounds, respectively, to set up a fourth. Bobrovsky stopped the Wild’s Matt Moulson to open the fourth round, setting the stage for Johansen.

He came in slowly, dangled the puck a few times, then pulled it back in as Kuemper came out to cut off his angle, making contact with his right pad and Johansen’s blade.

Johansen is 3 of 7 in shootouts this season.

“You don’t see too many wins when you’re down 2-0 in the shootout,” Richards said. “Huge goals by Arty and Mark Letestu to keep it going, and a huge save in between by Bobrovsky.”

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead with 21.6 seconds remaining in the second period on Dalton Prout’s second goal of the season. The Wild pulled even at 3:12 of the third on Jason Pominville’s 25th goal of the season.

“Before the game, we were talking in here amongst each other about what’s going on in the league,” Prout said. “We have to win to keep pace, keep making ground. We do have games-in-hand on some teams around us, so this puts the pressure back on the other teams.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2014

738925 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets notebook: Fedor Tyutin returns to lineup following ankle injury

By Aaron Portzline The Columbus Dispatch • Sunday March 16, 2014 6:26 AM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Three weeks and three days after he suffered a high ankle sprain, Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin was back in the lineup last night against the Minnesota Wild.

“It doesn’t surprise me, because it’s Fedor,” coach Todd Richards said. “I just remember him, at the end (of the 2011-12 season) when he couldn’t play because of a broken hand, how upset he was that he couldn’t be out there — and that was a lost season.”

High ankle sprains have been known to linger for months. Former Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, whose 2005-06 season was derailed by the injury, said he could still feel a tweak when he made certain movements even three years later. But Tyutin, who was injured playing for Russia in the Olympics, suffered a mild sprain, the Blue Jackets said.

“I’ve been practicing and skating, and it hasn’t bothered me at all, so that’s a good sign,” Tyutin said before the game. “But you have to have a good test on it before you can say you’re back to normal again.”

With Tyutin back, Richards made sweeping changes to the defensive pairings. Jack Johnson, who had been Tyutin’s partner, skated with David Savard while Tyutin was out. But Richards had Johnson paired with Dalton Prout, Tyutin with James Wisniewski, and Nikita Nikitin with Savard.

Tyutin and Wisniewski hadn’t played together since early in the 2011-12 season.

“He’s such an easy guy to play with,” Wisniewski said. “Every defensemen in this room would love to have Fedor next to them.”

Makeup up in the air

It has been almost a week, but the NHL has not yet set a makeup date for the game postponed on Monday when Dallas forward Rich Peverley suffered a cardiac episode on the bench.

The Blue Jackets asked the league to tack the game on at the end of the season, believing their remaining schedule — 15 games in 25 days beginning on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes — is intense enough. But the league doesn’t want the season to extend beyond the already-scheduled April 13 regular-season finales.

The Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 16, and a game between the Stars and Blue Jackets could affect seedings in both conferences.

March 31 and April 9 are the only dates a game could be played that wouldn’t have either the Stars or Blue Jackets playing games on three straight days.

It’s possible a third team, maybe the Florida Panthers, could be asked to change the date of a game with the Blue Jackets to clear a better spot on the schedule.

Slap shots

Defensemen Nick Schultz and Frederic St. Denis and forward Matt Frattin were healthy scratches last night. … Forward Blake Comeau sat out the second game of his two-game suspension. … The Blue Jackets are off today.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2014

738926 Dallas Stars

Observations from a 7-2 loss against Winnipeg Sunday: Stars have to remember what got them here

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer

Published: 17 March 2014 12:10 AM

Updated: 17 March 2014 12:18 AM

So this defense thing is kind of important in sports, eh?

And we're not even talking about winning championships here.

It's important to get out of the first period…and the second..and the third. It's important to just make the game competitive. It's important to save your goalie…and your sanity.

And maybe most important in hockey, it's important to keep your team together.

Because, quite honestly, defense in hockey is team. It's not just having the best backstop in the league, or the biggest bruisers to clear the net or the squad that blocks 20 shots per game. It's everybody sacrificing together so that the team plays like a team. It's the forwards supporting the defense by hustling back and picking up opposing players. It's the defense moving the puck quickly to the forwards so action stays in the other end of the ice. It's goalies directing pucks to the safe areas of the ice or moving them smoothly to the defensemen so they can move it smoothly to the forwards so they can keep the action in the other end of the ice.

It really isn't that complicated…from the couch, anyways.

When the Stars were rolling along in a 7-1-2 stretch a couple of weeks back, they were allowing 24.4 shots on goal per game. That was down 10 shots against from their average at mid-season, and would have led the NHL at the time. Interestingly enough, they were averaging only 30.6 shots on goal per game. That also was down from their mid-season average of 33, but it seemed like so much more when you watched the game, because the Stars controlled the puck and controlled the game.

There still was pace, there still was "attack ," there still was the energy coach Lindy Ruff enjoys. But there wasn't the panic, and that is huge when it comes to the new-look Stars.

Ruff was talking about his team a couple of weeks back, and he always likes to pick out certain plays when we're trying to make him talk big picture. If we were smart, we'd see that he is talking bigger picture in little plays.

"There was a time there when Sergei (Gonchar) laid one up the wall and iced the puck when there was nobody around him," Ruff said. "And I said to myself, `C'mon, show a little composure…don't make me use my timeout."'

The play was very specific, the philosophy wasn't. Ruff has been preaching composure all season, and he seemed to have gotten his message across. The Stars were showing composure, they were being patient and smart and calm. They were playing team defense and keeping the puck out of their own end.

But now they aren't.

And that has a lot of you worried out there.

Let's start with the bad here and work toward the good. The Stars have seven left-handed defensemen, and they hate that. Ruff loves the balance of lefty-righty in a pair, and all you have to do is look at the Team Canada roster at the Olympics that he helped assemble to see that. The gold medal champs had four lefties and four righties on the blueline.

"They're under so much duress, and it's just hard to get the puck out if you're always on your backhand," Ruff said. "We practice off the wall, but it's not the perfect situation. It's something we put a lot of work into, because we have to."

Also concerning is the fact the depth is sort of weak right now. Aaron Rome has not played well in his last four or five games, and there seems little chance he's going to work his way into the lineup during these high-

pressure games. That means that players like Gonchar and Kevin Connauton and Jordie Benn have to step up, and players like Alex Goligoski, Trevor Daley and Brenden Dillon can't buckle to the pressure.

Having Stephane Robidas right now might have been a good thing, but it also could have been a bad thing. Trying to work him in under this kind of duress would not be easy.

"These games are hard to win late in the year," said Stars captain Jamie Benn after the 7-2 loss in Winnipeg. "Teams are gearing up for the playoffs. Teams that aren't in the playoffs got nothing to lose and they're hard teams to play against."

And so the Stars have to be able to walk that fine line between intensity and calm, and they have to do it with a group of defensemen who might be ill-fitted and in over their heads.

That's one side of the reality of this situation.

And here is the other: The Stars just went through a not so small sample size of walking that line, of dealing with the pressure, of showing some composure.

Think back to some of the slick, quick passes they made to keep the forecheck chasing during that 7-1-2 run. Think of some of the plays at the net they made to protect one-goal leads in the third period. Think of some of the breakout passes they made to spring forwards on breakaways.

It wasn't an illusion, it did happen…and there's no reason it can't happen again.

The loss of Rich Peverley to the lineup will hurt. He is a versatile Stu Barnes-like player who can win faceoffs, jump up on the top line when needed…and play defense. He made smart, subtle plays a lot…he showed composure. Now, when Colton Sceviour or Chris Mueller get the same opportunity, they have to show the same composure, they have to show the same commitment to defense. That's how this has to work.

Likewise, Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn also have to be committed to playing a five-man game. While the dynamic duo has been scoring like crazy, they also have had moments where you feel like you're watching the Edmonton Oilers. (Sure, you might be talented enough to beat three defenders by yourself once every 15 times, but it's not a smart way to play hockey).

It does not help the concept of team defense.

And you can't talk enough about Alex Goligoski. He is the key to so many of the things this team does. If he is calm, the team is calm. If he shows confidence, the team shows confidence. It's really that simple. He has to be good or the team won't be good. He truly is the composure barometer for this group.

And the funny thing is, for a very long stretch he was very good…no matter how much his critics want to fry him right now.

Tim Thomas' style might be a little too wild for this group, so getting Kari Lehtonen back could be a huge help. But the Stars will need Thomas down the stretch, so the goalie and the defensemen will have to learn how to feed off one another. Thomas might play wild, but he thinks calm, and that allows some common ground for both sides.

The emotion of the past week has been oppressive. The reality of the challenge is starting to sink in. And there is a real chance the Stars can't get this done.

But this still team still sits in a great spot with complete control of its own destiny. All it has to do is find the game it was playing two weeks ago. All it has to do is play a little defense.

It's what wins championships, y'know.

And a lot of regular season games, as well.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.17.2014

738927 Dallas Stars

Stars take beating, increase playoff drama instead of knocking down Jets

By DAN FALLOON

Special Contributor

Published: 16 March 2014 10:52 PM

Updated: 16 March 2014 11:06 PM

WINNIPEG, Manitoba —The Dallas Stars could have essentially knocked the Winnipeg Jets from the National Hockey League playoff race Sunday while solidifying their own standing.

Instead, the Stars huffed and puffed and spun out in a 7-2 loss to the Jets at the MTS Centre.

After an emotional shootout win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, a day after forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench, the Stars have lost two straight to non-playoff teams.

“We’re not playing the right way,” said captain Jamie Benn, who took two minor penalties and a 10-minute misconduct late in the third. “They gave us a pretty good beating.

“Losing sucks.”

Head coach Lindy Ruff echoed the sentiment.

“I’m disappointed with the way we played,” he said. “I didn’t think we showed enough resolve. We didn’t compete hard enough on the wall. When we got under a little bit of pressure, we threw some pucks in the middle of the ice.”

With 75 points, the Stars (32-24-11) are even with the Phoenix Coyotes for the final wild-card spot while holding a game in hand and the first tiebreaker of regulation and overtime wins (29 to 27). The Jets (31-29-9), losers of six straight coming in, now have 71 points.

Goalie Tim Thomas said improving his team’s position, not hampering the Jets’, was at the forefront of the Stars’ minds going into the game.

“We didn’t have a vendetta to put the Jets out of the race,” Thomas said. “That was a big game, but we’ve just got to put it behind us and get ready to play the next one.”

The Stars were undone by defensive struggles in their own zone, primarily at the hands of Jets right wing Blake Wheeler, who finished with four assists and orchestrated the back-breaking goals.

With 2:58 left in the first and the score tied 2-2, Wheeler got a point-blank chance on Thomas, who denied him. But Wheeler collected his rebound and centered to wide-open defenseman Tobias Enstrom.

Wheeler then fed another wide-open teammate, this time Olli Jokinen, 29 seconds into the second. Wheeler cut off a clearing attempt before backhanding the puck to Jokinen, who had several seconds to deke out Thomas.

The goal ended Thomas’ evening, after he allowed four goals on 17 shots. Jacob Trouba and Michael Frolik also scored in the first period.

Cristopher Nilstorp relieved Thomas, seeing action in his sixth NHL game and first this season, Jets right winger Dustin Byfuglien scored twice, while Evander Kane added another in the third. Nilstorp ended the evening with 14 saves.

Alex Chiasson and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars, who dominated the Jets with speed early in the game, earning a 2-1 lead at the time and a couple opportunities to extent the cushion. Though they finished with 27 shots, few truly tested Jets goalie Al Montoya after the early pressure.

Dallas will continue its three-game road trip in Pittsburgh on Tuesday and Philadelphia on Thursday.


738928 Dallas Stars

Allen Americans finish busy weekend with 4-3 shootout loss n Denver

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer



Here is the press release:

Denver, COLORADO - The Allen Americans wrapped up a three games in three nights weekend against the red hot Denver Cutthroats on Sunday afternoon at Denver Coliseum with a 4-3 shootout loss. Allen picks up five of six points on the weekend.

The Denver Cutthroats lit the lamp first on Sean Zimmerman's goal at 9:15 of the opening frame, assists going to TJ Fox and Vincent Arseneau and took the 1-0 lead. The score remained unchanged through the balance of the first period which saw Denver outshooting Allen by a count of 13-10 and leading on the scoreboard 1-0.

Allen brought the game level when Spencer Asuchak continuing his red hot play, netted his 16th goal of the season on the power play, with Greger Hanson and Jamie Schaafsma earning the helpers at 16:02 of the second period. Allen held the edge in shots for the period at 19-13 and led the two period total 29-26 while the clubs remained locked 1-1.

Denver regained the lead when Lee Moffie snuck a rebound past Bryan Pitton at 4:44 of the third period with assists from Matt Glasser and Robin Soudek. The Cutthroats extended their lead to 3-1 on a goal by Daniel Barczuk, assisted by Troy Schwab and Phil Tesoriero at the 6:17 mark. Allen answered back, again on the power play when Greger Hanson notched his 16th goal of the year, assisted by Brian McMillin and Jamie Schaafsma at9:47. Then Allen finished the comeback with a dramatic goal in the final minute of regulation when Greger Hanson netted his 2nd goal of the game and 17th of the season with just 46 seconds remaining, with the extra attacker on the ice. Assists on the Hanson goal went to Spencer Asuchak and Alex Lavoie. Denver outshot Allen 16-10 in the third period total and held the three period total at 42-39, but the game stayed level through the remainder of regulation and in overtime where each team registered 6 shots on net each.

Extra time wasn't enough so it would take a shootout to determine the winner. Cam Reid scored the game winner for Denver to give the Cutthroats the victory in the 7th round of shootout, 4-3.

Allen sits in 4th place at 34-20-5 with 73 points one point behind the Rapid City Rush in the Central Hockey League standings.

Allen return home to close out their season with six of seven games at home beginning this Wednesday night against the Wichita Thunder; the puck drop is scheduled for 7:05PM.


738929 Dallas Stars

Stars allow six unanswered goals in 7-2 blowout loss to Winnipeg Jets

Associated Press



WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Blake Wheeler knows the Winnipeg Jets are still a long shot to earn the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. A decisive thumping of the team they're chasing gave them a glimmer of hope Sunday night.

Wheeler had four assists as the Jets stormed back to beat the Dallas Stars 7-2. The Jets pulled within four points of the eighth-place Stars with the victory, although Dallas has two games in hand.

"We're a little too far back to have statement games," Wheeler said. "It was a good step for us. It was a good start to hopefully something good here. We've got to rally and string a bunch together now."

The Jets snapped a six-game winless streak that hurt their playoff chances.

"We've liked the way we've been playing, for the most part," Wheeler said. "The last three or four games, we've actually played really well, but it just hasn't worked out for us. So to get the results is definitely gratifying."

Dustin Byfuglien had two goals and an assist for the Jets, while Jacob Trouba, Michael Frolik, Evander Kane, Ollie Jokinen and Tobias Enstrom also scored. Jokinen and Enstrom each added two assists in the team's highest-scoring game of the season.

Alex Chiasson and Tyler Seguin scored first-period goals for the Stars, who had earned points in their previous four games.

The Jets scored the next six goals after Seguin had given the Stars a 2-1 lead 7:02 into the game.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff thought his team had enough quality chances to have a bigger lead.

"It's more than just a loss," Ruff said. "We got off our game. We had some terrible turnovers and they took advantage of it. I thought they stayed with it longer than we did."

Al Montoya, starting in place of the injured Ondrej Pavelec, survived a shaky start and finished with 25 saves on 27 shots, including one on Erik Cole's breakaway that could have given Dallas a two-goal lead.

"That goes back to experience, I guess," said Montoya, who upped his record to 11-5-3. "Being put in that situation several times, you've got a choice. You either go out there and make a big save or you let the mental part of the game bother you. I'm a battler and I like to think my teammates think the same thing of me."

Tim Thomas started in goal for Dallas, but stopped just 13 of the 17 shots he faced and was pulled after Jokinen's goal 29 seconds into the second period made it 4-2. Cristopher Nilstorp, a 30-year-old goalie with five games of NHL experience, came off the bench and allowed three goals on 17 shots. The Stars lost regular starter Kari Lehtonen to a concussion on March 8.

"I'm disappointed in the way we played," Ruff said. "I'm disappointed in the composure. I didn't think we showed enough resolve."

After a wide-open first period, the Stars mustered only three shots on goal in the second as the Jets built a 5-2 lead.

"It's a really important learning process for a young team to have success in a big game getting down early and then coming back and being very good," Maurice said.

Jokinen found himself all alone in front of the Dallas net after a pass from Wheeler and scored on a shifty deke to chase Thomas from the game.

Then, Byfuglien blasted a hard shot from the point on the power play to make it a three-goal lead.

The defenseman-turned-forward scored again early in the third — his 19th of the season — and moments later, nearly became the first Jets player to record a hat trick since the team relocated from Atlanta, but was stopped on a breakaway by Nilstorp.

The eventful evening for Byfuglien ended with him leaving the game with a lower-body injury midway through the third period. Maurice said he expected Byfuglien to be available for the Jets' next game in St. Louis on Monday night.

After Trouba opened the scoring at 3:11, the Stars took only four minutes to regain the lead. Chiasson poked the puck under Montoya after the netminder appeared to have control of a point shot. Then, Seguin notched his 30th of the season after a pass from rookie Valeri Nichushkin.

Frolik tied it after a giveaway from Stars defenseman Alex Gologoski, and Enstrom deposited a pass from Wheeler past Thomas to give the Jets the lead for good.

NOTES: The Jets were also without C Jim Slater (lower body) and F Chris Thorburn (ankle), who were both injured Friday night in a loss to the New York Rangers. ... The NHL announced that the Stars will host the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 9 to make up the game that was suspended Monday when Dallas F Rich Peverley collapsed on the team's bench. The game will be 60 minutes, and will start with Columbus holding the 1-0 lead they had before the medical emergency.


738930 Dallas Stars

Stars assign Travis Morin back to AHL, looks like Cody Eakin is ready to go

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer




DALLAS STARS REASSIGN FORWARD TRAVIS MORIN TO TEXAS

FRISCO, Texas -Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has reassigned forward Travis Morin to the Texas Stars, Dallas' top development affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Morin, 30, is in his sixth season with the Stars organization and his ninth in professional hockey. In four games with Dallas this season, he has posted one assist and a +2 plus/minus rating. He leads the AHL with 74 points (29-45=74) in 55 games for the Texas Stars this season.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound native of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota was originally selected by Washington in the ninth round (263rd overall) of the 2004 NHL Draft. He was signed by Dallas as a free agent on July 2, 2010.


738931 Dallas Stars

Postponed Stars game vs. Blue Jackets has been rescheduled for April 9

MIKE HEIKA

Staff Writer




POSTPONED STARS-BLUE JACKETS GAME RESCHEDULED FOR APRIL 9

NEW YORK (March 16, 2014) - Last Monday's postponed game between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets at American Airlines Center in Dallas, NHL Game No. 971, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, April 9 in Dallas, the National Hockey League announced today. The start time for the game will be 7:30 p.m., local time.

The original game, which was halted at 6:23 of the first period due to a medical emergency involving Stars forward Rich Peverley, will be played for a full 60 minutes of regulation time, plus any potential overtime and shootout.

The rescheduled contest will begin with the Blue Jackets ahead, 1-0 - the score at the time play was stopped Monday. A goal will be credited to Nathan Horton, with assists to Matt Calvert and James Wisniewski. All other statistics will be expunged.

Today's decision mirrors actions the League took in rescheduling the postponed game between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators at Joe Louis Arena on Nov. 21, 2005, as a result of a medical emergency involving Detroit player Jiri Fischer at 12:30 of the first period.


738932 Dallas Stars

Jets soar past defenseless Stars 7-2

Posted Monday, Mar. 17, 2014

The Associated Press

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Blake Wheeler knows the Winnipeg Jets are still a long shot to earn the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. A decisive thumping of the team they’re chasing gave them a glimmer of hope Sunday night.

Wheeler had four assists as the Jets stormed back to beat the Dallas Stars 7-2. The Jets pulled within four points of the eighth-place Stars with the victory, although Dallas has two games in hand.

“We’re a little too far back to have statement games,” Wheeler said. “It was a good step for us. It was a good start to hopefully something good here. We’ve got to rally and string a bunch together now.”

The Jets snapped a six-game winless streak that hurt their playoff chances.

Dustin Byfuglien had two goals and an assist for the Jets, while Jacob Trouba, Michael Frolik, Evander Kane, Ollie Jokinen and Tobias Enstrom also scored. Jokinen and Enstrom each added two assists in the team’s highest-scoring game of the season.

Alex Chiasson and Tyler Seguin scored first-period goals for the Stars, who had earned points in their previous four games.

The Jets scored the next six goals after Seguin had given the Stars a 2-1 lead 7:02 into the game.

Stars coach Lindy Ruff thought his team had enough quality chances to have a bigger lead.

“It’s more than just a loss,” Ruff said. “We got off our game. We had some terrible turnovers and they took advantage of it. I thought they stayed with it longer than we did.”

Al Montoya, starting in place of the injured Ondrej Pavelec, survived a shaky start and finished with 25 saves on 27 shots, including one on Erik Cole’s breakaway that could have given Dallas a two-goal lead.

Tim Thomas started in goal for Dallas, but stopped just 13 of the 17 shots he faced and was pulled after Jokinen’s goal 29 seconds into the second period made it 4-2. Cristopher Nilstorp, a 30-year-old goalie with five games of NHL experience, came off the bench and allowed three goals on 17 shots. The Stars lost regular starter Kari Lehtonen to a concussion on March 8.

“I’m disappointed in the way we played,” Ruff said. “I’m disappointed in the composure. I didn’t think we showed enough resolve.”

After a wide-open first period, the Stars mustered only three shots on goal in the second as the Jets built a 5-2 lead.

“It’s a really important learning process for a young team to have success in a big game getting down early and then coming back and being very good,” Maurice said.

Jokinen found himself all alone in front of the Dallas net after a pass from Wheeler and scored on a shifty deke to chase Thomas from the game.

Then, Byfuglien blasted a hard shot from the point on the power play to make it a three-goal lead.

The defenseman-turned-forward scored again early in the third – his 19th of the season – and moments later, nearly became the first Jets player to record a hat trick since the team relocated from Atlanta, but was stopped on a breakaway by Nilstorp.

The eventful evening for Byfuglien ended with him leaving the game with a lower-body injury midway through the third period. Maurice said he expected Byfuglien to be available for the Jets’ next game in St. Louis on Monday night.

After Trouba opened the scoring at 3:11, the Stars took only four minutes to regain the lead. Chiasson poked the puck under Montoya after the

netminder appeared to have control of a point shot. Then, Seguin notched his 30th of the season after a pass from rookie Valeri Nichushkin.

Frolik tied it after a giveaway from Stars defenseman Alex Gologoski, and Enstrom deposited a pass from Wheeler past Thomas to give the Jets the lead for good.

Makeup announced

The NHL has announced that the Columbus Blue Jackets at Dallas Stars game from March 10 — suspended 6:23 after the start when Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench — will be played on April 9 at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

The rescheduled contest will begin with a fresh start except with the Blue Jackets ahead 1-0. That was the score at the time play was stopped.

Star-Telegram LOADED: 03.17.2014

738933 Detroit Red Wings

Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Why the Red Wings lost Sunday

March 17, 2014 |

By Helene St. James

Detroit Free Press Sports Writer

At the United Center, Chicago

■ IN THE FIRST PERIOD: Luke Glendening got Detroit’s first shots on Corey Crawford, testing him twice around the 4-minute mark. The Wings went on a power play at 4:32 after Patrick Sharp was called for hooking. The second PP unit got some good looks, moving the puck well down low. Drew Miller got a breakaway chance on a feed from Daniel Alfredsson but was denied by Crawford. The Wings were shorthanded after Riley Sheahan got called for hooking at 15:39, but they were able to hold the Blackhawks to a shot on Howard. Shots after 20 minutes were 11-5 to Chicago.

■ IN THE SECOND PERIOD: The Wings were shorthanded after Tomas Tatar got an interference call at 1:23, but again they held the Blackhawks to a shot on net. Another Chicago power play at 7:02 didn’t go as efficiently, as Nick Leddy converted while Ben Smith provided a screen in front of Howard. Patrick Kane went off for hooking at 13:23. Gustav Nyquist tied it at 15:10 when he sent the puck in off Brent Seabrook’s skate. The Wings got another power play when Bryan Bickell went off for hooking at 15:22. Ben Smith scored on Duncan Keith’s rebound with 13.7 seconds left to make it 2-1. Shots after 40 minutes were 25-12 to Chicago.

■ IN THE THIRD PERIOD: Glendening and Andrew Shaw drew off-setting minor penalties at 5:13. Marian Hossa scored at 6:33, driving the puck to the net and firing a wrist shot into Detroit’s net to make it 3-1. The Wings went on a power play at 16:36 when Keith was called for high-sticking Nyquist. Hossa caught the puck after a failed pass attempt by Johan Franzen and passed to Jonathan Toews, who made it 4-1 at 17:50. Finals shots were 30-20 to Chicago.

■ UP NEXT: Tuesday against Toronto. The Maple Leafs, an Atlantic Division rival, have managed to work their way into a top-three division spot in the playoff race.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.17.2014


Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Johan Franzen says Red Wings 'need to believe in ourselves a little bit more'

March 17, 2014 |

By Helene St. James


CHICAGO — The Red Wings lamented another offensively inert performance as their playoffs hopes continued to plunge.

A 4-1 loss at United Center to the Chicago Blackhawks looked worse after a weekend that saw close competitors in the Eastern Conference race pick up points, with just 16 games left for Detroit to extend a 22-season streak. The Wings were in good shape going into the third period against the defending Stanley Cup-champion Blackhawks, trailing by just a goal despite being outshot, 2-1 — but they fumbled rather than fought.

“I think maybe we need to believe in ourselves a little bit more,” Johan Franzen said. “It kind of looks like we’re not all there. It doesn’t look like we all believe in it, and for us to win games, everyone out there has got to want the puck and help each other.”

Franzen got picked off on the fourth goal, with Marian Hossa setting up Jonathan Toews on the shorthanded turnover. Hossa also set up Nick Leddy’s power-play goal in the second period, and scored the backbreaker, with Hossa using his speed to make it 3-1 early in the third period. Ben Smith had Chicago’s other goal.

Gustav Nyquist scored on a power play in the second period, making it 1-1 about eight minutes after Leddy’s goal.

Chicago’s firepower contrasted starkly with Detroit’s — the Wings had 12 shots on net to 25 from the Blackhawks after two periods. The Wings basically have one scoring line left after injuries have decimated the lineup, with no absences more devastating than Henrik Zetterberg’s and Pavel Datsyuk’s.

“Chicago is one of the best in the league,” Tomas Tatar said. “With our injuries, it’s hard to compare against a team like this. We were holding them pretty well. They scored the second goal right before the end of the period, which maybe kind of break us.”

Jimmy Howard had a better game than his stats showed, but it’s hard for a goaltender to win without offense. The Wings have scored just three times in regulation the past three games.

They had five shots on net in the first period Sunday.

“We had a good game plan going in,” Daniel Alfredsson said, “but we turned the puck over a lot in the neutral zone and part of that was obviously us, but they did a good job putting pressure on us. We didn’t have a lot of time with the puck. I thought we did get better in the second getting through the neutral zone. Third, they get a two-goal lead and that’s kind of a killer.

“We just don’t have enough push today.”

The Blackhawks zeroed in on shutting down Detroit’s top line with Franzen, Nyquist and David Legwand, just like every other opponent these days, because it’s the only real threat the Wings have. The Nyquist goal, with assists to Alfredsson and Niklas Kronwall, gave Detroit a big boost — only to be deflated by Smith’s rebound goal off Duncan Keith’s shot, with 13.7 seconds to go in the second period.

“We’ve got to find a way to win, 2-1,” coach Mike Babcock said. “So when the game is 1-1, it’s a good spot for our team. Once it got to 3-1, it’s not as good a spot. We just can’t chase. We don’t have enough goals in our lineup to play like that. We were set up, and we let it slip away.”

The Wings return home to host Toronto, an Atlantic Division rival six points ahead in the standings, on Tuesday.



Detroit Red Wings need Jimmy Howard to step up in final run to playoffs

March 17, 2014 |

By Helene St. James


CHICAGO — As time runs out for the Red Wings to push into the playoffs, no player will make a bigger difference than Jimmy Howard.

He showed it last year, playing every game down the stretch, delivering one stingy performance after another, including two shutouts the last week of the regular season. If the Wings are to extend their historic 22-season playoff streak, Howard is going to have to match, or surpass, that dominance.

Howard kept the score close through two periods Sunday at United Center before the Wings fell, 4-1, to the Chicago Blackhawks. Howard had made 23 saves on 25 shots after two periods, and saw 30 shots total.

“Jimmy gave us a chance,” coach Mike Babcock said. “The second goal, I wouldn’t have liked to give up, but I thought he’d given us an opportunity. Even coming out for the third, I think we’re in a real good spot. The third goal absolutely killed us. Two D ran into each other in the neutral zone and that’s the end of the night.”

Former Wings forward Marian Hossa scored that goal, and set up two other goals. The Wings lack so much of their offense — most notably Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk — that Howard has been cast into a larger role as the regular season winds down.

“We’ve been accustomed around here to having real good goaltending from Howie,” Babcock said, “and we need him to be as good as he’s ever been down the stretch just because the depth of our lineup is different than it’s been.”

It’s no secret this hasn’t been Howard’s year — he was so subpar in November, it turned out to be beneficial when he suffered a fluke knee injury during a practice in early December in Tampa Bay. Howard used the layoff to recalibrate.

“The thing is, you can’t go out there and you can’t force things,” he said. “That’s what I tried to do earlier in the year, is really try to force the issue. Really what ended up happening was I had to take a step back and rethink things.

“It’s been a pretty topsy-turvy season, but I’m just trying to keep a positive mind frame. I have a lot of confidence in myself. Personally, I like this time of year because I find out what I’m made of.”

Babcock said it would help if the skaters could generate more offense.

“If you’re Jimmy, we don’t give him much run support,” he said.



Chicago 4, Detroit 1: Red Wings lack offensive punch, losing time for playoff push

By Helene St. James

9:40 PM, Mar. 16, 2014 |

CHICAGO -- The playoff picture has grown dimmer for the Detroit Red Wings after their inability to offer any counter-offense dealt another blow to their hopes.

The Wings left the United Center tonight with a 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, a score reflecting early strong play from Jimmy Howard and very little punch from the skaters. The Blackhawks outshot the Wings by two-to-one much of the night, and easily handled shutting down the only scoring line Detroit has left as nearly a dozen regulars occupy sick bay.

Howard had seen 25 shots after two periods and saw 30 total, while the Wings only got 20 shots. The Wings' sole offense came on the power play, with Gustav Nyquist scoring in the second period. The Wings had trouble handling Chicago's speed, and didn't get many shots on Corey Crawford until after former teammate Marian Hossa had given Chicago a two-goal lead early in the third period. A Detroit power play with minutes to play in regulation went very badly when Hossa stripped the puck off Johan Franzen and fed Jonathan Toews for the coffin-nailer.

The Wings came out of the first period in good shape thanks to Howard, who opened his night with a slap shot save on Johnny Oduya. The Blackhawks were all over the Wings in the opening minutes, and Crawford didn't see any pucks until grinder Luke Glendening tried with back-to-back shots. The power play, scoreless the previous three games, at least got some good looks during an early chance, especially the unit headed up by the young guys.

More impressively, the Wings held the Blackhawks -- owners of the NHL's sixth-ranked power play -- without a shot late in the first period. The Wings only got five shots total in the first period, while the Blackhawks had 11.

The trend didn't change in the second period -- the Wings got one shot through the first 9 minutes, while twice playing shorthanded. Nick Leddy upended what had been a flawless effort by Detroit's penalty killers when he got a feed from Hossa and used Ben Smith distracting down low to make it 1-0.

Nyquist converted on Detroit's second power play, taking a pass from Daniel Alfredsson, slowing down, and firing a shot into the crease that ended up going in off Brent Seabrook's skate. What boost the Wings got from having tied a game in which they were outshot at a 2:1 ratio through 40 minutes deflated when Chicago made it 2-1 with seconds to spare in the second period. Ben Smith tapped in Duncan Keith's rebound, leaving Detroit staring at another deficit.

The Wings had 12 shots on net after two periods, none of them from David Legwand or Franzen, because like every other opponent these days, the Blackhawks know that's the line that's key to containing what limited offense the Wings are capable of with both Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk missing from the lineup.



Rookie Riley Sheahan earns his place with Red Wings

Ted Kulfan

The Detroit News

Chicago — Riley Sheahan has gone from being a valued prospect in Grand Rapids to an NHL regular in a matter of months.

This deep into the regular season, there’s no talk of Sheahan losing his spot in the lineup or taking the ride down I-96 to Grand Rapids

No question, Sheahan is still learning on the job. But he’s looking like a productive NHL player a bit more each and every day.

“Every day here, it helps to be surrounded by so many good players and veterans,” said Sheahan, a 2010 first-round draft pick. “You learn from everyone, and the coaches.

“Every day you go a little step further.”

Sheahan centering a line of Tomas Tatar and Tomas Jurco (until Jurco was hurt two games ago) has been the Red Wings’ youngest, but also most consistent, the second half of the season.

Be it either offense, or sustained pressure and energy, Sheahan’s line has been a factor.

Sheahan, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound center, has been a key on the line.

“You earn the right to play all the time,” said coach Mike Babcock, who has raved about Sheahan’s development at the NHL level. “He’s been a real good player for us. We play him as a one or two (first- or second-line) guy and he’s played real well for us.

“Everyone thinks the coach decides who plays. That’s the biggest fallacy in sports. Players decide who plays. We just watch and when they play good, we play them more.”

Playing with the likes of Tatar, Jurco and Gustav Nyquist last season while leading Grand Rapids to an American League Calder Cup championship has helped this young core, said Sheahan, on and off the ice.

“We had some good chemistry and we’ve been getting along great and have good communication,” Sheahan said. “I’m fortunate to play with some great players. It helps when you have guys like Tats (Tatar) and Jurco when he was in, and Nyke (Nyquist) and (Justin) Abdelakder last game.

“There are so many great players you’re surrounded by.”

Gaining entry

Heading into Sunday’s game, the Red Wings hadn’t scored a power-play goal in three games.

The loss of some key offensive personnel doesn’t, or hasn’t, helped that situation.

Without Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg especially, the Red Wings have regressed on the power play.

But Babcock hasn’t been particularly pleased with the way the Red Wings have entered the zone, cutting into the effectiveness.

“It’s a fine line,” Babcock said.”If we have bad entries all night and we score a goal, we think the power play is great.

“(But) the power play wasn’t good (Friday).”

Ice chips

With Todd Bertuzzi (lower body) unavailable Sunday, and out on a day-to-day basis, Jordin Tootoo was recalled from Grand Rapids.

In 38 games with the Griffins, since being sent down by the Red Wings earlier this season, Tootoo has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) and 74 penalty minutes.

…The Red Wings didn’t have a morning skate Sunday, rather staying at their team hotel and working out off ice.

…Former Red Wings forward Marian Hossa returned to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup Sunday after missing the last five games with an upper body injury.

Detroit News LOADED: 03.17.2014


Red Wings' offensive cold spell continues against Blackhawks

Ted Kulfan

The Detroit News

Chicago — The Red Wings aren’t scoring enough goals to win games.

It’s probably to be expected considering the personnel they don’t have in the lineup, but the Red Wings just aren’t scoring.

And it’s costing them, as it did Sunday, losing 4-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Red Wings have scored three regulation goals in the last four games – in which they’ve gone 1-3-0. The victory was a 2-1 shootout win over Edmonton.

Allowing a late second-period goal, breaking a 1-1 tie, then letting two costly goals in the third period did the Red Wings in.

“We have to find a way to win 2-1,” coach Mike Babcock said. “When the game is 1-1 basically 39 minutes 30 seconds into the game, we’re in a good spot. We can’t chase it. There’s not enough goals in our lineup to play like that.

“We were set up and let it slip away.”

With the loss, the Red Wings (30-24-13, 73 points) dropped three points behind the New York Rangers (36-29-4, 76 points) for the final wild card spot. Washington (74 points) leads the Red Wings by one point – though the Red Wings do have two games in hand on both teams.

But the urgency is obviously increasing with every loss, and fewer games left.

“Everybody realizes it, there are a lot of teams picking up points,” forward Tomas Tatar said. “We knew what we have to do. We knew there are home games (coming up) and we have to win them.”

Former Red Wings forward Marian Hossa came back to haunt his former team again.

Hossa’s 25th goal, breaking in alone on goalie Jimmy Howard from the wing after defensemen Kyle Quincey and Brendan Smith collided, giving Chicago a 3-1 lead at 6 minutes 33 seconds of the third period, proved to be the clincher in a tight game.

Hossa then stripped Johan Franzen of the puck while Chicago was shorthanded, and eventually found Jonathan Toews, who scored his 27th goal at 17:50 of the third period, making it 4-1.

“We ran into each other and gave up the third goal, and gave up the shorty,” Babcock said. “That part is disappointing.”

Gustav Nyquist (power play) scored for the Red Wings.

Nick Leddy (power play) and Ben Smith added Blackhawks goals.

Ben Smith’s goal with 13.6 seconds left in the second period gave the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead and was also a gut-wrenching goal to allow.

Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith made the play, wheeling in from the point deep into the circle.

Keith lined a low shot that Howard made the stop, but Ben Smith and Bryan Bickell were in front of Howard, screening.

Ben Smith got a stick in and tapped the rebound past a defenseless Howard for his ninth goal.

“It just comes down to the details of the game,” Howard said. “The last minute of periods, you know that stuff can’t happen.”

The Red Wings had tied the score on Nyquist’s 17th goal at 15:10. The goal was the Red Wings first in 13 power play chances.

Daniel Alfredsson found Nyquist in the slot and Nyquist fired a shot that bounced off defenseman Brent Seabrook’s left skate and past goalie Corey Crawford.

The Blackhawks opened the scoring at 8:44 of the second period on Leddy’s goal.

Leddy got the puck at the point and lifted a shot that got through a screened Howard – Ben Smith supplying a good screen for his seventh goal.

“We played a good second period and tied it up, and they score with 13 seconds left, it’s tough,” Alfredsson said. “We felt good going into the third, but obviously Hossas goal make it a two goal game and makes it tough.”

Detroit News LOADED: 03.17.2014


Detroit Red Wings Gameday: Will Chicago Blackhawks repeat as Stanley Cup champs?

Brendan Savage | [email protected] By Brendan Savage | [email protected]

on March 16, 2014 at 3:03 PM, updated March 16, 2014 at 3:05 PM

GAME INFORMATION

• Who: Detroit Red Wings (30-23-13) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (38-15-14)

• Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. at United Center

• Live coverage: Join the MLive conversation at 6:30 p.m. ET and follow Ansar Khan (@AnsarKhanMLive) and Brendan Savage (@BrendanSavage) on Twitter.

• TV: NBC Sports Network

• Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1), WXYT-AM (1270)

• Latest line: Blackhawks -1.5 (5.5)

THE STORYLINE

The last time the Detroit Red Wings were in Chicago, they were on the verge of pulling off the biggest upset of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Red Wings didn't qualify for last year's playoffs until the final day of the season while the Blackhawks won the President's Trophy as regular-season champions after getting off to a record start.

Yet it wasn't until Brent Seabrook scored 3:35 into overtime of Game 7 that the Blackhawks were able to eliminate the Red Wings in the second round before going on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in four years.

The Red Wings had a 3-1 lead in the series before losing the final three games.

These days, the Red Wings are once again struggling to make the playoffs – they're ninth in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Philadelphia – while the Blackhawks are headed back to the postseason with a 38-15-14 record.

The Blackhawks trail St. Louis by nine points in the West and might not win the President's Trophy again but the bigger question is this:

What are their chances of becoming the first team since the Red Wings in 1997-98 to repeat as Stanley Cup champions?

HISTORY

The Red Wings lead the all-time series with Chicago 364-265-84-13.

Last season, the Red Wings went 0-1-3 during the regular season vs. Chicago. The regulation loss was a 7-1 romp – Detroit's worst loss of the season – on the day the club celebrated Gordie Howe's 85th birthday.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tough guy Jordin Tootoo is back with the Red Wings after being recalled from Grand Rapids when Todd Bertuzzi suffered a lower-body injury in Friday's 2-1 shootout victory over Edmonton.

How much playing time Tootoo gets remains to be seen but you can bet he'll be looking to agitate the Blackhawks in a bid to see more ice time and stay in Detroit.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has seven goals and an assist in his last six games.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.17.2014


Red Wings aim to improve entries on power play, maintain strong penalty kill vs. Blackhawks

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]


CHICAGO – The Detroit Red Wings’ special teams are going in opposite directions; the penalty killing has been superb of late while the power play has struggled the past three games.

The Red Wings spent part of Saturday’s practice working on the power play, in particular breakouts and entries, as they prepared for today’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center (7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network exclusive).

“I didn’t think we entered the zone at all last game (2-1 shootout win over Edmonton Friday),” coach Mike Babcock said. “We didn’t enter it good and we weren’t very smooth.

“It’s a fine line. If we have bad entries all night and we score a goal we think the power play is great. The power play wasn’t good (Friday) night, we talked about it and we met with the groups (Saturday), spent a couple seconds on it in practice to be ready for (Sunday).”

The power play has gone 0-for-11 the past three games, after going 10-for-30 in the nine games before that.

“We all know we got to be better on the power play,” Tomas Tatar said. “We practiced, tried to make some plays. Hopefully the breakouts work for us. We have to work way more. I think we have to put work before skill, just (get) a couple of retrievals; everyone has to battle to help each other.”

The Red Wings rank 17th in the NHL on the power play (17.3 percent). The Blackhawks’ penalty kill is in the bottom third of the NHL, 21st at 80.7 percent.

The Red Wings made one change to the top unit; because Todd Bertuzzi is out with a lower-body injury, Justin Abdelkader will fill the net-front role, with Johan Franzen and Gustav Nyquist up front and Niklas Kronwall and Daniel Alfredsson at the points.

The second unit is the same as the previous game: David Legwand. Riley Sheahan and Tatar up front, Teemu Pulkkinen and Danny DeKeyser at the points.

“We’ve been struggling to get in the zone and even when we had it in the zone we struggled to get chances,” DeKeyser said. “We have to get back to basics, be simple on it and get pucks to the net and get traffic because that’s how we’re going to score.”

On the bright side, the penalty kill has been strong; Babcock called it “all-world.”

The Red Wings haven’t allowed a power-play goal in their past five games (13-for-13) and have given up only two in their past 11 games (32-for-34 on the PK).

But their eighth-ranked penalty-killing units will be tested by the Blackhawks’ firepower. Chicago ranks sixth on the power play at 20.7 percent.



Marian Hossa returns from injury to lead Blackhawks past offensively challenged Red Wings

Ansar Khan | [email protected] By Ansar Khan | [email protected]


CHICAGO – The Detroit Red Wings hung in there with the Chicago Blackhawks for much of the game Sunday, but didn’t have the manpower or the firepower to overcome the defending Stanley Cup champions or to compensate for their own mistakes.

Ben Smith scored in the final minute of the second period to snap a tie and the Blackhawks scored twice on only five shots in the third period en route to a 4-1 victory at the United Center.

“We got to find a way to win 2-1,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “So when the game’s 1-1, basically 39 minutes and 30 seconds in, it’s a good spot for our team. Once the game got to 3-1 it’s not as good a spot for our team.

“We just can’t chase. We don’t have enough goals in our lineup to play like that. We were set up and we let it slip away.”

The Red Wings (30-24-13) have scored only three goals in their past four games, going 1-3-0 as the urgency to win increases with many of their competitors for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference picking up a lot of points over the past week.

Gustav Nyquist’s team-leading 17th goal was the only offense the Red Wings mustered.

Jimmy Howard kept his team in the game early, when the Blackhawks tilted the rink, outshooting the Red Wings by a wide margin. But he needed to be virtually flawless on this night.

Former Red Wing Marian Hossa, back after missing five games with an injury, led the charge for Chicago with a goal and two assists. Corey Crawford made 19 saves to improve to 12-2-3 vs. the Red Wings.

“It’s a frustrating way to lose,” Detroit’s Daniel Alfredsson said. “I thought we got better as the game went on but couldn’t find that extra goal we needed.”

The Blackhawks are just 11-8-7 since Jan. 1 but snapped a two-game losing streak.

The Red Wings were moments away from taking some momentum and a tie score into the second intermission before disaster struck once again in the final minute of a period.

This time, Smith knocked in a rebound of a shot by Duncan Keith that was laying by Howard’s pad with 13.7 seconds remaining, giving the Blackhawks a 2-1 lead.

The Red Wings were scrambling in their zone and Jonathan Ericsson wasn’t able to tie up Bryan Bickell or get to the rebound.

“The one late in the period, it shouldn’t happen,” Howard said. “It’s paying attention to details.”

Said Alfredsson: “I thought we played a good period, tied it up and they scored, that’s tough. I thought our room was good between the second and third. I thought we were good going into the third. Hossa’s goal makes it tough for us.”

Hossa gave his team a 3-1 lead at 6:33 of the third period with his 23rd goal. He used a burst of speed to cut around defensemen Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey, who ran into each other on the play.

“I thought we were in a real good situation through two,” Babcock said. “The third goal absolutely killed us. Two D ran into each other in the neutral zone and that’s the end of the night.”

Said Howard: “Hossa’s off to the races. He was coming with so much speed, I thought he was going to try to drag me across, but he’s got that quick shot.”

Jonathan Toews sealed it with a shorthanded goal at 17:50, making a nice move in tight after Hossa started the play by stripping the puck from Johan Franzen in the Chicago zone.

“Lost the puck at the blue line, they got a two-on-one, they scored,” Franzen said. “It happens. You got to take chances when you’re down 3-1.”

Nyquist had tied it for the Red Wings at 15:10 of the second period on the power play. He took a pass from Alfredsson and fired a shot from the slot that bounced in off Brent Seabrook’s skate.

The Red Wings had gone 0-for-11 on the power play in their previous three games.

Chicago opened the scoring on the power play at 8:44 of the second period, on a blast from the point by Nick Leddy.

In the end, defenseman Niklas Kronwall summed up the night by simply saying, “Tonight wasn’t good enough.”



Injury plagued Red Wings fall to Blackhawks

By Matt Carlson, Of The Associated Press

Posted: 03/16/14, 10:46 PM EDT |

CHICAGO (AP) >> Marian Hossa celebrated his return to the lineup with a goal and two assists, and the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Detroit Wings 4-1 on Sunday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Ben Smith had a goal and assist, and Nick Leddy and Jonathan Toews scored for defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago, which is struggling to keep up with the top contenders in the Western Conference.

Despite the win, the Blackhawks are 11-8-7 in 2014 and remained fifth in the conference and third in the Central Division.

Gustav Nyquist scored for the injury-depleted Red Wings, who are desperate for wins as they try to get into the playoffs for the 23rd straight time.

Chicago’s Corey Crawford made 19 saves and Detroit’s Jimmy Howard had 26.

The 35-year-old Hossa was back in action for the first time in two weeks. The right wing was knocked out with an upper-body injury in the Blackhawks’ 5-1 victory over Pittsburgh at Soldier Field on March 1.

The banged-up Red Wings played without 10 injured players, including stars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Forward Todd Bertuzzi joined the list on Sunday, sitting out after suffering a lower-body injury on Friday against Edmonton.

The Blackhawks faced Detroit for the second time since beating them in overtime in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series last year to complete a comeback from a 3-1 deficit. The Red Wings defeated Chicago 5-4 in a shootout on Jan. 22 at Joe Louis Arena.

The Blackhawks and Red Wings were division rivals for the past 31 years until Detroit moved from the Western to Eastern Conference this season. The NHL Original Six teams were grouped together in the Central Division for the previous 19 seasons and in the Norris Division for 12 years before that.

The Blackhawks outshot the Red Wings 11-5 in the scoreless first, but neither team generated sustained pressure or many prime scoring chances.

The Blackhawks turned up the pressure early in the second and outshot Detroit 14-7 in the period.

Howard came up with close-in pad saves on Hossa and Niklas Hjalmarsson during a flurry about 5 minutes into the period to keep it scoreless.

Leddy’s power-play goal, on Chicago’s 19th shot, finally opened the scoring at 8:44 of the second. His drive from just inside the left point sailed through a screen and slipped between Howard’s pads.

Nyquist tied it at 1 with 4:50 left in the period with a power-play goal that deflected in off the skate of Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook.

After the Red Wings had controlled the puck in the Chicago zone, Nyquist shot from the inside of the edge of the right circle. The shot appeared to be heading wide of the lower left corner of the net, but struck Seabrook’s left foot and got past Crawford.

Smith put Chicago back in front 2-1 on a rebound with 14 seconds left in the period.

Defenseman Duncan Keith carried the puck down the right wing boards, closed to the circle and then fired through a scrum. Howard got a piece of the shot, but Smith muscled in the loose puck from the edge of the crease.

Hossa gave Chicago a 3-1 lead at 6:33 of the third. After taking a feed from Patrick Sharp, Hossa raced down the right wing, cut in around Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith and beat Howard from close range.

Hossa’s set up Toews’ short-handed goal with 2:10 left that iced it.

After stealing the puck from Johan Franzen near the Chicago blue line, Hossa skated down the right wing. He pulled up and then fed Toews, who cut to the net and tucked in a shot.

NOTES: Chicago forward Brandon Saad didn’t return for the third period after playing a total of 11 shifts. The Blackhawks didn’t disclose the reason. ... Detroit RW Jordin Tootoo, recalled from Grand Rapids of the AHL on Saturday, filled in for Bertuzzi. ... Red Wings D Jakub Kindl was a healthy scratch. ... Before the game, Joel Quenneville hinted that C Teuvo Teravainen, one of the Blackhawks’ top prospects, might join the team soon. Teravainen’s team in Finland, Jokerit, was eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday. That paves the way for the 19-year-old forward, drafted in the first round by Chicago in 2012 (18th overall), to sign an NHL contract.

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.17.2014

738943 Edmonton Oilers

Eakins happy to see Yakupov come to teammate’s aid

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton JournalMarch 16, 2014

Raleigh, N.C. — Matt Hendricks didn’t really need any help. He was handling himself rather effectively against a ticked-off Brett Bellemore and Ron Hainsey, who jumped on the Edmonton Oilers’ back in retaliation.

Hendricks had checked Bellemore into the boards.

Nevertheless, Nail Yakupov charged in to pull Bellemore off his teammate in Sunday’s 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, then spent two minutes in the penalty box with Hendricks. Both players were charged with roughing.

In short, Yakupov didn’t get a goal or an assist, extending his pointless streak to six games, but he did get a thumbs-up from head coach Dallas Eakins for the penalty minutes on the stat sheet.

“At the start of the year, we had scrums where there’d be two guys in there pushing and shoving and there was nobody else coming,” Eakins said. “That’s what I’m talking about with this team coming together.

“That’s a huge thing for me with Yak. I was proud he was the first one in there.”

Joensuu may have sprained ankle

Jesse Joensuu arrived in Raleigh in a walking cast and will have an MRI when he returns to Edmonton. He may have sprained his ankle after slamming his foot into the boards during Friday’s game at Detroit.

Sam Gagner, meanwhile, returned to the lineup after sitting out against the Red Wings. He was between Taylor Hall and David Perron. That meant a shift to the wing on the third line for Anton Lander, who played with Hendricks and Boyd Gordon.

Mark Fraser (groin) was back on the blue-line, with Philip Larsen scratched.

“If (Lander) is going to play here, he has to be able to play centre, he has to play left-wing and he has to play right-wing. He has to be able to step in on the power play and kill penalties,” said Eakins. “He has to be able to wear a bunch of different hats.”

Klefbom settling in

The stage will change again for Oscar Klefbom, who will play his first NHL game at Rexall Place on Tuesday when the Oilers host the Nashville Predators.

The 2011 first-round pick made his NHL debut at St. Paul, Minn., on Tuesday and remained in the lineup through the entire four-game road trip.

“He’s been night-and-day for me from those first 30 minutes he played for us,” Eakins said. “We still have to protect him a little bit — that’s the fair thing to do with a man of his experience — but so far, so good. He’s making progress.”

Klefbom played just under 11 minutes against the Hurricanes, none on the penalty-killing units, and was even in plus/minus with one shot on net and one blocked shot.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Oilers score power-play goal to cap successful road trip

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton JournalMarch 16, 2014

RALEIGH, N.C. - There were a lot of sins finally erased by the Edmonton Oilers. They reduced the number of goals against, the penalty-killing units were snuffing out man-advantage situations, and they haven’t lost two consecutive games in regulation time since Jan. 24.

On the flip side, the power play hadn’t scored in eight road games since Jan. 18. If that wasn’t bad enough, the Oilers were a miserable two-for-40 with the man advantage when they skated out for another power play in the third period of Sunday’s NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“At least we broke the streak ... . It’s a start,” said David Perron, who set up defenceman Justin Schultz for the deciding goal that gave the Oilers a 2-1 victory Sunday at PNC Arena.

It was the first power-play goal scored by a defenceman this season.

“(The power play) has been struggling for a while there so to be able to get one, and a big one there at the end, will hopefully give us some confidence,” said Schultz, who fired a wristshot past Carolina goalie Anton Khudobin at 9:01 of the third period.

“We’ve just been losing a lot of battles. We think because we have the man advantage it’s going to be easy. We still have some work to do.”

The victory came at the end of a four-game road trip that lifted the Oilers’ current run to 9-4-3. Included was a 4-3 come-from-behind shootout win over the Minnesota Wild to open the trip and a 2-1 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.

“We’re playing with less pressure, but at the same time, I think we’re playing harder,” said Sam Gagner. “When you compete and do the little things, it gives you a chance to stay in game, and we’re confident in those games now. We just have to keep moving forward.

“But the penalty-kill has been awesome. Guys have been sacrificing themselves, blocking shots ... doing the things necessary to get things done there. We haven’t been happy with the way the power play has gone, especially on the road, so we really wanted to focus on that. That was big for us.”

Against the Hurricanes, the Oilers got a 29-save outing from goaltender Ben Scrivens, whose lone blemish was a Jordan Staal rebound late in the opening period; killing three penalties by a unit which has gone two straight games without allowing a power-play goal; and a hard-not-to-notice game from Matt Hendricks.

Hendricks wasted no time setting the tone Sunday, charging up the middle of the ice six minutes in. He threw the puck up to Anton Lander from behind the net and was rewarded for his effort when it went off defenceman Jay Harrison’s stick.

“He’s quietly turning into the heartbeat of our team,” head coach Dallas Eakins said of the checking winger, who had a team-high four hits and three blocked shots, as well as fifth goal of the season.

“He lays it on the line every night.”

The Oilers, who have allowed just two goals in regulation time in their last two games, return to Rexall Place on Tuesday to play the Nashville Predators.

“Every little experience we have like this is a building block. We’re going to get more and more comfortable in those tight games,” Scrivens said. “Hopefully, it starts to pay dividends down the stretch and into next year. You have to find ways to win.”

“It was a good trip,” said Hendricks. “We battled back in Minnesota to get two points there. We went in and played 40 good minutes of hockey against a very good St. Louis team, then against Detroit we played the type of road hockey we have to play to win in this league.”

Eakins said again on Sunday that before the Olympic break, there were signs of a transformation starting to take place. It just took that much time to convince the players they had to play a defensive game first.

That’s not to say the Oilers still aren’t turning the puck over. They are. For example, Schultz was guilty of turning it over on the Hurricanes’ first goal. There’s just more of a commitment now from the players.

“Everyone is starting to buy in,” said Schultz. “We’re getting away (from that idea) that we have to score 10 goals a game to win. We’re playing smart defensively and it’s starting to pay off.

“This was a good trip, but it was real good to get a win in this last one.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Edmonton Oilers edge Hurricanes in Carolina

Robert Tychkowski


RALEIGH. N.C. — Fitting, that on Military Appreciation Night in Raleigh it was the Edmonton Oilers foot soldiers who laid the groundwork for victory in Operation Let’s Not Screw This Up.

Riding their most productive wave of the season, but coming off a loss in St. Louis and an overtime defeat in Detroit, the Oilers were determined not to bleed away all of their hard-earned momentum.

Mission Accomplished.

The grinders and the penalty killers did all of the grunt work in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, with Matt Hendricks scoring the first goal and leading a strong physical charge, the PK units turning in a trio of clutch kills and the bottom six bringing the kind of hard, gritty effort that doesn’t show on in the stats.

They kept the Oilers in it long enough for the struggling power play to roll in and steal all the glory with the game winning goal in the third period.

“It was a great team effort, and, again, I thought our penalty kill sparked us,” said head coach Dallas Eakins, whose club now has points in 12 of its last 16 games. “There was a lot of sacrifice out there blocking those shots. It really got our bench ignited and, finally, our power play was able to chip in and win us a game.”

Justin Schultz delivered the winner, on a wrist shot with 11 minutes left. With the power play running 2-for-39 since Feb.1, let’s just say that not a lot of people saw this coming.

“It’s been struggling, obviously, for a while now,” said Schultz. “To be able to get one, and a big one, there at the end will hopefully give us some confidence.”

While the power play was hurting, the penalty kill has been this team’s parachute lately. They’ve killed 29 of the last 32 penalties, including some two-man advantages and game savers late in the third or in overtime.

“Steve Smith has done a great job with the coaching aspect, making sure that we all know our assignments,” said Hendricks. “And guys are paying the price, blocking shots, Boyd Gordon has been outstanding in the circle, and both of our goalies have been great for us.”

Despite his goal and his PK work and a game-high four hits, Hendricks wasn’t even named one of the games three stars, but that’s the way it works when you’re Matt Hendricks. At ice level, players appreciate what he brought.

“Hendy is quietly turning into the heartbeat of our team,” said Eakins. “He’s come in and led very well. As everyone can see, he lays it on the line every night. He’s not afraid to sacrifice his body. He is 100 per cent a team player and he’s rubbing off on our group.”

So is not losing.

“Winning changes everything, or a lot of things, anyway,” said Ryan Smyth. “The atmosphere around the room is a lot better. We’re digging in together.”

After Schultz scored, all the Oilers had to do was hang on for 11 minutes. They did, marking the second time in two games they’ve held their opponent to one goal in regulation.

Not counting the four-goal third period collapse, the Oilers gave up just four goals in their last 10 periods and two overtimes of this trip.

They finish it 2-1-1 for five of a possible eight points and are 9-4-3 in their last 16.

“We’ve had a bunch of good games on this road trip and some good games coming out of the Olympic break,” said goalie Ben Scrivens. “It was the type of game where you have to find a way to win or get points. We were in a similar situation in Detroit (in the shootout loss). Every little experience we

have like this is another building block. We’re going to get more and more comfortable in those tight games.”

THREE STARS

Matt Hendricks EDM - A goal, great PK work, and a strong physical presence.

Boyd Gordon EDM - 3:40 on the PK, took 21 of the game’s 58 faceoffs (winning 52%)

Justin Schultz EDM - A goal and an assist in 22:23 of ice time. Four shots.

OIL GRADES

Game A

Offence C

Defence A

Goaltending A

Power Play B

Penalty Kill A

Toughness A

Effort A

WHY THEY WON

Because they ground out another road game, holding their opponent to just one goal for the second time in two games. They were great on the PK and limited the five-star mistakes to an amount Ben Scrivens could deal with.

GOOOOOAL

The third period goal by Justin Schultz was the first power play goal by an Oilers defenceman this year. A rather remarkable, and not in a good way, statistic.

REBOUNDING

Justin Schultz turned the puck over at centre late in the first period, instead of getting it deep in the final minute, and wound up fishing the puck out of his net. Redemption came with the third period winner.

Next up

Tuesday vs Nashville at Rexall

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2014

738946 Florida Panthers

Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers fall to Canucks in shootout

By George Richards

[email protected]

Roberto Luongo was on the wrong side of a shootout the previous time Florida played Vancouver back in November.

He was again Sunday afternoon.

Luongo, now manning net for the Panthers, made 26 saves but gave up a goal to rookie Nicklas Jensen in the shootout as Vancouver beat the Panthers 4-3.

Jensen was recalled by the Canucks after Luongo left.

“It was normal. Once you get into the flow of things you’re really not thinking about those kind of things,” said Luongo, who was traded back to the Panthers less than two weeks ago after eight seasons with the Canucks.

“I knew right away it was going into a shootout. That’s just the destiny we have. … What are you going to do? It takes perfect shots to beat goalies in the shootout and they got one. That was the difference.”

It almost didn’t get that far. Florida trailed 3-2 late in the third before getting a power play chance with 1:51 remaining.

The Panthers power play, improved of late, cashed in again as Jimmy Hayes camped in front of the net and deflected a hard shot from Brain Campbell. Eddie Lack, Luongo’s replacement, made the initial stop but Hayes stayed with it and pushed the puck through.

That forced overtime and gave the Panthers another chance.

“I was just trying to be big, be a pain in front,” said Hayes, who scored Florida’s first goal late in the opening period to give the Panthers the initial lead.

“I feel pretty good out there.”

Florida’s 1-0 lead didn’t last very long as the Canucks scored two quick goals before the end of the first. Dan Hamhuis tied it with a long shot from inside the blue line that avoided plenty of traffic in front. Moments later, Jensen got his second career goal to make it 2-1.

The Panthers knotted it again in the third as Vinnie Trocheck got his second goal in as many nights by wrapping the puck around and beating Lack 4:19 into the third.

But Alexandre Burrows, who ended with three points, gave the Canucks their lead back at 3-2 just over a minute later.

Florida had a great chance to tie it midway through the period only defenseman Kevin Bieksa made the save of the day on a Colby Robak shot soccer-style. The Panthers would have to wait a few more minutes to force overtime.

“We have a lot of new faces in the lineup,’’ coach Peter Horachek said. “There’s good conviction here. They’re trying to win every game.’’

HUBERDEAU HURT

Reigning rookie of the year Jonathan Huberdeau left the game in the second period with an undisclosed upper body injury and didn’t return.

The Panthers left his gear hanging in their locker room after the game while packing up the rest of the team. That would suggest Huberdeau was not on Florida’s charter flight to California on Sunday night.


• Scott Mellanby, the originator of the ‘Rat Trick’ back in 1995, was at Sunday’s game as part of the franchise’s 20th anniversary celebration.

Mellanby, Florida’s original captain in 1993, scored two goals in the Panthers’ season opener in 1995. Before the game, he one-timed a rat that was creeping through the old locker room at Miami Arena up against the

wall. Fans soon started celebrating goals by throwing rubber rats onto the ice as a tradition was born.

“People still talk to me about that,” Mellanby said over the summer. “I love telling that story. Everyone remembers the rats.’’

The Panthers feted Mellanby by handing out bobbleheads in his likeness to the first 10,000 at Sunday’s game.

• Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the top-ranked chess player in the United States, took part in a special chess day at the arena before Sunday’s game.

Hikaru received a key to the City of Sunrise as well as a custom-made Panthers game jersey. Hikaru dropped the first puck during pregame ceremonies.

• Florida placed defenseman Alex Petrovic (upper body) on injured reserve as it still has three injured players (Jesse Winchester, Erik Gudbranson and Sean Bergenheim) on the active roster.

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.17.2014


HUBERDEAU HURT: Not Going to California

Posted by George Richards

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

Reigning rookie of the year Jonathan Huberdeau left Sunday's game in the second period with an undisclosed upper body injury and didn't return.

The Panthers left his gear hanging in their locker room after the game while packing up the rest of the team. That would suggest Huberdeau was not on Florida's charter flight to California on Sunday night.




SHOOTOUT REDUX: Vancouver Avenges Earlier SO Loss to Panthers, Top Luongo 4-3

Posted by George Richards

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

Roberto Luongo was on the wrong side of a shootout the previous time Florida played Vancouver back in November.

He was again Sunday afternoon.

Luongo, now manning net for the Panthers, made 26 saves but gave up one to rookie Nicklas Jensen in the shootout as Vancouver beat the Panthers 4-3.

Jensen was recalled by the Canucks after Luongo left.

"It was normal. Once you get into the flow of things you're really not thinking about those kind of things,'' said Luongo, who was traded back to the Panthers less than two weeks ago after eight seasons with the Canucks.

"I knew right away it was going into a shootout. That's just the destiny we have. .-.-. What are you going to do? It takes perfect shots to beat goalies in the shootout and they got one. That was the difference.''

It almost didn't get that far. Florida trailed 3-2 late in the third before getting a power play chance with 1:51 remaining.

The Panthers power play, improved of late, cashed in again as Jimmy Hayes camped in front of the net and deflected a hard shot from Brain Campbell. Eddie Lack, Luongo's replacement, made the initial stop but Hayes stayed with it and pushed the puck through.

That forced overtime and gave the Panthers another chance.

"I was just trying to be big, be a pain in front,'' said Hayes, who scored Florida's first goal late in the opening period to give the Panthers the initial lead.

"I feel pretty good out there.''

Florida's 1-0 lead didn't last very long as the Canucks scored two quick goals before the end of the first. Dan Hamhuis tied it with a long shot from inside the blue line that avoided plenty of traffic in front. Moments later, Jensen got his second career goal to make it 2-1.

The Panthers knotted it again in the third as Vinnie Trocheck got his second goal in as many nights by wrapping the puck around and beating Lack 4:19 into the third.

But Alexandre Burrows, who ended with three points, gave the Canucks their lead back at 3-2 just over a minute later.

Florida had a great chance to tie it midway through the period only defenseman Kevin Bieksa made the save of the day on a Colby Robak shot soccer-style. The Panthers would have to wait a few more minutes to force overtime.

"We have a lot of new faces in the lineup,'' coach Peter Horachek said. "There's good conviction here. They're trying to win every game.''

-- Scott Mellanby, the originator of the 'Rat Trick' back in 1995, was at Sunday's game as part of the franchise's 20th anniversary celebration.

Mellanby, Florida's original captain in 1993, scored two goals in the Panthers' season opener in 1995. Before the game, he one-timed a rat that was creeping through the old locker room at Miami Arena up against the wall. Fans soon started celebrating goals by throwing rubber rats onto the ice as a tradition was born.

"People still talk to me about that,'' Mellanby said over the summer. "I love telling that story. Everyone remembers the rats.''

The Panthers feted Mellanby by handing out bobbleheads in his likeness to the first 10,000 at Sunday's game.

-- Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, the top-ranked chess player in the United States, took part in a special chess day at the arena before Sunday's game.

Hikaru received a key to the City of Sunrise as well as a custom-made Panthers game jersey. Hikaru dropped the first puck during pregame ceremonies.

-- Florida placed defenseman Alex Petrovic (upper body) on injured reserve as it still has three injured players (Jesse Winchester, Erik Gudbranson and Sean Bergenheim) on the active roster.



Matthias takes a few shots at Panthers; Markstrom returns

By Harvey Fialkov

Sun Sentinel

7:09 AM EDT, March 16, 2014

Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias returned to their old haunts at the Panthers training facility in Coral Springs Saturday for practice, but for the first time were sporting Canucks colors rather than Panthers.

While Markstrom, the longtime projected goalie of the Panthers' future, felt the team had given him a fair shot in net, Matthias took a few well-placed shots at the only NHL organization of his seven-year career until 12 days ago.

“I think it was kind of obvious it was going to happen when [coach Kevin Dineen] was let go. I was happy to be moved and happy for the new opportunity,'' Matthias said. "It’s a different atmosphere [in Vancouver], a different culture. You play hard and you play. In Florida, too many guys were given things and it’s not the right way. Here, it’s you earn your ice time.’’

Matthias felt when top-line centers have been hurt in the past, he stepped in and flourished like last season in March when he scored 11 goals in one month.Then he would go right back to the third or fourth lines and be taken off the power play.

Matthias has been playing on the Canucks’ second line with Ryan Kesler out and has a goal and an assist in five games while averaging more than 16 minutes.

“He’s been a very good player for, scored a big goal [Friday],'' Canucks coach John Tortorella said. "I’m using him in all different situations. He’s the type of player as we start retooling our team that we need. He’s a big body, he can skate, he competes. He exudes enthusiasm and has shown all of those qualities.’’ "

Matthias, 26, who has 49 goals in 317 games, is thrilled to be in a hot hockey market as well.

“I think it was obvious when guys were out, and how well I played,’’ Matthias said. “And when they came back, nothing really changed, it seemed like it never happened. I was upset for awhile here and wanted a fair shake and now I’m in a really good situation.’’

Matthias said he was, “ecstatic,’’ to be traded and hopes to score a couple of goals Sunday.

“That’s what I’m absolutely planning on doing,’’ Matthias smiled.

Markstrom, 24, said he was shocked when he heard he had been traded.

"I didn't believe it at first,'' said Markstrom, who was in San Antonio playing for the Rampage when the trade was made on March 4, a day before the trade deadline. "It was kind of surreal and didn't know what was going on. Everything worked out for the good.

"It's not the way I or anybody wanted it to be. I saw myself playing for the Panthers for a long future but it didn't turn out the way I wanted. It's a good think. It's a blank page in my career and now I'm playing for that fresh start.''

Markstrom admitted that the Panthers had given him plenty of chances to take the net, even earlier this year when Tim Thomas was sidelined by nagging lower-body injuries. But Markstrom and the Panthers got off to a horrible start, as he was 1-6-3 with a 3.52 goals-against-average. The slow start led to Kevin Dineen's firing and Peter Horachek's hiring.

"It's a business. Obviously, I had my chance this year but the team didn't play good. I didn't play good,'' he said. "I have nothing against Florida at all.''

Because of injuries and emergency call-ups Markstrom didn't complete one full season in the AHL, as the Panthers would've liked him to. He was just 11-25-5 in parts of four seasons with the Panthers.

"I see a lot of guys who don't have full seasons in the minors do well like [Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov]. It's a little different for goalies and obviously injuries never help when you miss time. Right now I'm moving forward.''

Tortorella said that Markstrom was a, "work in progress,'' and that his other rookie Swedish goalie Eddie Lack also is in the, "process,'' of earning the No. 1 spot, but it's not a given.

"No one said [Lack] is going to be No. 1 right away. This is a process and he has to go through it,'' Tortorella said. "He deserves a shot to get a whack at this but there's going to be some bumps in the road.

"I'm just beginning to understand [Markstsrom]. We want to get him back in the net a little and be able to use his athleticism but he's still a work in progress for us. The best guy to ask is our goalie coach, because I know nothing about goaltenders.''

Horachek, who coached Markstrom briefly in the minors, said that both Markstrom and Matthias need more consistency in their games.

"It's that consistency of doing it on a regular basis at both levels,'' Horachek said of Markstrom. "Every time he steps on ice the best goalies learn how to do that. Pekka Rinne did he. He won a Calder Cup and was MVP of the playoffs. He was an AHL All-Star and became a top goalie in the pros. It's a day to day [thing]. Marky goes through ups and downs. He has to learn consistency. Part of it is focus on his game and he has the talent.''

"Matthias is talented, a big, strong guy who skates well and again it's the consistency of his game, understanding what role the coach wants him for that game and how he'd be most valuable, and to get out of his own way,'' Horachek added. "Matty would get in his own way. He's a talented player who's got to keep focused on his next shift. It's all part of being a good pro. He's a good player and I wish him all the best.'' ...

Horachek said that defenseman Alex Petrovic is nicked up and that Colby Robak will play again, as will Ed Jovanovski, who sat out Friday because of the back-to-back situation. Forward Sean Bergenheim will miss his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.17.2014


Luongo and Panthers comes up tad short in 4-3 shootout loss to Canucks

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel

8:26 PM EDT, March 16, 2014

SUNRISE

The highly anticipated Canucks-Panthers game was billed as Roberto Luongo's chance to avenge three years of disrespect against his former team while outdueling his replacement and rookie protégé Eddie Lack in the net.

Misson not quite accomplished.

While Luongo basically earned the Panthers an insignificant point by staving off the Canucks during a furious, late four-minute power play, he came up a crossbar short in the ensuing shootout as the slumping Canucks and Lack, prevailed 4-3 Sunday afternoon at the BB&T Center.

"It was probably harder on Louie than it was on anybody else because he sees his new team in front of him and his old team standing there across the way,'' Panthers coach Peter Horachek said. "I think that he handled it pretty well. He probably had the most pressure of all of them."

The Panthers have lost four of five as they fall to 7-6 in the shootout after Lack stymied Nick Bjugstad, Brad Boyes and Brandon Pirri. They now embark on an eight-day, four-game western road trip against the NHL's elite teams, beginning in San Jose on Tuesday.

The Canucks are now 3-4 since trading Luongo to the Panthers for goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias. Their lone shootout tally came from winger Nicklas Jensen, whose shot caromed off the crossbar and behind Luongo (29 saves).

While Luongo is happy to be home again after eight years in Western Canada, the Panthers' offensive hero, Jimmy Hayes, has found a new home camped out in front of the net where he scored two power-play goals, including the tying one with 1:35 left in regulation.

"It would've been nice for him to face his old team and get a nice win,'' said the 6-foot-6 Hayes, who has nine goals, including five in nine games since the Olympic break. "That's what I'm supposed to do, is just be as big as I can in front of the net.''

After a coma-inducing, scoreless second period the Panthers tied it up 2-2 at 4:19 of the third when rookie Vincent Trocheck beat Lack with a wraparound tuck for his second NHL goal in successive games, but first with a goalie in net.

"I feel more comfortable and like I said the other day it's a weight off my shoulders, so hopefully they'll keep coming,'' Trocheck said.

The Panthers'putrid penalty kill needed just 12 seconds to give the Canucks the lead again. With Scottie Upshall in the box, defenseman Alex Edler uncorked a rocket that bounced off Luongo to Alex Burrows on the doorstep, where he took two swipes before lifting it in at 5:34.

"Obviously, it was kind of weird to see him on the other side during warm-ups,'' said Burrows, who added two assists. "The first play of the game I gave him a little pitchfork and told him I was going to be there all night. … I asked him to let me score a goal and he did, but that just shows you how good of a guy he is."

Luongo was happy for Lack (26 saves) and said after the puck dropped, it was just a, "normal,'' game.

"It was normal. After a few minutes, once you get into the flow of things, you're not really thinking about that kind of stuff,'' Luongo said. "I knew right away it was going to a shootout. That was just the destiny that we had."

The Panthers struck first when Hayes deflected in a blast from defenseman Tom Gilbert at 16:28 of the first period.

However, the Canucks scored two goals within 53 seconds to take a 2-1 lead after one. Defenseman Dan Hamhuis' slapper from the blue line caromed off the foot of Panthers defenseman Colby Robak at 17:42 and Burrows fed Jensen for a one-time slot shot at 18:35.

Huberdeau injured

Panthers second-year forward Jonathan Huberdeau, who hasn't scored in 19 games, sustained an upper-body injury in the first period and didn't return.

Defenseman Alex Petrovic sustained an upper-body injury Friday and was placed on injured reserve, while sidelined forward Sean Bergenheim will travel with the team.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.17.2014

738951 Los Angeles Kings

Lack of balance costs Kings in loss to Ducks

By Lisa Dillman

6:56 PM PDT, March 16, 2014

The stretch run has such a way of magnifying the good and the bad.

For instance, a puck banks off the skate of Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin past his goalie Martin Jones and a segment of Kings fans want Muzzin put on the next plane back to the minors.

The Ducks beat the Kings, 2-1, Saturday night at Staples Center, putting together consecutive victories after Wednesday's loss at Calgary. That 7-2 pratfall against the Flames now appears more like a wake-up call at a key time rather than a precursor of doom.

Anaheim felt as if it was able to find its identity again in the last two games. The Kings, who face Phoenix on Monday night, have lost twice since the Olympic break, and it is exactly the same with the Ducks, who are off until Tuesday against Washington.

"Last night, was sort of a microcosm of it because we made two really soft plays in our zone that cost us two goals against," Coach Darryl Sutter said Sunday after practice. "If you want to be a playoff team, win in the playoffs, you don't do that. It's very simple. We had plenty, lots of opportunities to score and just didn't quite get it done."

The Kings often hit the right balance during their recent eight-game winning streak, getting unexpected offensive contributions from the likes of forward Trevor Lewis and defenseman Alec Martinez, as well as strong sustained play from the line of Dwight King-Jarret Stoll-Dustin Brown. That line struggled against Toronto on Thursday and Brown sat out Saturday's game because of illness and an unspecified lower-body injury, not believed to be serious.

"You can't win with one line or one or two guys," Sutter said. "You can't win consistently. You can steal it or surprise it. Just look at last night. I mean, we played really well against the [Ryan] Getzlaf line and did a good job in special teams, which is just about what you do in playoff time.

"You match up. But lesser guys scored goals for them. Lesser lines or lesser guys that don't get as many minutes and that's what we need."

Kings No 1 goalie Jonathan Quick, who has been sick, practiced Sunday but Brown did not. Several players have been under the weather of late. Brown is not expected to play Monday; Thursday against Washington is a more likely possibility. His injury was previously reported by the Fourth Period.

Recently acquired Marian Gaborik has enabled the Kings to make proper adjustments. Gaborik has two points in five games since joining the Kings from Columbus at the trade deadline.

"It puts all those guys right now in slots," Sutter said. "In today's game, the teams are too balanced. If you bunch everybody together and you don't have the personnel to do it, you're not going far. It looks good tonight. But it's not going to look good tomorrow.'

Sutter detailed the fine balance that helped push the Kings to the Stanley Cup two years ago and the final four last season. Gaborik adds a new piece.

"With us, if [Marian] can play with Kopi [Anze Kopitar], that's good," he said. "That means Willie [Justin Williams] has got to step up and play because if we put Jeff [Carter] there, you're overloading it. Jeff and Mike [Richards] are familiar with each other. That means Mike's got to step up and play a stronger brand of hockey for us.

"And that puts Brownie where he should be. It puts him in that third-line role with guys who go up and down and check and play hard, chip in your 15 to 20 [minutes]. It all shakes out perfectly."

UP NEXT FOR THE KINGS

VS. PHOENIX

When: 7:30.

On the air: TV: FS West. Radio: 1150.

Etc.: Center Martin Hanzal (lower-body injury) has sat out seven straight games for the Coyotes, and Coach Dave Tippett has indicated there is a chance he might return against the Kings.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.17.2014


NHL preview capsule: Third-place Kings play host to fourth-place Coyotes

By Elliott Teaford, Daily Breeze

Posted: 03/16/14, 4:06 PM PDT |

KINGS VS. PHOENIX

Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Staples Center

TV/Radio: FSW / 1150-AM

Update: The Kings haven’t sewn up third place in the Pacific Division despite winning eight of their last 10 games. A victory Monday night over the fourth-place Coyotes (32-25-11, 75 points) would be a positive step for the Kings (38-24-6, 82 points), however. The Kings have 14 games remaining, including seven at Staples Center. Goaltender Jonathan Quick and left wing Dustin Brown sat out the Kings’ loss Saturday to the Ducks because of illnesses. Martin Jones started Saturday’s game and Quick served as his backup. Tyler Toffoli scored the lone Kings goal, a power-play strike that lifted them to a brief tie en route to a 2-1 loss. A potential tying goal for Anze Kopitar was washed out because teammate Marian Gaborik made incidental contact with Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen. The Kings are averaging 38.6 shots over their last five games, but only 2.6 goals per game in that stretch.

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.17.2014


March 16 practice quotes: Darryl Sutter

Posted by JonRosen

On the team’s play:

It’s not really that hard to figure out. If you want to be a playoff team, you have to play playoff hockey. Done that since break, and last night was sort of a microcosm of it because we made two really soft plays in our zone that cost us two goals against. If you want to be a playoff team, win in the playoffs, you don’t do that. Very simple. We had lots of opportunities to score and just didn’t quite get it done, so that’s the way it works.

On balance and contributions throughout the lineup:

Well, you can’t win with one line or one or two guys. You can’t win consistently. You can steal it or surprise it. Just look at last night – we played really well against the Getzlaf line and did a good job in special teams, which is just about what you do in playoff time. You match up. But lesser guys scored goals for them. Lesser lines or lesser guys that don’t get as many minutes, and that’s what we need. The other day, the big thing around here was because one player only played 10 minutes, well, that’s a lot of times what that type of player plays. It’s not that big a deal.

On Marian Gaborik:

I think he’s played really well. I haven’t had any issue with it at all. He’s a veteran, he’s used to it, he’s had a lot of success individually, and quite honest, he’s had some really good playoff runs when you look at it…He only missed a little bit of hockey last year. He’s a durable guy. I haven’t had any problems with him. [Reporter: Does he give you a chance to put up Brown in a different role?] I think it puts all those guys right now in slots. In today’s game, the teams are too balanced. So if you bunch everybody into that area and you don’t have the personnel to do it, you’re not going far. It looks good tonight, it’s not going to look good tomorrow night. But if you’re healthy and you can do it, then you do it. If we’ve learned anything here from our last two playoffs…If you look at the year we won it, Jarret Stoll’s line scored the game-winner against Vancouver. Dustin Penner on Richards’ line scored the game winner [against Phoenix]. Kopitar scores the…game winner against Jersey…So, anyways, it tells you about balance. If Gabby can play with Kopi, that’s good. That means Willie’s got to step up and play with those guys, because if we put Jeff there, you’re overloading it. Jeff and Mike are familiar with each other. That means Mike’s got to step up and play a stronger brand of hockey for us, clearly, for Jeff to be there. And that puts Brownie where he should be. It puts him in that third line role with guys who go up and down and check and play hard and chip in your 15-to-20. It all shakes out perfectly, and minutes have nothing to do with it, because special teams – hey, if you’re overloaded on penalty killing or power play, one team’s going home in a hurry. [Reporter: What is Brown like as a guy? Like sometimes if a guy is playing up there with Kopitar for a long time, and to not play there, he’s got to accept that role. He can’t be a divisive guy in the dressing room. He strikes me as a guy that wants to win, right? He just wants to win?] It’s not a problem. Put it this way – who in this room is just playing for themselves?

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Brown dealing with minor issue

Posted by JonRosen

Following the Kings’ practice Sunday morning at Toyota Sports Center, reporters learned that Dustin Brown, while recovering from an illness that also kept Jonathan Quick away from the team’s facility for the last two days, is also battling through a minor lower-body injury suffered earlier in the week.

Noted by the team’s hockey operations on Friday that Brown’s absence from practice was due to “more maintenance than anything,” the news confirms earlier reports by The Fourth Period that Brown’s absence wasn’t due solely to illness.

Brown did not practice on Sunday, though Quick did. At this point, it appears unlikely that Los Angeles’ captain will play against the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday at Staples Center. His availability for Thursday’s home game against Washington will be determined later in the week.



Waking up with the Kings: March 16

Posted by JonRosen

The Los Angeles Kings’ 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday night was a game similar to several January games in that it provided an argument against placing excess stock in Corsi and underlying possession stats. While the Kings certainly possessed the puck in the offensive zone and to a greater degree and attempted 68 shots to the Ducks’ 40, the scoring chances appeared to only slightly favor L.A., and for two periods the Kings weren’t generating a surplus of grade-A or B-type attempts on rushes or in high quality scoring areas. For 40 minutes it was like watching a half-court basketball game played by a team that leaned heavily on midrange jump shots, and if not for several strong Martin Jones pad saves while the Ducks had the lead, Anaheim could have built up a wider cushion. Of course, this argument is weakened by the Kings scoring what in all likelihood reality should have been the game-tying third period goal. That’s a controversially bold judgment call to make at such a juncture in the game and the season. Credit Marian Gaborik for responding thoughtfully and diplomatically when asked about the play after the game. The team has already moved on…

…but this blog hasn’t! Marian Gaborik made a hard drive to the net, and Jakob Silfverberg channeled him from the slot to the goal line directly into Frederik Andersen. Gaborik’s final push by Silfverberg towards Andersen– at the edge of the goalmouth, precisely where the puck makes contact with Gaborik’s upper body – appears to be a clear example of this paragraph of Rule 69.1: Interference on the Goaltender:

If an attacking player has been pushed, shoved, or fouled by a defending player so as to cause him to come into contact with the goalkeeper, such contact will not be deemed contact initiated by the attacking player for purposes of this rule, provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

It was a poor call, though it wasn’t as egregious as the lousy judgment assessed by referees Dan O’Rourke and Mark Lemelin in the October 15 game in Tampa Bay. There, with the Kings trailing 2-0 early in the second period, a Jeff Carter goal was disallowed due to incidental contact by Mike Richards, who was clearly pushed by Sami Salo directly into Ben Bishop. That play wasn’t just a player directing or channeling a player towards the goalie, it was a textbook shove of a Los Angeles forward into the goaltender. The incident last night wasn’t as cut and dry as the Tampa Bay incident, but the goal still should have stood.

Anaheim Ducks v Los Angeles Kings

Judging from Twitter and several blog comments I’ve read, Jake Muzzin has become a source of ire for a lot of Kings fans, and while there were mistakes made in his play last night, it’s not entirely fair. His 15:12 of usage – three full minutes off his Toronto ice time and lowest ice time since December 28 – was the result of getting beat off the boards for Anaheim’s first goal, and an unfortunate deflection off his skate for Anaheim’s second goal. Placing such a pinpointed onus on Muzzin is misdirected; when a group of Luca Sbisa, Tim Jackman, Mathieu Perreault, Francois Beauchemin and Matt Beleskey scores against Muzzin, Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar, Marian Gaborik and Justin Williams, that’s on the entire line, not only on one player. One-game sample sizes are stupid, and Muzzin had been a key component in the Kings’ possession game and puck advancement during the team’s winning streak. Last night was a forgettable game of his; over the last month he, like many of the team’s defensemen, had strung together a collection of quality efforts.

This comment…

…I mostly agree with, other than I already see Muzzin as a serviceable number four-type option. But, yeah, playing as a number two, and with the quality of competition he faces while partnered with Drew Doughty, there are going to be hiccups.


When playing the Ducks, a team is often in good shape when it holds Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry scoreless. Credit Anaheim’s depth for grinding out a pair of ugly goals in the win. Those recording points for Anaheim: Tim

Jackman, Patrick Maroon, Kyle Palmieri, Mathieu Perreault, Matt Beleskey and Hampus Lindholm. On the other bench, Jordan Nolan received 5:48 of ice time, Kyle Clifford received 8:12, and Trevor Lewis lost all five faceoffs. Both coaches assigned heavy minutes to top players, but Anaheim’s role players had a more positive impact in the game than Los Angeles’ role players.




Martin Jones feels good with where his game is at

Posted by JonRosen on March 16, 2014

Martin Jones has received a healthy amount of work against since the Olympic break, leading the Kings to a 2-1-0 record since the season reconvened. With two of his starts coming against Colorado and Anaheim, he hasn’t exactly been shielded from the schedule.

Since the first two periods against the Avalanche, when Darryl Sutter acknowledged that “he probably would’ve liked, for sure, two or three back,” Jones has stopped 53-of-57 shots through his last seven periods of action and after earning in a win against the Flames on Monday returned to the crease with a quality effort against the Ducks on Saturday.

“He’s supposed to stay ready,” Sutter said. “He plays behind Jonathan Quick, and we’re going to try and get him in situations. He knew he was playing last night, so that means he’s played two of the last three. The bottom line for goaltenders? ‘W’s.”

Jones, on how he evaluates his performances against Calgary and Anaheim:

Good. Obviously we didn’t get the result we wanted last night, but I felt good about my game and where my game’s at. The margin for winning and losing is so small. It’s a puck off our defenseman’s skate. Just got to make sure we clean up some of the details and get better last game.

Jones, on pad saves:

Something I’ve worked on the last couple of years is just trying to get more flexible. You watch a guy like Quickie play, and he takes away the bottom of the net so well with that. It’s something I’ve tried to work on and incorporate in my game a little bit.

Jones, on whether he receives much reinforcement from Jonathan Quick:

Yeah, for sure. He’s really a good guy to pick his brain about. Just the way he reads the game so well, the way he plays different situations, and just watching him in practice and in games, he’s an awesome guy to watch for stuff like that, to see how reads the game and how he plays certain situations.



738957 Minnesota Wild

Homecoming Day for Wild's Coyle

Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO

Star Tribune

March 17, 2014 - 12:30 AM

BOSTON – It should be a wicked good day for Charlie Coyle, who on St. Patrick’s Day gets to play against his beloved Bruins for the first time in front of what he guesses will be more than 1,000 friends and family members.

Coyle, the Wild’s 22-year-old forward with the stereotypical New England accent, grew up 20 miles south of Boston in Weymouth, Mass. He comes from a huge hockey-loving family that includes former NHL and WHA center Bobby Sheehan and former NHL goal scorer Tony Amonte.

In fact, wearing No. 3, Coyle followed in Amonte’s footsteps by being a prep school star at Thayer Academy before attending Boston University.

Coyle’s father, Chuck, is one of four siblings; his mother, Theresa, is one of eight. Coyle has two sisters. So between immediate family, aunts, uncles and cousins, busloads of family members will be at the TD Garden on Monday night.

Coyle’s billets from his half-season in Saint John, where he won a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title and was playoff MVP, will be there. Co-workers of his parents are flocking to the game.

And, then there are his buddies.

“Every day since the beginning of the season, I get a different text from a friend saying they just got tickets,” said Coyle, who even learned that some of his former Weymouth High School teachers bought scores of tickets to sell to students.

Boston through and through

Coyle grew up a Bruins die-hard and has Boston blood through and through. He loves “chowda,” jams to Dropkick Murphys, has pictures of Boston sports stars all over his childhood bedroom. The 2010 San Jose Sharks first-round draft pick celebrated Boston’s 2011 Stanley Cup with his friends and will try not to freak Monday when he stands across the faceoff circle from his favorite Bruin, Patrice Bergeron, whom he calls a “warrior.”

Coyle’s dad got two suites for the game and hired a bus to pick up 50 people from the cul-de-sac in front of his house.

“My wife and some of my sisters and my mother, it’ll be something special to see Charlie,” Chuck Coyle said. “For me, too, but I’m very nervous. I just don’t like blowing it up too much because everybody else is. I’ve got cousins calling and asking, ‘Can you take me down to the locker room before the game so I can talk to Ch-AH-lie?’ I’m like, ‘Are you for real? No one’s seeing him before the game! If you find me, you might see him for five minutes after because they’ve got to blow out of there [for Tuesday’s Islanders game].’

“I guess it’ll hit me when we get there. This is a dream come true for us because it was his dream.”

Chuck Coyle was a former captain at Weymouth South. He taught his son everything about hockey, Charlie said, and is beyond proud of his boy.

“He’s the same kid. He comes home and lives in his small, little room. He doesn’t care,” Chuck Coyle said, before letting out a big laugh. “Maybe he’s more independent. He doesn’t need us that much anymore. Doesn’t need us at all, really. I’ll call him up and say, ‘What did Coach [Mike] Yeo say after the game?’ I’ve got to pull it out of him. I’m like, ‘Will you speak?’ He’s like, ‘What do you want to hear, Dad?’ I say, ‘I want to hear everything.’ ”

“I give him a little bit,” Charlie said, laughing.

Season has been a struggle

Coyle’s second NHL season has been trying at times. The power forward made an impact as a rookie last season, scoring eight goals and 14 points

in 37 games. This season, Coyle had an outstanding training camp and looked poised to pick up where he left off.

But in the second period of the second game against Anaheim, Coyle sprained a knee. He missed a month and enters Monday with seven goals, 20 points and a minus-9 rating in 55 games. He has bounced back and forth between center and right wing.

“I think that injury really threw him for a loop,” Chuck Coyle said. “It’s the first time he’s really been hurt. Every coach has really liked him at center and he likes playing it, too. So I think that mind-set of being in a defensive role and all the responsibilities that come with it have probably hurt him a little offensively. I don’t know what it is, but I think he just needs a little bit of confidence.”

Yeo isn’t worried. Besides being comfortable playing Coyle in any situation, Yeo is confident the point will come where everything clicks for Coyle. The only question is whether it happens this season.

Yeo equates it to Mikael Granlund. Granlund came into his rookie season in 2012-13 with high expectations, didn’t achieve them, returned home to Finland during the offseason, worked valiantly to improve on the areas that needed to get better and has broken through dramatically this season.

“This is only going to make [Coyle] stronger,” Yeo said.

Coyle has been a gym rat since the seventh grade. His work ethic is impressive for a youngster, and he has all the tools to become a future top NHLer. In addition, Yeo says Coyle has “got the pro side of it figured out.”

The most important thing Monday, Chuck Coyle said, is for his son to try to zone out all his friends and family members and just concentrate on playing a good game to help the Wild win, which will be no easy task against the best team in the Eastern Conference, winner of eight games in a row.

“Charlie doesn’t really get shaken too much. He’s pretty good staying on an even keel and pretty good under pressure,” Chuck Coyle said. “There’s going to be a lot of people with signs, a lot of people yelling at him, and I just don’t want him to get too worked up.

“I know he’ll be excited, and hopefully playing at home lights a little fire under him.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2014

738958 Minnesota Wild

Wild's Charlie Coyle to make Boston homecoming before family and friends

By Chad Graff

[email protected]

Posted: 03/16/2014 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: about 8 hours ago

BOSTON -- On Wild game days, it's often an unannounced open house at the Coyle household in East Weymouth, Mass., 20 minutes south of Boston.

The door remains unlocked and friends and relatives of Charlie Coyle, one of the Wild's brightest young forwards, come in and out as they please.

They make their way through mementos of Coyle's young career -- his first skates, pucks from each team, old sticks -- and toward a large television, which serves as the epicenter of activity for the evening.

Everyone wants to see something different.

His uncle wants Coyle to play more physical. His cousins want him to fight more. His 86-year-old grandma wants a few more points.

And now, for the first time in his NHL career, Coyle is headed back to TD Bank Garden where he watched Bruins games as a child.

The epicenter during Wild games is moving.

Chuck Coyle, Charlie's father, estimates a couple thousand people are going to Monday's Wild-Bruins game because of some connection to Charlie.

It's a figure so large it sounds like it can't be true.

"Really," Chuck said. "A thousand to 2,000 people."

Teachers from the local school district have scooped up tickets. Local hockey teams are going to see him in bunches.

After advancing to a high school state final and a couple seasons at Boston University, Charlie has become a bit of a local celebrity.

"I can't go to the grocery store anymore without people stopping me saying they watched Charlie the other night," Chuck said.

WANTING MORE

After spending last season on the top line with Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise, Coyle entered this season with high expectations.

During training camp, coach Mike Yeo said he was having one of the best preseasons on the team.

But in the second game of the season, Coyle suffered a sprained knee.

After returning, it took time for him to build confidence in his skating with a knee brace.

After posting eight goals and six assists in 37 games last season, Coyle, 22, was tabbed as a breakout candidate.

But he has just seven goals and 13 assists through 55 games this season.

Yeo compares his situation to Mikael Granlund last year. Granlund, with massive expectations, struggled. This season, Granlund is one of the Wild's best forwards.

"I think he wants more, there's no question," Yeo said of Coyle. "But it's good for a young player to have to deal with that. You look at what Granlund did last year and how he had to go through it. And I don't think Charlie really had to go through it. This is the first year where there was really strong expectations for him and he was forced to try to meet them.

"Last year Granlund came in with those expectations and he had to deal with it all year, and I think he's a better player for it. I think it's important for any young player to have to deal with that, to fight through that. It's only going to make him stronger."

Yeo still raves about Coyle. He said he has "tremendous confidence in that kid," and compared him to St. Louis Blues captain and U.S. Olympian David Backes.

"(Coyle's) a guy that off the ice is going to do everything he can conditioning-wise in the gym, and he's certainly a guy that puts his career first every day," Yeo said. "And that's impressive for a young kid."

GETTING BIG

As a 5-foot-6, 140-pound freshman at Weymouth High, Coyle was a far cry from his current 6-foot-3, 225-pound frame.

He sprouted a few inches his sophomore year, but the biggest difference was the time spent in the gym.

"He's always been good at hockey," Chuck Coyle said. "He's always had the skill. But a lot of people do."

Charlie, by all accounts, never took a workout off. Still, during road trips with the Wild, he always takes the second bus back to the hotel so he can spend extra time working out.

"He was just motivated to do it," Chuck said. "He never cheats (on his workouts), never misses a session. He's just driven."

Charlie spent his free time in high school working out with trainers.

Then, as a highly coveted prospect, he met with legendary Boston University coach Jack Parker.

Charlie explained that his ultimate goal was the NHL. Parker nodded. Parker told him his program would set Charlie up for that.

Chuck expected Parker to say that was because of the tradition at BU or Parker's jam-packed resume.

Instead, Parker said two words: "Mike Boyle."

Boyle was the team's strength and conditioning coach and now is a consultant for the Boston Red Sox.

"And I was like 'Wow,' " Chuck said. "I always knew strength and conditioning was a big part of it. But for Jack Parker to say that."

BU teammate Alex Chiasson, now a forward for the Dallas Stars, said Charlie showed up to the first team workout testing and put on a show.

"He killed the testing," Chiasson said. "As a freshman, he was already the strongest kid on the team. And we knew right away that we had a bit of a superstar."

BACK HOME

Monday night will be Charlie's first game in front of extended family since several members visited St. Paul for a game in April last season against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Charlie lasted 17 seconds in that game. After levying a big hit to Columbus' Artem Anisimov, Brandon Dubinsky came over to defend his teammate and challenged Charlie to a fight.

Charlie obliged and fared well in the scuffle. After that, he was ejected for the hit on Anisimov.

After the game, Charlie's younger cousins were re-enacting the fight outside the Xcel Energy Center.

"They've always been hounding me to do that so it's just funny that happened," Charlie said. "I gave them a good show for 17 seconds. And to them I couldn't have done anything else better."

But now Charlie gets to play in front of friends and family again.

To many of them, he's still the same quiet, well-mannered kid who likes to go out with friends when he's home and spends too much time staring at his phone, Chuck said.

The Coyle household will be a hotbed with visitors Monday. But Chuck has a bus coming to pick everyone up and drop them off at the arena.

It's a place Charlie grew up watching the Bruins.

And he readily provides his record in the Garden -- 0 for 3 after an appearance with his high school team and two Beanpot tournaments with BU.

"Hopefully, I can get my first win there," Charlie Coyle said. "Especially with everyone coming."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.17.2014

738959 Montreal Canadiens

Rookie Tokarski earns shutout as Habs blank Sabres

John Wawrow

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Associated Press

Published Sunday, Mar. 16 2014, 9:47 PM EDT

Last updated Sunday, Mar. 16 2014, 11:23 PM EDT

A fast start, a few opportune bounces and rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski’s shutout performance allowed the Montreal Canadiens to avoid needing any late-game dramatics on consecutive nights.

A day after being called up from AHL Hamilton, Tokarski made 29 saves to earn his first career shutout in a 2-0 win over the injury-depleted Buffalo Sabres on Sunday night.

“It felt pretty good. I’m not going to lie,” Tokarski said. “The main thing is the two points going down the stretch here for this hockey team, and just a little icing on the cake with the shutout, I guess.”

The shutout was certainly timely for a Canadiens team coming off an emotional high following a 5-4 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night. It was a game in which Montreal became the NHL’s first team to win by overcoming a three-goal deficit with less than five minutes remaining.

“Every time you play an emotional game, as a coach you’re always afraid that the next game could be tougher,” coach Michel Therrien said. “But we got a really good start, and this is something we’ve been doing lately.”

Brendan Gallagher and Dale Weise scored 1:26 apart in the first period, both coming off pucks that caromed into the net. Weise opened the scoring when a rebound banked in off his skate. Gallagher’s goal came on a rebound that caromed in off the leg of Sabres defenceman Chad Ruhwedel.

Montreal (37-25-7) vaulted into second place in the Atlantic Division by jumping ahead of Toronto and Tampa Bay.

The league-worst Sabres (19-41-8) continue heading in reverse, having lost six straight in regulation — their worst streak since losing seven in a row from Dec. 4-19, 2003.

And they’ve lost another goalie to injury after starter Jhonas Enroth did not return following a collision with Gallagher with 3:51 left in the second period.

Referring to it as a lower-body injury, coach Ted Nolan said Enroth could be out indefinitely.

“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be short-term,” Nolan said. “It seems like we have bad luck, or we have no luck at all.”

Gallagher was driving to the net from the left circle and got a shot off when he was struck from behind by Buffalo defenceman Jamie McBain and tumbled directly into Enroth. The goalie lay on the ice for a few minutes before he got up and attempted to stretch his right leg while being examined by a trainer. Enroth then skated to the bench and was escorted into the locker room.

Rookie Nathan Lieuwen was forced into action, and stopped all 10 shots he faced in his NHL debut. Lieuwen was called up from AHL Rochester earlier in the day after backup Michal Neuvirth complained of a lower body injury before Buffalo’s 4-1 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday.

That leaves the Sabres in a position of calling up Matt Hackett from Rochester before embarking on a five-game road trip that opens at Calgary on Tuesday.

Lieuwen was playing on his third consecutive day after stopping 31 shots in a 2-1 overtime loss to Binghamton on Friday, and another 38 in a 2-1 loss to Binghamton on Saturday.

“It was all adrenaline,” Lieuwen said. “How I played the two nights before really did help. As soon as the faceoff started, it was like I was in a game again, and I could focus in.”

His best save came with 10:25 left, when he lunged from his crease and got his blocker up to turn aside former Sabres player Thomas Vanek’s one-timer from the slot.

Tokarski started in place of Carey Price, who didn’t travel with the team. Therrien was wary of playing Price on consecutive nights after the goalie aggravated a lower-body injury during Canada’s gold-medal run at the Sochi Games.

Tokarski was sharp in the opening frame, when he turned aside Drew Stafford’s backhander in front. He was also fortunate with 12:47 left in the third period, when Stafford had a shot go off the right post.

The Sabres continue to struggle generating offence. They’ve managed a league-worst 132 this season, and have scored just five in their past six games.

NOTES: Vanek played his first game at Buffalo since the Sabres traded him to the New York Islanders in October. The Canadiens acquired Vanek in a deal with the Isles two weeks ago. Vanek drew a standing ovation during a first-period break, after the Sabres broadcast a series of highlights on their videoboard. ... Buffalo will close the season playing 10 of its final 14 games on the road. ... Nolan expects C Torrey Mitchell to be ready to return Tuesday, after missing his sixth game with a lower body injury.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.17.2014


A now-you’ve-seen-everything win for Habs

By Dave Stubbs, The Gazette March 16, 2014

A now-you’ve-seen-everything win for Habs

Canadiens defenceman Francis Bouillon is swarmed by teammates after scoring the winning goal against the Ottawa Senators in overtime at the Bell Centre on Saturday night.

Photograph by: Allen McInnis , Montreal Gazette

Hopefully, the sound of the idling car engines in the Bell Centre garage drowned out the roar in the building above.

Because if you've invested a tidy sum to come to the Canadiens-Ottawa Senators game, then decide to beat an early retreat, running up the white flag on the home team with them down 4-1 late, you'd rather not know that you're missing one of the greatest comebacks in Habs history.

"No . . . no . . . " Canadiens captain Brian Gionta said with a grin, asked if he had a message for the many early departures. "I'm sure they didn't have it on the radio, either."

There were well more than 5,000 empty seats in the Bell Centre as overtime began, the Canadiens having incredibly clawed their way into extra time with three goals scored in the final 3:22 of regulation.

It made NHL history: this was the first time in regular-season play that a team had rallied from a three-goal deficit in a game's final five minutes to earn victory. The Edmonton Oilers roared back from 0-3 to tie then beat Dallas in the 1997 playoffs, but even then, the Oilers' rally began with four minutes in regulation.

The last time the Habs rallied from a 4-1 deficit in a game's final 10 minutes was Feb. 9, 1991, a 6-4 Forum win over the New York Rangers. In that one, Montreal scored five unanswered goals from 11:16 to 19:31 of the third period.

On Saturday, it was Lars Eller, ending a 24-game goalless slump, and then Gionta, and then the dramatic equalizer by David Desharnais, the last coming with 3-10ths of a second left on the clock per video review, that shook the arena to its parking-garage foundation on the eve of its 18th birthday.

(And how nice that the Bell Centre turned legal drinking age the day before St. Patrick's Day?)

"It shows the character of our team. They never gave up," head coach Michel Therrien said. "That's the No 1 thing for me — we found a way to win.

"What I'm hoping for is that can change a season, those big games like that. . . . When I'm behind the bench, I always believe that we've got a chance to win, no matter what. You're looking for something special to give you a chance to win. It doesn't happen every night. When we scored that second goal (by Eller), we kept fighting."

"#character," was how injured defenceman Josh Gorges summed it up in his one-word post-game review on Twitter.

Tweeted team owner Geoff Molson: "Tout un match . . . character win . . . merci aux partisans de ne jamais lâcher."

What a game, indeed. And read the boss's "thank you to fans for never giving up" any way you wish.

This now-you've-seen-everything victory was for a long time a mirror image of the Canadiens' 4-1 loss last Wednesday to the Boston Bruins.

In that one, the Habs stormed the visitors' first-period net and came away with nothing, then went into a depressed funk while the Bruins poured in three in the second period. A Boston quickie in the third nailed down their 4-1 win.

On Saturday, the Canadiens had a great start, Daniel Brière scoring 38 seconds into the game, and were tied 1-1 at the end of 20 minutes. The

Senators were up 2-1 after two, then banged in two by 5:08 of the third period.

The disgruntled fans hooted, yowled and streamed to the exits as the period wore on, the Canadiens down 4-1 and barely twitching in reply.

But you'd be amazed at the racket 15,000 or so faithful can make when the snowball rolls downhill as it suddenly did, burying the Senators in the avalanche.

"We had a great first period and then in the second and pretty much 15, 16 minutes of the third, we were pretty dead," Gionta would say.

"We lost momentum in the game. They were all over us. Obviously, we got a bit of momentum there with a couple (late) goals. To be able to steal one like that is pretty good."

Goaltender Carey Price, in action for the first time since backstopping Canada's Sochi Olympic gold-medal win on Feb. 23, described the night perfectly.

"That was a gong show, I guess," he said with a laugh. "Just the one point at the time (heading into overtime) was huge. Being able to put an exclamation mark on it was pretty satisfying."

Price made 30 saves, seeing just four Senators shots in the first period, then 16 and 13 shots in the second and third. The first puck he saw sizzled past him at 3:08, a bullet off the stick of Ottawa captain Jason Spezza.

Even with the game seemingly out of reach, Price made a number of excellent stops on Senators breakaways and close-in chances, proverbially giving his team a chance to win.

"In my first game in two and a half weeks or something, it would have been nice to get some more rubber as opposed to a Spezza slapshot," Price said with a chuckle. "But it's really gratifying to get two points."

The goalie flashed back to Sochi to describe this ridiculous comeback, comparing it a little to the Canadian women's breathtaking late comeback against the U.S. in the gold-medal game Canada won in overtime.

"We kept going and found a way to get three," Price said. "That's the difference between winning and losing."

He had a closer-than-usual view of Desharnais's power-play equalizer as regulation expired, little Davey roofing his 13th of the season off a brilliant pass from P.K. Subban at a time when everything demanded the defenceman blast away.

Price was dead-centre on the bench for a sixth skater — "I was the broomstick right in the middle of the bench with five feet on either side of me," he joked — and was on his feet with everyone else when Desharnais scored.

The goalie had plenty of elbow room with forwards Travis Moen and Dale Weise, dinged with misconducts at 15:42 of the third, watching the madness from the dressing room.

And then it all came down to defenceman Francis Bouillon, a hugely popular figure in the dressing room if not among the fan base, who pinched in to snap home the winner, his first goal of the season, 1:26 into overtime.

The stunned Senators tried to make the argument that goalie Robin Lehner had frozen the puck beneath his blocker before it was shovelled out by Max Pacioretty to the pouncing Bouillon. But they obviously got nowhere with that plea.

The officials explained their position to the Ottawa captain:

"It was too loud," Spezza said he was told.

Said Senators coach Paul MacLean: "I have no idea what 'too loud' means, you'd have to ask the referees."

Apparently, Senators GM Bryan Murray did just that, reportedly speaking at length with the officials before Ottawa boarded their bus in the Bell Centre.

"It doesn't matter what I think," MacLean added. "I'm like you (media) guys. I'm confused."

To reporters, Ottawa's Clarke MacArthur called out the officials, the Senators having taken 41 penalty minutes to the Canadiens' 33.

(In fact, the Habs had the greater playing-time total. Ottawa's Bobby Ryan took a game misconduct, charged as 10 minutes, after the winning goal when he had to be restrained from getting to the referees.)

Twice the visitors were called for goaltender interference for running or brushing Price; on Kyle Turris's hooking call to set up Desharnais's goal, MacArthur charged that Habs' Andrei Markov took a dive.

"Some of the calls were obviously questionable, I thought," said MacArthur, quoted by the Ottawa Sun. "(Colin Greening), without question, gets hauled down trying to ice the puck at the end of the game, no call.

"The puck is covered at the end, no call. It's tough. We're fighting for our lives right now, it's hard not to get emotional. We put ourselves in a bad spot. We gave them a little life, but at the same time it's tough enough playing a hockey team along with everyone else in the building. . . .

"You can't be sitting there saying (as a referee) you did a good job tonight," MacArthur continued, by now skating on very thin ice of league discipline.

"At the end of the day, let the two teams play the game. A big game like that, a huge game for us, (referees) don't need to decide the game. We can decide the game. I felt it didn't happen that way."

Gionta wasn't exactly heartbroken for the visitors.

"It's tough," he said. "We've been on that end before, doing everything you can to stop that momentum, that rush that's coming. We've been on that side."

The Canadiens dodged an artillery cannon shell with one almost miraculous point that became two, and they knew it.

"We can't fool ourselves, it wasn't our best game," Gionta said.

That goes without saying. But it surely was a lot of fun to watch, at least for those who stayed until the thrilling end.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.17.2014


Tokarski gets start for Habs in Buffalo

Posted by Stu Cowan

Following Saturday night’s remarkable 5-4 comeback overtime win over the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens headed to Buffalo, where they will face the Sabres Sunday night (7 p.m., TSN-HABS, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

But goaltender Carey Price didn’t make the trip. After playing in his first game Saturday since suffering a lower-body injury at the Sochi Olympics, the Canadiens decided to leave Price behind to rest after he made 30 saves to improve his record to 27-17-5. Coach Michel Therrien said he didn’t want Price playing in back-to-back games so soon after coming back from injury.

The Canadiens recalled goalie Dustin Tokarski from the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday morning. The Canadiens had sent Tokarski down Saturday, but he never actually left Montreal and was at Saturday’s game.

Therrien announced Sunday afternoon that Tokarski will get the start in goal against the Sabres and that Jarred Tinordi, who was a healthy scratch Saturday, will return to the lineup, taking Douglas Murray’s spot.

In two appearances with the Canadiens since Price went down Tokarski has a 1-0 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

Neither the Canadiens or Sabres held a morning skate on Sunday.



Dustin Tokarski doesn’t have time for pregame jitters

By pat hickey, THE GAZETTEMarch 17, 2014 12:34 AM

BUFFALO — Dustin Tokarski said he may have lost a few hours sleep Saturday night, but it didn’t show in his performance against the Buffalo Sabres.

Tokarski made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout as the Canadiens blanked the Sabres 2-0 Sunday night at the First Niagara Center.

When Tokarski made his first appearance for the Canadiens two weeks ago in Anaheim, coach Michel Therrien waited until the day of the game before telling Tokarski he was the man. This time around, he gave Tokarski a heads-up on Saturday night.

“It must have been the right strategy because it worked out,” Therrien said as he savoured a perfect weekend for the Canadiens, who had an emotional, come-from-behind overtime win over the Ottawa Senators Saturday night at the Bell Centre. “The kid played well. He battles. The team played a good game in front of him but we had some breakdowns and he made some key saves.”

Tokarski said he wasn’t surprised to get the call even though he was officially on the Hamilton Bulldogs roster. He was demoted to the AHL team when Carey Price was activated Saturday and then recalled Sunday when Therrien elected to leave Price at home. Therrien said Price will play Tuesday night against Colorado.

Tokarski has won the world juniors and a Calder Cup title but said the win in Buffalo was among his career highlights.

“I’m going day-to-day and trying to enjoy it,” he said. “(This shutout) is definitely up there. I’ve had some great moments with some great people, but it’s up there.”

Therrien said he was proud of his team’s performance against a Buffalo team that was officially eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.

“That was an emotional game last night and when you play an emotional game, as a coach, you worry that the next game is going to be tougher,” Therrien said. “We had a really good start and that’s something we’ve been doing lately. We slowed down a little in the second, but we maintained the pace.”

Neither of the Canadiens’ goal were highlight-reel material, but Therrien felt no need to apologize for them.

“That’s the way we like to play,” he said. “We’re not a fancy team and we all understand that at this time of the year we have to go hard to the net and score some ugly goals. This is how we came back last night.”

The Canadiens opened the scoring when a bouncing puck went in off Dale Weise’s leg and the second goal went in off defenceman Chad Ruhwedel’s skate after Jhonas Enroth stopped a shot by Brendan Gallagher.

“You make your luck,” said Gallagher. “We had a couple of lucky bounces, but we were doing the right things, going to the net and creating chances. It was a good effort.”

The Canadiens made history Saturday night when they scored three goals in the final 3:22 of regulation time, and then won the game on Francis Bouillon’s first goal of the season at 1:26 of overtime.

Lars Eller started the comeback from a 4-1 deficit with a goal at 16:38, Brian Gionta scored at 17:56 and P.K. Subban set up David Desharnais for the tying goal with 0.3 seconds remaining in regulation. Elias Sports Bureau said it was the first time in NHL history that a team won a regular-season after trailing by three goals with less than five minutes to play.

Thomas Vanek, who played eight seasons here, was honoured with a video montage during the first period; Vanek described the gesture as “very classy,” and said his return was emotional.

He had a game-high six shots on goal, but is still looking for his first goal in a Montreal uniform.

“I’m still fairly new here,” he said. “I had a lot of chances and I’m still trying to get that first one in. Coming here, there’s mixed emotions. It was a little too much thinking and not enough playing.”



Habs sweep weekend, hit second place in division

By Pat Hickey, THE GAZETTEMarch 17, 2014 12:33 AM

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Canadiens completed a weekend sweep Sunday as they defeated the hapless Buffalo Sabres 2-0 at the First Niagara Center. Dustin Tokarski was a surprise starter in goal, but he made 29 stops for his first NHL shutout and he ran his record with the Canadiens to 2-0. The win allowed the Canadiens to move into second place in the Atlantic Division with a one-point edge over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who dropped a 4-2 decision to Washington. The Canadiens are two points ahead of idle Tampa Bay but the Lightning has two games in hand.

Good start for Canadiens: Montreal grabbed a 2-0 lead on first-period goals by Dale Weise and Brendan Gallagher. The Canadiens got the bounces on both goals. On the first goal at 14:41, David Desharnais lifted a backhander into the air and Alex Galchenyuk got his stick on the puck before Weise directed it behind Jhonas Enroth. The play was sent to the situation room in Toronto where it was determined that Galchenyuk did not make contact with a high stick. Gallagher was credited with his 17th goal at 16:07 when Enroth made the save, but the rebound went in off Buffalo defenceman Chad Ruhwedel.

Lieuwen makes debut: Buffalo backup goaltender Nathan Lieuwen made his NHL debut in relief of Enroth, who was shaken up when Gallagher plowed into him at 16:09 of the second period. Enroth stopped 19 of 21 shots, Lieuwen, who was called up on Sunday to fill in for the injured Michal Neuvirth, stopped the 10 shots he faced.

Stafford comes close: Tokarski made his two biggest saves in the first period when he stopped Drew Stafford on a breakaway and later came up with a leg save against Brian Flynn. Stafford had another good opportunity off a rush in the third period but his shot hit a post. Cody Hodgson had a breakaway in the final three minutes but fired wide.

Thanks for Vanek: The Sabres showed a video montage of highlights from Thomas Vanek’s career in Buffalo during the first TV timeout. Buffalo drafted Vanek in the first round of the 2003 NHL draft and he played eight seasons with the Sabres before he was traded to the New York Islanders early this season. He had a game-high six shots but failed to earn a mention on the scoresheet.

What’s next: Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy will be behind the Colorado Avalanche bench Tuesday night when the Western Conference contender plays the Canadiens at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., TSN-Habs, RDS, TSN-690 Radio). The Canadiens are home to the Columbus Blue Jackets Thursday and travel to Toronto Friday to play the Maple Leafs.



About this weekend …

Posted by Mike Boone

Hands up, everyone who thought your Montreal Canadiens would collect four points this weekend?

OK, you’re visionaries. Go buy some lottery tickets.

Now a show of hands: Who would have been happy with three points?

Or two?

Final question for the faithful: At the 16-minute mark of the third period Saturday night, how many of you thought this team would miss the playoffs?

And they still might.

The Canadiens have a killer schedule this week. The patrick Roy Show rolls into the Bell Centre Tuesday night, followed by the surging Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. Then the Canadiens hit the road for games in Toronto on Saturday and Boston on Monday the 24th.

Bolstered by the miraculous Overtime win over Ottawa and that ho-hum conquest of hapless Buffalo, the Canadiens finds themselves back in second place in the Atlantic Division. They are seven points clear of the cut-off for Eastern Conference postseason play.

They’re not home and dry just yet. Another three-game losing streak – which is what the Canadiens rode into this weekend – and it’s tight-collar time again.

But the team is looking a lot better than it did in the seconds preceding Lars Eller’s goal at 16:38 of the third period Saturday night.

In reaping four points that boosted them past Tampa Bay and Toronto, the Canadiens displayed guts, character, never-quit attitude – and some semblance of a lineup that might carry the team into mid-April.

Let’s begin with the MVP of the weekend.

MIA since Sochi, P.K. Subban showed up when he was needed most.

The Canadiens stud defenceman played an astonishing 55:31 seconds in the space of 26 hours. P.K. assisted on the three goals that erased Ottawa’s lead on Saturday night. After seven shots on goal against the Senators, P.K. had only one in Buffalo – along with two penalties – but he controlled the play on every one of his 26 shifts against the Sabres.

I was skeptical of pairing P.K. with Francis Bouillon, and they were on for a couple of Ottawa goals. Unless Michel Therrien plans to use Frankie Boo in the 13 remaining regular-season games – including three sets of back-to-backs – we’ll likely see Subban with yet another partner.

Not a problem. The reigning Norris Trophy winner is in a zone, and P.K. can play with anyone.

OK, maybe not Douglas Murray.

David Desharnais was another standout: The goal – with .3 of a second left, off a genius pass by P.K. – that sent the game into OT, plus an assist against Ottawa. An assist on Dale Weise’s goal in Buffalo.

DD is in a zone, and he can play with anyone.

OK, maybe not Rene Bourque. But DD and Max Pacioretty might be the best linemates for Thomas Vanek, who had six shots on goal in his Buffalo homecoming.

Brendan Gallagher scored his 17th of the season against the Sabres and continued to energize new linemates Daniel Brière and Tomas Plekanec. The Canadiens also got a decent performance out of the other new line THerrien threw together against Ottawa: Lars Eller, Alex Galchenyuk and Brian Gionta.

Defensive forward duty on the third line is a comedown for the Canadiens’ captain. But at this stage of his career, that would seem to be Gionta’s

future with the Canadiens, through this season and beyond if they bring him back.

Galchenyuk played 14:48 against Ottawa, 13:24 in Buffalo. I still think the Canadiens are bringing him along too slowly, and we’ll get to see a different developmental approach when Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche visit. But the Canadiens have a plan for the kid, and they’re sticking to it … at least until the next time Therrien juggles his lines.

That won’t happen if the Canadiens can string some wins together. They got off to a good start, but it was a near-death experience against Ottawa and Buffalo has been dead since October.

Even though the Sabres’ offence was Drew Stafford and 11 guys you’ve never heard of – oops, I forgot Matt D’Agostini – surprise starter Dustin Tokarski had to be sharp. And he was, making 29 saves to ring up his first NHL shutout.

With Carey Price, Tokarski, Peter Budaj, Devan Dubnyk in Hamilton and Zach Fucale in the Q, the Canadiens have an over-abundance of quality goaltenders – none of whom can help their power play, which went 0-for-Buffalo.

P.K. will fix that.


738965 New Jersey Devils

Bishop Gets 31st Win, Lightning Top Devils 3-0

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MARCH 15, 2014, 9:44 P.M. E.D.T.

TAMPA, Fla. — Ben Bishop stopped 23 shots to set Tampa Bay's single-season record with 31 victories as the Lightning beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Saturday night.

Bishop (31-11-6) broke the mark held by Nikolai Khabibulin, which was set in 2002-03. It was Bishop's fifth shutout this season.

Michael Kostka had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay, which has won two in a row following a five-game losing streak (0-3-2). B.J Crombeen and Nate Thompson had the other goals for the Lightning.

Martin Brodeur made 29 saves for the Devils, who were coming off a 5-3 loss Friday night at Florida. Brodeur had beaten Tampa Bay twice earlier this season, allowing just one goal overall.

Bishop turned aside four shots by Michael Ryder during the first two periods, and gloved a shot from the top of the left circle by Adam Henrique with 6 1/2 minutes to go in the third.

Brodeur made a nifty glove save on Steven Stamkos' shot 7 minutes into the second.

After J.T. Brown had his penalty shot stopped by Brodeur at 11:19, Crombeen, positioned in the slot, redirected Kostka's shot past the New Jersey goalie for a 1-0 lead 1:07 later.

Kostka made it 2-0 when he was left alone just outside the crease and put a back-hander past Brodeur with 3:02 left in the second.

Valtteri Filppula assisted on both of the Lightning's second-period goals, and has six assists and seven points during a four-game point streak.

Thompson scored at 16:41 of the third.

The Devils had a goal by Jon Merrill disallowed at 5:01 of the first because of incidental goalie contact.

New Jersey's Jaromir Jagr had his five-game point streak — three goals, six points — end.

NOTES: Tampa Bay is 0 for 3 on penalty shots this season. ... New Jersey C Ryan Carter didn't play due to an upper-body injury. ... Crombeen had been a healthy scratch the previous four games and six of the last seven.

New York Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Devils GM, players credit coach Pete DeBoer with keeping team in hunt, but now the pressure is on

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger


There is little debate that the Devils’ upcoming homestand is make or break in the their effort to capture a playoff spot, but the five games against the Bruins, Wild, Rangers, Maple Leafs and Coyotes may be even more important to their coach.

Devils players, as well as general manager Lou Lamoriello, still believe in Pete DeBoer. And yet the pressure is undoubtedly on the man who led them to the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals but missed the playoffs last year.

“The most difficult position, in my opinion, is coach,” Lamoriello said. “It’s a combination of what pressure others put on you and what you put on yourself Everything is not going to go right.”

And it hasn’t.

It has been an uphill battle for the Devils since they stumbled through a 1-5-3 start and then endured several key injuries. Their first half schedule, viewed as the toughest in the league by many because of travel and an abundance of back-to-back games, could’ve put them out of the race long ago.

DeBoer, who had already seen the names Parise and Kovalchuk wiped off his whiteboard depth chart the last two summers, understood the challenge.

“I knew it was a really tough schedule. I think at the beginning of the season, when you’re looking at those things, a coach is always looking at it with a healthy, full lineup,” DeBoer said. “You feel, ‘If we’re healthy we can handle that.’ And then the injuries come and they pile up, like everybody deals with, and all of a sudden everything gets more magnified.”

His plan?

“We wanted to use both goaltenders. We thought that was an advantage to us, playing the most back-to-back games in the league,” DeBoer explained. “I also knew that if we could stay in the mix until this point of the year, we would have an opportunity to make a run. We would have had our group together for enough time that our systems should be second nature.

“We pumped a lot of new guys into the lineup this year. We knew there would be some bumps in the road early. I really felt if we could get to the Olympic break in the mix, having worked with these new guys for for or five months, we would have the potential to go on run. That’s what we’re waiting for.”

The players never lost faith.

“I think he’s done a fabulous job,” captain Bryce Salvador said. “We’re well-prepared to play each night and it starts with the coaching staff. They put a lot of time, energy and passion into making sure they’ve provided us with the best strategy each night.”

Patrik Elias agreed.

“I like Pete a lot. He’s a smart guy,” the veteran forward said. “I think his biggest asset is communication and preparation for the game. I’ve had a lot of coaches and I’m happy that he’s the type of guy that wants to know your opinion.”

The team has had seven new veterans (Jaromir Jagr, Damien Brunner, Michael Ryder, Ryane Clowe, Cory Schneider, Tuomo Ruutu and Rostislav Olesz), along with rookies Jon Merrill, Eric Gelinas and Reid Boucher.

There is no question Pete has done a good job,” Lamoriello acknowledged. “With the rough start that we had— a combination of the schedule, the injuries and sort of a restructuring of the team with a lot of new additions— I think the most important thing was knowing that it could take a little bit of time. The whole staff has stayed on an even keel through it all and worked their way out of it. The players responded.”

The hardest part?

“I think the system we play and the attention to detail required is something that takes time to become second nature,” DeBoer suggested. “It’s always nice when you can return a big group of people that you’ve had an opportunity to work with.

“I think, like my first year, it took two or three months of heavy lifting to try and get everybody onside. Obviously our start reflected that.”

And then there is the goalie situation, very tricky at times.

“It’s an envious situation from the outside looking in when you see two world class goalies like we’ve got,” DeBoer said. “In the day to day of it, it’s tough because you’ve got two guys that want to play and probably deserve to play. They’ve made it easier than it could have been.”

Now comes the real test for the Devils. They're home for 10 of their last 14 games. Their record is 16-8-7 at Prudential Center compared with 13-18-6 on the road.

The pressure is on, perhaps most of all for DeBoer.

“Lou has been great with me personally and with the staff. I’ve gotten nothing but support from him from day one when I walked into the coach’s office at the Prudential Center,” DeBoer pointed out. “And the great thing is, the tougher the times, the better the support. I think all coaches appreciate that.”

The players still believe in him.

“Injuries and things like have happened this year,” Salvador noted. “There have been guys up and down. I think the coaches have done a fabulous job. If we could’ve won even 30 or 40 or 50-percent of those (eight) shootout losses, we’re in a different situation. I don’t think where we’re at is a reflection of the coaching staff at all.”

And the GM?

“I’ve said this could be the best support staff since I’ve been in New Jersey,” Lamoriello said. “That includes the coaches, the trainers and the equipment people.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.17.2014


Devils’ Adam Henrique still carries memory of late Mickey Renaud with him

Posted by Tom Gulitti

Adam Henrique needs no reminders of what happened to Mickey Renaud. The Devils center wears one around his neck every day.

Henrique’s No. 18 pendant honors Renaud, his former junior teammate and captain with the Windsor Spitfires, who died in 2008 from a heart condition after collapsing in his home.

More than six have years have passed since Renaud’s death, but two events in the last week made the sad memories of it feel fresh again for Henrique.

The first happened last Monday in Dallas when Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench from what the team called “a cardiac event” and required a defibrillator to shock his heartbeat back into normal rhythm. The next day, 20-year-old junior player Terry Trafford of the Saginaw Spirit was found dead in his truck from an apparent suicide.

“It kind of just brought all of that back up,” Henrique said. “You think about it and you think about how our team went through it and the stuff within the team, just everything that was going on. (Renaud) was from Windsor too and the whole community was shocked. You couldn’t believe that it actually happened.”

A 2007 firth-round draft pick of the Calgary Flames, Renaud was only 19 at the time of his death. At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he seemed to be the picture of health before that tragic morning of Feb. 18, 2008.

“He was a really good player,” Henrique said. “I think he probably would have been playing in the NHL. He was a big guy, power forward, did a little bit of everything, a great leader in the room. So, when it happened it was just crazy.”

The Spitfires had just returned from a road trip and Renaud was having breakfast at his home with a couple of his teammates, including Jordan Nolan, now of the Los Angeles Kings, when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to the hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

An autopsy revealed that Renaud had a genetic heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, an often-undetected genetic condition that thickens the heart muscle and increases the risk of reduced blood flow through the organ.

“It was something he was born with,” Henrique said. “The tests we take, EKGs and stuff, I guess you couldn’t tell from that. They would have to do more tests, so they never knew.”

Peverley, 31, was fortunate in that he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat before this season and had been receiving treatment for that. When he collapsed on Monday, the medical staff at American Airlines Center jumped right into action and resuscitated him.

Peverley will require surgery that will end his season and it is unclear whether he will play hockey again, but read a statement at a news conference Wednesday “to thank all the people that saved my life.”

Sadly, no one was able to save Trafford, who reportedly suffered from depression and was upset after being asked to leave the team for disciplinary reasons. He disappeared for more than a week before police found his body in his truck in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

The Spirit honored Trafford before their OHL home game against London Saturday night.

“That’s tough for a team to go through,” Henrique said. “We kind of went through the same thing. It’s so hard to just pick back up and play. The last thing you’re thinking of is playing hockey.”

Renaud’s No. 18 jersey was retired by the Spitfires and his former teammates started wearing No. 18 necklaces, made by a local jeweler, to carry his memory with them.

“I’ve worn it ever since,” said Henrique, who was 18 at the time of Renaud’s death. “A bunch of guys got their own little tattoos and stuff like that. I got one.”

Henrique got his No. 18 tattoo on his left shoulder. That he continues to wear the necklace demonstrates how much Renaud impacted his life and career.

“He kind of took me under his wing when I first got there my first year and he was our captain,” Henrique said. “A lot of guys looked up to him. He took care of the younger guys all the time. He drove me around the first two years. He lived a couple streets over, so he always picked me up to drive to the rink and stuff like that.”

The Spitfires found a way to carry on following Renaud’s death and lost in the first round of the OHL playoffs that season to Steven Stamkos’ Sarnia Sting. Renaud’s sweater continued to hang in the Spitfires’ dressing room throughout the 2008-09 season and was brought on the ice for the celebration after they won the first of back-to-back Memorial Cup championships.

Several of Renaud’s former teammates, including Henrique, Nolan, Edmonton’s Taylor Hall and the Islanders’ Josh Bailey, went on to play in the NHL, a dream that he never had the chance to realize.

“It’s something you hope that nobody has to go through, but it’s something that happens,” Henrique said of Renaud’s death. “He was from Windsor, so it was much bigger in the community. His family is such a nice family. His parents, I still see them in the summers and get together with them once in a while. They still come to all the team functions there. They still have Mickey Renaud Night where (the Spitfires) wear a special jersey. We do stuff in the summer all the time, have fundraisers and stuff (in his name).

“To be that long ago, 2008, and then something like this happens and it feels like it was just the other day.”

***

The Devils had the day off today after returning from Tampa Bay late Saturday night. They will be back on the ice for practice Monday morning at Prudential Center before playing Boston Tuesday for the start of a five-game homestand.

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.17.2014


Devils: Player's health scare hits close to home for Adam Henrique

March 17, 2014, 12:00 AM

By TOM GULITTI

STAFF WRITER

The Record

Adam Henrique needs no reminders of what happened to Mickey Renaud.

The No. 18 necklace the Devils center wears every day honors Renaud, his former junior teammate and captain with the Windsor Spitfires, who died in 2008 from a heart condition after collapsing in his home.

Devils' Adam Henrique wears a No. 18 necklace in memory of his friend, Mickey Renaud, who died from a heart condition.

Devils' Adam Henrique wears a No. 18 necklace in memory of his friend, Mickey Renaud, who died from a heart condition.

More than six have years have passed since Renaud's death, but two events in the last week made the sad memories of it feel fresh again for Henrique.

The first happened last Monday in Dallas when Stars forward Rich Peverley collapsed on the bench because of what the team called "a cardiac event" and required a defibrillator to shock his heartbeat back into normal rhythm. The next day, 20-year-old junior player Terry Trafford of the Saginaw Spirit was found dead in his truck from an apparent suicide.

"It kind of just brought all of that back up," Henrique said. "You think about it and you think about how our team went through it and the stuff within the team, just everything that was going on. … To be that long ago, 2008, and then something like this happens and it feels like it was just the other day."

A 2007 Calgary Flames draft pick, Renaud was only 19 at the time of his death. At 6 feet 3 inches and 230 pounds, he seemed the picture of health before that tragic morning of Feb. 18, 2008.

Renaud was having breakfast at his home with a couple of his teammates when he suddenly collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital, but attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.

An autopsy revealed that Renaud had a genetic heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, an often-undetected condition that thickens the heart muscle and increases the risk of reduced blood flow through the organ.

Following Renaud's death, his No. 18 jersey was retired by the Spitfires and his former teammates started wearing No. 18 necklaces, made by a local jeweler, to carry his memory with them.

"I've worn it ever since," said Henrique, who was 18 at the time of Renaud's death. "A bunch of guys got their own little tattoos and stuff like that. I got one."

Henrique got his No. 18 tattoo on his left shoulder. That he continues to wear the necklace demonstrates how much Renaud impacted him.

"He kind of took me under his wing when I first got there my first year and he was our captain," Henrique said. "A lot of guys looked up to him. He took care of the younger guys all the time. He drove me around the first two years. He lived a couple streets over, so he always picked me up to drive to the rink and stuff like that."

- See more at: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/hockey/devils/player-s-health-scare-evokes-sad-memories-1.744113#sthash.r99YMgtL.dpuf



Devils notes: Former teammate Bobby Holik says Jaromir Jagr's great

— Tom Gulitti

March 16, 2014, 12:00 AM Last updated: Sunday, March 16, 2014, 12:49 AM

The Record

Retired former Devil Bobby Holik, who has a home about 90 minutes away, was at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Saturday morning to visit with some of his former teammates. Among those Holik visited with was Jaromir Jagr.

Although Holik played only briefly with Jagr in the NHL on the Rangers in 2003-04, their relationship dates back a long way to when they were "young teenagers" playing back in the former Czechoslovakia.

So, Holik, now 43, is not surprised that Jagr is still in excelling in the NHL at age 42.

"It’s greatness," Holik said. "Greatness lasts for a long time and he’s always kept himself in great shape."

Holik said the way the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Jagr plays and the changes the NHL made to eliminate a lot of the hooking and holding has made it easier for him to succeed at an older age.

"Not to minimize his impact or his performance, but it allows him to play because he’s very effective with the type of player he is," Holik said. "He’s big, strong. How are you going to stop him? How are you going to take the puck away from him? You can’t touch him."

The Devils will wear their original red, green and white jerseys for the second time this season when they host Boston on Tuesday for "Retro Night." The Devils also wore the original jerseys in the outdoor game against the Rangers at Yankee Stadium.

It will be the first time the Devils have worn the jerseys twice in the same season since they first brought them back on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010.

Martin Brodeur’s save on J.T. Brown’s penalty shot in the second period gave him nine saves on the 12 penalty shots he’s faced in his career. … LW Ryan Carter sat out with an upper-body injury he sustained Friday.


738970 New York Islanders

Isles Score Twice in 1st and 3rd, Top Sabres 4-1


UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo scored first-period goals, and the New York Islanders went on to a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

The Islanders (26-34-9) earned their 10th home win (10-17-8), and did it in a rare matchup against an opponent they are ahead of in the standings.

Backup goalie Anders Nilsson (3-4-2) earned the win in his 15th NHL game. He lost his shutout bid 56 seconds into the third when Tyler Ennis scored a power-play goal.

But the Islanders' two-goal lead was restored 39 seconds later when Ryan Strome scored his fourth goal. Cal Clutterbuck added an empty-netter with 2:13 remaining.

Nilsson made 33 saves while subbing for No. 1 netminder Evgeni Nabokov, who lost 4-3 to San Jose on Friday.

Jhonas Enroth stopped 34 shots for Buffalo.

Earlier in this disappointing season, the Islanders and Sabres swapped star forwards Matt Moulson and Thomas Vanek, but both impending free agents have both been dealt elsewhere since.

Fans periodically voiced loud chants of "Snow Must Go," directed toward Islanders general manager Garth Snow.

Despite being outshot 14-10 and short-handed three times in the first period, the Islanders took a 2-0 lead.

Nielsen put New York in front before the game's first stoppage, and Okposo doubled the lead with a power-play goal.

After holding his stick in the air waiting to fire, Nielsen unleashed a hard drive from the left circle that struck Enroth's glove and found its way in at 3:31 for his 22nd goal.

Okposo made it 2-0 with 2:36 left when he corralled a pass from Brock Nelson in the slot and whipped a shot past Enroth 1:11 into Henrik Tallinder's holding penalty.

It was Okposo's team-leading 27th goal and 69th point. He also helped set up Nielsen's goal, tying him with injured captain John Tavares with a club-best 42 assists.

New York nearly had a third goal, but Enroth made a fine stop against Josh Bailey at the left post when he tried to follow up on Nelson's wraparound attempt.

Buffalo mustered five shots during its three failed power plays in the first period. The only advantage the Sabres gave to the Islanders in the frame proved costly when Okposo scored on New York's only shot.

The trend reversed in the second period when New York had a 14-10 shots edge, but neither team scored.

Nilsson's first scare came when he stopped a shot by Matt D'Agostini 2:13 into the second period and then had to reach behind him after the puck slid through him and trickled toward the open net.

The Sabres nearly got on the board in the final two seconds of the middle frame when Drew Stafford ripped a shot off a faceoff win in the Islanders' end during a Buffalo power play, but Nilsson was there to block it.

Ennis scored his 18th goal during that advantage.

NOTES: Okposo is one goal shy of 100 in the NHL. ... The Sabres recalled D Rasmus Ristolainen from Rochester (AHL) due to the absence of D Tyler Myers (arm), who will also likely miss Sunday's home game against Montreal. ... New York agreed to terms with 2012 draft pick D Adam Pelech on a three-year, entry-level contract.


738971 New York Rangers

Rangers Lose Game and Their Cushion in the Race for the Playoffs

By JEFF Z. KLEINMARCH 16, 2014

Henrik Lundqvist called it painful, and it was — a 1-0 defeat to the San Jose Sharks that further imperiled the Rangers’ already precarious playoff situation.

“This loss is so painful in so many ways,” Lundqvist said after stopping 28 shots and watching his teammates miss several great chances at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. “So many open nets. So many chances to get back in the game.”

It hurt in other areas. An apparent tying goal scored by the Rangers was disallowed. Martin St. Louis, the Rangers’ trade-deadline acquisition from Tampa Bay, continued to make little impact despite 21 minutes of ice time, and now has two assists in seven games with the club.

Most important, the Rangers’ grip on a playoff berth slipped continuously throughout the day. At the start of Sunday, the Rangers (36-29-4) had two playoff teams beneath them in the Eastern Conference. At the end of it, they were the last playoff team.

San Jose goalie Antti Niemi stopped all 41 Rangers shots he faced, helping to extend his team’s winning streak to six games and pulling the Sharks even with the Anaheim Ducks atop the Pacific Division.

The Rangers were also hurt by a number of point-blank saves from Niemi, and by one near miss in the second period when defenseman Ryan McDonagh, set up in front of an open net, could not get off a clean shot against Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

“Playing well doesn’t mean much at this point anymore,” said McDonagh, who also fanned at the side of an open net in the third period. “We could play bad and win a game and be happy with that. Right now, we’re simply not finishing, and we’ve got to pay a higher price to score goals.”

One shot Niemi was credited with saving, but which perhaps he really did not, was Carl Hagelin’s wraparound with 3:15 left in the second period. Niemi seemed to have the puck trapped against the post under his right pad, but the play was reviewed. After a long delay, one replay seemed to show the puck disappearing from view as it slid over the goal line.

But the judges in Toronto deemed the replay inconclusive, and the call stood: no goal.

“It was pretty obvious on the video review that the puck was in, but in all fairness, the refs couldn’t see the puck,” said Hagelin, who scored three goals in the Rangers’ previous game, a 4-2 victory at Winnipeg on Friday. “That was the problem. The camera couldn’t get hold of the puck. It was just unlucky.”

As in six of the last eight seasons, the Rangers are clawing for a playoff spot as the games dwindle to a precious few — 13, after the loss to San Jose.

On Sunday morning, they were in third place in the Metropolitan Division, the last automatic playoff spot. But Philadelphia won early in the afternoon, knocking the Rangers into fourth place and the lower of two Eastern Conference wild-card spots, 3 points clear of the final playoff berth.

Later in the afternoon, Washington won, shaving the Rangers’ margin to 2 points.

Then the Rangers lost, surrendering the only goal when Mats Zuccarello lost control of the puck to Couture in the neutral zone during a breakout. Couture went around Brad Richards, the only man back on the power play, and backhanded a shot past Lundqvist.

Detroit lost, 4-1, to Chicago on Sunday night, remaining 3 points behind the Rangers. “Right now, it’s about points,” Lundqvist said. “It’s not about playing great against good teams. It’s about finding ways to win, and we didn’t tonight.”

The Rangers’ next game is Tuesday at Ottawa, followed by a Friday meeting at Columbus against the Blue Jackets, who are just ahead of them in the division standings.

SLAP SHOTS

The last time the Rangers met the Sharks was in San Jose on Oct. 8, a 9-2 shellacking in Game 3 of the season, and of Alain Vigneault’s tenure as the coach. “That’s a long time ago,” Vigneault said before Sunday’s game. “To tell you the truth, I try to forget that part of the season. We’re a different team now, playing good hockey.”



Niemi, Couture Lift Surging Sharks Over Rangers


NEW YORK — A goal that didn't count in the Sharks' victory over the New York Rangers garnered more attention than the one that made the difference in surging San Jose's latest win.

Antti Niemi stopped 41 shots for his fourth shutout, and Logan Couture's first-period, short-handed goal stood up as the Sharks beat the Rangers 1-0 Sunday for their sixth straight win.

New York thought it had the game tied with 3:15 left in the second period.

During a stoppage, all four officials gathered at the scorer's table, and a lengthy video review was conducted in Toronto to see if Carl Hagelin's stuff attempt at the left post nudged the puck over the line.

Numerous replays failed to show the puck behind Niemi, who blocked the view, but one zoomed-in and enhanced picture appeared to show the puck disappear behind the post — drawing a huge cheer from the crowd.

Those yells turned to boos when it was announced there was no conclusive evidence of a goal. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault called over referee Dan O'Halloran for an explanation he didn't really seem to accept.

"It doesn't matter what I think. I don't make the decisions," Vigneault said in a quiet tone. "This is not me saying this, but some of my friends say that they make it up as they go along. I'm just going to leave it at that.

"The replay that I saw, you can't see the puck. Maybe I can assume that if you can't see the puck it is under the goaltender's pad and in the goal. It has to be conclusive and I guess they felt it wasn't, so there is nothing you can do about it."

Niemi and the Sharks defense were the difference, unlike in the first meeting between the teams, won 9-2 by San Jose on Oct. 8. Niemi, who has 27 career NHL shutouts, was particularly strong during a Rangers power play early in the third.

San Jose, tied with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division, is 11-2-1 in its past 14. In a 12-game stretch against Eastern Conference opponents that ends Tuesday at home versus Florida, the Sharks are 9-1-1.

"Nemo was unbelievable," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "That was maybe his best game all year. He stole this one for us."

Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves but was denied in his first attempt to set the Rangers record with his 302nd victory. He equaled Mike Richter's mark Friday at Winnipeg, but couldn't hide his disappointment in this loss.

"This loss is so painful in so many ways," he said. "We had so many open nets, so many chances to get back in this game but we just couldn't get it in. Then you look at their goal, to give it up on our own power play, and that's the only goal. It just adds to the frustration."

New York, which lost for the third time in four games, dropped one point behind Philadelphia in the Metropolitan Division race and into an Eastern Conference wild-card position.

"We definitely understand how important every point is," Lundqvist said. "We played a really strong game against one of the best teams in the league, but it's hard to be positive about a lot of things when you don't win. Right now it's about points, it's not about playing great against good teams."

San Jose, which had 11 shots in the first period, recorded four while short-handed and grabbed the lead.

Couture took the puck away from Mats Zuccarello in the neutral zone, raced ahead of Brad Richards, shook him off, and beat Lundqvist with a backhander at 11:48 for his 19th goal — second short-handed.

"Felt good to get a shorty that stood up for us," Couture said. "We have a great attitude as a team and know how important the last 13 games will be."

San Jose came out much better in the second and held a 10-7 shots edge during the scoreless frame. New York's next best scoring chance came with 4:09 left when defenseman Ryan McDonagh, seemingly with an open right

side in front of him, had his shot blocked by the reaching stick of defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

Niemi was the main reason the Sharks went into the first intermission with the lead. He stopped all 20 shots fired at him.

"We played another great road game," Niemi said after the Sharks finished a 3-0 trip. "They came hard at us from the beginning. With good reads and some luck, I was able to make some saves."

Niemi made two eye-popping stops against struggling forward Derick Brassard, including a point-blank chance with 40 seconds left that Niemi kicked out with his left pad. It had Brassard staring at the ceiling and shaking his head.

Earlier in the period, Niemi quickly moved over to deny Brassard's backhander at the right post off a rebound of McDonagh's shot.

"We've got to believe that if we keep playing this way we will be all right," Vigneault said.

Lundqvist was also sharp in the first, making a strong save with his chest against Patrick Marleau, who fired the Sharks' first shot from the slot 5:31 in. New York had the game's first seven shots.

NOTES: The Rangers haven't allowed a power-play goal in eight games, killing 21 penalties. ... San Jose took three penalties after having none on Friday.



No-goal call dooms Rangers to 1-0 loss against Sharks at MSG

By Stephen Lorenzo / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014, 1:18 AM

SHARKS 1, RANGERS 0

For the Rangers, it was a far better effort than their 9-2 blowout loss in October, but when it was all over at the Garden, nothing could beat Antti Niemi and the Sharks, not even video replay.

The Rangers (36-29-4), losers of three of their last four, were blanked, 1-0, by Niemi (41 saves) and San Jose (45-17-7), but this one didn't come without controversy.

Carl Hagelin seemed to tie the game with 3:15 to play in the second period on a wrap-around try that snuck past Niemi’s pads. An enhanced replay shown on the videoscreen at MSG seemed to prove the puck had gotten through, but after a lengthy meeting on the ice and a call to the NHL offices in Toronto, officials ruled the replay was inconclusive and that there was no clear evidence the puck had crossed the goal line. Despite a chorus of boos from the Garden crowd and a fiery response from a disgusted Alain Vigneault, the Rangers remained scoreless.

“This is not me saying this, this is some of my friends, that say they make it up as they go along. I’m just going to leave it at that,” Vigneault said. “From the replay that I saw, you can’t see the puck. Maybe I can assume that you can’t see the puck (because) it’s under the goaltender’s pad in the goal, but it has to be conclusive and I guess they felt it wasn’t. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

The Rangers outshot the Sharks, 41-29, and had several scoring opportunities, including two Derick Brassard chances in the first period that were saved by Niemi and a Ryan McDonagh chance near the post at the end of the second that was alertly deflected by Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

The difference came at 11:48 of the first period, when a mishandled puck by Mats Zuccarello in the neutral zone led to a shorthanded breakaway from Sharks forward Logan Couture, who deked past Henrik Lundqvist (28 saves) and scored while sliding on his backside.

Sunday was the first time the Rangers have been held scoreless since a 5-0 loss at Tampa Bay on Nov. 25.

“It’s really frustrating,” Lundqvist said. “This loss is painful in so many ways. I think we had so many open nets, so many chances to get back in this game and we just couldn’t get it in. It’s extremely painful. You look at their goal, to give it up on our own power play and that’s the only goal. That just adds to the frustration.”

The Blueshirts are still clinging to a playoff position in the second wild-card playoff spot, but with just 13 games remaining in the airtight Eastern Conference, they need points to stay there.

“Playing well doesn’t mean much really at this point anymore,” McDonagh said. “You can play badly and win a game and we’d be happy with that. You’ve got to find ways to win a game and right now we’re simply not finishing. We’re not paying the price to score goals enough. It’s tough to score goals this late in the year and you’ve got to pay a hard price.”

New York Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2014


Blueshirts come up empty in painful loss

By Brett Cyrgalis

March 16, 2014 | 7:22pm

There’s no brushing this one off, no looking back and taking the positives. At this time of year, there is no such thing as a moral victory.

So forget the 41 shots the Rangers peppered on Sharks goalie Antti Niemi, because as Sunday afternoon turned into Sunday evening, the Blueshirts still had a doughnut hanging on the Garden scoreboard, on the wrong side of a 1-0 loss that was their third in the past four games and finds them in rather treacherous standing with a baker’s dozen remaining on the schedule.

“This loss is so painful in so many ways,” said goalie Henrik Lundqvist, beaten only on a short-handed breakaway by Logan Couture 11:48 into the first, keeping him perched at 301 victories, still tied with Mike Richter for the most in franchise history. “We had so many open nets, so many chances to get back in this game, and we just couldn’t get it in. It’s extremely painful.”

What will be more painful is to look at what is going on around the Rangers, who at 36-29-4 are barely hanging on to the final wild-card spot in the East, usurped by both the Flyers and Blue Jackets for second and third, respectively, in the Metropolitan Division, both holding two games in hand. The Flyers completed a home-and-home sweep of the first-place Penguins on Sunday, something not lost on the Rangers.

“We definitely understand how important every point is right now,” Lundqvist said. “We go out here and play a really strong game against one of the best teams in the league, but it’s hard to be positive about a lot of things when you don’t win.”

The Rangers thought they got themselves back into the game with 3:15 remaining in the second period when Carl Hagelin wrapped around the net and appeared to jam the puck between Niemi’s skate and the near post. The officials ruled, however, that it was no goal. At the urging of Rangers assistant coach Scott Arniel, the referees went for a review back in the War Room in Toronto, and although it seemed as if the puck probably crossed the goal line, there was no conclusive evidence to back it up.

“This is not me saying it, some of my friends say it — they make it up as they go along,” is how coach Alain Vigneault decided to sheepishly dance around the question about the call. “I’m just going to leave it at that.”

The fact is the Rangers created a lot of offense, out-attempting the mighty Sharks 75-56. Yet Niemi highlighted his day with a wonderful point-blank stop on Derick Brassard just 35 seconds into the second period, and another dazzling stop on Ryan McDonagh just four minutes later, getting the Sharks (45-17-7) their sixth win a row.

“There is not a lot of time for moral victories,” said forward Brad Richards, whose team came in after a 1-2-0 road trip with duds in Carolina and Minnesota before Friday’s 4-2 win in Winnipeg. “The three road games were not our type of hockey. It was just bad hockey. [Sunday] was more our game: We had tempo, we got pucks to the net, and we have to keep believing that that’s going to cash in.”

So now the Rangers head out on a quick two-game jaunt starting in Ottawa on Tuesday, followed by what is shaping up to be a huge divisional game Friday in Columbus. And the season hangs on the thinnest of threads.

“Right now, it’s about points,” Lundqvist said. “It’s not about playing great against good teams. It’s about finding ways to win, and we didn’t. It’s just painful.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.17.2014


Sharks 1, Rangers 0: Wrapping up

Posted by Andrew Gross on 03/16 at 09:31 PM

There was no other way to describe it. Henrik Lundqvist sat at his locker stall and found nothing good about the Rangers’ 1-0 loss to the Sharks Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, the sixth time this season the Rangers have been blanked but the first time since Nov. 25.

“It’s frustrating because this loss is so painful in so many ways,” said Lundqvist, circling back to the word “painful” more than once. “We had so many open nets, so many chances to get back into this game. It’s extremely painful and when you look at their goal, on our power play, and it’s the only goal it adds to the frustration.

“We definitely understand how important every point is right now,” Lundqvist said after making 28 saves. “Again, we go out there and play a really strong game against one of the best teams in the league. But it’s hard to be positive about things when you don’t win. Right now, it’s about points. It’s not about playing great against good teams. It’s about finding ways to win and we didn’t tonight. It’s disappointing but we have to regroup because there’s a lot of hockey left here. We have to get ready for the next one and we need two points in the next game.”

That would be Tuesday at Ottawa, the start of a three-game trip that also includes Columbus - and how about all those ex-Rangers licking their chops knowing they can dent the Rangers’ playoff chances - and the Devils. Every team is desperate for points now.

Meanwhile, a part of the Rangers’ inability to score at even strength - or just score - is Marty St. Louis extending his goal-less streak to start his Rangers career to seven games. He was also held without a shot in 20:58. Not only was he held without a shot, he did not have an attempt blocked or even a missed shot, meaning he was not credited with any tries on the net.

Overall, including his last two games with the Lightning, St. Louis has gone nine games without a goal. Earlier this season he also had a seven- and eight-game goal-less streaks with the Lightning.

So while it’s not fair to single out St. Louis as a sole reason for the offense sputtering, he has to be a part of the solution. And the Rangers need to figure it out fast. His linemates certainly had chances today, with Mats Zuccarello getting three shots, including a dangerous shot in the slot and Derick Brassard also had three shots.

St. Louis’ best moment came when he spotted Zuccarello below the faceoff dots as he cut through the slot at 9:10 of the first period.

But Antti Niemi made 41 saves while getting a good look at most of the shots as the Rangers struggled to create enough traffic at the net.



Sharks 1, Rangers 0: The video review


Most of the post-game discussion here at Madison Square Garden after the Rangers’ 1-0 loss to the Sharks centered on Carl Hagelin’s non-goal on a wraparound at the left post at 16:45 of the second period.

The puck disappeared under Antti Niemi’s left pad, though a replay on the Garden scoreboard - magnified - seemed to clearly show the puck over the goal line.

The Rangers, obviously, thought it was a goal.

“I was behind the net, it was impossible for me to see the puck,” Hagelin said. “I just wrapped it and saw the big part of his pad was inside the net. But Pouliot was standing right in the crease there and he saw the puck was in and the video review showed pretty much it was in. But there’s nothing the ref could do because he came from a different angle so and then he’s got to listen to what they say upstairs.”

Hagelin also added, “If the ref would have been closer right away, he would have been able to see the puck but he was a little bit behind the goalie. It was just unlucky.”

Alternate captain Marc Staal approached referees Dennis LaRue and Dan Ol’Halloran after the second period and was given the same explanation announced after the lengthy video review.

“They told me Toronto (the NHL offices in Toronto, where all plays are reviewed) didn’t have conclusive evidence that it went across the line,” Staal said. “They didn’t see it, that was it. Pretty much, you don’t see the puck over the line, you say no goal even if it’s logical it is across the line.”

Coach Alain Vigneault also said there was not much more explanation to seek after being told there was no conclusive evidence it was a goal.

Yet, Vigneault seemed to take a swipe at the process, even as he said he wasn’t taking a swipe at the process.

“I think at one time, this is not me saying this, this is some of my friends that say, ‘They make it up as they go along,’” Vigneault said. “I’m just going to leave it at that. I’m not saying that. From the replay I saw, you can’t see the puck. Maybe I can assume if you can’t see the puck it’s under the goaltender’s pad and in the goal but it has to be conclusive and I guess they felt it wasn’t. There’s nothing you can do about it.”



Live Blog: Rangers vs. Sharks, 3/16


If anybody needs a reminder, Henrik Lundqvist is going for his franchise record, 302nd regular-season victory today.

Any resemblance from the Rangers’ team that lost at San Jose, 9-2, on Oct. 8 in their third game of the regular season and the squad that hosts the Sharks this afternoon at Madison Square Garden is purely coincidental.

The Rangers – remember? – opened the season on a grueling nine-game road trip which they started 2-6-0 before ending with an overtime win at Detroit. After getting blown up at San Jose, they were ridiculed at Anaheim, 6-0.

“That’s a long time ago,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “To tell you the truth, I sort of put that part of the season away, I don’t even remember what it looked like. We’re a different team, we’re playing good hockey.”

The Rangers, coming off Friday’s 4-2 win at Winnipeg to snap a two-game losing streak, start play today in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division after the Flyers beat the Penguins, 4-3, at Pittsburgh to sweep their back-to-back, home-and-home series this weekend. The second-place Flyers, with 77 points, have one more point than either the Rangers or the third-place Blue Jackets but, after the Rangers play today, both the Flyers and Blue Jackets will have played two fewer games than the Rangers.

“Some teams improve, some teams fade away,” Vigneault said, repeating something he said at the start of the season. “If you plan on getting to the dance, getting to the playoffs, you have to be one of those teams that improve. I think we’re improving. We’re in the final stretch. It’s the best time of the year to be playing and I think our group is ready for the challenge.”

Vigneault will use the same lineup and lines he used against the Jets, meaning Brad Richards will center Carl (hat trick) Hagelin and Benoit Pouliot and Derick Brassard will be between Mats Zuccarello and Marty St. Louis.

“Marty is working extremely hard right now,” Vigneault said of St. Louis, without a goal in his first six games with the Rangers. “We tried it with Brad for a couple of games, five I think it was. It had some moments, it had some good moments. But it wasn’t getting the results, the point production we thought we might get so we made a couple of changes in the last game. Brad’s line was effective. Brass’ line had some good moments and Step has been very good since (the Olympic break).”

Speaking of good, Kevin Klein had his best game as a Ranger against the Jets with his hard shot setting up Hagelin’s first goal, the first of his two assists in the game. Klein logged 18:03 and was elevated to be paired with Ryan McDonagh in the third period as Marc Staal skated with Dan Girardi.

Vigneault will revert to his usual defense pairings to start today’s game, meaning Klein will be with John Moore, though Vigneault quickly added how he’s playing will dictate the pairings as the game progresses.

“I thought it was one of his better games if not his best game since he’s been with us,” Vigneault said. “I love the fact that he was moving his feet and passing while he was moving his feet. He joined the rush a couple of occasions where he was the guy driving the net. We need that. For us to generate some offense we need our Ds to be involved and drive the net when the opportunity is there and he did that. He was more physical, there was more of a presence to his game. I don’t know if it was because Winnipeg was a bigger team, a big strong team, but we’re meeting a big strong team tonight. I hope that last game was the start of something we’re going to see more of. He got more ice time because he deserved more ice time.

Two stats of importance:

- Importance of first goal: Sharks are 31-2-5 when scoring first; Rangers are 27-5-1.

- Sharks on a 9-1-1 streak.

Rangers’ lineup:

Chris Kreider-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash

Mats Zuccarello-Derick Brassard-Marty St. Louis

Carl Hagelin-Brad Richards-Benoit Pouliot

Brian Boyle-Dominic Moore-Dan Carcillo

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi

Marc Staal-Anton Stralman

John Moore-Kevin Klein

Henrik Lundqvist (25-21-4, 2.50 goals-against, .916 save percentage)

Sharks’ lineup:

Logan Couture-Joe Thornton-Brent Burns

Patrick Marleau-Joe Pavelski-Matt Neito

James Sheppard-Tommy Wingels-Marty Havlat

Tyler Kennedy-Andrew Desjardins-Adam Burish

Scott Hannan-Dan Boyle

Marc-Edouward Vlasic-Jason Demers

Justin Braun-Matt Irwin

Antti Niemi (33-16-6, 2.37, .912)



Rangers notes: Team had plenty of chances

March 17, 2014, 12:00 AM Last updated: Monday, March 17, 2014, 12:30 AM

— Andrew Gross

The Record

The Rangers had plenty of chances to tie Sunday’s game besides Carl Hagelin’s video-reviewed, non-goal at 16:45 of the second period.

Just 43 seconds earlier, D Ryan McDonagh could not shoot quickly enough at an open net as he got the puck at the right post. Sharks D Marc-Eduoard Vlasic was able to get his stick on the shot.

"It was a long pass from the corner and I had my stick down and I’m just hoping it hits it," said McDonagh, who tied the game high with six shots and added three blocked shots in a game-high 27:18.

"You’re trying to get it into a position where I can shoot it, but it was just a split-hair too long. A great play by him."

Meanwhile, Niemi twice robbed Derick Brassard, fighting off his backhander at the right post at 7:32 of the first period and his one-timer off Mats Zuccarello’s feed to the same spot with 40.4 seconds left in the period.

And at 7:21 of the third period, Niemi stayed in position to stop Benoit Pouliot’s deflection in the slot and John Moore’s rebound attempt at the left post.

"I think the difference is we didn’t get to the second and third opportunities," McDonagh said. "There were some rebounds at times we tried whacking in, but we couldn’t get a hold of it. He saw a lot of the first shots."

The Rangers held the Sharks without a shot on their lone power play and have not allowed a power-play goal in the opponents’ past 23 chances, extending to a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on March 1 when they last gave up a man-advantage score. The Rangers have killed off all 21 power plays over their past seven games.



Vigneault cites 'friends' in questioning disallowed goal

Originally published: March 16, 2014 8:42 PM

Updated: March 16, 2014 11:50 PM

By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]

Alain Vigneault didn't want to risk a fine for bashing the league. So in his postgame remarks Sunday, he cited "friends" who have been critical of the way calls have gone against the Rangers this season.

Asked about a disallowed goal after a video review in Toronto, Vigneault said: "I think at one time I said -- this is not me saying this, this is some of my friends that say -- 'They make it up as they go along.' So I'm just going to leave it at that. From the replay I saw, you can't see the puck. Maybe I can assume that it's under the goaltender's pad in the goal."

Vigneault said the officials told him that "Toronto said it was inconclusive. It doesn't matter what I think."

6th shutout this season

The Rangers were shut out for the sixth time this season and the first time since a 5-0 loss to the Lightning on Nov. 25. "We came out real strong, followed the plan, did what we had to do defensively," Vigneault said. "We did everything but finish. We threw enough pucks at the net, thought we'd get a bounce, we didn't."

Said Rick Nash, who had five shots: "I think any time you lose, you always think you can get more."

Blue notes

Martin St. Louis, who had no shots on goal, did not score for the seventh consecutive game since March 5, when he was acquired from Tampa Bay for Ryan Callahan and two draft picks . . . Ryan McDonagh led the Rangers with six shots . . . The Rangers have killed 23 straight penalties . . . The Rangers fly to Ottawa Monday and will face the Senators Tuesday in the first game of a three-city trip. They will visit the Blue Jackets, who are ahead of them in the Metropolitan Division, on Friday and play the Devils Saturday at Prudential Center.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Upon further review, Rangers blanked by Sharks, 1-0

Originally published: March 16, 2014 8:45 PM

Updated: March 17, 2014 12:05 AM

By STEVE ZIPAY [email protected]

Shutout losses in the heat of a playoff race are always tough to swallow.

Especially when a goal is disallowed in a 1-0 loss. And in this case, it cost the Rangers at least one vital point in the standings.

With the Blueshirts trailing the San Jose Sharks 1-0 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, Carl Hagelin's tuck-in at the left post with 3:15 left in the second period appeared to be under goaltender Antti Niemi. But the official behind the net ruled that the puck never crossed the line.

Brad Richards complained, all four on-ice officials went to the scorer's table, and a lengthy video review took place in the league's war room in Toronto. A zoomed-in replay on the Garden's center-ice scoreboard showed that the puck had been across the line, but Toronto officials ruled that the evidence was inconclusive. The on-ice call stood and the matinee crowd booed loud and long.

"I wrapped it and it kind of kept going toward the corner but [Benoit] Pouliot, he was in the crease and he saw the puck was in," Hagelin said. "It was pretty obvious on the video review. But in all fairness, the refs couldn't see the puck. If the ref would have been closer right away, he would have been able to see the puck, but he was a little bit behind the goalie. It was just unlucky."

At the end of the period, Marc Staal also questioned the officials. "I guess they couldn't see it go across the line, but you know it's there," he said. "You see the puck go in the net; I guess they couldn't see the puck go across the line, when you logically know it's across. Whether [the rule is] written the right way or the wrong way, it didn't go our way."

"If they can't see it, they can't call it, even though it's so obvious," said Henrik Lundqvist, who made 28 saves.

So Logan Couture's shorthanded goal at 11:48 of the first period stood up and Niemi made 41 saves, although the Rangers justifiably bemoaned several golden opportunities to score.

Said Lundqvist, "This loss is so painful in so many ways. We had so many open nets, so many chances to get back in this game. We just couldn't get it in. It's extremely painful. You look at their goal, to give it up on our power play, it just adds to the frustration."

With a win Sunday by the Flyers, the Rangers, with 76 points, tumbled into the second and last wild-card playoff spot in the East with 13 games to play.

Niemi stopped all 20 shots in the first period, including two Grade-A chances from Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello's wrister after taking Martin St. Louis' feed from behind the net.

Just before the waved-off goal, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic saved what looked like a sure goal when he got his stick on Ryan McDonagh's open shot at the right post with Niemi on the left side.

The Rangers (36-29-4) also were 0-for-3 on power plays.

"We had some looks that he saved or we just missed," Richards said. "We gave ourselves a lot more looks than in the last three games, where we weren't creating much at all. That's more our game. There's still a lot of games left. We have to build on that effort."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Sharks at Rangers … It’s Go Time!

16 March 2014, 3:32 pm by Carp in Hockey It's Go Time! New York Rangers NHL Rangers Report - 372 Comments

Three Rangers Stars: Game 69, Sharks at Rangers, March 16

Marc StaalDan GirardiHenrik LundqvistDaniel CarcilloDominic MooreBenoit PouliotJohn MooreAnton StralmanBrad RichardsDerek StepanBrian BoyleChris KreiderRyan McDonaghRick NashCam TalbotMats ZuccarelloKevin KleinMartin St. LouisCarl HagelinDerick Brassard

VoteView Results

Game 69.sharks

Sharks at Rangers.

Jumbo Soft Shell Shrimp Joe Thornton and his Sharknado gang have won five in a row and are 44-17-7 for 95 points, second in the West.

Of course you probably remember Tomas (Hollerin’) Hertl dancing for four goals against ya boys in that 9-2 win Oct. 8.

The Rangers, just 16-15-4 (so really 16-19) at the Garden, play their only home game in a stretch of seven. After today, only five home games remain.

They go back on the road for games in Ottawa Tuesday, Columbus Friday (Rich Nash’s first trip back) and Newark Saturday. Then it’s home for two (Phoenix, Philly) followed by a four-game trek through Western Canada and Colorado.

Henrik Lundqvist starts vs. Antti (Em) Niemi. With his next victory, Lundqvist will break Mike Richter’s team record of 301. And with his next shutout, he will break Eddie Giacomin’s record of 49.

Same lineup, which means Derek Dorsett, Justin Falk and Raphael Diaz are prucha’d.

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Rangers-Sharks in review

17 March 2014, 4:38 am by Carp in Game review Hockey New York Rangers NHL Rangers Report - No Comments

San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

Thoughts:

1) Going to get this right out of the way first. Video replay this season has just been an epic fail. EPIC. And these people who think shootouts and the new realignment are good ideas want to add more replay???? Seriously, if this is what video review comes up with, they’re better off getting rid of it and re-instituting power to the goal judges.

San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers2) No conclusive proof? You mean, other than the video of the puck going into the net. Yeah, there was no video of the puck in the net, just video of the puck entering the net. Also, if it’s going to take conclusive proof, IMO, the referee should not be making a no-goal call, especially, in this case, when Denis LaRue is in the opposite corner and nowhere near the back of the net when the puck, ahem, goes in. Look where he is in the photo above. If it’s going to be reviewed anyway, don’t guess. Let Toronto make the call—right or, very often this year, wrong.

3) Video replay or not, bad call or good, whatever, the Rangers finally showed a little desperation in this game. The problem is that this isn’t the game that’s going to ultimately cost them seeding or a playoff berth altogether. If they miss, it will be due to that absolute third-class mail-in at Carolina (you know, the one in which Rick Nash said he wasn’t aware that effort was a problem).

4) If they’d played this way in Carolina, they’re in good shape at this moment. I still don’t believe for a minute that Philly and/or Columbus or any of the other teams behind the Rangers in the Lesstropolitan are better teams. And the Rangers have head-to-heads with Philly and Columbus coming up. Win those two games, beat most of the many bad teams remaining on the schedule, and the Rangers get in. Lose to those teams, or to the crap teams, then the Rangers get what they will deserve.San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

5) So now we will see what the Rangers’ best players are about, because most of them haven’t been close to good enough lately, or even in this game when so many of the supporting-types—Derick Brassard, Benoit Pouliot, Mats Zuccarello (despite his gaffe on the only goal), Carl Hagelin, the fourth line (which dominated San Jose’s fourth) as usual—plus all six defensemen and the goalkeeper—played their hearts out. Hard to say the same for Brad Richards (who stood 15 feet from the net and never moved toward the net on the Hagelin no-goal, and who was woeful on the SHG). Hard to say the same for Chris Kreider, who didn’t do much at all. Or for Derek Stepan, who had his moments, but also decided to try a fancy pass in a 1-0 game and didn’t come close to getting it through.

6) Which brings us to the Daily Nash-O-Meter. Yeah, Rick Nash drove to the net a couple of times, drew two penalties, should have gotten the call on a third, but didn’t. He cannot justify being a 20-goal scorer. He has turned into Petr Nedved—a big guy who can skate and has a great shot, but won’t initiate contact and can’t fight through a check. And hindsight being 20/20 (or about how many goals each has scored), would you do Artem Anisimov straight up for Nash at this point? Taking into account age and contract, I don’t believe I would. Nash so far: 20-12-32. Anisimov so far: 19-14-33. Never mind Brandon Dubinsky and the first-round pick.San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

7) Henrik Lundqvist. Deserved better.

8) That power play. It has stunk since before the Stadium Series, which was Jan. 26-29 in case you’ve forgotten and mostly that has coincided with the switch of the Brassard line to the Stepan line as the No.1 unit. That first attempt was right out of Mike Sullivan-Perry Pearn territory. Never once even set up. The power play that gave up the game-winner was even worse, facing four short-handed chances, ultimately Zuccarello trying to make a move at center ice instead of moving the puck, Logan Couture picking his pocket, and Richards doing the ole’ as a defenseman.

9) At the same time, the penalty kill has been truly excellent for a while now.

10) Martin St. Louis. He had a good first period, set up some chances, but, yeah, it’s beyond time to put up. Two assists in seven games aren’t getting it done. Didn’t have a shot on goal Sunday. He still has time to get hot and make a difference, but that time is really, pardon the pun, short. And so the Rangers are 3-3-1 with St. Louis … or without Ryan Callahan, the “young and not that vocal” captain (Richards’ words in the New York Post last week). The young former captain is 1-2-3 in five games for Tampa.San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

11) Ryan McDonagh=McMonster in both ends. A lot of that lately.

12) The Rangers have a way of making goalies look good, but I thought Antti Niemi really was fabulous, to be fair. Especially early on, then again late. Earned the shutout … despite allowing a goal.

13) The Sharks now play a lot like the ‘11-12 Rangers only with more skill. The great Dave Maloney correctly predicted between periods that the second would be a “slog” fest. Boy was it ever. And that the Sharks, like most good teams, would get better. Boy did they. Larry Robinson, their assistant coach, is the one who taught the great Devils’ defensmen the lesson of “never leave your skates.” The Sharks don’t either. That’s why Vlasic was able to make that lunging poke-check to prevent McDonagh from tying the game. Though, to be fair, I think it was Dan Boyle who left his skates and slid to break up Stepan’s 2-on-1 pass.

14) The Rangers are now 16-20 in the transformed MSG. Not nearly good enough.

*************************************

My Three Rangers Stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist.San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

2. Ryan McDonagh.

3. Benoit Pouliot.

*************************************

Kenny Albert’s Three Rangers Stars:

1. Henrik Lundqvist.

2. Ryan McDonagh.

3. Derick Brassard.

*************************************

Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars:

1. Carl Hagelin.

2. tie, Daniel Carcillo, Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello.



Sharks 1, Rangers 0 … post-game notes & quotes

16 March 2014, 7:36 pm by Carp in Hockey New York Rangers NHL Post-game notes Rangers Report - 87 Comments

San Jose Sharks v New York Rangers

Post-game notes & quotes courtesy of the NYR:

Sharks 1, Rangers 0.

Team notes:

- The Rangers were defeated by the San Jose Sharks, 1-0, today at Madison Square Garden, in a Sunday afternoon matchup. New York is now 20-11-2 in their last 33 games.

- The Blueshirts have posted a record of 36-29-4 overall (76 pts), including a 16-16-4 mark at home this season.

- The Rangers’ penalty kill held the Sharks scoreless in one power play opportunity (2:00). New York has not allowed a power play goal against in the last eight games (21 times shorthanded), and has tallied three shorthanded goals over the span. The Blueshirts’ penalty kill is now 27-28 (96.4%) in the last 10 games.

- New York out-shot San Jose, 41-29, in the contest, including a 20-11 advantage in the first period. The Blueshirts have registered 40 or more shots in five of the last 13 games, and have been credited with 452 shots on goal over the span (34.8 shots on goal per game). The Rangers have now out-shot their opponent in seven of their last nine games.

- The Blueshirts won 35-63 faceoffs (56%), with four of five players posting a faceoff winning percentage of 50% or better in the contest.

Player notes:

- Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves and is now 25-22-4 overall, including a 12-13-4 mark at home this season. He has now held opponents to two goals or less in 14 of his last 20 games (13-6-1, 2.00 GAA, .934 Sv%, 2 SO), and is 3-2-0 with a 1.61 goals against average, .947 save percentage, and one shutout in his last five contests.

- Dan Girardi registered three shots and tied for the game-high with three blocked shots in 26:20 of ice time. He has now been credited with 15 blocked shots in the last three games, and leads the team with 153 blocked shots this season.

- Ryan McDonagh tied for the game-highs with six shots and three blocked shots, and led all skaters with 27:18 of ice time. He has now logged 25:00+ of ice time in six of the last nine games, and leads the Rangers with an average of 24:41 of ice time per game this season.

- Derek Stepan registered three shots and won a game-high, 17-30 faceoffs (57%) in 16:55 of ice time. He established a new single-game career-high with his 17 faceoff wins.

Quotebook:

Alain Vigneault on today’s game… “We came out real strong. Our guys were prepared to play. They followed the plan. They did what they had to do defensively, I thought, to keep that team as checked as good as I thought we could. They have three lines that can score and defense that can join the rush. I thought defensively we did what we had to do and offensively we did everything but finish. We had some great looks and open nets, but couldn’t pull the trigger. We threw enough pucks at the net to get a bounce or something, but we played a good game and we’re playing some good hockey. We just have to put it behind us and move onto the next one.”

Henrik Lundqvist on today’s game… “We definitely understand how important every point is right now. Again we go out there and play a really strong game against one of the best teams in the league, but it’s hard to be positive about things when you don’t win. Right now it’s about points. It’s not about playing great against good teams. It’s about finding ways to win and we didn’t tonight. It’s disappointing, but we have to regroup because there’s a lot of hockey left here. We have to get ready for the next one and we need two points in the next game.”

Brad Richards on today’s game… “I think he (Niemi) probably won them that hockey game. We came out with a lot of jump, we had a lot of chances, but still need more. The only thing we can do is try and figure out how to get more, more traffic, but I mean we had some looks that he saved or we just missed. Right now, it seems like that’s just the way it is, but we gave ourselves a lot more looks than the last three games where we weren’t creating much at all. That’s more our game. Still a lot of games left and we have to take that, build on that effort, and get right back to work.”


738984 Ottawa Senators

The Senators this week

by James Gordon

on March 16, 2014

The Senators this week

TUESDAY VS NEW YORK

The Senators and Rangers are facing off for the second time this season, and Ottawa is no doubt hoping things go better than they did the first time out. On Jan. 18, in one of those dreaded afternoon games, the Rangers scored four unanswered goals after Marc Methot had opened the scoring at 3:37 to secure a 4-1 victory at Canadian Tire Centre. That ended an eight-game point streak for the Senators (6-0-2), who would go on to lose two of their next three games. The Rangers have a flashy new weapon at their disposal in Martin St. Louis, but the diminutive winger has struggled since arriving in a trade deadline deal. He had just two assists in six games prior to the Rangers’ Sunday afternoon contest against the San Jose Sharks.

7:30 p.m., TV: SNET-E, TVA

Radio: TSN 1200 AM

THURSDAY VS TAMPA BAY

How good has former Ottawa Senator Ben Bishop been for the Tampa Bay Lightning this year? On Saturday, he stopped 23 shots in a 3-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils, setting a new franchise record for wins in a season (31). He has a good chance to add to that total Thursday, given he’s 3-0 with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage against the Senators. Bishop’s emergence as a Vezina Trophy candidate will be all the more glaring this week, given Cory Conacher won’t be in Ottawa’s lineup. The forward the Senators dealt Bishop for last season was waived prior to the deadline and now plays for the Buffalo Sabres. Meanwhile, the player the Lightning dealt St. Louis for, Ryan Callahan, has three points in five games since joining Tampa.

7:30 p.m., TV: SNET-E, TVA

Radio: TSN 1200 AM

SATURDAY AT DALLAS

The first game between these two teams, which took place in early November, featured one of the scarier moments of the Senators’ season. Craig Anderson left the game on a stretcher after a collision with Stars rookie Valeri Nichushkin and wound up missing a week of games. In came Robin Lehner, who made two OT saves to get the game to a shootout. Jamie Benn scored the winner there, as Kari Lehtonen stopped all three Ottawa shooters. The circumstances were much different then for the Stars, who were already well out of a playoff spot. Now they’re clinging to the last one in the Western Conference, trying to fend off the only real challenger left — the Phoenix Coyotes. Every game is a huge one for the Stars, which doesn’t bode well for Ottawa.

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.17.2014


Scanlan: Senators reach Hail Mary time

by Wayne Scanlan

on March 16, 2014

If you believe in miracles — and the Senators are stepping into the pocket for their Hail Mary pass — then this will all be OK.

Like the Senators of old, they will simply reel off a 12-3 run, sneak in by the skin of their molars and fans in Ottawa will laugh at some of the disastrous outings that have plagued this 2013-14 season. They’ll look forward to the gift of a second season in the spring, if spring ever arrives.

Could happen. Realistically? Please don’t bet your mortgage on it, Senator fan.

Sunday was not one of their disastrous outings, but the outcome — a 3-1 regulation loss to the Colorado Avalanche — was lethal, regardless. With just 15 games remaining on their schedule, the Senators are seven points back of a wild-card berth, with teams in between to hurdle. The task is gargantuan, gusting to near-impossible.

“Every point we don’t come away with is getting a little harder to take,” said winger Bobby Ryan, who had some of his team’s best chances Sunday evening, but couldn’t find the target.

As captain Jason Spezza noted: play well, play poorly, whatever — “results are all that matter at this time of the year.”

The result of Sunday’s defeat was another lost weekend, one measly point out of an overtime loss in Montreal that should have been a two-point win in regulation.

“I wish I had the answer,” said defenceman Marc Methot, of the Senators dire situation. “We came out well … had a couple of letdowns and that was the difference.”

None of them will quit, of course. They are pros and will do what they can with what is left of the season. If, in the big picture, that practically means running the table, then they won’t look at the big picture.

“I don’t see any reason to give up,” Methot said. “Crazy things have happened in this league.”

Saturday’s overtime loss in Montreal was crazy enough. In many respects, it was a pretty decent symbol of what has left the Senators several long Tiger Woods drives removed from the playoff teams in the NHL wild card races.

A brutal first period followed by a resurgence, based on an ability to score goals, and in the end an inability to lock down a lead with strong team defence. It was like seeing a movie we’d all seen before, except that this one had a particularly gruesome, horse-head-in-the-bed kind of ending.

That the Senators managed to bounce back Sunday with a decent effort is commendable, if not particularly useful to the cause. In the weeks ahead, the Senators will either make that miracle push or, more likely, fall short and try to figure out what hit them one season after their short, but inspired, campaign of a year ago.

Time will permit plenty of dissection and cross-examination. And that evening at the Bell Centre, when events seemed to conspire against Ottawa’s 4-1 lead late in the third period, will no doubt come up for discussion among the many games that undermined this season.

It was a collapse for the ages, with a little help from a string of referee calls and non-calls and lack of a whistle that turned a routine road victory into a thrilling but devastating defeat in overtime.

Here’s the thing about feeling you got screwed by the refs: good teams don’t put themselves in a position where getting “screwed by the refs” can derail an entire season.

Not surprisingly, the Senators were ticked off. They danced around the Bell Centre ice seeking an explanation for why the whistle hadn’t sounded when goaltender Robin Lehner seemed to have the puck frozen in overtime.

Unfortunately for the Senators, the disaster in Montreal was not an isolated incident, but the latest in a series of setbacks that will likely add up to a death by a thousand cuts before this thing plays out.

Then, we’ll reflect on the miserable early western swing; the crummy home record (13 victories in 32 games at the CTC); the blowout loss to the Red Wings to open the post-Olympic stretch, when a statement game was in order; the distressing 0-for-Alberta with the season on the line.

First, though, there are games to play.

BENOIT’S BUNCH

There are few nicer guys in hockey than Andre Benoit, and none happier than Benoit after he scored the Avs’ first goal in his return to Ottawa. The former St. Albert Cheese factory worker had so many friends and family members at the game, he said: “I’m glad I don’t have to pay” for all their tickets.

“It’s always nice to score, and I had a lot of fun playing here,” Benoit said. “I had friends, parents, cousins here.”

Asked how he likes playing for a rookie NHL head coach, but an iconic hockey figure, in Patrick Roy, Benoit said: “We’re all buying in to what he’s preaching.”

From what we saw, Patrick is preaching a tight style of play, keeping his talented young players on a short leash.



Loss to Avalanche caps nightmare weekend for Senators

by Ken Warren

on March 16, 2014

The frustration of the lost weekend was written all over the face of Ottawa Senators captain Jason Spezza immediately following Sunday’s 3-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

So how does the team keep up the hope?

“I don’t know yet,” Spezza said. “It’s pretty hard right now. It’s a big weekend for us and we lost both games.”

Spezza says there’s little room for comfort in the fact that the Senators carried the play for long stretches — Ottawa outshot Colorado 20-8 in the second period and 39-22 overall — considering the latest loss came less than a full day after the Senators blew a 4-1 lead Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens en route to a 5-4 overtime loss.

With 15 games remaining, the Senators are staring up — way, way up — the standings, a full seven points behind the New York Rangers for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

“The picture is not looking good right now,” Spezza said. “So we can’t look at it.”

The Senators will not practice Monday, but when they return Tuesday to face the New York Rangers, the mentality will be simple: win, and don’t worry about what anybody else is doing.

“We’ve got to win games,” Spezza said. “We’ve got 15 games left. We’re not going to throw in the towel right now. We’ve still got to play the games. We’re frustrated with this weekend, especially because we knew it was an important weekend. But we’ve got 15 games left. Let’s see if we can put something together here. I’ve seen it done before.”

After a sleepy start by both teams Sunday, the Senators picked up the pace in the second period, forcing Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov into several big stops, including a sharp glove grab off defenceman Cody Ceci. Yet when the Senators pressed a bit too hard — Chris Phillips was caught up ice after attempting to score on a wraparound attempt — ex-Senator Andre Benoit made them pay by beating Robin Lehner on the ensuing 3-on-2 rush to break a scoreless deadlock with 4:11 left in the second period.

Nick Holden padded the lead to 2-0 with a power-play goal early in the third period and John Mitchell put it out of reach with 2:58 to go. The one bright light for the Senators came when Mika Zibanejad broke Varlamov’s shutout bid with six seconds left.

While the Senators did play a decent all-around game, much tighter defensively than in the final stages of the Montreal meltdown Saturday, they were guilty of missing the net on several good scoring chances. Officially, the Senators were credited with 18 missed shots. Bobby Ryan had four of them, with Ales Hemsky and Ceci checking in with three each.

“The response to the game (Saturday) was positive,” said coach Paul MacLean. “A lot of the statistical things are positive, but at the end of the day, it’s the score that matters.”

The season is slip sliding away, but if there’s one slight glimmer of hope for the Senators to start the week, it’s that they at least have an opportunity to cut into the Rangers’ lead on Tuesday.

- See more at: http://www.senatorsextra.com/main/loss-to-avalanche-caps-nightmare-weekend-for-senators#sthash.vGhjtlGz.dpuf



Numbers Game: Why last season’s ‘strong defensive team’ was a mirage

by Graeme Nichols

on March 16, 2014

Over the course of the Ottawa Senators’ 2013-14 season, fans have inevitably heard pundits refer to the team’s drastic increase in the number of goals allowed per game from their 2012-13 campaign, in which the Senators finished with the second-lowest average in NHL.

Although the 2013 William M. Jennings Trophy was awarded to Chicago, broadcasters have had a tendency to label the Senators as “one of the best defensive teams in the NHL last season” due to Ottawa’s runner-up performance.

However, anyone who believed that feat was accomplished through the implementation of a superior defensive system is as naive as a Buffalo Sabres fan who would bill Taro Tsujimoto as an elite NHL prospect (Google it).

If there is one recurring trend with the Senators under Paul MacLean’s tenure as coach, it is that they play high event hockey; that is, the Senators produce and allow a disproportionate number of shots relative to their NHL peers.

The Senators are the NHL’s equivalent to the NBA’s old “Seven Seconds or Less” Phoenix Suns.

In each of MacLean’s full seasons as coach, Ottawa has finished among the top 10 teams in the average number of shots per game and the bottom 10 teams in the average number of shots allowed per game.

It’s not like the 2012-13 Senators were a defensive juggernaut that lapsed into mediocrity this season. If that were the case, the team would not be allowing shots at a pace not seen since the formative days of this franchise’s modern existence.

The Senators simply were not a great defensive team to begin with.

What’s intriguing about the Senators’ current state is that the organization has demonstrated a unique ability to allow a high volume of shots despite puck possession proxies like Corsi (shot attempts) reflecting an average-to-above-average possession team during the MacLean’s tenure.

Analytics websites like HockeyAnalysis.com have shown that, over the past seven years, teams that have positive possession rates and that also produce and give up an average of 30 or more shots per 60 minutes of even strength ice-time are incredibly rare. In fact, only ten teams since the start of the 2007-08 season done it.

Moreover, only two teams have both produced and allowed an average of more than 32.0 shots per 60 minutes of even strength ice-time: the 2010-11 Boston Bruins and this season’s Ottawa Senators.

So, stylistically speaking, it is possible to have success playing this way.

However, that success is predicated on receiving an exceptional calibre of goaltending.

Despite the Bruins sitting 29th in average shots allowed (32.7) and third in the NHL in shots for (32.9) back in 2010-2011, they rode Tim Thomas’s .947 even strength save percentage during the regular season and .949 even strength save percentage during the playoffs all the way to the Stanley Cup. Thomas earned the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender and the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs.

If this story sounds familiar, it should. Consider the play of Ottawa’s goaltenders last season.

According to ExtraSkater.com, Ottawa had the NHL’s second-highest even strength save percentage (. 936) and the highest short-handed save percentage (. 922). As expected, those numbers have normalized, and the team has paid for it in the standings, despite the team seeing a marked improvement in shooting percentage and a reduction in man-games lost due to injury.

If this season’s Senators had received the same level of goaltending as they did last season, they’d enjoy a 52-goal improvement in goal differential and would be sitting comfortably in a playoff position.

As difficult as this season has been to watch for fans, it pales in comparison to the decisions that need to be made by this organization this off-season.

More specifically, management has to discern to what degree the defensive issues are being caused by the team’s tactical structure, and how much is attributable to personnel.

If it’s the former, Senators fans can take solace in the fact that coaching can positively affect change. It took Jacques Martin a season and a half to cut Ottawa’s average shots allowed from 30.5 per game during the 1995-96 season to the 25.8 shots per game in 1996-97.

Whether Paul MacLean can teach defence remains to be seen — he could be the NHL’s equivalent to Mike D’Antoni. However, if Bryan Murray can add better two-way forwards and improve the state of Ottawa’s blue line, it would go a long way to remedying some of Ottawa’s problems.



Senators No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson missing second straight game to injury

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 04:40 PM EDT | Updated: Sunday, March 16, 2014 04:43 PM EDT

Craig Anderson wasn't ready to return to face his former teammates.

The Senators' No. 1 goaltender may have skated Saturday in Montreal but after suffering what coach Paul MacLean called "a stinger" last Monday Anderson wasn't even on the bench Sunday night.

That meant backup Robin Lehner, who has allowed 20 goals in his last four starts going into Sunday's game, made the start against the Avalanche as Anderson missed his second straight.

There is no timetable for Anderson's return and MacLean didn't offer any kind of update before the game. Asked if Anderson was on the ice Sunday, MacLean was tight-lipped.

"I don't know," said MacLean.

That doesn't mean Anderson won't be ready to face the New York Rangers here on Tuesday.

Anderson wasn't supposed to be out long when the injury happened. He took a shot in the shoulder last Monday from Nashville defenceman Shea Weber but stayed in the game.

After taking a hit from teammate Milan Michalek in the same game, a shaken Anderson left. He travelled with the team and took shots Saturday morning at the Bell Centre because there was no ice available in Ottawa.

Dealt to the Senators by the Avalanche in exchange for Brian Elliott on Feb. 18, 2011, it would have only been the third time Anderson has faced Colorado since being dealt here.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.17.2014


Senators star Bobby Ryan insists team can salvage season

By Don Brennan ,Ottawa Sun


Bobby Ryan had said the Senators needed four points from their weekend games.

They wound up with one.

Is the season lost, Bob?

"Not entirely," Ryan said after Sunday's 3-1 loss at Canadian Tire Centre to the Colorado Avalanche. "We're going to continue to compete until they tell us it's not mathematically possible.

"I think our mental process is to let this one go, regroup tomorrow, and come ready to try and gain some ground against a team we're desperately trying to chase down."

That would be the New York Rangers, who sit in the last wildcard spot, seven points ahead of the Senators. Ottawa has two games in hand on the Blueshirts.

After suffering the biggest collapse in NHL history by giving up a three-goal lead with 3:22 left Saturday night at the Bell Centre -- and as inconsistent as they've been this entire season -- the Senators do not deserve to make the playoffs. If they somehow do, it might even qualify as one of the biggest rallies in NHL history.

Chance to build momentum for a tough week rested on that game in Montreal. The Senators blew it and they know it. But they also felt they were pushed toward the disheartening conclusion by the men in stripes.

Nobody reacted more angrily than Ryan over the Francis Bouillon overtime goal that ended their night with a 5-4 OT setback. He screamed at referee Eric Furlat. He smashed his stick against the glass. He wanted an explanation, but all he got was a gesture -- Furlat pointing his two fingers at his own eyes, appearing to tell Ryan he never lost sight of the puck. Were those the words that came out of Furlat's mouth as well?

"No, he doesn't talk to you," said Ryan. "He's too cocky."

As fate would have it, the other ref in Montreal, Dean Morton, also worked Sunday's game here. Was anything said to him about the night before?

"He was kind of an innocent bystander in all of it (Saturday night," said Ryan. "I think we all kind of put it away. That kind of stuff in this game, I don't think it carries over too much. It was on all of our minds to just try and be as respectful as we could. It's a sticky situation for them as well.

"I don't think my reaction (in Montreal) was based on (the big picture). It was based on just being a part of the emotional thing we were part of there, and probably placing the blame on somebody other than ourselves.

"Every game we let drop right now, every point we don't come away with, is getting harder to take, because you look at other teams and they're winning."

Like Saturday night.

"It takes a lot out of you," Ryan said about the Montreal meltdown. "It's an emotional, up and down kind of game, and then it ends on that. The only good thing about it is we played less than 24 hours later, so you can try to forget about it and try to move on."

"It was just one of those nights, Saturday night, that I don't think you'll ever forget."

STARTS AND STOPS

It took Morton, a former 67's defenceman, just 1:24 to apologize for missing the blatant trip on Colin Greening in the last minute of Saturday's game at Bell Centre. Reffing his second Senators game in 22 hours, Morton somehow managed to nail Holden (Nick) for hookin' ... The Senators weren't charged with their first penalty of the game until 2:25 into the third

period, when Chris Neil was whistled for closing his hand on the puck in the neutral zone. Such a terrible, game altering foul that was, too, compared to the un-called tackle on Greening in front of Colorado net only seconds earlier ... What? I'm stirring it up? Never. ... And what's with everybody ignoring fouls on a guy nicknamed "Greener" in the hours leading up to St. Patrick's Day? He should be celebrated, no?

BETWEEN PERIODS

Robin Lehner was asked if it's too late to turn this season around? "I'm not going to say that," he replied. "Nothing's too late, but yeah, we've got to change something." Like maybe finding new ways to lose? On Sunday, the Senators outplayed their opponents, a strong Colorado team that had just five shots on goal passed until the 32nd minute mark of the game. At least Ottawa put up a better defensive effort, right? ... The Senators had 16 missed shots, compared to eight by the Avalanche. Four of those misses were credited to Ryan, who shot wide on a couple of glorious opportunities in the first period. He admitted he was going to have trouble sleeping Sunday night. "I had some opportunities I'd really like to have back," Ryan said. "More so the two in the first than the other ones that kind of got away from me. There's a couple I'd really like back." ... Best save by either goalie through 27:12 was a grab by Seymon Varlamov off the stick of Cody Ceci, who had three of the Senators 39 shots and another three that went wide.

THINGS I THINK I THUNK

Fans cheered when the scoreboard showed the Capitals had beaten the Leafs 4-2. That's not a good thing for the Senators flickering wild card hopes, by the way ... Former Senator Andre Benoit, who opened the scoring for the Avalanche, now has nine goals in his 107 game career. Four of them have come in his last nine games. "It always fun to score against an old team and I had lots of family and friends here," said Benoit, who is from nearby St. Albert. "Hopefully they keep going in." ... The goal with six seconds left was meaningless, other than it stopped Mika Zibanejad's slump at 15 games. "It's hard to kind of see a positive now, but I think tomorrow and for next game I know I can still score," said Zibanejad. "I've just got to keep shooting. That's what they've been telling me, and hopefully I can get back some confidence here in my shooting, and keep going."



Ottawa Senators drop 3rd straight, lose 3-1 to Avs

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun


The response was better, the result was the same and the picture looks awfully bleak for the Senators.

"We need wins right now," said coach Paul MacLean. "Not moral victories."

On that point, he's right.

Less than 24 hours after their historic Montreal meltdown, the Senators' playoff chances may have been squashed by an Avalanche.

Returning home Sunday night after becoming the first team in NHL history to blow a three-goal lead in the final five minutes of a game and lose, the Senators' plunged even further out of the race.

Only Mika Zibanejad could solve Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov on the 39 shots he faced and the result was a 3-1 loss to the Avalanche in front of 19,501 at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Former Senators defenceman Andre Benoit, blueliner Nick Holden and John Mitchell scored for the Avs. Goaltender Robin Lehner only faced 22 shots but didn't get enough support from his teammates.

It's the club's third straight loss and leaves the Senator seven points out of the final wildcard spot in the East with only 15 games left.

"It's pretty hard ... Right now, we're finding ways to lose games," said a frustrated captain Jason Spezza. "(Sunday) we played great. We're all over them but (bleep) it's not enough.

"If we did that to close the game out (Saturday) then there's less pressure on this game but if you have sloppy games and incomplete efforts there's no moral victories when you are in our position."

Referee Dean Morton, who refereed the debacle in Montreal, was quiet. The fans were upset that Colin Greening didn't draw a penalty when he was taken down going to the net.

To make matters worse, Chris Neil was called for closing his hand on the puck just after the Greening incident. Moments later, Holden gave the Avs a 2-0 lead with 16:50 left in the third that was insurmountable.

"I wish I had some answers," said defenceman Marc Methot. "I'd like to think the way we came out we were structured, we were moving the puck very well and we actually felt good about our game.

"It just takes a couple of breakdowns and that was the difference. No matter what, at least in my position, I don't see any reason to give up on the year. Crazy things have been done in this league. We're professionals and we've got to play as such."

After a listless first, the Senators took the play to the Avs in the second by outshooting Colorado 20-7. It was the Avs who held a 1-0 lead going to the third as Varlamov came up big.

Benoit, signed as a free agent to one-way $900,000 contract on July 1, went top shelf on Lehner to complete a 3-on-1 at 15:49 and break the scoreless tie. Yes, the Senators had owned the play.

Varlamov was everywhere. His best stop came by getting the glove out to stop Cody Ceci on the doorstep only seven minutes into the second.

Varlamov was serving up rebounds but the Senators weren't there to get them.

Given the way Saturday ended, it's no great surprise Ottawa tried to slow it down against the Avs.

"The effort was there. We would have liked to have had more second and third opportunities because we were getting a lot from the outside," said alternate captain Chris Phillips.

"We really limited their chances. It's disappointing not to come out with points right now. Instead of using (the loss in Montreal) as an excuse, it was a chance to use that emotion we had at the end in the game and carry that in.

"We were ready to play from the start it just got away from us at the end."

The Senators vowed they weren't going to go down without a fight.

"We've got 15 games left. We're not going to throw in the towel now," said a defiant Spezza. "We're frustrated with this weekend. We knew it was important.

"We'll see if we could put something together. I've seen it done before."


738991 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers sweep home-and-home series with Pens

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Monday, March 17, 2014, 3:01 AM

PITTSBURGH - With the Flyers protecting a one-goal lead in the final frantic seconds Sunday afternoon, goalie Steve Mason tried desperately to scramble back into position as Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby came crashing toward the net and put a shot off the right post.

"I think that's all I gave him," Mason cracked after the Flyers escaped with a 4-3 victory at the Consol Energy Center, completing a weekend sweep of the injury-ravaged Penguins. Mason kidded that the post was "part of the equipment."

Winger Wayne Simmonds had a pair of power-play goals and an assist as the Flyers improved their regular-season record to 8-1-1 at the Consol Energy Center since it opened in 2010-11.

"It's huge for us and we have to keep pushing forward," said Simmonds, whose team moved into a Metropolitan Division playoff spot with the win.

Mason was asked if the Flyers are in the Penguins' heads.

"I know the boys in this dressing room love playing against them," he said. "Whether we're in their head or not, we don't really care. . . . It's a fun game to play against them, and we're just happy with the four points this weekend."

Pittsburgh, which almost overcame an early 3-0 deficit, nearly tied it, but Mason (20 saves) got a piece of Crosby's left-circle drive with about 30 seconds left and the puck trickled wide. A short time later, Crosby got in close, but was denied by the iron after a sequence in which the referees appeared to miss an offside call.

Crosby, the NHL's leading scorer, and Evgeni Malkin were pointless in the two weekend games. Sean Couturier, who has become one of the league's best defensive forwards, took turns shadowing Crosby and Malkin on Sunday.

The Penguins gave the Flyers three early power plays and trailed, 3-0, before rallying in the last two periods.

"I don't see any positives in only playing 40 minutes," Crosby said.

For the second straight game, the Flyers frustrated Pittsburgh's vaunted power play. The Penguins were 0 for 4 Sunday and 0 for 5 Saturday. In both games, Matt Read scored a shorthanded goal.

Pittsburgh, playing without five key players who were injured, got to within 3-2 when defenseman Matt Niskanen scored on a point drive with 14:10 left in the second period. Joe Vitale set up a screen in front of Mason.

A little over six minutes later, the Flyers increased their lead to 4-2 on Read's shorthanded goal on a two on one.

But the Penguins cut the deficit to 4-3, taking advantage of a Michael Raffl turnover as Jayson Megna converted a two-on-one with 3:41 to go in the second.

In the opening period, Simmonds had a hand in all three goals as the Flyers silenced a stunned home crowd by building a 3-0 lead and sending goalie Marc-Andre Fleury to an early exit with 6:19 left in the stanza.

Fleury was booed loudly as he skated to the bench and was replaced by Jeff Zatkoff. Fact is, Fleury could have sued for nonsupport. The Penguins, their defense weakened by injuries to Kris Letang and Paul Martin, gave the Flyers too much time and space throughout the first period.

"I think our team will get confidence from this," coach Craig Berube said of the weekend sweep. "Anytime you can beat Pittsburgh twice it's a big boost. . . . But I try to keep our team even [keel] - don't get too high, don't get too low. We've got a game Tuesday and we have a big week coming up."

The Flyers play their next four games at home, starting Tuesday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.17.2014


Flyers Notes: Flyers' penalty killers snuff out the Penguins

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer


PITTSBURGH - Special teams contributed mightily as the Flyers swept a home-and-home weekend series from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pittsburgh took the league's best power-play (24.8 percent success) into Sunday, but went 0 for 4 with the extra man and allowed a shorthanded goal to Matt Read in the Flyers' 4-3 victory.

In Saturday's 4-0 Flyers win, the Penguins were 0 for 5 and also surrendered a shorthanded score to Read.

"I think Lappy did a great job of video scouting," said center Sean Couturier, referring to assistant coach Ian Laperriere, "and we were well-prepared."

Read said there wasn't anything special the Flyers saw on video that led to the shorthanded goals. On Sunday, Pittsburgh defender Deryk Engelland fell down, allowing Read and Couturier to go on a two-on-one. Read used Couturier as a decoy and fired a left-circle shot to the far side, beating relief goalie Jeff Zatkoff.

"Just tried to take time and space away from them - getting in the right lanes and getting sticks in the right positions," said Read, who excelled on the penalty kill along with Couturier and defensemen Braydon Coburn and Kimmo Timonen.

Conversely, the Flyers were dominating when they had an extra attacker against a Pittsburgh penalty kill that ranks second in the league.

The Flyers were 2 for 3 on their power play Sunday - both goals were scored down low by Wayne Simmonds - and 1 for 4 Saturday. Simmonds (21 goals) has 12 power-play goals, tied for third in the NHL heading into Sunday evening.

"Our power play has been together for three years now, and everybody knows exactly where to go, so it's pretty easy," Simmonds said.

Claude Giroux had two assists, both on the power play, and since Dec. 11 has 49 points, tops in the NHL.

Breakaways

In sweeping the Penguins this weekend, the Flyers held a 75-48 shots advantage. . . . Mason has made eight straight starts but said he wasn't getting tired. "That's what the Olympic break was for, and we had games few and far between, where there was plenty of time for rest," he said. . . . The Flyers swept back-to-back games against the Penguins in the same regular season for the first time since 2006.



Flyers get more than points out of sweeping Penguins

Rich Hofmann, Daily News Sports Columnist


PITTSBURGH - The ending was so Flyers-Penguins. On a play that was very much offside, except in the eyes of the linesman, the Penguins' Sidney Crosby came streaking in and, with about a second left, managed to reach around Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and bang a backhand off the goal post.

Thus was a 4-3 victory preserved for the Flyers, leaving goaltender Steve Mason in a good enough humor to muse on Sid and the puck and the post, saying, "I think that's all I gave him, though. It's part of the equipment."

With two wins over the Penguins in 24 hours, the Flyers got the four points that are so crucial to them in their quest for a playoff spot - but they got more than that. You could hear it in their voices, see it in their easy smiles. To try to dine out on the story of this weekend for very long could be fatal for them - the upcoming schedule remains brutal, starting tomorrow night against the Chicago Blackhawks - but there is no denying that this was about more than just the four points.

"I think it's just points," Flyers coach Craig Berube said, before quickly adding, "but I think our team will get confidence from this. I think any time we can come in and beat Pittsburgh twice, it's a big boost. That's a very good team over there, very well-coached, they play hard, they've got great players. It's good, but it's over with now."

It is hard to remember the first weeks of the season, when this team was a rudderless wreck. Peter Laviolette was fired after an 0-3 start, Berube was brought in, a more defense-oriented system was installed, and it still was taking a loong time to come together.

Now, you watch them play and most nights, the Flyers look like a team - not perfect, certainly, but with a unified purpose.

"From fourth line to first line, everybody played extremely well this weekend," said Mason, who stopped 45 out of 48 shots in the two games. "We realized the importance of these two games and the guys were rewarded for hard work. This is exactly what we needed."

Then, he said, "I know the boys in this dressing room love playing against them. Whether we're in their head or not, we don't really care. We get amped up to play against them, it's a fun game to be a part of, and we're just happy about the four points this weekend."

The in-their-heads question was asked a few times after the game. I don't think that's it. The Penguins have a lot of injuries these days, and the Flyers get full marks for taking advantage of them. Yes, they still have Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and that should win them a lot of games, but they are nicked and they know it. They'll be able to rationalize it.

This isn't about the Penguins' heads. It is about the Flyers' heads, and the lessons they seem to be learning about how good they can be.

"This weekend shows, the way we played, we can beat anybody when we play as a team and we work and every line is doing their job," said defenseman Kimmo Timonen, the seasoned voice of reason.

"Moving the right way, the right direction," Timonen said. "It's not easy to get four points out of this weekend - we all know that - but the way we've been playing, every line and Mase is playing really well. When we skate and we play as a team like that, these last two games, you're hard to play against - and we're going to win a lot of games."

What likely makes the Flyers the Penguins' worst postseason nightmare is not the in-their-heads stuff - it is the ability of the Flyers to neutralize them. Sean Couturier works as a defensive counterpoint to either Crosby or Malkin. Timonen and Braydon Coburn have been very good lately, too. Couturier got a lot of deserved attention for the job he did Saturday on Crosby, but Coburn was out there for at least part of all 23 of Crosby's shifts in the game in Philadelphia.

But that is just one part of it. Wayne Simmonds has 21 goals, Matt Read has 19, Brayden Schenn has 17. The Flyers can come at you from five

different directions when they're working. And the point of this weekend is that they, unquestionably, know it.

As Read said, "I think playoffs are a little bit different than the regular season but, yeah, you win back-to-back games here on the same weekend, it's got to be something in the back of your mind if we do play them in the playoffs. But it's still a long ways to the playoffs."



Special teams boost Flyers

RICH HOFMANN, Daily News Staff Writer [email protected]


PITTSBURGH - In the two games over the weekend, the Flyers' power play was 3-for-7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Penguins' power play was 0-for-9 against the Flyers while allowing two shorthanded goals. Which explains a bunch.

Wayne Simmonds scored twice on the power play in yesterday's 4-3 win at Consol Energy Center. Matt Read, for the second straight game, had a shorthanded goal. And if this one wasn't as lopsided as Saturday's 4-0 Flyers win in Philadelphia, it was another game when the special teams complemented a balanced effort from a team that believes its balance is its strength.

"I don't think it was any different [than Saturday], to be honest with you," Flyers coach Craig Berube said. "I thought we played really good. The power play was good again. The penalty kill was good again. Lots of shots, lots of chances - we played a pretty solid game."

The power play toyed with the Penguins. Simmonds had all kinds of room down low and made the Penguins pay twice, the second goal chasing goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury after only 13 minutes, 41 seconds. It was a mercy-yanking by Pens coach Dan Bylsma.

Anyway, Simmonds gave much of the credit to teammate Scott Hartnell, whose rocket from the high slot in Saturday's game left the Penguins protecting more against that and leaving Simmonds with room near the crease.

"I had a ton of time, actually," Simmonds said. "I think the threat of 'Hartsy' there in the high slot, it scares a lot of teams. He's got a heck of a shot from there and you never know when 'G' [Claude Giroux] is going to pass him the puck. When he passes you the puck, he doesn't even look at you, so you've got to be ready. I think that definitely opens up me and, in turn, opens up Jake [Voracek] on the back door. Everything works hand in hand."

As impressive as that was, the penalty killing stood out most of all. The Penguins were missing Chris Kunitz and James Neal from their power-play units, along with defensemen Kris Letang and Paul Martin, and that factors into the calculus. But they still had Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and 87 and 71 remain the biggest numbers. To shut them down the way the Flyers did, and to counterattack and score shorthanded, turned this weekend the Flyers' way.

"It gives us momentum, for sure - the guys have done a great job on it," Berube said. "The goaltender, everybody who goes out there, they're doing a really good job. The coaches do a good job preparing those guys, [Ian] Laperriere and [Joe] Mullen . . . They've got real good sticks right now, blocking shots . . .

"You just do a good job and they get a break and they're attacking the other way - that's all it was. We just ended up getting a couple two-on-ones. It's nice when we're doing that and we're not getting two-on-ones on our power plays."

Read's goal, at 12:11 of the second period, restored some order after the Flyers saw a 3-0 lead dwindle to 3-2 after a couple of long shots from Pittsburgh's Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen got through traffic to beat Flyers goalie Steve Mason. The Flyers would kill two more penalties after that.

"I think Lappy did a good job video scouting - we were well-prepared," center Sean Couturier said. "We did the right little things out there, like putting our sticks in passing lanes and taking away shots. Overall, it was a good weekend for special teams . . .

"Our mind was to kill first. We got some bounces to get opportunities and we took advantage of them."

Slap shots

In their last four games, the Flyers have killed off 15 consecutive power plays . . . Steve Mason has now started eight straight games, including

back-to-back this weekend, but he says there is not a hint of fatigue. "Nope, feel great," he said. "That's what the Olympic break was for. We had games few and far between, with 3 or 2 days in between, so there was plenty of time for rest. Now we're getting into crunch time, where we're playing every other day for the rest of the year, so it's just a matter of managing my time off." For his part, Craig Berube said, "We'll get a read on him. Ray [Emery] is ready to go [after suffering a groin injury] and he feels good, so that's a plus" . . . Claude Giroux played in his 400th career game yesterday and tallied two assists on Simmonds' power-play goals. He now has 69 points in 67 games.



Flyers hold on to win, complete weekend sweep

Wayne Fish Staff writer | Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 2:25 pm

PITTSBURGH – Whatever mojo the Penguins had over the Flyers at the old Igloo apparently went up in smoke when they condemned the drafty barn a few years back.

Sunday’s showcase game accented the point that the Flyers aren’t intimidated at the four-year-old CONSOL Energy Center.

They roared out to a 3-0 lead, then hung on for a 4-3 win – and a sweep of the home-and-home series -- improving their alltime record to 8-1-1 at the CEC.

One of the keys to the game was the Flyers’ dominance on the penalty kill. They stopped the Penguins’ No. 1-ranked power play for a second straight game and held it scoreless (0 for 8) for the weekend.

Matt Read scored a shorthanded goal for the second straight game and it turned out to be the winner.

After the Penguins cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 at 5:50 of the second, Read took a feed from Luke Schenn and beat relief goalie Jeff Zatkoff at 12:11.

The Penguins would pick up a third goal at 16:19 but Steve Mason was able to hold the fort in the third period as the Flyers moved back into the Metropolitan Division’s top three.

Wayne Simmonds led the Flyers’ early charge, scoring a pair of power-play goals, plus an assist on the third goal.

Simmonds was able to get a shot off Vinny Lecavalier’s drop pass, with the rebound leading to Brayden Schenn’s goal at 2:06.

Then, at 6:47, Simmonds was able to deflect Kimmo Timonen’s shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.

At 13:41, Simmonds gathered in Claude Giroux’s entry pass, whirled and fired around Fleury.

That gave Simmonds his 12th power-play goal of the season, tying him for third in the NHL with Minnesota’s Zach Parise.

After a Brooks Orpik goal at 17:33, the Flyers were able to settle things down until a Matt Niskanen goal early in the second cut the lead to a single goal.

Short shots: The Flyers’ shorthanded goal was their eighth, tying them for fourth in the NHL.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Special teams especially key in dominating Pens

Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 5:20 pm | Updated: 6:45 pm, Sun Mar 16, 2014.

Wayne Fish Staff writer

PITTSBURGH -- Special teams play always has been a point of pride for Flyers teams and as this season comes down to crunch time, that emphasis on excellence is starting to show once again.

The Flyers really did a number on the Penguins over the weekend, which, if you check the stats, isn’t all that great a surprise.

Philadelphia now stands second in the NHL on road power plays, clicking at 25.8 percent (trailing only Ottawa, which played after the Flyers’ 4-3 win over the Penguins had ended Sunday).

That puts the Flyers at 11th in the NHL overall.

On the penalty kill, the Flyers (ranked ninth) blanked the No. 1 Penguins in nine chances for the weekend and scored two shorthanded goals, giving them eight, and tying them for fourth in the league.

That kill unit might have made the difference in the weekend sweep.

“It gives us momentum for sure,’’ coach Craig Berube said. “The guys have done a great job on it. The coaches (Joey Mullen, Ian Laperriere) do a good job preparing those guys.

“They’ve got real good sticks right now. They’re blocking shots. They attack the other way.’’

Matt Read scored shorthanded goals in both games but said not much of the scheme was formally planned.

“No, nothing really,’’ he said. “They’ve got the No. 1 power play in the league. Just try to take time and space away from them. Getting in the right lanes and getting sticks in the right positions.

“I think our team, our whole penalty kill unit did a good job this weekend. You’re going to have some plays where you don’t give them time to make plays ... that caused a couple turnovers and odd-man breaks the other way.’’

Sean Couturier was all over the place on the penalty kill. He enjoys the challenge.

“I think Lappy (Laperriere) did a good job of video scouting,’’ Couturier said. “We were well prepared. Overall, it was a good weekend for special teams.’’

As for the power play, Wayne Simmonds had a field day against Pittsburgh’s loose defense.

Simmonds scored a pair of power-play goals in the first period, giving him 12 for the season, which ties him with Minnesota’s Zach Parise for third in the NHL.

Simmonds had all kinds of space down low against the Penguins, who chose to stay in a rigid box and protect against shots by the dangerous Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux.

Point is, if teams elect to leave Simmonds by himself, he’s going to do damage. He gets the puck down low, whirls and the goalie has only a split second to cover the far post.

“Our power play has been together for three years now,’’ Simmonds said. “Everybody knows where to go. G (Giroux), Jake (Voracek) and Kimmo (Timonen) do a great job controlling the play and me and Hartsy just crash the net.

“We kind of know where they (the Penguins) are going to come from and we try to change our point of attack. And it seems to be working.’’

Simmonds acknowledged the Flyers have so many weapons on the power play that it gives him more time and space.

“I had a ton of time (today),’’ he said. “I think the threat of Hartsy in the high slot there scares a lot of teams. He’s got one heck of a shot from there.

“You never know when G is going to pass him the puck. When he passes you the puck, he doesn’t even look at you. You’ve got to be ready. I think that opens up me and it opens up Jake on the back door. Everything works hand in hand.’’

Giroux says the success on the power play doesn’t rely on complex science.

“We just keep it simple,’’ he said. “We work as a team. We just get pucks to the net, I mean, Simmer and Hartnell are so good in front of the net, that’s all we’re trying to do.’’



Flyers serve notice with weekend sweep

Posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 4:46 pm | Updated: 6:37 pm, Sun Mar 16, 2014.

Wayne Fish Staff writer

PITTSBURGH -- Is it possible that two of the best hockey players in the world, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, are looking over their shoulders at a tough little contender at the other end of the state?

The Flyers’ weekend sweep of the Metropolitan Division-leading Penguins just might have planted a seed of doubt.

Philadelphia not only won the two games -- including Sunday’s 4-3 verdict at the CONSOL Energy Center -- to solidify its position in the playoff chase but also served notice it doesn’t fear any of the NHL’s so-called big guys.

To wit: Pittsburgh (which played without injured Kris Letang, James Neal and Chris Kunitzz) entered the weekend No. 1 on both the power play and penalty kill. But the Flyers dominated in both departments, holding the Penguins scoreless on nine power-play attempts (four Sunday) and scoring shorthanded goals in both games.

On the flip side, the Flyers registered three power-play goals (two Sunday) in seven attempts for the two games.

Who would have guessed?

To top it off, the Flyers held both Crosby and Malkin without a point for the entire weekend.

Maybe now the Flyers will believe they’re legitimate contenders, if only for a day or two.

“A team will get confidence from this, I believe,’’ coach Craig Berube after the Flyers had beaten Pittsburgh in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 21-23, 2006.

“Any time you can beat Pittsburgh twice, it’s a big boost. That’s a very good team over there. They’re well coached, they play hard, great players.’’

No danger of anyone getting big heads, though, right?

“I try to keep our team even,’’ Berube said. “Don’t get too high, don’t get too low.’’

Other players offered sheepish grins when asked if the Flyers are now “in the Penguins’ heads.’’

“I think playoffs are different than regular season but when you win back-to-back games on the same weekend, it’s got to be something in the back of your mind if you do play them in the playoffs,’’ said Matt Read, who scored shorthanded for the second consecutive game and finished the weekend with three goals.

“But it’s still a long ways to playoffs, I don’t know how many games? 15? You just have to show up every night and make sure you get in the playoffs first.’’

Read’s goal turned out to be the winner.

The Flyers jumped to an early 3-0 lead before they lost some momentum.

After the Penguins cut the Flyers’ lead to 3-2 at 5:50 of the second, Read took a feed from Luke Schenn and beat relief goalie Jeff Zatkoff off a two-on-one at 12:11.

The Penguins picked up a third goal at 16:19 but Steve Mason was able to hold the fort in the third period as the Flyers moved back into the Metropolitan Division’s top three.

Wayne Simmonds led the Flyers’ early charge, scoring a pair of power-play goals, plus an assist on the first goal.

Simmonds was able to get a shot off Vinny Lecavalier’s drop pass, with the rebound leading to Brayden Schenn’s goal at 2:06.

Then, at 6:47, Simmonds was able to deflect Kimmo Timonen’s shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.

At 13:41, Simmonds gathered in Claude Giroux’s entry pass, whirled and fired around Fleury.

That gave Simmonds his 12th power-play goal of the season, tying him for third in the NHL with Minnesota’s Zach Parise.

After a Brooks Orpik goal at 17:33, the Flyers were able to settle things down until a Matt Niskanen goal early in the second cut the lead to a single goal.

The Flyers circled the wagons in the third and the closest the Penguins came to a goal came with about one second left in the game when Crosby rang one off the post.

“I think that’s all I gave him,’’ Mason said with a straight face. “It (The Post) is part of the equipment.’’

Mason liked the way his team responded to this weekend challenge.

“To come out with four points, home and home in back-to-back afternoons, it’s two big victories for us,’’ Mason said. “We realize the importance of these two games.’’

Giroux, along with Sean Couturier, played a big role in shutting down Crosby and Malkin. This kind of thing is almost unheard since Sid the Kid arrived in 2005.

“We did a lot of good things,’’ said Giroux, whose two assists moved him up to a tie for fourth in NHL scoring with 69 points. “There’s a reason why they’re in first place, they’re a dangerous team.

“But we did a good job in both games.’’

Timonen said the Flyers can gain something from these two performances.

“We’re moving the right way,’’ he said. “It’s not easy getting four points out of this weekend. The way we’ve been playing, when we skate like that, we’re hard to play against.’’



Flyers hold off Penguins comeback to sweep weekend

By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 03/16/14, 3:14 PM EDT | Updated: 38 secs ago

PITTSBURGH - The domination the Flyers established over the Penguins at home Saturday carried across the Commonwealth today, but stalled in time for the Penguins to draft a nice comeback show for the NBC network cameras.

Some loose play by the Flyers in the second period and sterling work by Penguins backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff prevented the Flyers from getting a second straight blowout victory. But their premier penalty killers and an ability to shut down the Penguins in the third period carried them to a 4-3 victory at CONSOL Energy.

The victory didn’t end in shutdown style, for Sidney Crosby had two great chances to tie it in the last 30 seconds. The first time he shot a puck into Steve Mason’s chest. Then with about a second remaining, he beat Mason with a shot but the puck rang off the post and bounded away.

That allowed the Flyers to sweep a home and home series that kept them in a playoff-worthy spot in the Metropolitan Division standings.

For the second straight day the Flyers jumped to an early lead, but this time it was an immobile Penguin defense and awful penalty killing which shoveled them into an early hole.

Take advantage of same was Wayne Simmonds. He had starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury jumping and losing sight of the puck, leaving Brayden Schenn to chop home a rebound 2:06 into the game.

Simmonds then served himself. By setting up camp in the Penguins slot, he tipped home a shot by Kimmo Timonen at 6:47, then took his time on a power play and jammed it past Fleury for a 3-0 lead at the 13:41 mark.

It was there that coach Dan Bylsma brought in backup Zatkoff, and the Penguins were able to re-establish some control.

They drew a goal closer at the 17:33 mark of the first when Brooks Orpik slung a shot that hit Simmonds before skipping past Steve Mason.

Matt Niskanen then fired one at 5:50 of the second through a screen that Mason apparently couldn’t see, and suddenly the Flyers were up by only a goal.

Just as they did Saturday at Wells Fargo Center, however, the Flyers were able to get something going off their recently superb penalty kill. They had Steve Downie to thank for taking an ill-advised retaliation penalty. Shortly thereafter, Matt Read broke back with Sean Couturier. Read took it himself and his bullet eluded Zatkoff at 12:11 of the second.

The Penguins struck back to bring it to 4-3 on a goal Jayson Megna late in the period, but the Flyers’ fine penalty killing work helped them settle down at the start of the third period.

The Penguins and their top-rated power play would wind up oh-for-4 on this day, and nothing for 9 on the weekend.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Power play a force on the road

By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 03/16/14, 11:45 PM EDT |

PITTSBURGH — It’s not that the Flyers don’t welcome the comforts of home, but when it comes time to put forth a little power, they just seem to be able to flex a little easier on the road.

With a pair of Wayne Simmonds power-play goals in the midst of a weak Pittsburgh penalty-killing effort Sunday, the Flyers not only were on their way to hammering out a 4-3 victory at CONSOL Energy Center, but they also put themselves on the verge of being the league’s best power-play team in road games.

Something has to be said for that.

“I had a ton of time today,” said Simmonds, who was essentially left alone in the slot to register his 20th and 21st goals of the season. “I think the threat of (Scott Hartnell) in the high slot scares a lot of teams. He’s got a heck of a shot from there and you never know when (Claude Giroux) is going to pass him the puck. When he passes the puck, he doesn’t even look at you, so you have to be ready.”

But why teams don’t seem as ready for Simmonds’ work around the crease or Hartnell’s shot from the slot or Giroux’s varied passing skills when the Flyers are visiting them, rather than when they are playing the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center, is still a bit of a mystery.

Asked that question one day last week, Craig Berube acted like he was seriously pondering the issue before saying, “I don’t know.”

Consider it a question that doesn’t need an answer.

All the Flyers know is that the power play is clicking along on the road at a 25.8 percent success ratio. That was second in the league in that department only to Ottawa, pending a Senators game Sunday night.

As for home games, the Flyers’ power play isn’t bad, scoring at a 19.5 percent success ratio. That was 12th going into action Sunday.

•••

The Penguins certainly turned in a more active performance Sunday than they did in a 4-0 loss the previous day in Philadelphia. But their many injuries both on the forward line (James Neal, Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz) and on defense still had a big impact in this 4-3 loss to the Flyers.

The Penguins were lost on the power play, going blank in four tries, and very shaky on the penalty kill. Heading into the weekend, they were top ranked in both of those statistical categories.

“Obviously they still are great players and they can change a game anytime, any place,” Sean Couturier said of the injured Penguins. “So obviously they’re going to be missing them. But all year they’ve been battling injuries, and they’re still a dangerous power play out there, and we did a good job.”

•••

Steve Mason turned in his eighth straight start, a season high. Now Ray Emery is healthy and the Flyers play Emery’s old team, the Chicago Blackhawks, Tuesday. Might make for an interesting decision on a starting goalie then.

But Mason says he’s prepared to carry on.

“I feel great,” Mason said. “That’s what the break was for. We’ve had games where there was plenty of days in-between. ... There’s been plenty of time for rest. Now that it’s crunch time, we’re playing every other day for the rest of the year. It’s just a matter of me managing my time off.”

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Flyers-Penguins: 5 things you need to know

March 16, 2014, 6:00 am

E-mail Tom Dougherty

The Flyers (34-25-7) and Penguins (45-17-4) conclude a home-and-home series today.

Puck drop is set for 12:30 p.m. (NBC) at CONSOL Energy Center.

Here are five things you need to know:

1. Who's in net?

With most No. 1 goalies, starting six, seven or even eight straight games is normal; it’s expected.

But Steve Mason is not Henrik Lundqvist, Sergei Bobrovsky or Jonathan Quick, and he has been forced to start all seven games since the Olympic break, which ended Feb. 27.

Since the break, Mason is 4-2-1 with a 2.86 goals against average and .887 save percentage. He’s been fighting pucks, and he looks like he needs rest. The problem was, Ray Emery was sidelined with a groin injury and the Flyers didn’t trust Cal Heeter to spell Mason.

Emery is back, and many thought he would have started Saturday’s game, but Craig Berube went with Mason again. It is almost certain Berube goes with Emery today.

The 31-year-old is 7-9-1 with a 3.02 GAA and .898 save percentage. Emery netminded the Flyers to a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh earlier in the season.

2. Survival of the fittest

The Flyers better be ready for a Penguins team out for revenge, because Pittsburgh isn't going to respond to a 4-0 loss by laying down in the second half a home-and-home.

And with the Flyers invading enemy territory in a nationally broadcasted game, you can bet the Pens will be dominant in the game's first 10 minutes.

The Flyers have to mimic their own intensity from Saturday, which will be hard to do on short rest and travel.

Saturday's 4-0 win was the best game the Flyers have played this season and it came against an elite team.

That has to give fans confidence the Flyers might be able to make a deep run -- or at least reassurance that they're capable of performing at that level.

3. Maatta Matters

Without Kris Letang (stroke) and Paul Martin (hand), the Penguins have been forced to rely on a couple rookie defensemen.

One of them is 19-year-old Olli Maatta, selected with the 22nd overall pick in 2012 (three picks after the Flyers chose Scott Laughton).

Maatta is a rare breed, as most defenders at his age are still playing junior hockey. Defensemen take longer to develop, but he showed in training camp he can hang with the big boys.

And "hanging with the big boys" is an understatement. The Finnish-born D-man has nine goals and 19 assists in 65 games. His nine goals are already the most ever by a Penguins rookie defenseman.

Pittsburgh head coach Dan Bylsma has done a good job putting Maatta in situations he can succeed, but he's starting to get more responsibility.

Maatta has averaged 21:16 of ice time in 10 games since Feb. 6 and collected seven points over that span. His season average in ice time is 18:09.

Fun fact: Maatta's nine goals are the second most by a Finnish rookie defenseman -- tied with Tapio Levo, who scored nine in 1981-82 with the Colorado Rockies. The most? Reijo Ruostalainen, who potted 18 in 1981-82 with the Rangers.

4. Long road ahead

If you think this weekend was a tough test for the Flyers, it doesn't get any easier.

Their next 10 games are against teams who hold a playoff spot in their respective conferences. The coming week might provide the hardest three-game stretch of the year.

Chicago, Dallas and St. Louis visit Wells Fargo Center this week, and Los Angeles comes to town next Monday.

The Flyers were spanked by both the Blackhawks and Stars earlier in the year. The Blues are right there with Chicago with elite defense, elite goaltending and a young, capable group of forwards.

This stretch will tell you exactly who the Flyers are and if they will be able to contend for a Stanley Cup.

5. This and that

• Jakub Voracek in Pittsburgh has 11 points in eight career games, 10 of which have come in six games as a Flyer. He has five points in his last three games in the ‘Burgh.

• Flyers’ regular-season record at CONSOL Energy Center: 7-1-1 in nine games.

• Pittsburgh is 31-3-1 when it scores first and 13-15-3 when it gives up the first goal.

• Vinny Lecavalier needs two goals to reach 400 in his career. He scored the Flyers' third goal Saturday.

• Claude Giroux will play in his 400th career game today.



Flyers edge Penguins to take weekend set

E-mail Tim Panaccio

March 16, 2014, 4:45 pm

PITTSBURGH -- The Penguins may have had a depleted lineup, but give the Flyers credit for taking full advantage of it with a weekend sweep of the No. 1 team in the Metropolitan Division.

Sunday’s 4-3 nail-biter at CONSOL Energy Center fittingly ended with Sidney Crosby clanging a shot off the right post on an offside that wasn’t called as the final punctuation (see Instant Replay).

Crosby didn’t get a single point off the Flyers in two games.

“Our team will get confidence from this,” Flyers coach Craig Berube said. “Any time you can beat Pittsburgh twice, it’s a big boost. That’s a very good team over there.

“This is over. I don’t try to get too high or too low. I try to keep our team even. We got a game Tuesday [against Chicago].”

The Penguins' vaunted No. 1 power play? It was 0 for 9 in two games, going 0 for 4 in Sunday's tilt.

“It’s huge,” said Wayne Simmonds, who scored two goals in the first period that devastated Pittsburgh.

“They’re one of the better teams in the league. For us to come in and get two points on top of the other two points, it’s huge and we have to keep building on it.”

It was the first time the Flyers swept the Penguins in back-to-back games since Jan. 21-23, 2006.

There’s little question that if the Penguins had Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Chris Kunitz, and James Neal, the Flyers' penalty-kill units would not have been perfect.

“We missed guys before throughout the year and found ways,” Crosby said. “I don’t think we will use that as an excuse. There are times when our power play is good and doesn’t score and that is not the case here. It’s not very good right now.”

Usually, this time of year, it’s the Flyers –- not the Penguins -- who are hurting.

“They were missing a couple keys but it didn’t change our approach -- good for us and bad for them,” Kimmo Timonen said. “It gets to be this side of the story now where we are healthy.”

The Flyers did a lot things very well on Sunday.

They ran over 19-year-old rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, as good as he is.

They hit Evgeni Malkin every time he touched the puck, which rattles Malkin. He took a bad penalty.

They didn’t hit Crosby because they know when you go after Sid, he raises his game and becomes an even bigger threat. Instead, Sean Couturier neutralized him.

Finally, the No. 1 penalty kill in the NHL stood motionless as the Flyers did whatever they chose on their power plays, scoring twice right off the bat.

With Scott Hartnell in the high slot and Claude Giroux nearby, Simmonds camped down in the paint and virtually went untouched in scoring two goals that gave the Flyers an early 3-0 lead.

The Flyers shredded the NHL’s top penalty-kill units in both games with three power-play goals.

“I had a ton of time,” Simmonds said. “With Hartsy in the high slot, it scares a lot of teams. He’s got a heck of a shot from there and you never know when G is going to pass him the puck. He doesn’t even look at you. You have to be ready. It opens up me and in turn, opens up Jake [Voracek] on the back door.”

Simmonds' spin-off goal against Marc-Andre Fleury in the paint chased him from the game.

“I kind of know when the puck is coming to me now,” Simmonds said. “If I can get that puck and spin off real quick, I’m trying to get a shot on net, hopefully a rebound. That one popped back to me for an empty net.”

It was all Flyers at the start, all Pittsburgh in the middle portion of the game, and the third period was a split with the Flyers going into a 2-1-2 trap in front of goalie Steve Mason, who faced just 23 shots that were far more difficult than Saturday’s game.

“We realized the importance of these two games and guys were rewarded for hard work,” Mason said. “This is exactly what we needed.”

Pittsburgh had traffic in this one and scored two of its goals off such. Crosby, who had three shots, nailed the post seconds before the final buzzer.

“I think that’s all I gave him,” Mason quipped.

Crosby wasn’t happy with his team’s effort.

“You have to compete for 60 minutes and we didn’t do a very good job of that in the first period,” Crosby said. “I don’t see any positive in playing 40. That would be wrong to think that way.

“We took penalties and that hurt us. We didn’t want to give them momentum and we had three penalties in the first period. We knew coming in that would be dangerous to do.”

Without the benefit of last line change, Berube had Giroux on Crosby early in the game instead of Couturier. By the end, it had settled into Couturier all over him.

“Sean has that big stick on Crosby and he knows how to use it,” Berube said.

Couturier was pleased with the shutdown role his line (Matt Read and Steve Downie) did on Crosby. Read took it a step farther, too, with another shorthanded goal, just as he did in Saturday’s 4-0 shutout.

“I try to honor my defensive game and take pride in that and we did a good job as a line to limit their offense and scoring chances,” Couturier said. “I think it was a good weekend for us.”

Tags:

Philadelphia Flyers, Penguins, NHL, Hockey, Sidney Crosby, Wayne Simmonds, Craig Berube, Claude Giroux, Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, Jakub Voracek, Marc-Andre Fleury, Steve Mason, Matt Read, Steve Downie



Instant Replay: Flyers 4, Penguins 3

E-mail Tim Panaccio

March 16, 2014, 2:45 pm

PITTSBURGH -- Boy, these Flyers are greedy, aren’t they?

Anyone would have been happy with a weekend split against Pittsburgh, the No. 1 club in the Metropolitan Division.

Instead, the Flyers swept the home-and-home series with the Penguins, winning 4-3 Sunday afternoon at CONSOL Energy Center. It was the first time the Flyers swept the Penguins in back-to-back games since Jan. 21-23, 2006.

Craig Berube’s team had a strong, solid start to the game and then let up, possibly thinking this was going to be a repeat of Saturday’s 4-0 shutout win over the Penguins in Philly and it wasn’t.

The Flyers chased Penguins starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury barely 14 minutes into the game with three goals on 15 shots.

Two of those goals came on the power play.

The Flyers led 3-0 and 4-2 at one point, but they were on their heels in the second period and saw Pittsburgh whittle it down to 4-3 late in that period after a neutral zone turnover by Michael Raffl that led to a 2-on-1 goal from Jayson Megna.

A stronger third period by the Flyers was the difference, but they also played a bit of the trap, too.

Jeff Zatkoff relieved Fleury and finished the game for Pittsburgh.

Injuries

The Penguins thought Chris Kunitz (lower body) would be available, but he did not dress.

Matchups

The Pens had last change and coach Dan Bylsma opted for Evgeni Malkin against Sean Couturier and Sidney Crosby against Claude Giroux, the opposite of what Berube did on Saturday when he had the final say. By the third period, however, Berube had his way with the matchups.

Quick start

The Flyers scored twice in the first seven minutes of play for a 2-0 lead on Pittsburgh. In Saturday’s game in Philly, the Flyers scored twice in the first eight minutes of play.

Brayden Schenn notched his 17th goal at 2:06 with a rebound shot in the slot for the Flyers' first goal Fleury had made a glove stop on Wayne Simmonds but left the rebound in the slot. Credit the soft hands of Vinny Lecavalier for the pass that began the play. It was also Schenn’s first goal in seven games.

Penalties

Pens defenseman Robert Bortuzzo took exception to Scott Hartnell’s clean check on Lee Stempniak and went after him. Hartnell did not retaliate and drew a penalty setting up the Flyers' first power play and subsequent first goal of the game from Simmonds.

Power play

The Penguins failed twice to clear a puck in the slot and got burned. Simmonds, screening in front, redirected Kimmo Timonen’s point shot at 6:47, making it 2-0. The Penguins just stood around and watched the Flyers on the power play, almost intimidated into moving. They allowed the Flyers to bully them.

Special teams

Flyers finished 2 for 3 on the power play. The Penguins were 0 for 4.

Simmonds on fire

He has 21 goals. Twelve of his goals have come on the power play. He also has 20 power-play points.

Power-play points

Claude Giroux leads the Flyers with 30.

Shorthanded

Matt Read had a huge weekend against the Penguins with three goals, two of which were shorthanded. His shortie at 12:11 of the second against Zatkoff gave Mason some breathing room at 4-2.

First goal

The Penguins got their first goal of the weekend against the Flyers at 17:33 of the first period when defenseman Brooks Orpik’s point shot hit Simmonds and bounced past Mason.

Big saves

Pittsburgh began the second period with 1:56 left on a power play, down 3-1. Mason had a clutch stick save on Evgeni Malkin near the end of it.

Pens comeback

The Penguins made up for it with a Matt Niskanen shot from just inside the point at 5:50 of the second period to make it a game at 3-2. The Flyers let their foot off the gas pedal after that penalty kill and it hurt them.

Milestone

This was Giroux’s 400th NHL game.

Pointless

Sidney Crosby did not get a single point in the weekend series. He hit the post with only seconds remaining in Sunday's game.

Almost home

The Flyers came into the game 7-1-1 at CONSOL Energy Center since it opened.

Scratches

Same as Saturday: Forward Jay Rosehill and defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Hal Gill. Gill has been a healthy scratch 31 consecutive games.



Sean Couturier dominant in win over Penguins

E-mail Tim Panaccio

March 16, 2014, 7:00 am

Sean Couturier was a phenom against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Two defensive plays produced both a shorthanded goal and an even-strength goal.

All the while, he shut down Sidney Crosby in head-to-head play during the Flyers' 4-0 shutout at Wells Fargo Center (see story).

It was the first time in 46 regular-season games Crosby did not get a point against the Flyers.

“The rivalry seems to get into everyone’s head,” Couturier said. “Everyone steps up their game. Not only me, but G (Claude Giroux) as well. All four lines. Everyone is doing the right things. There’s always an edge to the game.”

Matt Read benefited from Couturier’s defensive play twice, with two goals.

Couturier broke up a pass during a first-period Penguins power play that produced an odd-man rush and Read’s first goal of the game. Read's one-timer went in and out of the net so fast that play continued a few seconds before the officials whistled a stoppage and signaled “goal," putting the Flyers ahead, 2-0.

“I didn’t know it went in, either,” Read admitted. “I thought it went past [goalie Marc-Andre Fleury], but it came out so quick. I started to play the puck again and then the horn sounded.”

In the second period, Couturier chipped a puck past Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik at the point and began an odd-man rush. Some spectacular passing between Couturier and Giroux on the rush resulted in Read’s second goal and 18th overall.

“It started with Coots 3-on-1 there,” Read recalled. “G made a couple quick passes there, and I went back door, and Coots made another great pass right on my tape. It’s hard to miss those ones when you are in the net, almost.”

Read has four two-goal games this season and seven in his career.

Couturier always takes advantage of anything a player gives him. He saw something with Orpik.

“The puck was in between me and Orpik, and he kinda hesitated,” Couturier said. “I took advantage of it, and G stepped up in the play.”

That goal made it 4-0 with just 17 seconds left in the second period. Pittsburgh had a bit of a push to start the third but could not get anything going, especially with the dominance of Couturier’s line, that include Steve Downie.

“Defense leads to offense,” Read said. “When you are playing Crosby and [Evgeni] Malkin up there, you kind of play defense first. Let them make mistakes and take advantage of that.

“That is something we did. We had good reads in the offensive zone, made them chip pucks, didn’t allow them time in the offensive zone. Pucks kind of went our way and we went on offense from there.”

Shutout

This was the Flyers’ first regular-season shutout of the Penguins since April 6, 2008. It was also just the fourth in the last 31 years. Meanwhile, goalie Steve Mason picked up his 23rd career shutout and fourth of the season.

Victory

This was the Flyers’ first regulation win against the Penguins at Wells Fargo Center since Dec. 8, 2011. Their lone win in the five games since came in overtime on March 18, 2012, when Scott Hartnell scored with nine-tenths of a second remaining in OT.

Faceoffs

Flyers won 56 percent of them. Couturier won 6 of 8 (75 percent) against Crosby. “I haven’t seen the faceoffs, but that’s one thing [Berube] wants us to do,” said Giroux. “Start with the puck, and make them come to us. I think that’s one thing we did, and we did a pretty good job of it.”



Simmonds helps Flyers edge Penguins

Mar. 16, 2014 5:35 PM |

Dave Issac

Courier-Post

PITTSBURGH Four points was the best possible scenario the Flyers could hope for in a pair of games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who lead the Metropolitan Division.

Although they didn't follow Saturday's script of a dominating, shutout victory, they scraped by with a 4-3 win in the rematch in Pittsburgh.

Off the bat, the game looked like a replay of Saturday's game. The Flyers came out hot and scored early. Only 2:06 into the contest they had beaten Marc-Andre Fleury, who was the best Penguin all weekend.

Fleury made an unbelievable glove save on Wayne Simmonds, who took a nifty feed from Vinny Lecavalier, but the puck didn't stay in the goalie's glove. It popped out where Brayden Schenn was waiting for it and buried his 17th goal of the season.

The Penguins were physical out of the gate, but paid for it with three first-period penalties. Wayne Simmonds made them pay twice. First, at 6:47, Simmonds tipped a shot by Kimmo Timonen from the point in for his 20th goal of the season.

Pittsburgh killed off a roughing penalty by Evgeni Malkin a couple minutes later, but when Taylor Pyatt continued the march to the box, Simmonds struck again. He had the puck at the side of Fleury's net and got his own rebound and put it upstairs to end Fleury's day.

In his last 17 starts against the Flyers, Fleury has only won five. It would appear as though the Flyers are in his head, but he was actually the best player coach Dan Bylsma had in the first period.

When the Penguins kept playing physical, they started getting their way. Brooks Orpik finally beat Steve Mason with 2:27 left in the first period. With five seconds to go in the period, Schenn took a penalty for interfering with Malkin. It looked like the Penguins were gaining momentum.

The Flyers killed the penalty thanks to Mason, who made a couple good saves, including a really dangerous one-timer by Malkin that the goalie stopped by going post-to-post quickly. On the day, he stopped the Penguins 20 times.

It didn't happen quickly or all at once, but the Flyers regressed big time in the second period. Matt Niskanen scored at 5:50 of the second period through traffic in front of Mason to make it a one-goal game.

Niskanen's 10th goal of the season gave the Penguins all kinds of life. They wore down Steve Downie, who took a bad penalty for roughing after he got frustrated with two different Penguins pushing him around. On the ensuing power play, Deryk Engelland fell down in the Flyers' zone, leading to a 2-on-1 and Matt Read scored his second shorthanded goal in as many days.

For a while, the Flyers survived despite making turnover after turnover. With 3:41 left in the second stanza, the Penguins made them pay for one of them. Michael Raffl coughed up the puck in the neural zone and Brian Gibbons went in on an odd-man rush with Jayson Megna.

Once Kimmo Timonen dove to try and stop a pass, Gibbons stickhandled around him and gave the puck to Megna, who scored his fifth of the season.

In the third period, the Penguins continued to push and the Flyers held them at bay. Even when Read went to the penalty box, the Flyers killed Pittsburgh's power play, which is still tops in the league, despite going 0-for-9 on the weekend.

Malkin was threatening near the midway point when he had a point-blank opportunity that Mason stopped than again only seconds later when Jake Voracek turned the puck over, Mason passed the test again.

When the Penguins pulled relief goalie Jeff Zatkoff, they nearly tied the game. Sidney Crosby, who didn't have much of an impact on the weekend

series, had a clean shot at the Flyers' net but Mason made a kick save with his left pad.

With about one second left, Crosby got behind Nick Grossmann and deflected the puck off the left post.

The win temporarily leapfrogged the Flyers from a wild-card spot to second in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Rangers could jump ahead of the Flyers, though. They play the San Jose Sharks later in the afternoon.

Courier-Post LOADED: 03.17.2014


FLYERS NOTES: Immortalizing Shero brings back memories for son

Mar. 16, 2014 10:03 AM |

Dave Isaac

Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA — Ray Shero sat next to his father, Fred, at a 1990 ceremony in which the legendary coach, who brought the Flyers two Stanley Cups, was inducted into the Flyers’ Hall of Fame.

“You know,” Fred said to Ray, “maybe one day, the big Hall.”

Fred Shero died eight months later. Instead it was Ray who accepted the induction to the Hockey Hall of Fame last November. Saturday was another honor that will immortalize “Freddy the Fog” in Philadelphia history.

Ray Shero helped pull the tarp off an 8-foot statue of his father that will stand at 11th and Pattison streets in South Philadelphia.

“That’s part of the legacy I talk about for my kids,” said Shero, now the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins. “When they come back, they’ll be able to see that and they’ll know that their grandfather is always going to be part of the Flyer family, which is important to them. I believe and I think it would’ve been incredibly important to my mom and my dad.”

Shero’s sons are teenagers now, a little older than he was when he grew up in Cherry Hill and watched the Flyers‘ legacy, largely defined by his father, play out in real time.

“They were almost the Broad St. Bullies before my dad got here,” Shero said. “They made the transition after losing to St. Louis in the playoffs, and they wanted to go in another direction. My dad just happened to be the coach that came in to coach these players, and obviously it was a good fit for both.”

When he was at the lectern addressing a couple hundred fans and a handful of the players his father coached, Shero noted exactly what he grew up watching.

“Not only did those Flyers teams win two Stanley Cups,” Shero said, “but they kicked the crap out of the Soviet Red Army.”

“And Pittsburgh!” Flyers chairman Ed Snider chimed in from the first row of seats in front of Shero.

“It was great,” Shero said later. “That was funny. That’s the beauty of Mr. Snider. He’s passionate. He wants to win. To be the original owner since ’67, the city of Philadelphia is incredibly fortunate to have this guy own this hockey team.”

The organization feels the same way about a coach who introduced morning skates, video scouting, strength and conditioning and assistant coaches to the NHL.

“Looking back 40 years with these teams,” Shero said, “what really stands out to me is — including (former broadcaster) Gene Hart — eight members of the Hockey Hall of Fame from this organization and starting with that group back in the ’70s.”

Working 300 miles away in Pittsburgh, Shero may not get as many opportunities to see the statue as he might like. The Flyers presented him with a 2-foot replica that he can have at home.

“Yeah, 40 pounds that thing, and I didn’t know that was going to happen. So that’s going to be incredible to have,” Shero said. “I didn’t expect that, put it that way.”

• Couturier’s game picks up against Pittsburgh:

Sean Couturier’s first task against the division-leading Penguins is to stop Sidney Crosby. The Pens’ captain was a minus-3 Saturday and had two shots. The game’s offense came from Couturier, not Crosby.

“When he plays Pittsburgh, he just plays better,” Claude Giroux said of his teammate. “He ramps up his game to another level, and today was another example of he and Matt Read playing really well together.”

Couturier had a pair of assists and shut down not only Crosby, but also Evgeni Malkin when he was briefly on Crosby’s line in the second period of Saturday’s 4-0 win. It was the 10th time in 46 games that Crosby was held pointless against the Flyers.

“Maybe they didn’t play their best game,” Couturier said, “but we did a good job of keeping pressure and the pucks in their end. When we’re putting pressure instead of chasing around and running after the puck, we’re better when we control the puck.”

• Clean game for Mason:

Making 25 saves against the Penguins is never a simple task. It could have been far busier for Steve Mason, who enjoyed his fourth shutout of the season.

“It was a very enjoyable game to play, watching the guys from back there the whole game,” Mason said. “That’s the type of hockey game we have to play moving forward here.”

The Flyers kept things very simple in their defensive zone, getting to pucks first and getting them out quick. Without puck possession for the Penguins, it’s tough to score goals.

“From my standpoint, everything was just very controlled from our breakouts to our backchecking to our in-zone play,” said Mason, who improved his career record against the Penguins to 3-2-1. “Everything felt very under control the whole game.”

In fact, Mason may have seen such little work that Craig Berube goes back to him today. To that, the coach didn’t reveal much.

“Maybe,” he said coyly, unwilling to reveal his starter in the second half of the back-to-back.



Flyers eager to see how playoff structure works out

Mar. 16, 2014 9:59 AM |

Dave Isaac

Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA — When the idea was first proposed a couple seasons ago, some Flyers had their reservations about a new playoff structure and realignment.

With two more teams in the Eastern Conference, Western Conference teams face better odds to make the postseason.

With the stretch run upon us, you'd think the playoff picture would've become a little clearer. Have you seen the standings in the East lately?

The Flyers could be anywhere from second in the division to out of a playoff position in the matter of a day or two.

“I think there's great competition here,” Scott Hartnell said. “Probably since the last lockout in '04, it's leveled the playing field for all the teams. Teams that were bad for years continued to be bad and now it's spread around. It's great to see. There's no easy games the first 60-some games and there won't be any in the last month. We're excited.”

The new structure came about with two hopes in mind for the NHL. First was to cut down travel for teams, especially out west. Second was to have more divisional matchups in the first round of the playoffs to stir up rivalries.

Instead of ranking the teams 1-8 in each conference with division winners being the first three seeds, now the top three teams in each of the four divisions are guaranteed postseason berths. The No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed in division matchups, and the No. 1 seed that has more points in the standings plays the lesser of two wild-card teams in the conference.

For the Flyers, the Metropolitan Division is still wide open with 16 games remaining.

“Right now it's looking like Pittsburgh is gonna finish 1 and then it's a dogfight for 2, 3 and wild cards,” Wayne Simmonds said. “You don't finish in the top three, you probably end up playing Boston or Pittsburgh.”

The Flyers got steamrolled by Boston earlier this season, but playoff matchups against the Penguins always seem to be entertaining. If it's a division matchup like that in the first round for the Flyers, assuming they get there, no one will complain.

“Usually the first round is the craziest to watch for the fans,” Mark Streit said. “There's a lot of speed and intensity and it's the best hockey. Obviously, teams like Pittsburgh and Boston probably play a little more relaxed. That could be dangerous. You get a bit sloppy and then when the playoffs come, you've got to turn it on and play different hockey again.”

It seems to happen every year. Last year, Streit and the New York Islanders took Pittsburgh to six games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. It has made Penguins–Islanders a bit more interesting.

“It's about creating these rivalries and playing teams in your own division in the playoffs right away," coach Craig Berube said. “It's tough. You're gonna come out of your division and you've got to play a couple real good teams. I don't mind it at all. I think it's good. I think it's good for hockey.”

That's what the league was hoping, anyway. It's still too soon to draw conclusions about whether the new-school playoffs are better or worse than the old way, but it seems as though there's a lot fewer complaints about the playoff structure these days.

“I'm anxious to see how it plays out,” general manager Paul Holmgren said. “From where we stand, we're in the fight and we're trying to win games and get ourselves in the playoffs. If you're in, that's good. The further up the standings, even better. How it plays out after that, I'm not sure.”

If the regular season ends with the Flyers and Penguins being a first-round matchup, this weekend will be yet another chapter in a storied rivalry that has become among the most popular in the NHL. The Flyers aren't looking at it as such, though. It's not about the opponent for them. It's about status.

“We don't want to finish eighth or seventh,” Claude Giroux said after the 4-0 shutout win Saturday. "We want to finish higher. We want home-ice advantage. It's there for us to take, but we have to keep playing like this.”



Flyers dominate home half of back-to-back with Penguins

Mar. 16, 2014 10:01 AM |

Dave Isaac

Courier-Post

PHILADELPHIA — Anything appears possible with 16 games left in the regular season for the playoff-hopeful Flyers.

One scenario is that they face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs, and if Saturday was any indication, that’s just fine with the Flyers.

A 4-0 drubbing of the Penguins was perhaps the best 60-minute effort the Flyers have had this season.

“This was one of our best games for sure,” said Sean Couturier, who fed Matt Read twice for goals. “From the start we were putting pressure, and ’til the end we put pressure. When we do that and we play deep in their end and put pressure, we’re successful. So we’ve got to do that tomorrow again.”

Yes, the reward for the Flyers’ win is a rematch today on the west side of Pennsylvania. They’d be thrilled if they could duplicate the effort in which they bested the Penguins in all aspects of the game.

The Penguins have the league’s best power play and penalty kill, but the Flyers had the better special teams Saturday.

Scott Hartnell scored his 16th goal of the season on an early power play. A few minutes later, Read scored after he dumped the puck in, Couturier got it and fed him for a one-timer from the slot.

“Yeah, 60 minutes it was good,” coach Craig Berube said. “I liked the way we played the third period. We were very composed, good with the puck, did the right things, and got it in deep. I liked our start to the game, obviously a big power play goal to get us going.”

The Flyers dominated from the start and didn’t let their foot off the pedal. They scored a pair of even-strength goals in the second period to double the lead.

First it was Vinny Lecavalier at 14:00 of the second period when Luke Schenn hit him with a slick home-run pass as he got a leg up on a Penguins defenseman.

“I was just coming off and I felt that their D were kind of flat-footed there,” Lecavalier said. “I took a chance and went right in the middle. Schenner made a great play, a heads-up play. It was right on my stick. It was a perfect pass.”

Read notched his second of the day with 17 seconds left in the period on a tic-tac-toe play where Claude Giroux and Couturier had some nifty passing.

“(Couturier) and G made a couple of quick passes there,” Read said. “I went back door and Coots made another great pass right on my tape. It’s hard to miss those ones when you’re in the net almost and it’s right on your stick.”

He might have landed the hat trick, but Read missed a few minutes of the second period to have the steel blade on one of his skates replaced.

Besides scoring goals, Read and Couturier’s line was fantastic.

They were matched up against Sidney Crosby, who didn’t see much of the ice in the third period when the game was already decided, and not only stopped the likely Hart Trophy winner, but also put up offense.

“Defense leads to offense,” Read said. “When you’re playing Crosby or (Evgeni) Malkin out there, you kind of play defense first and let them make the mistakes and you take advantage of that.”

The decision to put Couturier’s line against Crosby instead of Malkin, like in the playoffs a couple years ago, was one that played out well for Berube.

“I just like his positioning on him and taking his speed away and stuff,” the coach said. “He’s got a good stick and I think with Sid, he’s so powerful and

fast and quick and if you get on the wrong side of him and you’re not positionally really sound, he’ll make you look stupid. Couturier’s a very good positional player and he’s got a very good stick.”

There wasn’t a whole lot of time or space for the Penguins, who were missing star wingers James Neal (concussion) and Chris Kunitz (lower-body injury).

“Against that team, you don’t want to play in your own zone all night,” Lecavalier said. “To have good breakouts and to be there for each other, supporting each other, it makes a big difference against them. It wasn’t just that first pass. We were quick against them.”

The tight defense made for a rather uneventful day for Steve Mason, who notched his fourth shutout of the season with 25 saves and marked the first time the Flyers had a clean slate against the Penguins since April 6, 2008.

“Very impressive against a really strong hockey club. Regardless of the players that are missing, this was a big performance for us at home, and a much-needed two points,” Mason said. “The guys definitely earned it today.”



Another win has Flyers in Penguins' heads

Mar. 16, 2014 |

Dave Isaac

Courier-Post

PITTSBURGH — When the weekend began, before the Pittsburgh Penguins lost yet another player to injury, it looked like two wins were a pipe dream for the Flyers.

They’ve struggled against the Penguins at home, until dominating them Saturday, and followed up with a 4-3 win Sunday to complete the home-and-home, back-to-back sweep.

“It proves we’re a good hockey team,” said goalie Steve Mason, who won both for the Flyers. “We already knew that, but you come out with four points against the Penguins in a home-and-home, back-to-back, it’s two big victories for us. We realize that and have to move on to the next one.”

On the scoreboard, it didn’t look like it was quite as clean as Saturday’s win. The Flyers had a 3-0 lead in the first period thanks to a pair of goals by Wayne Simmonds and a goal by Brayden Schenn on which Simmonds had the helper.

Still, coach Craig Berube was impressed.

“I don’t think it was any different (than Saturday), to be honest with you,” Berube said. “I thought we played really good. Power play was good again. Penalty kill was good again. Lots of shots. Lots of chances. We played a pretty solid game.”

It sure looks like the Flyers are firmly in the Penguins’ heads. The rivalry was rekindled when Sidney Crosby broke into the league. Now it’s a possible playoff matchup.

“I know the boys in this dressing room love playing against them,” Mason said. “Whether we’re in their heads or not, we don’t really care. We get amped up to play against them. It’s a fun game to be a part of and we’re just happy we got the four points this weekend.”

The first of four Flyers goals was Schenn’s 17th goal of the season after Marc-Andre Fleury made a remarkable glove save on Simmonds, but left a rebound open.

Then Simmonds tipped a Kimmo Timonen shot in on the power play and scored again on the doorstep on the man advantage to end Fleury’s day.

“Our power play’s been successful against them, since I’ve been here, anyway,” Simmonds said. “I think we’ve done a good job against them.

“I kind of know when the puck’s gonna come to be now. If I can get the puck and spin off real quick, I’m just trying to get a shot on net, hopefully for a rebound. Fortunately it popped back to me and I had the empty net.”

The Flyers’ power play was 3-for-7 on the weekend. A shorthanded goal by Matt Read in the second period helped quell the Penguins.

Pittsburgh played a physical game and eventually got some time with the puck in the Flyers’ end. When they did, they got traffic in front of Mason, who made 20 saves on the day.

First it was Brooks Orpik, who scored on a shot from the point with 2:27 left in the first period to take a chunk out of the Flyers’ lead.

“The first one took a weird bounce,” Mason said. “It was a knucklepuck to begin with and I think it went off of Simmer’s leg and hit the ice and bounced a few feet in the air.”

Early in the middle stanza, the Penguins continued their attack when Matt Niskanen scored his 10th of the year.

“The second one was a screen shot,” Mason said. “They were definitely doing a better job of getting traffic as opposed to (Saturday) afternoon. It’s part of the game. You fight through it.”

That’s certainly how the Flyers seemed to approach the second half of the game.

“(Saturday) we did a better job of playing 60 minutes,” captain Claude Giroux said. “Today we had a couple mistakes that usually we wouldn’t do. I think we have a lot of things to work on still.”

The four points put the Flyers in second place in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

“We can’t be satisfied with where we are right now,” Giroux said. “We have to keep getting better. The teams that we have to play coming up, they’re the best teams in the league.”

The Flyers play six of their next seven games at home, but the next four are all against the top teams in the Western Conference. All of their next 10 opponents are teams in the playoff picture.

“We have to move on and play like this the last 15 games,” Timonen said.

“We enjoy this, but then we have to focus tomorrow and play a really good, solid game again Tuesday.”


739009 Phoenix Coyotes

Never the easy way, but Coyotes prevail

Craig Morgan

FOX Sports Arizona

MAR 16, 2014 2:19a ET

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Pack your Pepto and practice deep breathing. This is how the final 14 games of the Phoenix Coyotes season look: an imperfect team struggling to overcome its demons and deficiencies to squeeze into the playoffs.

Calgary had played the night before and when the soon-to-be-vacationing Flames fell into an early 2-0 hole on career goal No. 1 from Chris Summers and season-goal No. 10 from Rob Klinkhammer, it looked like Phoenix might just cruise to an easy win Saturday night.

Silly fans. Have you learned nothing?

It took another superhuman effort from goalie Mike Smith, six third-period power plays and a third-period deflection from captain Shane Doan to overcome Calgary's rally in a 3-2 win at Jobing.com Arena.

There was drama where none belonged.

"I think we thought it was going to be an easy game after the first. I hope we take something away from this game," said Smith, who turned aside 30 shots of which too many were high-percentage chances. "We can't just tip-toe around in games and expect to win -- even against teams that aren't in the playoff hunt."

The important result of this game was that Phoenix pulled even with eighth-place Dallas in points (75) in the Western Conference, although the Stars still have two games in hand. But Smith was, without question, the biggest reason the Coyotes were still in position for that climb after two periods.

Calgary got second-period power-plays goals from Curtis Glencross and Mikael Backlund, but Smith stopped a half dozen point-blank chances that nobody would have blamed him for missing -- chances that maybe two or three other guys on this planet could have stopped.

"He made some big saves overall throughout the game where they were really athletic, unbelievable saves," Doan said.

Fortunately for Smith, he only had to face four Calgary power plays, one of which was 12 seconds long. Phoenix has allowed nine power-play goals in its opponents' last 32 chances to fall to 27th in the league on the penalty kill at 79.2 percent. That was the focus for coach Dave Tippett's when asked if there was a common denominator in the Coyotes blowing two-goal leads in three of their last eight games.

"Don't take penalties," he said.

When the second period had ended, a sickening feeling settled over the arena. This was not a game the Coyotes could afford to drop. There aren't many of those left on the schedule anyway, but certainly not a home game to a non-playoff team.

The Coyotes needed their leadership to take over and that's what happened when Doan redirected a shot from Yandle past goalie Joni Ortio on the third of the Coyotes' six power plays in the third.

"We got frustrated and we paid for it," Calgary coach Bob Hartley said.

Calgary's loss on composure was Doan's gain. The Coyotes captain wants so desperately to lead his team in every way possible, and itâ ™s been eating at him that he hasn't contributed more points.

"I was so frustrated after I hit the post earlier. I thought I had it," Doan said. "Everybody wants to contribute; everybody wants to help but yeah, I take a lot of responsibility and rightfully so because I'm given a lot. If youâ ™re given a lot you'd better contribute once in a while."

On the other side of the locker room, a guy who rarely gets to contribute was wearing the team belt as player of the game. Summers might have occupied a bigger portion of the Coyotes story Saturday had the team not blown the lead he gave them. But as the 2006 first-round talked emotionally

of calling his dad after his first NHL goal, Tippett noted the equally important role Summers played on one final penalty kill late in the game when he posted the last of his three blocked shots.

"Great attitude," said Tippett of Summers' patience over the past eight seasons. "He's a good player and a reliable player, but he's a very good person.

"It makes you want to keep him in the organization."

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 03.17.2014

739010 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Bennett to return to full practice

By Chris Adamski

More than four months after suffering a broken wrist, forward Beau Bennett was cleared to return to full practice Monday.

A first-round pick in 2010, Bennett, who has missed the past 43 games, has one goal and two assists in 12 games this season.

He was playing as Sidney Crosby's wing at the time of his injury Nov. 12. Bennett had 14 points in his final 22 games as a rookie last season.

• After going three years between missing games with an injury, Chris Kunitz missed his second consecutive game Sunday. Kunitz suffered a lower-body injury after crashing into the goal post in Tuesday's win against Washington. Kunitz practiced Friday. “He's doing well, but not well enough to be in the lineup,” coach Dan Bylsma said.

• For only the second time this season, Marc-Andre Fleury started games on consecutive days. Fleury faced 40 shots in a 4-0 defeat Saturday against the Flyers in Philadelphia. He was solid Sunday but was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots over the first 13:41 behind spotty defense and penalty killing in front of him. Jeff Zatkoff made his second career relief appearance, stopping 19 of 20 shots.

• The Penguins' special teams are a primary reason they're in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The power play and penalty kill, though, were the reasons they were swept in a weekend home-and-home. The Flyers had three power-play goals, two short-handed goals and killed off all nine of the Penguins' power plays Saturday and Sunday. The Penguins entered Sunday with the league's No. 1 power play and No. 2 penalty kill.

• For the first time this month, defenseman Simon Despres was a healthy scratch. Robert Bortuzzo was back in the lineup after being scratched Saturday. Despres took a penalty during his first shift Saturday, and the Flyers scored on the resulting power play.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.17.2014


Penguins' Letang cleared for full practice 6-plus weeks after stroke

By Rob Rossi

Kris Letang had hope.

Now, maybe, so do the injury-plagued Penguins.

Letang will practice Monday — six and a half weeks after taking a stroke — and he is cleared for full participation, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Sunday.

Letang no longer is on blood-thinning medication, but there is no time frame for his return to games, Bylsma said.

“We had an idea that at this point in time, he could possibly be cleared to practice,” Bylsma said. “He still has some other things to go through, but we knew this was the six-week mark, and there was a chance.

“It's not a complete surprise.”

But it is a pleasant one.

Letang, who was not available for comment, had his stroke on Jan. 28. In a statement released Feb. 7, the Penguins reported Letang would require blood-thinning medication for at least six weeks and then undergo re-evaluation by team physicians.

At the time, members of the organization and close friends of Letang said they did not expect him to play again this season — a sentiment echoed by his Penguins teammates in recent weeks.

Letang said Feb. 27 that he hoped to but was not sure if he would return this season. A day later, Letang took the ice for the first time since the stroke to casually skate with his son and wife on the outdoor rink at Chicago's Soldier Field.

Letang told the Tribune-Review on Tuesday that he had regained weight lost during his initial post-stroke period of inactivity. Also, he resumed skating on his own before practices, including while wearing full gear at Southpointe Iceoplex on Friday morning.

“I don't think anything should be surmised by that,” Bylsma said Saturday, noting Letang practiced at Los Angeles a day after his stroke.

Letang is reputable for his off-ice conditioning. He allows himself only one day each year to drink alcohol and works in the offseason with Jonathan Chaimberg, who trains Ultimate Fighting Championship mixed martial artists.

Given his age, 26, and healthy lifestyle, Letang said he was jarred by the stroke diagnosis. NHL teams are not obligated to reveal specifics about players' heath, but Letang asked the Penguins to make his condition public to raise awareness.

In the Feb. 7 statement, the Penguins reported that Letang was born with a small hole in his heart that did not close, a rare birth defect. Team physicians have not pinpointed the cause for his stroke, Bylsma said Sunday.

Letang missed his 14th consecutive game in the Penguins' 4-3 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday at Consol Energy Center. They are 7-5-2 on this stint without Letang, who previously missed nine games (strained right knee) and another 10 (infected right elbow).

Despite playing in only 34 games, Letang is tied for the team lead in goals among defensemen with 10.

Though not performing at his level from last season, when he paced league defensemen in points per game and was a first-time finalist for the Norris Trophy, Letang's latest absence has proven problematic for the Penguins.

He and Paul Martin, out nine consecutive contests (broken right hand) together, are the only two defensemen to average at least 25 minutes of ice time. They have split time as the power-play quarterback, and Bylsma makes sure that either Letang or Martin is on the ice to play at even strength with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.

Since the NHL Olympic break ended, the Penguins are minus-72 in shot differential in nine games, and neither Crosby nor Malkin have played much with the puck on their respective sticks.

“One of the things we want to do well and do effectively is play in the offensive zone,” Bylsma said.

“We've got to get better coming out of the defensive-zone with the puck. (Opponents) have hunted too many pucks down and turned too many in to the offensive zone. (The Flyers) did that on three or four occasions, and that prolonged time in the offensive zone for their team.”



Flyers complete weekend sweep of Penguins with another win at Consol

By Josh Yohe

The Penguins explained that Sunday's loss to the Flyers was an execution problem and that Saturday's was an effort problem.

Maybe the Flyers are the problem.

Philadelphia ambushed the Penguins in the first period Sunday at Consol Energy Center and held on for a 4-3 victory that pushed the Flyers' record at the Penguins new building to 10-2-1.

The Penguins maintain a 15-point lead in the Metropolitan Division, but they probably won't feel so relaxed if the Flyers are their opponent in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Such a scenario remains possible.

“They're good,” right wing Craig Adams said. “And we need to find a way to be better against them.”

The Penguins played among their worst periods during Sunday's opening 20 minutes, a carryover from Saturday's shutout loss.

A similar formula paid off for the Flyers.

Forwards Scott Hartnell and Zac Rinaldo baited center Evgeni Malkin and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo into taking retaliatory penalties. Wayne Simmonds scored twice on the power play to help give Philadelphia an early 3-0 lead.

“They're just so talented,” Penguins forward Joe Vitale said. “But we'll figure it out.”

There was no shortage of troubling occurrences for the Penguins on Sunday:

• They allowed a short-handed goal for a second straight game

• They were badly outplayed in front of Marc-Andre Fleury in the first period, which prompted coach Dan Bylsma to replace Fleury with backup goalie Jeff Zatkoff

• Malkin and Sidney Crosby were held without a point for a second straight game

• Crosby twice left the ice during power plays earlier than the others on the top unit, a rare occurrence for him

“This is going to be a great experience for us,” Vitale said.

With high profile-players — James Neal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Kris Letang, Paul Martin and Beau Bennett — out of the lineup, adversity for the Penguins has arrived with a vengeance. Sunday's game had some players saying adversity before the postseason can be positive.

“Our last two Marches have been too easy,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “Yeah, we were winning, but we weren't playing our best. We were making a lot of mistakes. So if we handle this, it's going to be good for us. Something like we're going through right now makes you have to work. I don't know if you can say that about our last two Marches.”

The Penguins carried play in the final two periods, particularly in five-on-five situations. Crosby was denied by Flyers goalie Steve Mason on a rush with 30 seconds left and struck the post on a deflection with one second left.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton callups Jayson Megna and Brian Gibbons helped the Penguins control play in the second and third periods.

“Today was better,” Niskanen said. “We weren't prepared on Saturday. That game got away from us. Today we had some mistakes and it cost us. But we didn't fall part. We battled back. Losing stinks. But it was good that we didn't fall apart. To not blow up like we have in the past is a good thing.”

Another loss to their biggest rival, in fact, seemed to motivate the Penguins.

“We've missed guys throughout the year,” Crosby said. “And we always found a way.”



Penguins end lost weekend against Philadelphia with 4-3 loss

March 16, 2014 3:07 PM

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Philadelphia Flyers completed a weekend sweep of the Penguins with a 4-3 victory today at Consol Energy Center.

The Flyers dominated and won the first of the back-to-back games between the clubs, 4-0, Saturday in Philadelphia.

The Penguins picked up where they left off Saturday, falling behind, 3-0.

Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made a glove save on Wayne Simmonds, but his momentum pulled him out of the net. Brayden Schenn got the rebound and, with Penguins defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in the crease trying to make the stop, scored for a 1-0 Philadelphia lead at 2:06 of the first period.

The Flyers added a power-play goal to make it 2-0 at 6:47 when Simmonds tipped in a shot by Kimmo Timonen at 6:47 of the first period.

Simmonds got his second goal, also on the power play, on his own rebound at 13:41 of the first period.

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma pulled Fleury after Simmonds’ second goal. Fleury allowed three goals on 15 shots, but hardly seemed to be the problem. Jeff Zatkoff replaced Fleury in net.

The Penguins got a little momentum late in the first period and pulled to within 3-1 at 17:33 on a shot from the left point by Brooks Orpik that skipped off the ice and past teammate Jussi Jokinen, who was screening Flyers goaltender Steve Mason.

Joe Vitale got an assist, his 14th point to tie his career high for a season.

A Matt Niskanen blast from the right point pulled the Penguins to within 3-2 at 5:50 of the second period.

Philadelphia took a 4-2 lead at 12:11 of the second period when Matt Read scored shorthanded off of a two-on-one break.

The Penguins again pulled to within one, 4-3, when Jayson Megna scored off of a feed from fellow rookie Brian Gibbons at 16:19 of the third period.

The Penguins’ next game is Tuesday at home against Dallas.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.17.2014


Ron Cook: Injuries hurt, it's no excuse for Penguins

March 16, 2014 11:52 PM

By Ron Cook / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Sidney Crosby played with Tanner Glass on his left wing in place of Chris Kunitz.

Evgeni Malkin played with Joe Vitale on his right wing instead of James Neal.

The power play was without Kunitz, Neal and Kris Letang -- three of its top four scorers -- and had to use Taylor Pyatt and Deryk Engelland at times.

And we're surprised the Penguins came up short in a 4-3 loss Sunday to the Philadelphia Flyers at Consol Energy Center?

It was predictable, wasn't it?

That's no excuse. There are no excuses in professional sports. Injuries happen to every team. Great clubs find a way to overcome, which is what the Penguins had been doing before this lost weekend. The Flyers also exposed them Saturday in a ridiculously easy 4-0 win in Philadelphia.

But the Penguins' 413 man-games lost are a fact. If you keep losing stars -- the team also has been without Pascal Dupuis and Paul Martin for a long time -- it eventually catches up to you. That time appears to be now for the Penguins after Kunitz (lower body) and Neal (concussion) were added to the injury list before the game Saturday.

The protestations you hear are from Crosby and coach Dan Bylsma.

"I think we've had guys be out throughout the year and we found ways to win," Crosby said. "I don't think we're going to use that as an excuse now."

That's admirable.

"We feel totally capable with the guys we have out there," Bylsma said.

That's reasonable thinking, to a point.

There's no way the Penguins' power play, which still has Crosby and Malkin, should ever be as bad as it was in the past two games. It didn't just go a combined 0 for 9. It gave up a killer short-handed goal in each game. The Flyers' Matt Read scored one Sunday for a 4-2 Philadelphia lead after Engelland slipped and turned the puck over in the Flyers' zone.

"Sometimes, the power play is good and you don't score," Crosby said. "That's not the case here. It's not very good right now."

Nothing the Penguins did in either game against the Flyers was good enough, although they did show a little more fight Sunday after being beaten into an early, inexcusable submission Saturday. Crosby really didn't want to hear about that, though. So what that his team came back from a 3-0 first-period deficit to make it a one-goal game? "The expectation here is to compete for 60 minutes," Crosby said. "I don't see any positives to it."

It's no wonder Crosby was ticked. He didn't get a point in either game against the Flyers. The Penguins are 3-13 this season when he fails to get on the score sheet.

It's also no wonder Bylsma was in a hissy mood. The Penguins' penalty-kill was just as bad as the power play. It gave up two first-period power plays Sunday after giving up one Saturday. It's hard to blame not having Kunitz and Neal for that.

The reality is the Penguins were starting to struggle even before Kunitz and Neal went out. They have been badly outshot in five of their past six games. The Flyers had a 40-25 edge in shots Saturday and a 35-23 advantage Sunday. All of those shots have made life rough for Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who was benched for backup Jeff Zatkoff after giving up the Flyers' third goal Sunday just 13:41 into the game. The Penguins were lucky to go 3-3 in those six games.

But there is some good injury news. Bylsma announced after the game that Letang (stroke) and winger Beau Bennett (wrist/hand) have been cleared for full practice. The news about Letang came as a surprise. Many of us --

OK, me, at least -- felt that he probably was done for the season. Although Bylsma cautioned that this was just a step in the process and wouldn't put a timetable on Letang's return to game action, it was hard not to be encouraged by the development.

Kunitz (lower body) could play in the home game Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars. Who knows about Neal? Certainly, here, we know just how nebulous head injuries can be. But, hopefully, he'll be back sooner rather than later.

Now if Martin (broken hand) can come back before the playoffs ...

The Flyers might not recognize the Penguins when the teams next play here April 12.

That would be a good thing, a really good thing.



Penguins notebook: Letang, Bennett fully cleared

March 16, 2014 11:18 PM

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

On the heels of getting swept by rival Philadelphia in two weekend games, the Penguins got some encouraging news Sunday.

Defenseman Kris Letang and winger Beau Bennett have been cleared for full participation in practice and are expected to be on the ice for the team's workout today, coach Dan Bylsma announced after the 4-3 loss to the Flyers.

Letang had a stroke and has been out since late January. He was allowed to discontinue taking blood-thinners after the prescribed six weeks, Bylsma said, leading to his inclusion at practice.

"We had an idea that at this point in time, he could possibly be cleared to practice," Bylsma said. "He still has some other things to go through.

"He's been working out. He's been skating on his own. He's been doing quite a bit on his own. It's not a complete surprise."

Bylsma said there is no timetable for Letang to return to the lineup. It's not clear whether he will be able to play again this season.

Letang, 26, fell ill Jan. 29 and was diagnosed in the ensuing days. He has 10 goals, eight of them on the power play, and 18 points in 34 games.

A Norris Trophy (top NHL defenseman) finalist last season, Letang missed games earlier this season because of knee and elbow injuries.

Bennett has played only 12 games, with a goal and two assists, and has been out since Nov. 22 because of a hand/wrist injury that required surgery. He had an unspecified setback last month that extended his time out of the lineup.

He has skated with the team at times, but hasn't participated in contact drills.

The Penguins have been rocked by injuries. They surpassed 400 man-games lost Saturday, with wingers James Neal (concussion) and Chris Kunitz (undisclosed) the latest to miss games.

For Bylsma, the seemingly never-ending list of injuries tempered the news of two players on the mend.

"It's better than thinking about subtracting guys from our lineup," he said.

Man down

The Penguins weren't the only ones dealing with an injury Sunday.

Referee Mike Hasenfratz took a spill and did not work the third period. NBC reported that Hasenfratz had concussion symptoms.

That left Mike Leggo to work the final period as the lone referee, along with linesmen Tim Nowak and Derek Arnell. Leggo called one penalty in the third period, a holding minor on Philadelphia's Matt Read.

Penguins winger Jayson Megna, who had an abrasion on his chin from a Flyers elbow, said being down to one referee did not alter the game, even between rival clubs when emotion and physical play sometimes erupt.

"It's a physical game any time you play those guys, no matter what," Megna said. "Maybe someone would have caught something here or there, but you can't blame anything on the refs."

Penguins forward Joe Vitale was even more convinced there was no difference with one ref.

"I didn't even really notice it until halfway through the third [period], so I don't think so," he said.

Just missed

With Philadelphia clinging to its one-goal lead, Penguins center Sidney Crosby nearly forced overtime but his shot hit the left goal post.

"I think that's all I gave him, though," Flyers goaltender Steve Mason joked. "It's part of the equipment."

Tip-ins

The Penguins got goals from Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, giving them 36 goals from defensemen. ... Even with injuries at forward, with the addition of forwards Lee Stempniak and Marcel Goc at the trade deadline, defenseman Deryk Engelland's days as a swingman on the fourth line seem to be over. "We have more depth at the forward position. I'm not going to say [playing Engelland at forward] is not going to happen, but it's unlikely," Bylsma said. ... The Penguins made one lineup switch, dressing defenseman Robert Bortuzzo, who had one assist, and scratching defenseman Simon Despres. ... The Flyers won 54 percent of the faceoffs (27 of 50). Adam Hall (5 of 5) and Michael Raffl (4 of 4) were perfect. ... Philadelphia winger Claude Giroux, who had two assists, played his 400th NHL game, and teammate Andrew MacDonald appeared in his 300th.


739016 San Jose Sharks

Antti Niemi leads San Jose Sharks past New York Rangers

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 03/16/2014 03:46:53 PM PDT

Updated: 03/16/2014 09:27:25 PM PDT

NEW YORK -- This was one the goalie stole, plain and simple.

Sharks netminder Antti Niemi played his strongest game of the season Sunday, blanking the New York Rangers 1-0 with a 41-save performance.

True, the victory didn't happen without Logan Couture's unassisted, short-handed goal at 11:48 of the first period. But even he knew where the credit should go for the Sharks' sixth consecutive victory.

"Unbelievable," Couture said of Niemi's play. "He's the reason why we won. We won this game because of how he played."

The shutout was Niemi's fourth of the season and second in his past four starts. He credited the Olympic break -- where he was a member of Team Finland, but did not play -- with helping him elevate his game since returning to the NHL.

"I think it was great for my mind, not playing, but still skating and feeling the puck," he said. "I skated, but I knew I didn't have to play tomorrow. It was almost like a vacation being there."

Niemi lost his first start after the break, but is 5-0 since then with a .946 save percentage that's well above his .915 stat for the season. His greatest test came throughout a first period that Sharks coach Todd McLellan predicted could be a problem.

The Sharks had Saturday off and the early starting time Sunday meant there was no morning skate. That had McLellan concerned about his team's start and those concerns turned out to be justified.

New York came out flying and fired 20 shots on Niemi, many of them set up by crisp passes behind the play that often spell trouble for any goalie.

But Niemi stopped all of them, looking more agile than he has much of this season. He twice robbed New York forward Derek Brassard on back-door plays and made his most dramatic save when he darted in front of a shot by Mike Zuccarello in the slot after a feed from Martin St. Louis.

"It's kind of fun when you make a couple big saves early," Niemi said. "They keep you warm. I felt great after the first, being warm and reading the puck."

And the save on Zuccarello?

"The one from the middle, I kind of saw it coming," Niemi said, unable to explain why some games it's easier to anticipate plays than others.

Zuccarello also played a role in the short-handed goal by Couture that came with Scott Hannan in the penalty box for tripping New York forward Rick Nash. A giveaway by Zuccarello sent Couture down the ice with Brad Richards, a Rangers forward playing the point on the power play, in pursuit.

Couture skated around Richards en route to the net and managed to lift a backhand over goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

"Richards was skating forward so I thought I could beat him to the outside. He was kind of on my back and I was just able to get it up around Lundqvist," Couture said. "He takes the bottom away and you've got to get it up top if you're going to score."

That goal held up as the winner, but not without other key saves by Niemi and a crucial video review that went San Jose's way with 1:08 left in the second period on a wraparound attempt by Rangers forward Carl Hagelin.

For McLellan, the shutout was a statement game by Niemi to his teammates.

"He said 'I'm Nemo, I'm capable of doing this,'" McLellan said. "Not that he's been weak by any means. He's been a very solid goaltender. But that was a

heck of a performance. He just basically said to his teammates, 'You guys are getting ready and playing hard. I am too.' And he proved it."

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.17.2014

739017 San Jose Sharks

Antti Niemi stops 41 shots, Sharks shut out Rangers 1-0

Associated Press

Updated 8:43 pm, Sunday, March 16, 2014

A goal that didn't count in the Sharks' victory over the New York Rangers garnered more attention than the one that made the difference in surging San Jose's latest win.

Antti Niemi stopped 41 shots for his fourth shutout, and Logan Couture's first-period, shorthanded goal stood up as the Sharks beat the Rangers 1-0 Sunday for their sixth straight win.

New York thought it had the game tied with 3:15 left in the second period.

During a stoppage, all four officials gathered at the scorer's table, and a lengthy video review was conducted in Toronto to see if Carl Hagelin's stuff attempt at the left post nudged the puck over the line.

Numerous replays failed to show the puck behind Niemi, who blocked the view, but one zoomed-in and enhanced picture appeared to show the puck disappear behind the post - drawing a huge cheer from the crowd.

Those yells turned to boos when it was announced there was no conclusive evidence of a goal. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault called over referee Dan O'Halloran for an explanation that he didn't really seem to accept.

"It doesn't matter what I think. I don't make the decisions," Vigneault said in a quiet tone. "This is not me saying this, but some of my friends say that they make it up as they go along. I'm just going to leave it at that."

Niemi and the Sharks defense were the difference, unlike in the first meeting between the teams, won 9-2 by San Jose on Oct. 8. Niemi, who has 27 career NHL shutouts, was particularly strong during a Rangers power play early in the third.

San Jose, tied with Anaheim atop the Pacific Division, is 11-2-1 in its past 14. In a 12-game stretch against Eastern Conference opponents that ends Tuesday at home versus Florida, the Sharks are 9-1-1.

"Nemo was unbelievable," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "That was maybe his best game all year. He stole this one for us."

Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves but was denied in his first attempt to set the Rangers record with his 302nd victory. He equaled Mike Richter's mark Friday at Winnipeg.

"We played another great road game," Niemi said after the Sharks finished a 3-0 trip. "They came hard at us from the beginning. With good reads and some luck, I was able to make some saves."

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.17.2014

739018 St Louis Blues

Battered Berglund has found scoring touch

3 hours ago • By Dan O’Neill [email protected]

When he emerged from the training room at Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night, Patrik Berglund looked like a battlefield casualty. He had an ice bag strapped to his left elbow, an equally large wrap on his right leg, and assorted cuts and welts in various other locations.

There was, however, an area on his right arm not yet under repair. “It’ll come soon,” he said, smiling.

Truth be told, the 25-year-old Berglund is not a casualty, he is a survivor.

In the midst of a challenging offensive season, Berglund has come alive. He shook off the effects of a knee strain Thursday to score twice in a 4-1 victory Saturday at Nashville. He has six goals in his last eight games after scoring eight in his initial 56 games.

“I think I’ve been playing the same way, I’ve been shooting the puck,” said Berglund. “Now it’s finding its way in. It’s obviously nice.”

The timing certainly is good. For background, Berglund put the onus on himself last June by banking on a robust season. On the same day the club announced a four-year deal with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, they confirmed a one-year, $3.25 million contract with Berglund.

Coming off a 48-game season of 17 goals and eight assists, Berglund chose a short-term agreement, determined to earn more in the long term. But goals were coming few and far between.

After scoring in the second game of the schedule, Berglund went 22 games without. And from early January to late February, he went another 16 games without a goal.

Then things changed.

Selected to play for Team Sweden in the Olympics, Berglund replaced injured Henrik Zetterberg as the No. 1 center. He scored three goals in the tournament and helped lead Sweden to a silver medal.

When the NHL resumed, the trade deadline fast approached. Berglund’s name became a popular chip for speculators to toss around. The Blues eventually did make a trade, sending forward Chris Stewart and goalie Jaroslav Halak to Buffalo for goalie Ryan Miller and forward Steve Ott.

Instead of leaving, Berglund has assumed the production represented by Stewart’s departure.

“He’s playing extremely well,” Ott said. “He’s got a great release for a big man. He’s very smart. He makes the game easy when you’re playing with a guy like that.”

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock believes an alignment adjustment has helped. A center throughout his career, Berglund has become a hybrid in recent weeks, playing on a wing either by design or transition.

On Saturday, he skated with veterans Ott and Brenden Morrow, as Ott occasionally stepped front and center.

“I think he’s been able to do this because he can hang on offense a little bit longer,” Hitchcock said. “He doesn’t have to play the 200-foot game; he doesn’t have to play safety-wise.

“It’s freeing up his energy to play a little more on offense than he had.”

On Saturday, Berglund’s first goal was an example of what can happen when he hangs around in the offensive end. He jumped on a turnover and beat goaltender Pekka Rinne to give the Blues the all-important first goal. They are 37-1-5 when they score first.

Later, Berglund used an odd-man rush to rip a shot between Rinne’s legs.

“I just closed my eyes and shot and it went in, too,” Berglund said. “Just lucky. I don’t think they kind of expect that shot – the five-hole there.”

That’s what confidence can do for you, though Berglund insists his confidence has never waned.

“You can do a whole bunch of things out there to give you confidence,” said Berglund, who has 81 hits and 25 blocks. “It’s not just that the pucks goes in.

“You just have to stick with it, too. If you can’t score, you have to do something else to help the team and that’s what everybody’s doing on our team.”

With 99 points, the Blues (46-14-7) are two points ahead of Anaheim atop the NHL overall standings. They are on pace to shatter the franchise record for victories (51) and points (114), set in 1999-2000.

The Nashville win improved the team’s crazy-good record against Central Division foes to 19-0-2. It was the eighth consecutive game the Blues collected points – seven of them wins – and their fifth consecutive road victory.

“We’re playing so well now,” Berglund said. “We’re really calm on the bench and really calm in how we play. It’s huge.

“I think if we can play this type of team game on the road, in a very hard building to play in … it’s a credit to everybody that we’re playing such solid hockey.”

Even if there are a few bumps and bruises along the way.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2014

739019 St Louis Blues

Blues lose Tarasenko to hand injury

3 hours ago • By Dan O’Neill [email protected]

The Blues have lost forward Vladimir Tarasenko for at least six weeks with a right hand injury, the team confirmed late Sunday afternoon. Tarasenko will have surgery Wednesday and be re-evaluated after the six-week period.

He will be out for the remainder of the regular season, and it appears the team would have to go deep into the playoffs for Tarasenko to have a chance to return.

He sustained the injury late in Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Nashville. There was no indication the forward had hurt his hand seriously during the game. He scored a goal in the second period and did not miss a shift, playing more than 15 minutes.

His injury comes with the playoffs on the horizon and just 15 games remaining in the regular season. The 46-14-7 Blues lead the NHL with 99 points as they prepare to face the Winnipeg Jets tonight at Scottrade Center.

Tarasenko, 22, was putting the finishing touches on a terrific second season with the Blues. After being picked to play for host Russia in the Olympics in Sochi, Tarasenko had points in seven of his last eight games, with three goals and five assists. During that stretch, the Blues have gone 7-0-1.

His goal in Nashville was his 21st and gives him 43 points for the season.

The lefthanded-shooting Tarasenko also had his rookie season in 2012-13 impacted by an injury. After being hurt in a game at Colorado, Tarasenko missed 10 games with concussion symptoms. He scored just two goals in 21 games after returning.

Late Sunday, the Blues recalled 20-year-old forward forward Dmitrij Jaskin from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League. The 6-foot-3, 204-pound Jaskin has 15 goals and 14 assists and is a plus-7 in 42 games for the Wolves. Jaskin has played in nine games this season with the parent team. He has one goal and one assist and is even in the plus-minus category.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.17.2014

739020 Tampa Bay Lightning

10 years after Bolts’ title, Andreychuk etched in eternity

By Martin Fennelly | Tribune Staff

Published: March 16, 2014

TAMPA — Former ice hockey captain Dave Andreychuk is now Tampa Bay Lightning vice president for corporate and community affairs.

Next month, he’ll be a statue.

The club will dedicate a likeness of Andreychuk to honor the 2003-04 Stanley Cup champions.

Remember them?

The statue will man the Forum plaza — the captain holding Stanley over his head on a June night 10 years ago. What a night.

“It’s something for the community,” Andreychuk said. “I think it’s cool that anyone who comes to the arena gets to relive that moment. Where were you when that happened? And they’ll tell their kids where they were. And that’s the coolest thing, that this will live on. People will know: This happened here.”

That team celebrated and was celebrated all weekend. It continues tonight when the Lightning play Vancouver. The Cup is in town. A pile of players from that team are here, as is that ol’ Yap Shutter, John Tortorella, here with his Canucks.

Yes, there are guys who can’t make it. They’re still playing. Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Richards and Dan Boyle won’t be present. One stunning late scratch is Marty St. Louis. Andreychuk, who did a lot of the coordinating for this reunion, had expected Marty to take the ceremonial faceoff tonight. It makes the night slightly awkward.

“Marty was the last one still here,” Andreychuk said.

The captain and his teammates signed autographs Sunday afternoon and posed for photos. They also had their own snapshots taken next to Stanley, with their families, with each other. Some of the ’04s looked for their names on the Cup, as if making sure they were still on it. All weekend, they retold stories that never get old. They’ll walk together forever.

This happened here.

The captain turned 50 in September. He sat in his office last week and remembered. It was like he was: 40. He was the guy who’d tied a record by spending 22 years in the NHL without winning the Cup. And now he was about to do it. It was Game 7 of the Cup finals. It was June 7, 2004.

And the captain was in the box.

“Penalty box. Tripping.” Andreychuk said, smiling. “What was it, 10 seconds left? I’m in there. But I think it was awesome for me, because I wasn’t sitting on the bench, but I was watching the bench. I got to see the guys, their faces, the whole celebration. I also got to look at my family, at everybody’s families, because (Section) 129 was where they all sat.

“Every one of those guys, every name on that Cup, you can name something they did, something that will last. I think a lot of these guys are realizing it now, appreciating it even more, how important it was. … You might never get back again. I’m sure a lot of them are thinking about that. Marty, Richy, Vinny, Dan Boyle, a lot of them, they haven’t made it back. To get back to the finals, it’s not easy. We needed to seize the opportunity, because it might never happen again. I was living proof. And we seized it.

“I think now our community realizes how special it was. I think everybody was a little spoiled. We had a lot of new hockey fans who thought that this was going to happen every year. I think now they realize it doesn’t.”

And how.

The captain thought back to the night he lifted the Cup, about what they’d done, the injuries they’d played through and even hidden. Two months, 23 games, a forced march the whole way. It will always be theirs, that season.

“For good,” Andreychuk said.

They didn’t get to defend the Cup the following year. There was the lockout. Then the team broke apart. To a man, they feel robbed.

“Absolutely,” Andreychuk said. “We were all signed. We were all ready to come back. ... I really would have liked to have seen what we would have done.”

Tonight is about what they did.

This happened here.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.17.2014


2003-04 Lightning: Where are they now

Damian CristoderoDamian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Sunday, March 16, 2014 5:54pm

The 2003-04 Lightning

Where are they now?

Forwards

Dmitry Afanasenkov: Not playing; lives in Treasure Island in the summer.

Dave Andreychuk: Vice president for corporate and community affairs for the Lightning.

Martin Cibak: Plays for Nizhnekamsk of Europe's Kontinental Hockey League.

Ben Clymer: Television analyst for Fox Sports North.

Chris Dingman: Television analyst for the Lightning.

Ruslan Fedotenko: Plays for Donbass of Europe's Kontinental Hockey League.

Vinny Lecavalier: Plays for the Flyers.

Fredrik Modin: Retired; lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Eric Perrin: Plays for JYP of Finland's elite league.

Brad Richards: Plays for the Rangers.

Andre Roy: Works for Canada's RDS television network.

Marty St. Louis: Plays for the Rangers.

Cory Stillman: Director of forwards development for the Hurricanes.

Tim Taylor: Director of player development for the Blues.

Defensemen

Dan Boyle: Plays for the Sharks.

Jassen Cullimore: Director of youth hockey for the Lightning.

Pavel Kubina: Retired; lives in Treasure Island.

Brad Lukowich: Assistant coach for Lethbridge of the junior Western League.

Stan Neckar: CEO of Mobile Cigar Lounge; lives in Tampa.

Nolan Pratt: Assistant coach for AHL Springfield.

Darren Rumble: Coach for Moncton of the junior Ontario League.

Cory Sarich: Plays for the Avalanche.

Darryl Sydor: Assistant coach for the Wild.

Goaltenders

John Grahame: Managing director of TriWorth, a talent acquisition firm in Denver.

Nikolai Khabibulin: Plays for the Blackhawks; recovering from shoulder surgery.

Coach

John Tortorella: Coach of the Canucks.

Assistant coach

Craig Ramsay: Fired this season as assistant coach of the Panthers.

Goaltenders coach

Jeff Reese: Goaltenders coach for the Flyers.

Video coach

Nigel Kirwan: Still with the Lightning

General manager

Jay Feaster: Fired this season as GM of the Flames.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


Members of Lightning 2004 Stanley Cup team share memories



For Jon Cooper, the best part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup championship happened after Saturday's 3-0 victory over the Devils.

That's when the Lightning coach sat with members of the Cup team, who swapped stories about a 23-game playoff run that went though the Islanders, Canadiens, Flyers and Flames, and ended with a Cup-clinching 2-1, Game 7 victory over Calgary at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

"I was barely coaching when that happened, but I felt like I was part of it," Cooper said. "It just gets your blood going in the sense you want to be part of that. You want to tell those stories."

On Sunday, the team's three-day anniversary party was open to the public as 14 members of the Cup team greeted the 2,300 fans who showed up, signed autographs and posed for pictures. The Stanley Cup was there, too.

The team also will be honored tonight when Tampa Bay hosts the Canucks, coached by John Tortorella, who led the Lightning's 2003-04 squad.

As for stories, they even came over the phone from Brad Richards, now with the Rangers, and Vinny Lecavalier, with the Flyers, who wished they could have attended.

"It was great," Cooper said, "to sit around, be a sponge and listen to everything that went on."

Dave Andreychuk, LW, captain

A tripping penalty with 23 seconds left in the third period of Game 7 against the Flames had Andreychuk in the penalty box. As it turned out, that was the best seat in the house.

"As the time went down to zero, I was able to look across the ice and watch the bench celebrate," he said. "My family was in (section) 129, and I was able to see them, too. So that was the really cool thing about it."

As for the rest of the celebration, "I only have two minutes recollection of what really happened," Andreychuk said.

He remembers wondering how heavy the Cup is because he had to skate it around the ice. He doesn't remember hugging Hulk Hogan, though someone told him he did.

He remembers grabbing the Cup away from a teammate to take it into the locker room but can't recall from whom or what happened next.

"I guess that's the whole mystique of it, too," Andreychuk said. "Sure, I'd like to know each person I talked to, but I really don't remember."

Tim Taylor, C

Three or four days after the Lightning won the Cup, Taylor was in a Tampa pharmacy when he overheard two women — perhaps 65 years old, he recalled — talking about the championship.

"It was two months they had stayed up late every night to watch the hockey games on TV," Taylor said. "They were never hockey fans, but they caught on to the game and just loved it."

Taylor said he listened for about 10 minutes before he introduced himself.

"They were, like, 'Oh, my God, that was so much fun to watch,' " Taylor said. "That's what made this special for us. We caught everyone in this community, brought everyone together. We made new hockey fans because we grew the game here."

Brad Richards, C, playoff MVP

Players usually take afternoon naps before games. But before Game 7 against Calgary, Richards couldn't sleep. He went to the lounge of the team hotel to get coffee and found his teammates.

"No one could sleep," Richards said. "And no one wanted to be in their room alone thinking."

The players stayed at a hotel across the street from the Times Forum for the entire playoff run. A big boys club, Richards said.

"Video machine, pingpong, big-screen TV, card games all evening," he said. "It really helped you come together. As fun as the playoffs are with the ups and downs, you don't want to be alone with your thoughts. You want to have your buddies there to bounce things off of, to pass the time. No media, no distractions, no one else in the wold around you."

And when the playoffs ended?

"You've got the Cup," Richards said, "but you're not going to be hanging out anymore with your 25 best friends."

Brad Lukowich, D

Everyone remembers coach John Tortorella telling Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock to "shut your yap."

It was a well-calculated maneuver by Tortorella to take the focus off his players after a bad 6-2 loss in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal.

But does anyone recall it was Hitchcock yelling at Lukowich during the game that gave Tortorella the excuse to blow up?

"There was a faceoff in front of (the Flyers') bench," Lukowich said. "I was probably running around and being an idiot like usual, and (Hitchcock) is pointing at me saying, 'He's coming after you. He's coming after you.' "

Hitchcock meant enforcer Donald Brashear, who Lukowich said went over the boards and punched him in the head.

"We're in the (locker) room, and 'Torts' is, like, 'What happened?' I told him, and Torts pulled a Torts. That's what that was about."

Actually it was about Tortorella taking the attention off his players.

"He was good at that," Lukowich said. "He did it all year. He always kept the players over here and deflected things and took them on himself."

Quotes to note

"I remember the crowd in Philly. During a TV timeout, Torts is yelling at the referee and the whole building is chanting 'Shut your yap.' That was funny." — Andre Roy, LW, on Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final against the Flyers

"Ron said, 'Well, we're going to go ahead and do it and ask for permission later.' We did the deal, and Ron went and said, 'Oh, by the way, this is where we are.' " — GM Jay Feaster, on Lightning president Ron Campbell justifying to CEO Tom Wilson the trade for defenseman Darryl Sydor, a key to the Cup run

"Maybe there will be a 20 years anniversary and I can be there," — Vinny Lecavalier, C



Preview: Lightning-Canucks



. Tonight

Lightning vs. Canucks

When/where: 7:30; Tampa Bay Times Forum.

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM.

Key stats: The Lightning has won two straight games. It hasn't won three straight since Jan. 19-25. … LW Ondrej Palat has three goals, four assists in a four-game points streak. … C Valtteri Filppula has six assists in his past three games. … D Mike Kostka has two goals, seven shots in his past two games. … The Canucks are on a 7-18-4 skid. … Tampa Bay's power play is 4-for-42 in its past 17 games.


739024 Toronto Maple Leafs

Mirtle: Leafs playoff hopes remain high despite loss to Capitals

JAMES MIRTLE

The Globe and Mail

Published Sunday, Mar. 16 2014, 6:35 PM EDT

Last updated Monday, Mar. 17 2014, 12:30 AM EDT

These Toronto Maple Leafs never seem to make life easy for themselves.

They had the chance to so on Sunday in Washington, where a win over the struggling Capitals would have made their path back to the playoffs for a second year in a row quite nearly a sure thing.

In an Eastern Conference not exactly loaded with contenders, it’ll take 91 or maybe 92 points to qualify as a wild card, and Toronto would have needed only four or five more wins in its final 13 games to get there.

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Dominique Ducharme has been coaching the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for three years. Ducharme says his responsibilities towards the team's young players are not just hockey-related.

Hockey

Video: On the job with a junior hockey coach

Vancouver Canucks fans sit in the stands after the team gave up seven goals to the New York Islanders in the third period and lost 7-4 during an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday March 10, 2014.

Listen

Podcast: Canucks on the brink of a complete collapse

That’s not a very hard ask, given their schedule the rest of the way.

Instead, the Leafs spotted the Capitals a 3-0 lead in the game’s first nine minutes – primarily due to some brain-dead penalty killing – and kept Washington’s playoff dreams alive in what turned into a 4-2 loss.

And the resulting six-point separation between the two teams doesn’t seem all that insurmountable if there’s a hot or cold streak one way or the other.

“It looked like we were still in for our afternoon nap,” Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said of his team’s terrible start.

“They kind of picked us apart,” added winger Troy Bodie, who had Toronto’s first goal in the rally that fell short.

Despite the loss, the Leafs playoff chances remain high. They played well enough on a difficult California swing that they have a not-insignificant cushion, and a lot of teams would have to pass them to push them out.

Probability website sportsclubstats.com still gives them a better than 80-per-cent shot at qualifying, which is a bit better than the 12 per cent they were looking at in early January.

But the one team to keep an eye on in all this is the Detroit Red Wings, who the Leafs will face to end their road trip on Tuesday. Beaten-up and not getting great goaltending of late, the Wings still remain a real concern for a couple of reasons.

For one, they’ve got games in hand – plural – on Toronto, and they’re a team known for pulling off some pretty impressive stretch drives. They also have a 22-season playoff streak to try and extend to 23, a rallying point that will get increasing attention across the league over the final month as they make that push.

Two of the Leafs’ last 13 games are against the Wings, too, a potential four-point swing that could dramatically change who finishes where in the Atlantic Division.

Win one of them in regulation and Toronto could neutralize one of the biggest threats to their season.

As was the case a year ago, the Leafs don’t need to be world beaters to make it. Finishing the year 6-7-0 or 5-6-2 or any other similar combination will be enough, and there are should-wins in there like the game against Brian Burke’s Calgary Flames on April Fool’s Day or the rebuilding Florida Panthers late in the year.

But after rocketing into the Olympic break on a season-best streak (11-2-1), the Leafs have lost five of nine games since coming back and mixed in inspiring games with some real duds.

What they need more than anything is to avoid that snowballing and simply find ways to get points, even in losses, as the biggest enemy to the teams behind them will be those three-point games.

A brutal first period robbed them of that chance on Sunday.

The good news? It will only cost them if there are lot more of those to come.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.17.2014


Leafs can’t recover from groggy start in road loss to Capitals

By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Sun Mar 16 2014

WASHINGTON—In the normal game-day scheme of things, they would have been napping ’round about 3 p.m.

So maybe that explains the Leaf doziness in their Sunday matinee encounter with the Capitals. By the time they snapped out of their collective stupor, Toronto was trailing 3-0, outshot 14-2 through the opening period.

James Reimer had surrendered the first goal on the second shot he faced, three on the first five before nine minutes had gone. And he wasn’t even the main problem, left defenceless against a Washington wave of attackers.

Still, the question might fairly be asked: What’s with Jonathan Bernier, really, and when might the No. 1 starter return to the Leaf net?

However, the covert operation to keep Bernier away from the media continued here on Sunday. Asking Toronto’s PR point-man to provide the netminder for questioning elicited only a shocked expression — oh, couldn’t possibly. You crazy?

All that can be said — because surely nobody with the team would outright lie about it, right? — is that Bernier is still with the club, hadn’t headed home early to receive medical attention for whatever it was that drove him out of the net in Los Angeles three nights earlier, lower-body thing, don’t pry.

Has an MRI been conducted? Dunno.

Is the ailment serious enough that Bernier might be a while getting back between the posts with just 13 games left in the season? Dunno.

There was only this one clue from coach Randy Carlyle: “We know that Reims will start the next game, probably, in all probability.”

Stealth shields were also dropped around captain Dion Phaneuf, surfacing from his purported flu episode to assume his duties on the Leaf blue line, terrible throughout the first few shifts but clearly regaining his strength as the game progressed, and bringing Toronto 3-2 close on his eighth goal of the season at 8:05 of the second.

Gobs of time left, especially since the Caps had suddenly switched places with the Leafs, held to a single shot on goal through 16 minutes of the middle frame. But that’s where the rally — all offence — stalled until Troy Brouwer banked a clearing shot off the boards that skittered all the way down the ice and into an empty net with 3.9 seconds left in regulation for the 4-2 final. He opened and closed the scoring.

No sign of Phaneuf in the locker room afterwards. He was allegedly receiving “treatment” of an undisclosed variety, as the team hustled to make their charter flight to Detroit in advance of a forecasted snow storm, and last stop in this five-game cross-country road odyssey.

Toronto players have often remarked that they rarely do Reimer any favours when he’s deployed between the nets — no explanation for that, though — and this encounter was no exception, the chronically outshot Leafs particularly laggard in zone coverage and ham-fisted in puck-clearing.

“We weren’t good enough in the first 10 minutes,” said Reimer. “You can’t spot a team three goals. We just weren’t sharp, myself included, and it cost us. I thought we dominated the second and the third but we just couldn’t quite climb out of the three-goal hole.

“I’m proud of the way the guys battled. We could have just given up after 3-0 but we battled through and we had 30 minutes to tie it up. So we could hold our heads up for that.”

Rationalizations were close at hand — lots of travel, a long road trip that continues Tuesday in Detroit, the unusual 3 p.m. start. Reimer wasn’t having any of it.

“I’m sure anybody can come up with a whole bunch of excuses. No, I don’t think there was any reason. We were well rested. We practiced hard yesterday, we were ready to go today.

“You can make the excuse it’s an afternoon game. We don’t play afternoon games. But it’s a useless, stupid excuse.”

And, nope, there were no after-effects to his brain-pain from the blow he took to his head in L.A. after Bernier yielded the net. “I felt fine.”

This isn’t an excuse, but it will do as a partial explanation. Toronto was 0-for-3 on the power play and a surrendered a goal on each of their first two penalty kills. The PK had been chugging along nicely before the Leafs arrived in town — 17-for-18. But Brouwer was left wide open with Jay McClement — Toronto’s premier penalty-killing specialist — in the box.

“You can’t let Troy Brouwer shoot the puck from 10 feet in front of your own goaltender,” Carlyle complained.

Washington — desperate to get back into the playoff picture — made it 2-0 on a backhand that went in off Jason Chimera’s skate after Reimer stopped the original shot but couldn’t control the rebound. Phaneuf was serving a slashing violation when Joel Ward made it 3-0.

Troy Bodie got Toronto on the board early in the second when an erratic puck bounced to him in the high slot. His perfect wrister went over Jaroslav Halak’s right shoulder. Phaneuf atoned in the second on a strange play. He hammered a shot from the point that pinged off Halak’s blocker but the rebound skittered all the way back out to him inside the blue line. Phaneuf drifted to his left and then merely floated the puck towards the goal, beating Halak stick-side as David Clarkson created distracting traffic around the paint.

Clarkson almost tied it later in the second, actually had one arm up in celebration, yet the puck, skimming along the line behind Halak, never crossed over it.

“That’s been the story this year,” the snake-bit Clarkson sighed. “I think even if I didn’t celebrate, it was still laying there for me to poke in. It’s tough. I really don’t know what to say.”

He did say the obvious, though: “We know we’ve got to find a way to be better. At this time of the season, every game is like a playoff. You’ve got to be ready from the drop of the puck.”

Which the Leafs clearly weren’t.

“It took us a good part of the game to get warmed up and get awake,” said Carlyle, who was displeased with puck sloppiness at the very end, Reimer on the bench. “We threw the puck in a Hail Mary play to the front of the net, where we should have controlled the puck a little more. We were doing those kinds of things all night.

“The bottom line is we weren’t sharp enough and we didn’t play with enough energy or desperation.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.17.2014


Maple Leafs' penthouse-doghouse: Reimer looks sharp, the offence does not

By: Curtis Rush Sports reporter, Published on Sun Mar 16 2014

The Maple Leafs looked like they went for an afternoon nap in the first period, but woke up in time to make a game of it. However, they still lost to the Washington Capitals 4-2 Sunday afternoon after missing several coverage assignments, which led to two power-play goals.

Penthouse

We have to put James Reimer in the penthouse because, although he struggled in the first period with his rebound control, he battled back and kept the Leafs close. Reimer made 28 saves, including some big stops in the third period.

We are also putting Troy Bodie in the penthouse because he scored a key goal to put the Leafs back into the thick of things.

Doghouse

The entire offence (except for Bodie.) Toronto had only two shots on goal in the first period.

We’re also adding David Clarkson, who is close to getting a season membership to the doghouse. For someone who receives as much ice time as he does, he has to make more of an impact. If he’s not scoring, he has to come up with more than one shot on net and two hits. And putting your arms up in the air to signify a goal that wasn’t a goal doesn’t cut it.

We are also putting Dion Phaneuf here. Although he scored a goal, the Leaf captain blew coverages down low that led to two Washington goals. We are also putting Nazem Kadri in the doghouse for getting bumped off the puck in the offensive zone, springing Chimera for a breakaway Reimer was forced to stop.

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.17.2014


Maple Leafs get off to slow start and lose to Capitals

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun


WASHINGTON, D.C. - Once the afternoon nap was over, the Maple Leafs made it a decent hockey game Sunday in the U.S. capital.

Unfortunately, the untimely snooze in the opening period put them in a 3-0 hole early, a deficit they weren’t able to completely recover from in a 4-2 loss to the Capitals.

Playing in just their second matinee of the season (the only other being the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day), the Leafs woke up in the second to make a game of it but couldn’t salvage a point from the struggling Caps.

The loss dropped Toronto’s record to 2-2 on the current five-game road trip that winds up with a date against the Red Wings Tuesday night in Detroit.

James Reimer, making the start in place of the injured Jonathan Bernier, surrendered goals on three of the first five shots he faced before settling down the rest of the way. He wasn’t alone in the blame, however, as two of those came courtesy of the potent Caps power play.

With the loss, the Leafs’ hold on second place in the Atlantic Division got thinner. With 80 points, they lead Tampa Bay and Montreal by one point, but the Lightning have a pair of games in hand and the Habs one. Montreal could move ahead of the Leafs with a victory in Buffalo on Sunday night.

It was an odd game, with the Caps holding a 14-2 edge in shots in the first period and the Leafs reversing that with a 20-6 margin in the second.

Following a strong start to a lengthy road trip — winning two out of three in California last week — the Leafs came out flat and were outshot 14-2 in a first period dominated by the Capitals.

The league’s second-best power play clicked early when Jay McClement was off for a hooking call and the Leafs were caught running around in their own end. While shadowing Alex Ovechkin, Troy Brouwer was allowed to park himself in the heart of the slot and easily buried a feed from Marcus Johansson to put the Caps up just 3:34 in.

The lead was increased to 2-0 at 6:57 of the opening period when Reimer couldn’t handle a loose puck and Dion Phaenuf couldn’t handle Joel Ward, whose shot bounced off Jason Chimera’s skate and into the empty net.

Moments later, Phaneuf made it worse when he got nailed for slashing and the Caps got their second power-play goal of the game, this time on a Ward one-time of a pass from Dustin Penner for his first point as a Capital.

The Leafs had managed just one shot on net 17 minutes into the period but 15 seconds later, plugging winger Troy Bodie wristed a shot to the top corner behind Jaroslav Halak and Toronto was on the board.

The middle period was a reversal of form as the Leafs dominated with a 20-6 edge in shots, helped by two power plays. They pulled to within a goal when Phaneuf floated a shot from the point that eluded Halak, thanks in part to a good screen from David Clarkson.

The Capitals put it away with four seconds remaining on an empty-net goal by Brouwer.

With Bernier nursing a lower-body injury, Reimer got the start marking just the third time this season that he has seen action in three consecutive games. Bernier remained with the team and was spotted working out on the stationary bike prior to the game.

The Leafs were to fly to Detroit after the game, where they are scheduled to practise on Monday.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.17.2014


Capitals keep Maple Leafs' top line in check

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun


WASHINGTON, D.C. - As the games get tighter down the stretch and the post-season approaches, the Leafs can expect the checking to get tighter on their top line.

And if the Capitals offered any indication on Sunday, it is going to be a challenge most nights.

Phil Kessel was held without a point for a third consecutive game, a development that prompted coach Randy Carlyle to move the team’s leading scorer to a line with Joffrey Lupul and Nazem Kadri for several shifts.

“(The Capitals) were trying to check him with (Jason) Chimera, (Joel) Ward and Eric Fehr and that was their checking line,” Carlyle said. “So we just moved Phil away from there.”

Kessel did manage four shots on net in the game to lead the team, but none were dangerous scoring opportunities.

Close for Clarkson

The Leafs thought they had tied the score late in the second period when forward David Clarkson just missed, watching helplessly as the puck trickled across the goal line.

Clarkson’s analysis of the play? Typical of his season.

“I thought I had put it in,” said Clarkson, who briefly raised his arms in celebration. “That’s been the story this year. It was just laying there for me to poke it in. It’s tough, I really don’t know what to say.

“That’s been the way it’s gone, but you’ve got to work hard and find ways to keep putting yourself in a chance to score.”

Loose Leafs

Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf has been battling the flu bug but was able to play on Sunday. The defenceman played just 20:01, a generally light workload for him, though he scored the team’s second goal ... Scratches for the Leafs were Colton Orr and Peter Holland while Carter Ashton drew in up front. Once again, Carlyle went with a lineup that had seven defencemen ... Maple Leafs prospect Connor Brown locked up the Ontario Hockey League scoring title this weekend as he ended the season collecting 128 points (45 goals and 83 assists) in 68 games with the Erie Otters. Brown was an impressive plus-44 with the team after going a miserable minus-72 two seasons ago ... A couple of new acquisitions played a role in the Caps’ win on Sunday: Goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 27 of 29 shots to improve his record to 3-2 with the Caps and Dustin Penner earned an assist, his first point in Washington, since being acquired at the trade deadline ... Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk briefly went to the dressing room for treatment in the second period after being hit by a Kessel shot. The big winger didn’t miss a shift, however ... The Leafs were to fly out of D.C. immediately following the game and are scheduled to practise in Detroit on Monday afternoon in advance of Tuesday’s contest with the Red Wings ... It was a big game for Caps forward and Toronto native Ward, who had his 20th goal of the season, the first time he’s hit that milestone in his career. “We’re really happy for the guy and that he gets rewarded for what he does,” Ward’s linemate Troy Brouwer said. “A lot of times he and (Chimera) and (Fehr) get overshadowed because of the names that we have on our team. They are unsung for us.”



Maple Leafs' Dion Phaneuf plus-minus rating taking a dive 1

BY LANCE HORNBY ,TORONTO SUN

FIRST POSTED: SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014 10:23 PM EDT | UPDATED: SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014 10:32 PM EDT

When Dion Phaneuf had an assist Sunday, then scored the Leafs second goal, there was reason to think Toronto was guaranteed to be better than .500 on this five-game road trip.

Whenever the captain gets a point this year, it had meant two for the team as the Leafs went into Washington with a record of 20-0-5 when he’s on the scoresheet. That includes a mark of 4-0-3 when he scored.

But Phaneuf is a poster boy for the Leafs’ meandering ways, especially when it comes to games where they’re even the slightest favourites. By the time Phaneuf hit the board with a helper on Troy Bodie’s goal, the Leafs were down three, due in part to his inability to tie up Joel Ward on the opening goal. They weren’t going to come back this time.

Phaneuf’s two points stood in contrast to his minus-1 at the end of the afternoon. Though coach Randy Carlyle had the aim of taking some pressure off Phaneuf when he moved to the seven-man defence before the Olympic break, Phaneuf’s plus-minus has now slipped from the positive 20s down to 13, while partner Carl Gunnarsson has passed him for the team lead at plus-19.

Slot goalie James Reimer, defencemen Cody Franson, Jake Gardiner and a few forwards in that inconsistent file as well. Reimer spat out rebounds galore early on before settling down, while Franson and Gardiner had to cross their fingers while mates killed off their momentum-wrecking penalties. Franson’s was for a panicked clearing of the puck over the Verizon Center glass.

Phaneuf was fighting flu symptoms on Sunday, as were a number of Leafs as the road trip reached the week away milestone.

Pointing to the playoffs?

Despite Sunday’s setback, Carlyle’s team heads into Detroit on Tuesday with 80 points. That’s only five shy of predecessor Ron Wilson’s best mark in his three full 82-game seasons behind the bench (Carlyle picked up the last 15 when the Leafs reached 80 in 2011-12). Since Pat Quinn made the ’04 playoffs, 91 points are the most the Leafs have managed in a full season and Carlyle’s current edition has 13 more games to work with.

But there has been a dramatic shift in the standings beneath them since March. As fast as teams fell out of contention in the East, led by New Jersey and Carolina, clubs such as Philadelphia and Columbus caught up. And Ottawa will be haunted by that record late-night collapse against the Habs that created a three-point Hockey Night finish, the worst outcome for a division rival such as Toronto.

The Leafs need to get seven wins at least before they can think about reaching a magic number. Game 82 is in Ottawa on April 12.

Have we got contact?

Head therapist Paul Ayotte has been getting a lot of game-night air time lately with the Jonathan Bernier injury, Reimer’s collision in the L.A. game and then Sunday afternoon when Reimer had a contact lens-vision issue that forced him to the bench for eye drops.

As Ayotte saw to Reimer, Sportsnet’s rinkside reporter Paul Hendrick deadpanned “it’s a contact sport”.

Reimer dispelled any thought he had a lingering head injury from the L.A. game with a strong finish, including two huge glove saves after he clanked a couple of early shots.

Ice Chips

Alex Ovechkin was neutralized by the Leafs on Sunday, a battle won when the war was lost. Having seen him score just about every which way against them the past nine years, the Leafs closed him off or let him stay on his wrong wing, but failed to stop secondary Caps from getting quality chances ... Ovechkin has had a plus-minus swing of nearly 75 from his last

50-goal season in ’09-10 ... James van Riemsdyk wasn’t the first NHLer to try some behind-the-back, through-the-legs trickery from the lip of the blue paint, but the move has certainly caught on around the league this season ... Jay McClement had the best faceoff numbers of any player in the game (11-for-16), but Toronto’s best penalty killing forward was in the box when Troy Brouwer made it 1-0 ... David Clarkson and van Riemsdyk were left hurting from being struck by teammates’ shots while setting up screens, the latter by one of those sizzling Phil Kessel snapshot ... Nikolai Kulemin’s deft tips and body position were a key in killing off late Toronto minors ... Nazem Kadri has drawn lost of penalties with his good footwork this year, but splaying himself out to get the referee’s attention on one such play was a little hammy ... The Caps were charged with double the giveways of the Leafs, 8-4, underlining the home team’s reputation for offensive fireworks at one end and burned fingers at the other ... Greg McKegg, Josh Leivo, Jerred Smithson and Spencer Abbott had two-point games as the Marlies downed Hamilton 4-1 at Ricoh ... That’s two straight wins for Kings’ 2011 second-rounder Chris Gibson in the Marlies nets, with 2011 late Leafs pick Garret Sparks now in reserve and Drew MacIntyre up.



Toronto Maple Leafs can’t climb out of early hole in loss to Washington Capitals

Harvey Valentine, Associated Press | March 16, 2014 6:41 PM ET

WASHINGTON — Troy Brouwer scored two goals and the Washington Capitals scored three times in the first period before holding on for a 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday.

Are the Maple Leafs for real, or just smoke and mirrors?

Joel Ward had a goal and an assist, and Jason Chimera also tallied for Washington, which scored on three of its first five shots against James Reimer for a 3-0 lead.

The Maple Leafs pulled within 3-2 in the second period and it stayed that way until Brouwer’s empty-netter with four seconds left.

Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist for Toronto and Troy Bodie also scored. The Capitals won their second straight. They begin a three-game West Coast swing Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

The Maple Leafs, third in the conference, are 2-2 on their five-game road trip.

National Post LOADED: 03.17.2014


Toronto Maple Leafs can’t climb out of early hole in loss to Washington Capitals

Harvey Valentine, Associated Press | March 16, 2014 | Last Updated: Mar 16 9:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON — Washington linemates Joel Ward and Jason Chimera often play in the shadow of their higher-profile teammates.

Are the Maple Leafs for real, or just smoke and mirrors?

On Sunday afternoon, they sparked the Capitals to a much-needed victory.

On a day when Alex Ovechkin was held to one shot on goal, the Capitals’ third line scored twice in a three-goal first period and the Capitals held on for 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ward had a goal and an assist and Chimera also tallied for Washington, which scored on three of its first five shots for a 3-0 lead

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“I’ve counted on Wardo and Chimmer all year long,” Capitals coach Adam Oates said. “They play together — penalty kill, power play. Big bodies that we count on for a lot of minutes.

“It’s good to see them get rewarded because you don’t get a lot of accolades based on that. You know, doing grunt work.”

Ward, in his seventh season, reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time and added his 20th assist, while Chimera scored his 13th goal and has points in seven of his past nine games.

“A lot of the time (Ward) and Chimmer and (centre Eric Fehr) get overshadowed because of the names we have on this team,” Troy Brouwer said. “Night in night out, I think they are our most consistent line.”

Brouwer scored the other first-period goal for Washington and added an empty-netter with four seconds left to seal the win after Toronto had pulled within 3-2 in the second period.

The Capitals begin a three-game swing Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

“You’ve just got to win them all,” Oates said of upcoming games at Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose. “I know they’re better than us in the standings, but you’ve got to have the attitude you’re going to beat them.”

Recently acquired goalie Jaroslav Halak, making his fifth straight start, had 27 saves in the win.

Karl Alzner assisted on two Washington goals.

Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist for Toronto and Troy Bodie also scored. The Maple Leafs, third in the conference, are 2-2 on their five-game road trip.

“Obviously we were pretty flat the first period,” Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. “It looked like we were still in our afternoon nap. Playing an afternoon game just took us a good part of the game to get warmed up and get awake.”

James Reimer, starting in place of regular goalie Jonathan Bernier, who suffered a lower body injury in Thursday’s win at Los Angeles, finished with 29 saves.

Washington’s power play was 2 for 4. Toronto was 0 for 3. The Capitals have 12 power-play goals in their past 10 games.

“They got a good power play,” Bodie said. “We know that. They kind of picked us apart.”

Phaneuf pulled Toronto within 3-2 at 8:05 of the second period when he floated a shot from the point through a screen and past Halak for his eighth goal.

Toronto then came up empty on three consecutive power-play chances over a seven-minute stretch.

Two of Washington’s first-period goals were the result of crisp passing sequences.

With Toronto a man down, Marcus Johansson took a pass behind the goal line from Nicklas Backstrom and fed Brouwer in the slot. Brouwer one-timed low shot past Reimer for his 19th goal just 3:34 into the first period.

Ward’s effort in front made it 2-0 minutes later. Alzner’s shot was stopped in front, but Ward outdueled Reimer for the puck and his backhand deflected off Chimera, who was credited with the goal.

“We weren’t good enough in the first 10 minutes,” Reimer said. “You can’t spot a team three goals. We just weren’t sharp, you know? Myself included. And it cost us.”

The Capitals soon got another power play, and this time it was Evgeny Kuznetsov who made nice pass in front, to Dustin Penner. Penner, stationed to the left of Reimer, shovelled a backhand pass across to Ward, who buried it in the open net.

“Chimmer is one of the fastest guys in the league. I just try to give him the puck,” Ward said. “There’s no secret. I just try to hide in the weeds and try to look for some loose pucks.”

Toronto didn’t get its second shot on goal until the 17:15 mark of the first period, but it went in as Bodie beat Halak over his right shoulder.

National Post LOADED: 03.17.2014

739032 Washington Capitals

Nicklas Backstrom’s unselfish play leads to Troy Brouwer’s 20th goal

By Katie Carrera, Updated: March 16 at 10:45 pm

When a puck is making its way slowly toward an empty net, threatening to stop on the snow that has accumulated in the crease before it crosses the goal line, most players would swat the puck in the cage themselves. Nicklas Backstrom isn’t like most players.

Late in the Capitals game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday at Verizon Center (full disclosure: I was on a flight to California for the road trip during the game but this play was too neat to not write about after catching up on the replays), Troy Brouwer banked the puck off the boards to clear it out of the defensive zone.

As the puck caromed through the neutral zone and toward the empty net, Backstrom had raced in front of Toronto defensemen Dion Phaneuf and Morgan Rielly in pursuit.

But rather than tap the puck in himself for what would have been his 14th goal of the year, Backstrom simply shielded it from the Maple Leafs so that when it did cross the line to wrap up a 4-2 Capitals’ win it would also stand as Troy Brouwer’s 20th goal of the year.

“That was the best, most unselfish play I’ve ever seen in my entire hockey career and it just sums up – I’ve already tweeted it I’m so happy about it ,” Karl Alzner told reporters in Washington after the game. “It is the best move a person can do and that I’ve ever seen. That just sums up the type of person he is.”

Said Coach Adam Oates: “That’s a very unselfish thing. He’s smart enough he probably knows he didn’t have the assist on it either, so he doesn’t get a point. Which we all know that too. Just a fantastic thing. That’s who he is.”

This is the second time in Brouwer’s career that he has reached the 20-goal plateau. The only other year was back in 2009-10 as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks.

I defiantly owe @backstrom19 dinner after that unselfish play tonight #fivedollarfootlong

— Troy Brouwer (@tbrouwer20) March 17, 2014

Backy’s play/decision on that empty net goal sums up why he is the ultimate teammate/person #respect #caps

— Karl Alzner (@KarlAlzner) March 16, 2014

Washington Post LOADED: 03.17.2014


Brooks Laich will not join Capitals on West Coast trip

By Chelsea Janes, Updated: March 16 at 8:44 pm

Brooks Laich’s lingering groin injury will sideline him for at least another week. Capitals Coach Adam Oates announced after Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs that Laich will not travel with the team on its three-game trip to California but will instead head to St. Louis to meet with groin specialist Michael Brunt for the second time in a week.

Oates said Laich might undergo a “small procedure” similar to the one he had last spring, part of a disastrous 2012-13 season in which the troublesome injury limited him to nine games.

“We talked, and we shut Brooksy down,” Oates said of his decision not to play Laich on Sunday. “He wasn’t feeling good. He’s going to go to St. Louis and see the same doctor.”

Oates said Laich flying from St. Louis to join the team in California at some point wasn’t a possibility, and that he “might have a little procedure” done. He said the team will know tomorrow whether or not Laich will have the procedure, and that he doesn’t know the specific timetable for the 30-year-old forward’s return if he does.

“I think we’d have to make the playoffs, but it’s not for the rest of the year,” Oates said.

Laich has 15 points in 51 games this season.

Washington Post LOADED: 03.17.2014


Adam Oates is cautious over Evgeny Kuznetsov’s ‘wow factor’

By Chuck Gormley

CSNwashington.com

Saturday, March 15, 2014

When Evgeny Kuznetsov was announced as the first star of the game following Friday night’s 4-3 win over Vancouver Canucks, the 21-year-old Russian emphatically flipped a puck into the stands and applauded the fans at Verizon Center, tapping his stick with his gloved hand.

A few minutes later, Kuznetsov’s cell phone was filled with text messages from more than 5,000 miles away.

“I had a lot of messages,” Kuznetsov said through a smile on Saturday, the morning after recording his first Kuznet-trick, a three-assist night against the Canucks. “All my friends. My momma and poppa, they cry I think. They were all excited.”

There is a 10-hour time difference between Chelyabinsk, Russia and Washington, which means Kuznetsov’s wife, parents and family had to get up at 5 a.m. to see him record his first three NHL points.

“Whoever gets up early accomplishes a lot,” Kuznetsov said. “They have all day to sleep.”

As a reward for his big night Capitals coach Adam Oates promoted Kuznetsov to a second line, where he replaced left wing Dustin Penner on a line with center Casey Wellman and right wing Troy Brouwer.

“He had a great night, a little reward,” Oates said. “I put Dustin back. He didn’t do anything wrong. He had a pretty good night himself. It’s just a feel against Toronto.”

Ironically, Kuznetsov saw less ice time in Friday night’s win over Vancouver [9:58] than he did in his first two NHL games [10:22 and 14:52 against the Penguins].

Oates said he’s a little fearful of giving Kuznetsov too much too soon.

“I really want to caution about getting to far ahead,” Oates said. “He made a couple good plays. Good. He can make a couple boneheads tomorrow. He’s a good hockey player, he’s played pro hockey, even though it’s over there. Do I expect him to make that pass to Willy? It was a great pass. Awesome.

“Is he learning? Yeah, I hope so. But I also want to caution myself on the wow factor.”

To make room for Kuznetsov, Penner [no points on nine shots in six games] was dropped to a fourth line with center Jay Beagle and right wing Tom Wilson.

“I thought he had a couple opportunities that if he was in a little better position he could have gotten 2-on-1s down the ice,” Oates said of Penner. “I think that’s also him learning our system, in terms of how fast you’ve got to get across the ice. I think he wasted some chances because of that. But I also think he did some good things in the game.”

Acquired from the Anaheim Ducks for a fourth-round pick at the NHL trade deadline, Penner said he did not read much into being demoted to a fourth line.

“I haven’t had enough scoring chances but I like the way I’ve skated,” Penner said. “I wanted to come in here and first of all be defensive and try to help them knock their goals-against down and not be a liability on the ice. There are probably a few points we’ve left out there as a line, but at this time of year individual points mean less and team points mean way more.”

The fact Wellman replaced Marcus Johansson on the second line – and Johansson was moved to top-line left wing with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin – is a strong indicator the Caps will be without Brooks Laich on Sunday when they face the Maple Leafs.

Oates said Laich, who took just two shifts in the final 12 minutes Friday night because of groin pain, will be a game-time decision.

Washington Times LOADED: 03.17.2014


With west coast trip looming, Capitals take care of business by toppling Toronto

By Brian McNally

The Washington Times

Sunday, March 16, 2014

There was no doubt the Capitals needed a pair of wins this weekend at home to keep their fading Stanley Cup playoff chances alive.

With a difficult trip to California looming this week, they were out of options. Things remain dicey for a team that has qualified for the postseason six years in a row. But Sunday’s 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at Verizon Center at least keeps hope alive.

Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward recorded their 20th goals of the season and Jason Chimera added another. A 3-0 first period lead held up, though there were some tense moments after the Maple Leafs cut the advantage to one midway through the second period.

Again, it wasn’t a perfect effort. But at this time of year that’s irrelevant. The Caps needed the standings points and got them with wins over Toronto on Sunday and Vancouver on Friday.

“Still a few things we’d like to clean up – letting teams back into the game,” Brouwer said. “We did a good job of holding them off, especially when they had a few [power plays] late in the second period. We kept our composure for once rather than panicking.”

Indeed, the Maple Leafs were held to just seven shots in the third period as Washington maintained that 3-2 lead. In the final minute, as a Brouwer shot rolled towards an empty net and what would be his 20th goal of the season, center Nicklas Backstrom tracked the puck the entire way down ice.

But instead of tapping it home as it slowed, Backstrom chose to let the puck’s momentum carry it across the goal line. Brouwer had his second goal of the night and his 20th of the year and Backstrom earned praise from his teammates.

“That’s the best, most unselfish play I’ve ever seen in my entire hockey career,” defenseman Karl Alzner said.

Brouwer certainly appreciated it. He and his teammates ragged on Jason Chimera, whose skate deflected in the first goal. That would have been No. 20 for Ward, who slapped at the puck from his back side. A sheepish Chimera said he felt better when Ward actually got No. 20 at 8:44 of the first period on the power play. That made it 3-0 Washington and left it in control of the contest early.

“We want to contribute five-on-five. First, we want to do that,” Ward said. “Obviously, special teams is huge nowadays, but you’re not going to be on the power play all the time. You’ve got to establish a good five-on-five game and get the puck in deep.”

That line of Ward, Chimera and center Eric Fehr has been a consistent force all season. The Caps managed to score four goals despite coach Adam Oates shifting his top lines around. Star winger Alex Ovechkin managed just one shot on goal. He and left wing Marcus Johansson skated much of the second half of the game with fourth-line forward Jay Beagle at center.

“They get overshadowed because of the names that we have on our team,” Brouwer said of his team’s third line. “Night in and night out, I think they’re our most consistent line and that’s why they stick together. They are unsung for us.”

And now the Caps (32-27-10, 74 points) have set themselves up for a difficult road trip to California, where they will play Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose – three of the NHL’s top eight teams. That’s a brutal stretch and Brouwer said his team must find a way to win two of those games to keep the pressure on its Eastern Conference rivals.

But they received help on Sunday when the New York Rangers (36-29-4, 76 points) lost to San Jose. That left Washington just two points out of the final wild-card spot. It was a far better place than where it began the

weekend, however. With just 13 games remaining, that’s all the Caps can ask.

“You’ve got to win them all,” Oates said. “We haven’t played [the Kings] yet. But we played Anaheim very well here. We could’ve won that game and San Jose the same thing. I know they’re better than us in the standings, but you’ve got to have the attitude that you’re going to beat them.”

Notes: Caps left wing Brooks Laich is headed back to St. Louis to see groin specialist Dr. Michael Brunt, according to Oates. Laich didn’t play on Sundayand has missed three of his last six games. He was clearly laboring late in Friday’s game against the Canucks.

Laich will not travel to California and could have a procedure in St. Louis similar to the one he had done last spring. If that happens, there is no timetable for a return. Laich would likely miss the rest of the regular season, however. He first visited Brunt last Tuesday while the Caps were in Pittsburgh playing the Penguins.



Capitals double up Maple Leafs 4-2

By HARVEY VALENTINE

Associated Press

Sunday, March 16, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) - Washington linemates Joel Ward and Jason Chimera often play in the shadow of their higher-profile teammates.

On Sunday afternoon, they sparked the Capitals to a much-needed victory.

On a day when Alex Ovechkin was held to one shot on goal, the Capitals’ third line scored twice in a three-goal first period and the Capitals held on for 4-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Ward had a goal and an assist and Chimera also tallied for Washington, which scored on three of its first five shots for a 3-0 lead

“I’ve counted on Wardo and Chimmer all year long,” Capitals coach Adam Oates said. “They play together - penalty kill, power play. Big bodies that we count on for a lot of minutes.

“It’s good to see them get rewarded because you don’t get a lot of accolades based on that. You know, doing grunt work.”

Ward, in his seventh season, reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time and added his 20th assist, while Chimera scored his 13th goal and has points in seven of his past nine games.

“A lot of the time (Ward) and Chimmer and (center Eric Fehr) get overshadowed because of the names we have on this team,” Troy Brouwer said. “Night in night out, I think they are our most consistent line.”

Brouwer scored the other first-period goal for Washington and added an empty-netter with four seconds left to seal the win after Toronto had pulled within 3-2 in the second period.

The Capitals begin a three-game swing Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif.

“You’ve just got to win them all,” Oates said of upcoming games at Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose. “I know they’re better than us in the standings, but you’ve got to have the attitude you’re going to beat them.”

Recently acquired goalie Jaroslav Halak, making his fifth straight start, had 27 saves in the win.

Karl Alzner assisted on two Washington goals.

Dion Phaneuf had a goal and an assist for Toronto and Troy Bodie also scored. The Maple Leafs are 2-2 on their five-game road trip.

“Obviously we were pretty flat the first period,” Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said. “It looked like we were still in our afternoon nap. Playing an afternoon game just took us a good part of the game to get warmed up and get awake.”

James Reimer, starting in place of regular goalie Jonathan Bernier, who suffered a lower body injury in Thursday’s win at Los Angeles, finished with 29 saves.

Washington’s power play was 2 for 4. Toronto was 0 for 3. The Capitals have 12 power-play goals in their past 10 games.

“They got a good power play,” Bodie said. “We know that. They kind of picked us apart.”

Phaneuf pulled Toronto within 3-2 at 8:05 of the second period when he floated a shot from the point through a screen and past Halak for his eighth goal.

Toronto then came up empty on three consecutive power-play chances over a seven-minute stretch.

Two of Washington’s first-period goals were the result of crisp passing sequences.

With Toronto a man down, Marcus Johansson took a pass behind the goal line from Nicklas Backstrom and fed Brouwer in the slot. Brouwer one-timed low shot past Reimer for his 19th goal just 3:34 into the first period.

Ward’s effort in front made it 2-0 minutes later. Alzner’s shot was stopped in front, but Ward outdueled Reimer for the puck and his backhand deflected off Chimera, who was credited with the goal.

“We weren’t good enough in the first 10 minutes,” Reimer said. “You can’t spot a team three goals. We just weren’t sharp, you know? Myself included. And it cost us.”

The Capitals soon got another power play, and this time it was Evgeny Kuznetsov who made nice pass in front, to Dustin Penner. Penner, stationed to the left of Reimer, shoveled a backhand pass across to Ward, who buried it in the open net.

“Chimmer is one of the fastest guys in the league. I just try to give him the puck,” Ward said. “There’s no secret. I just try to hide in the weeds and try to look for some loose pucks.”

Toronto didn’t get its second shot on goal until the 17:15 mark of the first period, but it went in as Bodie beat Halak over his right shoulder.

NOTES: The Capitals are 20-0-3 this season when leading after the second period. … Capitals C Brooks Laich (lower body injury) was a scratch and has missed two of the past three games. Oates said he’ll visit a doctor in St. Louis this week. … Toronto concludes its road trip Tuesday in Detroit.


739037 Winnipeg Jets

Hope springs eternal for Jets

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 12:06 PM | Comments: 2

WINNIPEG — If you’re into hope, Jets coach Paul Maurice has something for you today.

Asked after this morning’s game-day skate at the MTS Centre what difference he’s noticed in his team from the last 10 games (2-4-3) to the first 11 (9-2-0) he coached here, he uttered this amazing response: "We’re playing better now."

Jets Scores

Dallas -

Winnipeg -

Mar. 16 at 7 p.m.

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"The structure parts of our game ... and there’s two games in there that it isn’t necessarily true, but probably the best game we played all year was in St. Louis (Feb. 8) in terms of being in that game against a high-end team," Maurice said. "We’ve had great stories, the third period in Chicago (Jan. 26) was fantastic but in terms of the quality of game and what we can replicate and what we can do every night, the St. Louis was very strong and our game in Colorado (last Monday) game was very good and there were chunks in that New York Rangers (Friday) game that were very good."

It’s all quite amazing because the Jets are in the throes of a six-game losing streak (0-3-3) and have fallen six points (75-69) off the pace of the eighth-place Dallas Stars, their opponents tonight (7p.m. TSNJets, TSN1290).

As big games go, it’s a "need" game for the Jets.

"We’ve got to get something started here," Jets right-winger Blake Wheeler said. "The days and games are starting to run out.

"I think regardless of who we play, it’s a huge game for us. You factor in the team occupying the eighth spot, it adds a little bit more importance. I expect to see a desperate group on our side and hopefully that gets us out of this hole."

Maurice said he’s not trying to downplay the importance tonight.

"I want our team to feel this is a huge game and deal with all the emotions and that nervous energy," the coach said. "Because it’s part of that process they have to go through.

"You’ve got to get to the point in your life that you can find a way to way to enjoy them, to be excited about the size of the game."

Tonight, the Jets will be without right-winger Chris Thorburn, who has a fractured bone in his ankle from a shot block on Friday and is out indefinitely, and also without centre Jim Slater, who has a lower-body injury.

Goalie Ondrej Pavelec, downed with a lower-body injury after one period on Friday, will miss games tonight and Monday in St. Louis. Understudy Al Montoya is expected to play both, and the Jets have recalled Michael Hutchinson from the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps to be his backup.

The juggling will continue with centre Eric O’Dell moving into an offensive role between Evander Kane and Devin Setoguchi, and today’s most recent call-up from the IceCaps, Patrice Cormier, moving onto the fourth line.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.17.2014


Time to bring back Burmi

By: Gary Lawless

Posted: 03/17/2014 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Should the Winnipeg Jets retain Paul Maurice as coach for next season the first thing they should do is buy him a plane ticket for Russia. And then Latvia.

The Jets have three players -- Alex Burmistrov, Ivan Telegin and Arturs Kulda -- who spent the season in the KHL and would better serve the organization in North America.

Jets Scores

Winnipeg -

St. Louis -

Mar. 17 at 7 p.m.

Winnipeg can't afford to play "it's our way or the highway," at this stage of the organization's development. Maurice has the ability to walk the fine line, being both a players' coach and one that holds his group accountable.

Maurice was asked recently about his experiences coaching in Russia and spoke with empathy for players trying to cross over into a new hockey culture. If the Jets are hoping to build a bridge with any of these players, Maurice might prove the answer.

"Probably the biggest thing I walked away with is a blanket apology to every Russian player I ever coached. When they come to Canada and play the way they do, there's a reason for it. Things sometimes get said about them, like they're not tough, but I can tell you there are tough players over there. They just play the game so differently," said Maurice. "We expect them to make adjustments in a couple of weeks when they get here... you want them to tip the puck in and chase it, and you want them to do this and go there, and then you think they don't want to play your game. It's not like that at all, and you'd have to be there to see where they come from... the culture and the hockey. So a blanket apology... I have a better understanding of their world, how they train, how they play, and why they play the way they do."

Both Burmistrov and Kulda could help the Jets at the NHL level right now and Telegin should be heading to the Calder Cup playoffs with the St. John's IceCaps. Who knows, maybe Telegin could have taken advantage of some early seasoning in the AHL and now be skating on the Jets' third or fourth line, where there are currently a number of non-factors collecting NHL paycheques.

Burmistrov is a first-round pick with lots of ability and certainly would have been a welcome player when rookie centre Mark Scheifele suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Burmistrov and former Jets head coach Claude Noel battled last season and when GM Kevin Cheveldayoff entered into negotiations with agent Mark Gandler during the off-season it was quickly apparent the KHL was the favoured option for the Russian.

Maurice, however, could change the climate between Burmistrov and the Jets.

Burmistrov had 10 goals and 27 points in 54 KHL games with Kazan Ak-Bars this season after signing a two-year deal during the summer. Standard KHL contracts do not have NHL out clauses although some players are able to secure riders allowing them to return to North America. Calls and emails to Gandler went unanswered Sunday, so Burmistrov's KHL contract status could not be determined.

Regardless of whether Burmistrov is available next season or for the 2015-16 season, getting him to give the NHL another try is in the best interest of the Jets, at the very least for the purpose of trading him.

Kulda was excellent playing for Latvia at the Olympics. He told me he'd only come back if he was given a chance to play in Winnipeg. From what I saw at the Olympics, he's ready for that chance.

Telegin left for Russia after being sent down to St. John's out of training camp. The Jets originally suspended him before softening their stance and loaning him to Metallurg Novokuznetsk before he was transferred to CSKA Moscow.

Burmistrov is a restricted free agent, as is Kulda, and both would have to be signed to new contracts before they could play for the Jets. Telegin is under contract.

Maurice, or whoever ends up coaching the Jets next season, will represent the dawn of a new era behind the bench. Why not ring in a little glasnost at the same time where these players are concerned?



Jets show star power

By: Tim Campbell


The humour isn't likely to last but the Winnipeg Jets broke out of their six-game losing streak with a laugher on Sunday night at the MTS Centre.

The Jets hit a brief speed bump in the first period -- two Dallas goals in 37 seconds gave the visitors a 2-1 lead -- but revved their engines hard and kept right on going down the road in a 7-2 trouncing of the Stars before 15,004 happy customers.

It was the largest offensive outburst of the season for the Jets, who have struggled recently to exceed two goals on most nights. Their last "laugher" of any sort was two months ago to the day in Calgary, an eventual 5-2 win.

More importantly, the surplus was an emphatic end to their 0-3-3 slide and kept alive talk of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Jets, now with 71 points, pulled to within four of the Stars, who hold the eighth and final playoff position today. Between the teams are the Phoenix Coyotes, also at 75, and the Vancouver Canucks, at 72.

"I feel like the last couple of games we've been having our chances," said Jets defenceman Toby Enstrom, who had a goal and two assists. "Today's just a day where we took care of the chances we had and scored some goals. I think it was good for the team."

Goals by Michael Frolik and Enstrom, on a gritty, persistent setup by Wheeler -- one of the big winger's four assists on the night -- launched the home team into the lead before the end of the first period, and then Olli Jokinen scored just 29 seconds into the second to reveal the plot for the rest of the night.

Embrace The Pressure

A great sign for the Jets on this night was that though they were momentarily stunned by Dallas goals by Alex Chiasson and the fleet Tyler Seguin, the speed of their own game showed they can play with the Stars.

And Wheeler led the charge with big plays in the early going.

"It's been a tough road for us the last six so you have a team that was obviously highly motivated and pissed off and did all the right things to be ready to go," Wheeler said. "We've got these guys again down the road. It's going to be a really tough team. They're a proud group and a really good team."

That the Jets "needed" this game at all costs, and delivered, was encouraging, Wheeler said.

"We're a team that haven't done it yet as a group," he said. "You have to learn to win in this league and that's all part of it. To have kind of a must-win game and to show up and have a good night from top to bottom, that's a good sign."

Embrace it, part II

Early in the day, Jets coach Paul Maurice said he wasn't hiding from the urgency of the game, and wanted his team to embrace nervousness and pressure.

"I'm talking about being 1-2 early in the game," Maurice said after the win. "You're down but the bench was right. There was lots of chatter, lots of talk and the game didn't change. We didn't change what we were trying to do. It's a really important learning process for a young team in a big game, getting down early and coming back and being very good."

Buff's fine

Maurice said after the game Dustin Byfuglien's absence from the bench for the final 10 minutes of the game was just "precautionary," and he expects the big winger to be in uniform tonight in St. Louis.

Byfuglien had two goals and an assist and was plus-three at that point, and had just missed a third-period breakaway that would have given him the first hat trick in Jets 2.0 history.

"He felt that if he got the third goal there would be far too much attention on him," Maurice said with a straight face. "He doesn't want to get shadowed on the ice.

"No, it's just precautionary."

No celebration time

The Jets quickly departed for St. Louis after the game, and must face the first-overall Blues tonight.

Another monster test follows on Wednesday, when Colorado visits the MTS Centre.



Jets-Stars summary


-- Tim Campbell, Gary Lawless

Free Press Three Stars

1- Blake Wheeler, Jets. Despite just one goal in 14 games, Wheeler also has 12 points over that stretch and had four assists last night to lead the Jets.

2- Dustin Byfuglien, Jets. The big man has been at his best of late and has five goals in his last four games. He had two goals and an assist last night.

3- Toby Enstrom, Jets. - A goal and two assists, Enstrom helped sparked the offence early on when it was needed.

Summary

First Period

1. Winnipeg, Trouba 8 (Wheeler) 3:11.

2. Dallas, Chiasson 12 (Goligoski, Eakin) 6:25.

3. Dallas, Seguin 30 (Nichushkin, Benn) 7:02.

4. Winnipeg, Frolik 14 (Enstrom) 11:54.

5. Winnipeg, Enstrom 8 (Wheeler, Cormier) 17:02

Penalties -- Pardy Wpg (roughing) 12:24, Sceviour Dal (high-sticking) 12:43.

Second Period

6. Winnipeg, Jokinen 16 (Wheeler, Byfuglien) :29.

7. Winnipeg, Byfuglien 18 (Jokinen, Enstrom) 16:30 (pp).

Penalties -- Dillon Dal (tripping) 8:52, Trouba Wpg (high-sticking) 11:29, Nichushkin Dal (hooking) 13:42, Daley Dal (high-sticking) 14:55.

Third Period

8. Winnipeg, Byfuglien 19 (Wheeler, Jokinen) 3:14.

9. Winnipeg, Kane 16 (unassisted) 7:33.

Penalties -- Benn Dal (roughing) 11:07, Benn Dal (holding) 17:40, Benn Dal (misconduct) 17:40, Roussel Dal (interference) 20:00.

Referees -- Kyle Rehman, Paul Devorski.

Linesmen -- Lonnie Cameron, Mark Wheler.

Attendance -- 15,004 at Winnipeg.

Sick Bay Grows

The Jets announced Sunday that RW Chris Thorburn is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his ankle, surely cracked by blocking a shot on Friday night vs. New York. C Jim Slater was also out with a lower-body issue Sunday, and is day-to-day. They joined Ondrej Pavelec (lower), James Wright (lower), John Albert (upper) and March Scheifele (knee) in sick bay.

To assist the lineup, Winnipeg recalled C Patrice Cormier from St. John's on Sunday and Cormier recorded his first point of the NHL season, an assist.

Rising Stars

The Stars caught fire about the same time the Jets did early in 2014, but sustained it longer. After a six-game losing streak in January, the Stars are 12-6-3 since Jan. 12.

"Part of it was that we had a few injuries and we had a flu that was going through our team," coach Lindy Ruff said of the early January troubles. "We had several guys that were playing and guys that were run down.

"And we lost some games coming out of that that we really should have won, played well enough but gave a couple of games away in the lasts, dying minutes kind of a lot like the Montreal game last night. And we didn't win. Once we came out of it, we started to play good, consistent hockey again and we've played it for a good period of time."



Montoya gung-ho for big game against Blues

By: Gary Lawless


SUNDAY night was the biggest game of the year and Al Montoya won it. Now tonight's game becomes the biggest and Montoya will once again be in the net.

Montoya told the media immediately after Sunday's 7-2 win over the Dallas Stars he'd like the net again in St. Louis against the Blues.

"We can probably help him with that," said Jets coach Paul Maurice, in his post-game media address. "We probably have a spot for him (Monday) night."

Montoya and the Jets fell behind 2-1 in the first period Sunday and it was almost a two-goal lead when Eric Cole broke in alone but was turned aside by the career backup.

With Jets No. 1 netminder Ondrej Pavelec injured and unavailable for at least one more game, Montoya is the man.

"That's what they pay me for. To be ready in these situations and to go out and battle," said Montoya. "I'm going to enjoy this for a bit and then start getting ready for St. Louis. They're a top team in this league and I'll have to be ready and sharp. My team needs me to do my part and I'm going to enjoy this opportunity and try to be my best."

Montoya stopped 25 of 27 shots while at the other end veteran Tim Thomas was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Christopher Nilstorp came on in relief and allowed three goals on 17 shots.

Jets veteran Olli Jokinen said his team wasn't surprised by Montoya's performance.

"He's been good for us all year. That's a hard job. Backup goalie and the enforcers, those are the hardest jobs in the NHL," said Jokinen. "Al works hard every day and helps us shooters. He goes in sometimes when he has little warning and still plays great. He's been a big part of this team. The guys want to win for him."

Montoya was energized by the win.

"This is what we expected. We expected to win. The guys were great in front of me. They were buzzing," he said. "We'll have to be the same team in St. Louis. We'll get on the plane and start thinking about the next challenge. These games are full of pressure and mean so much. They're so fun to play."

Jokinen was asked if the team was OK with the prospect of going into St. Louis with so much on the line and Montoya in net.

"Absolutely," he said. "We have full confidence in Al. We can win with him in net."



Hutchinson's heartwarming tale of hard work and reward

By: Tim Campbell


There's no knowing whether Michael Hutchinson gets a chance on this first recall to the Winnipeg Jets, but it's already a good story of hard work and rewards.

The 24-year-old native of Barrie, Ont., took a real risk last summer when he signed with the Jets organization, primarily to add to the depth chart with the AHL's St. John's IceCaps in mind.

In fact, IceCaps GM and Jets assistant GM Craig Heisinger laid his cards on the table for Hutchinson right off the bat -- taking the Jets' deal might involve starting out in the ECHL.

It likely wasn't the greatest of news for a goalie who put up credible numbers in the AHL with Providence last season (13-13-3, 2.30, .914)

"I was talking to my agent and he knew Zinger (Heisinger) quite well through other deals and he just thought Winnipeg would be a good fit," Hutchinson said Sunday after he was called up to be Al Montoya's backup for Sunday's game. "It was one of those things where I knew it was a little crowded and there was a chance I was going to start off in the ECHL, but my agent just told me if I played well anywhere then you're going to get a shot and work your way up.

"It's always great when you have to work a little harder for it. It just makes you a little bit more hungry."

Hutchinson was indeed sent to the ECHL to start the season for the Ontario Reign, because the crease was full in St. John's.

There, he was nothing short of excellent, going 22-4-2 before his opening with the IceCaps came just before Christmas.

Since then, he's helped the Jets' farm team climb steadily in the standings, with a mark of 15-5-1 and a goals-against average of 2.33.

"Things went really well down there (in Ontario, Calif.), great group of guys and great coach (Jason Christie, the former Moose) and a great organization," he said.

Was he getting impatient, playing so well and not getting called up earlier?

"A little bit at times," he said. "You're wondering what more you can do. But at the same time, you're winning games. That's all that matters. It's easy to forget about all the other stuff that's out of your control when you're winning games."

WINNING WAYS: In St. John's, winning has certainly become infectious.

The Jets' top affiliate has won nine of its last 10, moving to 38-20-4 and well on the way to the playoffs.

"Our leaders are leading, our goalie's making saves and scorers are scoring and the defence are playing great and nobody cares how many minutes they play," said centre Patrice Cormier, called up Sunday to fill in for injured Jim Slater. "We have four great lines."

Cormier, the gritty 23-year-old centre, has 21 points in 54 AHL games so far this season and recorded an assist Sunday, his first for the Jets in four games in 2013-14.

He said the IceCaps have what many teams seek -- chemistry.

"I've said it this year many times -- it's probably the best group of guys I've played with for a full year," he said. "Just the attitude we have in that room and it starts with Jaffs (Jason Jaffray) and (Andrew) Gordon and (Blair) Riley, the older guys. Game in and game out, you watch those guys show up and you know you... know what you have to do.

The ice-time comment is interesting, since it's such an issue on many teams.

"A guy like (Eric) O'Dell (currently up with the Jets), you want him on the ice," Cormier said. "I'm like, 'When he's on the ice, we're in good hands.' "



Jets' goalie Hutchinson knows how to bide his time

By Ken Wiebe ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:26 PM CDT | Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014 12:11 AM CDT

Michael Hutchinson has been a shot away from making his NHL debut before.

Back during his time with the Boston Bruins' organization, Hutchinson served as the backup goalie to Tim Thomas.

And on one of those nights, Hutchinson nearly got the tap on the shoulder from head coach Claude Julien.

"That first game was in Madison Square Garden and I was just getting over the flu, I wasn't feeling 100%," said Hutchinson, who was recalled by the Winnipeg Jets to serve as Al Montoya's backup after Ondrej Pavelec went down with a lower-body injury. "I was sitting on the bench and Timmy let in two of the first three shots and the fourth one hit the post. That's when your heart starts racing quite a bit.

"I thought there was a chance I was going to get in but Timmy is a great goalie and he ended up rebounding quite nicely and we ended up winning that game."

Hutchinson doesn't know if he'll get that first taste of NHL action with the Jets during the stretch drive.

"I'm not really expecting to get a shot, but if I do, I'll just try and be ready," he said.

Hutchinson, 24, was signed by the Jets last summer and began the season as the No. 5 goalie in the system, which left him playing for the Ontario Reign of the ECHL.

But after posting strong numbers, he was recalled to the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League and eventually took over the starting job when Eddie Pasquale needed season-ending hip surgery.

Hutchinson is 15-5-1 with a 2.33 goals against average, .923 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 AHL games this season.

Pavelec will be re-evaluated after the Jets face the St. Louis Blues on Monday at Scottrade Center.



Jets blast Stars 7-2

By Ken Wiebe ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:15 PM CDT | Updated: Monday, March 17, 2014 12:05 AM CDT

Jets vs Stars, March 16, 2014

Don't pull the plug on the Winnipeg Jets just yet.

Although their playoff chances remain very much on life support, the Jets gave themselves reason for hope on Sunday night by laying a 7-2 beat-down on the Dallas Stars before an energetic crowd at MTS Centre.

The victory helped the Jets snap a six-game losing skid and moved them within four points of the Stars, who currently hold the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference standings but also hold two games in hand.

Going into the contest, the Jets understood it was basically win or bust and proceeded to come up with one of their most complete efforts since Paul Maurice took over as head coach on Jan. 12.

"It's been a tough road for us -- on our side we had a team that was highly-motivated, pissed off and all the right things to be ready to go," said Jets winger Blake Wheeler, who had four assists. "We haven't had many wins that haven't been one-goal games this year. It was good to build a lead and keep building on it. When you have a team down, you have to keep on them and not give them any life."

The Jets looked nothing like a team that was having trouble scoring goals, chasing Tim Thomas from the Stars' cage and setting a season-high with seven goals in the contest.

Olli Jokinen and Toby Enstrom each had a goal and two assists, while Dustin Byfuglien scored two goals before exiting the game in the third period for precautionary reasons with a lower-body injury.

"If you put (the past four games) together, he's been our best player," said Jets head coach Paul Maurice, noting that Byfuglien will be ready to play on Monday against the St. Louis Blues. "To have hands and you saw some speed there, with the ability to read and control the play. He's a perfect example of kind of how you want your team to focus on the game.

"These are games that he enjoys. Maybe having had success in big games and (having) been to the Stanley Cup final, he knows how to come ready for these games."

The Jets also got goals from Jacob Trouba, Michael Frolik and Evander Kane, who ended his 11-game goal-scoring drought by roofing a backhand on a breakaway early in the third period.

This wasn't only about goals though.

With the game tied 1-1, the Jets had a poor defensive lapse that led to Tyler Seguin's 30th goal of the season (his fifth goal and ninth point in four games against Winnipeg).

When the game was still 2-1 for the Stars, Al Montoya came up big, stoning Erik Cole on a clear-cut breakaway.

"That one goes back to experience, I guess, being put in those situations several times. You got a choice. You either go out there and make a big save or you let the mental part of the game bother you," said Montoya, who has been pushed into the starting role with a lower-body injury to Ondrej Pavelec. "I'm a battler, and I like to think my teammates think the same of me, so I responded and made a save, and they responded greatly."

Before the period was over, the Jets held a 3-2 lead and they never looked back, tightening up considerably in the defensive zone.

"I've been spoiled this year where I've been able to bounce back from losses, but tonight this goes to the team," said Montoya, who finished with 25 saves. " It's an everyone effort, but these guys battled for me. I'll give them that. Outside of that first goal, which I wasn't happy with, we came in here with a determination. We invested into this game, and we came away with a huge W."

The Jets have only 13 games left in the regular season, including one tonight on the road against the league-leading Blues so there won't be much time to savour this one.

There's far more work to be done if the Jets want to keep the heat on the teams they're chasing in the playoff chase.

"This is what they pay me for," said Montoya, who earned his 11th win in 22 appearances and 17 starts. "I'll enjoy this one for a little bit and then refocus and get ready to play one of the best teams in the league."



Jets Snapshots: Monday morning reality check, Jets fans ... Byfuglien almost fills hat ... Maurice raises eyebrows ... Bogo hit one for highligh reels

By Kirk Penton ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:32 PM CDT | Updated: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:55 PM CDT

The Jets put on quite the show Sunday night for their suffering fans, frolicking their way to a 7-2 thumping of the Dallas Stars.

Here, however, is your Monday morning reality check: Considering there are only 13 games remaining, the fun that was enjoyed at MTS Centre during Sunday night's goal-a-thon will go by the wayside if they can't figure out a way to beat the NHL's best team on its own ice Monday night.

The Jets didn't get much time to celebrate their biggest offensive output of the season on Sunday night, as they rushed to the plane to fly to St. Louis. They will battle the Blues on Monday night and will have to find a way to not play like they usually do in the second half of back-to-backs this season.

Winnipeg is 1-5-1 in those contests this year, and the stark reality is they're still four points out of a playoff spot and the Stars have two games in hand. Monday night's game is one of those the Jets need to win.

SO CLOSE

Dustin Byfuglien became the 64th consecutive member of the Jets/Thrashers organization to score two goals in a game without finishing off the hat-trick.

It didn't help that an injury caused him to leave the game with 10 minutes to go in the third period, although he is expected to be ready to play on Monday night in St. Louis.

Head coach Paul Maurice had a little fun when explaining Byfuglien's absence.

"Byfuglien thought that if he'd get the third goal, there would be far too much attention on him and he doesn't want to get shadowed on the ice," Maurice said. "No, it's precautionary, and we expect him to play and be fine (Monday)."

Byfuglien has 19 goals, which is one shy of his career high.

SAY WHAT?

Maurice raised some eyebrows on Sunday morning when he suggested his team was playing its best hockey over its last 10 games compared to the first dozen or so under Maurice.

"I didn't sell it hard because I know you can't," Maurice said after Sunday's win when asked about his morning comments. "Big parts of our game are getting closer, in the offensive zone especially. The last two teams (Rangers and Stars) take off, they touch the puck and they're gone up the weak side.

"We're still handling those breakaways, but the offensive zone play looks like it's starting to come a little bit. The Colorado game "¦ was our best offensive zone game. It was good against the Rangers, and we didn't get anything to show for it. And it was good tonight."

HEADS UP

Even though there were five goals in the first period, the highlight very well might have been Zach Bogosian's hit on Winnipeg native Ryan Garbutt in the neutral zone.

Bogosian was moving backwards at a fast rate of speed as Garbutt tried to play the puck. The unsuspecting Garbutt got absolutely corked in front of the Jets bench, and his stick went flying. To his credit, Garbutt got back up and had a breakaway chance a few seconds later but failed to bury it.

BANGED UP

Jets winger Chris Thorburn will be out indefinitely with a broken talus bone, which is in his ankle, that he suffered blocking a shot on Friday night

against the Rangers. Also, Jim Slater is day-to-day with a lower body ailment.

Those injuries forced the Jets to recall Patrice Cormier, who played centre on the fourth line Sunday night against the Stars. It also propelled Eric O'Dell to the second line centre position between Evander Kane and Devin Setoguchi.

NO BIGGIE

Thanks to Sunday night's triumph, Maurice doesn't have one of the longest losing streaks of his NHL head coaching career on Monday morning.

Maurice lost seven in a row during the 2006-07 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he dropped eight straight with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2002-03. His most incredible losing streak, however, came during the 2009-10 campaign in his second stint with the Hurricanes. That year they lost a whopping 14 games in a row, including two in a shootout and two in overtime.

WIDE OPEN

It looked like Timbits hockey had returned to MTS Centre on Olli Jokinen's goal 29 seconds into the second period.

That's because the five Stars on the ice were like moths to a flame, all going towards the puck. That allowed Blake Wheeler to unleash a backhand pass to a wide open Jokinen, who deked Tim Thomas somewhere in the neighbourhood of 27 times before finally putting him out of his misery and firing the puck into the net.

Stars head coach Lindy Ruff gave Thomas the mercy hook after that tally, although the former Stanley Cup champion netminder wasn't exactly putting forth one of his best goaltending performances up to that point.

QUESTIONS

Why don't the Jets play like that when it's not too late? ... Are the Jets ever going to get a hat trick? ... Why are the fan contests during the stoppages so difficult to win? ... Why do hockey fans cheer when the officials fall or get hit with the puck? ... Will Patrice Cormier ever stick in the NHL?

AROUND THE GLASS

The last time Blake Wheeler had three assists in a game was more than two years ago, when he registered four helpers in a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Feb. 19, 2012, at MTS Centre. Wheeler also shed some blood ... The Jets played strong defence in the second period, allowing only three shots ... The last time Winnipeg scored seven goals was in a 7-2 win over Florida on April 11, 2013 ... Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little somehow failed to record a point, although Ladd should have had one. He had a wide open net with five minutes to go, but Stars defenceman Jordie Benn made a great save to prevent the Jets from recording the snowman.



GAME DAY: Stars at Jets

By Kirk Penton ,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Sunday, March 16, 2014 11:53 AM CDT | Updated: Sunday, March 16, 2014 12:42 PM CDT

It looks like the Winnipeg Jets have lost winger Chris Thorburn for the rest of the season with a broken ankle, and now centre Jim Slater is day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Throw in the absence of the injured Mark Scheifele, and the Jets will have two AHLers playing centre tonight when they take on the Dallas Stars in a critical clash at MTS Centre. Patrice Cormier will centre the fourth line, while Eric O’Dell will move up to play between Evander Kane and Devin Setoguchi on the second line.

The Jets need to win to have any hope at all of making the playoffs, although the post-season seems like a lost cause already.

And get this: Head coach Paul Maurice figures the Jets are playing some of their best hockey right now even though they’re on a six game losing streak that includes three losses in extra time.

“We’re playing better now,” Maurice said with a straight face this morning at MTS Centre. “I can’t sell that to you. I’m not going to try. (But) the structure parts of our game — and there’s two games in there that I don’t think are necessarily true — but the best game that we played all year was in St. Louis (a shootout loss on Feb. 8) in terms of being in that game against a high-end team.”

“Our game in Colorado (an overtime loss on Monday) was very, very good. There were chunks of that New York Ranger game (a 4-2 setback on Friday) that that’s what our offensive zone is going to look like when we are consistent.”

So that’s something for Jets fans to look forward to, but it looks like it will have to wait until next season. Another loss tonight and it’ll be all but certain they’re going to miss the playoffs for the third straight year since moving from Atlanta to Winnipeg. The Stars are six points up on the Jets and have two games in hand. Winnipeg has 14 games remaining.

“We want to feel the pressure … and deal with all the emotions that go with that nervous energy,” Maurice said. “They know it’s a big game.

“You gotta get to the point in your life that you can find a way to enjoy it, to be excited about the size of the game. At some point, if you’re exactly as successful as you want to be, you’re going to be playing in one huge game. And when you get there, you want to feel like you’re prepared for it.”

Thorburn broke the talus bone in his right ankle on Friday night blocking a shot against the Rangers. It’s not known what happened to Slater, who lasted all of eight games after missing 52 with a sports hernia.

O’Dell will centre a unit other than the fourth line for the first time this season, which is right up his alley. He’s a sniper at the AHL level and can’t wait to show off his offensive skills. He got a few top-six shifts against Columbus and Phoenix in mid-January, but he hasn’t had more than five minutes of ice time in a game since Jan. 18.

“I’m excited, and I’m ready,” O’Dell said this morning. “They’re both great players, and I’ve been waiting to get a chance to play some big minutes. I’ve been excited, and now’s my opportunity.”

Maurice noticed how pumped up O’Dell is to finally play an offensive game instead of trying to keep the puck out of his own net, but he wants the youngster to still play a controlled game.

“I’d like him to just stay in the appropriate flight pattern under the puck,” Maurice said. “Now he’s going to get a chance to play with players that he’s more used to, the idea of giving it and getting it back. There’s some offensive opportunity for him there.

“I’d like him not to try to be faster than Evander Kane on our breakouts. He’s got a lot of energy. You could see it in the morning skate. He’s moving out there today. He knows he’s playing with two NHL regulars and he’s

going to get off the bench more and in a manner that he’s used to, so in some ways it’s an easier role for him to fill.”

Cormier is a stud when it comes to winning face-offs, and he’ll get a few shifts tonight between Eric Tangradi and Anthony Peluso. Maurice wanted someone who has played before, and Cormier has been called up several times in the last couple seasons.

“It’s a fun time to play hockey,” Cormer said. “I’ve been watching and I’ve been following. Playing Dallas, who you’re in a battle with, it’s a big game.”

Al Montoya will get the start for the injured Ondrej Pavelec in the Winnipeg net, while the Stars will counter with veteran Tim Thomas.

The Stars are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.17.2014

739047 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks outlast Panthers in shootout, 4-3

By Iain MacIntrye, Vancouver Sun columnist March 16, 2014 3:02 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. – Roberto Luongo left one poor team for another.

The Florida Panthers' goalie, traded back to his adopted home by the Vancouver Canucks two weeks ago, was ordinary on Sunday, which was still better than either team has been this season.

The last thing anyone needed from the Canucks and Panthers was extra hockey. But after blowing the lead twice in the third period, the Canucks maintained their slim playoff hopes when Nicklas Jensen scored in the shootout to give Vancouver a 4-3 win.

Sixteen seconds after Canuck defenceman Alex Edler took a needless holding penalty, Panther Jimmy Hayes had tied it 3-3 on a power-play rebound with 1:35 remaining in regulation time. It was the second blown lead of the period for Vancouver, which has lost seven games this season in which it led after 40 minutes.

Alex Burrows, who didn't have a goal in his first 35 games this season, scored his third in three games to put Vancouver ahead 3-2 at 5:34 of the third period. The Canuck winger scored on his second rebound attempt after Luongo stopped Edler's point shot during a Vancouver power play.

It was Burrows' third point of the night and sixth in three games since rookie Nicklas Jensen was placed on his line, opposite centre centre Henrik Sedin.

The six points on this road trip are one more than Burrows had in the first five months of the season.

The go-ahead goal was a reprieve for Edler, whose miserable season manifested itself again on the turnover that led to Florida's tying goal a minute earlier.

The defenceman's pass was intercepted by Panther Quinton Howden, who took the puck hard to the net. Canuck goalie Eddie Lack stopped Howden, but was slow to recover his position and left enough room at the far post for Vincent Trocheck to tuck the puck in at 4:19.

Edler's reprieve, however, turned out to be temporary.

The game between struggling teams was not pretty to watch – so maybe the 7,000 or 8,000 people who actually showed up at BB&T Arena knew something. The best save was made by Canuck defenceman Kevin Bieksa, who kicked off the goal-line Colby Robak's batted shot with about nine minutes remaining.

Except for five lively minutes, the first two periods looked like a battle of attrition between two teams going nowhere. Scoring chances were even more sparse than spectators. If there were anyone to cheer, a crisp pass would have been applauded. The boredom was broken briefly late in the first period by an unexpected outbreak of scoring.

With Chris Higgins penalized for interference, the Panthers' power play, ranked 30th and last in the NHL, opened scoring at 16:28 when Canuck penalty-killers collapsed in front of the net and Tom Gilbert's uncontested shot from between the circles was tipped in by Hayes.

But another Florida deflection evened the score only 1:14 later when Canuck Dan Hamhuis' point shot – after Henrik Sedin and Alex Burrows joined forces to win an offensive-zone faceoff – was deflected in by Panther Colby Robak's skate.

Vancouver's renovated first line quickly produced the go-ahead goal at 18:35, when rookie Jensen scored from the high slot on a pass from Burrows, a few seconds after defenceman Ryan Stanton's pinch forced a turnover.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.17.2014


The Van Provies from Florida where math isn’t good but Lack in the shootout sure is

March 16, 2014. 6:22 pm • Section: The White Towel

Jason Botchford

BEST STORY

There was some buzz generated here with a story Florida reporters were telling us Saturday that the Panthers were ready to make a deal for Luongo at the draft.

You know, the same draft the Canucks traded Cory Schneider.

It’d be pretty explosive if the Canucks traded Schneider only to have the Panthers make a run for Luongo just a few hours later.

But it didn’t check out.

The Panthers did tell the Canucks at the draft they planned on coming for Luongo, but, at that point, they had become something of the boy who cried wolf.

In this long cat-and-mouse game, Tallon had told the Canucks he could be interested in Luongo a couple of dozen times.

It never went anywhere. And it didn’t at the draft.

The obvious turning point in all of this was the Panthers new ownership, which was finalized at the start of the year.

No one believes this could have happened without the ownership change.

They had money, finally, but didn’t come calling again for Luongo until a week before the trade deadline.

Again, their interest was taken with a grain of salt and again, things didn’t go anywhere.

That Luongo was benched for the Heritage Classic will always be seen as the final straw in his relationship with the Canucks.

And as we know now it was the trigger for the trade.

Luongo’s agent Pat Brisson contacted Gilly who was loathe to start shopping Luongo again because he was up to his ears considering his Ryan Kesler options, and it was just two days before the trade deadline.

He’d beaten the Luongo drum so many times, he wasn’t eager to start it all up again, and was looking at the end of the season to try again.

That’s when he told Brisson he could make some calls, and Brisson re-connected the Panthers with the Canucks.

But this idea the agent actually hammered out the deal is ridiculous.

It was the AGMs, Michael Santos and Laurence Gilman, who went to work, spending hours putting together what turned out to be a rather complex trade because of the money the Canucks ended up retaning.

BEST PREMONITION

Luongo Saturday re-visiting the trade:

I couldn’t get a trade done for a year and a half, so I don’t know how it happened in two days.

Definitely something weird was going on there when I got back from the Olympics.

BEST SPECULATION

Unless something changes tonight, Eddie Lack will start again in Tampa, the second of back-to-back games.

The Canucks believe Markstrom needs some significant work with his technical game, and have been planning to start Lack until they are mathematically eliminated from the post-season.

Not only do the Canucks believe Lack is more prepared for this, and therefore their best chance to win, they also want to see how he responds with a heavy workload as the team’s undisputed No. 1 goalie.

Given how much work they think Markstrom needs, it seems a safe bet the Canucks will go after a goalie in free agency to play with Lack next year.

The betting favourite being Jaro Halak, an average goalie who has a history with Melanson.

It’s definitely putting a lot of stress, physically and mentally, on Lack.

Whether he’s ready for this is a fair question.

He’s been trying to disarm things with humour, a page taken from the Luongo book.

Lack joked Saturday that it’s “A lot easier being Robin than Batman” when fielding questions about his readiness to be a No. 1

He also started a running gag about asking Luongo to fight in the Sunday’s pregame skate.

“He didn’t want to go,” Lack said after the game.

What may be most impressive so far is how he’s played in the shootout. It’s not just that he’s making stops, it’s that on most of them he’s not close to getting beat.

He’s now made saves on 25 of 29 chances which is the best save percentage (.840) in the NHL, among goalies who have faced at least 15 shootout attempts.

“I’m just out there thinking about anything but my foundation,” Lack said.

Rollie loves how deep he plays in the net. It doesn’t always look like the best idea, but it sure does in the shootout.

BEST TIP

The Canucks bench was imploring Jensen to go high on Luongo, so he put his Forsberg shootout move on the shelf.

BEST SAVE

Bieksa with a kick save and a beauty.

“I happened to see it all the way,” Bieksa said. “I knew I was on the right side of the goal line. One of their forwards had his hands up, but I wasn’t worried.”

What can’t Bieksa do?

“You know what? I’m a faceoff specialist. I’m a goaltender now. I could probably be a reporter. I know I could be a reporter.

“Radio, but print for sure. I can be negative too.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.17.2014


Kevin Bieksa: The save heard around the world

March 16, 2014. 5:46 pm • Section: The Legion of Blog

Wyatt Arndt

One of the neat things I remember about the 2010 Men’s Olympic gold medal hockey game was the compilation video people put together showing all of the reactions from the sports commentators around the world to Crosby’s game winning goal.

Well, we here at the Legion have always wanted to do such a video for the Canucks, but it has to be a pretty big event to get the world’s attention, so we could actually find world wide commentary. Luckily for us, Kevin Bieksa made one of the world’s greatest kick saves in the game against the Florida Panthers, and well, let’s just say the world was pretty excited about it.



Canucks’ new hero Nicklas Jensen continues to impress

By Jason Botchford, The ProvinceMarch 16, 2014en_135x42_advantagehomeice_c01

SUNRISE, Fla. — When asked about who had the edge, the goalie or the skaters he used to practise against daily, Roberto Luongo said:

“Everyone knows everyone’s tricks, so it’s going to be more about mind games than anything else.”

He obviously wasn’t accounting for Nicklas Jensen being Vancouver’s secret weapon. Who could blame him? It was just a couple of weeks ago that the Canucks’ coach and brass were saying the young sniper wasn’t even ready for the NHL.

He sure looked ready Sunday.

Jensen scored an impressive goal, dipping down to one knee, in the first. Then he won the game with a slick shootout move that beat Luongo cold.

Turns out, he got some help from the bench before that game-winning, crossbar-and-in shot.

“I heard what the guys were saying about Luongo,” Jensen said. “They said you have to go high.”

Calm in the locker room long after the Canucks 4-3 shootout win, Jensen was anything but after scoring his second goal in two games.

Working wonderfully with Alex Burrows, he took a feed from the Canucks’ hottest winger and from the top of the slot he wired a low one-timer past Luongo.

It was a remarkable one-shot goal, mostly because the Canucks have had so few of them this year.

When it went in, Jensen let fly a double fist pump, raising his hands in the air. But he’s not only given the Canucks enthusiasm, he’s given them a No. 1 line again.

Actually, that’s not fair. He’s been part of the Canucks’ top line revival, no doubt. But he has clearly benefitted from the surging play of Burrows.

With three points against the Panthers, Burrows now has six in four games. It can’t be enough to salvage this season, but it gives some hope heading into next year that Burrows’ contract may not be a loss leader after all.

Head coach John Tortorella said playing Jensen with Henrik Sedin and Burrows has helped his veterans as much as it’s helped his rookie.

“He is something we need, we need young guys to push,” Henrik said. “I see a guy who has taken a big step from last year. He’s stronger.

“You see what he’s battled through this year, and it’s important for us we let him do his thing, and when he makes mistakes we are there to cover for him.

“As long as he plays like this, we are extremely excited.”

There will be a lot of discussion about whether Jensen could have been called up sooner. It seems now the Canucks underestimated his readiness as they skipped over him several times when calling up players from Utica.

Why were they so sure he couldn’t help when it was so difficult for them to score goals?

Maybe he’s just being the company man, but Jensen strongly backed the Canucks’ decision to snub him while they called up other players.

“It took a while to get the callup, but looking back, I’m really happy about that,” Jensen said. “I didn’t play as well as I wanted after the injury.

“I needed months in the AHL. For me to get the callup when I did, was good for me. Not getting here too early, when I didn’t feel confident and ready, was important.

“I got called up at the right time. I was on a good offensive streak and I wanted to bring that. Right now, it’s been going well.”



Canucks 4 Panthers 3: Lack outduels Luongo in shootout win

By Jason Botchford, The ProvinceMarch 16, 2014en_135x42_advantagehomeice_c01

SUNRISE, Fla. — If Eddie Lack and Roberto Luongo had their way, the game would have been a shutout. For both goalies.

“(Luongo) and Eddie were joking that’d it be a zero-zero tie and they’d call it a game,” Kevin Bieksa. “But we had other plans.”

There were, in fact, goals. How could there not be in a game Alex Edler was playing?

But there was also destiny. At least that’s how Luongo described it after his first game against the Canucks since the trade ended in a 3-3 tie and went to the shootout.

To get there, the Canucks had to blow two third-period leads and needed Bieksa to make the most unbelievable save of the afternoon.

Midway through the third, Florida’s Colby Robak batted a puck behind Lack, only to see Bieksa raise his foot and kick the puck out just before it crossed the goal-line.

“I do that sometimes,” Bieksa shrugged. “I knew I was on the right side of the goal-line. I think their forward had his hands up, but I was positive (it wasn’t in) right from the beginning.”

Nicklas Jensen scored in the shootout, and Lack was perfect in leading the Canucks to a 4-3 win against their old captain.

The Panthers had the early lead, but a Dan Hamhuis shot was deflected twice before it ripped in over Luongo’s right shoulder. Jensen beat him less than a minute later.

Then, in the third, after the Panthers had tied the game at two, Alex Burrows put in a tremendous effort at the crease to score a second-chance goal, his third of the season.

Luongo had gone into this one seeking closure. He met with his former teammates before the game and afterwards, to catch up, like old friends. They talked about things friends would, things like their upcoming fantasy baseball draft, and family. They passed on going over the Canucks bleak playoff chances.

“It’s weird to see him on the other side, I think he still feels a little awkward,” Bieksa said. “He was a Vancouver Canuck for so many years and now he’s playing against us.”

The Canucks realistically need to win out to make the playoffs. Their plan is to ride Lack until they are officially eliminated. That’s going to mean a lot of playing time for the rookie.

Coming off a disheartening loss in Washington Friday, Lack has been peeling a page from Luongo’s book by trying to disarm stressful situations with humour.

Heading into his showdown Sunday with Luongo, he joked he was going to ask him in warm-ups to participate in a goalie fight.

“He didn’t want to go,” Lack said later, after he had won the game.

As much as the Canucks are starting Lack, and probably will in back-to-back games, because they think he gives them the best chance to win, they are also gauging his readiness to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL.

They have to be encouraged by what they’ve seen in his shootouts. Lack has been marvellous, having been beaten just once in 14 opportunities on the road. Overall in shootouts, he has stopped 25 shots on 29 chances.

It’s far too few chances to read too much into things, but it is encouraging when you’re trying to see how he handles pressure.

Against the Panthers, Lack made 26 saves and was beat twice in the third period. The first one followed an inexplicably stupid Edler giveaway. The second followed an Edler penalty.

When head coach John Tortorella was hired, one of his biggest challenges was said to be trying to get the most out of Edler.

Now, after 51 games, Edler’s plus-minus rating is minus-30. No one on the team has a worse rating. The next closest is Ryan Kesler’s minus-13.

Tortorella started the year in Edler’s grill. He let him have it on the bench in December. But the coach has since decided Edler needs more coddling than tough love.

“I don’t have an answer as far as trying to relax his mind,” Tortorella said. “He’s such a competitor and cares so much, I think it hurts him and it mounts on him. When he makes a mistake, he wants to recover and that’s when he makes another.

“And that’s when it starts getting into a problem.”


739052 Websites

FOXSports.com / Controversy aside, Ducks back on the rise after beating Kings

Michael Martinez

FOX Sports West

MAR 16, 2014 2:31a ET

LOS ANGELES -- The Kings had their regrets Saturday night. The Ducks had none.

The Kings had a goal taken away in the third period, one that would have tied the game. The Ducks believed it was never going to be allowed.

Two teams building toward the playoffs, but while the Kings have suddenly thrown themselves in reverse, the Ducks are moving forward again.

Both needed a victory, but it was the Ducks who won it, 2-1, at Staples Center. Whether they play the Kings in the playoffs isn't on their minds right now; pushing toward the Pacific Division title is what matters most.

Postgame quotes following tonight's #NHLDucks win over the @LAKings: http://t.co/GW8nAXzmBX #ANAvsLAK

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 16, 2014

"It's about finishing in our stride," Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf said. "We're trying to build every night and trying to build our team toward the playoffs. A good step for that is to finish first."

INTERVIEW: Ryan Getzlaf of the @AnaheimDucks spoke with the media following the game against the @LAKings on 3/15/14. http://t.co/wzUBnRS5kO

— Kings Vision (@KingsVision) March 16, 2014

The Ducks are trying to hold off the San Jose Sharks for the division crown, and Saturday's win gave them two in a row after they had lost four consecutive games. The Kings have now lost their past two after winning eight in a row.

"It's playoff hockey right now," said Kings center Tyler Toffoli, who scored a power-play goal in the second period. "We're fighting for points, they're fighting for points. It was a hard game. I think we didn't play the best we could, but we know now the rest of the season we have to play hard and play the right way."

They thought they had the game tied with 6 minutes 23 seconds left in the third period when a shot by Anze Kopitar struck the crossbar and dropped behind Duck goaltender Frederik Andersen. But officials ruled that Marian Gaborik, who was inside the crease, made incidental contact with Anderson and waved off the goal.

Incidental may have been too strong a word, because Gaborik probably was pushed from behind into Andersen.

"I think so," Gaborik said. "They called it that I touched the goalie before the puck went in, but I don’t know. I haven't seen a replay."

On the bench, Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said there was no dispute. It was a blatant case of interference.

You Make The Call: Marian Gaborik is called for incidental contact, waiving off a potential game-tying @LAKings goal. http://t.co/ygA4quXgLO

— Kings Vision (@KingsVision) March 16, 2014

"They ran right into our goalie," he said. "I've seen so many lot less things called for penalties. I was surprised they didn't get a penalty. We knew automatically that that wasn't going to count."

The Kings pulled goalie Martin Jones in the final minute, but they weren't able to tie the game with man advantage.

"We played against a top team in the conference," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said, "and only scoring one goal and giving up two easy ones" was the difference.

He was right. The Kings would never have expected to give up goals to Tim Jackman and Patrick Maroon, whose decider in the third period actually went off the left foot of a prone Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin in front of the Kings goal. Combined, Jackman and Maroon had eight goals this season.

A little luck always helps. But for the Ducks it was important to rebound after their dreadful losing streak. Now, their momentum appears back for the stretch run.

First, they ended their bad stretch with a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avavlanche last Wednesday. Saturday, they slipped past the Kings.

All is right again.

"It's a response," Getzlaf said. "That's what I've said the whole time. When you have those downfall games where you don't play well, you can easily pack it up and take the next couple off and try to find your way back. Our guys didn't do that. They did a good job responding against two good hockey teams."

FOXSports.com LOADED: 03.17.2014

739053 Websites

CNN/Sports Illustrated / Sabres salute Thomas Vanek with video tribute during Canadiens’ Buffalo visit

By Mike McMahon

Montreal Canadiens forward Thomas Vanek returned to the First Niagara Center in Buffalo Sunday for the first time since the Sabres traded the winger to the New York Islanders back in October. The Sabres honored their former scoring leader with a video tribute during the first period.

The crowd in Buffalo showed their gratitude with a standing ovation while Vanek stood near the Habs’ bench and saluted the fans.

Vanek seemed very choked up by the nice tribute the Sabres just gave him. Fans gave him a nice hand—

Paul Hamilton (@pham1717) March 16, 2014

Drafted fifth overall in 2003, Vanek played his first eight NHL seasons in Buffalo, scoring 254 goals and tallying 244 assists with the Sabres before being sent to the Islanders in exchange for forward Matt Moulson and two draft picks just 13 games in the 2013-14 season.

Vanek’s stay in New York was short, playing just 47 games before being sent to the Canadiens at trade deadline.

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CNN/Sports Illustrated / Top Line: Canadiens comeback; Sens choke job; Bruins peaking; more links

By Allan Muir

An annotated guide to this morning’s must-read hockey stories:

• A pair of disputed goals, including a tying marker that beat Ottawa goalie Robin Lehner after the green light came on, led the Canadiens to one of the greatest comeback wins in NHL history.

• You can see where the Senators are coming from in blaming the referees for the loss, especially on the game-winner, but they might want to install a couple of mirrors in their room before they get too carried away. Lehner’s inability to properly dispose of his rebounds, and some absolutely brutal slot coverage, led directly to Montreal’s final four goals.

• Scott Feschuk wins the Internet with this tweet.

• The Boston Bruins have wrapped up the Atlantic Division with their current eight-game winning streak, but with the playoffs more than a month away Joe Haggerty wonders if they’re peaking too soon.

• Gotta keep your head up, Skinny!

• Will the hockey world lose out on the wit and wisdom of Roberto Luongo now that he’s buried in Florida?

• Mike Gillis didn’t simply make the mistake of trading away two top-10 goalies over the past 10 months. He gave up the best player in both deals. Not exactly writing a how-to textbook on asset management there, eh Mike?

• Anaheim’s Bruce Boudreau has guided his teams to considerable regular-season success, but he’ll never be regarded as a top coach until he proves he can at least lead a team past the first round of the playoffs. Bruce Garrioch takes a look at the pressure facing Gabby, offers a absolutely ridiculous GM option in Calgary and explains why the Flames didn’t deal Mike Cammalleri at the deadline.

• Something about playing the Penguins brings out the best in Sean Couturier. The center had a beauty yesterday, shutting down Sidney Crosby and chipping in with a couple assists. Keep an eye on him as the two sides finish off their home-and-home this afternoon.

• Grapes poignantly addresses the death of Terry Trafford here on Coach’s Corner:

• Shannon Szabados looked like any other goalie in making her pro hockey debut last night…which was exactly the point.

• Ted Nolan’s favorite memory from his stint on Long Island was the one game he didn’t coach. This one’s a old story, but it’s always great in the retelling.

• Here’s a good look at Aaron Ekblad, the top-rated defender for this year’s class and a solid bet to go first overall.

• The Stars need to put an emotional week behind them and display some mental toughness on a three-game road trip that could define their season.

• Washington’s season could be over this week. Kevin Allen shines a light deep into the hole the Caps have dug for themselves to explain why.

• Patrick Roy is beloved in Denver but he’ll always be a son of Montreal first and foremost. St. Patrick returns to his home Tuesday for the first time as an NHL coach.

• Phoenix GM Don Maloney explains why the concept of a coach’s challenge didn’t gain any traction at the recent general manager meetings. I’ve been a proponent of it in the past, but the more I’ve thought about it the more I think the GMs got this one right.

• Stan Fischler said he’d eat his hat if the Rangers traded Ryan Callahan. He made good on his pledge last night. Sort of.

• The Blue Jackets finally got the best of a goal review to earn a controversial win over the Wild.

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USA TODAY / Who'll make the playoffs in the NHL West?

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports 9:09 p.m. EDT March 16, 2014

The Western Conference is essentially the 100-point club. Six or seven of the eight playoff teams will top that mark this season.

The No. 8 team could end up with 95 to 97 points.

There has been no fun in the sun for teams traveling to California this season with the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks all playing well at home. Over the past 10 games, those three teams have combined for a record of 21-6-3

MORE: Eastern Conference outlook

The St. Louis Blues, Anaheim, San Jose, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles seem to have the top six spots sewn up. Here is how the race for No. 7 and No. 8 looks going into the final month of the season:

Minnesota Wild

Story: The Wild were aggressive at the trade deadline (adding Ilya Bryzgalov and Matt Moulson) in the name of preserving their invitation to the postseason party.

Injuries: G Niklas Backstrom (abdomen), expected to miss the rest of the season, G Josh Harding (illness), indefinite.

Strength: The Wild rank fourth in the NHL in goals-against average

Weakness: The team still struggles to score goals, ranking 27th in the league. They rank second-to-last in hits.

Forecast: The Wild are not an elite team. But they have elite survival skills; they know how to keep every game close. They are extremely comfortable playing one-goal games. No one is catching the Wild for the No.7 seed.

Dallas Stars

Story: The deadline day trade for Tim Thomas looks big now as the Stars have to deal with Kari Lehtonen's injury.

Injuries: G Lehtonen (concussion) is getting closer to returning; C Rich Peverley (heart issue), out for the season; C Shawn Horcoff (upper body), day-to-day.

MORE: Peverley scare game is rescheduled

Strengths: Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have been among the NHL's most consistent offensive forces this season. The forwards have combined for 455 shots and 56 goals.

Weakness: No Western playoff team has given up more goals than Dallas. The Stars' depth up front is a bit thin.

Forecast: Coach Lindy Ruff has done a masterful job of keeping this team in the hunt. He won't let them falter in the end.

NHL PLAYER POWER RANKINGS

Eleven members of the USA TODAY Sports NHL power rankings panel voted on March 3 for top players for postseason awards. The results - MVP: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby led the league with 80 points. Points: 54. First-place votes: 10.

Eleven members of the USA TODAY Sports NHL power rankings panel voted on March 3 for top players for postseason awards. The results - MVP: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby led the league with 80 points. Points: 54. First-place votes: 10. David Manning, USA TODAY Sports

Phoenix Coyotes

Story: Coyotes have won five of their past seven to climb into contention. Phoenix seems more dangerous offensively than it has been in recent years.

Injuries: LW Martin Erat (head), one week; C Martin Hanzal (lower body), day-to-day; D David Schlemko (foot), indefinite.

Strength: They are a top-10 power play team, and a quality faceoff team and their defensemen move the puck well. Keith Yandle leads the team in points.

Weakness: The Coyotes are below .500 on the road and are giving up way too many shots on net. (32 per game) for a Dave Tippett-coached team. Coyotes are also a sub-80% penalty-killing team.

Forecast: The Coyotes' hope would be that they will stay close enough to make their final game against Dallas matter.

Vancouver Canucks

Story: The favorite pastime for Canucks fans seems to be trying to figure out who's to blame for the team's struggles this season.

Injuries: C Ryan Kesler (knee), one week, LW Daniel Sedin (hamstring), indefinite, C Brad Richardson (undisclosed), day-to-day.

Strength: The Canucks — the Sedins, Kesler, Alex Edler, Dan Hamhuis, Kevin Bieksa, Chris Higgins, Jason Garrison, etc. — have a roster that should be a playoff team

Weakness: The Canucks rank second to last in the league in goals per game. Their power play ranks 28th.

MORE: Is John Tortorella in trouble?

Forecast: The Canucks will miss the playoffs and there will be major changes in Vancouver. GM Mike Gillis and coach John Tortorella both seem in jeopardy of losing their jobs and major trades are expected.

Winnipeg Jets

Story: Coach Paul Maurice's hiring put the Jets back in the playoff race.

Injuries: C Mark Scheifele (knee), 6-8 weeks; G Ondrej Pavelec (lower body), C Mark Slater (lower body), day-to-day.

Strength: Winnipeg ranks fifth in penalty killing. The Jets have proved to be resilient.

Weakness: The Jets have the second-worst power play in the Western Conference and rank in the bottom three in the NHL in faceoff percentage.

Forecast: Scheifele's injury seemed to rob the Jets of their momentum. The Jets are falling off the playoff radar.

Nashville Predators

Story: The Predators simply weren't deep enough to overcome the loss of goalie Pekka Rinne for most of the season.

Injuries: None

MORE: Predators might change style of play

Strength: The Predators are in the top 10 in shot blocking and power play.

Weakness: Second-worst home record in the Western Conference. The Predators rank 24th in scoring average and 27th in 5-on-5 scoring.

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USA TODAY / Capitals must get on serious roll, and even that might not be enough

By Kevin Allen 19 hours ago

If Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals want to qualify for the NHL playoffs, today’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs (3 p.m., ET) feels like a must-win game.

The hard reality for the Capitals is that they probably need to go 11-3 in their final 14 games and finish with 94 points to have a shot at the postseason.

That would require ‘A’ work from a team playing at a ‘C’ level. The Caps are 5-4-1 in their last 10.

It would be an Everest-like climb for the Capitals to reach 94 points. After tackling Toronto, they face the Murderer’s Row California run of Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose.

Then they return to Washington to face the Kings again, plus the Boston Bruins. They need four wins, or at least seven points in those five games, and it is not implausible that they could end up with two to four points.

The Caps finish March with a game at Nashville.

Washington’s last seven games in April are against Dallas, New Jersey, New York Islanders, St. Louis, Carolina, Chicago and Tampa Bay.

Among the Caps’ other problems in their playoff quest is that they have played two more games than the Philadelphia Flyers, who currently hold the No. 8 spot, and the Detroit Red Wings, who are in the ninth position.

Even if the Capitals finish with 94 points, the Flyers might be able to close out Washington by earning 19 points in their last 16 games. The Flyers have been turning in ‘A’ work, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.

The Capitals today are an inconsistent team needing to play like a champion for the final 14 games. If you have a difference-making player like Ovechkin, the unlikely can be more realistic. But it sure seems as if the Capitals will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

Also today

Goalie Roberto Luongo’s Florida Panthers will play against the Vancouver Canucks, who traded him on March 4.

“I’ll probably ask him if he wants to have a goalie fight or something like that” – Lack, on what he’ll say to Luongo in warmup. #Canucks

— Vancouver Canucks (@VanCanucks) March 15, 2014

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