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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEFNHL 10/9/2013

Anaheim Ducks720204 Emerson Etem skates with team, to be activated for Ducks'

home opener720205 Etem has healthy outlook, Boudreau not so sure

Boston Bruins720206 No harm on hit, insists Marchandik720207 Abdelkader hit was "an accident," Marchand says720208 Bruins’ Chris Kelly in better place720209 No hard feelings from Brad Marchand on Abdelkader's hit

Buffalo Sabres720210 Sabres showing they’re not ready –yet720211 Sabres notebook: McBain provides jolt to power play720212 Elation turns into irritation as Sabres lose in OT720213 Wait continues on Miller as Sabres shift forward lines

Calgary Flames720214 Johnson: Lars Eller an emerging star in Montreal five months

after devastating hit720215 Game Day: Montreal Canadiens at Calgary Flames720216 Wideman stepping up, playing big minutes and being a

leader for young Flames squad720217 Ben ‘Two-Way’ Street making a name for himself after

surprising inclusion on Flames roster720218 Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller rebounds from

devastating playoff hit720219 Calgary Flames head coach tabbed as next to go720220 Goalie Joey MacDonald to get third straight start for Calgary

Flames

Carolina Hurricanes720221 Ex-Cane puts the squeeze on Carolina as Penguins win, 5-2720222 CANES BLOWN OUT

Chicago Blackhawks720223 Hawks defensemen battling for playing time720224 Blues could fill rivalry void for Hawks720225 Nordstrom, Blackhawks’ penalty kill still adjusting720226 Patrick Sharp hoping second daughter will bring him same

luck as his first720227 Brookbank last non-goalie to get in Hawks' lineup720228 'Big game' when Blackhawks face Blues720229 How Cardinals-Pirates will help Chicago fans attending

Hawks-Blues720230 Blues appear to be Blackhawks' main rival now720231 Brookbank will make his return to Blackhawks lineup

Colorado Avalanche720232 Nathan MacKinnon recorded an assist on game-winning

goal720233 Colorado Avalanche remains unbeaten by beating Toronto

Maple Leafs720234 Avs take "hot story" to Toronto for first road game of season

Tuesday720235 Postgame Avs-Maple Leafs: Semyon Varlamov looks like

new man720236 Avalanche lines, pairings and scratches for Maple Leafs

Columbus Blue Jackets720237 Blue Jackets notebook: Team relishing four-day break, even

this early720238 Blue Jackets notebook: Jason Day trades golf spikes for

skates — and scores720239 Change of address won’t alter Blue Jackets' style

Dallas Stars720240 Heika: Stars' No. 1 fan, owner Tom Gaglardi, cautiously

optimistic after first two games720241 Heika: Stars doing everything they can to make Valeri

Nichushkin happy in Dallas, prevent him from returning t

Detroit Red Wings720242 Mike Babcock: 'Things will work out' for Detroit Red Wings'

big third line720243 Detroit Red Wings get time to refresh, work on structure720244 Scotty Bowman believes NHL must cut down on fighting720245 Red Wings' third line shooting blanks, but Mike Babcock isn't

worried yet720246 Detroit Red Wings use four-day break to work on details of

their game, restore structure

Edmonton Oilers720247 David Perron gets his wish; scores first goal against Martin

Brodeur in Edmonton Oilers shootout victory720248 Mark Arcobello trying to make most of opportunity with

Edmonton Oilers720249 New Oilers centre Boyd Gordon not out of place in top-six

role720250 Oilers Snap Shots: Birthday celebration for Moss ... Brodeur

to retire at season's end? ... Davidson called up720251 Taylor Hall says Oilers have to tune out wildly swinging

mood of fans720252 Edmonton Oilers have gone from outhouse to penthouse in

face-off statistics

Florida Panthers720253 Panthers lose Tim Thomas in loss to Flyers720255 THOMAS HURT, PANTHERS LOSE: Philadelphia Gets First

Win as Thomas Injures Groin Early720256 Panthers trail Flyers 2-0 as G Tim Thomas leaves game with

injury720257 Guy Harvey creates design for Florida Panthers' anniversary

Los Angeles Kings720258 October 8 practice quotes: Sutter, Lewis, Fraser720259 Sutter on Muzzin: “He’s struggling a lot”720260 Practice lines adjusted; team unfazed720261 Waking up with the Kings: October 8

Minnesota Wild720262 Three games into Wild's season, no wins and 2 big injuries720263 Backstrom hurt as Wild lose in Nashville720264 Nashville coach asked fans to boo Suter in his return720265 Wild-Nashville recap720266 Wild G Niklas Backstrom hurt his right leg crashing into post

in 1st period against Nashville720267 Ryan Suter boooooed by teammates during morning skate720268 Wild crash early, lose goalie and game720269 Predators 3, Wild 2: Minnesota winless through first three

games720270 Minnesota Wild lose goaltender Niklas Backstrom to injury in

first period720271 Minnesota Wild: Predators' Matt Cullen faces former team720272 Minnesota Wild: Ryan Suter still not getting off easy in

Nashville720273 Minnesota Wild: Carson McMillan just what the doctor

ordered

Montreal Canadiens720274 Canadiens call up Beaulieu; Pacioretty and Gionta to play

vs. Flames720275 Duhatschek: Habs occupy special place in westerners’

hearts720276 Hockey Canada unveils team jerseys for Sochi Games720277 Flare magazine fashion director weighs in on Hockey

Canada jerseys720278 Price to start against Flames; Pacioretty, Gionta ready to go

Nashville Predators720279 Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg gets first goal720280 Nashville Predators beat Minnesota Wild

New Jersey Devils720281 Canucks Slip Past Devils 3-2 in OT720282 Devils fall to Canucks, 3-2, in overtime as winless streak

reaches four after another blown lead720283 Devils: Rostislav Olesz to make debut; Ryan Carter, Adam

Larsson out720284 Devils: Cory Schneider impressive in Vancouver, but club's

winless streak reaches four720285 As they play: Devils vs. Canucks in Vancouver720286 Devils' Pete DeBoer: Adam Larsson had great camp, poor

start to season720287 Devils' Cory Schneider set to face former teammates and

goalie partner720288 Devils captain Bryce Salvador: No reason to panic after

winless start720289 Devils left reeling after third period collapse against Oilers720290 Devils lose to Oilers, 5-4, in shootout after stunning late

collapse720291 Devils notes: Cory Schneider back in Vancouver to face

Luongo, Canucks720292 Canucks slip past Devils on Jason Garrison goal in overtime720293 Schneider, Devils fall in OT

New York Islanders720294 John Tavares leads balanced attack as Isles rout Coyotes720295 Jack Capuano delays Cal Clutterbuck's return to Islanders

New York Rangers720296 Rick Nash exits with injury as Sharks embarrass Rangers, 9-2720297 Rick Nash dominates Kings, which is what NY Rangers need

from high-priced winger720298 Nash injured in Rangers’ blowout loss720299 Rick Nash injured in Rangers' 9-2 loss to the Sharks720300 Rick Nash elbowed out of Rangers' blowout 9-2 loss in San

Jose720301 Henrik Lundqvist gets third straight start in goal720302 After two top games, Rick Nash leaves after taking elbow to

head720303 Post-Game Xtra III: Lundqvist, McDonagh on goal gaffe720304 Post-Game Xtra II: Vigneault on Callahan & first win720305 Rangers-Sharks in review

NHL720306 NHL: Avalanche coach Patrick Roy still repository of pent-up

rage: DiManno

Ottawa Senators720307 Sens task against Kings daunting if Spezza can’t play720308 DaCosta hoping for more ice time, less air time720309 Numbers game: Bobby Ryan not like Heatley720310 Ottawa Sens goaltender Craig Anderson defends Jonathan

Quick mishap720311 Ottawa Sens look to put an end to troubles in Los Angeles720312 Sens captain Jason Spezza questionable for game against

Los Angeles Kings

Philadelphia Flyers720313 Flyers beat Panthers in Berube's first game720314 Flyers Notes: Berube shakes up lines in coaching debut720315 Berube off to a Flying start720316 Berube stresses importance of defensive play720317 Mason strong in goal in helping lead Flyers' first win under

Berube720318 Flyers' Giroux needs to play better720319 Flyers win, but Giroux's slump continues720320 Berube lets goonish behavior slide720321 'Machete Kills' star enjoys Flyers game720322 Come On, Baby, Light My Flyer720323 Flyers Old Hat at Making Change720324 Flyers players take blame for Laviolette's firing720325 Flyers accept responsibility for firing720326 Berube makes changes at his 1st Flyers' practice720327 Hartnell sorry to see Laviolette go720328 Berube regime gets off to winning start720329 Even in victory, the Flyers seem to keep slipping from reality720330 Berube already leaving his mark on team720331 Flyers players taking the blame for Laviolette's firing (with

video)720332 Flyers' Mason raises game in win over Panthers720333 Flyers-Panthers: 5 things you need to know720334 Berube, staff to emphasize accountability720335 Getting to know new Flyers coach Craig Berube720336 Flyers notes: Berube wants to see one goalie emerge720337 Flyers win in Berube's debut720338 Flyers feel responsible for Laviolette's firing720339 Snider: Training camp was a disaster720340 Berube wants to bring tougher, defensive style to the team720341 Flyers turn to one of their own to lead charge720342 New coach Berube 'a Flyer my whole life'

Phoenix Coyotes720343 Phoenix Coyotes fall to New York Islanders 6-1720344 Brownie Points: Coyotes sneak into mix of NHL contenders

Pittsburgh Penguins720345 Jokinen goals do the trick for Penguins in victory over

Hurricanes720346 penguins notebook: Hurricanes' Staal back in form720347 Penguins notebook: Staal puts tough year behind him720348 Penguins weather Hurricanes, 5-2; improve to 3-0

San Jose Sharks720349 Brad Stuart returning to San Jose Sharks' lineup720350 Ex-Shark Dominic Moore recalls powerful memories720351 Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl scores four goals in 9-2 rout of

New York Rangers720352 Hertl scores 4 goals as Sharks rout Rangers 9-2720353 Relive Sharks rookie Hertl's four-goal night720354 Mixed emotions for Moore in return to San Jose720355 Kevin and Brodie: Hertl raising expectations; Stuart returns

St Louis Blues720356 Blues seeking to do a better job closing games vs. Chicago720357 Blues-Blackhawks matchup box720358 Blues, Blackhawks rivalry ready for national exposure720359 Blues-Blackhawks get set to renew rivalry Wednesday720360 Blues-Blackhawks rivalry heats up again

Tampa Bay Lightning720361 Bolts rally again, top Sabres in OT720362 Bolts notes: Cooper shuffles lineup at Buffalo720363 Lightning tops Sabres in OT720364 Lightning's Cooper tries out different line setups720365 Lineup goes through changes as Lightning prepares for

Sabres

Toronto Maple Leafs720366 Avalanche squeeze by Leafs to hand Toronto first loss of

season720367 Mirtle: Could the Leafs really trade Jake Gardiner?720368 Maple Leafs to start goalie Jonathan Bernier against

Colorado Avalanche720369 Toronto Maple Leafs lose first game, fall to Colorado

Avalanche 2-1720370 Patrick Roy, ever-entertaining Colorado Avalanche coach,

grabs the media spotlight720371 Tips for Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy to control his

temper720372 LeafsBeat: Goaltender decisions and Randy Carlyle’s

scouting prowess720373 Maple Leafs prepare for week with three Western

Conference opponents720374 NHL: Colorado rookie Nathan MacKinnon loving the NHL life720375 Sochi Olympics: Team Canada shows off hockey jerseys720376 Hockey violence has always been controversial, Stephen

Harper points out720377 Three wise men guide Varlamov720378 Maple Leafs' Jake Gardiner needs to play better720379 Leafs' sloppy turnovers a concern720380 Leafs goalie Bernier looks like the real deal720381 Maple Leafs lose first game of season to Avalanche 2-1720382 Maple Leafs fall to Avalanche and Patrick Roy720383 Patrick Roy show takes centre stage at Leafs skate720384 Maple Leafs’ unbeaten streak halted by Avalanche720385 Why Patrick Roy says controlling his emotions will be ‘very

easy’ while coaching the Colorado Avalanche720386 Why Toronto Maple Leafs trading Jake Gardiner would be a

mistake720387 ‘You can’t do that’: NHL referee admonishes Dallas Stars’

Shawn Horcoff, explains penalty in the most basic wa720388 Former Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider prepares

for return visit: ‘I learned a lot from Roberto’720389 Toronto Maple Leafs’ Dave Bolland and Mason Raymond,

former rivals, find instant chemistry

Vancouver Canucks720402 Mike Santorelli: the best Canuck story going720403 Canucks to celebrate 25th million customer Thursday720404 Gallagher: Canucks eke out win against Devils despite

depleted lineup720405 Canucks 3 Devils 2 (OT): Goalie battle becomes Sedin show

in Vancouver720406 Goalie Confidential never came between Luongo, Schneider720407 Canucks want Booth to be more sports specific with his

training methods720408 Game Day Torts: Media warning, warming up to Santorelli,

no Hamhuis worry720409 Canucks Hat Trick: Classy Cory returns, fronting what

should be a tired Devils lineup720410 Van Provies: Why jeering Schneider was BS, who loves

Torts the most and AV fallout720411 Cory Schneider hoping to “move on,” from Canuck goalie

saga after his first trip to Vancouver is done720413 White Towel 720414 Canucks wish ex-teammate Schneider well in return to

Rogers Arena, but not that well720416 Luongo one save better than Schneider as Canucks beat

Devils in OT

Washington Capitals720390 Capitals’ second line ‘still a work in progress’720391 Alexander Urbom expected to make Capitals debut during

homestand720392 Nicklas Backstrom becomes a father; Capitals recall Michael

Latta720393 Capitals have candidates for breakout year in Fehr, Brouwer,

Johansson

Websites720417 ESPN / Ramblings: Complaints, castaways and canned

coaches720418 ESPN / Rumblings: International play, shootout spins and

goalie police720419 FOXSports.com / Quick's error proves costly as Kings drop

home opener720420 NBCSports.com / Court throws out NHL’s claims against

former Coyotes owner720421 USA TODAY / USA TODAY Sports' Kevin Allen wins award

Winnipeg Jets720394 Central Division Game of the Season720395 Jets focus on starting games quicker720396 Big-game FEVER720397 Winnipeg Jets aim to stop the big shots by shoring up

defence720398 Sports book likes Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel's odds

of being fired720399 Winnipeg Jets trying to draw up new plan for winning

faceoffs720400 Wild fandom: Jets diehards converge on Minnesota720401 Wake-up call for JetsSPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

720204 Anaheim Ducks

Emerson Etem skates with team, to be activated for Ducks' home opener

By Lance Pugmire

4:32 PM PDT, October 8, 2013

Emerson Etem returned to skating with his Ducks teammates Tuesday morning and is prepared to be activated for the team's regular-season home opener Thursday against the New York Rangers at Honda Center.

"I'm feeling good, I'm ready.… I feel healthy, as good as I've been in a while, that's my threshold," Etem said after the Tuesday morning skate at Honda Center. "If I feel I can manage what I've got — and I can — I feel like I'm ready to play."

Etem, 21, suffered a lower-leg injury after scoring a goal Sept. 20 in San Jose. Etem collided with San Jose's Raffi Torres.

He stayed in Anaheim as the Ducks opened the regular season with a 2-1 record against Colorado, Minnesota and Winnipeg, and a roster spot was cleared Monday when the Ducks moved center Peter Holland to minor league Norfolk (Va.).

"He looked pretty good," Ducks Coach Bruce Boudreau said of Etem after using him with center Nick Bonino and Matt Beleskey/Patrick Maroon. "It was a good idea to leave him behind and let him get all that extra work."

Boudreau won't overstate the potential of Long Beach's Etem, but it's high after he followed three regular-season goals last season with three more in the Ducks' first-round, seven-game series loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

"I'm excited he brings an element to our team … I know he's going to work really hard, absorb everything we tell him," Boudreau said. "The one thing you can't dictate is the type of numbers he's going to put up.… We're not going to measure him in terms of how many goals and assists.

"We're going to measure him on how he helps the penalty killing, how he's going to help at times we need that energy guy, the guy who can skate, get in on the forecheck and bring the crowd to its feet at times."

Etem anticipates the debut.

"I took from that playoff experience and built on it in exhibition season," Etem said. "I'm going to work past this, and keep on with the consistency."

Other ailments

Sidelined Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa (ankle) did not skate Tuesday and said he hopes to play in the three-game homestand finale Oct. 16 against Calgary.

Sbisa said he has been impressed by how 19-year-old rookie Hampus Lindholm has performed in his absence, playing 18:41 thus far.

"He's played with a lot of confidence," Sbisa said. "Watching him carrying the puck up the ice, he's not afraid of responsibility and that shows other players and management he wants the spot."

Forward Kyle Palmieri sat out practice Tuesday after being hurt on the trip (upper-body injury).

Road review

After being smoked 6-1 in the opener at Colorado, the Ducks rallied with an overtime victory at Minnesota and a back-to-back win at Winnipeg.

Some Ducks said they "might've needed" that opening rout to find their focus.

"They've got character, they want to win, and after everybody saw film of the Colorado game, they weren't too happy with themselves with the pride they have," Boudreau said. "I didn't have to say much," after the opener, "we all knew we weren't good. But it's only one game and our record after three games last year," when the Ducks started 20-3-3, "was 2-1."

Throwback night

Viktor Fasth wore an old-school hockey mask in practice Tuesday like the one original Mighty Ducks goalie Guy Hebert used to wear, preparing for

the "Throwback Night" on Sunday commemorating the franchise's first win 20 years earlier.

As many as 15 members of the first Mighty Ducks team will attend, some concession items will be priced at 93 cents, and the arena will be decorated in a 1993 theme.

"I love all of this stuff," Boudreau said. "They've done such a great job with this whole thing."

LA Times: LOADED: 10.09.2013

720205 Anaheim Ducks

Etem has healthy outlook, Boudreau not so sure

By ERIC STEPHENS

2013-10-08 18:45:59

ANAHEIM – Emerson Etem is ready to charge out into his first full NHL season, but he’ll first need to get out of the starting blocks.

The first step was taken Tuesday as Etem was back on the ice with the Ducks for the first time in nearly three weeks as he recovers from an unspecified lower-body injury suffered in an exhibition game at San Jose.

It was a step so encouraging that Etem pronounced himself ready to return to the lineup after missing the first three games, the result of a hit by Sharks winger Raffi Torres.

“I feel good,” Etem said. “I feel like I’m ready to play. It’s just up to the coaches. I feel healthy. I feel as good as I’ve been in a while.”

The speedy young winger might feel as if he is ready, but Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau wasn’t as ready to pencil him into the lineup for Thursday’s home opener against the New York Rangers.

“He looked pretty good,” Boudreau said. “He skated hard today. He’s getting there. I don’t think he’s ready for Thursday but he’s getting there. It was a good idea to leave him behind and get all that extra work.”

Etem said there was no one single moment where he turned the corner in his recovery but has found improvement in the process throughout, particularly within the last week.

Boudreau is eager to get the Long Beach native back into the mix after a promising rookie season capped by a strong postseason series against Detroit in his first Stanley Cup playoff experience.

“I’m excited that he brings an element to our team,” Boudreau said. “As to how he does, I know he’s going to really work hard. I know he’s going to absorb everything we tell him.

“The one thing you cannot dictate is the numbers that he’s going to be putting up. He’s going to play on our team anywhere from the first to fourth line on certain nights.”

Boudreau added that Etem won’t be measured by the goals or assists he gets but the effort and energy he brings to such areas as penalty killing, where the Ducks are off to another horrible start.

Etem said the plan all along was for him to stay home and ramp himself for this week.

“There was no rush,” he said. “Bruce was set with the lineup that he had. He didn’t want to rush me. I was fine with that. He was fine with that. Now I’m ready to go. It’s up to him to what he wants to do.”

PALMIERI, SBISA STILL OUT

The news wasn’t as promising for either winger Kyle Palmieri or defenseman Luca Sbisa. Palmieri did not practice and continues to deal with what appears to be a head injury that left him unable to play the third period Sunday against Winnipeg.

Palmieri was drilled into the boards by Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien during the second period of the Ducks’ 3-2 win. Boudreau is hoping the winger is able to practice Wednesday.

“There were no setbacks or anything of that nature,” Boudreau said. “When you’ve got healthy forwards, there’s no sense rushing unhealthy people back. Because that’s how they get hurt more.”

Sbisa’s sprained ankle is progressing slowly. He has shed his protective walking boot but is still unable to practice and looks as if he is still a week or two away.

“I guess we underestimated it at first a bit,” he said. “We noticed pretty quickly it’s a little more serious than what we originally thought.

“I thought it’d just be something that would take a few days and I’d be back. But now it’s almost a month.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 10.09.2013

720206 Boston Bruins

No harm on hit, insists Marchand

By Amalie Benjamin

October 09, 2013

WILMINGTON — The hit left Brad Marchand down on the ice, with the Bruins trainer rushing out to attend to him. But after Marchand skated off under his own power and was helped into the dressing room, he missed just one shift in Saturday’s game against the Red Wings.

And on Tuesday, the Bruins winger called the hit by Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader “an accident.”

“That stuff happens,” said Marchand, who was down for about a minute after the hit. “We were both going to the slot and I didn’t see him. I don’t think he saw me till the last second. If I would have seen him, I probably would have ducked or jumped. He jumped. That’s just how it goes.”

NHL vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan tweeted, “Abdelkader/Marchand: Accident Collision.”

“They’re trying to protect everybody,” Marchand said. “They’re looking at every single little thing in the game, and I never expected anything to come out of that. I wouldn’t want anything to come out of that. It was an accident, just how it goes.”

Marchand acknowledged that the landscape on that front has changed over the last couple of years, and that he has changed with it. The league is cracking down on such hits in the name of player safety.

“After my last suspension, I definitely changed my game a bit,” Marchand said of a hit on Sami Salo in January of 2012 that cost him five games. “I don’t want to be in that situation again, but they are doing it for a good reason.

“They want to protect guys and they’re trying to allow guys to have longer careers. The last thing you want to do is see somebody ruin their career by a cheap shot or something like that, so that’s all they’re trying to do there and I respect that.”

He added, of Abdelkader, “I don’t think he intentionally tried to hurt me or anything like that.”

Not his day yet

Carl Soderberg again skated before Bruins practice Tuesday, but did not participate in the official practice. Coach Claude Julien said that getting Soderberg in a practice is the next step for the winger, who is “day to day” with the ankle injury he sustained in the final game of the preseason. “He’s getting closer to practicing with us,” Julien said. “Once he practices with us and I get the OK from our medical staff, we’ll move forward. So ‘day to day’ doesn’t mean necessarily tomorrow, but he is progressing extremely well.” With Jordan Caron playing well as the third-line left winger, the Bruins are under no pressure to rush Soderberg back.

Temporary seat

Matt Bartkowski has been the healthy scratch in the first two games — both wins — but Julien said the Bruins are committed to getting the young defenseman into the action. They’re just not quite sure when that will be. “I’ll be very honest with you guys, he’s not going to sit up there for a month,” Julien said. “That’s not going to happen. We’ve got some good young players that need to play, especially early in the year. You’ve got to give those guys opportunities to play. So when that’s going to happen, I’m not sure yet, but certainly don’t expect to see him in the stands for a whole month.”

Seen him before

On Thursday, the Bruins face the Avalanche and their new coach Patrick Roy, who has already caused a stir. Roy got into a shouting match with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau, going so far as to almost push over the glass partition between the benches. Marchand has already seen Roy as a coach, when he faced Roy’s Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. “In junior, it was cool to look over and see a guy of his caliber behind the bench,” Marchand said. “You always kind of admired him and stuff, so it was cool. But it’ll be a little different here. In the NHL, you’ve got to be a little more professional.” Marchand conceded that he might have

chirped at the coach occasionally. “I’d yell at him a little bit, just because he’s Patrick Roy,” he said. “Nothing over the top or anything like that. Just kind of ease the tension a little bit. It was fun.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 10.09.2013


Abdelkader hit was "an accident," Marchand says

Posted by Amalie Benjamin October 8, 2013 10:43 AM

WILMINGTON -- Brad Marchand, who was laid out on the ice Saturday night after a hit from Detroit's Justin Abdelkader, spoke to reporters Tuesday for the first time since the game, and said the contact was accidental.

"He did jump, for sure, there’s no doubt about it," said the Bruins winger. "But it’s a reaction thing, guys do things to protect themselves. That’s how it goes. I don’t think he intentionally tried to hurt me or anything like that."

Marchand was on the ice for a while before skating off under his own power. He was then helped into the dressing room, and missed one shift. But Marchand finished the game, and has practiced the last two days.

"I never expected anything to come out of that, I wouldn’t want anything to come out of that," Marchand said. "It was an accident, just how it goes."

Other notes from this morning's practice:

Carl Soderberg skated on his own before practice. He's still recovering from the ankle injury he suffered in the final preseason game in Saskatoon and has yet to practice with the team, which he'll need to do before returning in a game. Coach Claude Julien called him "day-to-day."

"The best I can say right now," Julien said. "He’s skating. When I say day-to-day, he’s getting closer to practicing with us. And once he practices with us and I get the OK from our medical staff, we’ll move forward. So 'day to day' doesn't mean necessarily tomorrow but he is progressing extremely well."

The Bruins don't intend for seventh defenseman Matt Bartkowski to sit forever, even though he's been the odd man out in the first two games.

"I’ll be very honest with you guys, he’s not going to sit up there for a month," Julien said. "That’s not going to happen.

"We’ve got some good young players that need to play, especially early in the year. You’ve got to give those guys opportunities to play. So when that’s going to happen, I’m not sure yet, but certainly don’t expect to see him in the stands for a whole month."

Boston Globe LOADED: 10.09.2013


Bruins’ Chris Kelly in better place

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Steve Conroy

WILMINGTON — The Bruins have plenty of new faces this season, but a familiar one has been a major reason for the team’s fast start.

Chris Kelly is back.

The veteran center has a noticeable jump in his step as he attempts to bounce back from perhaps the worst regular season of his career. Kelly scored just one goal in his first 21 games in 2012-13 before breaking a bone in his leg March 11. He finished with three goals, six assists and a minus-8 rating in 34 games, then had only three points in 22 playoff contests.

“Last year was last year. It wasn’t the best individually,” Kelly said yesterday. “The team did great aside from two games, but it was a long year at times. There were a lot of times where you were frustrated and you were trying to figure things out, and for some reason it wasn’t happening.

“This year I’m trying to take a different approach and be positive. Not to say I wasn’t positive last year, but when you’re out there having fun, it shows. I’m out there every day at the rink trying to have fun.”

Kelly also switched up his offseason training regimen. In the summer of 2012, he worked out with a group of his former Senators teammates, but because the B’s went so deep into the playoffs in 2013, Kelly was too far behind his Ottawa buddies and had to figure out a new program.

He opted to train at the Canadian Strength Institute in Ottawa run by Sean Young, a track and field athlete and a guide runner for visually impaired athletes at the Paralympics. Kelly worked on quick bursts in 40-, 60- and 100-meter runs as well as some hurdles for agility.

“As you get older, you lose a step or two,” Kelly said. “And with my injury, I felt like I wasn’t skating as well as I’d like. So I wanted to work on that explosive power and those first few steps. And I couldn’t have gone to a better place.”

Kelly said that it helped him mentally to have an end date for his summer workouts, as opposed to 2012 when the lockout dragged on with no end in sight.

“Last year was tough, even for the guys who went to play (in Europe),” Kelly said. “You’re working out and you’re not knowing if there’s going to be a season. You’d go to the gym and you’d go skate and you’d be asking yourself, ‘What am I doing this for?’

“Then I went to Switzerland and I don’t know if that necessarily helped me. . . . I had a lot of fun and it was a great experience, but I definitely feel better now than I did at the start of last year.”

Throughout training camp and the first two games of the regular season, Kelly arguably has been the B’s best forward.

“There’s a different player this year than we had last year,” coach Claude Julien said.

And Kelly seems to be enjoying life with young linemates Jordan Caron and Reilly Smith, both of whom are a decade younger than him.

“I’m trying to help them out, and they’re helping me out. That’s what a line’s all about,” Kelly said. “With Reilly, he’s coming to a new team and different system, and there’s some adjusting there, but I think he’s looked great. And Jordy’s played extremely well.”

When the B’s raised the Stanley Cup in 2011, the third unit of Kelly, Rich Peverley and Michael Ryder had a big hand in the team’s success. Kelly hopes to recreate that scenario in 2013-14.

“If you have your bottom two lines contributing, it takes a lot of pressure off the top two lines,” Kelly said. “I don’t think the sole pressure should be on the guys on those two lines to score every game. It’s not fair to them and it’s not fair to the team.”

Bruins notes

Brad Marchand had no problem with the high hit he took from Detroit’s Justin Abdelkader on Saturday. Abdelkader appeared to leave his feet when he collided with Marchand in the second period. Marchand stayed down on the ice for a while before leaving under his own power. He missed one shift and finished the game.

Late Saturday night, the NHL ruled that the hit was accidental.

“He was coming through the slot and saw me at the last second,” Marchand said. “He was trying to protect himself, and I have no hard feelings.” . . .

Carl Soderberg (ankle) skated on his own for the second straight day but has not yet gone through a full practice. . . .

Matt Bartkowski has been a healthy scratch the first two games, but Julien said he’ll try to get the young defenseman in the lineup soon.

“I’ll be honest with you guys, he’s not going to sit up there for a month,” the coach said. “That’s not going to happen.”

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.09.2013


No hard feelings from Brad Marchand on Abdelkader's hit

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 -- Steve Conroy

Brad Marchand said he had no problem with the high hit he took from the Detroit Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader on Saturday night.

In the second period of the Bruins' 4-1 win over the Wings, Abdelkader collided with Marchand in the slot in the Bruins' zone. At first it looked like a bad hit because Abdelkader left his feet and hit Marchand up high. Marchand stayed down on the ice for a while before leaving under his own power and going to the dressing room briefly. He missed one shift and then finished the game.

Late Saturday night, the NHL ruled that the hit was accidental, and Marchand had no beef with that.

“He was coming through the slot and saw me at the last second,” said Marchand. “He was trying to protect himself and I have no hard feelings.”

Marchand was looking forward, rather than back, and next on the docket is the Colorado Avalanche at the Garden on Thursday. The Avs' new coach, all-time great goalie Patrick Roy, drew a lot of attention when, in his season opener, he got in a shouting match with Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau and nearly pushed over the glass partition between the benches.

When Marchand played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League he played against Roy's Quebec Remparts.

“He's fun to play against,” said Marchand. “In juniors it was fun to look over and see a guy of his caliber behind the bench. I always kind of admired him. It was cool, but it'll be a little different here. In the NHL you've got to be a little more professional.”

Marchand admitted that he gave the Hall of Famer a little of his infamous lip.

“Yeah, I got on him a little bit. He's Patrick Roy,” said Marchand with a shrug. “But nothing over the top. I just wanted to get his attention a little bit.”....

Carl Soderberg (ankle) again skated on his own but did not practice with the team....

After practice, Zdeno Chara practiced both screening and tipping shots at the top of the crease as well as getting rebounds from his new power-play position.

Boston Herald LOADED: 10.09.2013

720210 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres showing they’re not ready –yet

By Bucky Gleason

on October 9, 2013 - 12:10 AM

updated October 9, 2013 at 1:14 AM

Cody Hodgson laughed so hard Tuesday while describing his introduction into the NHL five years ago that he had trouble getting the words out of his mouth. He was a first-round pick in 2008 and top prospect in the Canucks’ organization when he made his debut in an exhibition game against the Ducks.

Hodgson hopped off the bench and realized he was sharing the ice with an all-star team that included Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan, Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. The operative word is “sharing” because Hodgson certainly wasn’t competing against them. He was too busy admiring them.

“First shift,” Hodgson said. “I was looking across like, ‘Is this real right now?’ After the first shift, when they blow by you because you’re standing there watching them, you realize, ‘Holy crap, they’re the same as everybody else.’ You have to get into the game real quick or it passes you by.”

Hodgson’s message is one to behold as the Sabres battle through the first few weeks of the regular season. Clearly, he learned how to get involved. He scored once on the power play and set up Jamie McBain for another in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Lightning. The Sabres scored twice in the second period after scoring twice in the first three games.

Around here, it passes for progress.

The Sabres should enjoy the overtime point while they can because they’re not going to rack up many if they continue performing the way they have in four games. Tampa Bay dominated for much of the game but had problems beating Jhonas Enroth, who was outstanding. Buffalo was the better team in the second period.

If the game Tuesday proved anything, it’s that Ryan Miller and Enroth should switch duties until Miller signs a contract extension or is traded. Miller, who backed up Enroth while nursing a tender groin, is the better goaltender. But if the Sabres are working toward their long-term future, they should be playing Enroth and shopping Miller.

It would improve Miller’s chances of staying healthy and preserve his trade value. Darcy Regier should speed-dial Philadelphia, which looks vulnerable with a new coach and questionable goaltending. The last thing the Sabres need is Miller stealing games and providing false hope. They need to learn how to win without him.

This is what happens when a team is intent on developing young players in the best league in the world. You can get away with one or two but not five or six. It’s not as if opposing teams are going to wait around. They were outclassed last week in Detroit and Pittsburgh. Miller kept them in the game against Ottawa. They were outplayed Tuesday.

Buffalo had three shots in the first period against Tampa Bay, which is hardly considered a powerhouse in the Atlantic Division. They were getting outshot, 18-4, through the first 33 minutes and 19-6 when Hodgson scored on the power play. Buffalo played better as the game carried along and competed in the third period. And still lost.

It’s not going to get much easier with the Blue Jackets coming to town Thursday and the Blackhawks salivating while waiting for the Sabres to arrive Saturday.

The kids have performed admirably, assuming you accept that they’re being held to a lower standard. In truth, nobody on the roster has been nearly good enough by NHL standards. The effort was there Tuesday. The Sabres simply are not a good hockey team. They’re trying to pass off their JV roster as a varsity team.

I’ll say it again: If they’re too young or not good enough to play in the NHL, they don’t belong in the NHL. They belong in the AHL or back in junior or some Saturday night beer league. Mikhail Grigorenko, for starters, has no

business being in the NHL at this stage of his career. He has looked utterly lost.

“You produce or you’re gone in this kind of aspect of the NHL,” home captain Steve Ott said. “It’s something all these guys are learning on the run. Our veterans haven’t been great either. We’re all not producing in the aspect of scoring. We all have to do it together.”

Tampa Bay took a similar approach and had similar results a few years ago before Steve Yzerman was hired as general manager. Former first-round pick Brett Connolly struggled as a rookie and spent last season in the AHL, where he had 31 goals. Yzerman resisted the temptation to promote him last season despite Tampa Bay’s problems.

Connolly had four goals in the preseason this year, tying the team lead, and was rewarded with a bus ticket back to Syracuse. Yzerman wants him even more prepared before he resumes his NHL career. Jonathan Drouin, the third pick overall in June, was sent back to juniors for more seasoning. He’s a gifted player but not ready for the NHL.

Naturally, the Sabres are sending mixed messages. Regier warning fans about suffering has been documented. Ted Black wasted little time getting his message across in a radio interview in which “youth” and “teenagers” flew out of his mouth numerous times. All this about 10 hours after Buffalo lost to Detroit in the opener.

Coach Ron Rolston and his veteran players aren’t interested in hearing about their inexperience. Rolston, to his credit, has refused to embrace excuses. His players subscribe to the notion that anyone playing in the NHL belongs in the NHL. Therefore, winning should be the top priority.

“It’s the same process if you’re a young guy or you’ve been in the league for a while,” Hodgson said. “It’s always frustrating when things aren’t going your way. If they’re on the team, they’re on the team. We’re in this together and trying to pull through. If you do the right things often enough, eventually it’s going to turn around.”

Buffalo News LOADED: 10.09.2013


Sabres notebook: McBain provides jolt to power play

By Mike Harrington

on October 9, 2013 - 12:09 AM

Jamie McBain is in control at the top of the attack and has a knack for getting shots through traffic. Those are the traits the Buffalo Sabres’ power play really needs on a nightly basis.

McBain showcased them Tuesday with a goal and an assist, each his first in a Buffalo uniform, in the 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay.

“It’s big. That’s something that I feel like I bring to the table, something I want to contribute with,” McBain said. “We’re struggling there. To get two of them tonight is something we can build on.”

McBain, 25, was acquired in the draft day trade with Carolina that send Andrej Sekera to the Hurricanes. He struggled at times in his Buffalo debut Saturday in Pittsburgh, notably failing to cover Sidney Crosby on the Penguins’ first goal, but looked much more comfortable Tuesday.

“He brings a calming presence,” said center Cody Hodgson. “He doesn’t rush things, makes the plays when they’re there, and at the same time has a great shot.”

McBain’s goal at 18:34 of the second period came after the Sabres had passed up several opportunities early on the power play. With the crowd of 18,243 uttering a huge “shoooot” plea, McBain surveyed the scene and calmly fired a wrist shot past Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop.

“He just shoots it and it goes in,” said coach Ron Rolston. “Running it at the top he’s got a lot of poise just holding on to it making plays that need to be made. His shooting too, he’s got the poise to hold it and find the hole to put it through.”

“It wasn’t a hard bomb,” added winger Thomas Vanek. “He walked it in, took his time, took a great wrister.”

McBain combined for 15 goals and 57 points for Carolina in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons but slipped to just one goal and eight points last year in the lockout-shortened campaign.

McBain’s goal was his first since Jan. 28 against Boston and his first power-play goal since March 24, 2012 at Detroit. It was the first game in his career he scored two points on the power play.

“There’s always going to be a hole somewhere,” McBain said. “You’ve just got to be able to find it. It just comes down to getting pucks at the net, getting bodies at the net. We had a good couple days of practice and felt good coming into it.”

The Sabres shuffled their forward lines, with Marcus Foligno making his season debut after missing the first three games with a shoulder injury and immediately getting reunited with former linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford. Meanwhile, Steve Ott was taken off that line and moved up to the top unit with Vanek and Hodgson.

Foligno had a game-high seven hits and fought Tampa Bay defenseman Radko Gudas just 3:22 into the game after making a big hit on Lightning forward Valteri Filppula.

The third line was Mikhail Grigorenko between Brian Flynn and Zemgus Girgensons while the fourth unit was John Scott-Kevin Porter-Patrick Kaleta. But Grigorenko continues to struggle and played only 8:07 as he was dropped to the fourth line.

To make room for Foligno on the roster, the Sabres put defenseman Henrik Tallinder on injured reserve after he suffered an upper-body injury Friday night against Ottawa. He’s expected to miss a week or two.

Ryan Miller got heavy work during the morning skate and seemed to come through it OK, with Rolston saying after the game he should be ready to play here Thursday against Columbus. Jhonas Enroth had another strong game in net in place of Miller, making 31 saves.

“He would have been ready today for the most part but we’re giving him a little bit more time,” Rolston said of Miller. “Jhonas was good again. That’s been a strong point for us. Both of those guys have done an incredible job.”

Oddly enough, the loss dropped the Sabres to 94-94 all time in regular-season overtime decisions since the five-minute session was added in 1983. … The Sabres fell to 49-23-6 overall against Tampa Bay – still their best mark against any opponent they’ve met at least 30 times. … Martin St. Louis assisted on the Lightning’s tying goal, giving him 915 career points and pulling him even with legendary defenseman Bobby Orr for 94th on the all-time NHL scoring list.



Elation turns into irritation as Sabres lose in OT

By John Vogl

on October 8, 2013 - 10:48 PM

updated October 9, 2013 at 12:57 AM

Cody Hodgson didn’t want to hear it. Yes, the referee made a mistake. No, that’s not what cost the Sabres their first victory.

“We’re not going to make excuses, especially at this point of the season,” Hodgson said after a 3-2 overtime loss to Tampa Bay that featured an officiating error that indirectly impacted the outcome. “That’s tough, but at the same time this game was winnable. We had enough chances, power plays after that, chances in the slot, tap-ins that we missed that could put the game away. We can’t just rely on one call.”

The call may not have decided the game Tuesday, but it did change it.

Thomas Vanek thought he gave Buffalo a 3-1, third-period lead as the First Niagara Center fans cheered his apparent goal. Elation turned to sullen disbelief for Vanek in a manner of seconds, shocking the Sabres and getting the crowd of 18,243 ornery.

While chasing the puck behind the Tampa net, Vanek got his stick up on defenseman Matt Carle. Play continued as Steve Ott collected the puck in the corner and fed Jamie McBain at the point. Vanek deflected the defenseman’s slap shot into the net.

It was only then that referee Paul Devorski blew the whistle to penalize Vanek for high-sticking – a sound that is supposed to come as soon as the penalized team touches the puck.

“The referee did not see Sabres forward Steve Ott touch the puck, which then rebounded to Jamie McBain whose shot entered the net simultaneous with the referee blowing his whistle,” the NHL said in a statement. “The net result was the correct call – no goal, penalty to Buffalo.”

The Sabres were shocked to see Vanek head to the box instead of the score sheet.

“I didn’t even know we had a penalty,” Vanek said. “I tipped it in, and the next thing I know he’s waving it off and pointing at me that I got two minutes. It was a little confusing, especially at that time to make it 3-1. That’s what we needed.”

Vanek sat down with 14:39 remaining, and he remained motionless when Tampa scored 21 seconds later to tie the game.

“From 3-1 to 2-2, it’s a big change,” Vanek said.

Each team missed chances to win in regulation, the Sabres failing to find the net and goaltender Jhonas Enroth preventing Tampa from reaching his again – until the extra session.

Lightning defenseman Eric Brewer fanned on a point-blank shot, but Alex Killorn picked up the puck, skated around the mass in front and deposited a backhand with 1:50 gone in overtime.

Despite the loss, the Sabres still managed to accomplish a few previously unattainable feats. They moved to 0-3-1 to get their first point. They took their first leads of the season, scored their first power-play goals and doubled their offensive output from the opening three games.

Hodgson, all alone at the side of the net, calmly lifted the puck over goalie Ben Bishop, who was suddenly bathed in blue and gold spotlights with 8:51 left in the second. The goal ended the Sabres’ season-opening slide on the power play on the 14th try.

Tampa tied the game two minutes later as Tyler Johnson ripped a shot into the top corner over a crouched Enroth, but the Sabres’ power play answered. After assisting on the opening goal, McBain claimed the second one for himself with 1:26 to go in the middle period.

Enroth, starting again in place of Ryan Miller (groin), finished with 31 saves. Buffalo tested Bishop only 23 times, and coach Ron Rolston hopes to see more shots Thursday against Columbus.

“Tampa Bay played really well all game,” Enroth said. “They won the shots and they probably felt like they played better than us. Both teams battled hard.”



Wait continues on Miller as Sabres shift forward lines

By Mike Harrington

As has been mostly standard since he took over in February, Sabres coach Ron Rolston wouldn't say who will start in goal tonight against Tampa Bay but all indications are that it will be Jhonas Enroth. He came off the ice first this morning and Ryan Miller stayed on for some extended work.

Said Rolston on MIller: "He's out there today so he's ready. How did he look? Probably not as good as he did early on [in the season] but he's getting there."

Translation: Maybe Thursday against Columbus or Saturday in Chicago. But almost certainly not tonight.

What the Sabres will be showcasing for the nation tonight (it's a 7:40 puck drop on NBC Sports Network) is a new look up front to try to generate any shred of offense.

Steve Ott has been moved to the top line with Cody Hodgson and Thomas Vanek while Marcus Foligno, back from a shoulder injury, makes his season debut with Tyler Ennis and Drew Stafford on he line that was the talk of the NHL in March, 2012 and hasn't done much together since. Rolston said he's hoping they can "get a little of the old magic that they had."

"It's just finding the chemistry on lines and he's a guy who can make some space for us," Rolston said of Foligno. "Those are some of the things we're struggling with. We're trying to find some combinations where he have some sandpaper on some lines."

Ott said he played a couple periods on the line during the preseason finale in Carolina and agreed with Rolston's theory about spreading around the grit.

"We're trying to find something," Ott said. "Every line now has a heavy guy on each guy, a real forechecker."

"He's real grit," Hodgson said of Ott. "He's got speed and a great shot. Hopefully we can use that and it can be good for all three of us."

Two goals in three games and an 0-for-13 power play already has the team in crisis mode offensively. The Sabres have yet to score in the first 45 minutes of any game and have been outshot, 115-76.

"We're forcing too many things the game won't allow at this time," Hodgson said. "Once we get more timing, more passes on, it's a much easier game. ... Especially on the power play. There's always one open guy and you have to remenber that. Find that guy, relax and put the puck in the net."

Said Ott: "Quality shots come from hard work. It's eliminating the good forechecker and creating plays off that. Those scrambly plays around the net, we need more compete down low. ... Those 50-50 battles need to be won. You start winning more of those and that's where your shot totals miraculously start coming up in a hurry."

The other two lines remain intact, with Zemgus Girgenson-Mikhail Grigorenko-Brian Flynn as the third unit and John Scott-Kevin Porter-Patrick Kaleta the fourth line. Cody McCormick and Johan Larsson will be the scratches.

In addition to the changes on offense, Rolston has flipped some pairings on defense and notably paired Mike Weber with Tyler Myers while moving Jamie McBain to play with Rasmus Ristolainen. Christian Ehrhoff and Mark Pysyk stay together. Alexander Sulzer is a scratch.


720214 Calgary Flames

Johnson: Lars Eller an emerging star in Montreal five months after devastating hit

By GEORGE JOHNSON, Calgary Herald October 8, 2013

The image, a predatory Eric Gryba stepping up, leaning in and lowering a shoulder into the face of an unsuspecting Lars Eller, knifing across the middle just inside his own blueline in search of a Rafael Diaz suicide special.

The impact, Eller’s head snapping back, the body going limp, falling as if floating through space; then lying face down, blood slowly pooling on the ice.

The concern, grave. The potential for damage, catastrophic.

Eller suffered a concussion, facial lacerations and a few lost teeth in that debilitating collision. But five months after the controversial Gryba hit in Game 2 at the Bell Centre put a kerosene-soaked torch to an already flammable Habs-Sens series, Lars Eller is back, showing no ill effects.

Better than ever, it seems.

With the best yet to be.

“I mean, I wanted to get back as soon as possible,” Eller is saying Tuesday as his Montreal Canadiens readied to try and put the binders on a puzzling nine-game (0-7-2) hex here in Calgary. “Because I’m probably the person that’s been affected by it the least.

“I really didn’t live through it. I don’t remember any of it. And maybe that’s a good thing.

“I’ve had other injuries in my career where I was worried about how this or that was going to go, with another part of my body. But I didn’t wake up with a sore shoulder after that hit or a knee that needed to be fixed. I was over it very fast.

“I never had a doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to keep progressing. Never.”

Such single-minded focus has Lars Eller in a place many had predicted for him when he was drafted 13th overall in 2007 by the St. Louis Blues: Poised, Phillipe Petit-like, on the high-wire of stardom.

Five points, including three goals, in the season’s opening two fixtures. A growing dependence on he and his linemates.

Those anguished cries over the relinquishing of goaltender Jaroslav Halak that greeted Eller’s arrival from the St. Louis Blues on June 17th, 2010 have faded to silence.

“He’s still a young kid,” marvels defenceman Josh Gorges. “We lose track of that sometimes. Such a big, strong player that has such great, great talent. The more he grows, the more he develops, the better he’ll be.

“Imagine, you come into market like Montreal, everybody’s talking about the trade, saying ‘You’ve got to be this good because we gave up a goalie for you.’ That’s a lot to process. A lot to deal with. But he’s handled it all well. He’s a good person. He wants to learn. And he’s tenacious.

“How he’s come back (from the Gryba hit) is a testament to his character. He’s just a determined individual. Going through that, he’s come out of it saying ‘I’ll show you. I’m going to be even better.’ He trained like a madman in the summer, showed up in phenomenal shape, put on some extra muscles.

“With him, the sky’s the limit.”

Up sharing that sky beside him are two twinkling, complementary stars.

Eller and his linemates, the two young Gallys — the lavishly-gifted Alexander Galchenyuk and the jaunty James Cagney-esque bantam rooster Brendan Gallagher — just go together. Such symmetry, that particular oneness which sets certain lines apart, was apparent, says Gallagher, “almost immediately.”

The prospect of 10 years of this kind of collaboration must have Habs’ zealots positively giddy with joy. They’ve even stuck a name on the three, the EGG Line, much to the chagrin of Eller, Gallagher and Galchenyuk.

“Right now,” says radio commenter Dany Dube of 98.5 FM in Montreal, “they’re the Canadiens’ bread and butter. It was like that last year.

“Eller’s importance? Well, you saw after that injury what happened to this team.”

The Habs were swept aside in five games.

Galchenyk is the baby of the trio at 19 and Gallagher the older brother at 21. Leaving the old-age security payouts and Country Kitchen seniors discounts to Eller. All of 23 years.

“I went from being the youngest guy on the team,” muses Eller, “to suddenly being the oldest guy on the line. That’s a change in scenario. But we enjoy playing with each other. We’re inspiring each other to play good hockey. Those guys are not happy or satisfied with where they are. They push me.

“The guy next to you is the key to your success. We depend on each other. We’re accountable to each other. Gallagher is a pleasure to play with. Straight up and down, works his ass off, just keeps going. He wins so many loose pucks.

“Everybody’s development is different. It’s such an individual thing. For me, it took some more time to get to where I am today. Some guys only need a year. Some need two or three years.

“I always knew I could be a good player. We always knew we could be a good line. But it’s not enough for one shift and then have a couple shifts off. Have a good game here or there. It’s all about consistency. For sure you can’t play 82 great games a year but if we can keep the effort we’re bringing, keep the simple plays, then it’s gonna turn out good in the end.”

Those 30 points compiled in the lockout-shortened 48-game season only whetted people’s appetite for the main course Lars Eller was preparing.

“I think people really underestimated his talent when he first came to Montreal,” reckons Dube. “We were all talking about the departure of Halak. Obviously there was too much emotion. We weren’t really looking at the kid coming in.

“The thing he didn’t have then was the understanding of the NHL game. He just needed some mileage. He was doing things he could get away with in Europe or even in the American league that he couldn’t afford to do here. Too costly. I think Jacques Martin was very hard on him, but he did a good job. He was honest with him.

“Last year he worked a lot with the team’s sports psychologist, Sylvain Guimond. I guess he touched the right buttons. But the talent was already there. And the mix with those two kids . . . you have that in your organization, you know that something is boiling. You can tell. The buzz. You watch them (tonight).”

The Flames had best be advised to avoid blinking. Or face the consequences. On their own, these are. Together, something more, perhaps something very, very special.

“Chemistry,” says Calder Trophy finalist Gallagher, “is something you’re always trying to build. It can be an overused word but it’s a very important element to the game, too. The three of us fit together nicely.”

Like Snap, Crackle, Pop on a Rice Krispies box.

“I’ve said this before: In a perfect world you play three or four years together with the same linemates. If you look at some of the top teams, Boston or Chicago, they seem to have at least their top six intact for a long time, if not three guys then at least two. But you can’t force chemistry. It’s either there or it’s not.”

In this case, it’s there. And how.

With Lars Eller, back from that debilitating Gryba hit and showing no ill effects, the fulcrum of arguably hockey’s hottest young line.

“You always hear about a talented young guy scratching the surface of his potential,” says Josh Gorges.

“With Lars, there’s still a lot underneath. He’s just starting to scratch.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Game Day: Montreal Canadiens at Calgary Flames

By KRISTEN ODLAND, Calgary Herald October 8, 2013

Wednesday

Montreal Canadiens (1-1-0) at Calgary Flames (1-0-2)

6 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome

The FAN 960, TSN/RDS

THE FLAMES

Keep an eye on

G Joey MacDonald — This will be the veteran netminder’s third start of the year and in head coach Bob Hartley’s eyes, he’s earned it. Dealing with the Sedins on Sunday night, MacDonald made some brilliant saves and has a chance to keep up the consistency. Whether he’ll be the starting netminder in a few weeks, it’s tough to say but, at the moment, his veteran savvy ways are certainly coming in handy.

The Lines

*C. Glencross- B. Street-D. Jones

*S. Baertschi-S. Monahan-L. Stempniak

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

*L. Bouma-J. Colborne-B. McGrattan

The Pairings

*M. Giordano-T. Brodie

*K. Russell-D. Wideman

*C. Butler-S.O’Brien

The Goalies

*J. MacDonald

*K. Ramo

The Injuries

*C Matt Stajan (deep leg contusion)

*LW Michael Cammalleri (hand)

THE CANADIENS

Keep an eye on

C Lars Eller — A dominant force for the Habs early in this 2013-14 campaign. The NHL’s second star of the week with three goals and two assists through the first two games of the season. The big, talented, smooth-skating pivot will provide a challenge for a set of inexperienced Flames centres.

The Lines

*A. Galchenyuk-L. Eller-B. Gallagher

*R. Bourque-T. Plekanec-B. Gionta

*M. Pacioretty-D. Desharnais-D. Briere

*B.Prust-M.Bournival/R.White-T. Moen

The Pairings

*A. Markov-R. Diaz

*J. Gorges-P. Subban

*J. Tinordi-F. Bouillon

*N. Beaulieu

The Goalies

*C. Price

*P. Budaj

The Injuries

*D Alexei Emelin (knee surgery), D Davis Drewiske (shoulder), D Douglas Murray (upper body), RW George Parros (concussion)

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

1. CREASE BATTLE

Flames head coach Bob Hartley called it a “gut feeling,” naming veteran netminder Joey MacDonald his starter for Wednesday’s game against the visiting Montreal Canadiens.

MacDonald turned aside 23 of 28 shots in Sunday’s 5-4 home opening overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks. He was also in net for Calgary’s 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. So far, his stat-line is 1-0-1 with eight goals against, a goals-against average of 3.94, and a save percentage of .867. Over the weekend, Hartley named MacDonald his starter on Sunday because of the way he performed in Friday’s game. On Tuesday, he felt MacDonald had earned another start. But that could change after Wednesday’s game.

“We feel Mac deserves to play but that story can change quickly,” he said. “It’s nothing against Karri Ramo. Right now, it’s what we see from Joey MacDonald.”

Ramo, who shone in the team’s pre-season, was in net for the team’s NHL opener on the road which was a 5-4 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals where he stopped 35 of 39 shots.

2. NOT HABBY

The west has not been kind to the Montreal Canadiens. Since the 1998-99 season, the Habs have played a total of 30 games in Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary and have posted a record of eight wins, 18 losses, two ties, and two overtime losses. At the Scotiabank Saddledome, where they’ll visit Wednesday night, they’ve had the worst luck — not winning a game since a 4-2 decision back on Jan. 5, 2002 — and have an all-time record of 26-20-7-1 in Calgary. “There’s nothing we can do about the past, the most important thing is the present,” said Montreal head coach Michel Therrien. “(The Saddledome) is a tough place to play.”

3. EGG-CITING TRIO

People love acronyms, especially when it comes to hockey lines. But the Canadiens’ trio of Lars Eller, Brendan Gallagher, and Alex Galchenyuk would rather not have their recent nickname gain any traction — the EGG line. No thank-you, says Gallagher. “I think the EGG line sucks,” said the 21-year-old earlier this week. “What does that even mean?” That being said, the line has given Habs fans a reason to take a liking to them, given they’ve scored five of the team’s seven goals in two games this season. They complement each other well — the crafty Galchenyuk, the gritty Gallagher, and, so far, the red-hot Eller. So, who cares what people call them.

4. BIG MILESTONE

Wednesday will be former Flame Rene Bourque’s 500th NHL career hockey game. Which, for the Lac La Biche, Alta., native who has been in the league for nine seasons (three and a half in Calgary), is hard to believe. “I feel like I’ve been playing a long time and I should have more than that, but I’ve been hurt so damn much,” Bourque was saying on Tuesday, chuckling. “It’s kind of fitting to have it here. To me, I think 1,000 is where I’d like to get, but that might be tough to get to at my age. It’s just nice to be back here. I spent three years here and it’s nice to see familiar faces again.”

5. ODDS AGAINST COACH

According to the sports betting side Bodog.ca, Hartley has the highest odds to be the second coach fired in the 2013-14 season. He’s tops on the list with 2/1 odds along with Carolina’s Kirk Muller (5/2), Minnesota’s Mike Yeo (7/2), Winnipeg’s Claude Noel (4/1), Florida’s Kevin Dineen (13/2), and New Jersey’s Peter DeBoer (13/2). “I didn’t read this,” Hartley said. “I’m not a computer guy and I don’t waste time with this. Obviously, we’re in the business where we know the risk from Day 1. People that have been around me, I’m scared of lots of things, but I’ve never been scared of being fired. I’ve always been the same guy. It’s not a rumour or a report that’s going to change me.”



Wideman stepping up, playing big minutes and being a leader for young Flames squad

By Kristen Odland, Calgary Herald October 8, 2013

Calgary Flames defenceman Dennis Wideman is among the NHL leaders in ice time so far this season.

They are the kind of minutes that were normally logged by National Hockey League iron man Jay Bouwmeester who departed in the spring for the St. Louis Blues and eventually, you’d think, will be consumed by Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano.

But, right now, it’s Dennis Wideman that’s been relied on as the team’s anchor, averaging 27 minutes and 19 second through the first three games of the 2013-14 season.

Which, of course, is just fine by him.

“I think if you ask any hockey player or any guy in this room, they want to be out there,” the 30-year-old veteran of 584 NHL games between the Blues, Boston Bruins, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and Flames. “If they could, they’d play 60 minutes. I don’t think anyone is going to sit there and say, ‘You know what? I think I’m playing too much.’ Yeah, you want to play as much as you can.”

“I think most of my career, the last five or six years, I’ve averaged 24 and above for the year. I don’t think this is any different than past years.”

Wideman’s totals so far have been 26:24 against Washington, 29:08 against Columbus, and 26:26 against Vancouver, which, combined, are a team-high and (heading into Tuesday’s NHL action) were the fourth-highest in the league. His offensive abilities are counted on both in even strength situations and on the Flames’ first power play unit. This season so far, head coach Bob Hartley has stuck the Flames’ blueliner on the right side of Kris Russell and the duo play behind Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie among the top-four group.

“When you start getting in that range, you have to pick your spots probably a little bit better when you’re jumping into the play and how much you push it,” Wideman said. “I don’t think you can go end-to-end for 29 minutes straight, but you’re just trying to pick your spots offensively a little more.”

Given that it’s so early in the season, Wideman believes the ice-time allocation is likely to change. But right now, right out of training camp, he’s not complaining.

“I don’t think it’s going to be that high every game,” Wideman said. “But it’s just the way it worked out the first couple games. Right now, I think you’re feeling pretty fresh and you’ve got lots of legs so it doesn’t affect you as much. But come January and February, when you start to get into the later part of the seasons, I’m sure it won’t be that high.”

Last year, Wideman averaged 25:01 in 46 games which was 14th in the league ahead of Boston’s Zdeno Chara and had logged a significant amount of minutes during the 2011-12 season with the Capitals and also helped fill in when Mike Green had missed 50 games with injuries.

But this year, according to Hartley, it’s the player himself that’s dictating the amount of icetime dished out — and earning big praise from the head coach in the process. They saw it in the pre-season when he unleashed a series of massive hits, scored four times and recorded two assists in four games, finishing a plus-three.

“It’s not my decision, it’s his decision,” Hartley said. “Wides is a totally different guy this year. Off the ice, on the ice, he’s a leader. He’s playing like an NHL veteran, he’s playing like a great defenceman. Defensively, offensively, he’s doing lots of great things. Plus, he’s a great example for our young guys.”

Which is something Hartley discussed with him during their exit meetings following the 2013 lockout-shortened campaign.

He’d talked about Wideman, who signed a five-year, $26.25-million deal in the 2012 off-season, being a leader and part of the core of a rebuilding squad that desperately needed a calm head and experience.

“It was a pretty good meeting and I talked to Wides two or three weeks after and I saw he understood,” Hartley said. “We want him to be a pillar here. You can’t build a solid bridge without pillars. On a team, you can never have enough pillars and we count on Wides to be one of them.

“So far, he’s embraced that role and that challenge very well and has been unbelievable.”



Ben ‘Two-Way’ Street making a name for himself after surprising inclusion on Flames roster

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald October 8, 2013

Those slogan T-shirts were apparently ordered up with Ben Street in mind.

Earned, Never Given.

Because if anyone encapsulates that credo, slides as snugly into the plucky underdog role thrust upon the Calgary Flames as Christian Bale into Batman’s famed cape and cowl, it’s, well, Ben Street.

A small guy on a small team. An unproven NHLer trying to stick in a re-fashioned lineup. A centreman on a group condemned as being butterfly-wing-thin down the middle.

In a sense, he’s these Flames in miniature. Or at least, in rather nondescript 5-foot-11-inch form.

Battling. Overachieving. Proving people wrong.

“It’s a dream come true,” says Street, “to be in an opening-day roster.”

The trick moving forward is to still be on board, firmly entrenched in the new order, when Game 82 rolls around. Even if, now 26, he’s no moppet.

Arriving at this camp, given the famous faces departed, the complete about-face in philosophy and the organization’s admission that this was, yes, an honest-to-goodness “rebuild” (all warts included), Ben Street had to believe the here and now represented his best shot at finally breaking through to the big time.

He was probably alone in that conviction.

“You come in and see there are still a lot of guys who are still very good players,” he cautions. “With the way the organization has preached rebuilding, maybe you do think ‘OK, this is a little more of a chance’ but you try not to. The more you get into that stuff the more mentally you just screw yourself up.”

So here’s a new take on an old U2 tune: Where the Street has some game.

Plenty more game than anyone could’ve imagined, quite frankly. Five-on-five game. Penalty-kill game. Out-against-the-stars game. Final-minute game. Even a bit of powerplay-time game.

“I’ll give you a good one . . . he’s a two-way Street,” lauds that merry ol’ prankster, Flames’ boss Bob Hartley. “He plays both sides of the puck very well. I can put him against the best lineups on the other side. You look what he did (Sunday) night. He’s a little bit older than the rest of our centremen, so I think the experience he acquired in the AHL (helps) and he’s been with us since last year. He’s paying attention, he’s a great worker. We’re just rewarding him the way he deserved to be.

“He comes to the rink, he enjoys playing the game, he’s fun to work with. Like I said before, he listens. I’m not surprised to see the way he’s performing for us.”

Others, though, are. Gobsmacked, to be honest.

“Ah, yeah, it gets a little bit tough, admits Street of his minor-league apprenticeship. “But as long as you persevere and you believe in yourself . . . I mean, I was having fun every day. You get to come to the rink. I wasn’t looking at it as ‘Oh, this sucks!’

“I was playing hockey and getting a paycheque. What’s wrong with that?”

Not a blessed thing. Only it’s more of a kick at this level. The media crowd that had congregated around Street’s stall, first one straight ahead upon entering the Calgary inner sanctum, drew some good-natured ribbing Tuesday.

“Hey, Hollywood!” chortled one heckler over at Street, trying his best to remain oblivious.

From another area of the room: “Oh, Ben, I loooooooove you!”

Street took it all in good grace. After all, he’s earned the right to a little applause after 167 games in the American League with Wilkes-Barre and Abbotsford and another 38 toiling for the legendary Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast loop.

Yet elevated to a Top 6 spot between David Jones and Curtis Glencross, he hasn’t looked at all out of place. Although three games does not a Silver Stick Club career make.

“To be honest, I didn’t know much about him,” admits Jones. “He’s a phenomenal skater. Glennie and I have been clicking with him and hopefully it continues. He came into camp, earned a spot, started on the fourth line and has played great from there. Obviously Bob has a lot of trust in him, putting him up with us, and he’s delivered.”

That belief Jones mentioned and Hartley has been so willing to dole out is, in Street’s mind, key to his early success.

“It means a lot. That was a goal of mine, obviously, in camp, to earn his trust. I knew that for me to have a spot on this team that was important. I’d probably be lying if I said I thought I’d be playing against the Sedins in the third game of the year but the way it shook out . . . I’ll take it.

“I love those assignments, those challenges. That’s how you become a better player yourself. Obviously the trust he’s put in me is a big confidence boost.

“You get asked ‘What kind of player are you?’ I like to consider myself the kind of player you could put on in the last minute of the game up a goal or down a goal. Just being responsible in all three zones is the key to that. Kinda on my way here, all the roles I’ve played — I even played wing in addition to centre — helps the versatility of your game. You gotta be ready because sometimes he juggles lines on the bench and I kinda like that personally, because it gets you into game even more.

“And all my experience in minors has helped that.”

Earned, Never Given. That’s both the Flames’ motto and Ben Street’s path to the golden gates of hockey’s Olympus.

“You can either find solutions or create excuses,” says Bob Hartley. “Here’s a guy that found a solution. He never complains, he’s always ready to work.

“It’s a great example for young kids playing the game that sometimes it always doesn’t go your way. But if you persevere, good things will happen to you. Ben is a classic example.

“I, personally as a coach, push for guys like Ben Street.”

And that, it goes without saying, is a mighty hand fella to have in your corner.



Montreal Canadiens forward Lars Eller rebounds from devastating playoff hit

By RANDY SPORTAK ,Calgary Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 10:41 PM MDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 11:33 PM MDT

Months later, the Images are still jarring.

Seeing Lars Eller, blood from his face pooling on the ice, then being carted off on a stretcher after that hellacious hit from Eric Gryba, of the Ottawa Senators, during last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs is nothing short of unnerving.

After such a collision, it’s hard to imagine Eller, the Montreal Canadiens centre, returning to action at the same level he was before, let alone better.

Yet, as the Canadiens ready to face the Calgary Flames Wednesday night at the Saddledome (6 p.m., TSN, Sportsnet FAN960), Eller is one of the NHL’s best early-season success stories.

“I’m probably the person that’s been affected by it the least, because I really didn’t live through it. I don’t remember any of it, and maybe it’s a good thing it stayed that way,” Eller, 23, said after his team’s practice Tuesday afternoon at the Dome.

“I’ve had other injuries in my career where I was worried about how it was gonna go, things like that, but I didn’t wake up with a sore shoulder the day after the hit or a knee that had to be fixed.

“I was over that very fast. I never had a doubt in my mind that I wasn’t going to keep being a better player, keep progressing.

“No doubt in my mind.”

Saying such a hit and the injuries — amidst the war of words that ensued, Gryba was given a two-game suspension while Eller’s season was ended due to a concussion and broken nose — wouldn’t affect him is one thing. Doing it is another.

Eller is proving his assertion on the ice, with three goals and five points in the first two games.

“I think coming back from a hit like that is one of the hardest things to do, because when something like that happens, it can take a little piece out of you, maybe a little confidence or maybe you’re a little shy coming back,” Canadiens forward Brandon Prust said. “Larry has proven it’s not really a factor. If anything, I think it’s given him an extra edge.

“After the season, about a week later, you could see his attitude was great. Even though he had a busted nose and whatever, he said, ‘I’m fine. I feel good.’ He was already positive a few days after. I think that showed he had that heart in him and wanted to prove he’s fine. I think he wanted to come back a week later.”

The Canadiens were eliminated in five games by the Senators, so Eller’s return had to wait, but the centre who collected 30 points in 46 games last season hasn’t missed a beat, being the lynchpin of a young and talented line with 21-year-old Brendan Gallagher and 19-year-old 2012 first-round draft choice Alex Galchenyuk.

“When a young man receives that type of hit, you never know how he’s going to respond. I never mentioned it to him, you just let players go and do what they’re supposed to do on the ice,” said Habs coach Michel Therrien, whose team will receive an injection for the Flames game with the return of Max Pacioretty from a wrist injury.

“The more the camp was going, the better he was. It’s building from last season. I thought last year, Lars really improved as a hockey player, and right now he’s got the confidence on his side because his compete level is there, he learns about the game, he manages the puck really well.

“It’s only another step, and I think there will be more steps ahead for him.”

Eller, who was named the NHL’s second star of the week, is planning to climb those steps.

“I always knew I could be a good player and we always knew we could be a good line, but it’s not enough to be it one shift and then take a couple of shifts off, have a good game here or there. It’s all about consistency,” he said. “For sure, you can’t play 82 great games a year, but if we can keep the effort we’re bringing and keep the simple play, then it’s going to turn out.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Calgary Flames head coach tabbed as next to go



Bob Hartley said he's "sometimes" a betting man.

Here are some odds he's likely to go against.

The on-line betting website Bodog.ca has listed the Calgary Flames head coach as the bench boss most likely to be fired next, with 2/1 odds.

Prior to the season, Bodog.cahad now-deposed Philadelphia Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette as the most likely to be gassed, and he was Monday morning.

Hartley, whose odds were 5/2 going into the campaign, has moved forward.

The Flames have a 1-0-2 record heading into Wednesday's clash with the Montreal Canadiens and the Flames are in the early stages of a rebuild, so it's curious Hartley would be seen as being on the chopping block before teams with bigger expectations.

"We're in a business where we know the risk from Day 1," Hartley said. "People that have been around me (know), I'm scared of lots of things, but scared of being fired? I've never been scared of this. I've always been the same guy.

"It's not a rumour or a reporter that's gonna change it."

Kirk Muller, of the Carolina Hurricanes, follows Hartley with 5/2 odds, followed by Mike Yeo, of the Minnesota Wild (7/2), Claude Noel, of the Winnipeg Jets (4/1), and Kevin Dineen, of the Florida Panthers, and Peter DeBoer, of the New Jersey Devils, at 13/2.



Goalie Joey MacDonald to get third straight start for Calgary Flames



Quite the first few weeks to the season for Joey MacDonald.

In the final days leading up to the 2013-14 campaign, the Calgary Flames netminder was on the bubble.

He was at risk of being sent down to the minors amidst a three-goalie duel and publicly took a hit from GM Jay Feaster for not elevating his fitness scores from the end of last season.

Yet, as the Flames ready to face the Montreal Canadiens Wednesday night at the Saddledome (6 p.m., TSN, Sportsnet FAN960), MacDonald has been tapped on the shoulder to make this third consecutive start after watching Karri Ramo mind the twine for the season-opener.

"I don't think too much, just keep on working," said the affable netminder following Tuesday's practice. "I didn't get the start for Game 1, so you keep working and it's turned out the last couple (of games). It's been like that my whole career, you just keep working hard, don't get down on yourself if it doesn't work out, and things will work out."

Considering that head coach Bob Hartley switched from Ramo after a shootout loss to the Washington Capitals in the curtain-raiser and said he gave MacDonald a second consecutive start because he backstopped the Flames to a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, it's a curious decision.

After all, MacDonald took the loss in a 5-4 overtime affair against the Vancouver Canucks a few days ago.

"I felt Mac played pretty well, gave us some big saves at key times. It's just basically a gut feeling from all the coaching staff," Hartley said of his decision. "We feel, as I said before, we have three goalies capable of playing in the NHL, and right now we feel Mac is the one that deserves to play, but that story can change very quickly."

Ramo, acquired from the Canadiens in the trade that sent Rene Bourque to Montreal and also brought the injured Michael Cammalleri to Calgary, was signed to great fanfare following a successful four-year stint in the KHL.

It's a short leash after a goalie jumps to the top of the depth chart in training camp.

"It's nothing against Karri Ramo right now. It's what we see from Joey MacDonald," Hartley said. "It was the same thing before Game 1. In training camp, we saw a little bit more from Karri and that's why he got the start. Right now, we're seeing a little bit more from Joey and that's why he's playing. After (Wednesday) night, maybe the story will be the same, maybe it's going to be a different one."

Which is why MacDonald, the 33-year-old netminder whose resume includes NHL stops with the Detroit Red Wings, the Boston Bruins, the New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs, isn't becoming too comfortable.

"I just go day-by-day and game-by-game. Every time he tells me that I'm playing, it's exciting. I want to be in there every single game and play," said MacDonald, whose stat line in two games this season is a 1-0-1 record with a 3.93 goals-against average and .867 save percentage.

"Being in Detroit for a long time, you become patient and wait for your opportunity," MacDonald continued. "It's the same thing here. I've learned that, once you get your opportunity, you've got to stay on it and take advantage of it."

MacDonald has one career start against the Canadiens, in which he won, and is still excited to square off against the storied franchise.

"They're always a fun team to play against," he said. "Growing up in Nova Scotia, it seemed like everyone was either Toronto fans or Montreal fans. Playing in Montreal, it's a fun building to play in, and whenever you get a

chance to play against them, you kinda give yourself a little more energy and put a little more pressure on yourself."


720221 Carolina Hurricanes

Ex-Cane puts the squeeze on Carolina as Penguins win, 5-2

Published: October 8, 2013 Updated 1 hour ago

By Chip Alexander

PITTSBURGH — Jussi Jokinen once helped the Carolina Hurricanes win some memorable games.

Traded by the Canes to the Pittsburgh Penguins late last season, he now is becoming a Canes killer.

Jokinen notched a hat trick Tuesday as the Penguins surged in the third period for a 5-2 victory against the Canes at Consol Energy Center. In his last two games against Carolina, the Finnish forward has five goals.

“I won’t even try to deny it – it’s extra motivation when you play against your former team,” Jokinen said. “As I said last year, I didn’t think everything was fair with what happened at the end of last year, but that’s hockey. It’s not always fair.

“I still have a lot of respect for the organization, and I had a really good four and a half years there. But obviously I’m really happy I’m here now and playing with some good players … in a first-class organization.”

Jokinen hit the post with his first attempt, about 15 seconds into the game. But he later scored a first-period power-play goal for a 1-0 lead. He scored what proved to be the winner with a third-period goal that pushed the Pens ahead 3-2, and later added another power-play score.

Defenseman Paul Martin and forward Tanner Glass also had goals as the Pens pushed their record to 3-0-0, their best start since the 1994-1995 season. It also was their six straight win against the Canes (1-1-1), now a Metropolitan Division opponent, at Consol Energy Center.

The Canes weren’t very assertive in the first period and fell behind 2-0 in the second. But the Canes’ Eric Staal scored his first of the season in the second period, deflecting a Justin Faulk shot after falling to the ice, and Nathan Gerbe tied it 2-2 early in the third.

“We got some momentum in the second period, then scored a big goal to tie it up,” Staal said. “From there you want to keep the momentum. (But) their good players made some good plays, and they can score on you like that.”

Staal said he could sense Jokinen, who was traded for a conditional 2013 draft pick on April 3, was playing with a added energy and determination against a team he helped make a strong run in the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I’m sure that motivation is there to do well, and he definitely did that tonight,” Staal said. “He’s an opportunistic player. In the right spots he can score and he can produce.”

Jokinen’s first goal came on a Sidney Crosby pass, knocking a backhander past Ward. He ripped a shot from the left circle, off a Malkin pass, for the go-ahead goal less than two minutes after Gerbe tied it in the third.

Jokinen completed his second career hat trick with about seven minutes left in regulation after a roughing penalty on defenseman Jay Harrison, who earlier in the game traded some big blows with Glass.

Cam Ward, making his second start of the season, had some spectacular saves for the Canes, who were playing their season’s first road game. The Pens, favored to win the newly formed Metro Division, had 36 shots and many came off high-quality looks.

“Cam kept us in there,” Staal said. “I think everybody needed to be a little bit stronger than we were, a little more aggressive. It was too much space for their skilled players.”

Crosby had a pair of assists for the Pens, as did defenseman Olli Maatta, who earned his first two NHL points. Defenseman Andrej Sekera had two assists, his first two points with the Hurricanes.

But this night belonged to Jokinen, named the game’s first star. According to capgeek.com, a respected website that tracks NHL salaries, Carolina is paying $900,000 of Jokinen’s $3 million salary, so he’s still on the payroll.

Jokinen said he wasn’t so much mad or disappointed when he was traded, but more relieved. He scored twice against Carolina in the regular-season finale at Consol Energy Center last year as the Pens won 8-3.

“I probably kind of needed a fresh start,” Jokinen said. “But I got here and they stuck me in a position where I can be successful. I have been in an offensive role this season.

“I’m playing with confidence. It’s fun.”

News Observer LOADED: 10.09.2013

720222 Carolina Hurricanes

CANES BLOWN OUT

Oct. 08, 2013 @ 11:38 PM

BY WILL GRAVES Associated Press

Jussi Jokinen enjoyed his four-plus seasons in Carolina and understood when the rebuilding Hurricanes sent him to Pittsburgh last spring as part of a salary dump.

Imagine the damage he might have done on Tuesday night if he was angry.

Jokinen poured in three goals for his first hat trick in nearly six years and the Penguins remained unbeaten with a 5-2 win.

"There's always extra motivation when you play against your former team," Jokinen said. "I could have had five goals tonight. I hit the post and the crossbar too."

Not quite, but his hat trick was more than enough to push the Penguins to their best start since the 1994-95 team won its first seven games.

"It's so much fun," Jokinen said. "I'm just trying to enjoy every moment and work. I'm working hard in practice and games. Playing with (Evgeni Malkin) helps too, we have great chemistry."

It shows.

Less than two minutes after Carolina's Nathan Gerbe tied the game at 2-all 3:13 into the third period, Jokinen put Pittsburgh in front to stay when he streaked down the left wing, took a pass from Malkin and threaded a wrist shot over the shoulder of Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

Ward responded with a flurry of brilliant saves during extended pressure by Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby's line. Any momentum Ward's gymnastics provided didn't last. Seconds after belly flopping to stop Pascal Dupuis on the doorstep, Ward failed to cover a loose puck off a face-off and Tanner Glass pounced on it to make it 4-2. Jokinen then finished off the Hurricanes with his second power-play goal of the night and first hat trick since he scored four for the Dallas Stars on Nov. 16, 2007.

"Pittsburgh's a good hockey team and they're going to keep coming and they pressed and they didn't capitalize there, but they stayed with it and get that goal," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. "We would have liked to have used it to our advantage, not theirs, so it kind of backfired unfortunately."

Paul Martin also scored for Pittsburgh, while Crosby picked up his first two assists of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots for the Penguins, who have not trailed through three games. Pittsburgh has outscored opponents 12-3 heading into a two-game road-swing through Florida starting Friday.

"I think for us the biggest thing is our defensive play," Glass said. "We're able to shut teams down and not give them too much."

Eric Staal also scored for the Hurricanes and Cam Ward made 32 saves, but Carolina crumbled in the final 15 minutes.

"Everybody needed to be stronger tonight than they were," Staal said. "We gave too much space for some of their skill players. You don't want to give time. You give time they've got players who can make plays and they did that."

The Penguins brought in Jokinen last March, hoping the talented winger would help them lift the Stanley Cup. The Hurricanes even agreed to pay $900,000 of the $3 million Jokinen is due this year just to get him out of town.

While Jokinen and Pittsburgh failed to win a championship, he showed an ability to blend in with Penguins stars Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and now has 10 goals in in 13 regular-season games since the trade.

"He's got an ability to play off players and read off them and it showed," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. "He was excellent."

The Penguins came in 0 for 3 on the season on the power play before breaking through 14:17 into the first period. With Carolina's Jay Harrison off for tripping, Pittsburgh took the lead when Crosby tried a centering pass

that deflected off Staal and right to Jokinen, who collected the puck with his skate and kicked it to his stick. His backhand shot slid past Ward and put the Penguins in front.

Pittsburgh made it 2-0 1:04 into the second when a sliding Martin took a Brooks Orpik shot off the end boards and threw it by a badly out of position Ward.

Staal sliced the lead in half with an acrobatic deflection in which he managed to get his stick on Justin Faulk's pass despite getting checked to the ice by Orpik. Carolina's surge pulled them even early in the third on Gerbe's goal but the Hurricanes couldn't sustain it.

NOTES: Penguins F James Neal missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury. Neal aggravated a pre-existing problem during Pittsburgh's season opener against New Jersey last week. Bylsma said Neal is more "week to week" than "day to day." ... Carolina plays at Washington on Thursday in the franchise's 1,200th game since relocating from Hartford in 1997.

PENGUINS 5, HURRICANES 2

Carolina 0 1 1—2

Pittsburgh 1 1 3—5

First Period_1, Pittsburgh, Jokinen 1 (Crosby, Kunitz), 14:17 (pp). Penalties_Dvorak, Car (interference), 8:40; Harrison, Car (tripping), 13:52; Harrison, Car, major (fighting), 16:55; Glass, Pit, major (fighting), 16:55.

Second Period_2, Pittsburgh, Martin 1 (Orpik, Crosby), 1:04. 3, Carolina, E.Staal 1 (Faulk, Sekera), 13:24. Penalties_Gerbe, Car (diving), :22; Niskanen, Pit (interference), :22; Niskanen, Pit (holding), 8:22.

Third Period_4, Carolina, Gerbe 2 (Dwyer, Sekera), 3:13. 5, Pittsburgh, Jokinen 2 (Malkin, Maatta), 5:03. 6, Pittsburgh, Glass 1 (Vitale), 8:24. 7, Pittsburgh, Jokinen 3 (Maatta, Bra.Sutter), 13:03 (pp). Penalties_Harrison, Car (roughing), 11:42; Bowman, Car (slashing), 15:10; Martin, Pit (roughing), 15:10; Bortuzzo, Pit (tripping), 17:23.

Shots on Goal_Carolina 8-12-14_34. Pittsburgh 12-11-14_37.

Power-play opportunities_Carolina 0 of 2; Pittsburgh 2 of 3.

Goalies_Carolina, Ward 0-1-1 (37 shots-32 saves). Pittsburgh, Fleury 3-0-0 (34-32).

A_18,451 (18,387). T_2:32.

Referees_Francis Charron, Wes McCauley. Linesmen_Scott Driscoll, Steve Barton.

Herald-Sun LOADED: 10.09.2013

720223 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks defensemen battling for playing time

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

12:18 AM CDT, October 9, 2013

With eight quality defensemen, the Blackhawks have one of the deeper blue lines in the NHL. That gives coach Joel Quenneville the flexibility to mix and match against opponents and also make sure everyone gets plenty of rest. That is the best-case scenario for the team, even if it's not exactly how each player would like it.

"I totally get why teams want to have depth on 'D.' " veteran Sheldon Brookbank said Tuesday. "It just sometimes sucks when you're one of those guys battling like that. But it's part of the gig. I know there are a lot other guys who would want to trade places with me."

After sitting out the first two games, Brookbank is scheduled to make his season debut when the Hawks face the Blues on Wednesday night in St. Louis. The 33-year old split time with Michal Rozsival last season when the Hawks carried seven defensemen and now with eight on the roster, Brookbank has to battle for playing time with Rozsival and newcomer Michael Kostka.

"Everyone is capable of playing full time here," Brookbank said. "We just kind of have a logjam on 'D.' Every guy is going to have to play his game and it should sort itself out. You just can't really get too down on yourself when you aren't playing. You don't want to be walking around the room moping. ... If you're riding the highs and lows, it will make for a long year."

Every forward on the roster has appeared in at least one game and Brookbank will complete appearances by all defensemen.

"We want to get everybody in," Quenneville said. "(Brookbank) has practiced hard. We'd like to get him involved because he brings something to our team that we like and he's a competitive guy."

Up next: Quenneville said goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin is "going to get in this weekend for sure." The backup to veteran Corey Crawford will face either the Islanders on Friday night or the Sabres the following night.

Sharp update: Winger Patrick Sharp, who previously indicated he is prepared to miss a game for the birth of his second child, said Tuesday his wife, Abby, is "starting to feel a little funny" and he thinks the baby will be born "within the next week."

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013


Blues could fill rivalry void for Hawks

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

12:17 AM CDT, October 9, 2013

The Red Wings having skated to the Eastern Conference and the Canucks are doing their thing in a far-off division of the West.

NHL realignment has wreaked havoc on Blackhawks rivalries.

Left to fill the void among teams Hawks fans and players love to hate are the Blues, with whom a rivalry has been building after some rough-and-tumble affairs the last couple of seasons.

"This is a pretty good one on the ice," Hawks winger Patrick Sharp said Tuesday. "There's some bad blood. There are always some good players on each side that challenge each other (and) both teams are well-coached. There's so much made of the Detroit-Chicago rivalry, (but) I wouldn't really say we hate the Red Wings as much as we probably should. Teams like the Blues and Canucks are more of the Hawks' rivalries these days."

The Hawks and Blues will renew acquaintances Wednesday night at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis in what could be the beginning of some long-lasting animosity. In addition to the five regular-season meetings, the teams could be on a collision course in postseason play for years to come as realignment means generally battling division opponents in the first two rounds before the conference finals.

"You're going to have a likelihood of playing a team consecutive years and building upon a rivalry, knowing you have to win your own division (in the playoffs) to get through," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "These games in the regular season take on a different element with the rivalry (and) the history. All of a sudden, confrontations that occurred from prior series … carry over. We foresee some of that happening here. Fighting for first place and fighting for a playoff spot against the Blues is something that's going to be in place for a long time."

Throw in the fact the Hawks have what the Blues and every other team in the NHL strive for: the Stanley Cup. The trophy has been loitering around the United Center the last couple of days for season ticket holder events.

"What creates the rivalry is they have the Cup and everybody wants a piece of it back," Blues coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters in St. Louis. "They're a measuring stick for everybody that plays them. Chicago obviously gets your attention from how good they've been for the last four years."

Said Hawks winger Patrick Kane: "I'm sure it's a game they'll be really excited for, especially knowing what we did last year. And they're probably looking at us as the team they want to beat and top in our division. It will be a tough game. I'm sure you'll see more of a playoff atmosphere, which is always fun."

Added to the intrigue is the Blues' resurgence in recent seasons. After finishing second to the Hawks in the Central in 2013, the Blues have won their first two games this year in convincing fashion. Coupled with some prognosticators picking the Blues to supplant the Hawks as Cup champions, confidence is running high in the Gateway City.

"I don't think we're going to try and measure up to anyone this year, I think we're trying to be ourselves," Blues winger T.J. Oshie told reporters. "We're going to try and win every game, and we're going to go into every building hoping to get the two points and knowing that we can if we play the right way."

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013


Nordstrom, Blackhawks’ penalty kill still adjusting

BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter October 8, 2013 8:24PM

Updated: October 8, 2013 10:02PM

Joakim Nordstrom recently moved out of the Blackhawks’ training-camp hotel — and into another hotel.

‘‘It’s more like an apartment, though,’’ he said.

So, yes, the 21-year-old forward is still in a transition period — from Sweden to the United States, from European rinks to North American rinks, from the Swedish Hockey League and a brief stint in the American Hockey League to the NHL. But

Nordstrom, a training-camp surprise, said that he’s feeling more comfortable each day and that the preseason prepared him for the pace of the game at its highest level.

‘‘Everyone on the team has helped me out a lot to just make it feel like home here; everyone has been great,’’ Nordstrom said. ‘‘I like the town, I like the fans, I like

everything. It’s been fun.’’

It also has been a challenge. Nordstrom won a roster spot based largely on his penalty-killing ability and his natural chemistry with fellow Swede Marcus Kruger. But the Hawks have allowed four goals on seven power plays through two games, last in the league with a 42.9 percent kill rate. Nordstrom was on the ice for two of those goals and Kruger for three. It’s early, of course, but it has raised some eyebrows, considering the Hawks had the third-best penalty kill in the league last season.

‘‘The two teams that we started off playing against [the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning] have good power plays, so I don’t want to think too much about it,’’ Nordstrom said. ‘‘We’ve been working on it in practices, and I feel confident out there. We’ve just got to work harder and keep the puck out of our net.’’

It won’t get any easier Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues, who are 3-for-8 on the power play through two games and were a solid 19.5 percent last season. Coach Joel Quenneville said it was a ‘‘learning process’’ for Nordstrom, but he’s confident that the rookie can do the job and that the penalty kill will find its footing sooner rather than later.

‘‘We expect that to be a big part of our team, and you win games when you get the job done in those areas,’’ Quenneville said. ‘‘It’s been a slow start in that area, but we’ll continue to build off of it and get some confidence in it right now. We want to take that hesitation out.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Patrick Sharp hoping second daughter will bring him same luck as his first

BY MARK LAZERUS Staff Reporter October 8, 2013 8:20PM

Updated: October 8, 2013 10:02PM

Patrick Sharp only can hope his second daughter has the impeccable timing and positive effect his first one did.

It was on Dec. 8, 2011, that Sharp scored the game-winning goal in overtime on Long Island. When he called home, his wife, Abby, quickly trumped his big news.

‘‘I wanted to call home and ask my wife if she saw me score and [have her] tell me how great I was, and she said, ‘I think I’m having the baby,’ ’’ Sharp said. ‘‘Had the baby [the next day] and scored the game-winner [in overtime against the San Jose Sharks] on Sunday, too. Special weekend.’’

Abby is due Monday, but Sharp said she’s ‘‘starting to feel a little funny.’’ The Hawks traveled Tuesday to

St. Louis for their game Wednesday against the Blues. If Sharp’s on the ice when Abby goes into labor, she’ll call senior director of team services Tony Ommen.

Sharp said he’s hoping not to miss any games, but he would if had to.

‘‘If I’m on the ice, I might as well just [finish the game and] take the charter flight home,’’ Sharp said. ‘‘That’ll be the quickest way home.’’

Brookbank in

Defenseman Sheldon Brookbank will make his season debut against the Blues. Last season, Brookbank split time with Michal Rozsival, playing in 26 of 48 games. This season, he’s battling Rozsival and newcomer Michael Kostka for the sixth defenseman spot.

Brookbank said keeping an even keel is the key to handling the frustrations of being a part-time player.

‘‘I totally get why teams want to have depth on ‘D,’ ’’ Brookbank said. ‘‘It just sometimes sucks when you’re one of those guys battling. But it’s part of the gig, and there are a lot of other guys who’d want to trade places with me.’’

Game time

After playing only one game in the last seven days, the Hawks finally get into the meat of their schedule with three games in four days and 11 in the final 23 days of October.

‘‘I feel like we’re playing football here, one game a week,’’ center Andrew Shaw said. ‘‘We’re all excited to get back into the rhythm of things and playing more games.’’

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Brookbank last non-goalie to get in Hawks' lineup

By Tim Sassone

Defenseman Sheldon Brookbank will become the last non-goalie to get into the Blackhawks' lineup on Wednesday night at St. Louis.

Brookbank replaces Mike Kostka, who stepped in for Michal Rozsival last weekend against Tampa Bay.

"We want to get everyone in here," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "It took a little while to get (Brookbank) in, but now we'll have everybody in. He's practiced hard and we'd like to get him involved because he brings something to our team that we like, and he's a competitive guy as well."

The thing the Hawks like about Brookbank is his toughness and willingness to stand up for teammates, which could be important against the physical Blues.

"There's different things they want when they put us in," Brookbank said. "You just play your game."

The Hawks are carrying eight defensemen.

"I totally get why teams want depth on defense," Brookbank said. "It's just sometimes it (stinks) to be one of those guys battling like that, but it's part of the gig. I know there are a lot of other guys who would want to trade places with me.

"You can't get too down on yourself when you're not playing. You don't want to be walking around the room moping around. You want to try to keep it on an even keel or it can make for a long year."

Backup goalie Nikolai Khabibulin will be the only Hawk yet to play.

"He's going to get in this weekend for sure," Quenneville said. "We've had a real light schedule and that's the reason we haven't seen Nik yet."

The Hawks play their first set of back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday against the Islanders and Buffalo, both at the United Center.

Feeling good:

After missing all but one preseason game with a lower body injury, Andrew Shaw thinks he is finally rounding into form.

"I feel pretty good out there," Shaw said. "Our line has created a lot of chemistry and we just have to start burying those chances."

Joel Quenneville likes what he sees from Shaw.

"I like his game," Quenneville said. "You watch him in practice and see him every day, you know how competitive he is. It seems like the puck is following him around more and that tenacity he brings in the tight puck areas, he goes all those places and finds a way to come up with a lot of loose pucks and sustains a lot of pucks for our power play as well.

"He's scrappy around the net and is getting better defensively. We really like the progress."

Hayes vs. Smith:

Jimmy Hayes will be back on the third line at right wing with Andrew Shaw and Brandon Saad on Wednesday against St. Louis.

Joel Quenneville expects the auditions for the job permanently to go on for a while.

"We'll see how that plays out," Quenneville said. "Getting them both in there early was something we wanted to see. Who was more effective, you could say it was a tie. Things like that sort themselves out. We'll still try a lot of different linemates with those guys as we go along here."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


'Big game' when Blackhawks face Blues

By Tim Sassone

Back in the days of the old Norris Division, the Blackhawks' two biggest rivals were the Minnesota North Stars and the St. Louis Blues, in that order.

Rivalries are built in the playoffs, and the Hawks played the Blues eight times from 1980-93 and the North Stars six times from 1982-1990.

Those teams hated each other.

No longtime Hawks fan will ever forget Minnesota's Dino Ciccarelli, Shane Churla or Basil McRae, or the Blues' Glen Featherstone and Harold Snepts.

Only later did the Detroit Red Wings enter the picture as a rival. The Vancouver Canucks became a rival thanks to three straight meetings in the playoffs from 2009-11.

Now with realignment and Detroit moving to the Eastern Conference, the focus is back on the Hawks and Blues as rivals. They meet Wednesday night at Scottrade Center in an early-season Central Division showdown.

"This is a big game with St. Louis," said Hawks left wing Bryan Bickell. "We feel they're our new rival with Detroit leaving our division. It's always a physical game.

"It should be an exciting game with a playoff-like atmosphere. They're physical and a hard team to play against in their building."

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville stopped short of calling the Blues the Hawks' chief rival.

"There's definitely a rivalry there," he said. "You feel it in the buildings and in the stands. When you play St. Louis you have to be ready to play a hard game.

"There are no easy shifts. You've got to be willing to come up with loose pucks and go to the front of the net and not be distracted in where you have to go to be successful."

In other words, the Blues are brutally physical and try to win that way.

"I like games like that," said left wing Brandon Bollig, who hails from the St. Louis area. "They're better for me to be in. They definitely have a rough-and-tough team, a big, physical team. The way our teams match up, they're always intense games.

"I would say that they're definitely our biggest rival."

After starting the season with 2 wins, the Blues will be looking to test themselves against the defending Stanley Cup champion Hawks.

"There's always a target on our jerseys this year, and we just have to go into every game like we did last year and compete and work for one another," center Andrew Shaw said. "I'm always excited to play in these games."

Winger Patrick Kane is looking forward to rekindling the rivalry with St. Louis.

"These are games you get up for, especially on the road against St. Louis," Kane said. "You know they're going to be ready to play against us. For us, we want to make sure we go in there and play a playoff-type game and be simple, be smart and play physical. Take the physicalness to them like they try to do to us.

"As far as a rivalry, that usually comes from the fans' standpoint. In the locker room our biggest rivalry is probably Vancouver for the past few years. If another team comes up and takes that Detroit spot, we'll make it what it is."

Winger Patrick Sharp said he could see the Blues replacing the Red Wings and Canucks as the Hawks' prime rival because the series has a little bit of everything.

"This one is a pretty good one on the ice," Sharp said. "There's some bad blood, good players on both sides that challenge each other, and both teams are well coached.

"There's so much made of the Detroit-Chicago rivalry, but I wouldn't really say we hate the Red Wings as much as we probably should. Teams like the Blues and Canucks, those are more of the Hawks' rivalries these days."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


How Cardinals-Pirates will help Chicago fans attending Hawks-Blues

October 8, 2013, 7:45 pm

Tracey Myers

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues, much like the Nashville Predators before them, are trying to devise a plan to see fewer Chicago Blackhawks jerseys in their home arenas. Color the Blackhawks flattered.

Four 2013-14 Blues games were not available for single-game ticket purchases included two Blackhawks games, the first of which is Wednesday night here in St. Louis. Brandon Bollig, a St. Louis-area native, considered the move a testament to Blackhawks fans.

“It’s no secret we have a fan base that follows us everywhere,” said Bollig. “I don’t know how or fans feel about it, but it’s flattery that they want to keep them out that badly.”

If fans wanted tickets to the four singled-out games, they could only get them as part of full- or half-season tickets, or 12-game and hat-trick plans. The Blues, like the Predators, want a true home-ice advantage, something they haven’t had the past few seasons when the Blackhawks have been in town.

“It’s a credit to ‘Hawks fans, I guess,” Patrick Sharp said. “That’s their decision, but I don’t know why you’d deny selling them tickets.”

Now there’s an interesting little wrinkle to tomorrow night’s Blues game. Game 5 between the Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals, originally scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, is now slated for a 7:07 p.m. (CT) start.

It’ll be interesting to see how the divide goes between Blues and Cardinals fans tomorrow night, and if Blackhawks fans will be beneficiaries of any Game 5 choosers.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 10.09.2013


Blues appear to be Blackhawks' main rival now

October 8, 2013, 7:15 pm

Tracey Myers

All good things must come to an end. The Chicago Blackhawks experienced that firsthand this October, when their longtime division rival, the Detroit Red Wings, made their long-anticipated move to the Eastern Conference in the latest realignment.

From a traditional standpoint, it’s a rivalry that will be missed. It’s supplied some great hockey through the years, and the Blackhawks couldn’t have closed out the rivalry any better than they did in the Western Conference semifinals in May. But with one rival leaving, another one takes its place. And that new division rival certainly looks like the St. Louis Blues.

Obviously the Blackhawks and Blues have had their share of tussles, and the Blues are hardly a new foe. But now, given the somewhat changed landscape of the new Central Division, it looks like the Blues are the Blackhawks’ new Wings.

“I guess you could say that,” Brandon Saad said. “They’re a good team, they’re in the same division. We’re always gong to be competing and emotions always get high out there, especially with St. Louis. It’s a physical team and they play that way at home especially. We’re looking for good games, and they’re definitely going to be competitive.”

Defenseman Nick Leddy said, “ever since I’ve been here, it’s been a pretty good, intense game. (St. Louis) is definitely a good rival. We’re not playing Detroit as much, which will still be special when they do play them. But as is, this is probably our closest rival.”

Patrick Kane agreed to a point.

“These are games to get up for, especially on the road vs. St. Louis. “We want to make sure we’re playing a playoff-type game. They have a physical side to them. But as far as the rivalry, that comes more from the fans’ standpoint.”

Indeed, it seems rivalries are more about the spectators in the seats more than the players. Fans need someone to hate, someone to seethe over, and the anti-Detroit chants just won’t be resonating from the United Center as much as they used to. So enter the Blues. For the players, however, Kane said the biggest rival remains Vancouver, a nasty matchup that was built on angst-laden postseason games more than any divisional setup.

Whether or not St. Louis is the new team the Blackhawks love to hate, at least to the levels of Detroit, remains to be seen. There’s always going to be a tinge of rancor between the two clubs, given the physical games that usually erupt. But there’s no doubt: considering it’s in the division and how big those points loom and considering the Blues want what the Blackhawks have, there’ll be plenty of feeling.

“It’s definitely a rivalry. You feel it in the building, you feel it in the stands,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “Going into big games, the implications of those two points can be a difference. You have to be read to play hard game; there are no easy shifts.”

Briefly

Sheldon Brookbank will be in the lineup tomorrow night against the Blues.

Backup goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will get one of the back-to-back starts this weekend, Quenneville said.



Brookbank will make his return to Blackhawks lineup

October 8, 2013, 12:45 pm

Staff

Sheldon Brookbank will be in the lineup tomorrow night when the Chicago Blackhawks face the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center.

Brookbank will make his first appearance of the 2013-14 season; Brookbank last played in Game 4 of the Western Conference final against the Los Angeles Kings, when Duncan Keith was suspended for one game.

“We want to get him in, then we’ll have had everyone (in the lineup) after Game 3,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “He’s practiced hard, brings something to our team that we like and he’s a competitive guy as well.”

Brookbank also adds a physical element to a Blues team that will have plenty of that.

Meanwhile, Quenneville said goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin will play in one of the Blackhawks’ back-to-back games this weekend.


720232 Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon recorded an assist on game-winning goal

By Adrian Dater

Posted: 10/09/2013 12:01:00 AM MDT

TORONTO — Nathan MacKinnon has yet to score his first goal, but he also has yet to play an official NHL game without recording a point.

MacKinnon, the Avs' 18-year-old third-line center and No. 1 overall draft pick of this year, recorded an assist on the game-winning goal in the Avalanche's 2-1 victory at Toronto on Tuesday night.

He now has four points, all assists, in three games, and is tied with P.A. Parenteau for the team scoring lead.

"I'm trying to be patient. I have two great linemates, and I think we're working hard together," MacKinnon said. "This was my first road game, and it was pretty good it was at (Air Canada Center) against the Leafs. They're a pretty popular team back home in Nova

Scotia."

MacKinnon helped set up Parenteau's game-winner in the third period. Unfortunately for him, he also played a part in the only goal against, after trying to clear the puck up the middle and having it intercepted at the Toronto blue line.

"I've got to make the safer play there," he said.

Footnotes. The Avs will practice Wednesday morning at Boston University's rink. ... Former Avs center Jay McClement did not play for Toronto because his wife was in labor. ... Cory Sarich is now plus-5 after three games to lead the team. ... Matt Duchene had a great night in the faceoff dot, winning 18-of-25 draws (72 percent). ... MacKinnon lost 9-of-11, however (18 percent). ... The Avs were credited with 44 hits to Toronto's 33. ... Toronto was assessed 16 giveaways by scorers, to nine for the Avs.

Denver Post: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Colorado Avalanche remains unbeaten by beating Toronto Maple Leafs

By Adrian Dater

Posted: 10/08/2013 07:44:56 PM MDT8 comments | Updated: about 10 hours ago

TORONTO — Three games into its season, the Avalanche already has accomplished something it didn't all of last season in a 48-game lockout-shortened year: win three in a row. Tuesday night in Toronto, the Avs of 2013-14 accomplished something it has never done since moving to Denver: get out to a 3-0 start.

Hard as it is to believe for a team with two Stanley Cups on its shelf since 1995, the Avs never have gotten off to as good a start as the one they're on in the Patrick Roy Era — The Coaching Version.

The Avs took a gritty 2-1 decision from the previously unbeaten Toronto Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre, overcoming a 1-0 deficit on goals by Cory Sarich and P.A. Parenteau. Semyon Varlamov did the rest,

stopping 27-of-28 shots for his third consecutive game of allowing just one goal.

"It was a great team effort," Roy said. "Penalty killing did a great job at the end. (Varlamov) has made a big commitment this year since coming into training camp, and right now what I like about his play is he's making it simple. Every time you look at him, it's making it look easy, always staying square to the shooters. That's why he's having so much success. I think it's important for his confidence to get a win on the road, because last year on the road was not as successful."

Indeed, Varlamov won only one game on the road last season, a relief effort in which he replaced an injured J.S. Giguere late in the third period. Now, he's 3-0, with a 1.00 goals-against average and save percentage over .970.

This game started turning in the Avs' direction once Sarich scored with a wrist shot over the shoulder of Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier at 16:39 of the second period to tie it. Just when it looked like it might be Bernier's night, Sarich took a puck down the right side and roofed the puck just under the crossbar. For Sarich, it was goal No. 21 in career game No. 918.

"I got lots left in me. I got a whole reserve

full," Sarich said with a laugh. "We had a couple of good little cycles just before that, and our forwards really kind of drew their attention; the puck's just laying there, so I was really surprised to turn the corner and not be challenged. I had a lot of time, so I could get my head up and really get a spot to shoot at."

The Avs took a 2-1 lead early in the third period on P.A. Parenteau's third goal in two games. A crossing pass to Parenteau deflected in off a skate, which withstood a video review.

"I knew I didn't kick it, but you never know," said Parenteau, when describing the wait for the ruling. "Our line (with Nathan MacKinnon and Jamie McGinn) didn't get a ton of chances, but we made something happen there. It was a good pass by McGinn."

The Avs were good in fundamental areas, such as faceoffs (60 percent) and dumping pucks in the Toronto end for fresh skaters. The only tough part of the game came when Joffrey Lupul was credited with a goal in the second, after it appeared Varlamov might have had the puck wrapped up long enough for a whistle.

But Varlamov said the goal should have counted.

Right now, however, it's one and done for Varlamov's opponents.

Adrian Dater: [email protected] or twitter.com/adater

Avs Recap

THE POST'S THREE STARS

1. Semyon Varlamov. Avs goalie stopped 27 shots to stay unbeaten.

2. Cory Sarich. Avs defenseman scored tying goal and was plus-2.

3. Jonathan Bernier. Leafs goalie was strong in defeat.

WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED

Former Av Claude Lemieux visited the team after the game.

UP NEXT

At Boston, Thursday at 5 p.m.

Adrian Dater, The Denver Post



Avs take "hot story" to Toronto for first road game of season Tuesday

By Adrian Dater

Posted: 10/08/2013 11:32:08 AM MDT1 comments | Updated: about 21 hours ago

TORONTO — The Avalanche, at least for the time being, is a sexy story to the out-of-town media again.

The hockey-media presence is always strong in this city, of course, being the home to the Hockey Hall of Fame and an Original Six team in the Toronto Maple Leafs. At the Avalanche's morning skate Tuesday, though, Patrick Roy and a number of players were swarmed by bright television lights and tape recorders, with reporters lined four or five deep in rows to get a few words with them.

"It's definitely a little different," Avs defenseman Erik Johnson said. "I guess we're a hot story right now."

Tuesday night will feature a battle of unbeatens when the 2-0 Avs take on the 3-0 Maple Leafs at Air Canada Centre. Semyon Varlamov will try to keep the Avs with a zero in the loss column, against Toronto goalie Jonathan Bernier.

Roy will coach his first road game of his new job, and believes his team comes in with a good frame of mind to keep the wins coming.

"It's fun to be here, in this city, for a game that should be very entertaining for the fans," Roy said. "We'll be facing a very good team and we know the importance of getting out to a good start and being ready to play."

The Avs got into Toronto on Monday night, several hours later than planned because of mechanical issues with the team plane. But there was enough time for players to get a first road meal of the season together.

"It's always fun to get out on the road that first time, for guys to hang out and maybe get to know each other a little better," Johnson said. "It's an important thing for any team. I think we've got a close-knit group of guys in here."

Avs rookie Nathan MacKinnon will play in front of his parents, while players with Toronto connections such as Matt Duchene, Gabe Landeskog and John Mitchell will have several family and friends on hand.



Postgame Avs-Maple Leafs: Semyon Varlamov looks like new man

By Adrian Dater

TORONTO - Did you know the Avs have never gotten off to a 3-0 start since they moved to Denver? I was surprised to find that out too tonight, but it’s true. Even through all the glory years, those teams could never do what this current Avs team has done.

Semyon Varlamov has a lot to do with that. He has played 180 minutes of hockey so far this season, and allowed three goals – one in each game. He won’t play Thursday in Boston, as Patrick Roy wants to give J.S. Giguere a game against the Bruins. But he’ll be back at it Saturday in Washington. Maybe he’ll shut down the Caps just like the Republicans have shut down our government. Bah dump bum.ck m

I thought the game tonight was looking like it would go to Jonathan Bernier, but then I put a DaterJinx on him (check my Twitter timeline from when I said the Avs wouldn’t get a goal I didn’t think, to when they got their first) and they escaped with a 2-1 win.

A few other observations:

- Cory Sarich washed up? He’s a plus-5 after three games and looked like Wayne Gretzky tonight, roofing the puck past Bernier to get the Avs on the board. I’ll have more on Sarich in Thursday’s paper.

- I really like the way Andre Benoit is playing too. He keeps the game pretty simple, but also knows how to get shots on net. While the power play wasn’t all that great for the second straight game tonight, I think Benoit is doing a pretty good job at the point, walking the blue line and getting shots.

- The line of Paul Stastny, Gabe Landeskog and Alex Tanguay looks like it’s still trying to find great chemistry. Tanguay had three assists in the opener, but two came on the power play. I think it’ll be a good line still, but it’s not there yet.

- I thought it was a bad non-call, not getting a whistle just prior to Toronto’s only goal. But Varlamov said the goal should have counted.

- Patrick Roy was really active on the bench tonight. He didn’t bark at referees or get into it with anyone else. He just ran a very active bench and had that whistle of his going a lot. He’s so into the game, and I definitely think that keeps his players sharp and alert. How many times did we see the Avs kind of fall asleep or sit back too much with a lead the last few years, which led to bad things? Answer: a lot. I thought they played a more aggressive but still smart game after taking that 2-1 lead early in the third.

- I don’t have any video, because it costs $48,000 a minute to use your phone in Canada.

- On to Boston now.



Avalanche lines, pairings and scratches for Maple Leafs

By Adrian Dater

TORONTO – No changes to the Avs lineup from the previous games, but here are the lines for your consumption anyway:

Landeskog-Stastny-Tanguay

O’Reilly-Duchene-Downie

McGinn-MacKinnon-Parenteau

McLeod-Mitchell-Bordeleau

Johnson-Hejda

Barrie-Guenin

Sarich-Benoit

Varlamov in net.

Scratches: Hunwick, Holden, Wilson, Giguere, Cliche.

Maple Leafs starting Jonathan Bernier in net tonight. Former Av Jay McClement may or may not play. His wife is due to give birth, maybe tonight. We’ll see.


720237 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets notebook: Team relishing four-day break, even this early

By Shawn Mitchell

The Columbus Dispatch Tuesday October 8, 2013 5:03 AM

The Blue Jackets, in the midst of a four-day break between games, might one day look back longingly at their odd early schedule.

The Jackets opened the season with a loss to visiting Calgary on Friday and defeated the Islanders in New York on Saturday, but won’t play again until Thursday at Buffalo.

The Blue Jackets took Sunday off, practiced yesterday, and will practice today and Wednesday.

They will have a second and final four-day break Oct. 28-31. Except for a three-week Olympic hiatus in February, the Jackets will have no more than three consecutive days off for the rest of the season.

The unrelenting pace of the winter will invariably wear on the players, Jackets coach Todd Richards said, but he doesn’t mind having a break when autumn legs and minds are fresh.

“It’s nice at the start of the year because you get practice time,” Richards said. “Right now, other than (Fedor Tyutin and Nathan Horton), we pretty much have our whole team and you can work on specific things.

(Today) we’ll work on specialty teams a little more. You have time to do that, and you can do some of the battle things. We did some D-zone coverage (yesterday), and if you’re playing every other day you probably don’t do that just because of the (toll) it takes energy-wise. So it’s nice to have.”

It is a luxury Richards didn’t have last season. Although this season will be compacted by the Olympic break, it won’t be anywhere near as hectic as the 48 games crammed into last season’s lockout-shortened calendar.

Much of the work of Richards and his assistants last season was done with video, in hotel rooms or on the team plane.

Players prefer to play, but they remember the grind of a season ago.

“Getting a few days off is never a bad thing,” defenseman James Wisniewski said. “Sometimes you get off the page a little bit. … This would have been quite the long week if we go 0-2 to start the season.”

Down and back

Yesterday’s practice came to a halt after right wing Jared Boll was struck near his left eye by a puck and went sprawling to the ice.

Boll, bleeding from a gash at the outside edge of the eye socket, had the wound treated and was back on the ice after five minutes or so.

“I was just standing in the corner, and it took a bounce off the glass and hit me,” Boll said. “I was just lucky it didn’t hit my eye.”

Boll has yet to play after missing most of training camp because of a lower-body injury, but he could make his debut on Thursday.

“I’m kind of itching to get in a game,” Boll said. “We’ll see how this week goes.”

Occupational hazard

It took only three games — all losses — for the Philadelphia Flyers to fire coach Peter Laviolette, but Richards said he wasn’t shocked by the earliest coaching change at the start of a season in NHL history.

Richards, who got to know Laviolette this past summer after both were named to the U.S. Olympic coaching staff, said coaches all know “it’s part of the business.“

“You aren’t in this job for security,” said Richards, who had a winning record in two seasons with the Minnesota Wild (77-71-16) when he was fired in 2011. “You never know when it’s going to happen. It’s a bit harder because I got to know Peter this summer through the USA team. Obviously, he’s a real smart coach, a good coach. His résumé speaks for itself.”

Slap shot

Tyutin (lower body) might return to practice today but is questionable to play at Buffalo, Richards said. … The Blue Jackets will practice at 10:30 this morning at the Ice Haus.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 10.09.2013


Blue Jackets notebook: Jason Day trades golf spikes for skates — and scores

By Shawn Mitchell

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday October 9, 2013 5:03 AM

Jason Day, center, talks with Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson, left, and defenseman James Wisniewski during the Presidents Cup. Day and Wisniewski play golf together.

Blue Jackets defenseman Fedor Tyutin returned to practice yesterday after missing the previous four because of a lower-body injury, giving Todd Richards a full complement of 23 players to work with for the first time this regular season.

But it was a 24th skater who drew the most smiles yesterday in the Ice Haus.

PGA Tour pro Jason Day — outfitted in full pads and helmet — joined the Jackets for a post-practice shoot-around.

Day, a good friend of Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski, said it was his first time on ice skates. But the world’s 16th-ranked golfer acquitted himself well. He was no wall-hugger.

“I felt like I was OK on my feet,” said Day, who was accompanied by Wisniewski during his convincing 6-and-4 win over Brandt Snedeker during Sunday’s singles play in the Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village Golf Club, where both he and Wisniewski are members.

“But I was getting the death wobble out there a little bit,” Day said yesterday. “The death wobble is not good when you’re flying into the wall. It’s amazing how good these blokes are. It’s unbelievable.”

Day, a native of Australia who married an Ohio native and lives in Westerville, said he has played about 30 rounds of golf with Wisniewski in recent years.

Wisniewski is a former club champion at Muirfield Village. He won a charity auction for the right to accompany Day on Sunday and got clearance to bring his buddy onto the ice yesterday.

Day was so impressive — he slipped at least one shot past goalie Curtis McElhinney — that Wisniewski joked that his friend had secretly been renting ice time and skating on his own.

“Somebody gave him a stick and he’s been shooting tennis balls in his basement,” Wisniewski said. “He tries to hit the doorknob in his basement. That’s why he was excited to go out there and shoot some pucks.”

Wisniewski threw a hip check into his friend a couple of times. One left Day crumpled along the end boards.

“If you ever do this, make sure you wear all the pads,” Day said.

Let it go

The Blue Jackets had an average of six penalty minutes in their first two games (fourth-lowest in the NHL) and did not have a major penalty.

It has been a credit to their positional discipline, Wisniewski said, but also a bit of a surprise. A flurry of whistles in other games last week had the Jackets expecting to spend more time in the box.

“All you can hope for is consistency,” center Brandon Dubinsky said. “Hopefully, they’re not calling the third period one way and the first period another.”

The officiating crew called only four minor penalties during the Jackets’ 3-2 shootout win over the Islanders on Saturday.

“They let us play,” Dubinsky said. “We even talked about it (during intermission). We said to make sure we’re harder on (the Islanders) because they’ve got their whistles in their pockets.”

Boll on brink

Coach Todd Richards said right wing Jared Boll (lower body) is likely to make his season debut at Buffalo on Thursday.

“I think Jared is ready to go,” Richards said.

Tyutin was a full participant in practice but is more likely to play his first game on Saturday against visiting Boston, Richards said.



Change of address won’t alter Blue Jackets' style

By Shawn Mitchell

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday October 9, 2013 5:02 AM

There is no leisurely drift east for the Blue Jackets, who are following last week’s season opener against former Western Conference rival Calgary with six consecutive games against Eastern Conference opponents.

The second of those six will come on Thursday night at Buffalo. Coach Todd Richards, who spent his entire NHL coaching career in the Western Conference before this season, sees no reason for a philosophical makeover in his first season in the East.

Hockey is hockey, he said. Labels — “finesse” for the East, “physical” for the West — don’t always apply.

“(Our approach) is not going to change,” Richards said. “We’ll get into certain things, the differences between a Buffalo and a Boston and how they play, but how we play is not going to change. We want to be an aggressive, forechecking team, and we want to be tough to play against.”

Skill and speed are not limited to the East, nor size and grit to the West.

“The Boston Bruins will line up across from you and do what the

St. Louis Blues do,” Richards said. “Play simple with really good structure, play really disciplined and really hard. You can go from the East to the West and find similarities.”

Winning in the Eastern Conference will not require the cracking of codes, said John Davidson, the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations.

More than half of the Jackets’ roster has played for Eastern Conference teams. Five have played for the New York Rangers, a new division rival.

“Our guys have been around the block,” Davidson said.

But to be a playoff team, regardless of conference, the Blue Jackets likely must score more than the 2.4 goals a game they averaged last season.

An improved power play and the additions of Marian Gaborik and Nathan Horton (when healthy), combined with an improved power play and bounce-back seasons from secondary scorers such as R.J. Umberger and Brandon Dubinsky, will do the trick, Richards said.

But the Jackets aren’t built to win games 6-5 or 5-4. The roster was not designed to stretch a defense (like Pittsburgh) or overwhelm on the rush (like Chicago).

“If we can do that, great,” Richards said. “But really, our MO is, ‘Let’s get the puck behind their defensemen and let’s forecheck. Let’s crash. Let’s bang. Let’s force turnovers, and now let’s play in their zone.’ ”

The Jackets stuck to that script in their first two games, although their execution and puck protection was lacking in a sloppy loss to Calgary.

But they were able to counter the quickness of the speedy Islanders with two clutch third-period goals on Saturday and a superb performance by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. They beat New York in a shootout.

“We’re playing hard and not getting caught out of position,” defenseman James Wisniewski said. “We need to keep that up.”

The once-nondescript Jackets have an identity now, Richards said, and he doesn’t plan to do anything to change it. He wants positional soundness, good goaltending, stingy defense and adequate scoring. That works, regardless of conference.

“We’ll just do what we do really well,” Richards said. “What allows us to have success? Last year, we defended really well. I really believe that if we have a defensive-minded approach … we’re going to have opportunities to score.”


720240 Dallas Stars

Heika: Stars' No. 1 fan, owner Tom Gaglardi, cautiously optimistic after first two games

Mike Heika

Published: 09 October 2013 12:16 AM

Updated: 09 October 2013 01:11 AM

Maybe the most exciting thing a fan should know about Tom Gaglardi is he’s one of you.

The Stars owner was in town for the season’s opening weekend, and his responses were a lot like yours: He didn’t like the performance in a 4-2 opening loss, and he’s cautiously optimistic after a 2-1 win in Game 2.

“I like a lot of what I see, but I know there has to be more consistency,” said Gaglardi, back in Vancouver running his family’s hotel/restaurant business after the hockey getaway weekend.

“That opening game was a disappointment for everyone there, but they responded in the right way and now we have to see if they keep moving forward.”

Gaglardi is a hockey fan and a man with strong opinions. He’s had to soften the “knee-jerk” a little since buying the Stars for the simple reason that it’s tough to go through an 82-game season living and dying with every performance. So while he had to fight through a lot emotion after the first game, he said he was glad to see the process.

“I was out there Friday at practice, and I liked the response I saw,” he said. “It was loose and calm; there was no panic.”

Gaglardi said he was impressed by the veteran steeliness of new coach Lindy Ruff, who comes to the Stars with 20 years of NHL experience. When Ruff decided to keep his lines mostly intact and rely on the information garnered in four weeks of preseason action, it spoke to a style that should work throughout the long season.

“Lindy has been around a long time, and I saw that focus in him,” Gaglardi said. “He could have easily changed things around, but he didn’t, and it worked. You look at his decision to get Rich Peverley back in. He could have easily put him higher up the lineup, but he decided to work him in slowly, and that worked, too.”

So far, Gaglardi has been patient in trying to build the roster. He took ownership in November 2011 and had to wade through the remainder of that season. He then had the false start of the 2012-13 lockout.

So when Gaglardi hired general manager Jim Nill in April and allowed him to reshape the team in the summer, Dallas finally took a step forward and started the process of becoming the “new-look Stars.”

But while the transformation off the ice is still in its infancy, Gaglardi is happy those improvements already are in fast-forward. While the team didn’t sell out either of the games at American Airlines Center (capacity 18,532), it got 16,100 for the opener and 17,200 on Saturday.

“Right now, that’s a great increase over what we were doing, and a great sign that people are excited,” said Gaglardi. “I’m really pleased with what we have been able to do to get people interested, and I think we’re making a lot of progress in that area.”

Gaglardi’s also happy with the official debut of the new uniforms. The Stars put a lot of time and money into rebranding the team with a new color (Victory Green) and a new logo — and Gaglardi said he felt the impact was clear in both games.

“The arena’s colors are so nondenominational, and when you mix our old black uniforms, there just wasn’t any identity,” Gaglardi said. “But that green is a great color, and it really just takes over the arena. That’s one of the sharpest kits in the NHL, as far as I’m concerned, and the color just changed the whole feel of the game.”

And, as for the product on the ice, Gaglardi said he left with a good feeling about that, too.

“I look at the games, and I know our best players can be better,” he said. “So if you look at what we did in the second game, and you think you can be even better than that, then I think it’s pretty promising.”

Just to be fair, though, Gaglardi will be in the audience Friday in Winnipeg. So, like any other fan, he has the right to change his opinion.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.09.2013

720241 Dallas Stars

Heika: Stars doing everything they can to make Valeri Nichushkin happy in Dallas, prevent him from returning to Russia

SportsDayDFW.com

Published: 08 October 2013 11:30 PM

Updated: 08 October 2013 11:41 PM

Columnist Mike Heika answered questions in a chat Tuesday. Here are some highlights.

Question: How are coach Ruff and family adjusting to Dallas living? And Stars hockey culture? It is so different from Buffalo.

Heika: I apologize in that I really haven't asked him much about it. It is a huge change, and it's been really hot down here in September and early October, so the transition had to be a little challenging. But the Stars have a history of great hospitality. They reach out to their coaches and players and try to make the transition to Dallas very easy. I know that many of the wives for players and administrators are friends, and they help each other out. I'll try to get more details for the next chat, but I have not heard of any issues so far.

Question: In your opinion, how do they fix the D? To me, it's not even the coverage, it's the break out that's killing them as well as their play along the blue line.

Heika: In theory, they gain possession with better faceoff winning percentage, they get the puck in the offensive zone, and then they work hard to keep it there. The plan is to close the gap between defensemen and forwards, and to make it difficult for the opposition to enter the Stars' zone. If they do that, then they avoid the cycle and their lack of size in defending the cycle. They also will likely swing the power play difference to the positive (because most penalties occur when you are stuck in your own end defending). The break out clearly is a part of that puck possession plan, and you would think that would be the best attribute of the defense (because they are generally smaller and more skilled). It's a process, and the Stars believe they can solve the process. When they have played well as a team, the defense has looked fine. But the guess here is they are a defense in transition, and it won't be long before they transition to players like Jamie Oleksiak, Patrik Nemeth and John Klingberg (and then we'll be complaining about the inexperience on defense).

Question: In your opinion and (only perhaps) more importantly, the opinion of the organization, how is Nichuskin doing? To me he's looked big, but a little unsure, and has lacked confidence. Personally, I think he'll come alive when the power play does, but in the meantime I think he needs some goals. Can he be moved up? Should he?

Heika: This is a really tough question, because I think the organization would like to lower expectations for Nichushkin. Bottom line for the organization, the benefits of keeping Nichushkin in the NHL outweigh the benefit of letting him develop more slowly in the KHL. One, he learns the game on the smaller rink. Two, he learns the language and culture of the U.S. Three, he is not enticed to stay in the KHL. So, honestly, anything they get out Nichushkin this season in the way of moving forward is seen as a plus. That said, you walk a fine line with a player like Nichushkin. If he doesn't have success this season (and success to him probably means scoring goals), he might not be happy with the experience. The problem is that you have two choices right now to get him more offensive time. You put him on the top line with Benn and Seguin or you put him on the second line with Whitney and Eakin. Benn and Seguin are still trying to find their chemistry, and Erik Cole is a consistent veteran who is helping that process. There is a risk that if you put Nichushkin on that line, the Benn-Seguin transformation could be slowed. And you're not going to take Alex Chiasson off the second line. He's been very good there. So then should you put Nichushkin on the first power play with Benn and Seguin, and then drop Cole to the second power play? I'd be in favor of that. I think that might be a good way to keep everyone happy.

Question: Can you remember when the last time the Stars pulled their goaltender while trailing at the end of the game (not a penalty) to tie it up to send it to overtime? Do you have any "relationships" with Canadian writers/broadcasters, who are some of your favorites or some you dislike?

Heika: I'm sure they have, but none come to mind right now. It's a risk, but it seems worth it... I can call most of the guys in Canada if I need something, and we usually talk at games, but I don't really "hang out'' much... I like all sorts of writers and broadcasters' styles. I think George Johnson in Calgary is a fantastic read, and Ed Willes in Winnipeg always makes me think. But honestly, all of the Canadian guys are fun to read.

Question: Who is the biggest defensive liability amongst Dallas' forwards right now?

Heika: It changes from game to game. Ray Whitney was awful in the first game. Valeri Nichushkin is an unpredictable player right now, and I'm not sure how that plays into his defensive assignments. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have been leaning too far to the offensive side at times. The skilled guys have had a slow start in the first two games.

Question: Is Nichiushkin adjusting well to the NHL? Do you think he might be able to give The Toaster (Chaser) some competition for the Calder?

Heika: It's a tough comparison. Chiasson is 22 and has plenty of experience in North America, Nishushkin is 18 and playing here for the first time. It's a process, and it will take time. The guess is Chiasson will have a better year than Nichushkin.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 10.09.2013

720242 Detroit Red Wings

Mike Babcock: 'Things will work out' for Detroit Red Wings' big third line

2:48 PM, October 8, 2013

By Helene St. James

The line is one of the biggest the Detroit Red Wings have had in recent seasons, and that's just one of the reasons the team's coach is convinced that the trio will triumph.

Three games into the season, Todd Bertuzzi, Joakim Andersson and Daniel Cleary have minuses next to their names, having been on the ice for goals against and none of their own. It is, however, only the first week of the season, and overall, Mike Babcock has liked what he has seen more often than not.

"I actually thought they were OK in Boston," Babcock said. "You're saying, are they ever going to get a point, is that what you're saying? Yeah, me, too.

"I just think, do good things, good things will happen. I'm a big believer in that. Let things evolve. I think things will work out. I think they've played pretty hard."

The Wings took today off, thanks to a schedule that had them last playing Saturday at Boston and then not until Thursday, at Joe Louis Arena, against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Andersson is determined to see the line improve, starting that night.

"I think we can do a lot better," he said. "I thought we started the first game, good game. Second game was all right. Last game was not as good as we want to be. We have to be stronger on the puck and better down low in their zone and get there more often."

As for offense, "both Bert and Clears are good players, and they're strong on the puck, so we should create some scoring chances," Andersson said.

Andersson, Cleary and Bertuzzi each stand at least 6 feet and top 200 pounds. Andersson is as tenacious as they come in the defensive zone — he's trusted to kill off 5-on-3 power plays — and Bertuzzi and Cleary both love to shoot the puck.

Play to size and skill — forecheck, grind, drive the net — and, as Babcock put it, "good things will happen to you. Bert and Clears have played on the power play most nights, too, so I mean, they've had opportunities."

The important thing is to play well on both sides of the puck. "We've got to get the offense going, that would be a good momentum changer," Cleary said. "We've got all the right components. It's important for us to provide a little offense, take a little pressure of our top six."

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.09.2013


Detroit Red Wings get time to refresh, work on structure

8:40 AM, October 8, 2013

By Helene St. James

The Detroit Red Wings spent about an hour at practice Monday, then worked out before an evening event with season-ticket holders.

Taking advantage of an unusually long break between games, the Wings get a day off today, which Jimmy Howard will use to take his wife, Rachel, on a date-night to the evening's Tigers-Oakland A's game.

The Wings stand at 2-1 after packing three games into four nights, with six goals scored, seven allowed, and more good work from the penalty kill than the power play. Having the opportunity to refresh and really practice translates to working on details.

"I think there's some structural things that, I mean, you could tell against Boston, when you don't do it right, it doesn't look very good," defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. "There are going to be nights when you don't have your energy on top, but if you can fall back on your structure, it's a lot easier to play.

"That's something that we're going to have to keep working on here as we move forward. If we just do what we do do, we're going to be fine."

Players are generally optimistic about that old bugaboo the power play, even though its started scoreless through eight attempts. Kronwall said that, "I thought we did a lot of good things the first two games."

Coach Mike Babcock also emphasized the value of structure, as well as being mentally tough, which extends to the need for players to trust one another. "We feel we're off to a pretty good start," he said. "We didn't like the fact we didn't stick to our structure in Boston.

"These next few days are about getting people rested, but really competing and working hard in practice."

As for the subpar offensive output so far, Johan Franzen didn't want to hear it. "We've played three games," he said. "Ask again in 40 games, maybe."

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 10.09.2013


Scotty Bowman believes NHL must cut down on fighting

Chris Kuc

Chicago — The terrifying Images of Canadiens enforcer George Parros slamming face-first into the ice during a fight with the Maple Leafs’ Colton Orr and then being wheeled off on a stretcher with a concussion last week set the hockey world ablaze with debates about fighting in the NHL.

It has been a hotbed for controversy for years, with critics of fighting vocal about the image fisticuffs portray and the all-too-real potential for injuries.

Now Blackhawks senior adviser Scotty Bowman is weighing in, telling the Chicago Tribune the NHL needs to act to cut down fighting to curtail concussions as it has regarding stiffer penalties for hits to the head.

“We have taken real steps to eliminate concussions,” Bowman said. “(We) have to do the same thing with the fighting aspect.”

Supporters argue if fighting is abolished, there would be no protection for skill players and injuries could increase as there would be no retribution for illegal hits or stick work.

Parros’ injury grabbed the attention of several general managers in the league, including the Lightning’s Steve Yzerman, Penguins’ Ray Shero and Hurricanes’ Jim Rutherford as they gave interviews to TSN.

Said Yzerman, a former Red Wings great: “I believe a player should get a game misconduct for fighting (that results in an ejection).”

Shero and Rutherford called for a ban on fighting, or at least harsher penalties that possibly would curtail them.

The statements prompted Bowman, who has won 13 Stanley Cups as a coach and executive, to weigh in with a tweet, “I support views of Steve Yzerman Ray Shero and Jim Rutherford on their opinions for Addressing most Fighting Issues Poll all Players.”

A few hours later, Bowman elaborated to the Tribune given that the league has taken measures to reduce concussions with harsher penalties and suspensions for hits targeting the head.

The Hockey Hall of Famer said the NHL needs to do more than recently implementing a rule prohibiting players from taking off their helmets during a bout.

“It’s such a complex issue that I couldn’t categorically say (fighting) should be removed completely,” Bowman said. “I don’t think that’s the issue. The issue to me is the safety of the players. They don’t want to be falling backward to the hard ice surface with no protection. At the same time, you don’t want skill players being run at continuously without retribution.”

Take that to mean fighting still has a place in the game.

“In some cases, (a fight) has a big effect because you’re playing against some teams that have different makeups than others,” Bowman said. “When you want to build a championship team, you want to have a team for all seasons. You want to be able to play a skilled game and you want to be able not to back up when you’re being taken advantage of.”

Bowman said the league should poll players with their opinions of how to alter the rules surrounding fighting that are not in the fabric of the game _ especially the so-called “staged fights” that feature two enforcers duking it out.

“They had a survey in 2011-12 and 95 percent of the players said not to abolish fighting,” Bowman said. “(The league has) to present more to the players, not abolish it as much as going forward with mandates that we think will work.”

Among those, Bowman suggested, “maybe fighting has to stop when helmets are off” or “you give game misconducts for certain ones — you get the player out of the game.”

Another option is quotas. If a player reaches a certain number of fights, he then is suspended.

“There have to be ways to tweak it,” Bowman said.

Bowman said he doesn’t envision a time when fighting is eliminated completely from the game.

“I don’t think so, no,” he said. “You might see rule changes that if you do fight under certain circumstances _ without any rhyme or reason — you may not be able to stay in the game. That’s what Yzerman was saying.”

Detroit News LOADED: 10.09.2013


Red Wings' third line shooting blanks, but Mike Babcock isn't worried yet

Ted Kulfan

Detroit -- Red Wings coach Mike Babcock was asked about the lack of offensive production out of his third line -- Joakim Andersson centering Daniel Cleary and Todd Bertuzzi.

Babcock, as he usually does, went straight to the matter.

"I actually thought they were OK in Boston," Babcock said about Saturday night’s game. "Are you saying, ‘Are they ever going to get a point?' Yeah, me too."

Through the first three games of this young season, none of the three players has a point. Combined, the line has a minus-8 rating, further illustrating its problems at both ends of the ice.

Babcock doesn't sound like he's about to shuffle players around just yet. He's willing to be patient, noting other players' slow starts through the years.

"Every year we get excited about Pav never scoring (the first weeks) and you look at the record book at the end of the year and he has 80 points every year,” Babcock said about Pavel Datsyuk. "Let things evolve here and it'll work out. They've played pretty hard."

The Andersson line is the biggest physically of the Red Wings' four lines and has the ability to control the puck down low. But right now, they're not in possession of the puck enough.

"I want to shoot as much as I can (but) we just have to find more opportunities to shoot the puck," Andersson said. "If we get down low, in their end, more often we're going to get chances to shoot the puck. We have to start getting in their end more.

"The last two games, it's been kind of like ping-pong, back and forth too often. That's not the game our line wants to play too much."

If the line uses its size, gets in on the forecheck and plays hard around the net, said Babcock, positive things will happen.

"Do all those things and good things will happen," Babcock said. "Bert and Cleary have played on the power play most nights, too. They've had opportunities."

Day off

Babcock gave the Red Wings a day off Tuesday. They'll resume practice Wednesday -- expecting to match the intensity they showed during Monday's workout – ahead of their next game Thursday at home against the Coyotes.

Ice chips

It's been a good start for the Red Wings' minor-league affiliate in Grand Rapids. The defending Calder Cup champion Griffins are 1-0-1 through two games last weekend, scoring an AHL-high 11 goals.

Sent to the minors because of the Red Wings’ salary-cap issues, Gustav Nyquist hasn't sulked. He leads the Griffins with four points (one goal, three assists).

Detroit News LOADED: 10.09.2013


Detroit Red Wings use four-day break to work on details of their game, restore structure

Ansar Khan

on October 08, 2013 at 6:02 PM, updated October 08, 2013 at 9:30 PM

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings are 2-1 and would be delighted with a .667 winning percentage at the end of the season.

But the most recent game is the one that sticks with a team, and the Red Wings weren’t happy having to head into a four-day break on the heels of a 4-1 loss at Boston on Saturday.

“We made lots of mistakes, mental mistakes in Game 3 that you shouldn’t make,’’ coach Mike Babcock said. “Was it because we were mentally fatigued, or was it that Boston was on us?’’

After starting with three games in four nights, the Red Wings will have had a couple of days off to rest and a couple of days to practice and work on the details of their game before hosting the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

“To start the season with three in four nights is pretty tough,’’ goaltender Jimmy Howard said. “That first back-to- back is probably the toughest of the year. Definitely felt it in the third period (Saturday). Now that we got it under our belt and a few extra days off, it’s good to re-energize us.’’

Babcock said they’re off to a pretty good start, but have a lot of work to do.

“We didn’t like the fact that we didn’t stick to believing in our structure and doing what we do in Boston,’’ Babcock said. “You have to give them a ton a credit, they played way better than we did. We really felt we gave away goals with turnovers.’’

It was their second game in as many nights, against a fresh club, one of the best in the NHL, so fatigue undoubtedly contributed to the breakdowns.

“There’s some structural things, you could tell against Boston, that we weren’t doing right, it doesn’t look very good,’’ defenseman Niklas Kronwall said. “There’s going to be nights where you don’t have your energy on top but you can fall back on your structure. That’s something we have to keep working on as we move forward.’’

Kronwall said offense will come from structure. The Red Wings have scored six goals in three games, well below their average of 2.54 per game last season, which was their lowest output since 1976-77.

Part of the problem is a power play that has gone 0-for-8, registering only 11shots in 16 minutes.

“We’ve done some good things, but we haven’t put the puck in the net,’’ Daniel Alfredsson said. “It’s not big changes we need, it’s small adjustments. It’s one of those things where I believe it’s a new look (with himself and Stephen Weiss on each unit) and all we need is a couple to go in and we’ll feel great.

“Last game we didn’t do a good job of getting zone time and then it’s tough to score. But overall we’ve done a good job in zone and it’s just a matter of getting it to the net a little bit more.’’

The structural breakdowns were particularly evident on the penalty kill, where the Red Wings started strong, going 7-for-7 in a 2-1 season-opening win over Buffalo, but went 4-of-7 in the next two games.

“Our first penalty kill goal (vs. the Bruins) we ran around, the second one we turned the puck over in our zone,’’ Babcock said. “To me, that kind of thing doesn’t make sense. You have to trust one another and trust your structure and keep playing hard and be mentally strong.’’

The Red Wings play three games in four nights again starting with Saturday’s home game vs. Philadelphia. Ideally, the schedule would be consistently spread out, but it’s not like haven’t dealt with it before.

“We weren’t energized enough to compete against a good team like (Boston),’’ defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. “On the other hand we can do things better even though we’re tired, so it’s not an excuse.’’

Michigan Live LOADED: 10.09.2013

720247 Edmonton Oilers

David Perron gets his wish; scores first goal against Martin Brodeur in Edmonton Oilers shootout victory

Joanne Ireland

There were times when he was with the St. Louis Blues that David Perron was torn when the New Jersey Devils were next on the schedule.

A part of him — the part that had always wanted the chance to score on future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur — wanted to see the veteran in the net.

The flip side of that of course was that the Blues would have to find a way to beat Brodeur.

Fast forward to Monday.

In Perron’s third regular season game with the Edmonton Oilers, in his second showdown against Brodeur, he scored in regulation and in the shootout.

“Pretty cool,” he said when it was over the Oilers had snapped their two-game losing streak with a 5-4 shootout victory. It was the first time he had scored on the goaltender.

“I don’t know how many years he has left. I was just happy I was able to do it tonight because I only got to do it when I was a kid and creating my own player in NHL 97. I was able to do it against him for real.”

Perron received the player of the game jacket from head coach Dallas Eakins when it was over. The winger will pass it on when the next win is posted.

The camouflage jacket had been worn by a member of the Canadian Forces who was serving in Afghanistan and ended up in Eakins’ possession. He brought it with him to Edmonton and decided it would be ideal as a post-game motivational tool.

“A dear friend of mine was over there visiting the troops and the young soldier peeled the jacket off his back and gave it to him. My friend gave it to me,” said Eakins.

“I was looking for something for our team, something that meant something. There’s no greater level of commitment, courage, team work . . . geez, people think, ‘You’re under pressure when you’ve lost two games. What about being under pressure in a war zone?

“I handed it off as a reminder . . . that this is what we need.”

Nugent-Hopkins gives shoulder a workout

Rather than ease Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back into the lineup, the centre logged a team high 37 shifts and 28:12 minutes of ice time against the Devils.

He also registered a team high six shots on net while winning 11 of his 22 draws. The Oilers, as a group were 63 per cent in the faceoff circle with Boyd Gordon an exemplary 69 per cent.

“It was good to get back out there,” said Nugent-Hopkins, who did admit he was a little fatigued after his first game back since underdoing shoulder surgery in April.

“I think that was to be expected,” he continued. “But I did feel more a part of the game as it went on.”

“We didn’t let him come in softly to this game,” said Eakins. “He was going well and I wanted to make sure he was fit.”

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Mark Arcobello trying to make most of opportunity with Edmonton Oilers

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal October 8, 2013

EDMONTON - Being the opportunist that he is, Mark Arcobello managed to turn a training camp audition into a spot in the Edmonton Oilers’ opening day lineup.

He then parlayed that appearance at centre into another game. So even when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was ready to return, Arcobello was able to hold down a spot in the lineup, which also meant the Oilers could then move Taylor Hall back to left-wing.

“Arco’s going about it the right way,” head coach Dallas Eakins said. “He’s dying for another game, another opportunity, another day on the roster. And he’s opened up some eyes with his play.

“His play enabled Taylor to buzz back over to the wing.”

Arcobello played between Ryan Hamilton and Nail Yakupov in Monday’s 5-4 shootout win over the New Jersey Devils and will be back in the mix on Thursday when the Oilers host the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s high stress, but high reward, too,” said Arcobello of this work-for-more-minutes routine he’s growing accustomed to.

“As long as I work hard, there’s not much else I can do.”

And frankly, Arcobello knows no other way. The undrafted, undersized, overachiever left Yale University with a political sciences major and a tryout offer from the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder. He played his way on to the roster of the Oklahoma City Barons after 33 games during that 2010-2011 campaign then closed out last season as the Barons’ all-time leading scorer.

He turned down offers to play in the Europe in the off-season, opting instead to sign a one-year, two-way extension with the Oilers, a team that was going to go into camp with Nugent-Hopkins. Before the Oilers got through the pre-season, Sam Gagner was felled with a broken jaw, opening up another spot down the middle.

“Every game, I feel more and more comfortable. I feel like I’m adapting to the pace,” the five-foot-eight native of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., said. “I knew it wasn’t going to be an overnight situation, where I’d jump right in and have success. Every game, every shift, it’s feeling better and better.

“When I re-signed in the summer, in the back of my mind, I knew there might be an opportunity here. It’s unfortunate we’ve had the injuries but at the same time, it’s a chance for me to show what I’ve got.”

Arcobello, 25, had played just one NHL game prior to the this season, and that was in relief of Nugent-Hopkins on Feb. 6 against the Dallas Stars. He flew in, played between Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, and was on his way back to the American Hockey League shortly after.

“It was tough to just jump in for one game. Then I was on my way, but it was good to get that game out of the way,” said Arcobello, who picked up his second NHL point, an assist, against the Devils. He was the only player who was plus one, or better, on the night (plus two) and he won eight of his 10 draws.

“When you look for a bright light in a whole bunch of dark,” Eakins had said prior to the Monday’s game, which saw the team snap a two-game losing streak. “I think he’s been good. Not excellent, but good. It’s something we’re encouraged by. He’s in the right mindset.”

Oil Drops: Monday marked only the fifth time that the Oilers have overcome a deficit of three or more goals going into the third period. They are now 5-277-3, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 10.09.2013


New Oilers centre Boyd Gordon not out of place in top-six role

By Derek Van Diest ,Edmonton Sun


EDMONTON - Prior to arriving in Edmonton, Boyd Gordon was perceived to be solely a bottom-six forward.

That’s all he’d ever been with the Washington Capitals and Phoenix Coyotes.

But out of necessity, the Edmonton Oilers have been forced to move Gordon up in the lineup, and so far, the veteran centre has rewarded his coach’s faith in him.

“It’s not me he’s rewarding, he’s rewarding our team,” said Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. “I hate those guys that do everything right.

“That is a great example of a guy that has average speed and average skill, not a lot of flash, but he’s one of the most important players on our team.”

Playing on a unit with David Perron and Ales Hemsky, Gordon is off to a great start.

He’s already halfway to his entire goal-total of last season, and is currently tied for second in team scoring with two goals and an assist in the first three games. While it’s still early, no one pegged Gordon as a point-per-game player.

“He does everything right,” Eakins said. “He’s underneath the puck all the time, he stops in his own zone, he battles hard, he competes, he does all those things. That’s the stuff that you want to rub off on the rest of your team.”

Perron and Hemsky represent two of the most skillful linemates Gordon has ever played with. His face-off ability has him as a valuable member of both the power-play and penalty-killing unit.

“I’m not overly flashy by any means, you want to get those guys the puck, you want to retrieve pucks and be in a good position to get going the other way and play in their end,” Gordon said. “I think everyone has a different role on a line and I just have to do my job and hopefully that stuff all adds up.”

With Sam Gagner out of the lineup, Gordon is expected to keep playing a top-six role. For the time being, he’s relishing the opportunity and is going to try and rack up as many points as possible.

“It’s a great opportunity for me, getting a chance to play with highly-skilled players,” Gordon said. “It’s something you want to take advantage of. They put me out there and I want to do a job and contribute and help the team win.”

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Oilers Snap Shots: Birthday celebration for Moss ... Brodeur to retire at season's end? ... Davidson called up from OKC


First posted: Monday, October 07, 2013 09:21 PM MDT | Updated: Monday, October 07, 2013 09:31 PM MDT

Ryan Hamilton just wants to help out the team.

The winger made his Edmonton Oilers debut Monday, getting called up from Oklahoma City on the weekend. He was inserted into the lineup in Ryan Smyth’s place, playing alongside Mark Arcobello and Nail Yakupov on the Oilers third line.

“I’m very excited, it’s a good opportunity to come in the lineup try to help the team out and get a big win,” Hamilton said prior to facing the New Jersey Devils. “I’m just trying to contribute any way I can, and I’m excited about it.”

A former member of the Toronto Marlies, Hamilton is very familiar to Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins. Hamilton scored 30 goals and added 18 assists in 56 games in the AHL last season.

He has played 12 NHL games — all with the Toronto Maple Leafs — and is still looking for his first NHL goal.

“It’s a real pleasure to be up here and be with the team,” Hamilton said. “(Eakins) has seen me play for a good chunk of time, but having said that, you still have to prove yourself every day that’s what my mindset is and it’s what it will be for my whole career. You just want to get better every day and help the team out every day.”

Birthday celebration

Oilers dressing room attendant Joey Moss, who celebrated his 50th birthday last week was honoured by the club Monday.

During the first intermission, Moss was presented with a birthday cake and serenaded, by the crowd. He was also given an all-expenses paid trip to WrestleMania 30 in New Orleans on April 6.

Former Oilers Fernando Pisani and Craig Simpson were on hand for the brief celebration, while a number of former and current players sent their congratulation on the video screen.

Moss has been with the Oilers for the past 30 years, introduced to the club by Wayne Gretzky.

Final appearance?

The jury is still out whether Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur will retire after the season.

With the club acquiring the services of Cory Schneider this off-season, it is believed the future Hall-of-Famer will call it a career.

If that’s the case, Monday was the last appearance for Brodeur at Rexall Place. Surprisingly, the Oilers were only one of two teams Brodeur hasn’t shutout in his 20 NHL seasons, having faced them 17 times going into the contest. The Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks are the only other two teams Brodeur has not shutout. The 41-year-old had 121 career regular-season shutouts going into the game.

Shouldering the load

For a guy who hasn’t played since April, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins didn’t look too out of place Monday.

The Oilers centre improved as the game went along, although the club looked flat.

Nugent-Hopkins returned to the lineup nearly four weeks earlier than expected after undergoing shoulder surgery.

Heading into the contest, Nugent-Hopkins wasn’t concerned with how his shoulder would hold up.

“It definitely feels good, the big thing is I’m going to have a lot more confidence in it, it’s going to feel stronger,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “The confidence is the biggest thing.”

Emergency recall

Brandon Davidson was told the good news at a team barbeque in Oklahoma City.

With the Oilers having a few beat up bodies on their blue line, they decided to call up Davidson as insurance.

The former sixth-round pick – 162 overall – in 2010, did not get into the lineup Monday, but is practicing with the team, and depending on the status of Denis Grebeshkov, could head out on their six-game road trip, starting Saturday in Toronto.

“It’s good to be here, it’s been a long road and it’s nice to have my dream finally come true,” Davidson said. “I’m very happy and very excited. I just want to get my foot in the door.”

Davidson, 22, split last season between Stockton in the ECHL and Oklahoma City.

Even if he doesn’t get in the lineup, getting a chance to practice with the team will help his development.

“It’s all about confidence in this game and that’s a bit part of it for me,” Davidson said. “It’s about getting that first foot in the door and finally finding a comfort zone that I can be at with the guys and myself. It’s a big opportunity and I just can’t wait to play.”



Taylor Hall says Oilers have to tune out wildly swinging mood of fans



EDMONTON - Taylor Hall can understand fans’ frustration.

Things were bad in Edmonton long before he showed up on the scene as the first piece of the rebuilding puzzle.

But even Hall admits getting booed off the ice after the second period in the second home game of the season Monday seemed harsh. Good thing the Edmonton Oilers came back to beat the New Jersey Devils 5-4 in a shootout to keep the town from falling into full-fledged crisis mode.

Perhaps everyone needs to chill out a little bit.

“I would have to agree with that statement,” smiled Hall. “I know that our fans can get restless. They’re almost too knowledgeable about the game. If you go down to Phoenix, they just love to watch hits and see nice goals being scored.

“Our fans appreciate a nice chip to a supporting winger, but they also know that our team has not done as well as they have in the past. At the same time, if they don’t think we hear the boos, the heckling, we do, and you just have to drown it out as much as we can. But it can definitely be tough some times.”

Fans had reason to be discouraged by the Oilers performance against the Devils, falling behind 3-0 and managing just 11 shots through two periods.

But that same disgruntled crowd nearly blew the roof off the building when the Oilers started their comeback.

Hall went on to score the team’s fourth goal in the game, which for a time, appeared as though it would be the game-winner.

“It’s crazy that you can go from getting booed by your own fans to having them be on your side,” Hall said. “It’s a little strange, but that’s just one of the things that we had to battle through. We just stuck to our game plan. There are so many things going on in a hockey game, that ultimately you want to focus on what you’re doing on the ice as a team.

“We were fine with what we were doing, we were just looking to get a couple more pucks to the net and that’s what we did in the third period. We got a couple of bounces. Sometimes it comes down to a skills competition in the end and we were able to win that.”

The victory was much-needed for the team and the city, who have seen this act before. Too often in the past couple of seasons, the Oilers have teased their fans into believing the corner had been rounded and their lengthy playoff drought was near an end.

“I’ve said this before: sometimes all it takes is one shift, one period, anything like that to get your game going, your season going, that’s all we needed,” Hall said. “It certainly would have been nice to win that first game at home, that would have turned the tide a huge bunch. We have another game against Montreal that’s going to be a rocking atmosphere. If we can get the first goal in that game, then they’ll be on our side.

“It doesn’t take much for them to get cheering for us, but at the same time, one bad play or one bad power play and they can jump on you. That’s stuff that we have to put behind us, and just worry about what we’re doing in here.”

Personally, it may have taken Hall a couple of periods to find his game. He was playing left wing for the first time this season after spending the entire training camp in the middle filling the void left by injuries to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner.

By the third period, Hall looked as though he was back to his former self.

“It’s been a long time since I played left wing, a long time, since the World Championships,” he said. “It was tough at first, I was getting booed and fans in the hallway (between periods) were yelling at me.

“There are a lot of things that go on in a game, you just have to make sure you’re focused on the ice and what you’re doing. I just had to settle myself down after the second period and just focus on hockey. Sometimes in this game you have to take a step back and relax a little bit, and that’s what I felt I did in the third.”



Edmonton Oilers have gone from outhouse to penthouse in face-off statistics

By Terry Jones,Edmonton Sun


EDMONTON - It’s an insanely small sample size.

Three games out of 83. It’s hard to make a case that it’s a meaningful measure.

But ‘Hear ye! Hear ye!’

The Edmonton Oilers are second in the entire National Hockey League in faceoffs. They’ve won 57.5%.

Never in any three game stretch in the last four years — especially in one where they only won one game — were the Oilers 57.5% in the faceoff circle.

“It always helps to start with the puck. You’re not chasing it down,” said head coach Dallas Eakins.

How many times in the last four years have you watched the Oilers lose a faceoff on a power play and have to use up 30 seconds skating to the other end of the ice to retrieve the puck and bring it back up the ice?

Monday night the team had a 63% success rate on the faceoff dot in their colossal comeback against the New Jersey Devils from down 3-0 after two periods in winning their first game of the season.

The Oilers may have lost two of the games on the scoreboard but they won all three in the faceoff circle.

So what? Big deal?

It just might be.

If the numbers stay the same through the first eight to 10 games, it would make a statement which should eventually be reflected in the standings.

“Night after night if you start to go with the averages, if you are constantly winning faceoffs …

“I just think that turns into you have the puck more. Your shot share is up. It just turns into more offence. And when you have the puck it pretty hard for the other team to score,” said Eakins.

“We want to continue that. Those faceoffs are key. Especially the ones deep in the zones. In your D zone you want to have it. In the offensive zone you want to have it — boy, you love to start with it.”

Small sample, most certainly. But if it’s any kind of indicator at all, this is outhouse-to-penthouse sort of stuff in a rather relevant category.

Last year, when the Oilers finished 24th overall, they were dead last in the league — 30th at 46.1% taking faceoffs.

Two years ago, when they finished 29th overall, Edmonton ended up 27th in the league in the faceoff circle at 47.7%.

Three years ago, in finishing 30th in the league, the Oilers were also absolute rock bottom on the dot — 30th with 44.2%.

Four seasons back, the Oilers were 30th in the standings and a league-lousiest 30th in faceoffs at 46.4%.

But, small sample though it is, look at it down the lineup.

In defeating New Jersey, Mark Arcobello (eight for 10) was 80%, Boyd Gordon (18 for 26) was 69%, Will Acton (6 for 9) was 67% and notoriously ineffective Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (11 for 22) was 50%, a figure he didn’t hit on many nights in his first two years, batting 41% on the dot.

Everybody had a good night.

How many nights did that happen in the last four years?

Next to none.

“It’s a thing that I really believe is contagious,” said Eakins.

“It’s not just the centremen there. It’s the wingers starting to help out. They like their centremen to have a high percentage so they start helping him.”

Boyd Gordon leads the way over the first three games. He’s drawing at a 61.8% per cent clip.

“He’s winning face-offs, he’s in a battle for a face-off. If he loses the face-off, the guy had to do something extraordinary to get it, usually,” he said.

Boyd Gordon leads the way over the first three games.

Arcobello is 59.5% on the dot. Acton is at 58.1. Taylor Hall is at 55.9%. David Perron, Jordan Eberle and Nugent-Hopkins are all at 50%.

Arcobello and Acton aren’t even supposed to be here. But their work in the faceoff circle and in giving reliable minutes when they are in the game is keeping them here.

“It gets you extra ice time. I’ve been erring on the side of caution a little, putting Boyd out there a lot,” said Eakins.

“Arcobello has won his draws. Acton has won his draws. And Taylor Hall was winning his draws.

“It’s good to have.”

Of course there are other good things to have. Like goals-against average (5.0 and 30th place in the league).

But, hey, it’s such a small sample, right?


720253 Florida Panthers

Panthers lose Tim Thomas in loss to Flyers

BY GEORGE RICHARDS

PHILADELPHIA -- The Panthers lost veteran goalie Tim Thomas to what is called a slight groin strain in the opening period of Tuesday night’s game.

The goal Thomas let in after not being able to pull himself off the ice in time proved to be the difference as Philadelphia ended its three game losing streak by beating the Panthers 2-1 at Wells Fargo Center.

Thomas, who could be out at a few weeks, gave up both goals Tuesday night off odd shots. The second fluky goal came when Thomas went down to make a save on a shot by Sean Couturier and got hurt in the process.

Thomas was slow to get up as Braydon Coburn fired a long shot from 50 feet into the net as Thomas fell in vain for it. Thomas then skated off to the locker room and didn’t return.

“I don’t think it’s anything long term, but we’ll evaluate him [Wednesday] and see where he’s at,” coach Kevin Dineen said.

The Flyers’ opening score came 4:49 into the game when Jakub Voracek’s long shot bounded off the back board and ricocheted off the skate of Brayden Schenn as he charged through the slot. That puck found its way between the legs of Thomas.

The loss was Thomas’ first in Philadelphia as he had been 8-0 here during his career before Tuesday’s abbreviated start. The Flyers avoided their first 0-4 start in franchise history as they won in coach Craig Berube’s debut after Peter Laviolette was canned Monday morning.

The Panthers will have Scott Clemmensen meet the team in Tampa, possibly in time for Wednesday’s late-afternoon practice. Clemmensen gave up one goal off 25 shots in earning the win for Florida’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio on Saturday.

Clemmensen had minor knee surgery in September, and said he was using his rehab assignment as his own training camp.

“We’re in a good situation with good goalies competing for jobs,” goalie coach Robb Tallas said. “They are all pushing each other and that’s a good thing. Clemmensen felt really good after his game. He’s ready.”

Jacob Markstrom appears to be Florida’s starter with Thomas on the shelf as he did everything he could to keep the Panthers in Tuesday’s game.

Markstrom stopped all 25 shots he faced as the Panthers’ only goal came with six seconds remaining in the second when Brad Boyes followed up Brian Campbell’s shot to beat goalie Steve Mason.

“I felt good, it’s just too bad we couldn’t get a few more goals in there,” said Markstrom, who took over the Panthers’ starting job last year when Jose Theodore was injured. “I felt good, the body feels good. I want to play, want to be out there in the heat. I’ll do whatever coach tells me, but I want to play games.”

Mason ended with 33 saves as he kept the Panthers at bay throughout. Tuesday’s game was one the Panthers should have won had they found a way to solve Mason more than just once.

Florida created numerous scoring chances but were stoned by Mason time after time. Some of the Panthers’ best shots at Mason came when Aleksander Barkov was rejected on a first-period power play and when Shawn Matthias was turned back on a short-handed breakaway in the second.

“We’re not displeased with the way we played but we didn’t win the game,” Dineen said. “We need to turn those momentum pushes into some offense, into some points.”

The Panthers power play looked better than it had all season yet Florida still went 0-for-5 with the advantage and haven’t scored in 16 such situations this season.

Florida’s penalty kill was put to work in the third after Erik Gudbranson boarded Scott Hartnell and was ejected. The Flyers didn’t score on their five-minute chance in the third nor on any of their five power-play chances.

The Panthers have lost two in a row since winning their season opener 4-2 at Dallas last Thursday. Florida has been outscored 9-1 in those two losses.

“This is a tough game to swallow,” Tomas Kopecky said. “You can’t look around and blame others. I have to blame myself. I had some good chances and I have to score those goals. I have to help out, have to be better.”

• Kopecky said he wasn’t told why he received a two minutes penalty after he got jumped from behind by Philadelphia’s Jay Rosehill. He does, however, have a good idea why Rosehill was so mad that he spun around from the penalty box and skated across the ice to get at Kopecky.

“He tried to steal my stick,” Kopecky said of Rosehill. “So I told him I would autograph it for him afterward.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 10.09.2013


Panthers lose Tim Thomas in loss to Flyers

BY GEORGE RICHARDS

PHILADELPHIA -- The Panthers lost veteran goalie Tim Thomas to what is called a slight groin strain in the opening period of Tuesday night’s game.


Thomas, who could be out at a few weeks, gave up both goals Tuesday night off odd shots. The second fluky goal came when Thomas went down to make a save on a shot by Sean Couturier and got hurt in the process.

Thomas was slow to get up as Braydon Coburn fired a long shot from 50 feet into the net as Thomas fell in vain for it. Thomas then skated off to the locker room and didn’t return.

“I don’t think it’s anything long term, but we’ll evaluate him [Wednesday] and see where he’s at,” coach Kevin Dineen said.

The Flyers’ opening score came 4:49 into the game when Jakub Voracek’s long shot bounded off the back board and ricocheted off the skate of Brayden Schenn as he charged through the slot. That puck found its way between the legs of Thomas.

The loss was Thomas’ first in Philadelphia as he had been 8-0 here during his career before Tuesday’s abbreviated start. The Flyers avoided their first 0-4 start in franchise history as they won in coach Craig Berube’s debut after Peter Laviolette was canned Monday morning.

The Panthers will have Scott Clemmensen meet the team in Tampa, possibly in time for Wednesday’s late-afternoon practice. Clemmensen gave up one goal off 25 shots in earning the win for Florida’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio on Saturday.

Clemmensen had minor knee surgery in September, and said he was using his rehab assignment as his own training camp.

“We’re in a good situation with good goalies competing for jobs,” goalie coach Robb Tallas said. “They are all pushing each other and that’s a good thing. Clemmensen felt really good after his game. He’s ready.”

Jacob Markstrom appears to be Florida’s starter with Thomas on the shelf as he did everything he could to keep the Panthers in Tuesday’s game.

Markstrom stopped all 25 shots he faced as the Panthers’ only goal came with six seconds remaining in the second when Brad Boyes followed up Brian Campbell’s shot to beat goalie Steve Mason.

“I felt good, it’s just too bad we couldn’t get a few more goals in there,” said Markstrom, who took over the Panthers’ starting job last year when Jose Theodore was injured. “I felt good, the body feels good. I want to play, want to be out there in the heat. I’ll do whatever coach tells me, but I want to play games.”

Mason ended with 33 saves as he kept the Panthers at bay throughout. Tuesday’s game was one the Panthers should have won had they found a way to solve Mason more than just once.

Florida created numerous scoring chances but were stoned by Mason time after time. Some of the Panthers’ best shots at Mason came when Aleksander Barkov was rejected on a first-period power play and when Shawn Matthias was turned back on a short-handed breakaway in the second.

“We’re not displeased with the way we played but we didn’t win the game,” Dineen said. “We need to turn those momentum pushes into some offense, into some points.”

The Panthers power play looked better than it had all season yet Florida still went 0-for-5 with the advantage and haven’t scored in 16 such situations this season.

Florida’s penalty kill was put to work in the third after Erik Gudbranson boarded Scott Hartnell and was ejected. The Flyers didn’t score on their five-minute chance in the third nor on any of their five power-play chances.

The Panthers have lost two in a row since winning their season opener 4-2 at Dallas last Thursday. Florida has been outscored 9-1 in those two losses.

“This is a tough game to swallow,” Tomas Kopecky said. “You can’t look around and blame others. I have to blame myself. I had some good chances and I have to score those goals. I have to help out, have to be better.”

• Kopecky said he wasn’t told why he received a two minutes penalty after he got jumped from behind by Philadelphia’s Jay Rosehill. He does, however, have a good idea why Rosehill was so mad that he spun around from the penalty box and skated across the ice to get at Kopecky.

“He tried to steal my stick,” Kopecky said of Rosehill. “So I told him I would autograph it for him afterward.”



THOMAS HURT, PANTHERS LOSE: Philadelphia Gets First Win as Thomas Injures Groin Early

TWITTER: @GeorgeRichards

PHILADELPHIA -- The Panthers lost veteran goalie Tim Thomas to what is called a slight groin pull in the opening period of Tuesday night's game.


Thomas, who could be out at a few weeks, gave up both goals Tuesday night off odd shots. The second flukey goal came when Thomas after went down to make a save on a shot by Sean Couturier and got hurt in the process.

Thomas was slow to get up as Braydon Coburn fired a long shot from 50 feet out into the net as Thomas dove in vain for it. Thomas then skated off to the Panthers locker room and didn't return.

"I don't think it's anything longterm but we'll evaluate him [Wednesday] and see where he's at,'' coach Kevin Dineen said.

The Flyers' opening score came 4:49 into the game when Jakub Voracek's long shot bounded off the back board and ricocheted off the skate of Brayden Schenn as he charged through the slot. That puck found its way between the legs of Thomas.

The loss was Thomas' first in Philadelphia as he had been 8-0 here during his career before Tuesday's abbreviated start. The Flyers avoided their first 0-4 start in franchise history as they won in coach Craig Berube's debut after Peter Laviolette was canned Monday morning.

The Panthers will have Scott Clemmensen meet the team in Tampa possibly in time for Wednesday's late afternoon practice. Clemmensen gave up one goal off 25 shots in earning the win for Florida's AHL affiliate in San Antonio on Saturday night.

Clemmensen had minor knee surgery in September and said he was using his rehab assignment as his own training camp. Well, that's been cut short.

"We're in a good situation with good goalies competing for jobs,'' goalie coach Robb Tallas said. "They are all pushing each other and that's a good thing. Clemmensen felt really good after his game. He's ready.''

Jacob Markstrom appears to be Florida's starter with Thomas on the shelf as he did everything he could to keep the Panthers in Tuesday's game.

Markstrom stopped all 25 shots he faced as the Panthers' only goal came with six seconds remaining in the second when Brad Boyes followed up Brian Campbell's shot to beat goalie Steve Mason. Obviously that wasn't enough scoring.

"I felt good, it's just too bad we couldn't get a few more goals in there,'' said Markstrom, who took over the Panthers' starting job last year when Jose Theodore was injured. "I felt good, the body feels good. I want to play, want to be out there in the heat. I'll do whatever coach tells me, but I want to play games.''

Mason ended with 33 saves as he kept the Panthers at bay throughout. Tuesday's game was one the Panthers should have won had they found a way to solve Mason more than just once.

Florida created numerous scoring chances but were stoned by Mason time after time. Some of the Panthers' best shots at Mason came when Aleksander Barkov was rejected on a first-period power play and when Shawn Matthias was turned back on a short-handed breakwaway in the second.

"We're not displeased with the way we played but we didn't win the game,'' Dineen said. "We need to turn those momentum pushes into some offense, into some points.''

The Panthers power play looked better than it had all season yet Florida still went 0-for-5 with the advantage and haven't scored in 16 such situations this season.

Florida's penalty kill was put to work in the third after Erik Gudbranson boarded Scott Hartnell and was ejected. The Flyers didn't score on their five-minute chance in the third nor on any of their five power play chances.

The Panthers have lost two straight since winning their season opener 4-2 at Dallas last Thursday. Florida has been outscored 9-1 in those two losses.

"This is a tough game to swallow,'' Tomas Kopecky said. "You can't look around and blame others. I have to blame myself. I had some good chances and I have to score those goals. I have to help out, have to be better.''

-- Kopecky said he wasn't told why he received a two minutes penalty after he got jumped from behind by Philadelphia's Jay Rosehill. He does, however, have a good idea why Rosehill was so mad that he spun around from the penalty box and skated across the ice to get at Kopecky.

"He tried to steal my stick,'' Kopecky said of Rosehill. "So I told him I would autograph it for him afterward.''



Panthers trail Flyers 2-0 as G Tim Thomas leaves game with injury

By Harvey Fialkov Sun Sentinel

1:13 p.m. EDT, October 8, 2013

Panthers goalie Tim Thomas lef the ice 7:31 into the first period after giving up two quick goals, however, he seemed to get his feet tangled with teammate Mike Weaver just before the second tally.

Thomas, 39, was replaced by Jacob Markstrom. The Panthers are calling it a lower-body injury. Thomas will not return and will be evaluated tomorrow in Tampa.

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen held a longer-than-usual morning skate at Wells Fargo Center and started it by working with asst. coach Craig Ramsay only with the power-play units. The Panthers are 0-for-11 on the power play in the first two games.

Surprisingly, with the 0-3 Flyers expecting to come out with even more intensity than usual in an effort to show newly hired coach Craig Berube they’re behind him, Dineen is sitting enforcer-type Krys Barch, as well as the usual suspects, defenseman Matt Gilroy and forward Joey Crabb.

Berube was a bonafide enforcer with 250 fights, according to hockeyfights.com, and as I wrote yesterday, had a series of brawls with Panthers favorite enforcer Paul Laus, as well as that nasty incident with Peter Worrell. They probably could use Barch’s dukes tonight. We’ll see.

Young forward Drew Shore will be back in the lineup after being scratched in Saturday’s 7-0 debacle in St. Louis.

Dineen said he thought backup goalie Jacob Markstrom played well in relief of Tim Thomas in the third period Saturday, despite giving up two goals on the first four shots he faced. Dineen credited the shooters. He didn’t commit to giving Markstrom a start, saying he’s going with his best lineup.

It’s still highly probably that Markstrom starts in Tampa, the final leg of this franchise-long season-opening four-game road trip because the Panthers play their home opener the following night. It’s unlikely that Dineen will ask 39-year-old Thomas to play in back-to-backs after not playing at all last year.

The pressure will be on the young Swede as Scott Clemmensen had a solid first game for San Antonio on Saturday with 24 saves and one goal allowed. Clemmensen is expected to get at least one more start this weekend before the Panthers have to make a decision on which backup plays in the NHL or AHL.

Thomas is an amazing 8-0 in Philadelphia with a 1.86 GAA, while his expected counterpart Steve Mason is 4-0 with a 1.21 GAA against the Panthers. Someone’s unblemished mark will end tonight.

Upon further review it looks like forward Scottie Upshall, as well as Kris Versteeg, played for Philly when Berube was an assistant, although neither played a whole season under him.

The Flyers have never started a season at 0-4, and the Panthers have won their last three games here, including both last season. The last time the Flyers changed coached, they started 1-8 under Laviolettte.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.09.2013


Guy Harvey creates design for Florida Panthers' anniversary

7:04 p.m. EDT, October 8, 2013

Steve Waters

Guy Harvey is taking his efforts to conserve the world's oceans to the ice.

The renowned marine artist has created a limited edition Florida Panthers/Guy Harvey design that will appear on T-shirts, posters and other items in celebration of the NHL team's 20th anniversary this season and debut at the Panthers' home opener on Friday.

In addition, the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the Florida Panthers Foundation will raise funds together throughout the season. Promotions will involve game occurrences, such as hat tricks by Panthers players.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 10.09.2013

720258 Los Angeles Kings

October 8 practice quotes: Sutter, Lewis, Fraser

Staff

Trevor Lewis, on how to “clean things up”:

I think just being quicker and cleaner and executing more. A couple of sloppy plays, and I think just executing a little bit more and maybe in the breakout or the neutral zone, and getting on the forecheck, executing plays in the offensive zone to get some shots in and generate some second chances. I think the main thing is just to execute better and quicker, and more efficient.

Colin Fraser, on the team’s execution:

We all know the systems. We all know what we need to do. We just need to do it better. We need to tighten it up and execute it a little bit more and a little bit sharper. I think we showed signs of that, but obviously not enough, and certainly not last night. The bottom line, we’ve got to I think put it behind us, move forward, and regroup, and we’ve just got to be better tomorrow night.

Fraser, on the team’s response in the dressing room following Monday’s loss:

Of course we talk, but at the same time you can’t beat the dead horse, either. I think everybody knows that it wasn’t acceptable, and [having] two losses in a row isn’t acceptable. Especially on home ice, we talk about being homers all the time, and I think that was our worst outing of the three. We’ve just got to regroup, put it behind us. I mean, we can’t sit here and dwell on it, of course. Move forward, and we’ve just got to play. Just play the way we can.

Darryl Sutter, on the keys to sustaining a forecheck:

Most important part is numbers of speed. That’s the key. If it’s just a chip…or a chase-the-puck-around, we’re really good at it. We’ve shown it in probably three periods. But it’s not always as easy as it looks. [Reporter: Was the first period in Winnipeg the best you’ve had, you think?] Our third in Minnesota was really god. Quite honest, the first period and a half in Winnipeg, and then probably the whole third period in Winnipeg we were really good. We were good, depending on who was on the ice last night. Our defense had trouble getting the puck – it’s a fine line now. If you don’t make an attainable pass, there’s an icing. An attainable pass used to not be there, and it was a great forecheck. So your defense have to pass pucks on the stick, or else you get to lineup back by your goalie.

Sutter, on whether there was too much separation between forwards and defensemen:

You know what? Our defense was turning pucks over. Very simple. Willie Mitchell and Muzzin and Drew and Slava, who are four guys that are kind of looked at as puck movers, were not even close last night. Usually that creates a gap. We want our forwards to get going, which means that our defensemen have got to get them the puck. When they don’t get them the puck, then there’s a gap there, and then there’s guys standing around. And then you’re playing in your own zone, and most of that is a result of after we had the puck on our stick.

Sutter, on whether he has noticed any difference with the shallower nets:

I’ve seen zero effect today and three games. Zero. As in I haven’t seen it do anything. You know what? The best way is to ask the guys to see if they have. But I’ve seen nothing.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Sutter on Muzzin: “He’s struggling a lot”

Staff

Darryl Sutter offered a harsh indictment of Jake Muzzin’s play to start the season following the team’s practice on Tuesday.

“He’s struggling a lot,” Sutter said. Though Muzzin scored the Kings lone goal as part of his 17:12 of ice time during the team’s 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday, he was also found to be at fault for the second period takeaway by Rick Nash that led to New York’s second goal. Through three games this season, the defenseman has one goal, one assist, and has compiled a team-worst minus-five rating.

“Muzzin [is] going to have to learn not to turn the puck over if he wants to play, period,” Sutter said after Monday’s game.

He expanded on his position on Tuesday.

“We went through it last year. He’s a young defenseman,” Sutter said. “There’s a lot of pressure on him, and he’s not quite prepared for those situations yet. You [saw] it in the playoffs last year, where he was a healthy scratch. So we’re going through that same thing again. Heck, you’re not going to win very many games if you’re a guy who’s playing significant minutes, and you’re a high-minus player.”

The Kings coach was then asked if that was part of the “typical learning curve” associated with breaking young defensemen into the NHL.

“He got hurt in Colorado,” Sutter answered. “We tried to ramp his training up this summer. He was a very unfit player when we got him last year. He was very fortunate to be on an NHL roster. He just worked on his fitness. That really hurt him in the playoffs, the pace of it. He did a really good job this summer of trying to get better there with his cardiovascular that we wanted him to and then he got hurt in Colorado, so he didn’t skate for a week…and then he didn’t have any contact. You know what? Probably shouldn’t have played him the first game. Should’ve bag skated him a couple more days there.”

Though Muzzin skated primarily with Matt Greene through the first three games of the season, Alec Martinez took rushes with Greene during Tuesday’s practice.

Could that be some foreshadowing of Wednesday’s alignment against Ottawa?

“No, it doesn’t mean nothing,” Sutter said.

During the preseason, Drew Doughty spoke highly of Muzzin and went as far as to advocate a more regular pairing with the 6-foot-3, 214 pound defenseman capable of rushing the puck and boasting a heavy shot from the point. The two skated as a pair through the middle of the 2012-13 season and often saw the ice together later in the season while the Kings were trailing late in games.

Muzzin, 24, was signed by the Kings as a free agent during the 2009-10 season, while he was the captain of the Soo Greyhounds. He ranked third in rookie defensive scoring with 16 points (7-9=16) in 2012-13 while leading the Kings with a plus-16 rating.



Practice lines adjusted; team unfazed

Staff

The Kings lines in practice today were:

Dwight King – Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams

Daniel Carcillo – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter

Kyle Clifford – Trevor Lewis – Matt Frattin

Colin Fraser – Jarret Stoll – Jordan Nolan

Robyn Regehr – Drew Doughty

Willie Mitchell – Slava Voynov

Alec Martinez – Matt Greene

Jake Muzzin – Keaton Ellerby

-Should we read much into that? Maybe not, according to Darryl Sutter.

“Quite honest, there were three or four guys that we were going to give a maintenance day, and then they wanted to go, so…that’s what came out of the hat.”

Whether the lines stay the same at the morning skate tomorrow will be a much more firm indicator of whether there will be heavy changes to the previously established lines. Count on Alec Martinez making his season debut tomorrow; Daniel Carcillo is also likely to be in the mix.

-Though he never skated consistently with Jeff Carter, Carcillo estimated that he skated “30-so” games with Mike Richards while they played for Philadelphia.

“He’s just a smart hockey player. He’s got a high hockey IQ. Just going to read off him,” Carcillo said of Richards. “Whatever line I’m on, it doesn’t really matter. I know what my job is. Be first on pucks and win battles, and get to the net and get to those hard areas, and get them the puck and provide energy, and obviously just play the same way that I do on any of the lines, really.”

-Colin Fraser is a natural center that gained experience on the left wing while playing for Chicago’s AHL affiliates in Norfolk and Rockford due to a logjam of centers within the system.

He also saw scant time as a left wing alongside Jarret Stoll early in his tenure with the Kings – not that his placing is going to have much of an effect on his sandpaper tendencies.

“Whatever keeps me in the lineup, I’m going to play,” Fraser said. “I’m going to play hard, and it’s not really going to change my style of play.”

From his perspective, there’s nothing wrong with mixing things up this early in the season.

“The NHL’s parity is so close, right? So you can’t fall behind the eight ball, because it’s hard to crawl back in. It seems you lose three, four, five in a row, you’re out of the playoffs, and you win three, four, five in a row, and you’re in first place. Definitely at a minimum we’ve got to keep pace, but obviously we want to be better than that. You approach every game, you want to win it. You’re not going to win every game, but if you’re going to lose, you’ve got to lose honestly, and kind of not the way we did last night.”

-Continuing the trend, Trevor Lewis wasn’t particularly concerned with where he lined up.

“It doesn’t really matter to me where I play, center left or right. I’m happy any way I can help the team,” he said. “I think we just need to find a little chemistry and balance, and maybe create a little more chances. I know our line the past few games hasn’t created as many chances as we’d like. We’ll see how it goes. I’m happy to play center or wherever. It’s fine with me.”

Prior to playing center during the San Jose playoff series last spring, Lewis was already familiar with the position.

“I grew up playing center, so I’m pretty comfortable with it. I think a couple of years ago I really was focusing on my faceoffs and getting better at those. I think I’ve gotten better at those, and like I said, it doesn’t matter to me where I play,” he said.

-Beginning with last night’s game against the Rangers, the Kings will play every other night through the October 21 home game against Calgary. The schedule dictates that players will take an odd maintenance day here and there, and lines at practices aren’t necessarily set in stone.

“Our schedule’s pretty intense here for quite a while, right until we come back from Nashville. So we’ll [play] every other day with a lot of travel, so we’ve got to be careful.”



Waking up with the Kings: October 8

Staff

-If you looked behind the goal at which the Kings shot twice, you saw large black drapes obscuring the ongoing renovations of the San Manuel Club. It’s almost representative of the start of the Los Angeles Kings season – there are still plenty of areas that need to be tinkered out and adjusted and some principles that could stand to be hammered home early in the season. After last night’s game, the first and most important appears to be better protection of the puck. The Rangers’ goals scored through the first two periods came off of defensive zone turnovers on breakout passes, and after the game Darryl Sutter intimated that a lineup adjustment could be made, saying that Alec Martinez and Jake Muzzin “are pretty interchangeable.” It’s apparent that the team has the right materials and the right builders with which to construct a winning season, and three games in it’s clear that the slight renovation is still ongoing.

-The inevitability of Brad Richards’ second period goal could be felt throughout the building and came following a Kings power play in which they were outchanced by the Rangers penalty kill. In the two minutes and 28 seconds between Anton Stralman being whistled for holding and Richards scoring to increase New York’s lead, here was the official sequence of play: Stralman whistled for holding (8:18) … Kopitar wins offensive zone draw (8:18) … Voynov offensive zone giveaway (8:30) … Carter’s shot blocked by Girardi (8:55) … Pyatt shot on goal (9:07) … Quick covers (9:08) … D. Moore wins offensive zone draw (9:08) … Williams defensive zone giveaway (9:17) … D. Moore misses net on slapshot (9:20) … Voynov defensive zone giveaway (10:27) … Brassard misses net on wristshot (10:28) … Nash takeaway (10:42) … B. Richards goal (10:46).

-Los Angeles has scored two goals during five-on-five play through the first 185 minutes of the season. One goal was scored by Jeff Carter; the other was scored by Matt Greene. Though the Brown-Kopitar-Williams line offered multiple flashes of pressure Monday night – with Brown ricocheting a puck off the post during a sequence of excellent forechecking and possession shortly before the Rangers took the lead in the first period – the line is yet to produce an even strength goal. We’re obviously still in the small sample size portion of the season, but if the Kings are to raise the ceiling of their scoring output, that line needs to be productive and consistently generating scoring opportunities during even strength play. In other breaking news, water is wet.

-What should the reaction be to Jonathan Quick’s gaffe? On one hand, he was the primary reason the Rangers weren’t ahead by multiple goals at the time of Ryan McDonagh’s 180-foot goal, and he can be given a pass for his miscue considering how many saves on Grade A scoring chances he has made in a Kings jersey. On the other hand, well, did we witness the wrong kind of history last night? Has there been another goal as fluky scored in the history of Staples Center? In Kings history? I’ve covered hockey for 14 years and attended my first NHL game in 1986, and I can’t recall a similar goal scored at the NHL level. Fortunately for Los Angeles, Quick’s hardened resolve is often illuminated following those brief moments in which his nearly impenetrable guard is questioned. It was one play – really two or three seconds – amongst an otherwise stellar 60-minute performance, but it will still be interesting to see how the goaltender will respond Wednesday night against Ottawa.


720262 Minnesota Wild

Three games into Wild's season, no wins and 2 big injuries

Posted by: Michael Russo

Updated: October 8, 2013 - 11:48 PM

The Wild’s winless in the first three games to start a season (0-1-2) for the first time since its inaugural season in 2000 and the collars are only going to get tighter if the Wild doesn’t find a way – and quickly – to get that first ‘W.’

Next up two home games against divisional foes Winnipeg and Dallas before four in a row on the road at Buffalo, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Florida.

Only three winless teams in the NHL are Buffalo, New Jersey and Minnesota.

Yet again tonight, the Wild severely outchanced an opponent at times, especially 5-on-5, where Nashville generated little. But yet again tonight, the Wild couldn’t finish and thus couldn’t win, losing 3-2 in the Preds' home opener.

What’s more, Niklas Backstrom got hurt.

In an awkward play, left-shot D Keith Ballard, playing his unnatural side (the right), had to play Justin Fontaine’s bank pass off the side wall with his backhand. He had trouble and thus fanned on his dump-in or shot attempt. Eric Nystrom – yes, that Eric Nystrom – flew into the neutral zone and got into a foot race with a backchecking Ballard.

Ballard said he poked Nystrom’s stick and Nystrom toe-picked into Backstrom. Regardless how it happened, Nystrom crashed hard into Backstrom and Backstrom’s momentum sent him flying backward into the goal post. The back of his right leg took the brunt of the collision.

He has another lower-body injury, but coach Mike Yeo said he didn’t know the severity and Backstrom would be reevaluated Wednesday in Minnesota. We weren’t able to talk to Backstrom postgame, but he was limping visibly on the right side.

Backstrom, who had given up six goals and another two in a shootout in his first two games, almost had the night off, too. Yeo said Backstrom’s previous 4-1-1 career record in Nashville with a 1.93 goals against average was the deciding factor in starting him.

Unenviably, Josh Harding had to come on before a penalty shot and Nystrom sent the perfect shot for the eventual winner – a 3-1 lead.

Remember, Nystrom signed a three-year free-agent deal with the Wild back in the day. In Year 2 – after a tough Year 1 – the Wild put him through waivers and sent him to Houston. It called him up in re-entry but Dallas, which ended up needing his full salary to get to the cap floor, didn’t take him at 50%. The Wild ended up trading Nystrom to the Stars for nothing just to take the final two years of his contract.

“Felt pretty good to get a game-winner, especially against Minnesota,” Nystrom said. “That’s a team that I kind of had some unfortunate circumstance with and wasn’t particularly happy with the way I got treated there but what better way to score a game-winning goal and help the team win.”

For the third game in a row, the Wild again felt it deserved better after the game, and it’s hard to argue. But as Yeo said, bottom line, the Wild hasn’t found a way to win.

The first line is the only line consistently generating chances. The second line just hasn’t been a threat, and the common denominator on that line has been Dany Heatley.

“I can’t argue with that,” Yeo said. “We’ll have to look at his game and see going forward what we need to do going into our next game.”

The Wild’s got to figure out where to best use Heatley. He’s just not moving well and he hasn’t been a threat. Maybe the Wild goes with an all kid line with Jason Zucker, Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter.

Harding was good tonight. He battled through and sadly had to take the loss even though he only gave up the penalty-shot goal. They’ll need him to

keep being good if Backstrom will be out for awhile. Darcy Kuemper should probably start packing though for Minnesota.

The Wild had a 1-0 lead on Zach Parise’s power-play goal, but Kyle Brodziak and Mikko Koivu took successive penalties, and the Preds got a 1:39 5-on-3 with three Wild centers in the box. They scored 39 secs apart on Backstrom and the game turned quickly and shockingly.

But the Wild battled after Nystrom made it 3-1. Jared Spurgeon scored a power-play goal, but after Harding was also run by Rich Clune in a hold-your-breath moment with no other goalie on the Wild bench, the Wild’s power-play couldn’t muster up another goal.

Pekka Rinne was good, but as Yeo said, the Wild can’t keep crediting opposing goalies. It’s time for the Wild to “make a play,” Yeo said.

In three games, the Wild has scored five power-play goals (Good) but given up four power-play goals (Bad).

“Even tonight I think we played well,” said Koivu, who was echoed by Yeo and Ryan Suter. “But obviously it’s not enough. We have to find a way, push more and get that first win and build the confidence from there.”

Collars are tightening though. Anxiety will infiltrate this locker room if wins don’t start coming, yes, even though it is a long season. Fans tweeting me are already freaking and calling for heads.

“We’re three games in,” Yeo said. “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve done some good things, but bottom line is, we don’t have a win yet. But it’s only three games.”

Rachel Blount is covering Wednesday's practice. Follow her on Twitter at @blountstrib for updates.

Star Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013


Backstrom hurt as Wild lose in Nashville

Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune

Updated: October 9, 2013 - 12:54 AM

NASHVILLE – We’re three games into the season, and the Wild has yet to win a game, has lost its second-line center and now its No. 1 goalie.

This wasn’t exactly the start the Wild envisioned.

One game after Charlie Coyle sprained a knee, goaltender Niklas Backstrom was injured in the first period of Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators when former teammate Eric Nystrom crashed into him after being tripped on a breakaway.

The back of Backstrom’s right leg slammed hard against the goal post. Backstrom, who has had a myriad of lower-body injuries the past four seasons including before last year’s playoffs, limped off with another undisclosed one. He will be reevaluated Wednesday but was limping noticeably after the game.

Josh Harding entered cold off the bench and in the unenviable position of having to face a penalty shot. Nystrom, sent to the minors by the Wild in 2011 and eventually traded to Dallas, capitalized to score the eventual winner in a game the Predators actually trailed by a goal at one juncture.

“I’ve never seen that before, a goalie having to come off the bench and jump into a penalty shot,” said coach Mike Yeo, who has had to deal with his share of goalie drama during his two-years-plus tenure.

The Wild is 0-1-2 after losing its first Central Division matchup ever. This was the first of three consecutive games against divisional foes. Like in its previous two losses, games where at least the Wild earned a point, the Wild felt it deserved better.

The Wild outplayed the Predators for large stretches, gave up almost nothing at even-strength and tilted the ice in terms of scoring chances until running out of gas in the third.

But other than power-play goals by Zach Parise and Jared Spurgeon, the Wild again couldn’t score in the clutch again.

“It’s frustrating,” defenseman Ryan Suter said. “You can’t be happy, you can’t be satisfied. We’re doing a lot of good things, just not getting wins. We’ve got to learn. Good teams know how to get wins out of situations like this.”

The Wild took a 1-0 lead early in the first when Mikko Koivu set up Parise with a one-time goalmouth pass for a tap-in. But 10 seconds later, Kyle Brodziak took an interference penalty. Twenty-one seconds after that, Koivu a tripping penalty.

On a long 5-on-3, Filip Forsberg scored his first NHL goal and Colin Wilson sniped a bullet over Backstrom’s right shoulder 39 seconds apart. The game unraveled quickly after that.

Just 5½ minutes later, defenseman Keith Ballard, who had a tough game, couldn’t corral Justin Fontaine’s bank pass off the side boards at the blue line. He fanned on a dump-in, resulting in a retreating foot race with Nystrom.

Ballard says he poked Nystrom’s stick and Nystrom toe-picked into Backstrom, who was injured. In came Harding … after the penalty shot was awarded.

“Felt pretty good to get a game-winner, especially against Minnesota,” Nystrom said. “That’s a team that I kind of had some unfortunate circumstance with and wasn’t particularly happy with the way I got treated there.”

Nino Niederreiter set up Spurgeon on the power play in the second, but Nashville goalie Pekka Rinne didn’t give up another goal despite being peppered at times.

“But we can’t keep saying that,” Yeo said, referring to being stymied by goalies.

The Wild’s winless. Adversity is creeping in. Will negativity?

“You’ve got to believe that the way we play, it’s going to get more wins than losses,” Koivu said. “I think we played well in each and every game. We just have to be stronger in certain areas and at the end just find a way to win a hockey game.”



Nashville coach asked fans to boo Suter in his return

Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune

Updated: October 9, 2013 - 12:33 AM

NASHVILLE – If Reggie Jackson was right and “fans don’t boo nobodies,” the Wild’s Ryan Suter must really, really be somebody.

The former Predators defenseman was booed noisily and often during Nashville’s home opener Tuesday night. Unlike his lone visit to his former home last season, Suter was ready this time. His Wild teammates tried to prep him by amusingly booing him the first time he touched the puck at Tuesday’s morning skate.

Recently, Predators coach Barry Trotz fueled the situation by endorsing the jeering of Suter by fans. That made for an interesting conversation Tuesday morning when Suter bumped into his former coach.

“I said, ‘I thought we were a little closer than that,’ ” Suter said. “I think he was a little, uh, a little embarrassed by it.”

Said Trotz, “I do like Ryan. I just know Section 303’s not going to let him off the hook. So I’ve just played along with it. Ryan’s a big part of our history. He’s an exceptional defenseman, and we know it. One thing you’ll find out about the Nashville fans, they are passionate.

“Ryan is like one of our family, seeing him as an 18-year-old, but he’s the enemy now. So if they want to stay tough on him, that’ll be 303’s decision, not mine.”

In August, Trotz told a Nashville radio station regarding the Wild, “They stole Ryan Suter, so I want to kick their butt, plain and simple.”

Wild owner Craig Leipold, who used to own the Predators, laughs it off, saying of Trotz, “He doesn’t mean that. He’s a funny guy, and he’s trying to drum up a divisional rivalry with us.”

Perhaps showing his sense of humor, Predators GM David Poile roomed Suter with heir apparent Seth Jones, the fourth overall pick in June’s draft and son of former NBA player Popeye Jones, at the U.S. Olympic orientation camp in August.

“He told me he was going to do that, but I thought he was joking,” Suter said. “He really did. It was kind of funny. He’s a good kid, really nice and quiet. You can tell he’s been around pro sports, pro athletes before. He fit right in.”

Jones, 19, said rooming with Suter was a “little bit awkward at first. But we got over it. I enjoyed hanging with him for a few days. He talked very highly of Nashville.”

Cullen adjusting

Matt Cullen may be a born and bred Minnesotan, but he’s getting used to life in Nashville. The former Wild forward signed a two-year deal with the Predators, has his three boys enrolled in hockey and is listening to see if they absorb a southern drawl.

“If I start hearing, Y’all when they come home, I’m going to wonder,” he kidded.

His stallmate? Former Wild Eric Nystrom.

“I come all the way to Nashville and have to sit right next to Nys,” Cullen joked.

“Lucky him,” Nystrom shot back.

Cullen says it took time to get over not being brought back by the Wild. GM Chuck Fletcher called him the day before free agency and told him the Wild just didn’t have the cap space.

Cullen accepted that. However, he was confused the next day when the Wild traded Devin Setoguchi and signed Matt Cooke minutes later.

“It was a crazy turn of events,” Cullen said. “I was surprised and still have a hard time wrapping around what happened. Whatever. You move on and life goes on.”

Etc.

• With a few players under the weather, the Wild recalled forward Carson McMillan as insurance Tuesday. McMillan didn’t play. The Wild also placed center Charlie Coyle, expected to miss up to a month because of a sprained knee, on injured reserve.



Wild-Nashville recap


Staff

Game recap

Star Tribune’s three stars

1. Pekka Rinne, Predators: Made 11 of his 31 saves in the second period.

2. Josh Harding, Wild: In relief of injured Niklas Backstrom, he stopped 19 of 20 shots.

3. Eric Nystrom, Predators: Former Wild scored the winning goal on a penalty shot, had three shots and had three hits.

By the numbers

5 Power-play goals scored and four power-play goals allowed in three games for the Wild

400 Career points for Mikko Koivu

3 Fights in three games for Zenon Konopka



Wild G Niklas Backstrom hurt his right leg crashing into post in 1st period against Nashville

Article by: Associated Press


NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Minnesota Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom has hurt his right leg in the first period against the Nashville Predators, knocking him out of the game.

The Wild said after the first period Tuesday night that Backstrom will be evaluated Wednesday for a lower body injury.

Backstrom was pushed back into the post at 11:14 of the first when Wild defenseman Keith Ballard tripped Predators forward Eric Nystrom on a breakaway. Nystrom crashed into Backstrom, knocking him backward with his right leg hitting the post.

The goalie slowly skated off the ice and went to the locker room.

Josh Harding gave up a goal on Nystrom's first career penalty shot.

Backstrom is 0-0-2 this season. He tied for the NHL lead with 24 wins last season.



Ryan Suter boooooed by teammates during morning skate

Posted by: Michael Russo under Wild pregame skate Updated: October 8, 2013 - 2:16 PM

The 0-0-2 Wild and 0-2 Predators each are looking for their first wins tonight when Nashville’s rabid fans invade Bridgestone for the Preds’ home opener.

This is actually going to be at least my second time witnessing a Nashville home opener. I covered the first-ever Predators home game – a 1-0 loss to America’s team – the Florida Panthers.

Ray Whitney scored on a third-period breakaway. I still remember the lead to my game story. It was something like, “Well, if that didn’t kill hockey in Nashville, nothing will.”

Yeah, it was that dreadful of a game. A couple nights later, some dude named Andrew Brunette scored the first goal in Preds history, if I remember correctly.

I’m rambling.

Good afternoon from Nashville, where it’s a beautiful day. It usually is by my experience in this awesome city.

I’ll be on Fox Sports North tonight during the pregame show and first intermission, so WATCH.

Niklas Backstrom vs. his former Karpat Oulu backup tonight, Pekka Rinne. Wild coach Mike Yeo said he thought long and hard about starting Josh Harding tonight. But he feels Backstrom’s played well in this building, but he says he’s “anxious” to get Harding, who had a good preseason, a start.

Since Harding’s almost assured of starting either next Monday’s game in Buffalo or more likely Tuesday’s game in Toronto, my guess is Harding would get one of the two home games against Winnipeg or Dallas as a tuneup so he doesn’t get too stale.

No Roman Josi, Viktor Stalberg and Wild killer (not joking) Nick Spaling for the Predators. No Charlie Coyle and Mike Rupp for the Wild.

The Wild hopes it’s just those two. All healthy players were on the ice this morning for the Wild, but there are a few guys feeling under the weather, so Carson McMillan was recalled as insurance. He arrives in town around 3:30 p.m., but as of now, he’s not expected to play unless the bug renders somebody useless.

Zach Parise does fully expect to play after leaving practice yesterday sick.

Coyle was officially placed on injured reserve today … for all you fantasy people who keep emailing incessantly because you need it published so Yahoo or ESPN or whoever put him on IR (free add, I get it).

Shot the breeze this morning for awhile with former Wild players Matt Cullen and Eric Nystrom and local boy Matt Hendricks, who is already becoming a fan favorite in Nashville. Hendricks is a valuable player. He does a little bit of everything, hit, fight, score in shootouts. But the Minnesota native is already getting integrated in the Nashville community and working toward getting Defending the Blue Line entrenched down here.

Cullen and Nystrom are stallmates, Cullen’s got his kids into hockey already. None of his three boys have inherited a southern drawl just yet. They will. Tom Fitzgerald, who’s from Boston, used to joke that his kids gained that down here when he captained the Preds.

Clayton Stoner does get in for the Wild. Rookie Matt Dumba will be up in the press box shadowing me. Maybe he can write my game story (only would be an improvement, I know). Or, maybe I’ll have him run me some postgame quotes just as a rookie hazing thing (kidding).

Ryan Suter used to play in Nashville, in case you didn’t know. Last year he was lucky enough to visit once and was booed profusely by the Predators faithful.

Recently, coach Barry Trotz has been exasperating the situation by saying he hopes Nashville always kicks the Wild’s butt because they “stole” Suter

and calling on the fans to keep booing the Norris Trophy runner-up from a year ago.

To get him ready for tonight, Suter’s Minnesota teammates humorously booed him during the morning skate the first time he touched the puck.

Suter and Trotz ran into each other before the skates today.

“He said, ‘I thought you liked me?’ I do like Ryan. I just know Section 303’s not going to let him off the hook. So I’ve just played along with it,” Trotz said. “Ryan’s a big part of our history. He’s an exceptional defenseman, and we know it. One thing you’ll find out about the Nashville fans, they are passionate.

“Ryan is like one of our family, seeing him as an 18-year-old, but he’s the enemy now. So if they want to stay tough on them, that’ll be 303’s decision, not mine. But I read all the blogs. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to be let off the hook for awhile.”

I have some other funny stuff I’ve gathered the past few weeks on this subject that you can read in tomorrow’s Star Tribune, from owner Craig Leipold to GM David Poile showing his sense of humor by having Suter and the heir apparent, Seth Jones, room together at the U.S. Olympic camp.

Suter from today on his bumping into his former coach Trotz: “I asked him why he’s telling everyone to boo me. I said, ‘I thought we were a little closer than that.’ He said it’s part of it. I think he was a little, uh, a little embarrassed by it, but it is what it is.

“A year’s gone by now, and I’ve moved on and we have a great team here. I’m just looking forward to the game. Just another game.”

You can tell – actually, I know – this stuff does bother Suter. He feels like he was a good citizen for a long time in Nashville, and he also feels that at any point in his career and especially during his last season, the Predators could have traded him. So he feels like he did nothing wrong by signing elsewhere via free agency and that communication was crystal clear as to his intentions to Preds management leading up to free agency. After all, as I’ve written for years, how many times ever does a potential free agent get up to July 1 and end up just re-signing with their teams? It almost never happens post-July 1. So it couldn’t have come as a shock to anybody that’s been involved with pro sports as management or watched pro sports as a fan that Suter was leaving. Those were the signals his entire final year in Nashville.

I always find it funny how teams and fans expect players to always be loyal to them, yet a team will up and trade a player at any point if they want to (obviously as long as they don’t have a no-trade).

You'd think if Preds fans would be mad at anyone, it'd be Shea Weber for signing an offer sheet with Philly as a restricted free agent. At least Suter waited til he was unrestricted. smiley

I’m rambling again. Talk to you tonight, but first, a cool endeavor below:

MINNESOTA WILD BETTER HALVES TO HOST PAJAMA DRIVE

AT GAME THIS SATURDAY, OCT. 12

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL) today announced that the Wild’s “Better Halves” group will be hosting a Pajama Drive at the game this Saturday, Oct. 12. All donated pajamas will be distributed by Wild players and their Better Halves to local pediatric cancer patients.

The Pajama Drive is part of the Wild’s Hockey Fights Cancer month. Fans are asked to donate new, unused pajamas, from ages infant up to 18 years. Wild Better Halves will be accepting donations at Gates 1-4 of Xcel Energy Center from the beginning of the game through the start of the first period. Gametime is 7 p.m., and gates open at 6 p.m.



Wild crash early, lose goalie and game

Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 11:58:51 PM CDT

NASHVILLE -- No one in the locker room could remember a play like that. Not coach Mike Yeo or Josh Harding or Keith Ballard.

Midway through the first period, Nashville Predators forward Eric Nystrom skated in on a breakaway and was slashed by Ballard from behind, causing him to crash into goaltender Nik Backstrom, whose right leg was forced into the post.

Nystrom retreated to center ice to prep for his penalty shot, but Backstrom struggled to get up and after being examined by athletic therapist Don Fuller left the ice with a lower-body injury.

He is scheduled to be re-evaluated in Minnesota on Wednesday.

On a night when the Wild failed to get their first win in three games, the Backstrom injury overshadowed a game that felt a lot like the first two. The Wild fell behind early, played catchup and lost, this time 3-2 in regulation to the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

"We need a play, that's what it comes down to right now," Yeo said. "For us to get a win, we need a play here or there. It could be a faceoff, it could be a blocked shot, it could be a save, it could be, obviously, a goal. It's a matter of just finding a way to win."

So far they've been unable to.

Now, with Backstrom's short-term future up in the air, it might be more difficult. Backup Josh Harding, who played well in relief, was probably going to get his first start of the season Thursday when the team returns to St. Paul for a game against Winnipeg.

He may find himself in a bigger role now.

"I'm very confident in him," Yeo said. "First off, he's had an unbelievable training camp, we saw what he can do in the playoffs and we saw what he could do tonight. I give him an awful lot of credit coming in and giving up that goal which would be pretty tough for any goalie to try to save in that situation. But then the way he battled and the way he played keeping them at three (goals), I thought that was huge."

The Wild had already dug themselves a hole by the time

Backstrom got hurt 11:14 into the game.

Sixty-two seconds after taking an early lead thanks to a Zach Parise power play goal, Kyle Brodziak and Mikko Koivu committed infractions 21 seconds apart. The Predators turned both of those penalties into goals.

"That 5-on-3 was extremely frustrating for me," Yeo said. "I don't want to get into complaining about calls or anything like that, but I thought that was very difficult (to call) and then -- bang-bang -- two pucks go into the net."

Again, Yeo said the team ran into a hot goalie. The Wild's two goals both came off the power play, but Nashville's Pekka Rinne kept them off the board at full strength.

"We can't keep saying that," Yeo said. "We can't keep saying their goalie played

well."

On another night that the Wild failed to secure its first win, the game did more to raise questions than answer them.

Can the second line produce without Charlie Coyle? What's are the roles of wingers Jason Zucker and Dany Heatley? And the most obvious question: What's Backstrom's status going forward?

"It is what it is right now," captain Mikko Koivu said. "We just have to find a way. We can't worry about what happened. I feel like we played well in

each and every game we just have to be stronger in certain areas and at the end just find a way to win a hockey game."

Pioneer Press LOADED: 10.09.2013


Predators 3, Wild 2: Minnesota winless through first three games

Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 11:29:12 PM CDT

RECAP: The Predators scored in a flurry in the first period, capitalizing on two power plays and a penalty shot on the way to a 3-1 lead.

Starting goalie Niklas Backstrom left the game after Eric Nystrom skated into him on the play that led to Nystrom's penalty-shot goal.

Zach Parise scored an early power-play goal off a pretty feed from Mikko Koivu and, Jared Spurgeon added a second-period power play goal but the Wild lost in regulation for the first time this season.

MEANING: The Wild are winless through three regular-season games (0-1-2).

ETC.: Koivu's assist on Parise's first-period goal was his 400th NHL point, 119 goals and 281 assists. ... Zenon Konopka fought Rich Clune 2:59 into the game, Konopka's third fight in as many games.

UP NEXT: vs. Winnipeg, 7 p.m., FSN, KFXN-FM 100.3



Minnesota Wild lose goaltender Niklas Backstrom to injury in first period

By Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 08:50:17 PM CDT

NASHVILLE -- Goaltender Niklas Backstrom left the Wild's game against the Predators Tuesday 11:14 into the first period after a collision with Nashillve's Eric Nystrom.

The former Wild forward was on a breakaway when he was slashed from behind by Wild defenseman Keith Ballard, causing him to lose his footing and fall into Backstrom.

The contact caused the back of Backstrom's right leg hit the post.

The Wild said Backstrom will miss the rest of the game with a lower body injury and be re-evaluated in Minnesota Wednesday. He was replaced by backup Josh Harding, who gave up a goal on a penalty shot awarded to Nystrom as the Predators took a 3-1 lead after one period.

Coach Mike Yeo said he thought hard about starting Harding but stuck with Backstrom because of his his previous success at Bridgestone Arena, where he was 4-1-1, with a 1.93 goals-against average and .937 save percentage.

"We are definitely anxious to get (Harding) in," Yeo said before the game.



Minnesota Wild: Predators' Matt Cullen faces former team

By Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: about 10 hours ago

After spending the past three seasons playing for the Wild, Matt Cullen faced off against his former team for the first time Tuesday night.

Cullen was the Wild's second-line center last season, registering 27 points in 42 games. But with the salary cap shrinking heading into the 2013-14 season, the Wild weren't able to re-sign Cullen. Now with Nashville, he's providing experience for a team with young players.

"Matty's given us an element of skill and professionalism that we wanted," Nashville coach Barry Trotz said. "He's got a lot of experience and a different way of thinking in terms of distributing the puck, and he can play multiple positions, so he gives us a lot of flexibility, gives us another good penalty killer and another good option on the power play. He's come in and fit in really well."



Minnesota Wild: Ryan Suter still not getting off easy in Nashville

By Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 07:18:07 PM CDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A week after Nashville Predators coach Barry Trotz urged fans here to continue to boo and express their displeasure with Ryan Suter, the coach and his former defenseman bumped into each other at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday morning.

"I thought you liked me," Suter said to Trotz.

Trotz, Suter's only NHL head coach before Suter signed with the Wild in July 2012, has been outspoken about his former star since he left the Predators.

"I do like Ryan," Trotz said, explaining his chat with Suter on Tuesday. "I just know that section 303 is not going to let him off the hook, so I played along with it. Ryan's a big part of our history. He's an exceptional defenseman, and we know it. From our standpoint, one thing you'll find out about the Nashville fans is they are passionate, you know that. And that's why when it was asked, 'Can (fans) help any way?' (I said,) 'Yeah, if you make it rough on the other team any way you can.' "

After Suter signed with Minnesota, Trotz told a Nashville radio station that the Wild "stole Ryan Suter, so I want to kick their butt, plain and simple."

Suter said he understands that "it's part of it." He said he thought Trotz was a little embarrassed when Suter brought it up.

Predators fans let Suter know what they thought of his departure when the Wild played in Nashville on March 9 last season. More boos were expected Tuesday night, something that hurts Suter a bit.

"Yeah, definitely," he said. "But a year has gone by now and I've moved on. We've got a great team here, so I'm just looking forward to the game, and it's just another game."

Despite Trotz's comments, he said he still has fond memories of Suter, and holds him in high regard.

"Ryan is like one of our family (members) from having him as an 18-year-old," Trotz said. "But he's the enemy now, and if (the fans) want to stay tough on him, that will be (section) 303's decision, not mine. I read all the blogs just like you guys do, and I'm pretty sure he's not going to get let off the hook for a while."



Minnesota Wild: Carson McMillan just what the doctor ordered

By Chad Graff

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:01:00 AM CDT | Updated: about 10 hours ago

NASHVILLE -- The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Carson McMillan from their American Hockey League team in Iowa on Tuesday.

McMillan was brought up, Yeo said, to provide insurance to a team that has several players battling flu-like symptoms. The addition gives the Wild the maximum 13 forwards on the roster; they played the first two games with 12.

McMillan is set to be a healthy scratch Tuesday night.

In 15 games over the past two seasons with Minnesota, McMillan has registered five points on two goals and three assists.


720274 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens call up Beaulieu; Pacioretty and Gionta to play vs. Flames

MONTREAL — The Canadian Press

Published Wednesday, Oct. 09 2013, 12:40 AM EDT

Last updated Wednesday, Oct. 09 2013, 12:44 AM EDT

Defenceman Nathan Beaulieu was called up to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday, the team announced on Twitter.

Beaulieu was drafted 17th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played six games for Montreal last season, with two assists and a plus-5 rating.

He had been assigned to the Canadiens’ minor-league team in Hamilton, but the Bulldogs have yet to play a game this season.

Some young fans get a closeup look at Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais (51) during the team's practice Thursday, October 3, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Que.

watch

Earlier Tuesday, Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien confirmed that Max Pacioretty and captain Brian Gionta will return to play on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames.

Pacioretty has been out with an injured wrist.

Gionta joined his teammates in Calgary on Tuesday after attending to a “family emergency.”

Globe And Mail LOADED: 10.09.2013


Duhatschek: Habs occupy special place in westerners’ hearts

ERIC DUHATSCHEK

CALGARY — The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 8:19 PM EDT


The fascination with the Montreal Canadiens – all that history, all that pageantry – never wanes here.

In the early, early days of the Calgary Flames franchise, when the team played in the tiny Stampede Corral, the Canadiens would pass through town and fans would cheer “Guy, Guy, Guy” whenever Guy Lafleur had the puck on his stick, just as they did in the old Montreal Forum.

Some young fans get a closeup look at Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais (51) during the team's practice Thursday, October 3, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Que.

watch

Video: Montreal Canadiens lace up in Lac-Mégantic

Montreal Canadiens Brendan Gallagher signs autographs after the team's practice, Thursday, October 3, 2013 in Lac Megantic, Que.

It was always a bit of a shock to the visitors – how the partisanship they’d grown accustomed to as professional athletes was never really in evidence whenever they came west. So many of the hometown fans had grown up as Montreal supporters and their loyalty was in evidence – Habs sweaters filled the building, their goals cheered whenever they were announced.

Brendan Gallagher, a second-year Habs forward, saw that first hand. He grew up in Edmonton and remembers watching warm-ups at Rexall Place, where the Oilers play their home games.

“There was always a sea of red jerseys around the glass,” Gallagher said. “Playing for the Montreal Canadiens, I think every hockey player should get that opportunity. It’s so cool to go into different arenas in the different cities and see the pride that comes with the tradition and how the fans travel, so you don’t want to treat it lightly.

“This whole road trip, there’ll be a lot of family and friends there, a lot of people you want to play well in front of. I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, we can have a strong road trip and make it a fun one.”

Calgary and Montreal have a little bit of shared history dating back to the 1980s, when they played in two memorable Stanley Cup finals – 1986 and 1989 – each winning once.

Markets change and markets mature, but the presence of the Canadiens on the early-season NHL schedule still resonates in Alberta.

It will matter to Flames head coach Bob Hartley, who was in talks to take over the Habs before Michel Therrien got the job. It will matter to the Flames forward Michael Cammalleri, who will have to watch from the sidelines recovering from his broken hand. (Cammalleri was the Habs’ offensive catalyst the last time they ventured deep into the playoffs – the spring of 2010, when he scored 19 points in 19 games, including a playoff-leading 13 goals – as Montreal knocked off the Pittsburgh Penguins.)

The current edition of the Canadiens has a distinct western flavour. Half-a-dozen players played their junior hockey out here and several – including forwards Brandon Prust and Rene Bourque – previously played with the Flames.

“Each time you come out here, you’re reminded of [how the Canadiens matter], because you kinda forget,” said defenceman Josh Gorges of Kelowna, B.C. “Then, you step out on the ice and you think: ‘Out west, we’ve got this many Montreal Canadiens fans?’ There’s no other team like it. We come out here, it’s amazing the support we get.”

For all the love the Canadiens feel, they generally haven’t had a lot of success in Calgary. According to Gorges, it was good to get in a day early to get accustomed to the time change and the altitude.

“This is not an easy building to play in,” he said. “It’s an electric building. It’s different breathing here. In the past, sometimes, you come in not in the right mindset. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready to play. This is going to be a hard game – and we’ve got to be at our best.”

No one understands the Montreal effect better than Daniel Brière, who grew up a Habs fan and now gets to play for them. Brière turned 36 last Sunday, and has the same baby-face appearance as when he came into the league 15 years ago.

“I get that here and there,” he said with a laugh. “One thing I can tell you is, I probably feel more like a kid now than I have in the past two or three years – having a chance to play for the Canadiens.

“Walking around town in Montreal, it feels like the mood of the city goes with the way the Canadiens are playing. As a player, it’s a pretty cool feeling to see how people care about what you do so much.”



Hockey Canada unveils team jerseys for Sochi Games

DARRYN O’MALLEY

TORONTO — The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 10:42 AM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 7:43 PM EDT

Hockey Canada officially unveiled the three new hockey jerseys for the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi on Tuesday.

The trio of jerseys, including red and white jerseys with a classic maple leaf logo and an alternate black jersey that reads ‘Canada’ across the chest, were displayed at an event in the Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto. All three jerseys feature an arm band on the left.

Youth players model the new Canadian Olympic team hockey jerseys as they are unveiled in Toronto, Tuesday, Oct.8, 2013.

"Today is the start of an absolute great adventure," said Marcel Aubut, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee. "In Canada, the concept of jersey is an integral part of the DNA of our nation...There is only one hockey jersey which unites us all - Canada's Olympic jersey."

Hidden inside each jersey’s collar are 12 gold maple leaves representing Hockey Canada’s total number of Olympic and Paralympic gold medals – eight in men’s hockey, three in women’s and one in sledge.

“We want to make sure we’re reflecting not only the past, but the future of where Canada and Hockey Canada want to go,” said Ken Black, creative director at Nike. “The only way to do that is to dig deep, to translate historical elements into something more futuristic.”

Nike said the new uniforms are the most “innovative” jerseys to date, designed to be lighter and more aerodynamic for faster and better performance. Each jersey is made from about 17 recycled plastic bottles, and they are 15 per cent lighter than previous jerseys.

“Every advantage is an advantage,” said Cheryl Pounder, a two-time gold medalist for Canada’s women’s team. “We want speed and agility in the game of hockey. The lighter a jersey is, the better it is for us.”

The new uniforms were inspired by Canada’s Olympic hockey jerseys from 1920 and 1978, incorporated with new design features for a more modern look.

“Ten years from now, hopefully you look back and these jerseys will be the new classics,” said Black.

Joe Nieuwendyk, a former NHL star and Olympic gold-medal winner, said no feeling compares to donning a Canadian jersey in the quest for gold on the world’s largest stage.

“As a player, there is no feeling like it to know you’re representing your country,” he said. “And even for Canadians, when they put that jersey on and watch Olympic hockey, they feel that sense of pride as well. It’s something the whole country shares.”

The Canadian women’s team will open their Olympic tournament on Feb. 8, 2014 against Switzerland. The men’s team face Norway in their first game on Feb. 13. Sledge hockey preliminary games are slated to begin March 8.



Flare magazine fashion director weighs in on Hockey Canada jerseys

Darryn O’Malley



Hockey players will sport new jerseys at the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Sochi with a little help from Nike’s design team. Hockey Canada and Nike officially unveiled what they called the “most innovative jerseys to date” at Mattamy Athletic Centre in downtown Toronto on Tuesday.

Not only are the jerseys more aerodynamic and 15 per cent lighter than they have been in the past, but they are eco-friendly, too. (Each is made from about 17 recycled plastic bottles).

But sport science and technology aside, how do Canada’s new hockey sweaters rate in terms of fashion and overall design?

Tiyana Grulovic, fashion director at Flare magazine, weighed in:

Likes

Waving flag: I like the maple leaf graphic on the red and white jerseys. The way it’s done is really simple and graphic. It has been cleverly continued onto the arm, where the number will be.

Backing the black: The black jersey is really well branded. It’s concise and clear. It’s a great logo.

Fitting in: I like that they’re fitted. In a way, they have to be anyway. But one of the best things about being an athlete is that you work really hard for your body, it’s nice to put a little bit of it on display.

Dislikes

The red and white jerseys are a little bland.

So which hockey jersey prevails as the fashion winner?

“I think my favourite is the one that says Canada,” Ms. Grulovic said. “I love the black with the gold and the red.



Price to start against Flames; Pacioretty, Gionta ready to go

Staff

October 8th, 2013, in News

Canadiens coach Michel Therrien confirmed after practice Tuesday in Calgary that goaltender Carey Price will make his third straight start against the Flames on Wednesday (8 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690).

Max Pacioretty, who worked out Monday with a non-contact jersey, was wearing a regular practice sweater Tuesday and was back on his familiar line with David Desharnais and Daniel Briere. Captain Brian Gionta, who didn’t fly to Calgary with his teammates on Monday because of family reasons, was expected to arrive in Calgary Tuesday night and be in the lineup Wednesday.

Wednesday’s game will the the 500th of Rene Bourque’s NHL career. The Canadiens won’t hold a morning skate Wednesday in Calgary before the game.

George Parros continues to make good progress from the concussion he suffered Oct. 1 vs. Toronto. He did not make the trip and no time frame has been given for his return.

Here’s how the lines and defence pairings looked at practice Tuesday:

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Briere

Galchenyuk-Eller-Gallagher

Bournival-Plekanec-Bourque

Moen-White-Prust

Gorges-Subban

Markov-Diaz

Bouillon-Tinordi

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 10.09.2013

720279 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators' Filip Forsberg gets first goal

Oct. 9, 2013

Josh Cooper

Nashville Predators beat Minnesota Wild 3-2: Eric Nystrom, Filip Forsberg and Shea Weber discuss the Predators' first win of the season.

The Predators' No. 1 pick in the draft, Seth Jones, right, was paired with Shea Weber (6) on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Purchase Image Zoom

The Predators' No. 1 pick in the draft, Seth Jones, right, was paired with Shea Weber (6) on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild. / Sanford Myers / The Tennessean

PREDATORS 3, WILD 2

JOSH COOPER’S THREE STARS

1. Filip Forsberg, Predators, F: Scored first career goal.

2. Ryan Suter, Wild, D: Notched an assist. Played 25:57.

3. Eric Nystrom, Predators, F: Scored the game-winner in the win.

SCRATCHES

Predators: D Roman Josi, F Nick Spaling

Wild: D Nate Prosser, F Carson McMillan, D Matt Dumba

Predators forward Filip Forsberg jumped into the boards and screamed over the din of 17,196 people at Bridgestone Arena.

It was an odd display of emotion for the soft-spoken rookie forward. But it was tough to blame Forsberg on his reaction to his first NHL goal, which he scored with 14:53 left in the first period Tuesday in Nashville’s 3-2 victory over Minnesota.

It was Forsberg’s first game of the 2013-14 season, and his parents were in town from Sweden.

“The first one is pretty big for me,” Forsberg said.

For the Predators, too. The goal by Forsberg, who was playing in his sixth career game, tied the score at 1 and got the Predators on track. The Predators scored two more goals in the period to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

“It was a good way to bounce back. They had a goal early in the period and the crowd was crazy, and it was my first one,” Forsberg said.

Nashville acquired Forsberg in an April 3 trade with Washington. He had an excellent preseason but suffered a lower-body injury and missed the first two games this season. Nashville is counting on Forsberg for some offense this year.

“He’s got those magic hands,” coach Barry Trotz said. “He’s slippery in tight spaces, and I think as he keeps growing as a player you’re going to see some of those qualities come out. He doesn’t seem to be intimidated by a whole heck of a lot.”

Nystrom converts: Predators forward Eric Nystrom scored what proved to be the game-winner on a penalty shot goal with 8:46 left in the first period.

Nystrom shot high on Minnesota’s Josh Harding for the score. Nystrom played for the Wild for one season (2010-11) but thought he wasn’t handled well by the franchise.

“That was a team I kind of had some unfortunate circumstances with, and I wasn’t particularly happy the way I got treated there,” Nystrom said. “What better way to score a game-winning goal and help the team win?”

Ellis plays well: Defenseman Ryan Ellis took the place of the injured Roman Josi (concussion) on Tuesday. Ellis played 14:46 mostly mistake-free minutes.

“It’s nice to be part of the win,” Ellis said. “The team played pretty well, and it was nice to get one there.”

Suter booed: Former Predators defenseman Ryan Suter was booed loudly by Predators fans every time he touched the puck. Suter was drafted by the Predators in 2003 and left in the summer of 2012 via free agency for Minnesota. He led all players with 25:57 of ice time.

“Any time the fans can help us out any way, we’ll take it,” Trotz said.

Spaling and Josi out: Forward Nick Spaling sat out with an upper-body injury. Trotz said Josi hadn’t started workouts yet after suffering his concussion Friday.

Tennessean LOADED: 10.09.2013

720280 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators beat Minnesota Wild

Oct. 9, 2013

Josh Cooper

Nashville Predators beat Minnesota Wild 3-2: Eric Nystrom, Filip Forsberg and Shea Weber discuss the Predators' first win of the season.

Predators defenseman Shea Weber quipped that he won quite a few practice games this summer in his offseason home in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Even with those small victories, the time between actual NHL wins for Nashville’s captain and his team grew longer and longer after the Predators’ disastrous 2012-13 season. And after Nashville lost its first two games this season, some small frustrations started to mount again.

Weber and the Predators no longer have to wait for that elusive win after a 3-2 home opening victory Tuesday night over Minnesota in front of a standing-room only crowd of 17,196 at Bridgestone Arena.

“It’s definitely good to win a regular-season game,” Weber said of the team’s first victory since April 23.

In their season-opening road trip, the Predators scored three goals in two games and lost twice. Nashville (1-2-0) equaled that total with a first-period barrage Tuesday.

The Predators poured on the offense with Eric Nystrom’s penalty shot goal with 8:46 left in the first. Nystrom went high on Minnesota’s Josh Harding, who replaced Niklas Backstrom after the latter was plowed into by Nystrom, to make it 3-1 Predators.

“We had a rough patch at the end of last year, and we’re 0-2 and you get a little bit nervous that you’re not going to be able to do it,” coach Barry Trotz said. “But they responded great.”

Nashville took the lead off a five-on-three power play off penalties by Mikko Koivu and Kyle Brodziak. First, forward Filip Forsberg fired a wrist shot off a rebound from a Seth Jones slap shot to tie the score at 1 with 14:53 left in the first. Then Colin Wilson fired a shot high past Backstrom with 14:14 left in the first for a 2-1 lead.

“Our power play has been 0-for so far. We’ve had some chances but haven’t scored yet,” Weber said. “To get two in a row is going to help us get our confidence, and guys won’t be squeezing our sticks as tight.”

Tennessean LOADED: 10.09.2013

720281 New Jersey Devils

Canucks Slip Past Devils 3-2 in OT

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: October 9, 2013 at 1:06 AM ET

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Jason Garrison scored at 2:18 of overtime and the Vancouver Canucks defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Tuesday.

Garrison's shot from the point through traffic beat Cory Schneider in the goaltender's first game against his former team.

Daniel Sedin, with a goal and an assist, and Alexander Edler scored for Vancouver (3-1-0), which got 21 saves from Roberto Luongo who earned his 350th career win.

Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias each had a goal and an assist for New Jersey (0-1-3), which was playing its second game in as many nights.

Schneider, who finished with 29 saves, posted a 17-9-4 record with five shutouts, a 2.11 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage for Vancouver last season after supplanting Luongo as the starter.

The 27-year-old appeared to be the Canucks' goaltender of the future until he was traded to New Jersey at June's draft after Vancouver was unable to move Luongo and his 12 year, $64 million contract.

Schneider is now sharing the crease in New Jersey with 41-year-old Martin Brodeur, who allowed four goals on 27 shots in Monday's loss to Edmonton.

Tied 2-2 after two periods, the teams didn't generate much in the third until the midway mark when Luongo was forced to make saves off both Elias and Jagr.

Coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, New Jersey seemed content to lock down the neutral zone to get the game to overtime.

Leading 1-0 after the first, Schneider made big stops on David Booth and Kevin Bieksa before the Devils doubled their lead at 7:25 on a strange play. New Jersey defenseman Anton Volchenkov threw the puck into the Canucks corner, but it took a deflection off the referee and fell to Elias, who fired a shot past Luongo that went in off Vancouver right wing Dale Weise.

The Canucks responded at 8:51 on a shot from Sedin that deflected off Volchenkov's skate and past Schneider. Vancouver then tied it up at 13:47 on Edler's first of the season.

With Devils left wing Ryane Clowe hobbling to the bench, the Canucks defenseman found a seam and tucked a shot under Schneider's bar off a pass from Sedin.

The Devils goaltender regrouped and stopped Jannik Hansen on a breakaway with under five minutes to go to send the game to overtime.

New Jersey opened the scoring Tuesday with 68 seconds left in the first when Elias slid a cross-ice pass to Jagr, who one-time a shot past Luongo.

With all of the pre-game hype focusing Schneider's return to the scene of a goaltending soap opera that polarized fans in the city for more than a year, both he and Luongo stole the show early.

Luongo made a stop on Jagr from in close just under two minutes into the game and followed that up with a toe save on Travis Zajac. He then stopped Steve Bernier late in the period.

Not to be outdone by his former teammate, Schneider made a big stop on Canucks captain Henrik Sedin in the slot and robbed Brad Richardson with a toe save off the rush before Jagr snapped the 0-0 tie late in the first.

Notes: Tuesday's game marked the Devils' first trip to Vancouver since Nov. 1, 2010. The Canucks were victorious that night, with Luongo making 30 saves for the shutout. ... Calgary Flames president of hockey operation Brian Burke was in attendance. New Jersey visits Calgary on Friday night. ... The Canucks continue their three-game homestand with a game against San Jose Sharks on Thursday. Vancouver then hosts the Montreal

Canadiens on Saturday night before heading out on a seven-game road trip.

New York Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Devils fall to Canucks, 3-2, in overtime as winless streak reaches four after another blown lead

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger

on October 09, 2013 at 12:55 AM, updated October 09, 2013 at 1:00 AM

VANCOUVER—The matchup between Devils goalie Cory Schneider and former Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo was the topic of conversation tuesday night at Rogers Arena, but it was little more than an afterthought for the Devils.

After blowing another lead — this time a two-goal advantage — the Devils saw their winless streak reach four games as they fell to the Canucks, 3-2, on a goal from Jason Garrison at 2:18 of overtime.

The Devils, who got two a goal and an assist each from Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr, are 0-1-3.

Garrison’s shot eluded Schneider as Mike Santorelli stood in front.

As the game began, the Canucks posted a message on the video screen which read: "Welcome Back Cory. Thanks For Five Great Years."

Schneider conducted a morning press conference before a large group of cameras, microphones and reporters.

"Obviously it’s the first time back since the trade. I’m just hoping to move on once this is done and just play hockey again. I don’t want to be a distraction to my teammates," Schneider said. "I know Vancouver is coming in (to New Jersey) at the end of October. Who knows if we’ll still be talking about it by then?

"Hopefully Roberto and I are in this league for a long time and we play each other a lot more than just this one time. Hopefully it will die down a little bit."

Jagr’s second goal in two nights gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 18:52. Elias delivered a cross-slot feed from the right circle and Jagr wasted no time beating Luongo from the left circle.

After an early Schneider save in the second period, one fan yelled during a quiet spell: "Come on Cory, let one in."

He did, but not before Elias gave the Devils a 2-0 lead.

The veteran forward centered a pass from the bottom of the right circle. The puck deflected off the skate of Canucks defenseman Dale Weise and into the net at 7:25. It was the second goal of the season for Elias and 377th of his career.

The Devils gave one back at 8:51 when Daniel Sedin’s shot from the right point deflected off Anton Volchenkov’s stick and eluded Schneider on his stick side.

Devils winger Ryane Clowe was hit in the foot by a shot from Alexander Edler at 13:28 of the second. With Clowe struggling to get up, the Canucks tied the game at 13:47 when Edler controlled a cross-slot pass from Daniel Sedin with his skates near the left hash marks and then beat Schneider.

Clowe was back before the period ended.

Mock chants of "Schneider ... Schneider"’ went up at 15:25 of the second. Seventeen seconds later the Devils goalie answered by stopping Jannik Hansen as he walked in alone.

While stretching along the red line in the pregame warmup, Luongo and Schneider chatted. They were close as Canucks teammates despite the battle for playing time.

"I like to be friends with my backup," Luongo said. "You know right away the guys that are a bit more selfish and root almost for you to fail so they can take your job. But Cory wasn’t like that. That’s why it’s so easy to become friends with somebody like that. Instead of going against each other, we’d push each other to be better and help this team win games."

Schneider confirmed that they were closer than outsiders might have thought.

"I think we respected each other and had a good friendship. I think we leaned on one another," he said. "Whoever was playing I think we were pretty comfortable with that. It made it easy to rally around the guy. We kind of had to deal with a lot last year. I thought he did a tremendous job. He never wavered in his support for me, which was pretty impressive."

New York Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Devils: Rostislav Olesz to make debut; Ryan Carter, Adam Larsson out



VANCOUVER – It comes as no surprise that the Devils will make lineup changes for Tuesday night’s game against the Canucks.

After all, the 5-4 shootout loss in Edmonton Monday night was only the fifth time in Devils history they lost a game after blowing a three-goal lead in the third period. The last was a 6-5 overtime loss in Atlanta on Mar. 23, 2006.

So someone had to pay for this loss, right?

“I don’t know if I’m looking at it like that,” left winger Ryan Carter said. “I’m looking at it like we have zero in the most important column (wins) so we have to find a way to get one in that column. If a lineup change is the ticket, that’s what we have to do.”

Carter will be a scratch while Rostislav Olesz makes his Devils debut.

Olesz last played an NHL game with the Chicago Blackhawks at the start of the 2011-12 season before he was sent to the minors Nov. 17, 2011.

“It seems like yesterday,” Olesz said of his last NHL game, “but it’s been two years.”

Carter took his benching in stride.

“The internal competitor is every guys feels like they are a piece that helps the team win,” Carter said. “But sometimes you have to realize that sometimes maybe you’re not a piece of the puzzle. Maybe something has to change. You take it in stride and go forward.

“Would I like to be playing? Absolutely. Do I think I can help the team win? Yes, no question. If it’s my job to sit back and give the team a better opportunity to win, then that’s what I do.”

So Olesz steps in.

“I think that’s another positive thing to take from this. Our team has depth. You can put guys in and maybe it’s seamless. In the long run over the course of 82 games I think it’s a positive thing. No sense in getting wrapped up and negative about it after game three. It may help you win games later.”

Defenseman Adam Larsson finds himself in a familiar spot. He will be scratched as Mark Fayne returns to the lineup.

Larsson doesn’t feel he’s a scapegoat.

“No, not really. It’s up to the coaches who they want to play,” Larsson pointed out.

That doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

“It is (frustrating to be in this situation again), but I’m not going to hang my head just because of one game,” Larsson said. “We’ll see what happens the next game. We’ll, see but I’m not happy about it.”

Canucks coach John Tortorella said he isn’t thinking about facing Pete DeBoer.

“It doesn’t matter to me. It’s not so much me coaching against another coach. It’s our team playing against another team,” Tortorella said. “Doesn’t matter who. We just want to try to beat them.”

Tortorella on the Devils: “This team tonight is probably one of the better defending teams in the league. There’s not going to be much in the middle of the ice.”

His view of Cory Schneider returning to Vancouver: “This is the Jersey Devils. He happens to be the goaltender playing for them. We want to beat them.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 10.09.2013


Devils: Cory Schneider impressive in Vancouver, but club's winless streak reaches four



VANCOUVER— Devils goalie Cory Schneider did not get caught up in all the hoopla surrounding his return to Vancouver and a start against former Canucks teammate Roberto Luongo. He kept his focus.

But he couldn’t prevent the Devils’ winless streak from reaching four games as they fell to the Canucks, 3-2, on a goal from defenseman Jason Garrison at 2:18 of overtime Tuesday night at Rogers Arena.

The Devils, who got a goal and an assist each from Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr, are 0-1-3.

“It’s frustrating. We’re getting ones and we need twos,” Schneider said of the Devils’ start to the season. “We’ve been in pretty much every game and controlled parts of them but we just haven’t been able to put a strong 60 or 65 minutes together.

“You see glimpses of it. Then you see glimpses of us struggling and trying to work the system out. We’ve got to start putting W’s up on the board.”

Although the Devils blew another lead—this time 2-0—Schneider kept them in the game by stopping 30 of 32 shots. However, he never saw Garrison’s long shot in OT.

“Not really. I saw Garrison walk to the middle,” Schneider said. “I kind of looked one way and the next thing I knew it was in the net. There was some traffic there and I didn’t work hard enough to find it.”

Mike Santorelli, standing in front of the crease, said the puck hit him in the side, so the scoring could be changed at some point.

The Devils almost won it near the end of the third period, when Elias tipped a Marek Zidlicky shot over the crossbar.

“I just tipped it. Right over (the crossbar) again,” Elias said.

Jagr and Elias, along with Dainius Zubrus, were the team’s most reliable line and they saw lots of ice time.

Elias played 18:20, Jagr 17:59 and Zubrus 16:37, including crucial moments in the game.

“I have no problem (with it). I used to play like that all the time,” Jagr said with a smile. “My memory is coming back. I'm a machine. I'm not human.

“We had some chances. We had the lead again. We’ve got to start playing better when we have the lead.”

As the game began, the Canucks posted a message on the video screen which read: "Welcome Back Cory. Thanks For Five Great Years."

“It was fun. It was a great environment, a great atmosphere,” Schneider said. “Real nice of them to show that on the screen at the start. It was a pretty nice touch by them. But once the puck dropped we had our hands full. They played hard. They’re tough to play against.”

Schneider conducted a morning press conference before a large group of cameras, microphones and reporters.

“Obviously it’s the first time back since the trade. I’m just hoping to move on once this is done and just play hockey again. I don’t want to be a distraction to my teammates,” Schneider said. “I know Vancouver is coming in (to New Jersey) at the end of October. Who knows if we’ll still be talking about it by then?

“Hopefully Roberto and I are in this league for a long time and we play each other a lot more than just this one time. Hopefully it will die down a little bit.”

Jagr's second goal in two nights gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 18:52 of the first period. Elias delivered a cross-slot feed from the right circle and Jagr wasted no time beating Luongo from the left circle.

After an early Schneider save in the second period, one fan yelled during a quiet spell: "Come on Cory, let one in."

He did, but not before Elias gave the Devils a 2-0 lead.

The veteran forward centered a pass from the bottom of the right circle. The puck deflected off the skate of Canucks defenseman Dale Weise and into the net at 7:25. It was the second goal of the season for Elias and 377th of his career.

The Devils gave one back at 8:51 when Daniel Sedin's shot from the right point deflected off Anton Volchenkov's stick and eluded Schneider on his stick side.

Devils winger Ryane Clowe was hit in the foot by a shot from Alexander Edler at 13:28 of the second. With Clowe struggling to get up, the Canucks tied the game at 13:47 when Edler controlled a cross-slot pass from Daniel Sedin with his skates near the left hash marks and then beat Schneider.

The night started with Schneider and Luongo (21 saves) stretching on each side of the red line during the pregame warmups. They chatted and then headed towards their respective goals.

“I don’t remember,” Schneider said when asked what was said. “I think we were just joking around about something. I can’t remember, to be honest.”

But, in the end, it was Luongo who got the two points.

“It was fun playing against him. I’ve always said that,” Schneider said. “He’s a guy that I’ve watched and fortunately played with and been next to for the last three years. So I’ve learned a lot from him.

“He’s been through a lot, but with his resiliency and how hard he’s worked through all of it, I think he’s deserved everything he gets. It was fun to see him at the other end for the first time.”



As they play: Devils vs. Canucks in Vancouver


on October 08, 2013 at 9:23 PM, updated October 09, 2013 at 12:38 AM

VANCOUVER-- The spotlight was on the goalies Tuesday night as Cory Schneider returned to Vancouver to face Roberto Luongo and the Canucks at Rogers Arena.

Devils coach Pete DeBoer made some lineup changes, scratching defenseman Adam Larsson and winger Ryan Carter, along with Jacob Josefson. Mark Fayne and Rostislav Olesz were in the lineup for the first time this season.

Schneider was cheered when his name was mentioned in the starting lineup.

The lines:

Adam Henrique-Travis Zajac-Michael Ryder

Dainius Zubrus-Patrik Elias-Jaromir Jagr

Ryane Clowe-Andrei Loktionov-Damien Brunner

Rostislav Olesz-Stephen Gionta-Steve Bernier

Defense pairings:

Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky

Andy Greene-Mark Fayne

Anton Volchenkov-Peter Harrold

OVERTIME

Harrold cleared the puck in front of his own net and almost knocked it in at 1:10.

THIRD PERIOD

Olesz at left wing with Zajac and Ryder. Clowe now at left wing with Gionta and Bernier.

Zajac also centered for Ryder and Bernier.

Henrik Sedin was called for hooking at 6:25. Elias was tripped on the power play, but no penalty was called.

Elias was not happy when he was called for hooking at 9:12. Henrique was hit by a shot during the Vancouver power play and limped to the bench. He was back on the next shift.

The Canucks were outshooting the Devils, 29-23.

End of period: Devils 2, Canucks 2

SECOND PERIOD

After a save, one fan yelled during a quiet spell: "Come on Cory, let one in."

Olesz redirected a Bernier pass, but Luongo was there for the stop at 3:15.

Schneider made a glove save on David Booth from the left circle at 5:13 as the Canucks winger cut across the ice.

At 6:03, Schneider made a pad save on Kevin Bieksa.

Elias centered a pass from the bottom of the right circle. The puck deflected off the skate of Canucks defenseman Dale Weise and into the net at 7:25 for a 2-0 Devils lead.

It was the second goal of the season for Elias and 377th of his career.

The Devils gave one back at 8:51 when Daniel Sedin's shot from the right point deflected off Volchenkov's stick and eluded Schneider on his stick side.

Clowe was hit in the foot by a shot from Alexander Edler at 13:28. With Clowe struggling to get up, the Canucks tied the game at 13:47 when Edler

controlled a cross-slot pass from Daniel Sedin with his skates near the left hash marks and then beat Schneider.

Clowe was back before the period ended.

Chants of "Schneider... Schneider"' went up at 15:25. Seventeen seconds later the Devils goalie answered by stopping Jannik Hansen as he walked in alone.

The Canucks were outshooting the Devils, 23-15.


FIRST PERIOD

As the game began, there was a message posted by the Canucks on the video screen: "Welcome Back Cory. Thanks For Five Great Years."

Volchenkov put a shot on net from the left point at 1:51 and Jagr had several swipes inside the crease before the play was whistled dead.

Ryder fed Zajac driving to the net at 4:11, but Luongo made the stop.

Luongo made save on a nine-foot shot by Zubrus at 5:03.

Schneider made a stop on a slapper from Daniel Sedin at 6:39 and then closed the door as the Canucks moved in for the rebound.

Christopher Tanev's shot dipped on Schneider at 8:45 but he was able to block it.

Olesz showed his physical play at 10:05 when he shoved Jason Garrison into Luongo after the Vancouver goalie made a save.

Zidlicky was called for slashing at the 10:26 mark.

With 1:45 left in the period, Luongo robbed Bernier on a shot from the right hash marks.

Jagr's second goal in two nights gave the Devils a 1-0 lead at 18:52. Elias delivered a cross-slot feed from the right circle and Jagr wasted no time beating Luongo from the left circle.

Zidlicky also had an assist on the goal, which came just after Schneider stopped a Brad Richardson shot and Mike Santorelli just missed connecting on the rebound at 18:27.

The Canucks outshot the Devils, 9-8.




Devils' Pete DeBoer: Adam Larsson had great camp, poor start to season



VANCOUVER—Devils coach Pete DeBoer said he’s not down on defenseman Adam Larsson.

Although Larsson will sit out Tuesday night’s game against the Canucks, DeBoer said the team’s depth and a few other factors determined the change to Mark Fayne.

“He’s a young defenseman,” DeBoer said of Larsson. “I thought he had an exceptional training camp and he hasn’t had a great start to the season. That’s just the bottom line.

“When you have a guy like Mark Fayne, who was playing 20 minutes a night in the Stanley Cup Final less than two years ago sitting there, those are decisions you have as a coach on a nightly basis. You have to do what’s right.”

Was the benching of Ryan Carter based on the loss in Edmonton?

“Not solely on last night,” DeBoer explained. “I actually thought that was Ryan Carter’s best game of the three so far. But if we don’t get (Rostislav) Olesz in tonight, he doesn’t play in another four or five days potentially.

“I don’t think it’s a lack of effort. I think the effort is there to try and do the right things but at the end of the day it’s execution, too. That’s the bottom line.”

The coach did not speak with goalie Cory Schneider today.

“I haven’t talked to him today. If I’m talking, he’s probably not listening today. He’s got other things on his mind,” DeBoer noted. “We have talked about this game back in New Jersey. He’s excited.”

He said he doesn’t think the loss in Edmonton will hurt the Devils psychologically.

“I think we’re pretty good. The reality was, at the end of two periods, they were booing Edmonton out of their own building. Even for the first five minutes of the third,” DeBoer said. “Then some things fell apart for us. We didn’t handle it well, but it’s a long season.

“I remember two years ago going into Florida and blowing a 2-0 or 3-0 lead in the third period and losing. It didn’t devastate us. We didn’t crawl in a hole, curl up and die. I don’t think this group will do that.”

DeBoer on Jaromir Jagr: “I thought he was great. I think the two games he’s been rested he’s been very good.”



Devils' Cory Schneider set to face former teammates and goalie partner



VANCOUVER – It wasn’t quite like a flashback for Devils goalie Cory Schneider, because it rarely got as crazy during his days with the Canucks as it did for his return to Rogers Arena.

Set to face his former club and former goalie partner, Roberto Luongo Tuesday night, Schneider conducted a morning press conference before a large group of cameras, microphones and reporters.

“Obviously it’s the first time back since the trade. I’m just hoping to move on once this is done and just play hockey again. I don’t want to be a distraction to my teammates,” Schneider said. “I know Vancouver is coming in (to New Jersey) at the end of October. Who knows if we’ll still be talking about it by then?

“Hopefully Roberto and I are in this league for a long time and we play each other a lot more than just this one time. Hopefully it will die down a little bit.”

Not yet. Before Schneider spoke following the Devils’ morning skate, Luongo held court in the Canucks dressing room.

Luongo said the return of his former sidekick doesn’t bring up any unpleasant memories from the past two seasons when they had to share the net.

“Not at all. I’m just looking forward to playing against my friend. That’s what it’s all about for me,” Luongo said. “I want to win and play a good game. I’m just enjoying being at the other end of the ice with Cory, just like in practice every day when he was here.”

They were friends and, in fact, remain so.

“I like to be friends with my backup,” Luongo noted. “You know right away the guys that are a bit more selfish and root almost for you to fail so they can take your job. But Cory wasn’t like that. That’s why it’s so easy to become friends with somebody like that.

Instead of going against each other, we’d push each other to be better and help this team win games.”

Schneider confirmed that they were closer than outsiders might have thought.

“It wasn’t an easy situation for him or for me at times,” Schneider said. “We both wanted to play and I think we both thought we were capable of playing. So there were times when the other guy might not get in for a few games. You just had to stay positive.

“I think we respected each other and had a good friendship. I think we leaned on one another. Whoever was playing I think we were pretty comfortable with that. It made it easy to rally around the guy. We kind of had to deal with a lot last year. I thought he did a tremendous job. He never wavered in his support for me, which was pretty impressive.”

Luongo said the two pulled together as teammates despite the fight for playing time.

“It was a situation we pretty much handled between me and him. We leaned on each other for support,” Luongo recalled. “It wasn’t an easy situation for both of us to be in. We made the best out of it. The good thing about it is no matter who was playing there was no question there at all.

“I’ve said it for a long time. I find he’s already one of the best goalies in the league. He deserves to start. Unfortunately he’s in a situation right now where he’s not able to do that. I kind of feel for him in that way. His time will come. He just has to wait a little longer.”

This, of course, could be Martin Brodeur’s final season. Or maybe not.

But Schneider knows he is still playing alongside a goalie who will get a lot of his potential playing time. He doesn’t know how it will all play out with Brodeur.

“I’m still trying to get a sense of that,” Schneider admitted. “I obviously don’t know Marty as well yet as I know Roberto. He’s pretty confident and comfortable where he is… We’re not sure how it’s going to shake out. It’s still early. From the looks of it, he’s going to do everything he can to play as many games as he can. So am I. What’s going to happen, I’m not sure.”

Luongo said: “He’s obviously been through it before so he knows how to deal with it and what to expect. That being said, I’m sure he wants to be number one.”

Schneider said he expected to chat with Luongo on the ice during the pregame warmup.

“Maybe we’ll text each other or tweet each other on the ice. Bring our phones out there,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure we’ll talk, smile and joke around.”

Luongo said: “I don’t know where he’s going to be stretching. I know he wants to win bad. I’m going to be focused on doing my job. If we get a chance, great. If not, we’ll see each other after the game.”

Walking into Rogers Arena for the optional morning skate felt strange for Schneider.

“It’s definitely different. I spent a lot of time in this building and city. Going to the other room was definitely a change,” he said. “I’m very familiar with the building so I’m comfortable. To go to the other locker room was a little different. It’s fun to be back.”

He was worried about the possible distractions.

“I think more so for my team and my teammates,” Schneider explained. “This is a big road trip for us coming out west and we haven’t gotten off to the start we wanted. So the last thing you want is for the other guys to get annoyed and wonder why all this is going on.

“You’re always a little nervous before every game. Once the puck drops you put that behind you and don’t really worry about who you’re playing against. I’m more worried about just winning the game because we haven’t won a game yet.”

And does he look back at what could have been with the Canucks?

“Part of you thinks about what could have been,” Schneider said. “The other half of you gets excited for what is to come ahead.”



Devils captain Bryce Salvador: No reason to panic after winless start



EDMONTON, Alberta-- The Devils remain winless in this young season.

Their 0-1-2 start matches the way they opened the 2010-11 season, when they missed the playoffs. But it is far too early to panic.

“It’s a long schedule,” captain Bryce Salvador said after Monday night’s 5-4 shootout loss to the Oilers. “If, at this point you really start squeezing your stick… Obviously we want to win and we need points, but you can’t overdo the pressure on it.”

It would have been worse had the Devils not pulled Martin Brodeur and gotten a shorthanded goal from Patrik Elias with 53.6 seconds remaining in the third period. That salvaged one point.

“Big goal,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought we played well enough to deserve points here tonight. We deserved that goal. But it still doesn’t make it any easier that we didn’t get two points.”

Not at all.

“We deserve a little better than that,” Brodeur said. “I thought we dominated for most of the game and took a kind of tough penalty there. From there it was chaotic a little bit. They got back into the game and got the lead. Kind of a tough one, I guess.”

So what happened in the third period, when the Oilers scored three goals in 7:47?

“I don’t know. We talked about staying aggressive,” DeBoer said. “We had the unfortunate kind of bounce off Sal’s stick that led to the penalty. They got the power play goal and grabbed a little momentum there. We didn’t do a lot differently than we had in the first two periods.”

But they didn’t do enough right.

“Mistakes. That (Oilers) team takes chances,” Elias said. “One goal off the faceoff. The other was kind of a bad change. It started snowballing a little. We have to know how to play with a lead. And that wasn’t the case in the third.”

Jaromir Jagr looked on the bright side.

“At least we got the point,” Jagr said. “At least we came back. We could’ve easily had two points. Right now we should be happy for one. We pulled the goalie and scored. That doesn’t happen very often.”

The Patrik Elias-Jaromir Jagr-Dainius Zubrus line looked good, at least in the first period. Jagr scored his first goal for the Devils.

“Better. It was nice for Jags to get one right from the get-go,” Elias said. “He was better on the puck and creating better chances.”

Jagr, Damien Brunner and Michael Ryder, all Devils newcomers, scored their first three goals.



Devils left reeling after third period collapse against Oilers



EDMONTON, Alberta— It certainly didn’t compare to the 13-4 “Mickey Mouse” humiliation the Devils suffered at the hands of Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers 30 years ago, but Monday night’s third-period breakdown will go down as one of the worst collapses in the club’s history.

At the start of the third period at Rexall Place, the Devils were thinking about a shutout for Martin Brodeur, but the Oilers scored four goals in a span of less than eight minutes and went on to a 5-4 shootout victory that left Brodeur and his teammates stunned.

“It doesn’t happen too often. I think we’re a better team. We should be able to play better under that type of pressure they put on us,” Brodeur said. “They’re a good young team but we had them exactly where we wanted them. They didn’t really have much going on.

“When they got that breat of fresh air they jumped all over us and their youth showed against us. After the second goal you could tell we were sitting back and kind of were on our heels the whole time. When you play like that it’s tough to keep leads.”

They were able to avoid a loss in regulation because of a shorthanded goal from Patrik Elias with 53.6 seconds remaining in the third period after Brodeur had gone to the bench to get an extra skater on the ice. Nevertheless, the Devils remained winless this season with an 0-1-2 record as they began a five-game road trip.

“It’s a learning experience early in the season,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “We’ve got to get better. I liked our game much better than I did in the home opener against the Islanders.

“(The point takes) a little bit of the stung, but you’re still leaving points on the table. No, not much. Not for being up, 3-0.”

Jordan Eberle and David Perron scored in the shootout to win it for the Oilers. Damien Brunner and Ryane Clowe were unable to get one past Edmonton goalie Jason LaBarbera.

The shock of blowing a 3-0 lead in a span of 7:47 will not soon go away.

“Seven minutes or whatever it was. We played so well defensively. All of a sudden they score four goals in seven minutes,” said Jaromir Jagr, who scored the Devils’ first goal of the night.

It all began to crumble when captain Bryce Salvador shot the puck into the crowd for a delay of game penalty at 5:19 of the third period. It took the Oilers 24 seconds to strike on the power play when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored during a scramble in front of the net at 5:43.

“The puck rolled up and I think I should have not shot it,” Salvador reflected. “As soon as it rolled up maybe I should have taken another step and probably put it on my forehand. You can over-analyze every play. All in all, they turned up in the third period. We have to learn as a team to respond a little bit better.

“Whenever you score you get some momentum. They kept the pressure on and they got the second one. It’s pretty tough when they’re coming and coming and coming.”

With the puck bouncing in the offensive zone, Travis Zajac took it from Oilers defenseman Anton Belov and walked in alone on LaBarbera at 8:09. LaBarbera made the save to keep his team in the game.

The Oilers then pulled to within a goal when Andrew Ference one-timed a shot off the left wing boards. The shot, from the left point, beat Brodeur on his stick side at 9:28.

It was a tie game at 11:47 when Perron beat Brodeur from the left circle. Mark Arcobello won the faceoff with Zajac in the left circle, where Perron picked up the puck for the score with the help of a pick from a referee.

“It was just a perfect draw for them. I was trying to get position but the ref was in the way. (Perron) made a great shot,” Salvador said.

The Devils' collapse was complete when Ales Hemsky poked the puck past Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov along the right wing boards and Taylor Hall scored from in front at 13:30.

“They have a couple kids there who are super talented a skilled offensively,” Brodeur said. “That (Justin) Schultz is pretty impressive. A lot of good young players.”

Brodeur stopped a breakaway from Hall with 3:50 left. Then, with 2:51 to go, the Devils called a timeout after a Dainius Zubrus high-sticking penalty.

With Brodeur pulled for an extra skater, Elias walked out of the right corner to bank a shot off the skate of Ference and into the net to tie the game with 53.6 seconds left. It was a short-handed goal.

“I was just happy it went in. Happy to at least get a point,” Elias said.

It was a dressing room in which you could hear a point drop.

“It’s the NHL. We knew they were going to come back,” Salvador said. “There’s been a few games we’ve seen like that in the league where teams come back. Just the fact we had the lead kind of makes the shootout loss a little bit of a downer.



Devils lose to Oilers, 5-4, in shootout after stunning late collapse



EDMONTON, Alberta— It certainly wasn’t the 13-4 “Mickey Mouse” humiliation the Devils suffered at the hands of Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers 30 years ago, but last night’s third-period breakdown will go down as one of the worst collapses in Devils’ history.

At the start of the third period at Rexall Place, the Devils were thinking about a shutout for Martin Brodeur, but the Oilers scored four goals in a span of less than eight minutes and went on to a 5-4 shootout victory that left Brodeur and his teammates stunned.

The Devils, who had a 3-0 lead on goals from Jaromir Jagr, Damien Brunner and Michael Ryder, picked up a point but remained winless this season with an 0-1-2 record as they began a five-game road trip.

Jordan Eberle and David Perron scored in the shootout for the Oilers. Damien Brunner and Ryane Clowe were held scoreless.

It all began to crumble when Captain Bryce Salvador shot the puck into the crowd for a delay of game penalty at 5:19 of the third period. It took the Oilers 24 seconds to score on the power play when Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored during a scramble in front of the net at 5:43.

With the puck bouncing in the offensive zone, Travis Zajac took it from Oilers defenseman Anton Belov and walked in alone on Edmonton goalie Jason LaBarbera at 8:09. LaBarbera made the save to keep his team in the game.

The Oilers then pulled to within a goal when Andrew Ference one-timed a shot off the left wing boards. The shot, from the left point, beat Martin Brodeur on his stick side at 9:28.

It was a tie game at 11:47 when David Perron beat Brodeur from the left circle. Mark Arcobello won the faceoff with Zajac in the left circle, where Perron picked up the puck for the score.

The Devils’ collapse was complete when Ales Hemsky poked the puck past Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov along the right wing boards and Taylor Hall scored from in front at 13:30.

Brodeur stopped a breakaway from Hall with 3:50 left. Then, with 2:51 to go, the Devils called a timeout after a Dainius Zubrus high-sticking penalty.

Brodeur was pulled for an extra skater and Patrik Elias skated out of the right corner to bank a shot off the skate of Ference and into the net to tie the game with 53.6 seconds left. It was a short-handed goal.



Devils notes: Cory Schneider back in Vancouver to face Luongo, Canucks

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tom Gulitti

Back to Vancouver

Goaltender Cory Schneider returns tonight to Vancouver, the city that was his NHL home until he was traded to the Devils on June 30. He’ll face his friend and former goaltending partner in Roberto Luongo.

Although there was much debate in Vancouver over the past two seasons about whether the Canucks should move forward with Luongo or Schneider as their No. 1, the two goaltenders managed to have a good relationship throughout the soap opera.

"I learned a lot from Roberto whether it was on the ice or off the ice, the way he dealt with some situations there that were fair or unfair, whatever you want to call it," Schneider said. "He put on a smile and he did what’s best for the team. And that’s not easy to do, especially a guy who has accomplished as much as he has and has as much pride as he does. He always did what he had to to support me or put the team first."

Czech-mates

Devils coach Pete DeBoer tried playing Czechs Patrik Elias and Jaromir Jagr on the same line again Monday, with Dainius Zubrus as their left wing. DeBoer was hoping Elias and Jagr "can get some chemistry."

"They should be able to have some," DeBoer said.

According to Elias, the expectations back in the Czech Republic for him and Jagr as linemates were a bit higher than that.

"People back home in Czech, they think we’re going to be scoring two or three goals a game, which is stupid," Elias said. "I’ve never played with the guy on the same line. We never played together."

Fayne waits

The Devils dressed the same 18 skaters Monday as in their first two games, scratching defenseman Mark Fayne and forwards Jacob Josefson, Rostislav Olesz and Mattias Tedenby (injured).

Fayne, who played regularly during the Devils’ 2012 playoff run, admitted it was frustrating to sit.

"It’s just one of those things that you’ve got to stay focused and you’ve got to stay positive," Fayne said.

Bergen Record LOADED: 10.09.2013


Canucks slip past Devils on Jason Garrison goal in overtime

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 1:03 AM


Garrison’s shot from the point through traffic beat Cory Schneider in the goaltender’s first game against his former team.




The 27-year-old appeared to be the Canucks’ goaltender of the future until he was traded to New Jersey at June’s draft after Vancouver was unable to move Luongo and his 12 year, $64 million contract.

Schneider is now sharing the crease in New Jersey with 41-year-old Martin Brodeur, who allowed four goals on 27 shots in Monday’s loss to Edmonton.

Tied 2-2 after two periods, the teams didn’t generate much in the third until the midway mark when Luongo was forced to make saves off both Elias and Jagr.



The Canucks responded at 8:51 on a shot from Sedin that deflected off Volchenkov’s skate and past Schneider. Vancouver then tied it up at 13:47 on Edler’s first of the season.

With Devils left wing Ryane Clowe hobbling to the bench, the Canucks defenseman found a seam and tucked a shot under Schneider’s bar off a pass from Sedin.



With all of the pre-game hype focusing Schneider’s return to the scene of a goaltending soap opera that polarized fans in the city for more than a year, both he and Luongo stole the show early.



New York Daily News LOADED: 10.09.2013


Schneider, Devils fall in OT

By Associated Press

October 9, 2013 | 2:09am


Garrison’s shot from the point through traffic beat Cory Schneider in the goaltender’s first game against his former team.




The 27-year-old appeared to be the Canucks’ goaltender of the future until he was traded to New Jersey at June’s draft after Vancouver was unable to move Luongo and his 12 year, $64 million contract.

Schneider is now sharing the crease in New Jersey with 41-year-old Martin Brodeur, who allowed four goals on 27 shots in Monday’s loss to Edmonton.

Tied 2-2 after two periods, the teams didn’t generate much in the third until the midway mark when Luongo was forced to make saves off both Elias and Jagr.



The Canucks responded at 8:51 on a shot from Sedin that deflected off Volchenkov’s skate and past Schneider. Vancouver then tied it up at 13:47 on Edler’s first of the season.

With Devils left wing Ryane Clowe hobbling to the bench, the Canucks defenseman found a seam and tucked a shot under Schneider’s bar off a pass from Sedin.



With all of the pre-game hype focusing Schneider’s return to the scene of a goaltending soap opera that polarized fans in the city for more than a year, both he and Luongo stole the show early.



New York Post LOADED: 10.09.2013

720294 New York Islanders

John Tavares leads balanced attack as Isles rout Coyotes

Published: October 8, 2013 10:27 PM

By ARTHUR STAPLE

There have been more than a few October nights like last night in Nassau Coliseum in recent seasons. An unfamiliar opponent, a less-than-capacity crowd and an Islanders team that didn't rise to the occasion to assert itself at home.

"Things are different," Josh Bailey said after the Islanders ran past the Coyotes, 6-1, before an announced crowd of 10,288. "We expect to win. It's only three games and we're not going to get ahead of ourselves, but we had everyone contributing tonight."

The win, helped by Evgeni Nabokov's 33 saves, left the Islanders 2-0-1, their best start since a 3-0-0 beginning to the 2001-02 season.

There will be several more nights like last night to come this month, with the Islanders having eight of their first 12 games at home and a few more of the weaker crowd draws coming up (Sabres, Oilers, Hurricanes).

The Islanders will have to make their own momentum and play the sort of game they did for stretches Tuesday night, when their speed and a few good bounces counteracted Phoenix's physical style.

Peter Regin had his first goal as an Islander just 1:49 into the game after Brock Nelson sprung Regin off a neutral-zone turnover.

John Tavares scored next, on a five-on-three from the left faceoff circle; the Islanders converted only two of eight two-man chances last season and were pleased to score on their first of this season.

"It was good to get the monkey off our back on the five-on-three," said Jack Capuano, who wasn't thrilled with the lack of consistent forecheck in the first two periods.

"We have some things to work on. Tonight, we got some bounces, let's not kid ourselves."

Matt Donovan scored from the point on a second-period power play for his first NHL goal, quickly answered by the Coyotes' Martin Hanzal 43 seconds later.

But Tavares scored his second just 2:19 after that, his feed for Michael Grabner deflecting off defenseman David Schlemko's stick and past Mike Smith to restore a three-goal lead.

"We had confidence with the lead," said Tavares, whose team couldn't finish off Columbus on Saturday at home with a two-goal lead in the third.

Colin McDonald scored to chase Smith after two periods and Bailey capped the scoring with a tic-tac-toe passing play from Grabner and Frans Nielsen, each of whom had three assists.

The thrill of Saturday's home opener, with a sellout Coliseum crowd, could have felt dimmed by the much sparser Tuesday night audience. But there can be no excuses for a team that needs as many points at home as it can grab with this early stretch.

The Isles' 10-11-3 home record last season was worst among the 16 playoff teams.

"Sometimes you have that tendency to have a little bit of a letdown after the high of the opener," said Bailey, who added two assists.

"We had a lot of guys chipping in, getting going early, and that goes a long way towards gaining confidence."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 10.09.2013

720295 New York Islanders

Jack Capuano delays Cal Clutterbuck's return to Islanders

Originally published: October 8, 2013 9:20 PM

Updated: October 8, 2013 9:51 PM

By ARTHUR STAPLE

Jack Capuano decided to be cautious with Cal Clutterbuck's return, holding the forward out another few days rather than bringing him back for Tuesday night's game against the Coyotes.

That also allows the Islanders to delay roster and lineup decisions.

"The injury he sustained, as quickly as he's come back -- we don't play again until Friday, so it's a perfect opportunity to work on his conditioning," Capuano said of Clutterbuck, who is ahead of the projected 4-6 week timetable the Islanders put on his recovery from a deep skate cut. "We want to make sure we do the right thing."

If Clutterbuck is ready to return on Friday night in Chicago against the Blackhawks, that could mean the end of Griffin Reinhart's stay with the team. Reinhart has yet to play in the first three games and can only be returned to his junior team, Edmonton of the Western League; at 19, he is too young for the AHL.

Eric Boulton and Matt Carkner also were scratched.

GM likes Coyotes, Isles

Coyotes general manager Don Maloney, who held the same title with the Islanders from 1992-95, is a more contented man with his team finally out from NHL stewardship and with its future in Arizona settled.

"Probably the most pleasant part," he said, "is I can stop answering questions about the future and what it holds."

Maloney managed to retain coach Dave Tippett, captain Shane Doan and goaltender Mike Smith as the ownership saga dragged into the summer.

He also likes what he sees from the Islanders, a team the Coyotes hadn't faced since Dec. of 2011. "They're right on the cusp of being great, for a long time," he said. "They've drafted well, they have a real star in [John] Tavares. I'm really impressed with them."


720296 New York Rangers

Rick Nash exits with injury as Sharks embarrass Rangers, 9-2

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 2:23 AM

SAN JOSE – The Sharks devoured the Rangers like chum Tuesday night, chasing Henrik Lundqvist from his net in a 9-2 blowout that had San Jose’s fans chanting “We want 10!” in the third period.

But the “embarrassing” defeat at the SAP Center, in the words of captain Ryan Callahan, may not have been New York’s most severe loss of the evening.

Power forward Rick Nash, who had been dominant in Monday's 3-1 win in Los Angeles, took an elbow to the side of the head from Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart on his second shift of the game and did not play the final two periods, evoking bad memories of last season’s hit by Bruins LW Milan Lucic that kept Nash out for four games with a concussion.

Nash, who was visibly shaken up after the hit, played the rest of the first period because he felt fine temporarily. But eventually, he said after the game, he developed a "headache."

“Anytime you get a headshot, you’re concerned, to feel the way it feels,” said Nash, whose gave timetable for his return.

Without him, the Rangers’ 2-1 deficit at Tuesday’s first intermission ballooned into 6-1 by the end of a horror-show second period, in which the Blueshirts were outshot 23-8 and outscored 4-0.

San Jose rookie LW Tomas Hertl scored four goals in just his third NHL game, the second hat trick in three games against the Rangers this season, including Radim Vrbata’s three goals in Thursday’s 3-1 season-opening loss in Phoenix. Hertl’s fourth goal was a highlight-reel roof job past Lundqvist’s replacement, Martin Biron (16 saves), flicking the puck up with his stick between his legs.

The Sharks’ relentless rushes through New York’s poor defensive coverage dropped the Rangers to 1-2-0 with two games remaining on this season-opening road trip, Thursday night in Anaheim and Saturday night in St. Louis.

“It was ugly,” Callahan said. “We have to learn from this because we can't play like that. We got embarrassed tonight and we have to realize that and respond. We have better in here. To a man, everybody knows that. And we need better."

John Moore, Arron Asham, Dominic Moore, Ryan McDonagh and Brian Boyle all found themselves unable to protect the front of their own net on the two goals that sent Lundqvist to the bench with 10:41 remaining in the second period and the score, 4-1, having stopped 22 of 26 shots faced. San Jose rattled off four goals in the pivotal four minute, 16 second span in the second period.

Coach Alain Vigneault opted to start Lundqvist for a third straight game to open the season, after he made 28 saves on 29 shots against the Kings on Monday, even though a back-to-back often dictates the backup starts the second night. But it didn’t matter who was in New York’s net Tuesday night, considering the team spent most of the night on their heels.

“Right now, I don’t have an explanation,” Vigneault said of the blowout. “You think you’re taking a step forward after the way we played (Monday) night, and obviously we didn’t take a step forward with the way we played tonight.”

New York’s lone bright spots were Brad Richards’ first period five-on-three goal, his third in two games; Derek Dorsett’s third period tally, his first as a Ranger; and Boyle’s double-minor penalty for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct in the third period going after Stuart in retaliation of the Nash hit.

“That’s a dirty play,” Boyle told the Daily News of Stuart’s elbow to Nash. “(Stuart) hits hard. It’s usually clean, but that was … I don’t know. I get four (minutes), and he gets two for his elbow. I don’t know.”

Lundqvist sat stone-faced on the bench after being pulled, reflecting on the disaster he just had witnessed, then said after the game that it’s important the Rangers learn from this and “move on, and do it fast.”

“It is embarrassing to lose 9-2,” Lundqvist said. “We talked about a few things after the game here, and we just have to regroup and try to improve and get better. It’s not going to get any easier here. We play really good teams, and everybody has a lot of desperation. They come out to play, and we have to match it.”

Nash’s injury could mean an AHL callup for J.T. Miller, who was recently sent back to Hartford, or for Chris Kreider, if Vigneault feels he deserves a second chance this early.

First things first, though. The Rangers must guard against panicking, must band together and rebound. Vigneault said his recipe for moving, from a coach’s standpoint, begins with sticking to the routine of game review and with trusting player leadership.

“You have to trust your leadership,” Vigneault said. “I believe, and I have to believe, even though I don’t know this team real well, that there are some strong leaders, leaders that are obviously not pleased with how we performed tonight, and don’t want to see this happen again. So we’ve got a day off tomorrow because the rules dictate that we have to have a day off, so we’ll regroup and get ready for Anaheim.”



Rick Nash dominates Kings, which is what NY Rangers need from high-priced winger

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Updated: Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 10:31 PM

SAN JOSE — This was the kind of win that makes Rangers GM Glen Sather sit back with his unlit cigar and breathe easier: When Rick Nash is at the center of it all.

Monday night’s 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center featured Nash, the Blueshirts’ summer 2012 blockbuster trade acquisition, bullying his way to two assists and a game-high six shots, firing the shot that led to Brad Richards’ first goal and forcing the turnover that created Richards’ second score.

If the NHL kept a stat for ‘hurries’ of defensemen, like the NFL does for quarterback pressures, Nash’s line with left wing Richards and center Derek Stepan easily would have hit double digits. Nash, 29, also came within inches of scoring a goal and adding a third assist.

“What I liked about (Nash’s) game was the turnovers he was able to create, the amount of time that that line spent in the other team’s end, wearing the D’s down, wearing the other team down,” Alain Vigneault said Monday night. “And when they lost the puck, they were quick to get on their horse and come back and help out our defense.”

Nash also used moves he breaks out only when he knows he’s on: The 6-4, 213-pounder would corral the puck, take on a defenseman one-on-one and beat him and then wreak havoc in the slot, like his second-period swoop-and-shield of Kings blue liner Jake Muzzin.

“I usually decide (to go one-on-one based on) if it’s going to cost me if it doesn’t work,” Nash said of his improvised isolation plays. “You know, if it doesn’t work, is there gonna be an offensive chance for them? Sometimes I make bad decisions at that, but that’s kind of my thinking process.”

Tuesday night in San Jose, Nash sought to continue his dominance for the Rangers (1-1-0) against the Sharks at the SAP Center in the second game of the Blueshirts’ first back-to-back of the season. He would have to do so against a good friend, veteran Sharks center Joe Thornton, a former teammate on Team Canada and during two separate stints with HC Davos in Switzerland.

Though Nash led the Rangers with 21 goals last season, his continued excellence is not a luxury but rather a necessity if his club hopes to succeed.

Sather’s trade two summers ago sacrificed depth the organization still is trying to rebuild. Plus, when Nash had one goal in 12 playoff games last spring, the offensively-inept Rangers got bounced in the second round and then fired their coach, John Tortorella.

With the NHL’s salary cap shrinking this season to $64.3 million, Nash’s $7.8 million annual hit is even more of a reason why the Blueshirts need him to play to his price tag now. But if he and Stepan continue to hassle opponents, it could help the Rangers exponentially by also benefitting Richards, the $6.7 million forward trying to put a forgettable season behind him.

So far, so good.

“When you’re playing in the offensive zone, with two guys that are creating like that,” Richards said of Nash and Stepan, “you’re gonna get some chances.”



Nash injured in Rangers’ blowout loss

By Larry Brooks

October 9, 2013 | 1:58am

SAN JOSE, Calif. — This was insult on top of injury.

The Rangers were humiliated on Tuesday night, losing a 9-2 game to the Sharks that prompted a lengthy postgame meeting for at least some of which general manager Glen Sather was present, but of at least equal significance, Rick Nash left the match after the first period with what he called a “headache” after taking a Brad Stuart elbow/shoulder to the head at the 2:32 mark.

“It’s just a headache,” said Nash, who said he did not feel the same way he did when concussed in Boston last Feb. 12 on a hit by Milan Lucic that ultimately sidelined the winger for four games. “I didn’t feel it [right away], it came later.

“I just didn’t feel right.”

Nash, who had turned in a dominating performance a night earlier in Los Angeles, said he felt the force of the blow by Stuart — who received a two-minute elbowing minor on the play — across the right side of his face.

“It was a head shot,” Nash said. “Any time there’s a head shot you’re concerned when you feel the way it feels. It’s not a good feeling.”

It is unknown whether Nash will be available for the Rangers’ next game, Thursday in Anaheim. Coach Alain Vigneault, who said the replay shows Stuart’s “shoulder clearly hit [Nash’s] head and his feet appeared to leave the ice,” did not know the winger’s immediate status.

Nash left the arena while his teammates hashed out their embarrassing display. It was a fiasco, nothing less than that. When the room ultimately opened, not a single player attempted to sugar-coat or excuse the performance.

“I think mentally we weren’t even close to being where [the Sharks] were in terms of getting ready for the game,” Brad Richards told The Post. “They were ready for the challenge and we were playing pond hockey.

“We’ve never been a part of something like this, so hopefully it’s a good lesson for us. We have to catch up in how we prepare to play.”

The Rangers could never catch up to the Sharks. They were chasing all night long (when they weren’t standing around and watching, that is), repeatedly turning over the puck. They turned their own end into an expressway to the net that, for one, 19-year-old rookie Tomas Hertl turned into a playground with a four-goal performance.

The Blueshirts have pride, but they left it somewhere on the way to San Jose from Los Angeles within the span of 24 hours.

“It’s tough to explain, but we weren’t good enough in effort or execution and there are no excuses for it,” Ryan Callahan said. “We were embarrassed.

“We have to look at each other and have to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. We have to respond. To show up like we did, the approach to the game and through the game just wasn’t acceptable.”

The Rangers actually took a 1-0 lead at 3:27 when Richards scored on a five-on-three power play. But the Rangers surrendered a shorthanded goal on the back-end five-on-four less than a minute later and were down 2-1 after one.

The rout was on in the second, the Sharks coming in waves, essentially unopposed. Henrik Lundqvist, who had kept the score respectable for as long as possible, was pulled when it became 4-1 at 9:19 having allowed four goals on 26 shots.

When Martin Biron allowed a goal 20 seconds later to make it 5-1, the Sharks had scored three goals in 1:23. By that time, the Sharks had outshot the Rangers 27-9 and out-attempted the Rangers 55-22. San Jose accumulated 48 attempts in the 20-minute period.

“It’s embarrassing to lose 9-2,” Lundqvist said. “I can’t explain why this happened after what we did [in Los Angeles], but they exposed us.

“It’s not going to get any easier but we definitely have to learn from it. I’ve already had time to think about it and I’m going to forget it and move on.”

The Rangers will be off Wednesday as mandated by work rules in the collective bargaining agreement before taking their 1-2 record to Anaheim.

“I’m going to sleep on it,” Vigneault said. “I think you have to trust your leadership group, and though I don’t know them very well, I have to believe we have strong leaders.

“They don’t want to see this happen again.”



Rick Nash injured in Rangers' 9-2 loss to the Sharks

Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Last updated: Wednesday October 9, 2013, 2:42 AM

ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN JOSE, Calif. — High-scoring wing Rick Nash was injured after taking an elbow to the head during the Rangers' 9-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

Nash continued to play in the first period after the hit from Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart, who was assessed a minor for elbowing.

However, Nash, who missed four games last season due to a concussion after being hit by Bruins forward Milan Lucic, did not return for the second period.

“It just didn’t feel right,” Nash said. “I could feel it. Any time you get a head shot you’re concerned. It’s not a good feeling.”

Nash eventually left the game and wasn't around when the Sharks began to swarm the Rangers.

Tomas Hertl scored four goals and Matthew Nieto had his first NHL goal and added two assists for the Sharks.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Dan Boyle, Logan Couture and Justin Braun also scored for the Sharks, who won their third straight. They have outscored their opponents 17-4.

Jason Demers and Joe Pavelski each had three assists. Hertl tied the Sharks record for most goals in a game. Owen Nolan did it on Dec. 19, 1995.

Brad Richards and Derek Dorsett scored for the Rangers, who were coming off a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday night.

San Jose goalkeeper Antti Niemi needed to stop 18 shots for the win while Rangers goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 of 26 shots during his nearly 30 minutes on the ice. Martn Biron took over in the net after the Sharks built a 4-1 advantage and saved 16 of 21.

The Sharks outshot the Rangers 47-20.

Hertl saved his best for last. Driving toward the net, the 19-year-old scored a spectacular goal.

He skated in on Biron and put the puck between his legs and scored over the backup goalie’s right shoulder at 12:05 of the third.

Richards opened the scoring on Tuesday with his third goal of the season at 3:27 of the first. The Rangers converted their two-man advantage. The long shot was aided by Ryan Callahan, who had screened off Niemi.

“The Sharks were on top of their game,” Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. “It’s tough to understand, at this point, how we can play so well last night and play this way tonight.

The Sharks scored three goals within a span of 1:23 of the second period. Nieto scored his first career goal, followed by Hertl’s first of the game.

Biron was in the game for 20 seconds when Couture scored, though it was hardly a conventional goal. Patrick Marleau’s shot was wide and it bounced up the board and flipped back over the net, where Couture chipped it home.

Hertl added his second goal three minutes later to make it 6-1.

Dorsett scored at 8:22 of the third period and Hertl answered with a power-play goal at 9:02 for the hat trick.

After Hertl’s fourth goal, Braun closed out the scoring with a power-play goal at 15:53.

Bergen Record LOADED: 10.09.2013


Rick Nash elbowed out of Rangers' blowout 9-2 loss in San Jose

Originally published: October 9, 2013 1:24 AM

Updated: October 9, 2013 1:36 AM

By STEVE ZIPAY

SAN JOSE, Calif. - A Halloween horror show arrived early for the Rangers in the Shark Tank on Tuesday.

Rick Nash was felled by an elbow to the head from defenseman Brad Stuart at 2:32 of the first period of a 9-2 blowout late Tuesday night, and played just 5:53 total, with one shot. The Rangers did not specify the nature of the injury, and he could have been kept out as a precaution.

Nash, leaving the arena, said he has a headache, which worsened as the game went on. "He got me right across here," he said, pointing to right cheek. "Always concerned when you get a head shot."

Nash suffered post-concussion symptoms Feb. 12 when a check from behind by Boston's Milan Lucic rammed his head into the glass. The 6-4 Nash, who played two games, but was on injured reserve for the next four, led the team in goals with 21 in the lockout-shortened season.

But even with a healthy Nash, the Rangers would have been steamrolled Tuesday night. The defense withered under a relentless attack by the undefeated Sharks, who previously dominated Vancouver and Phoenix, chased Henrik Lundqvist and led 6-1 before the end of the third period. Derek Dorsett scored in the third to make it 6-2 and Brian Boyle took exception to a Stuart play seconds later and received a four-minute penalty.

Tomas Hertl scored four goals, including two in the third period.

Brad Richards scored his third goal of the season on a five-on-three power play at 3:27 of the first, but the Sharks responded with a tying goal by Marc-Edouard Vlasic 56 seconds later and stormed on from there. Boyle scored at 7:56 for a 2-1 San Jose lead.

In the second, Matt Nieto and Hertl scored in a 63-second span, and Lundqvist was lifted for Martin Biron, who allowed goals to Logan Couture after a bad bounce behind the net, and another from Hertl on a breakaway. The Sharks had outshot the Rangers 47-20.

Losing Nash, who had three points in two games and looked sharp at both ends of the ice, for any length of time would be costlier than any lopsided defeat.

The Rangers (1-2) travel to Anaheim on Thursday and St. Louis on Saturday to close out this trip. They have just one extra forward on the roster, Swedish rookie Jesper Fast, because the front office opted to send J.T. Miller to get more minutes in Hartford.

Miller scored twice and had an assist in his first game with the Wolfpack and could be summoned.

But Miller, 20, or prospect Chris Kreider, don't have the pedigree of Nash, who was obtained from Columbus two summers ago.

The injury to Nash, who has scored 30 or more goals seven times en route to a total of 310, came after a vintage performance, with 10 shots, two assists, two takeaways and three blocked shots in the 3-1 victory in Los Angeles on Monday.

"What I liked about his game was the turnovers he was able to create," coach Alain Vigneault said. "the amount of time that that line spent in the other team's end, wearing the Ds down."



Henrik Lundqvist gets third straight start in goal

Published: October 8, 2013 9:59 PM

By STEVE ZIPAY

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Alain Vigneault wants consistency and the Rangers coach stuck with the same lineup Tuesday night against the Sharks as he rolled out against the Kings on Monday night: with Henrik Lundqvist in goal and Arron Asham on the fourth line for consecutive nights.

"The ideal situation," Vigneault said, is for 60-something games for Lundqvist, "but those are ideal conditions; we don't always have that. Tonight could've been one for Martin [Biron], but the travel is not that extensive and we need to get Hank going. He needs to feel good about his game."

As in the beginning of every season, Lundqvist, who was making his third consecutive start, wants to find a rhythm, especially with the staggered preseason and regular-season travel schedule. Against the Kings, Lundqvist said, his teammates "made it a lot easier for me to play and build some confidence." Lundqvist stopped 28 of 29 shots against in Monday's 3-1 victory over the Kings.

Asham, who Vigneault hoped would bring a physical presence against the Sharks, played 9:41 Monday, with two hits and a scrap with Kyle Clifford. But the fourth line, with Dominic Moore and Derek Dorsett, was often on its heels against the Kings.

"I thought we got, for the most part, what I anticipated [from the fourth line]," Vigneault said. "They got a couple shifts in the offensive zone, Dorsett draws a penalty from [Drew] Doughty, Ash didn't like the hit that Clifford was throwing and stood up for himself, which sends a big sign, and Dom did what he had to do when I used him with Brian [Boyle] on faceoffs. That's why I put them back in."

Ice chips

Taylor Pyatt played with 12 stitches, inside and outside his mouth, and a broken tooth, from when a clearing pass struck him in the first period against the Kings . . . Defenseman Justin Falk, acquired from the Wild in the offseason, again will wait to make his Rangers debut. Swedish rookie wing Jesper Fast, who played against Phoenix, was a healthy scratch for a second straight game. The Rangers and Sharks did not play last season. In 2011-12, the Rangers won, 5-2, in October at the Garden. Ryan Callahan scored twice and Biron made 24 saves . . . The Rangers play the Ducks in Anaheim on Thursday and the Blues in St. Louis on Saturday.



After two top games, Rick Nash leaves after taking elbow to head

Originally published: October 8, 2013 8:59 PM

Updated: October 9, 2013 12:09 AM

By STEVE ZIPAY

SAN JOSE, Calif. - When Rick Nash plays like the power forward he has been in his world-class career, he is most noticeable on one-on-one plays, creating Grade-A scoring opportunities with his size and skill.

Or losing the puck on the way to the net.

"If it doesn't work, is it going to be an offensive chance for them? Sometimes I make bad decisions, but that's my thinking process," Nash said after the Rangers beat the Kings, 3-1, Monday night at Staples Center. The 6-4 winger attempted a team-high 10 shots -- six stopped by Jonathan Quick -- just missed an empty-netter at the horn, and was credited with two assists.

Voted the game's first star, Nash made few bad decisions and hoped to continue rolling as the Rangers (1-1) faced the Sharks Tuesday night in the third game of this five-game western swing.

But the roll came to a screeching halt. Nash, who missed four games last season with what was believed to be aftereffects of a concussion, left Tuesday night's game at 2:32 of the first period after an elbow to the head from Sharks defenseman Brad Stuart.

Stuart received a two-minute minor penalty on the play. The Rangers did not provide any details on Nash, other than to say during the first intermission that he would not return to the game.

Nash has had better times against the Sharks. In his career against San Jose with Columbus, Nash had 17 goals in 33 games.

Regarding the victory over the Kings, Nash said: "We established a forecheck. I thought in the Phoenix game [a 4-1 loss], we were just sitting back and let them take it to us, that was the biggest difference."

Nash, who has had 30 or more goals seven times and more than 40 twice en route to a total of 310, provided an all-around performance with two takeaways and three blocked shots.

"Yeah, he was pretty good," Vigneault said, chuckling. "What I liked about his game was the turnovers he was able to create; the amount of time that that line spent in the other team's end, wearing the Ds down, and when they lost the puck, they were quick to get on their horse and come back and help our defense."'

Nash's linemates were center Derek Stepan, who missed all of training camp and six preseason games, and former center Brad Richards, playing his second consecutive game on left wing.

"The second game helps," said Nash, 29, who is beginning his first full season in New York. "The longer we play together, the better chemistry we'll have."

Richards, who scored twice, once on a rebound of Nash's wrister from the slot, seemed more comfortable in his new role. "It takes time," Nash said. "It would be tough for me to switch to center."

Nash, who is as low-key off the ice as any Ranger, had his first fight in three years Thursday, dropping the gloves with Martin Hanzal after the Coyotes forward delivered a huge hit on Stepan late in the third period.

"Just sticking up for a teammate," he said.



Post-Game Xtra III: Lundqvist, McDonagh on goal gaffe

Tuesday October 8, 2013 2:51 AM By Stephen Zipay

The Rangers third goal will make all the highlight, or lowlight, films, Ryan McDonagh's 180-foot shorthanded clearing pass/bank shot off the right boards that Kings netminder Jonathan Quick totally misplayed at 4:39 of the third period here in Staples Center. It was a moment that left 18,118 fans and players and media stunned, scratching noggins and looking for a replay.

“I didn’t watch it (after I shot)," said McDonagh. "I’m still trying to get the full story."

"You have to feel for him (Quick), it happens," said Henrik Lundqvist. "But we'll take it."

Brian Boyle, awarded an assist, called it a "set play."

Quick went out to the right circle to stop the puck, got down low, but lost his stick, and the puck caromed off his pad and slid sideways and back, into the vacated net.

McDonagh said it was "a good sign" that the Rangers were able to get a lead and along with Lundqvist, hold it under pressure in the third, when the Kings had 14 shots.



Post-Game Xtra II: Vigneault on Callahan & first win

Tuesday October 8, 2013 2:38 AM By Stephen Zipay

"Good to have our captain back," said Alain Vigneault, after Ryan Callahan delivered a check to Robyn Regehr on his first shift after shoulder surgery in May. "It was my first time seeing him live, being with him as a coach; he brings a lot to the table, poise with the puck, competitive nature when he doesn’t have it, finishes every check. For a player who’s not big in size, he certainly plays a big game."

And he plays hurt.

Early in the second period, Callahan collided shoulder-to-shoulder with Anze Koptiar, fell to the ice, mouth bleeding. He missed the rest of the period for dental work and sported a cut just under his lip. “It was accidental, I think he was following through, I went to hit him, caught his stick first…” Callahan ended up playing just 11:16 total, with four hits and four missed shots.

Beyond Callahan, Vigneault was pleased by the overall effort.

“We were making the plays you needed to make with the puck, short little passes, off the glass….I felt that in the second period, we made a lot of right plays, I really like the way we responded after they scored, we kept pushing the pace…Our guys did a good job of pressuring their defense, that led to a couple Grade-A scoring opportunities.

Among the other players he singled out: Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, and Rick Nash, who had six shots on goal, three misses and one block, and two assists. "What I liked about his game was the turnovers he was able to create, and that line (with Stepan and Richards), the amount of time they spent in their end. I thought they played well at both ends of the rink."



Rangers-Sharks in review

09 October 2013, 4:49 am by Carp

Thoughts:

1) Yeah, defending is boring. This is much better.

2) The noise is already starting about the Brad Stuart hit on Rick Nash. Oooh, the replay is inconclusive. Oooh, maybe it wasn’t an elbow. Maybe the head wasn’t the initial point of contact. Whatever. This was a head shot, plain and simple, the kind that needs to be eliminated from the game, and the kind the NHL seems disinterested in eliminating. This one, granted, wasn’t as vicious as the one by Milan Lucic that concussed Nash last season. So we’ll see if Shanny’s wheel of random justice lands on Stuart and Suspension. Or if the league jumps through the hoops, again, to not suspend. I’m betting on the latter. And if Nash is done for any length of time, yeesh, this team is thin.

Tomas Hertl, Martin Biron3) How about that Hollerin’ Hertl? Famous for his $50 fines and 50-minute lectures (Honeymooners reference). Kid’s got some onions making a play like that in an NHL game and rubbing it in. Once upon a time, he takes a risk doing that.

4) You guys know how I say things look different when the puck goes in. … well, two things about that. First, I think too much was made about how well the Rangers played in L.A. Yes, they played well, and hard, and tons better than Phoenix. But if the puck doesn’t go in on Brad Richards’ deflected pass to Derek Stepan, and if Jonny Quick doesn’t cough up that hairball, and the Rangers lose that game in OT or a shootout, are we all still praising them to that extent? The puck went in, so it doesn’t matter.

5) Second, on that 5-on-3 in the first period last night, yes, Richards’ shot went in so it’s a good two-man advantage. But I didn’t like the setup at all, with left shots to the left of the net, etc. I didn’t like having three men above the dots. I really didn’t like Richards committing the cardinal sin of missing the net with the first shot. Can’t do that 5-on-3. But the puck went in. So it doesn’t matter.

6) That all said, Richards really does look like a new man so far. He really does. And he could always shoot it.

7) That was a pretty lousy break, that Ryan Callahan puck hitting the ref twice on the short-hander.

8) There are going to be times, during games, during stretches of games, when the Rangers’ skill level looks like it isn’t capable of playing at the pace Alain Vigneault wants to play. Times when the roster and the system don’t seem to match. Just sayin’. They didn’t have the puck a whole lot. And you could see from your couch that it was going to get out of hand soon. Boy did it.

9) To that point, teams really seem do be liking these new shallow nets for plays behind the goal line and wraparounds. The Rangers not so much. Skill level.Henrik Lundqvist

10) I thought, early on anyway, that the Benoit Pouliot-Derick Brassard-Mats Zuccarello line looked better in this game, but still needs to put some points on the board. No?

11) Ah, the lost faceoff instant goal. A classic. This lost draw by Dominic Moore. Not mentioned on TV, of course. Just like Dan Girardi’s hideous giveaway in front of the net, for which he atoned by diving across the crease for a poke check. Great play by Girardi is what was mentioned. Both of those guys had awful nights. A lot of people did.

12) Or, as the NHL has painted on the ice: Face-off.

13) Maybe it gets better when they start facing teams from the Lesstropolitan Division.

My Three Rangers Stars:

1. Brad Richards.

2. John Moore.

3. Anton Stralman.

Mrs. Manny’s Three Rangers Stars:

1. Brad Richards (Obvi.).

2. Derick Brassard (He noticed too many Teal Sweaters on the ice).

3. Carl Hagelin (He’s hot!).

Manny’s Three Stars:

1. Brad Stuart.

2. [Dan Boyle].

3. The Hot Pickle.

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 10.09.2013

720306 NHL

NHL: Avalanche coach Patrick Roy still repository of pent-up rage: DiManno

By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

St. Patrick was always a bad fit for a halo.

While worshipped as semi-divine in Montreal and certainly among the goaltending glorieux in the NHL firmament of marvellous asked men, Patrick Roy was no angel.

Diabolical might more aptly describe his temperament, hot-headed, a pile of kindling looking for a match.

Roy left the Canadiens in a fit of fury, indignant that then-coach Mario Tremblay left him in the net for a night of horrors when he gave up nine goals in a humiliating 11-0 loss to the Red Wings. Who can forget an angry Roy vowing to owner Ronald Corey — sitting behind the bench — that he’d played his last game for the Habs. That was Dec. 2, 1995 and Roy was a man of his word, forthwith orchestrating a trade to Colorado where he’d win another two Stanley Cups to go with the pair of championship rings he already owned and the first-ballot Hall of Fame induction still to come.

He has not mellowed.

When Roy led the Avalanche into Toronto on Tuesday as a novice NHL coach — two undefeated clubs clashing — he arrived in a thundercloud of controversy, $10,000 lighter in the wallet from a league fine, and the centre of intense media scrutiny.

It is a rare occasion when the Toronto hockey corps is more preoccupied with the opposing team’s coach than documenting every twitch and snort and spit-blob emanating from the Maple Leafs during the morning skate on game day.

But this, of course, was Roy, possibly the most entertaining off-ice thing to hit the NHL since Tampa Bay introduced scantily-clad cheerleaders to the sport a dozen years ago — if you go for that kind of cheek.

Roy is no flash-in-the-pan sideline gimmick, although there might indeed be some gimmickry to go with the glitz he’s brought to the job. This is a team that’s missed the playoffs three years in a row, four times out of the last five seasons, bottom-feeder in the Western Conference when the lockout-shortened schedule wound to a close in April. It’s been a long time since the once-formidable Avs led any sports newscast or grabbed front-page coverage in football-frenzied Denver, much less rival cities across the continent. That changed lickety-split last week as Roy pretty much single-handedly switched the channel back to hockey in the Mile High City right out of the chute as star of his own behind-the-bench reality show.

While no chairs were hurled and no animals were hurt, it was a histrionic hissy tilt between Roy and Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau in the dying tick-tock of Colorado’s home opener, Roy clearly the provocateur, zero to ballistic at Mach 5, the two men separated only by a glass partition and stanchion, both of which tilted precariously as Roy pounded from his side.

Welcome back, Patrick.

“Things like this happen sometime,” Roy told a massive media scrum in the Air Canada Centre corridor after coming off the ice Tuesday morning. “I’m very passionate.”

He professed reluctance to revisit the incident for reporters, but then went there himself.

“Everything is going to be calculated,” he explained, meaning that he’ll pick his high-C Mel Gibson moments. “I learned a lot from my junior days, that you have to control those emotions. It’s been very easy and it will be easy. I’m always going to be really calm when the game is on the line.”

During those junior days, eight years with the Quebec Remparts, of which he was part owner, Roy was a chronic offender, regularly dipping into his pocket to pay for fines levied as a result of his combustible temper and chronically intemperate — but always quote-worthy — remarks.

Let’s just say Roy could well afford it, having amassed a fortune during his 18-year NHL career estimated at around $83 million.

The Pepsi Centre screaming match, however, might have been a wee bit contrived, as Roy reintroduced himself to the public and the hockey universe.

Mere moments from a 6-1 win, Roy sent out a fourth line that featured two Avalanche enforcers, obviously tasked with avenging what the coach thought was an unnecessary knee-on-knee hit against prize rookie Nathan MacKinnon, first overall pick in the 2013 entry draft. That infuriated Boudreau — who afterwards called Roy “bush league.”

Players had a front-row seat as the hammy drama unfolded.

“I felt like a kid again,” chuckles centre Matt Duchene, of watching the theatrics between Roy and Boudreau, when it appeared very much like the former might climb over the glass to punch out the latter. This is a goalie, recall, who once famously traded blows with his opposite number, Mike Vernon, during an on-ice melee.

“I felt like I was watching him fight Vernon back in the day,” Duchene continues. “It was really funny. I had a hard time not laughing through that whole thing. Everybody was so serious and I was trying not to laugh.”

Every player got the subtext message.

Alex Tanguay, the returning Av who played with Roy in another era, recognizes the signature ferocity. “Patrick is driven by winning. I remember playing with him and seeing the intensity on his face before a game. I saw him before the first game (last week), walking around, and his face was very similar to what it was as a player.”

But he’s not a player anymore. At age 48, the hair is greying, the grooves around his mouth deepening. Strange to realize Roy retired a whole decade ago, his No. 33 jersey raised to the rafters in both Montreal and Denver.

Legendary players more often than not don’t make good coaches. They’re impatient with those who can’t do what came so easily to them. They don’t understand average. Roy professes to be coping well with the challenge of transition. “It’s weird because I don’t think it’s that challenging, to be honest with you. What’s challenging is the time — you’re up at six in the morning, you’re at the rink at quarter-to-seven, and you leave at six, seven, eight o’clock at night. It’s not everyone who wants to spend that time but I have no problem with it. It’s easy for me.”

The harder adjustment is observing rather than participating and holding the destiny of a game in his own hands as a player. “I was nervous at the start of the game, when the puck dropped or if I was making the first save. Sometimes now, you’re more nervous because you wish you could be out there.” He offers that delinquent boy grin of his. “But I don’t think you’d want me to be out there.”

What hasn’t changed is the roar of the crowd, the smells of the rink, the restlessness in the dressing room.

“It’s fun to be part of it, in the building. That’s what I love about this game, whether I’m on the ice or behind the bench. It’s the exact same thing.”

Holy twaddle.

Even saints tell the occasional nose-stretcher.

Toronto Star LOADED: 10.09.2013

720307 Ottawa Senators

Sens task against Kings daunting if Spezza can’t play

by Ken Warren

on October 8, 2013

LOS ANGELES – The story is all about Jason Spezza’s lingering groin strain and the Ottawa Senators seemingless endless losing streak in these parts.

On Wednesday, the Senators may very well be without Spezza, their captain and No. 1 centre, as they attempt to end their unlucky 13-year stretch without a victory in Los Angeles.

Senators coach Paul MacLean was adamant following practice here late Tuesday that the team must make the best long-term decision in dealing with Spezza’s troublesome groin injury and that his status for the game against the Los Angeles Kings “could be in doubt.”

Even though Spezza practised Tuesday, MacLean was expected to huddle with Spezza and the club’s training staff Tuesday night and Wednesday morning to decide the best approach.

“To me, it’s starting to become chronic, with the way it happened, ever since it happened in training camp and there’s a setback and there’s (another) setback,” he said. “We need to stop this and we need to nip this in the bud.”

Groin injuries are particularly finicky – countless players return too soon, only to go back on the injury list – and MacLean wants to do whatever is necessary to take care of the ailment now. The bigger danger, he suggests, is having the problem linger all season long.

“We have to evaluate and make sure we’re not just adding to the problem and have him play (Wednesday) and then not on the weekend (Saturday against the San Jose Sharks and Sunday versus the Anaheim Ducks),” the coach said. “We don’t want Jason Spezza in and out of the lineup for the next 80 games. We want him in the lineup. So if he’s in the lineup for 70 games, that’s way better than if he’s in and out of the lineup for 80. That’s where the evaluation process is for me.”

For his part, Spezza sounded a little more positive about his chances of playing at the Staples Centre, where the Senators haven’t won since posting a 4-3 victory on Jan. 11, 2000. Since then, they’ve posted a record of four losses and a tie in Los Angeles.

“I had a good skate (Tuesday) and felt pretty good,” he said. “It has gradually been improving every day, but we’re just trying to manage it to make sure it doesn’t get worse and really hinder me for a longer period of time.”

Spezza played in only one exhibition game and didn’t have his usual jump when the Senators opened the season with a 1-0 victory over Buffalo Friday and a 5-4 shootout loss to Toronto Saturday. The entire team had a day off Sunday and Spezza didn’t practice on Monday before the team’s six-hour flight to the West Coast.

“It’s not perfect,” he said. “It was hindering my skating a little bit the first couple of games, but I thought I skated a bit better (Tuesday). Can I be better? Definitely.”

If Spezza doesn’t play, Stephane Da Costa will take his spot.

Regardless of who is in the Senators lineup, they’ll be facing a Kings team that is coming off a listless performance in Monday’s 3-1 home opening loss to the New York Rangers. For lengthy periods, the Kings were bottled up in their own end. The crowning touch on the Kings loss came when star goaltender Jonathan Quick allowed a goal from 165 feet, when the Rangers’ Ryan McDonagh scored from his own faceoff circle.

In his previous start, Quick was pulled after allowing three goals in a 5-3 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets.

The Senators are expecting to face a Kings squad MacLean describes as the most physical team in the Western Conference.

“They’re a big, strong, physical team,” he said. “They play north and south and their goaltender has historically been very good and their team defence has been very good. They don’t give you an awful lot of opportunities.”

At the same time, MacLean is anxious to clean up some shoddy defensive zone coverage from the opening two games, he described as “a bit of a dog’s breakfast. We have a plan, but we’re not executing that plan.”

Defenceman Chris Phillips says he has no answers for why the Senators have played so poorly in downtown Los Angles, but he’s also not caught up in the bad numbers.

“It’s one of those stats that obviously doesn’t look favourable on us, but for whatever reason, I’m not sure, we haven’t had any success,” he said. “But that’s what tomorrow is for. To try and change that.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 10.09.2013


DaCosta hoping for more ice time, less air time

by Ken Warren

on October 8, 2013

LOS ANGELES – Stephane DaCosta is hoping for a little more than a couple of cross-country flights and a nice dinner this time around.

You see, the only other time that the 24-year-old centre made it here with the Ottawa Senators – back in January, 2012 – he left without seeing a single second of action.

“I got called up once before to Los Angeles…for a night,” said DaCosta. “There were two guys who were supposed to be hurt, so they called me up. Yup, it was just a night. I had dinner, took part in the morning skate and then left the night after.

“I flew from Binghamton to New York and then from New York to Los Angeles. And then when I went back, it was from Los Angeles to New York and then I went to Binghamton in a car and played the afternoon after.”

DaCosta is in limbo yet again. If Jason Spezza can’t play tonight, Da Costa will take his spot. If Spezza does play, Da Costa will be on the sidelines.

The forward lines at practice Wednesday were Milan Michalek-Spezza-Bobby Ryan, Clarke MacArthur-Kyle Turris-Cory Conacher, Colin Greening-Zack Smith-Chris Neil and Zack Kassian-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Erik Condra.

If, as expected, MacLean sticks with the same lineup on defence that faced Toronto Saturday, Eric Gryba will be the odd man out.

ANDERSON HAS SYMPATHY FOR QUICK: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, generally regarded as one of the league’s best netminders and a favourite to win the Vezina Trophy, was hearing catcalls during the Kings’ home opening 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers Monday.

In case you missed it on the highlights – er, lowlights — Quick misplayed Ryan McDonagh’s 165-foot clearing attempt into the Rangers third and final goal in the third period. With the Rangers killing a penalty, McDonagh banked the puck off the boards into his own zone. As Quick went out to play the puck in the faceoff circle to the left of the net, his stick slipped out of hands and the puck deflected off his blocker, directly into the net.

The LA Times labelled it an “epic gaffe” and Quick heard it from the fans after his next save.

“You guys are writing a story on that one goal?” Quick asked reporters following the game.

We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we didn’t.

Senators goaltender Craig Anderson, who will start Wednesday, says all netminders must have the ability to move on from those incidents.

“We’ve all been in that situation, a play we don’t like happens and you have to have a short term memory,” he said. “You can’t really rehash it or think about it. You’ve got to move forward. We’ve all given up a goal from further than the red line and the puck takes weird bounces. It’s part of the game. You put it behind you quickly. And he’s got a lot of good things to fall back on. I’m sure this little blip on the radar is behind him.”

JOE CORVO, THE EARLY DAYS: Before Joe Corvo came to the Senators the first time, back in 2006, he began his NHL career with the Kings, who drafted him in the fourth round (83rd overall) in 2007. His memories? “Living on the beach, I remember waking up every morning and looking out at the ocean, it was a pretty relaxed atmosphere.” And what did he do for fun? “I bought a long board and I used to long board along the sidewalk by the beach sometimes, played beach volleyball here and there. … I wasn’t the guy going down to Sunset Blvd. and staying up all night.”

TURRIS IS CAUGHT UP IN DODGER FEVER: When professional hockey players go to the West Coast for an extended stay, some catch some rays at the beach, some sit by the pool, some go shopping. Then there’s Senators centre Kyle Turris, who led a group of players to Chavez Ravine Monday night, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers pull out a come from behind 4-3 win over the Atlanta Braves to advance to the National League

Championship Series. “To see a Dodgers game in Dodgers stadium, in the playoffs, it was really neat, a great experience,” he said. “The atmosphere was neat. And how they won it was pretty special. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth and a runner on second and (Juan) Uribe fouled off the first two bunt attempts and then hit a dinger to go up 4-3. It was pretty cool.”



Numbers game: Bobby Ryan not like Heatley

by Ian Mendes

on October 8, 2013

The comparisons to Dany Heatley are obvious for Bobby Ryan.

For the first time since Heatley demanded a trade from Ottawa in the summer of 2009, Jason Spezza has a legitimate sniper on his wing.

Ryan has eclipsed the 30-goal plateau in each of the last four full National Hockey League seasons, and there is optimism in this town that he could elevate his game and replace the offence that has been missing since Heatley’s departure. If everything falls into place, Ryan could join Heatley as the only 50-goal scorers in franchise history.

At least, that’s how the perfect script plays out for Bryan Murray and Paul MacLean.

However, two games into the season, Ryan has yet to score a goal, and it would be a stretch to suggest he had any Grade-A scoring chances in those road contests at Buffalo and Toronto. If the comparisons to Heatley are inevitable, then Senators fans will be fretting because, when Heatley joined the team in the fall of 2005, he found instant chemistry with Spezza.

Heatley’s first October with the Senators was memorable, as he collected a point in all 10 games in which he played. He immediately endeared himself to Ottawa fans by racking up eight points in the three games he played against the Maple Leafs that month, including a four-goal performance at the Air Canada Centre.

The start was almost record-setting as Heatley collected at least a point in each of his first 22 games with the Senators. That fell just one game shy of tying the mark set by Wayne Gretzky with the Los Angeles Kings for the longest consecutive point streak to start with a new team. You could not have scripted a better start for Heatley in his new surroundings.

Those are big skates to fill for Ryan, but, if his personal history is any indication, he will take a while to find his groove. Ryan may have tweeted out “Ottawa … I’m coming in hot…” when the trade was made in July, but his track record suggests he is a player who comes to a slow boil instead.

During his four 30-goal seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, Ryan never got off to a fast start in October. His best start was in 2011-12, when he came out of the gates with two goals in his first eight games, which would be classified as tepid, but certainly not hot. In those 30-goal campaigns, he never entered the month of November with more than four goals.

In his career, Ryan has scored just 12 goals in 39 games in October, which marks his lowest output for any single month. In the season’s first month, Ryan has averaged just 0.30 goals a game, which would translate to a modest total of 25 if you pro-rated it over an entire 82-game schedule. It would also certainly be a safe bet that, if Ryan ended this season with only 25 goals, it would be seen as a major disappointment for the Senators.

By contrast, Ryan has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success in the month of January during his career. He has scored 30 goals in 59 games in that month, or 0.51 goals per game. If you project those numbers over an entire schedule, it would make Ryan a 42-goal scorer, and, if he ended this season with 42 goals, it would be widely viewed as a major success story in this market.

Ryan’s two linemates have the polar opposite reputation when it comes to their starts in the month of October. Milan Michalek is known for his fast starts to the season, which he usually has a hard time sustaining because of injuries. The Czech winger has 35 goals in 84 career games in the month of October, his most productive month on the calendar.

Spezza usually comes out of the gate with fast starts as well. In his career, the centre has averaged 1.14 points-per-game in the month of October, with 95 points in 83 games. Those numbers are in stark contrast to Spezza’s numbers in January, when he produces 0.88 points per game, with 65 points in 74 games.

So Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek’s best month (October) just happens to be Bobby Ryan’s worst; and Spezza’s worst month (January) is actually

Ryan’s best. It certainly makes them an intriguing line to watch as they try and form some chemistry.

The truth is that Ryan has been somewhere in between that 25-goal scorer from October and the 42-goal man in January, which is why he has averaged 33 goals in each of the last four full seasons. As long as he finds his groove at some point during this season, Senators fans will probably be willing to live with another slow start from their new sniper.



Ottawa Sens goaltender Craig Anderson defends Jonathan Quick mishap

By Bruce Garrioch ,Ottawa Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 08:38 PM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 08:52 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES - Craig Anderson might be in competition for a job on Team USA with Jonathan Quick.

But the Senators goalie was pretty quick to come to the defence of his Los Angeles Kings counterpart Tuesday.

Quick has assured himself a lifetime of highlight reels after his gaffe in a 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers here Monday.

Trying to come out to retrieve a clearing attempt with his club on the power play, the Kings watched helplessly as the puck went into the net after deflecting off his blocker as he tried to retrieve his lost stick.

"I just saw the replay of it," said Anderson. "We've all been in the situation where there's a play that we don't like that happens. You have to have short-term memory loss.

"You can't really re-hash it or think about it. You have to move forward. We've all given up a goal from the red line. Pucks take weird bounces. It's part of the game. You put it behind you pretty quickly.

"He's got a lot of good things to fall back on. I'm sure that this little blip on the radar is well in the past in his mind."

Quick was testy after the game.

"You guys are writing a story on that one goal?" Quick asked Los Angeles reporters. "My stick fell out of my hand. I tried to stop it with my blocker and it hit my blocker."

Quick added this wasn't the first time a goalie has had something embarrassing happen.

"Everybody gives up bad goals, that's part of the game," he said.

NICE NIGHT

This trip has already been memorable for C Kyle Turris and D Patrick Wiercioch. After arriving at the club's LA Live hotel, they went to the front desk to purchase tickets off Stubhub for Game 4 of the Los Angeles Dodgers' National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves. Accompanied by Senators public relations whiz Chris Moore and video coach Tim Pattyson, Turris and Wiercioch were on hand to watch the thrilling finish at Dodger Stadium, which is approximately a 15-minute drive away. "It was amazing," Turris said of the Dodgers' victory. "It was so neat. I'm really happy we went because to say we saw Clayton Kershaw pitching was pretty neat and to see a Dodgers' game in Dodger Stadium in the playoffs all came together really good and it was pretty cool. It was a special event." Turris never played baseball growing up, but loved the game and has some friends who play. To witness Juan Uribe's two-run homer in the eighth was something Turris will not soon forget. "I had never seen a playoff game. The atmosphere was neat and how they won it was pretty special. It was pretty cool," said Turris.

AROUND THE BOARDS

Anderson will make his third straight start against the Kings. Judging by practice, it appeared there weren't going to be any changes. Winger Matt Kassian, who suited up in place of Stephane Da Costa Saturday in Toronto, was skating on the fourth line. Those decisions will depend on the status of C Jason Spezza. If he isn't ready to go, then Da Costa will play ... The Kings could have Daniel Carcillo back in the lineup vs. Ottawa. He skated on a line with Mike Richards in practice Tuesday. That doesn't necessarily mean that's where they play in the game, but they did skate together the odd time in Philly. Coach Darryl Sutter changed all his lines, but noted "it doesn't mean" anything.

THE LAST WORD

Gotta give Senators RW Bobby Ryan credit. He had a small crowd of adoring fans in the stands at the Kings' practice facility Tuesday and he

took the time to say hello and sign anything while still wearing his gear. Ryan, who played down the highway in nearby Anaheim before being dealt to the Senators, received hugs and smiled for the cameras while signing jerseys or pictures for the approximately 15 people in the stands. He'll make his Anaheim homecoming Sunday at 8 p.m. on the third game of this trip. Ryan was pretty popular with the Ducks and one fan even gave him a nice bottle of California red. Ryan's agent Pat Morris was on TSN 1200 Tuesday and indicated he was given word in the spring that the Ducks were likely going to move the high-scoring winger. With Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry under contract, the Ducks had cap concerns.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 10.09.2013


Ottawa Sens look to put an end to troubles in Los Angeles



LOS ANGELES - The Senators won't win any Oscars for the way they've performed in Hollywood over the years.

The Senators have only one victory in 13 games (1-11-1) against the Kings in Los Angeles. The last win came 13 years ago on Jan. 11, 2000 -- a 4-3 victory. Only one player -- veteran Chris Phillips -- is left and he didn't even play.

"Maybe it's me -- if I've played in every game since then," said Phillips with a smile.

The Senators are 0-5-1 in La La Land since their last win. As they prepare to open this four-game Western swing vs. the Kings Wednesday night, the Senators are determined to get one of the longest road trips of the year off on a strong note.

Not much can really explain why the Senators have had such a difficult time beating the Kings in Los Angeles. Yes, the three-hour time difference is one thing, but there's also the distraction of being in a place where hockey is secondary.

With this trip coming early and the weather still relatively decent in Ottawa, the Senators are hoping the change doesn't seem so massive.

"Maybe I can be part of helping turn the tides," said Phillips. "It's one of those stats that obviously doesn't look favourable on us but for whatever reason I'm not sure (why) we haven't had any success.

"That is what (Wednesday) is for, to try to change that."

Coming off a 5-4 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs Saturday in Toronto, the Senators know they need to have a better effort defensively. The blew a two-goal lead and let a point slip away against an Atlantic Division rival.

The Kings aren't going to be an easy test. Coach Darryl Sutter is demanding. The Senators know that they have their work cut out for them.

"They're a really solid team and fundamentally sound," said centre Kyle Turris, who faced the Kings a lot while playing in Phoenix. "They're a big, tough and strong team. They play physical. They play a sound game. We have to play ours."

Coach Paul MacLean said this will be a good test.

"They don't give you a lot of opportunities. They really make you work for any chances around the net," he said. "They are probably, in the Western Conference, the most physical team."



Sens captain Jason Spezza questionable for game against Los Angeles Kings



LOS ANGELES - No matter how you look at it, it's a sore spot for the Senators.

While captain Jason Spezza returned to practice with his teammates Tuesday at the Toyota Sports Complex in nearby El Segundo, there are no guarantees he'll be in the lineup Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Though Spezza's sore groin was fine after the hour-long skate under the watchful eye of Paul MacLean, the Senators coach doesn't want the injury to be an issue all season and is considering sitting the star until he's 100%.

Spezza took Monday off from practice and MacLean is determined to make sure the club takes the right course of action.

"Managing (the injury) is the right thing to do and if we have the healing process going in the right direction, we should maintain that," MacLean said.

"That may mean possibly missing games, possibly continuing the rehab process. We want to make sure we nip this in the bud. To me, it's starting to become chronic with the way it has happened.

"It happened in training camp, then there's a setback and a setback. We need to stop this and we need to nip this in the bud. Medically, he had a good day (Tuesday) after a day of the rest, but at the same time the right thing to do might be more rest and continue to strengthen it.

"We'll evaluate it again (Wednesday) but at some point we have to make sure he's 100% healthy and ready to play."

Spezza, who tweaked the groin in camp and suited up for only two exhibition games, said the injury has hurt his play, but he doesn't think it has hampered his contribution.

"It's hindered my skating the first couple of games," said Spezza. "It felt better (Tuesday). I skated better. It has definitely hindered me a little bit but I still thought I was able to get up and down the ice all right.

"Can I be better? Definitely. I will probably skate better when I don't have pain. For the most part, I thought for the first couple of games I was able to create lots."

MacLean wouldn't guarantee Spezza will play vs. the Kings.

"It could be in doubt, yeah," admitted MacLean. "I have to talk to (athletic therapist) Gerry (Townend), talk to (Spezza) and we've got to do an evaluation to make the right decision. We need to make the decision that is right moving forward so that he's not in and out of the lineup.

"We don't need that. We need Jason healthy, 100% and playing the game the way he can play. Not hobbling around and trying to make it game-by-game."

If Spezza is given the choice, you know he's going to opt to play. He missed most of last season with a back injury and is determined to help lead this team to the playoffs.

"It was good. I had a good skate. It's kind of been gradually improving every day and we're just trying to manage it to make sure it doesn't get worse and really hinder me for a longer period of time (than it has) to," said Spezza.

"It's not perfect but it's getting better. Playing back-to-back games (Friday and Saturday to open the season), it was nice to have a couple of days off and the schedule permitted it so we thought we'd use it to our advantage."

MacLean said he has final say on the lineup.

"At some point I can step in and say, 'No, we're not going to do that and we're going to do this,' " said MacLean. "We're going to evaluate the whole thing.

"He could be in the lineup (vs. the Kings). We could evaluate, say everything is good, give the green light and let's go but I think we have to evaluate it to make sure we're not just adding to the problem ... Have him play (Wednesday) and then not play on the weekend.

"We don't want Jason Spezza in and out of the lineup for the next 80 games. We want him in the lineup so if he's in the lineup for 70 games that's way better than in and out of the lineup for 80. That's where the evaluation process is for me. We're going to go through it and make the decision."


720313 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers beat Panthers in Berube's first game

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 2:02 AM

A little luck and a lot of excellent work by goalie Steve Mason.

That combination enabled the Flyers to make Craig Berube's head coaching debut a success, a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Mason, in his best performance of the young season, made 33 saves as the Flyers (1-3) avoided their first 0-4 start in franchise history.

"He made some key stops," winger Brayden Schenn said, "or it could have been a different hockey game."

First-period goals by Schenn and Braydon Coburn gave the Flyers a 2-0 lead until Brad Boyes scored on a rebound with 6.7 seconds left in the second period.

Schenn scored after Jake Voracek's shot bounced crazily off the back boards, and he knocked in the rebound after it caromed away from goalie Tim Thomas after 4 minutes, 49 seconds.

A little less than three minutes later, Coburn's bizarre goal - a shot from the right point - put the Flyers ahead, 2-0. Sean Couturier's shot went wide as Thomas fell down, and the goalie, while trying to get back on his feet, got his skates tangled with teammate Mike Weaver as Coburn fired the rebound into the empty net.

"Throw stuff at the net and good things can happen," Coburn said.

Thomas left the game with what the Panthers said was a slight groin pull, and his replacement, Jacob Markstrom, was flawless in relief.

Mason was brilliant in the first two periods, stopping 24 of 25 shots, including Aleksander Barkov's wide-open blast from the slot in the opening period. Late in the second period, he turned aside Shawn Matthias on a shorthanded breakaway.

But in the closing seconds of the second period, Mason was defenseless as teammate Luke Schenn blocked Brian Campbell's shot and the rebound went to Boyes, who easily knocked in the goal to cut the Flyers' lead to 2-1.

Before the game, winger Scott Hartnell said the Flyers would be "more of a skating team" under Berube. "If you don't work hard and don't win battles, you're not going to win games, and I think that was the problem the first few games. We were getting outhustled and outworked, and when you wear the Flyers crest, you have to be hard-nosed, skating fast, hitting. . . . That's something we weren't getting done."

Discipline has also been a problem, and Tuesday was no exception. Jay Rosehill's double-minor for roughing was a prime example. Rosehill was already assessed a penalty and was heading to the box when he went back for more with 17:12 left in the game.

The Flyers masterfully killed off the four minutes and actually outshot the Panthers during the penalty.

"I don't think they had a quality shot on net during that entire time," Mason said. "The penalty killers did a great job."

Berube said the goalie competition between Mason and Ray Emery will "play itself out." Mason has started the last two games and has been strong in both outings.

"Myself and Ray would like to start every game of the year if it was possible, but it's not," Mason said. "You just take it day by day. . . . We're not going to dwell on who's starting and who's not."

Midway through the third period, the Flyers did little with a five-minute power play, which they received because of Erik Gudbranson's boarding penalty.

"We have to support each other more. Some guys were on a different page," Hartnell said before the game. "I think if you play good defense, you're going to get good chances on the rush on offense."

Hartnell called the coaching change - Peter Laviolette was fired Monday - a "wake-up call. This morning I woke up and it kind of really sunk in that I'm going to have a half-hour of meetings, a new system, new coach, new everything.

"It's sad, obviously," he said of the situation, "but it's exciting, too, going forward."

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 10.09.2013


Flyers Notes: Berube shakes up lines in coaching debut



Trying to put his imprint on the team early, new Flyers coach Craig Berube made adjustments to all four lines and the three defensive pairings Tuesday night.

The lineup worked as the Flyers defeated Florida, 2-1, in Berube's head coaching debut at the Wells Fargo Center.

Berube moved wingers Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek, and Matt Read to different lines from those in the previous game, a 2-1 loss in Carolina on Sunday that was the last contest Peter Laviolette coached for the Flyers. He also scratched Kris Newbury, who was on the fourth line Sunday, and inserted Jay Rosehill.

Here were the lines and pairings:

Claude Giroux centering Scott Hartnell and Simmonds.

Vinny Lecavalier centering Brayden Schenn and Voracek.

Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Read.

Adam Hall centering Zac Rinaldo and Rosehill.

Defense: Kimmo Timonen-Luke Schenn; Braydon Coburn-Nick Grossmann; Andrej Meszaros-Mark Streit.

The first two pairings were the same as last season. Streit is a newcomer in the other pairing.

In the first three games, Laviolette used Timonen with Coburn, and Schenn with Streit.

"I didn't see much from the pairings that were going on, so I made some changes - Coby and Grossy as a shutdown pair, Streit and Meszaros can both handle the puck real well, and I think Kimmo and Schenner were good together last year," Berube said. "And up front, we haven't scored a lot of goals and I mixed them up a little bit."

The Flyers had a total of three goals in the first three games.

Unlike the case in Laviolette's system, Berube places an emphasis on defense. He started to implement his system at practice Tuesday morning.

"You don't want to give them too much" too soon, "but we need to work on some things," Berube said.

Said Giroux, "We hit on the bigger pieces, and it's going to be a process to make sure we're all on the same page."

Giroux said Berube will "demand hard work and demand you be accountable for yourself. I think we need that. Myself and the team. We need to have a better mind-set going into a game."

Breakaways

New assistant Ian Laperriere will coach the penalty kill, a job Berube had been handling. Assistant Joey Mullen will continue to coach the power play. The Flyers were among the league's best in both categories last season. . . . The Flyers scored two even-strength goals in the opening period, doubling their total for the first three games.



Berube off to a Flying start

FRANK SERAVALLI, Daily News Staff Writer [email protected]


JAY ROSEHILL was a bad boy.

Skating to the penalty box, Rosehill had been whistled for a roughing penalty. The play was over. Then, instinct kicked in - as Rosehill watched Zac Rinaldo being ganged up on by four Florida Panthers.

"I kind of felt like a dummy just standing there while Zac had four guys on him," Rosehill said. "So, I made my way over there."

In most cases, any coach would appreciate his player standing up for a teammate - even more so, you would think, a former enforcer like Craig Berube.

But no coach, especially in his first NHL game, would appreciate that in the third period with his team protecting a scant, 2-1 lead.

"I thought it was a weak call originally," Berube said. "What [Rosehill] did after that was unacceptable. He can't do it. He knows that."

Rosehill was given an extra 2 minutes. Berube was given the choice to accept a five-on-three disadvantage for 2 minutes or a five-on-four disadvantage for 4 minutes. It was a no-brainer.

But, what to do with Rosehill? That was a seemingly tougher question.

"You want me to spank him?" Berube deadpanned.

No, the Flyers didn't spank the Panthers last night. But with the game on the line, the Flyers killed off all 4 minutes shorthanded and held onto the 2-1 edge to give their brand-spanking-new coach his first NHL win in a sold-out Wells Fargo Center.

That penalty kill helped the Flyers avoid the first 0-4 start in franchise history. With Berube's win, Flyers coaches as midseason replacements are now 4-3-1 in their first game at the helm. Berube, a longtime assistant coach, replaced Peter Laviolette on Monday.

"I'm not sure we gave up a scoring chance in that 4-minute penalty kill," Berube said. "They did a real good job."

With Rosehill in the box and a daunting 4 minutes on the board, Scott Hartnell thought back to Laviolette's Flyers debut back on Dec. 5, 2009, against Washington. Hartnell is one of five players (Claude Giroux, Braydon Coburn, Kimmo Timonen and Ray Emery) remaining from that game.

It was hard to forget. In one sequence with 5:27 remaining in the first period, Dan Carcillo received 29 minutes in penalties and left the Flyers to kill off 9 incredible minutes shorthanded. Washington scored three times on that power play, on the way to an 8-2 shellacking of the Flyers.

"That was awful," Hartnell said.

The Flyers limped to a 2-7-1 start under Laviolette and fell to 15th place in the Eastern Conference. Last night's game could have easily gone the same way.

"I don't think we want to do that in a tight game, when we've struggled to get a win," Hartnell said. "But the six penalty-killers and the [defense] did a great job. [Steve] Mason made some big saves. It was just an outstanding effort."

Berube, an assistant coach with the Flyers since 2006, appreciated the effort. But he still saw some things that he didn't like - in a game in which the Flyers received two gift-wrapped goals before 39-year-old Tim Thomas exited with a pulled groin.

Thomas had been 8-0-0 with a .950 save percentage in his career in Philadelphia entering the night. Brayden Schenn and Coburn were the gift recipients.

Other than those two tallies - which both took strange caroms off the back boards - the Flyers' offense was still eerily silent. In four games, Giroux, Hartnell, Jake Voracek and Wayne Simmonds have failed to register a

single point. The Flyers were outshot, 34-30, by a Panthers team that lost its last game by a 7-0 score. And after that huge kill, the Flyers squandered a 5-minute power play of their own.

"The power play has got to get better. Just offensively, we've got to be better. We've got to have more of an attack," Berube said. "At times, we played great. But there are still some things to improve on. It's a learning thing. We're going to get better at it. We've got a ways to go."

There were other, positive signs that came after just one 50-minute morning skate. Like, Mason stealing the show with a 33-save performance. Or, Simmonds dropping down below the goal line in support in the defensive zone in the first period. Or, the best skating effort of the season. No player could deny the emotional boost of a new boss on the bench.

Overall, it was ugly. But it's a win - one more than both Berube and the Flyers had on their resume to start the day.

"It wasn't pretty, but it was good," Hartnell said. "I hope this is the beginning of something special."

Slap shots

Craig Berube accumulated 3,149 penalty minutes in his NHL playing career, second only to Dale Hunter (3,565) of anyone who eventually became a head coach . . . Last night also marked Ian Laperriere's first game as an assistant coach and John Paddock's first game behind an NHL bench since April 4, 2008, when he was head coach in Ottawa . . . Andrej Meszaros led the Flyers in ice time with 21:31.



Berube stresses importance of defensive play

FRANK SERAVALLI, Daily News Staff Writer [email protected]


MINUTES INTO his introductory news conference as the Flyers' 18th head coach, Craig Berube thanked Ed Snider and Paul Holmgren for the opportunity. He said it was an honor.

Then, more important, the next words out of his mouth were about his new team's play without the puck.

"For me right now, I don't see our team doing a very good job without the puck," Berube said. "Everybody's going to look at, 'We only scored three goals in three games.' You want to score more goals? Do your job without the puck. Put yourself in a position to defend, and you'll get turnovers and get more opportunities the other way."

It was apparent through the Flyers' first three losses under Peter Laviolette that the team's play in the defensive zone was lacking. But that doesn't mean Berube would term himself as someone with a defense-first scheme.

Berube just doesn't believe in "always offensive," as Holmgren explained it. As one former Flyer, who played for Laviolette and wished to remain nameless, explained it, "You aren't going to win very often when you're giving up 15-plus scoring chances per night."

"It's not so much a defense-minded approach," Berube said. "We want to be an aggressive team on both sides of the puck. I want them to play as a team. They need to understand that they don't want to let their teammates down. Don't leave your goalie out to dry. Play the team game, all the time."

Berube's message resonated with his players, even after only one or two meetings. They had already understood that their sloppy play in the defensive zone - as a team, not only the defensemen - was unacceptable.

"Basically, we're playing as individuals right now. You don't win like that," Claude Giroux said before last night's game. "Like he said, [we need to] be playing without the puck, being in a good position and supporting your teammates. We need the whole team to be on the same page and working together."

As hard as it was to see Laviolette packing up his office, as Scott Hartnell said, not everyone was working off the same game plan. The Flyers have offensive talent, but without any support, there wasn't enough help defensively to get the puck to them.

"Defensively, we weren't playing good enough," Hartnell said. "Guys have been on different pages, at the far blue line when we're playing in our own zone. If you play defense, you're going to get good chances on the rush. This was a wake-up call, coming to the rink with new meetings, new systems, a new coach. I think we've got to support each other more."

Players shoulder blame

Less than 24 hours after watching their coach take the fall, the Flyers' players were ready and willing to accept their share of the blame for Laviolette's dismissal.

"You hear the rumors," Hartnell said. "It's hard to accept sometimes what is going on. A lot of the onus is on us as players. The preseason was bad. Our scorers haven't scored. We were getting outmuscled, outworked. Unfortunately, someone has to take the fall. But we've got to look at ourselves in the mirror."

Giroux said that Monday was "a tough day," that "it was a little sad to see him leave."

"We're the ones on the ice," Giroux said. "We're the ones doing the job. Obviously, we didn't get the job done."

What are the odds?

Chances are slim that Laviolette remains out of work for long. Two days after being fired in November 2011, Bruce Boudreau relocated from Washington to Anaheim. The Ducks fired their coach, Randy Carlyle, hours after a 4-1 win, just so they could nab Boudreau while he was still available.

Laviolette's availability may put a little extra pressure on those coaches teetering on the hot seat. Any team would need to ask the Flyers for permission to speak to Laviolette, as his contract with doesn't expire until June 2015. Surely, the Flyers would love to be able to stop paying him if he is hired elsewhere.

For the record, Las Vegas sportsbook Bovada updated its odds for the next NHL coach to be fired: Calgary's Bob Hartley (2/1), Carolina's Kirk Muller (5/2), Minnesota's Mike Yeo (7/2), Winnipeg's Claude Noel (4/1), Florida's Kevin Dineen (13/2) and New Jersey's Pete DeBoer (13/2).



Mason strong in goal in helping lead Flyers' first win under Berube

ED BARKOWITZ, Daily News Staff Writer [email protected]


COLLEAGUE Frank Seravalli was charged with selecting the three stars for last night's game at the Wells Fargo Center, and nobody who was in the house would have had a problem if they were Steve Mason, Steve Mason and Steve Mason.

The Flyers still struggled offensively, but were lucky enough to scratch out a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers, thanks largely to Mason's 33 saves.

"We saw that at the end of last year, and he's been playing great this year," said Brayden Schenn, who netted the Flyers' first goal. "We were just happy to be able to score for him and just get the win for him. It could have been a different hockey game if he didn't have the game that he had."

New coach Craig Berube stopped shy of anointing Mason his starting goalie. It was the guy's first game, so he deserves a little breathing room. If Chip Kelly, the longest tenured coach in the city, can use a whole training camp to decide his starting quarterback, there's no reason Berube needs to make a decision after his first game as an NHL head coach.

"I'm not worried about it right now," Berube said. "It will play itself out. We're going to need both guys. There's lots of games, lots of back-to-back games and eventually it'll get to where it's going to get."

Mason has started three of the Flyers' four games and said last night he was honored to be in net for Berube's debut. Bit of trivia here. Who was the starting goalie for Peter Laviolette's first game as Flyers coach in 2009?

Ray Emery, Mason's backup last night. The Flyers have numerous problems right now, but goaltending is not one of them.

The defense in front of Mason was at times sloppy, but was sterling during a 4-minute penalty kill in the third period.

In the first, Mason had to make a dandy blocker save on Aleksander Barkov and then another stop on Ryan Whitney. In the second, he stopped Shawn Matthias on a clean breakaway when Kimmo Timonen fumbled the puck at his own blue line.

"Part of the position is coming up big on key opportunities, and, at the end of the first period, there were a couple saves there that needed to be made in order to preserve the lead," Mason said. "Just moving forward, it's something to build off of, and, you know, feeling good about that right now."

Mason bailed out Timonen with the stop on Matthias, but couldn't help out the veteran defenseman when he fell flat on his face trying to hop over the boards during a stoppage of play late in the third period.

"He's old, so I'm not going to say anything," longtime teammate Braydon Coburn said, laughing.

Another old guy who had his difficulties was Florida goaltender Tim Thomas, who allowed two goals in the first 8 minutes. He flopped futilely around the net on both goals before taking himself out with what the team called a lower-body injury.

By that time, Coburn netted the game-winner. All that was left was for Mason to become the first star.

"We knew they were going to come out hard; any team does that when they get a new coach," the Panthers' Matthias said. "They were playing hard, and I thought we had a strong game . . . Mason played really well tonight and he had an answer for a lot of tough shots."



Flyers' Giroux needs to play better

Sam Donnellon, Daily News Sports Columnist


IF TIM THOMAS had only shown up earlier in the week, Peter Laviolette might still have a job.

Then again, if Claude Giroux had shown up at any point of this early season, or even during his injury pre-empted preseason, the same might be true.

A day after the Stanley Cup-winning coach was canned due to uninspired and unconfident play, the Panthers' ancient goaltender served up two early goals to jump-start the debut of Craig Berube as head coach before removing himself less than 8 minutes in with a groin injury.

The rout was on - or so it seemed. Certainly with this cushion, the Flyers' scorers, and particularly their pointless captain, finally would loosen their Kung Fu grips on their sticks and reign hell down upon Thomas' backup, Jacob Markstrom.

Right?

"It's not like I'm not trying out there," Giroux said after his pointless streak was extended to all four games in the Flyers' 2-1 victory. "It's just that the plays are not there and I'm trying to make them there."

If you're looking for a poster child for the Flyers' inertia in this young season, look no further than their young captain. Giroux had one shot in last night's victory, and was on the ice for Florida's lone goal. Is he hurt? He says no. He insists the tendons in his right hand are not bothering him, that his rough start is a mental thing that he hopes will go away as soon as this morning.

"It's a beautiful game and you've got to enjoy it," he said. "Feels like I'm not enjoying it right now. So I go back to the basics and maybe play more physical. I don't know. I'm sure I'll figure it out, though."

Meanwhile, it is bound to look like it did again last night, despite the coaching change and a shift in philosophy. Time and time again, the Flyers' young guns had their sticks on pucks around the crease, and time and again pucks were shot wide or right into the pads of Markstrom.

Markstrom was named the game's second star. He should have sent the Flyers' shooters his gift certificate - particularly those who failed to score on five power-play attempts, including one lasting 4 minutes.

Still, a win's a win, even if it came against a guy who looked about as nimble as Bernie Parent would - right now. First, Thomas waved feebly as Jakub Voracek's slap shot banged straight-as-an-arrow off the boards behind his net and into the slot, allowing Brayden Schenn to bang in the night's first goal. A few minutes later, Thomas again reacted so slowly off a rebound to his left that Braydon Coburn scored into a half-empty net from the half boards.

Two goals, five shots. Thomas skated to his own bench before being beckoned, listing awkwardly, clearly ailing.

A gift. Or could have been, for a team even mildly prolific.

The Flyers are not that team. And if their newest coach learned anything last night, it is that one practice and one coaching-staff change is not nearly enough to change them into one.

"The players are squeezing their sticks," he said. "Everyone can see that."

This in no way is intended to indict their effort. Yes, they were outshot by the Panthers and, yes, Steve Mason stole this game in a way we have rarely seen a goalie steal games in these parts over the last few seasons. But with that effort this could have and should have been a more comfortable victory.

The question that remains, one game into Berube's tenure, is whether a game like this will finish any different 20 games from now, once the assembled roster that Ed Snider was so excited about early in the summer has time to sort out its sizable kinks.

The other theory, the one that induced so many to predict a season short of a playoff berth, is that what you saw last night is what you're going to get 20 games from now. That there is not enough talent on the current roster or waiting behind it in the minor leagues to significantly improve the tepid offense of a season ago, Vinny Lecavalier or no Vinny Lecavalier, Craig Berube or Peter Laviolette.

Especially if Giroux' ineptitude continues, or if - horrors - he is not being forthright about that right hand of his.

"Confidence,'' he said. "That's where it's gonna start. It's gonna come. When you play good defense it's going to create offense. Our line has to be better defensively, I have to be better defensively and when we do that we're going to have more chances.''

Giroux looked up to the ceiling. He talked again about how, "It's a beautiful game" and someone brought up Parent, how that was a pet phrase of his.

"It is a beautiful game," Giroux said. "I don't know if you think that sometimes, though."

Not last night. Not this season yet. Twenty games from now?

That's the millions-of-dollars-in-contracts question.



Flyers win, but Giroux's slump continues



Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who had finger surgery on Aug. 15, has zero points through the first four games. New head coach Craig Berube says it’s not for a lack of effort.

“He’s fine, he’s healthy,” Berube said after the Flyers’ inartistic 2-1 win over visiting Florida on Tuesday night. “I think G’s trying a little bit too hard. He gives everything he’s got out there and sometimes it’s too much. You try too hard and you can’t accomplish the things you want to accomplish.”

Giroux had just one shot on goal Tuesday, but he did win 14 of 24 faceoffs (58 percent) and block three shots.

“I’m not confident right now,” said Giroux, who had 48 points in 48 games last season.

He downplayed the slump.

“You always have a stretch like that during the season,” he said.

Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Matt Read and Max Talbot are also among the players looking for their first point. As a team, the Flyers have scored a total of five goals in four games.

Goalie competition. Steve Mason has started three of the first four games, including two straight, and appears to have taken the lead in the goalie competition with Ray Emery.

“I’m not worried about it right now,” Berube said. “Like I’ve said, it’ll play itself out. We’re going to need both guys. There’s lots of games, lots of back-to-back games.”

In three starts, Mason has a 2.02 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage.

Post-Lavy firing. A day after Peter Laviolette’s firing _ and the dismissal of one of his assistants, Kevin McCarthy _ the players were still feeling guilty.

“I think that all the guys in this room feel responsible for the two guys that lost their jobs,” defenseman Braydon Coburn said. “They’re good guys and good coaches, but unfortunately that is a part of the hockey business sometimes. And it’s a part of the game and the guys in this room understand that, and if we’ve got a chance to win a game, we’ve got to make sure to do that no matter who the coach is. There are things we tried to do a little differently tonight. A different style.”

Berube’s option. In a bizarre rule that rarely comes into play, Berube was given a choice in the third period _ accept a four-minute five-on-four disadvantage, or a two-minute five-on-three disadvantage.

He chose the former. (The Panthers failed to score.)

At 2:48 of the third period, the Flyers’ Jay Rosehill was assessed a double-minor for roughing, while teammate Zac Rinaldo and the Panthers’ Tomas Kopecky were assessed coincidental minors for roughing. In that situation, per the 2013-14 NHL Rulebook, Table 17, Example 7, the Flyers are given the “choice to play one player short-handed for four minutes or two players short-handed for two minutes.”

Breakaways. The Flyers outhit the Panthers, 28-12. Rinaldo had five hits in 10:19…The Flyers are 2 for 19 on the PP and have killed off 17 of 20 penalties….The Flyers host Phoenix on Friday.



Berube lets goonish behavior slide

Mike Sielski, Inquirer Columnist


The Flyers had introduced Craig Berube as their new head coach Monday morning with a shower of promises and platitudes about toughness and leadership and accountability.

Over his 17 years as an NHL player, Berube had forged a reputation as one of the league's most intimidating enforcers, racking up more than 3,000 penalty minutes in his career, never fearing to drop the gloves and tread on the dark side of his sport.

From Ed Snider to Peter Luukko to Paul Holmgren, the organization's power people had framed Berube's promotion as the perfect antidote for a team that had lost its discipline and tenacity.

If the Flyers had played loose and disorganized hockey under Peter Laviolette in losing their first three games, Berube wouldn't let such laziness slide, and the team would have no choice but to shape up. What player in his right mind, after all, would dare cross Chief?

It took little more than two periods into Berube's first game, a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, to find out. A fourth-line forward named Jay Rosehill - a player with three goals and 278 penalty minutes in 86 NHL games, a player whose primary purpose on the Flyers' roster is to throw his fists - was guilty of the goonish behavior that so often turns hockey into a laughingstock.

Already whistled for one roughing infraction and about to enter the penalty box early in the third period, Rosehill instead spun around and skated across the ice on a search-and-destroy mission. He inserted himself into a skirmish, knocking down Panthers forward Tomas Kopecky, earning another roughing penalty and a 10-minute misconduct and leaving the Flyers shorthanded for four minutes.

That the Flyers muffled the Panthers over that stretch, holding them to one shot on goal and killing off the penalties, is beside the point. Rosehill's irresponsible actions could have changed the course of a one-goal game, a game his team needed to win, yet there was Berube afterward, mitigating Rosehill's first penalty and offering a halfhearted condemnation of the indefensible.

"Well, I thought it was a weak call originally," Berube said. "And then what he did afterward was unacceptable. He can't do it. He knows that."

Did the coach have some sort of punishment in mind?

"You want me to spank him?" Berube said. "Get lost."

It was a funny line, and with it, Berube deftly let himself off the hook. No, Chief, we don't want you to smack the bottom of a 6-foot-3, 215-pound left winger. But it would be good if you benched him. In fact, it would be better if you and Holmgren did the right thing and cut him.

Berube and Holmgren will never do such a thing, because these are the Flyers, and they still cling to that tired belief that an NHL team has to suit up at least one fighter every night to protect its other, more talented players. The Detroit Red Wings, with their commitment to skill and speed and synchronicity, have been proving that theory wrong for two decades, but no matter. The Flyers stick to it, so Rosehill will stay.

Never mind that his presence keeps a more competent player - Kris Newbury, who assisted on the Flyers' only goal in their previous game - out of the lineup. Never mind that the player Rosehill went to rescue wasn't Claude Giroux or Jake Voracek - it was the Flyers' other tough guy, Zac Rinaldo. These are the Flyers. This is the franchise of Dave Schultz and Dave Brown and, well, Craig Berube. This is a culture that never, ever needs to change. So, yes, Rosehill probably will stay.

"When Zac's surrounded by four other guys, I feel the need to get in there," Rosehill said. "Sometimes, I think I've got to let him handle it himself."

Understand the context of what Rosehill did and when he did it: The Flyers were winless. The day before, they had fired their coach. They were

outplayed Tuesday night; they won only because Steve Mason was marvelous in goal for them and, before removing himself from the game with a lower-body injury, Tim Thomas was less than marvelous for the Panthers.

Rosehill shouldn't have had to think at all. He should have plopped down in the penalty box rather than jeopardize a victory for the sake of protecting a teammate who could protect himself.

So here comes Craig Berube's first true test in his new job, and if all anyone remembers from Tuesday night is his one-liner in the postgame news conference, he will have failed it. Eight shifts, less than five minutes of ice time, 14 penalty minutes, and sole responsibility for a power play that could have cost his team the game - that was the sum of Rosehill's night. It should be his last in a Flyers uniform. If Berube and the men who made him an NHL coach are good on their word, it will be.



'Machete Kills' star enjoys Flyers game

Mare McKeever

Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 10:06 PM

Danny Trejo, the star of ‘Machete Kills’, was in attendance at the Flyers game Tuesday night against the Florida Panthers.

He posted several pictures from his seat at the Wells Fargo Center on his Twitter account. First he appears in an all black attire and then he really spices things up with a Scott Hartnell jersey complete with a black ‘Machete Kills’ hat; kind of frightening.

Trejo also managed to pose with a Flyers Skate Girl down by the ice but he still manages to maintain that spooky, bone-chilling facial expression.

If you’ve seen the trailer for ‘Machete Kills’, then you know how horrifying Danny Trejo can appear to be and apparently it’s not only in character but in person as well.

At least he got to see a 2-1 win for the Flyers. I can only imagine how he would have reacted if they lost.



Come On, Baby, Light My Flyer

Bob Vetrone Jr.


Those expecting at new and improved performance from the Flyers Tuesday night just based on the new head coach may be disappointed. The seven previous Flyers coaches to take over in midseason were 3-3-1 in their debut ... although when you compare it to 0-3-0, .500 doesn't look so bad:

(We have purposely left out the Craig Ramsay/Roger Neilson change in 2000, since Ramsay was filling in for Neilson because of his cancer treatment. Neilson was let go in the offseason before he was able to return.)

Date New Coach Opponent Result

2/1/79 Pat

Quinn Islanders L 1-4

3/20/82 Bob

McCammon @Whalers W 5-2

12/5/91 Bill

Dineen Capitals L 3-6

3/10/98 Roger

Neilson Devils T 2-2

12/10/00 Bill

Barber Islanders W 5-2

10/26/06 John

Stevens Thrashers W 3-2 (so)

12/5/09 Peter

Laviolette Capitals L 2-8

10/9/13 Craig

Berube Panthers —



Flyers Old Hat at Making Change

Bob Vetrone Jr.


Peter Laviolette is the eighth Flyers coach to be replaced in mid-season, yet somehow he is only the third of those eight coaches who had a losing record to that point in the season. (And, yes, current general manager Paul Holmgren, who fired Lavvy Monday, was one of the other two.)

As a whole, the eight outgoing coaches were a combined 10 games over .500. The incoming coaches did improve on that slightly, with a record 15 games over.

John Stevens, who replaced Ken Hitchcock in 2006, is the only of the seven replacements that did not finish out the season with a winning record.

Below are the Flyers nine mid-season coaching changes due to firings.



Flyers players take blame for Laviolette's firing



On the Day After the Coach Was Fired After Three Games, the Flyers players took responsibility for Peter Laviolette's dismissal.

"We have to look in the mirror at ourselves," winger Scott Hartnell said following a morning practice in Voorhees, preparing for Tuesday night's game against Florida.

"We're the ones on the ice. We're the ones doing the job, and obviously we didn't get the job done," captain Claude Giroux said. "Obviously we need to play more as a team on the ice. There's no doubt that off the ice we're a team and we like each other. We just need to show it on the ice now."

Laviolette was fired Monday, a day after the Flyers fell to 0-3, and was replaced by Craig Berube.

"It was a tough day yesterday," Giroux said. "I was with Lavy for a while, and to see him leave is a little sad, but it's the business part of it. We need to understand that, and having Chief [Berube] come in, we'll have a different mind-set. . . . The guys are pretty excited to get back on track."

In starting the season 0-3 under Laviolette, the Flyers were outscored, 9-3.

"You hear rumors that if we didn't get off to a good start, something would happen, but it wasn't in our minds when we were going out on the ice for practice and games," Hartnell said. "A lot of the onus is on us players, too. We didn't have a great start. The preseason was bad and our scorers haven't been scoring. It's unfortunate that someone has to take the fall. We have to look in the mirror at ourselves and realize a big part of it was probably us."

Braydon Coburn, a defenseman who is the longest-tenured Flyer on the roster, said "a lot of guys were pretty surprised" by the early firing. "It's disappointing to have someone who a lot of guys care about get dismissed like that."

Coburn was unaware of the comments made by chairman Ed Snider, who called the Flyers' training camp a "disaster," and said he had never seen one worse in the 47 years since he founded the club.

"He's the boss and has a lot of years in hockey," Coburn said. "We didn't have the best record in training camp [1-5-1], but we have room to build here."

Giroux was asked whether there was truth to a national story that suggested there was friction between the Flyers and Laviolette.

"I don't think so," he said. "Not with me, anyway. I think everybody loved Lavy. He was close with the players. He was close with me, especially."

"Obviously, you don't want to see a good guy like Lavy go," Hartnell said. "Ever since he got here a few years ago, he got the guys going. He got the guys refocused the year we made the Cup run [in 2010]. Personally, he did a lot of great things for me. He made me a better player on the ice, and a better guy off the ice, too.

"I'm going to miss Lavy. In this game, it's hard sometimes to accept what's going on, but I think, moving forward, Chief has a lot of respect from the guys in this dressing room. He's played before - especially with the way he played - and he deserves respect."



Flyers accept responsibility for firing

Frank Seravalli


Craig Berube met with his new team for the first time on Monday afternoon and his message was short, but not sweet.

“I basically told them what I didn’t like so far,” Berube said. “It was just my displeasure with the first three games, what I saw, and what we need to correct.”

His players already understood. Firing coach Peter Laviolette was already a big enough wake-up call.

“You hear the rumors,” Scott Hartnell said. “It’s hard to accept sometimes what is going on. A lot of the onus is on us as players. The preseason was bad. Our scorers haven’t been scoring. We were getting outmuscled, outworked. Unfortunately, someone has to take the fall. But we’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror.”

Watching Laviolette pack up his office left a serious feeling of guilt - and an understanding of where the blame needs to be placed.

“It was a tough day yesterday,” Claude Giroux said. “We’re the ones on the ice. We’re the ones doing the job. Obviously, we didn’t get the job done. We need to play more as a team on the ice.”

The team defense was awful, as Berube alluded to yesterday. Giroux went the longest he’s gone in four years to scoring a point in a season. Wayne Simmonds, Jake Voracek and Hartnell have also gone pointless.

Just about the only thing working was the one position that’s eluded the Flyers all these years: goaltending.

Yet, on Tuesday, there was a noticeable breath of fresh air as the team went through their morning skate ritual. Players were attentive. They seem to have awoken.

Berube, 47, immediately made lineup changes - almost all four lines are completely new, along with the defense pairings. Berube said it finally sunk in yesterday that the Flyers are his team, and he spent time thinking about all of the changes he'd like to make to make them his own. He’s just hoping that his start with the Flyers tonight against Florida will be better than his predecessor.

On Dec. 5, 2009, the Flyers were thumped, 8-2, by the visiting Capitals in Laviolette’s first game. Washington scored four times on a nine minute power play to break open the game. The Flyers then limped to a 1-8-1 start under him.

“I hope the guys are excited and full of energy, not too tight,” Berube said.

The Panthers are coming off a 7-0 shellacking against St. Louis. Berube is careful to not make too many changes too quickly. He explained his regime change as “tinkering as you go along.”

“He didn’t want to put too much at us right away,” Giroux said. “We hit on the bigger pieces. It’s going to be a process to make sure everyone’s going to be on the same page. It will be good. He’s an intense guy. He’s a guy who demands hard work. He demands that you be accountable for yourself. We need to have a better attitude - both for myself and the whole team. We need to have a better mindset going into games.”

Here is Tuesday’s expected lineup against Florida (7:30 pm start):

Hartnell - Giroux - Simmonds

Schenn - Lecavalier - Voracek

Talbot - Couturier - Read

Rosehill - Hall - Rinaldo

Timonen - Schenn

Coburn - Grossmann

Streit - Meszaros

Mason

Emery



Berube makes changes at his 1st Flyers' practice


Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013, 11:17 AM

Craig Berube didn’t waste time making his mark.

The new Flyers coach changed all four lines and defensive pairings at Tuesday’s practice, preparing for the game tonight at the WFC against Florida.

Here are the lines and parings, all of which are different than they were in Sunday’s 2-1 loss in Carolina:

Claude Giroux centering Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds.

Vinny Lecavalier centering Brayden Schenn and Jake Voracek.

Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Matt Read.

Adam Hall centering Zac Rinaldo and Jay Rosehill.

Defense: Kimmo Timonen-Luke Schenn; Braydon Coburn-Nick Grossmann; Andrej Meszaros-Mark Streit. The pairings look like last year’s, with the exception of Streit, a newcomer.

Goalie Steve Mason will start for the second straight game.



Hartnell sorry to see Laviolette go

Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 11:11 pm

Wayne Fish Staff writer

VOORHEES – As excited as Scott Hartnell is to be playing for Flyers new head coach Craig Berube, there’s still some personal sadness involving Monday’s firing of Peter Laviolette.

On at least two occasions during his tenure here, Laviolette called Hartnell into his office when the left wing was slumping. A motivation speech helped turned things each time, first during the miracle comeback series against Boston in 2010, and then again early in the 2012 season.

Hartnell played like a man possessed as the Flyers rallied against the Bruins and became only the third team in NHL history to overcome an 0-3 deficit. Two years later, Hartnell suffered a pre-season injury and got off to a slow start. After meeting with the coach, he responded with a career-high 37 goals the rest of the way.

“Obviously you don’t want to see a good guy like Lavy go,’’ Hartnell said. “Ever since he got here a few years ago, he got the guys going. He got the guys refocused the year we made the Cup run.

“Personally, he did a lot of great things for me. He made me a better player on the ice and a better guy off the ice, too. It’s unfortunate that someone has to take the fall. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and realize a big part of it was probably us.’’

Captain Claude Giroux agreed with where the finger of blame should be pointed.

“We're the ones on the ice; we need to do the job and obviously we didn't get the job done. So we need to play more as a team on the ice. There’s no doubt that off the ice we're a team and we like each other. We just need to show it on the ice now.’’

Hartnell expects some things to change under Craig Berube.

“I think our style of play is if you don’t work hard, don’t win battles, you’re not going to win games,’’ he said. “That was the problem the first few games. We were getting outmuscled, outworked. When you wear the Flyers crest, you have to be a hard-nosed, hitting, playing-hard team.’’

Hartnell also said some of the players were on “different pages.’’

“It’s kind of a wake-up call,’’ he said. “This morning, I woke up and it kind of sunk in I’m going to have a half-hour meeting with a new system, new coach, new everything. It’s sad (Laviolette’s firing) but it’s exciting to go forward.’’

Having someone who’s been around the team might be beneficial as the new coach.

“Chief’s got a lot of respect with the guys in the dressing room,’’ Hartnell said. “The way he played, he deserves some respect.’’

Giroux suggested the Flyers could perhaps use an attitude adjustment.

“It could be good, I think it will be good,’’ Giroux added. “He’s going to demand hard work and be accountable for yourself. I think we’re going to need that. I think we need to have a better attitude, myself and the team.’’

/n

Rosehill repents: Jay Rosehill retaliated for a questionable hit on teammate Zac Rinaldo in the third period and the Flyers wound up having to kill a four-minute double-minor.

The Flyers were trying to protect a one-goal lead at the time. After the game, Berube chastised Rosehill for his actions.

“Pretty much you see a guy like Zac and the way he plays and you know you want to be there for him all the time,’’ said Rosehill, who went after Florida’s Tomas Kopecky.

“When he's surrounded by four other guys,’’ Rosehill said, “you pretty much just start to make your way over there and that's what happened tonight,

but usually we like to take someone with us or keep it even out there and not put our team down, especially at that point in the game. So we need to watch ourselves with that."

In a rare rule interpretation, officials offered the Flyers a choice of killing a 5 on 3 for two minutes or a 5 on 4 for four minutes. The Flyers took the latter option.

/n

Short shots: The Flyers went 0 for 5 on the power play and are now just 2 for 19 for the season. . .Florida is even worse. It also went 0 for 5 and is now 0 for 16. . .Flyers goalie Steve Mason stopped 33 of 34 shots and was voted No. 1 star of the game.

Burlington County Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Berube regime gets off to winning start

Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 10:25 pm | Updated: 11:53 pm, Tue Oct 8, 2013.

Wayne Fish Staff writer

PHILADELPHIA -- It was only the Florida Panthers but a win is a win.

In Game 1 of the Craig Berube Era, the Flyers were fortunate enough to have the mediocre Panthers on their schedule Tuesday night to help with the transition to a new coach.

While it wasn’t pretty, the Flyers did come away with their first win of the season, a 2-1 verdict at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers had vowed to do a better job cutting down on goals allowed and, while they did achieve that, they still surrendered a number of good scoring chances.

And, although they broke their season-opening 0-3 skid, they didn't really get their offense untracked. After four games, they still have only five goals.

Luckily, goalie Steve Mason was on top of his game and limited the visitors to one goal.

One of the keys to the game was a four-minute penalty kill by the Flyers in the third period. Jay Rosehill took a double-minor and the Flyers never let Florida get a serious try at the net.

“They did a real good job,’’ Berube said of the penalty kill. “I thought it was a weak call. But it’s unacceptable. You can’t do it.’’

Berube knows the Flyers are still a bit jittery after the events of the past couple days. Getting some offense going was important.

“It’s huge,’’ Berube said. “I mean, the players are squeezing their sticks. Everyone can see that. But I really liked that third period ... we did a lot of good things with the puck and a lot of good things without it.

“The overall effort? I had no problem with it. It's just a matter of getting them confident (scoring-wise), getting some chemistry going.’’

Scott Hartnell survived a hard hit from Erik Gudbranson in the third period that drew a five-minute major and helped the Flyers protect their slim lead.

Hartnell took a while to get up off the ice but later said he was OK. He said it took a while for the team to transition from former coach Peter Laviolette’s system to Berube’s.

“Change is never easy, especially when you change the forecheck and everything,’’ he said. “A couple times we were out of position but we battled hard.’’

Ultimately, it was the goaltending that proved pivotal.

Prior to the game, Berube had some words of praise for Mason.

“I’ve seen pretty good goaltending so far,'' Berube said. "Mason’s got a lot of talent. He’s a young kid. He obviously had the one great year and kind of fell back a little bit. But I think coming in here last year he rebounded and feels pretty confident right now.''

Following the win, Mason said it was gratifying to hear and see Berube has confidence in him for this first game under the new coach.

“Regardless of what game it is, if you’re going in there it means the coach has confidence in you,’’ he said. “To be able to get the first win out of the way is definitely nice, but at the same time it’s just one game on the schedule.

“It’s great to get that first win. It feels good but you kind of have to put it behind you because we’re still below the .500 mark and that’s what we have to get ahead of.’’

The Flyers got off to a quick start, putting two pucks past starting goaltender Tim Thomas in less than eight minutes.

Brayden Schenn opened the scoring when he converted the rebound of a Jake Voracek shot off the end board past Thomas at 4:49.

At 7:31, the Flyers scored again. Thomas slid out too far as Sean Couturier’s shot sailed wide and Braydon Coburn sent a looping shot home from the top of the right circle.

Thomas was apparently injured on the play (groin) and he was replaced by Jacob Markstrom.

Florida’s only goal came with just six seconds left in the second period. A Brian Campbell rebound bounced in front and Brad Boyes beat Mason from close range.

Coburn said the coaches might change but the objective remains the same.

“It’s just a different feeling,’’ he said. “The same guys (from the Laviolette regime) are still here and we know what we have to do. We know we have to play better and it’s a process.’’



Even in victory, the Flyers seem to keep slipping from reality

Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 9:52 pm | Updated: 12:12 am, Wed Oct 9, 2013.

By Kevin Cooney Staff writer

PHILADELPHIA — As the puck was stuck in the skates at the opposite end of the ice with the third-period horn ticking down, Steve Mason looked to the Jumbotron then blessed himself.

It wasn’t so much joy that Mason and the Orange and Black faithful felt Tuesday night. It was relief that the embarrassment didn’t get worse by losing to a team that borders on an AHL group.

Welcome to Week 1 of Flyers hockey 2013-14. And there’s about six months left.

The worst thing that a sports franchise can be is dishonest with itself. If it doesn’t understand what is going on and how it has reached a certain point, there is no way that it can fix the underlying problem.

And for all the talk about culture change Monday during the news conference to announce the switch from Peter Laviolette to Craig Berube as head coach, one underlying fact was evident in Tuesday night’s 2-1 win over the lowly Florida Panthers.

This team — as constructed — is not good at all. The defense allows too many open looks at the net. The offense is too sporadic.

If Mason didn’t bail it out of the fire with several big saves, this team is looking at 0-4. The offense was helped out by two gifts — one a ricochet off the back boards on Brayden Schnn’s goal four minutes in, the other when Tim Thomas left a wide open net that not even Braydon Coburn could miss — in the first period, then couldn’t do anything after Jacob Markstrom took over between the pipes at the 7:31 mark of the first period.

That’s not good — and maybe a sign that the problem wasn’t the coaching, but the talent at hand.

On Monday, embattled general manager Paul Holmgren seemed to mince no words about how disappointed he was with the effort in the first three games of the season. But he threw in this caveat:

“First of all, I believe in our players,” Holmgren said. “I said earlier that I’m not going to let them off the hook. At the end of the day, they didn’t do their job, either. But I still believe in our players. We have good players. We just weren’t playing very well. We need to play better.”

Sometimes, it just doesn’t work that way. The Flyers are hardly alone in overvaluing the talent at hand. Heck, they have company in this city in being slightly delusional about the state of their union.

And in all this talk of culture change, maybe that’s the biggest thing the franchise needs to understand. They are no longer elite — no matter how many playoff appearances they make or regular-season win percentage numbers they put up there. To be perfectly blunt, they are the Atlanta Braves of the NHL: lots of division title banners, a lonely amount of big-time championship trophies.

Ed Snider should be given credit for all the good he has done for the city — winning two Stanley Cups when the sport was in its infancy, building two arenas and changing the landscape of South Philadelphia forever. And before the days of salary caps, he would spend as much as anyone else in the NHL.

But look at the lack of European players the Flyers develop while other teams — namely Detroit — have tapped into this resource over the last 20 years. Look at the inability to develop defensemen in-house instead of wasting money for guys who are too old or not good enough.

In the painfully awkward portion of the news conference Monday, Snider pointed out the Flyers have made the Stanley Cup finals a lot. But realistically, they have gone twice since that magical run of the Mike Keenan/Ron Hextall crew in 1987 — the same amount of times that the Carolina Hurricanes, the Calgary Flames, the Dallas Stars and the Anaheim

Mighty Ducks have played for the Holy Grail. (Each of those teams has won it once, by the way.)

While part of the perception may be a false one — Berube is only the fifth former Flyer to be named head coach — it is the endless cycle of second acts that has taken place over the years that feeds it, along with two general managers from within the program over 20 years who have long been regarded as bulletproof.

There’s still a lot of an endless season to play and divisional games haven’t begun yet. But even in victory Tuesday night, as sighs of relief were heard, one thing is certain.

It’s not working. And maybe they aren’t as close to contending for a playoff spot — let alone for a Cup — as they think.



Berube already leaving his mark on team

Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 12:56 pm | Updated: 1:32 pm, Tue Oct 8, 2013.

By Wayne Fish Staff writer

VOORHEES — No one has to bring new coach Craig Berube up to speed on what has to change with the Flyers.

He’s had a front-row seat since the day former coach Peter Laviolette walked in the door in December, 2009.

Berube, an assistant coach under Laviolette, has been in pro hockey for more than a quarter century and has a pretty good idea what he wants to see in a hockey team.

At Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate, the players were being brought up to speed on what Berube wants.

Hopefully for them, the on-ice workout and off-ice meetings will have the desired effect. The Flyers are trying to avoid a loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night and the prospect of the first 0-4 start in franchise history.

“To me, we have to be a better skating team,’’ Berube said. “We’re going to be a harder working team.’’

Berube shuffled some players around. On defense, he put Braydon Coburn and Nick Grossmann together, while Luke Schenn returned to the side of Kimmo Timonen, a pair that worked together last year. The third tandem is Mark Streit and Andrej Meszaros.

Up front, the turnstile at first-line right wing continues, with Wayne Simmonds now working with Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell.

Jake Voracek was skating with Vinny Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn, leaving a third line of Sean Couturier centering Max Talbot and Matt Read.

As was the case with Laviolette, Berube won’t be announcing his goalie until his pre-game meeting with the media later this afternoon.

“The guys looked like they had a lot of life out there and that’s important,’’ Berube said of the workout at the Skate Zone. “I hope they come out with a lot of energy and they’re not too tight.’’

Meanwhile, the fallout from the Laviolette firing continues.

“Obviously you don’t want to see a good guy like Lavy go,’’ Hartnell said. “Ever since he got here a few years ago, he got the guys going. He got the guys refocused the year we made the Cup run.

“Personally, he did a lot of great things for me. He made me a better player on the ice and a better guy off the ice, too. It’s unfortunate that someone has to take the fall. We have to look at ourselves in the mirror and realize a big part of it was probably us.’’

Said Giroux: “We're the ones on the ice; we need to do the job and obviously we didn't get the job done. So we need to play more as a team on the ice. There’s no doubt that off the ice we're a team and we like each other. We just need to show it on the ice now.’’

Hartnell expects some things to change under Berube.

“I think our style of play is if you don’t work hard, don’t win battles, you’re not going to win games,’’ he said. “That was the problem the first few games. We were getting outmuscled, outworked. When you wear the Flyers crest, you have to be a hard-nosed, hitting, playing-hard team.’’

Hartnell also said some of the players were on “different pages.’’

“It’s kind of a wake-up call,’’ he said. “This morning, I woke up and it kind of sunk in I’m going to have a half-hour meeting with a new system, new coach, new everything. It’s sad (Laviolette’s firing) but it’s exciting to go forward.’’

Having someone who’s been around the team might be beneficial as the new coach.

“Chief’s got a lot of respect with the guys in the dressing room,’’ Hartnell said. “The way he played, he deserves some respect.’’

Giroux suggested the Flyers could perhaps use an attitude adjustment.

“It could be good, I think it will be good,’’ Giroux added. “He’s going to demand hard work and be accountable for yourself. I think we’re going to need that. I think we need to have a better attitude, myself and the team.’’



Flyers players taking the blame for Laviolette's firing (with video)

By Rob Parent, Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: 10/08/13, 1:22 PM EDT

VOORHEES, N.J. — When Peter Laviolette took over an allegedly talented but barely better than .500 Flyers team 25 games into the 2009-10 season, he wasted little time in installing a new system, working out the kinks and even cementing a few relationships with players en route to a Stanley Cup finals run.

Laviolette largely kept his close relationship with those players hidden behind an all-business demeanor. But Tuesday, the day after he was fired as head coach and replaced by assistant Craig Berube, the relationships Laviolette established became fully revealed.

“It was a tough day yesterday,” team captain Claude Giroux said after the morning practice at the Skate Zone. “We’ve been coached by Lavy for a while and to see him leave, it’s kind of sad. But it’s the business part of it and we need to understand that.

“We’re the ones on the ice; we need to do the job and obviously we didn’t get the job done. So we need to play more as a team on the ice. There’s no doubt that off the ice we’re a team and we like each other. We just need to show it on the ice.”

One player who likely feels the loss of Laviolette is Scott Hartnell, who clearly became a better player under Laviolette’s tutelage.

“Obviously you don’t want to see a good guy like Lavy go,” Hartnell said. “Ever since he got here a few years ago, he got the guys going; he got them refocused the year we made the Cup run. He made me a better player on the ice and a better guy off the ice, too.

“We’re going to miss Lavy. In this game, it’s hard sometimes to accept what’s going on, but moving forward (Berube’s) got a lot of respect from the guys in the dressing room. He’s played before and especially the way he played he deserves respect.”

No matter who the coach is, of course, the only way the Flyers will earn respect is if their better players start looking like themselves on the ice.

“A lot of the onus should be on the players,” Hartnell said. “The preseason was bad ... our scorers weren’t scoring. It’s unfortunate someone has to take the fall, but you have to look in the mirror and realize that a big part of it was us.

“It was a wake-up call,” Hartnell added. “This morning I woke up and it kind of sunk in that I’m going to go in and have a half-hour of meetings (for) a new system, a new coach, a new everything. It’s sad, obviously, but it’s exciting, too, to go forward.”

How quickly Berube incorporates a more defensive-based system than the attack-attack-attack blueprinting that Laviolette favored (and the Flyers had stopped playing long ago) will go a long way toward determining how quickly he can right the team.

Berube acknowledged the new system would have to be put in place essentially in bits and pieces.

“You tinker with things along the way and get it done,” Berube said. “That’s probably the best way to put it. But we are going to make changes. ... I believe we’ll become a good team at some point.”

The system instruction started with the Tuesday skate, but should really kick in during practices Wednesday and Thursday.

“It’s going to be a process to make sure we’re on the same page,” Giroux said. “It’s play without the puck. Being in good position, knowing where you have to be and supporting your teammates, basically. I think we’re playing as individuals right now and you don’t win like that. We need the whole team to be on the same page and work together. ... When one guy has the puck the other guy’s not working to get open for him. That’s something as players we need to change and it will change.”

NOTES: Giroux was asked about a report Monday that Laviolette “wasn’t on the same page” as some of the players. “I don’t think so,” Giroux said. “Everybody loved Lavy. He was close to the players, he was close with me, especially.” ... Berube made changes on the blue line and shuffled the forward lines as well. But the healthy scratch guys have largely been the same, including offensive defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who hasn’t played through the first four games.

Delaware County Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Flyers' Mason raises game in win over Panthers

October 8, 2013, 11:15 pm

Sarah Baicker

As with anything worthwhile, new Flyers coach Craig Berube’s stronger team defense won’t happen overnight.

That’s a big part of why the Florida Panthers led 6-1 in shots after the first 3:30 on Tuesday. And 25-17 after 40 minutes. And 33-21 after 50 minutes.

Goalie Steve Mason, however, is the reason the Flyers won, 2-1 (see game recap).

“Our goalie played unbelievable for us tonight,” Scott Hartnell said. “He definitely won us the game, and that’s what you need in a goaltender -- to win you some games sometimes.”

Mason, making his second consecutive start of the season and third overall, kept his team alive in what was only the second game at the Wells Fargo Center of this young season. While the Flyers led 2-0 through almost all of the second period, that score is somewhat deceptive.

The Flyers once again committed some of the same sins that led to Peter Laviolette’s firing. They were sloppy in their own zone and silent through their five power-play chances. The two early goals they did score were thanks largely to a wildly out-of-position and injured Panthers goalie Tim Thomas.

Mason, though, was stellar and consistent throughout.

Berube spouted compliments about Mason’s game as if he were listing the qualifications of a Vezina winner.

“Composure in net,” Berube said. “He looked real solid. Right on top of things. Saw all the pucks. Just solid. Just looked big in net.”

In fact, the young Flyers’ goaltender has looked sharp through each of his three starts. On Tuesday, though, he brought it to another level, and was responsible for most -- if not all -- of the Flyers’ highlight reel.

With just about a minute left to play in the first, Mason stoned Panthers center Aleksander Barkov with an acrobatic move that required him to basically do a split in mid-air.

Early in the second, Mason made up for a Kimmo Timonen fumble that led to a shorthanded breakaway attempt by Shawn Matthias, turning away the centerman.

He remained calm in the third period when a Jay Rosehill penalty resulted in four minutes of shorthanded play for the defense in front of him, which hadn’t yet had a full practice to work on Berube’s new system.

“Part of the position is coming up big at key opportunities,” Mason said. “At the end of the first period, there were a couple saves that needed to be made in order to preserve the lead, and moving forward it was something to build off. Feeling good about that right now.”

The long goal Mason did give up came with just six seconds left in the second period, the kind of marker than can sway a game’s momentum. Instead, when he returned for the final stanza, Mason never lost a step.

It was exactly what the Flyers needed in order to escape Tuesday night with their first win of the season -- as captain Claude Giroux noted, the game itself was far from a pretty one.

In total, he stopped 33 Panthers shots.

“He played great,” Braydon Coburn said. “We needed him to play really good. He definitely stood on his head for us.”

“It could have been a very different hockey game if he didn’t have the game that he had,” Brayden Schenn added.

At his introductory press conference, Berube was asked how he’d prefer to handle the Flyers’ goalie situation -- whether he likes the idea of a tandem or he’d rather have a clear No. 1.

“I think that’ll work itself out,” he said at the time, coyly. He repeated the sentiment once again after Tuesday’s win: "That will play itself out."

As for Mason, he was honored to receive the start in Berube’s coaching debut, especially since it was the first time either he or Ray Emery had played back-to-back games since the regular season kicked off. Laviolette had remained true to the every-other-game goalie system.

“Regardless of what game it is, if you’re going in there that means the coach has confidence in you,” Mason said. “To get the back-to-back starts and be able to finally get the first one out of the way is definitely nice. But at the same time, it’s just one game. We have a whole schedule. It’s something to build off of, but it’s a small thing in the big picture right now.”

Based on how Tuesday worked itself out, however, it should be difficult for Berube not to award the start in Friday’s game against the Phoenix Coyotes to Mason.

It’s far from on Mason’s mind, however. To him and to Emery, the new coach doesn’t reawaken any kind of debate on starting goaltenders.

“That’s up to Chief to decide who goes in,” he said. “I’ll never go and ask him if I’m playing. I’ll wait to hear from him.”



Flyers-Panthers: 5 things you need to know

The Flyers on the decision to fire Peter Laviolette

October 8, 2013, 11:00 am

Tim Riday

The Craig Berube era begins Tuesday night.

The Flyers (0-3-0) return home to host the Florida Panthers (1-1-0) for a 7 p.m. matchup at the Wells Fargo Center in Berube’s first game as head coach of the orange and black.

With the Flyers still searching for their first win of the 2013-14 season, here are five things you need to know for Tuesday’s contest:

1) Laviolette out, Berube in

After a training camp which Flyers chairman Ed Snider labeled a “disaster” and an 0-3 start to the regular season, the Flyers fired head coach Peter Laviolette on Monday and replaced him with Berube (see story).

“This is just a gut feeling on my part," general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Right now, we’re just not playing the way we have to play – we’re not playing the way we have to play to win in the National Hockey League, and that’s got to change. Whether it’s fresh ideas or a new voice, I’m not going to sit here and try to pinpoint that. That’s up to Craig, that’s his job. But I didn’t like the direction the team was heading and felt we needed a change."

During his tenure with the Flyers, Laviolette led the team to a 145-98-29 record and a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2009-10. The Flyers underachieved under Laviolette last season, missing the playoffs for just the second time in 18 seasons.

After a frustrating start to the 2013-14 campaign, in which the Flyers have scored just three goals in three games, it’s now Berube’s job to ignite a struggling Flyers offense.

Berube, in his seventh season with the organization, is the Flyers’ 18th coach in team history. In two separate stints with the Flyers as a player, Berube had 54 points and 1,138 penalty mintues in 323 games. He will make his coaching debut alongside assistant coaches Ian Laperriere and John Paddock against Florida Tuesday night.

2) Get the offense going

At this point, the Flyers will take goals any way they can get them.

A goal-per-game pace, obviously, is not going to win you many games in today’s NHL. The Flyers need their forwards to start producing.

The Flyers’ top line of Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell and Jakub Voracek has combined for zero points and a minus-2 rating through three games. Matt Read, Sean Couturier and Wayne Simmonds have also yet to record a point this season.

One way the Flyers can get their offense going is by capitalizing on their power-play chances. Vinny Lecavalier and Brayden Schenn have each registered a goal on the PP, but the Flyers are just 2 for 12 on the man advantage overall.

It’s also worth nothing that defenseman Luke Schenn has the Flyers’ lone tally at even-strength.

3) Home cookin’

The Flyers will play six of their remaining eight October games within the confines of Wells Fargo Center.

Tuesday would be the perfect time to grab their first win of the season. The crowd should be into the game early with Berube coaching his first game, and the Panthers are coming off an awful display against the Blues.

It’s still early, but the Flyers need to establish themselves soon if they want to be taken seriously as a contender. What better place to do that than South Philadelphia?

4) Connections

The Panthers have a pair of forwards who used to lace up for the orange and black.

Scottie Upshall played 134 games in parts of three seasons for the Flyers, registering 27 goals and 37 assists. Upshall, along with Ryan Parent and two draft picks, were acquired by the Flyers in the Feb. 15, 2007 trade that sent Peter Forsberg to the Nashville Predators. The Flyers dealt Upshall and a second-round pick to the Phoenix Coyotes for Dan Carcillo in March of 2009.

Kris Versteeg had a brief stint with the Flyers in 2011. The Toronto Maple Leafs sent him to the Flyers in exchange for first- and third-round draft picks. He scored seven goals and assisted four more in 27 regular-season games with the orange and black. On July 1, 2011, the Flyers traded Versteeg to Florida for two draft picks hours after announcing the signing of Jaromir Jagr.

Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen also played in parts of five seasons for the Flyers, collecting 176 points in 284 games. Dineen was named the Flyers' captain for the 1993-94 season, but lost his captaincy in September 1994, when Eric Lindros was given the “C.”

5) This and that

• The Flyers went 1-1-1 against the Panthers last season, outscoring Florida 11-9 in those contests. Jonathan Huberdeau netted both game-winning goals in the Panthers’ victories.

• Florida couldn’t seem to stop Read in 2013. The Flyers’ forward netted four goals while averaging over 17 minutes per game in two meetings against the Panthers. Giroux collected four assists in the season series.

• New Panthers goalie Tim Thomas, who recently returned to the NHL after a one-year sabbatical, is 14-2-1 with a 1.89 goals-against average in his last 17 starts -- including playoffs -- against the Flyers.



Berube, staff to emphasize accountability

John Boruk goes one-on-one with Craig Berube

October 8, 2013, 9:00 am

Tim Panaccio

Revolving door of Flyers coaches

As a player, Craig Berube was a fierce competitor on the ice as an energy guy and Flyers enforcer.

His new staff now includes John Paddock and Ian Laperriere, who is slightly closer in age to the Flyers’ current roster than any of their previous assistant coaches.

On Monday, after general manager Paul Holmgren addressed the players, Berube took his turn.

So what was his message to the team?

“You know what, it’s like guys need to be accountable,” Laperriere said. “You know Lavy (Peter Laviolette) lost his job because some guys didn’t do their job. That’s going to change, that’s going to need to change.

“He talked about the attitude that needs to be changed and everybody going to look forward, tomorrow’s going to be a different step forward, I guess.’’

Hal Gill, who joined the club off a tryout contract and then signed a one-year deal, said the players need to be held accountable.

“I’ve been through it as a player and it’s no fun for anybody,” Laperriere said. “I’m glad the players feel that way. The one thing they can do is play better. As a coaching staff, we’re going to make sure they do.’’

Gill played against Berube for nearly 10 years and knows him pretty well.

“He’s a hard-nosed, tough guy,” Gill said. “You know what you’re going to get. And I think we’re going to find out tomorrow.’’



Getting to know new Flyers coach Craig Berube

Peter Laviolette is out and Craig Berube is in.

“Just because I’ve been in the organization for a long time doesn’t mean I’m going to do the same things other coaches are going to do,” Berube said Monday. “I’m not them. I have my own thoughts. I have my own way of how I want to coach.”

And that’s focusing on defense. Berube is a defensive-oriented coach who wants the Flyers to play sound hockey without the puck.

A good defense is a good offense (see story).

Many know Berube as the Flyers’ former assistant coach.

Let’s take a more in-depth look at his background:

• Forty-seven years old, born in Alberta, Canada.

• Played seven seasons with the Flyers in which he posted 20 goals and 34 assists for 54 points.

• He posted 1,138 penalty minutes, ninth-most in Flyers history.

• Also played for the Maple Leafs, Flames, Capitals and Islanders.

• Played 17 NHL seasons and compiled 3,149 penalty minutes, seventh-most in NHL history.

• Owns 61 goals, 98 assists and 159 points in 1,054 career regular-season games.

• Played his final season of professional hockey in 2003-04 for the Phantoms as a player/assistant coach before becoming a full-time coach.

• As head coach of the Phantoms in 2007-08, Berube led the team to a 49-29-5-3 record, a second-place finish in the East Division and an East Division Finals appearance.

• First became an assistant coach with the Phantoms in 2004 and a Flyers assistant in October of 2006 before being re-appointed as Phantoms head coach in June of 2007.

• This season marks his first head-coaching position in the NHL.



Flyers notes: Berube wants to see one goalie emerge

Coach would like to see one goalie earn larger role

Oct. 9, 2013 1:56 AM |

Written by

Dave Isaac

PHILADELPHIA — Craig Berube emerged from the locker room looking very composed for a guy who was just given the keys to an NHL team less than 24 hours prior.

It usually takes weeks to implement a new system, and he was trying to introduce pieces in a matter of hours ... on a game day no less. Still, he looked cool as a cucumber.

“It’s tough, but we worked on it a bit today,” Berube said. “I think they understand what we want to do. There will always be flaws in it until you master it at some point. Even then, there’s flaws.”

With a new system come new ideas. For Berube, that includes thoughts on what happens between the pipes.

Under Peter Laviolette, the Flyers seemed content with letting Ray Emery and Steve Mason split the starts in goal evenly.

Under Berube, the philosophy may change to one of the goalies taking a larger workload.

“That’s nice if you know that can happen, but we’re not there yet,” Berube said. “It will work itself out.”

So far, Berube likes what he’s seen this season from Tuesday’s starter, Steve Mason.

“Mason’s got a lot of talent,” Berube said. “He’s a young kid. He obviously had the one great year and fell back a little bit. I think coming in here last year he rebounded and feels pretty confident right now. He’s got a lot of skill.”

The other guy, one who finally had his Stanley Cup ring from last season delivered Tuesday, isn’t bad either.

“Ray Emery’s got huge heart, and he won a Stanley Cup,” Berube said. “He’s a winner. He’s a veteran, a great guy to have around and he wins games. Ray Emery wins games. He was 17-1 last year, and if you go back to his record in Ottawa, he wins games.”

Flyers feel responsible

A day after the Flyers fired Laviolette, a coach with a Stanley Cup on his resume, the players seemed to get the message that the indictment was on them even more than the coach.

“This morning I woke up and it kind of sunk in that I’m going go in and have a half hour of meetings (for) a new system, a new coach, a new everything,” left wing Scott Hartnell said.

The players, who were heavily criticized by chairman Ed Snider on Monday, said they feel responsible for the 48-year-old Laviolette losing his job.

“Absolutely,” defenseman Braydon Coburn said. “Any time the team’s not winning ... it’s our responsibility to go out there and win those games.”

Laviolette had a 145-98-29 record across five seasons with the Flyers and won a Cup with Carolina in 2006. He took the Flyers to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2010.

“It’s never easy losing a coach that you love, a guy that you fought for, for years,” Hartnell said.

“Preseason was bad, and our scorers haven’t been scoring. It’s unfortunate that someone has to take the fall, but we need to look in the mirrors ourselves and then realize that a big part of it was probably us.”

Defensive pairings look to stay

One of the changes Berube immediately brought to his era is the defense pairings. They look a lot like last year with Coburn and Nick Grossmann combining for a shutdown pair, Kimmo Timonen and Luke Schenn as a pair and newcomer Mark Streit and Andrej Meszaros as a puck-moving duo.

One of the things Laviolette didn’t like before he was fired was the way the Flyers played in their own end. That’s something Berube will address.

“I think it’s been a problem for a while,” the new coach said. “That’s definitely a concern.”

Indications are that these pairings will stick around for a while. Assistant coach John Paddock will mostly instruct the defensemen

Courier-Post LOADED: 10.09.2013


Flyers win in Berube's debut

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Dave Isaac

PHILADELPHIA — In his last season as an NHL player, Craig Berube recalls playing for Darryl Sutter in Calgary as a good experience.

“He demanded the respect,” said Berube, now coach of the Flyers. “He demanded you to play hard, compete every shift and be aggressive. I enjoyed playing for him. I wish that I had played for him when I was younger because I would have given everything I had for him.”

One game into his NHL career after replacing Peter Laviolette as a coach and Berube might have similarly affected his new players.

Berube won his coaching debut 2-1 Tuesday over the Florida Panthers, avoiding having the franchise go 0-4 for the first time in club history.

“He’s an intense guy,” captain Claude Giroux said. “He used to fight a lot, but he is a real smart hockey guy. He knows the game. He’s been in the league for a while now. The things he says, he’s pretty smart.”

Whatever he said, it worked.

The energy from the Flyers was clear from the start. They skated faster, hit harder and passed he puck more than they had in their first three games this season, all losses.

At 4:49 of the first period the energy paid off when Brayden Schenn scored his second goal of the year. Jake Voracek, a new linemate of Schenn’s, fired the puck wide of the net by design with a slapshot. It bounced off the back boards and Schenn put the puck through Florida goalie Tim Thomas’ 5-hole.

Only 2:42 later, the Flyers doubled their lead with a goal from Braydon Coburn, his first in 28 games. His shot was also a rebound off the back boards. The initial shot came from Sean Couturier. It was the first time this season the Flyers had registered two goals in a game.

Thomas appeared to overstretch on the play, reaching for the initial shot and when he got back up, his right skate caught the skate of his defenseman, Mike Weaver. Thomas got up and skated off the ice. He didn’t return to the game with what the team called a lower-body injury.

Although the Flyers finally multiple goals, not all was well under the new coach. There were defensive mistakes that led the Panthers to a plethora of scoring chances.

Breaking out of the zone continued to be a problem for the Flyers, even on the power play. It’s something Laviolette identified as a big problem before his firing.

“I think it’s been a problem for a while,” Berube said. “That’s definitely a concern.

“I’m looking for the execution with the puck first of all and without the puck. Play good defense. Work hard. Compete out there. Be a fast team.”

It seemed whenever the Flyers did make a mistake, goalie Steve Mason was there to erase it. He was tremendous, especially in the first period. He finished the night with 33 saves.

The Panthers got on the board with six seconds left in the second period. A rebound shot was left for Brad Boyes, who had an empty net to shoot at as Mason was on the other side of the net to make the initial save.

The Flyers weren’t able to beat 23-year-old goalie Jacob Markstrom, who came on in relief of Thomas and made 25 saves. He was perfect for the Panthers, especially on a Flyers five-minute power play in which they registered six shots when trying to get an insurance goal.



Flyers feel responsible for Laviolette's firing

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Dave Isaac

VOORHEES — There weren’t many smiles in the Flyers’ locker room the morning after Peter Laviolette was sent packing.

Maybe that’s because new coach Craig Berube had the team on the ice for a 55-minute morning skate, much longer than usual.

Maybe it’s because they felt responsible for a coach with a Stanley Cup ring getting fired after only three games.

“Absolutely,” defenseman Braydon Coburn said. “Anytime the team’s not winning…it’s our responsibility to go out there and win those games.”

It wasn’t just the three losses to start the year that went into management’s decision to make the coaching change. Chairman Ed Snider called training camp a “disaster,” the worst he had seen in 47 years.

“I didn’t really hear those comments,” Coburn said. “He’s the boss. He’s got a lot of years in hockey. We didn’t have the best record in training camp. We’ve got room to build here.”

Three games into the season, only the Buffalo Sabres score fewer goals per game than the Flyers and their whopping average of one. Defensively, Berube said there will be changes. The Flyers can feel it coming.

“A lot of the onus is on us players too,” said Scott Hartnell, who will have a new linemate in Wayne Simmonds Tuesday night. “We didn’t have a great start. Preseason was bad, and our scorers haven’t been scoring. It’s unfortunate that someone has to take the fall, but we need to look in the mirrors ourselves and then realize that a big part of it was probably us.”

Tuesday’s morning skate installed some changes that the Flyers hope can give them their first win of the season. It wasn’t just line rushes and puck drills, like a normal morning skate. There were game-situation walkthroughs also. Berube is trying to ease those changes in on a gameday.

“You don’t want to give them too much, but we need to work on some things, make some changes,” Berube said. “We took a little time. It wasn’t that long, I don’t think. Power play and PK at the end there. You’ve got to work on stuff.”

Changes on defense

All three pairings tonight will be different than they had been in the first three games, all losses, this season. They look very similar to last year with the exception of new arrival Mark Streit.

Luke Schenn will play with Kimmo Timonen. Streit will play with Andrej Meszaros and Coburn and Nick Grossmann will be a unit.

“I didn’t see much from the pairings that were going on,” Berube said. “I made some changes with what I thought. Coby and Grossy is a shut-down pair. Streit and Meszaros can both play the puck real well. Kimmo and Schenner were good together last year.”

Berube excited for debut

At 47, there are still nerves for Berube before his NHL head-coaching debut. Not as much as when he made his NHL debut as a player, but they’re still there and he felt it more at Monday’s press conference than after running the team through drills before Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

“You’ve got to think about everything you’ve got to do and it’s your team now,” Berube said. “You’ve got to run it your way and stuff like that. It sunk in yesterday.”



Snider: Training camp was a disaster

Flyers chairman growing impatient waiting for a title

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Dave Isaac

PHILADELPHIA — For the last 38 years, the Flyers have tried getting back to where they once proudly were – on top of the hockey world.

Chairman Ed Snider wants so desperately to be there again and it’s clear his patience is running out.

When he was questioned about the Flyers’ perceived culture on Monday, Snider went on the offensive.

“What’s the culture?” Snider asked what the reporter thought the culture was.

“A culture that hasn’t won a championship,” the reporter answered.

Snider fired back, “We haven't won a championship, but we've been in the Stanley Cup Final a lot of times, and we've been in the playoffs a lot of times, and the culture is to win. Thirty teams are trying to win the Cup, and we're doing our damnedest to do it. That's our culture.”

Snider was also questioned on why the decision was to go with assistant coach Craig Berube instead of a coach with more postseason success or any previous experience.

“We don’t need a fresh perspective,” Snider said. “We have a pretty good culture, and we know who we’re dealing with.”

The chairman was snippier as the day went on and uncharacteristically critical of his team after it fired Peter Laviolette, a coach with a Stanley Cup on his resume, following just three games into the season.

“Training camp was a disaster,” Snider said. “I’ve been at 47 training camps and I’ve never seen one that I thought was worse. Now, that’s not talking about Peter. That’s talking about our players. And it carried right on over to the first three games of the season. It’s not simply the three games that we saw. There’s more to it than that.”

For most of Monday’s press conference, which announced the promotion of Craig Berube as the Flyers’ new bench boss, the tone was an indictment on the players.

It was led by Snider, who a little less than a month earlier said that he was excited for a fresh start. He also said Laviolette wasn’t on the hot seat.

“This is why coaches lose their jobs, and sometimes lose them because of the players,” Snider said. “But we don’t know that until we make a change. Sometimes we’re right and sometimes we’re wrong. We think our players are better than they’ve looked.”

“So you fire the coach because you can’t get rid of the players?” Snider was asked.

“Yes. Show me a way to do that, we’ll be glad to do that instead.”

At age 80, Snider wonders just how much longer he’ll have to wait for another championship parade down Broad St.

How many coaching changes will it take? How many trades? How many free-agent signings?

“I don’t have the magical answer,” Snider said. “Is it our players? We’ll find out. Was it the coach? Unfortunately, as I said before, we can’t fire the players. So we have to find out, are we overrating our guys? We think we have good players. We think we have a good team. I don’t know if we’re overrating them. I really don’t.”



Berube wants to bring tougher, defensive style to the team

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Dave Isaac

PHILADELPHIA — When the Flyers didn’t make the playoffs last season, general manager Paul Holmgren knew he had to do something.

He was hoping that the offseason acquisitions of Ray Emery, Mark Streit and Vinny Lecavalier would do the trick.

They didn’t.

The next move was to fire Peter Laviolette. That came on Monday as the coach was fired after a 145-98-29 record across five seasons, including a three-game stint this season..

“I think that (Laviolette) deserved another opportunity,” Holmgren said of his thoughts in the offseason when he brought Laviolette back. “We made some changes in the summer that got us all excited. It was a fleeting thought. At the end of the day, going back—I think it was the right thing to do at the time. Start training camp, start the year with Peter—I just didn’t like what I was seeing. It was a gut decision.”

The Flyers’ third loss in as many games sealed the deal Sunday night. That’s when Holmgren called chairman Ed Snider seeking approval for a coaching change.

Monday morning, he introduced Craig Berube as the 18th head coach in team history. Berube, 47, was an assistant coach for the past five seasons and played 323 of his 1,054 NHL games for the Flyers.

“I’ve been a Flyer my whole life, whether I have played on other teams or not,” said Berube, whose 3,149 penalty minutes are seventh on the NHL’s all-time list. “It’s a great honor. From Mr. Snider down they’ve always looked after me. It’s a great honor.”

Laviolette is one of only three coaches in team history to take the Flyers to the second round of the playoffs three years in a row. Hall of Fame inductee Fred Shero and Terry Murray were the other two.

He won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and brought the Flyers to Game 6 of the Cup Finals in 2010.

While his coaching style worked for some time with the Flyers, many felt the team just wasn’t reacting to him anymore.

“Unfortunately in the business we’re in, the only way to find out is to make a change,” Snider said. “You can’t get rid of all the players. This is why coaches lose their jobs, and sometimes lose them because of the players.”

The result was the quickest coaching change in an NHL season since two years before the Flyers were even in the league.

“I’m not going to let the players off the hook,” Holmgren said. “We’ll meet with them later (Monday). Things have to get better, and they will.”

In that meeting, the general manager instructed all players not to speak to the media on Monday about the coaching change. Holmgren said he would talk to the players about how things will be different.

“Be better,” defenseman Hal Gill said, despite the orders not to speak.

Other changes will come, probably in the Flyers’ own end. Berube is of the school of thought that the best offense is a good defense.

“Everybody’s going to look at we only scored three goals in three games,” Berube said. “You want to score more goals? Do your job without the puck. Put yourself in a position to defend and you’ll get turnovers and get more opportunities the other way.”

Having played for a defensive-minded coach like Murray, Berube will probably carry similar values to his debut as a head coach tonight against the Florida Panthers.

“I believe that we need to play better without the puck,” Berube said. “When you play good hockey without the puck, the team comes together and you do the right things to get the puck back and you keep the puck out of your net. Right now we need to stress that and do a better job of it. We need to take pride in it.”

Speaking of pride, management didn’t seem to think much of the Flyers’ efforts thus far in that department, either.

“You’re only accountable to your teammates, in my opinion,” Berube said. “This guy is sitting beside you. You want to let him down? You want to play like that and let him down? It’s unacceptable.”

Berube, a hard-nosed player during his playing days from 1986-2003 with the Flyers, Toronto, Calgary, Washington and the New York Islanders, is joined by two other tough customers on the bench. Former Flyers John Paddock and Ian Laperriere were named assistant coaches, replacing Kevin McCarthy. Joey Mullen will remain an assistant and Jeff Reese as the goaltending coach.

“(Berube) is, if you get to know him, a no frills, no BS guy,” Holmgren said. “It is what it is. I think it’s ‘You better do this—maybe I’ll give you one chance. If you mess up again, you’re probably not going to get another chance.’”



Flyers turn to one of their own to lead charge

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Kevin Callahan

PHILADELPHIA — Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren doesn’t need to defend himself for firing Peter Laviolette Monday after just three games.

Nor does Chairman Ed Snider for rubber-stamping the hiring of another former player to coach the Flyers in Craig Berube.

As for their on-ice defense, the Flyers only need to protect the net better.

“I don’t think that we’re playing well enough without the puck,” Berube said when asked what needs to change during Monday’s news conference at the Wells Fargo Center.

True. This is the only defense the Flyers need to make. The latest coaching change comes down to the person behind the bench who gives the Flyers the best chance of winning.

Laviolette’s early termination is not a knee-jerk reaction to a 0-3 start.

Laviolette should have been fired after last season. The Flyers needed a change after missing the playoffs.

But since last year was a lockout-shortened season, Holmgren gave Laviolette more time. In the offseason, the general manager added pieces he thought would make the team better, notably Ray Emery, Vinny Lecavalier and Mark Streit.

“I think there was some excitement about our team going into training camp and right from day one of training camp I was concerned about how the team looked,” Holmgren said.

After seeing the Flyers lose their first three games, Holmgren saw enough bleeding. He didn’t need to see the season expire to make this change.

“It was just a gut feeling that I needed to make the decision,” Holmgren said.

Berube is the fifth former Flyers player to stand behind the bench as the head coach. Holmgren was the first, in 1988. John Stevens, Bill Barber and Terry Murray were the others.

But the Flyers haven’t been the only franchise in the city to hire their own.

The Sixers have had 22 coaches since 1963 when the Syracuse Nationals moved to Philadelphia after the Warriors left for San Francisco. Six played for the Sixers — Doug Collins, Mo Cheeks, Fred Carter, Matt Goukas, Billy Cunningham and Kevin Loughery.

The Phillies have hired five former players since 1981, with new manager Ryne Sandberg being the latest. Larry Bowa, John Vukovich (interim in 1988), Pat Corrales and Dallas Green all played for the Phillies.

Still, the Phillies and Sixers aren’t accused of the same nepotism as the Flyers.

Neither are the Flyers the only team in the city firing coaches. This year is the first time all four head coaches — Flyers (Laviolette), Eagles (Andy Reid), Sixers (Collins) and Phillies (Charlie Manuel) — were replaced in the same sporting year.

And although the Flyers have won just two Stanley Cups and none since 1975, the Sixers have just two NBA titles and the Phillies have won just two World Series. The Eagles have never won a Super Bowl.

“We haven’t won a championship, but we’ve been in the Stanley Cup Final a lot of times and we’ve been in the playoffs a lot of times and the culture is to win,” Snider said. “Thirty teams are trying to win the Cup and we’re doing our damndest to do it. That’s our culture.”

“The expectations are big for the Flyers,” Holmgren said. “We expect to be in the playoffs. We expect to win. Sometimes, that’s just the way the business goes.”

And sometimes you just hire your own.



New coach Berube 'a Flyer my whole life'

Oct. 8, 2013 |

Written by

Dave Isaac

The Peter Laviolette era is over in Philadelphia.

And the Craig Berube era has begun.

Berube, a 47-year-old former Flyer and Laviolette’s top assistant, takes over the reins after the team missed the playoffs last season and started this year’s campaign 0-3. The winger played parts of seven seasons in Philadelphia.

“I’ve been a Flyer my whole life, whether I have played on other teams or not,” Berube said. “It’s a great honor. From Mr. Snider down, they’ve always looked after me. It’s a great honor.”

Two more former Flyers — John Paddock and Ian Laperriere — will join Berube’s coaching staff. All three were tough, hard-nosed players who will demand respect from the current Flyers.

General manager Paul Holmgren made the call to chairman Ed Snider Sunday night to say he wanted to fire the coach.

“I thought about it, asked him a lot of questions and approved,” Snider said.

Across five seasons, Laviolette had a record of 145-98-29. Not since 1969 had an NHL coach been fired so early in the season. Bill Gadsby was 2-0 when the Detroit Red Wings fired him.

“0-3 is 0-3,” Holmgren said. “We still have a long way to go in terms of the season, but it was more about how we played, and it was unacceptable.

“We don’t look like a team at all.”


720343 Phoenix Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes fall to New York Islanders 6-1

By Ira Podell Associated Press Tue Oct 8, 2013 7:04 PM

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — John Tavares scored his first two goals of the season and defenseman Matt Donovan added the first of his NHL career to lift the New York Islanders over the Phoenix Coyotes 6-1 on Tuesday night.

Peter Regin and Tavares scored in the first period for the Islanders (2-0-1), and Donovan, Tavares and Colin McDonald connected in the second against beleaguered goalie Mike Smith to turn it into a rout.

Frans Nielsen earned the second of his three assists on the night when McDonald made it 5-1 with 2:36 left in the second.

Evgeni Nabokov was the beneficiary of all the offense and made 33 saves for the win. The 38-year-old goalie has started all three games for the Islanders.

Josh Bailey had a goal and two assists, and Michael Grabner had three assists for New York, which was outshot 34-28. Regin added an assist.

Martin Hanzal gave the Coyotes (1-2) a brief spark when his first of the season made it 3-1. Smith stopped only 15 shots and was replaced at the start of the third period by Thomas Greiss, who made his Phoenix debut.

Bailey made it 6-1 against Greiss, off assists from Nielsen and Grabner, with 7:41 left.

For the second straight game, the Islanders jumped out to a 2-0 lead and tried to protect it. They were unsuccessful in their home opener on Saturday when they allowed the Columbus Blue Jackets to get even in the third period and lost in a shootout.

This time, the Islanders pushed their edge to 3-0 with their second power-play goal, but the Coyotes responded 43 seconds later with Hanzal’s goal to cut the deficit back to two.

New York struck quickly against the Coyotes, who hadn’t visited the Nassau Coliseum since December 2010.

Phoenix defenseman Zbynek Michalek turned over the puck near the blue line, and Regin calmly skated into the left circle, with his head up. He deftly snapped a shot over the shoulder of the 6-foot-4 Smith and into the left corner just 1:49 into the game.

The Islanders earned the first power play with 6:24 left in the first, and the Coyotes compounded the problem on the ensuing faceoff when Antoine Vermette was whistled for delay of game when he smothered the puck in the circle.

Tavares took advantage of the two-man power play when he slam-dunked a cross-crease pass from Nielsen inside the right post. Phoenix managed to kill the remainder of Vermette’s penalty, but trailed 2-0 after one period despite a 7-6 edge in shots.

Donovan pushed the lead to 3-0 at 11:47 of the second during a power play with a hard shot that Smith smothered. However, the puck trickled behind him and over the line.

Hanzal answered moments later, but New York wasn’t deterred.

Tavares, the Islanders’ new captain, notched his second with 5:11 left in the period, and McDonald made it 5-1 just 2:35 later.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 10.09.2013

720344 Phoenix Coyotes

Brownie Points: Coyotes sneak into mix of NHL contenders

Posted: Sunday, October 6, 2013 5:59 pm

By Jerry Brown, contributing columnist

So with the NHL regular season beginning its long, winding regular season this last week I spent a lot of time recently perusing the pundits to compare analysis of who will be fighting for the Stanley Cup in June.

The usual suspects rise to the top quickly. The Blackhawks are going for three Cups in four years. The Penguins have a healthy Sidney Crosby and all that talent. The Los Angeles Kings, champions in 2012, have all the main cogs back and Darryl Sutter’s no-nonsense direction. Then you have teams like San Jose, St. Louis and Vancouver — full of firepower but never quite able to get over the hump.

But ESPN analyst Scott Burnside took a slapshot from center ice. Oh, he has the Penguins representing the East in the Stanley Cup Final, but he has them losing to the Western Conference Champions — the team that he say will deny the mighty Blackhawks for the second time in three years.

Ooo, was that a hint? Yup, it’s the Phoenix Coyotes.

No, I’m not kidding.

Now I don’t think the Coyotes have a snowball’s chance in Scottsdale of reaching, much less winning, the Stanley Cup Finals. They don’t have enough elite talent. They are at least one, if not two 30-goal scorers short on offense.

They play in a tough division, in a tough conference and their depth especially at forward is paper-thin. They dressed 12 forwards for the season opener and if one guy goes down, the replacement is most certainly a step down.

But in defense of Mr. Burnside, a respected voice in the sport who is drawing his share of snickers for this stance, I will defend his Hail Mary on several levels:

• Recent NHL history is filled with hard-working, lunch pail teams who caught fire in the playoffs and rode a strong defense and hot goaltending through the playoffs. Two years ago, the Coyotes and the Kings both fit this category.

• The Coyotes have one of the best defenses in the league. They have a gaggle of good, young, talented puck movers, a few beefy veterans and all of them do their thing within Coach Dave Tippett’s system. And they have a goalie in Mike Smith who, if he can regain the form of 2011-12, has what it takes to carry a team.

• The addition of Mike Ribiero, maturation of Mikkel Boedker and promotion of Lucas Lessio give the Coyotes more speed and quickness. It was the first thing the New York Rangers mentioned on opening night. They are strong down the middle and have good leadership in a very tight dressing room.

• With a new ownership that has already shown its willing to spend — and a general manager who has shown the ability to make effective additions and wise subtractions — the Coyotes are a work in progress. Maloney has made no bones about the need for another top-six scorer right now and he has the pieces to offer both in Phoenix and its farm system to get something done.

• Maloney has been a good deadline dealer. Lee Stempniak carried them to the playoffs three years ago. Rusty Klesla was stolen from Columbus. If things look more promising financially by the spring and IceArizona gives GM Don Maloney salary to work with, one or two deals could give the Coyotes the extra bite they need.

• If anyone is going to beat the best team in the West — the Blackhawks — it’s going to be a team like the Coyotes. They did it before. As good as they are, I don’t think the Kings could beat Chicago in a series. Yes, Chicago dominated Phoenix last year, and Phoenix needs more firepower than it has now.

I’m not picking the Coyotes to win it all. Or the West. Or the Pacific Division.

But I do think they will get back to the postseason. And once they get there they will be a tough out. And if that team is upgraded from what they have now Mr. Burnside might be the one doing the snickering.

East Valley Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013

720345 Pittsburgh Penguins

Jokinen goals do the trick for Penguins in victory over Hurricanes

By Rob Rossi

Updated 6 hours ago

Jussi Jokinen scored a goal on Tuesday for every $300,000 that Carolina is paying him to play for the Penguins.

Jokinen turned a hat trick — the 200th in Penguins history — in a 5-2 victory over the Hurricanes at Consol Energy Center.

The Penguins (3-0-0, 6 points) are off to their best start since 1995, when they won seven consecutive games to open the season. Their next four opponents failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, but coach Dan Bylsma does not want players to get ahead of themselves.

Then again, that is exactly what defenseman Olli Maatta is doing.

He assisted on two of Jokinen's goals for his first NHL points.

He is 19.

“He does not look 19, that's for sure,” Bylsma said.

Maatta, the 22nd overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, so impressed coaches during training camp that he was a candidate to begin the season with the Penguins before top defenseman Kris Letang was lost to a lower-body injury.

He can play in no more than nine games before this season would count as the first of his entry-level designation.

The Penguins, a salary-cap squad the past six seasons, don't want to start the clock ticking on Maatta because he could provide them a high return for minimum investment starting next season.

He may leave them no choice, though, because his performance in three NHL games hints he has advanced beyond needing any more schooling at the junior level.

His ice time has increased each game. He is a plus-1, and he hasn't taken a penalty.

Maatta can play only in the NHL or with his junior club because of a deal between the league and Hockey Canada.

He hardly was overwhelmed by a multipoint performance against Carolina.

“It was pretty easy,” Maatta said. “I just passed the forwards the puck. They did the rest.”

Maatta's first pass found center Evgeni Malkin, who drew the attention of Hurricanes players before dishing to Jokinen, whose second goal was scored a minute and 50 seconds after Carolina had pulled even, 2-2, in the third period.

Malkin has recorded a point in 10 consecutive games against Carolina.

Defenseman Paul Martin and winger Tanner Glass also scored for the Penguins, who have outscored opponents 12-3.

Maatta's second point was earned after he fed Jokinen directly, and Jokinen buried his trick-turning third goal against Carolina goalie Cam Ward late in regulation.

Maatta said he “pretty much” knew Jokinen, also from Finland, would help him to his first points.

“He's been a big help,” Maatta said. “He's been getting me use to the system, used to the ‘rules' in the dressing room.”

Maatta and Jokinen do not live together, as did Malkin and fellow Russian Sergei Gonchar during Malkin's early years with the Penguins.

Still, Maatta and Jokinen do speak daily away from the rink, and some of those conversations are about the strange turns an NHL life can take.

Consider Jokinen, who did not click with Carolina coach Kirk Muller last season. That was a big reason Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford

traded Jokinen to the Penguins — and thanks to a new rule in the labor contract conceded to keep $900,000 of Jokinen's $3 million salary on the Carolina books.

“I have nothing but good things to say about that organization,” Jokinen said of Carolina. “They were good to me. But I'm really happy to be in this organization. It's world class.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.09.2013


penguins notebook: Hurricanes' Staal back in form

By Josh Yohe

Updated 8 hours ago

Center Jordan Staal wasn't himself in his first season with Carolina, the pressure of a 10-year, $60 million contract perhaps forcing him out of his comfort zone.

Staal is back to being himself this season, focusing on shutdown defense first.

“He's a completely different player,” Carolina coach Kirk Muller said. “He's had the opportunity to absorb the (trade). He was great last year attitude-wise. It just didn't click for him. He looks more comfortable now.”

The 25-year-old former Penguins standout added muscle but lost weight during the summer, trimming down from 230 to 220 pounds while looking more imposing.

His slightly different physique has Staal feeling better about himself. So, too, does the fact that he is returning to his roots as a defensive-minded player, letting the offense come as opposed to forcing it.

“It's been a good start for me,” he said. “I'm getting back to where my game fits. My approach to the game is a little different this year.”

Staal doesn't have a point in two games. Of course, he's already played a key role in shutting down quality centers like Henrik Zetterberg and Claude Giroux. This was a trademark of Staal's six seasons in Pittsburgh when he was a combined plus-53. He was a minus-18 in his first year with the Hurricanes.

“So far it's been good,” Staal said. “Obviously the blame was on me last year, but there were a lot of factors. It's been good this year.”

Wiffle Ball-gate

Penguins general manager Ray Shero denied a report that right wing James Neal pulled an oblique muscle last week in practice when the Penguins played a Wiffle Ball game in tribute to the Pirates' season.

Neal came onto the ice the following day, then abruptly left practice.

He attempted to play in the season opener the next night against New Jersey, only to depart early in the first period.

“Not accurate,” Shero said. “100 percent not true.”

Neal hasn't skated since last Thursday and the Penguins are listing him as “week-to-week.”

Americans stick together

In a few months, recently fired Philadelphia Flyers coach Peter Laviolette will join Dan Bylsma's coaching staff at the Olympics. The Penguins coach decided to check up on Laviolette following his dismissal from the Flyers.

Bylsma said he was “shocked” by the news and contacted Laviolette on Monday.

Letang improving

Defenseman Kris Letang skated on his own for a third consecutive day but still hasn't taken part in a team practice. It remains unknown if Letang will accompany the team on its two-day, two-game road trip to Florida this weekend

Tribune Review LOADED: 10.09.2013


Penguins notebook: Staal puts tough year behind him

October 9, 2013 12:09 am

By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Jordan Staal admits he was out of sorts during his first season with the Carolina Hurricanes, despite having 10 goals and 31 points in 48 games.

The big two-way center had a difficult time adjusting after being traded by his original team, the Penguins, on draft day 2012 -- also was his wedding day -- then sitting out until January because of the NHL lockout and having an abbreviated training camp with his new team.

"It was all those things, pretty mixed up," Staal said Tuesday before he and the Hurricanes played the Penguins at Consol Energy Center. "It made for a pretty tough season for myself. The blame is still on me, but it was a lot of factors."

Staal, 25, showed up a new man for his second season with Carolina.

"He's a completely different player," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. "He's had an opportunity to absorb the move and everything. I think he just went home this year and trained hard. He came in lighter. He's in great shape.

"Attitude-wise, he was great as well last year; it just didn't click for him. But he just looks a lot more comfortable."

Although he had no points in two games entering Tuesday night, Staal feels good on the ice.

"I think I'm getting back to where my game fits," he said. "My approach to the game has been a little different than last year."

Muller is confident in using Staal in key roles.

"He's playing his game. He's playing a direct north game," Muller said. "He's using that big body. He's been going head-to-head with some top players already and he's still getting offensive opportunities."

Staal, 6 feet 4, isn't sure how much weight he lost over the summer, but knows he feels better.

He didn't change his training routine, per se.

"Just didn't eat so much chocolate, I guess," he said.

Adjusting to realignment

The game last night marked the first matchup of the teams as Metropolitan Division opponents, thanks to NHL realignment.

"It's a little different, but I think we'll get used to it the more we see them," Penguins center Sidney Crosby said.

Carolina is not a traditional rival, but Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik figures realignment could lead to one.

"I think that's what the league is shooting for, with the [playoff] format that they set up where you have to come out of your division just to get to the conference final," he said. "If you are to advance, you're guaranteed to play two teams in your division."

A week into the season, Orpik isn't quite ready to track division foes with extra scrutiny, but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is.

"I think divisional games are extremely important," Bylsma said. "I already look [at the standings] and I'm watching the schedule to see teams playing out of conference, out of division and divisional games."

Zatkoff and Hurricanes ...

Penguins backup goaltender Jeff Zatkoff and his fiancee live in Raleigh, N.C., and he has gotten to know and work out with several Hurricanes in the offseason.

He's not able to offer much of a scouting report on them, though.

"Usually I skate with them toward the end of the summer when things start kicking up. The skates aren't real serious at that point," he said. "They have a great group of guys."

Zatkoff has benefited from spending time with Carolina goaltender Cam Ward.

"Just being able to skate with Ward is nice for me, just to be able to learn from him -- same way as [with Penguins goalie Marc-Andre] Fleury," he said. "He's been around in the league. He's accomplished. They've both won a [Stanley] Cup. Anytime I get a chance to skate with those guys, it doesn't hurt."

Flyers switch shocks Bylsma

Bylsma was caught off guard by the firing of coach Peter Laviolette by the Philadelphia Flyers after their 0-3 start.

"Shocked to see it happen at this point in time," Bylsma said. "I have reached out to him."

Laviolette will be one of Bylsma's assistant coaches on the United States Olympic team that is going to Sochi for the 2014 Games.

Tip-ins

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang was eligible to come off of injured reserve Tuesday, but he was not in the lineup nor did he join the club for its game-day skate. Letang, who is believed to have a knee injury, skated earlier with winger Matt D'Agostini, who has an undisclosed injury. ... The Penguins only healthy scratch was defenseman Deryk Engelland.

Post Gazette LOADED: 10.09.2013


Penguins weather Hurricanes, 5-2; improve to 3-0

October 9, 2013 5:15 am

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

It is, Jussi Jokinen said, nothing personal.

Just that he enjoys playing against his former team so darned much.

Carolina presumably will be relieved to learn that, if only because it might be terrifying to contemplate what Jokinen could do to the Hurricanes if he didn't have so much affection and respect for them.

He scored three goals in the Penguins 5-2 victory Tuesday night at Consol Energy Center, giving him five in three games against the club that dispatched him to the Penguins at the trade deadline this spring.

"There's always extra motivation when you play against your former team," Jokinen said, right before noting that if shots he put off the goalpost and crossbar had gone in, he would have had a five-goal night.

Although he hasn't been here long, few would deny that the Penguins are getting their money's worth from Jokinen. Or, more to the point, getting the Hurricanes' money's worth from him, since Carolina is picking up $900,000 of his $3 million salary.

The Hurricanes agreed to take on 30 percent of his contract to make the deal happen because they were intent on clearing salary-cap space. Whether they were eager to get rid of Jokinen isn't clear, but he clearly was happy in Carolina, which undoubtedly made being traded away sting a bit.

"I'm sure that motivation is there to do well, and he definitely did that tonight," Hurricanes center Eric Staal said. "He's an opportunistic player that, in the right spots, he can score. He can produce. He showed that tonight."

Although this game carried Jokinen's signature, it created some memories for rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, too. He picked up a pair of assists, his first points in the NHL.

"It feels awesome to get that out of the way," Maatta said. "It's something really big I've always dreamed up, putting up points in the NHL."

The Penguins, who opened the 2013-14 season with a three-game homestand, will visit Florida Friday and Tampa Bay Saturday. They have won their first three games of a season for the fifth time in franchise history and the first since 1994.

"It's a great start for us, 3-0," Jokinen said. "Now, we have to go on the road and do the same thing."

Matching their performances to date won't be easy, because the Penguins have set that bar fairly high.

They not only scored first in each of their three games, but also never have trailed and have outscored opponents, 12-3.

"We're only three games into it," center Brandon Sutter said. "It's too early to say we're really happy with our start, but, so far, it's gone well."

That's largely because of improved team defense and some quality work from goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who stopped 32 of 34 Carolina shots.

"He was solid, as usual," said Hurricanes center Jordan Staal, a former Penguin who failed to get any of his team-high six shots past Fleury. "He's a good goalie that makes it difficult to score on."

Jokinen got the only goal of the opening period as he cut toward the Carolina net and controlled a Sidney Crosby feed with his right skate before flipping a backhander past goalie Cam Ward for the Penguins' first power-play goal of the season.

Defenseman Paul Martin made it 2-0 at 1:04 of the second when he collected the rebound of a Brooks Orpik shot that slammed off the backboards and threw the puck by Ward from the inner edge of the right circle. While on his knees.

Eric Staal cut the Penguins' edge to 2-1 by deflecting a Justin Faulk shot past Fleury after Orpik had knocked him to the ice, and Nathan Gerbe of Carolina scored at 3:13 of the third to tie the score.

But Jokinen beat Ward from inside the left dot at 5:03 for what proved to be the winner and, after Tanner Glass flipped a backhander over Ward from between the crease and the right circle at 8:24, Jokinen completed his second career hat trick with a shot over Ward's glove from well above the left hash at 13:03.

"The comment after the game in the coaches' room is just the hockey sense, the hockey intelligence, is really off the charts," coach Dan Bylsma said, referring to Jokinen. "It leads into the versatility of being in different spots and doing different things."

And doing them particularly well against his former team.

Post Gazette LOADED: 10.09.2013

720349 San Jose Sharks

Brad Stuart returning to San Jose Sharks' lineup

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 10/08/2013 12:29:59 PM PDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 12:30:00 PM PDT

SAN JOSE — The Sharks will have veteran defenseman Brad Stuart in the lineup for the first time this season when they face the New York Rangers tonight.

"Obviously it's going to be a bit of an adjustment for me going from just practicing to having to play in a game," said Stuart, who has been dealing with an off-season lower body injury. "Try to use my experience and try to get up to speed as quick as I can."

Stuart, 33, will be paired with Jason Demers. That means Scott Hannan sits this one out. That decision, coach Todd McLellan said, was a tough one.

"We've had two games to really evaluate our team and we've played fairly well in both. There haven't been glaring mistakes from our back end so it's not easy to find an individual to take out of the lineup," McLellan said. "But more important was getting Stuey going. We can't go on without having him in."

Stuart said he wanted to be sure his skating was up to speed before getting back in action.

"I was just making sure my legs were going and I was as close to game shape as you can be," he said. "That doesn't happen overnight. I had to work on that. Once I got to a point where the coaching staff was comfortable and I felt good, then the decision could be made."

Stuart helps the Sharks just by being on the ice, McLellan said.

"Our players like to play when he's involved in the game. It's as simple as that," the coach said. "He's physical, a very good penalty killer, understands how we want to play and has the ability to play against other teams' top players."

The Rangers are coming in on the second half of back-to-back games after beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1 on Monday night. The Sharks hope to get an early jump on New York in an effort to wear them down, McLellan said, but that won't be easy.

"They're an aggressive team all over the ice," the coach said. "They're not going to give you much space going through the neutral zone and the d-zone."

The game is the first of 16 visits by Eastern Conference opponents under the NHL's new scheduling format.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Ex-Shark Dominic Moore recalls powerful memories

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 10/08/2013 05:38:24 PM PDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 07:37:58 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- For former Sharks forward Dominic Moore, the trip to San Jose as a New York Ranger for Tuesday night's game brings up a range of powerful memories.

Moore was acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in February 2012. Shortly after that, his wife, Katie, was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. After months of treatment, she died Jan. 7 in a Boston hospital at 32.

"It's interesting being back, a little weird being back," Moore, 33, said of being back in San Jose. "There are some good memories, the last memories of a healthy wife. But also obviously other memories when things started to turn with the illness. Kind of a clash of memories. That's just the way it is."

His voice tightening at times, Moore described the Sharks organization as a "great group" for the way it supported him through that period. And he singled out one segment in particular for continuing to help.

"The Sharks' wives and girlfriends, on their own thoughtfulness and generosity, have done some fundraising on behalf of the Katie Moore Foundation. That shows a lot about the kind of people that are over there."

Moore established the foundation in his wife's name shortly to help others dealing with rare forms of cancer.

Acquired as a third-line center, Moore struggled at times as he tried to play while dealing with the news of his wife's illness. He left the Sharks midway through their opening round playoff loss to the St. Louis Blues, and only after the season was an explanation given.

After sitting out the lockout-shortened season that began soon after his wife's death, Moore signed a one-year contract with the Rangers, the team that originally drafted him in 2000, as a free agent. He has averaged 12:47 in his first two games this season and has yet to register a point. So how tough or easy has it been to return to the ice?

"It depends on how you're asking tough or easy," he said. "It's great to be back into the routine

New York Rangers Dominic Moore (28) former San Jose Shark skates on the ice during warmups before the game at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013. (Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group) ( Josie Lepe )

of the season and everything like that, having taken so much time off. That part is difficult, trying to get back into the rhythm of everything.

"But," he continued, "I feel good. The goal is just to improve every single day throughout the course of the season and see how it goes.



Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl scores four goals in 9-2 rout of New York Rangers

By David Pollak

[email protected]

Posted: 10/08/2013 10:22:34 PM PDT

Updated: 10/08/2013 11:46:45 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- With the eyes of New York on him Tuesday night, Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl put on a Broadway-worthy performance.

The 19-year-old native of the Czech Republic tied a franchise record with four goals to lead the Sharks to a 9-2 rout of the New York Rangers. And he capped his scoring outburst with a nifty between-the-legs drop pass to himself that left backup netminder Martin Biron flummoxed.

"He's a passionate young man, and I'm not even sure if he realizes where he is," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "He's innocent out there."

But what about the trick-shot nature of that fourth goal?

"Well, he scored, why not?" McLellan said. "Our game needs a little bit of that."

The only other

Shark to score four goals was Owen Nolan against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 19, 1995. And Hertl's accomplishment came in just his third NHL game.

"That was special," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said of his linemate's performance. "You don't see that very often."

Hertl was the star, but he had a strong supporting cast on a night that might prove costly to the Rangers for reasons that go beyond the two points as star New York forward Rick Nash left the game early after taking a Brad Stuart elbow.

Matt Nieto, San Jose's less-heralded rookie, also celebrated his first NHL tally and picked up two assists while veterans Logan Couture, Dan Boyle, Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Justin Braun also found the back of the net. Joe Pavelski and Jason Demers each had three assists.

San Jose goalie Antti Niemi gave up goals to Rangers forwards Brad Richards and Derek Dorsett while making 18 saves for his third straight win.

The Sharks were able to take advantage of the fact the Rangers are on an extended trip and had played the night before in Los Angeles.

"It's hard to play back-to-back games early in the year, and they've been on the road for a long time," McLellan said. "They have a new coach, they played against a heavy team last night in L.A. We had a game plan to go after them."

Actually, with the help of two San Jose penalties, New York was the first team on the scoreboard.

In his first game back after an offseason injury, Stuart was sent to the penalty box for elbowing Nash just 2:32 into the game, and 31 seconds later the Sharks were whistled for too many men on the ice, giving the Rangers a two-man advantage.

They only needed 24 seconds to take a 1-0 lead on Richards' goal, but that lead didn't last long.

While still on the power play, the Rangers got a little casual, and Vlasic capitalized with a short-handed goal at 4:23. Boyle then launched a shot that caromed off Rangers defenseman Marc Staal past New York starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist.

In the second period, the Sharks broke the game open with four goals over a 4:16 stretch.

Nieto scored at 8:16, then Hertl nailed his first of the night, redirecting a beautiful centering pass from Andrew Desjardins. Lundqvist, who gave up

four goals on 26 shots, was finished for the night as new Ranger coach Alain Vigneault decided Biron was the better option.

Biron didn't have a chance 20 seconds later when a shot bounced off the glass and Couture sneaked in behind the goal and batted the puck into the open net. And at 12:32, the Sharks made it 6-1 on a Hertl breakaway that beat Biron through the five hole.

Dorsett's goal at 8:22 of the third period made it 6-2, but that only seemed to wake up the Sharks -- especially Hertl, who picked up the hat trick at 9:02 and then stunned the crowd with the kind of trick shot usually seen in shootouts at 12:05.

"That's something I don't have in my bag," Thornton said. "That was awfully pretty, eh?"

Thursday's game

Sharks (3-0) at Vancouver (3-1),

7 p.m. CSNCA

more online

Dominic Moore describes "clash of memories" upon return www.mercurynews.com/sharks



Hertl scores 4 goals as Sharks rout Rangers 9-2

Ross McKeon

Updated 11:46 pm, Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Tomas Hertl, who was quite impressive Saturday, went one better Tuesday. No, make that two better.

San Jose's 19-year-old rookie has burst on the NHL scene, topping his two-goal Saturday effort by scoring four goals during a spectacular night at SAP Center. Behind Hertl's hat trick-plus-one and a host of other offensive highlights, the Sharks ran the New York Rangers right out of the building with a 9-2 laugher.

"You don't see that too often," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "It's very, very special."

Hertl smiled from ear to ear as television cameras caught his mother fighting back tears while the building exploded in noise.

"This is a dream. It's crazy, four goals," Hertl said. "In the Czech league, I never had three. And (four) in the NHL - it's crazy."

Hertl's sixth and final goal over two games came on a breakaway at 12:05 of the third period. He slid the puck behind him, placed his stick between his legs and lifted the puck over the shoulder of Rangers back-up goalie Marty Biron to bring down the house.

"That's something I don't have in my bag," Thornton said. "That was awfully pretty."

San Jose scored three times during an 83-second span of the second period to turn a one-goal game into a rout over a team that had nothing left after winning the previous night in Los Angeles.

Rookie Matt Nieto collected his first career goal and two assists. Joe Pavelski and Jason Demers added three assists each as 14 players landed on the score sheet.

"To get my first goal, I couldn't be happier, and I thought the team played well again tonight," Nieto said.

The mid-game rally began when Nieto scored at 8:16 to cap a San Jose burst after a New York turnover at center. Hertl scored his first of the night by tapping in a cross-ice feed from Andrew Desjardins at 9:19, a goal that chased Rangers starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Logan Couture greeted Biron with his second of the season, swatting a carom after a shot by Patrick Marleau that bounced hard off the end boards.

Hertl finished the four-goal second - a period that featured a 23-8 advantage in shots for San Jose - by backhanding a breakaway through the legs of Biron at 12:32.

Hertl completed his first hat trick at 9:02 of the third period.

"They were all pretty nice goals," Nieto said. "He's on a roll right now. That's good to see."

Defenseman Justin Braun scored a power-play goal at 15:53 and Sharks goalie Antti Niemi made 18 saves for his third straight win.

New York lost the services of power forward Rick Nash after the opening period. Nash was on the receiving end of an elbow from defenseman Brad Stuart during the opening three minutes and finished the period with nearly six minutes of ice time, but he didn't return after the intermission. The league could review the incident for possible supplemental discipline.

"I have a headache," Nash said. "It got worse. It was a head shot. I'm concerned the way it feels."

Briefly: Stuart made his season debut, pairing with Jason Demers as Scott Hannan was a healthy scratch. ... The Sharks hosted an Eastern Conference opponent for the first time since March 22, 2012. ... The Rangers were last in San Jose on March 12, 2011.

Ross McKeon is a freelance writer.

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 10.09.2013


Relive Sharks rookie Hertl's four-goal night

Four-goal game a 'dream' for Hertl

SAN JOSE – After becoming the fourth youngest player in NHL history to score four goals in a game, Sharks rookie Tomas Hertl said (and we’re paraphrasing his English here), that it’s like he’s in a dream.

Head coach Todd McLellan, unaware of what Hertl had said just a few minutes earlier, essentially echoed his young star when asked if there’s something about the 19-year-old that the world outside the dressing room hasn’t yet seen.

“No, I think you’re seeing it all. He’s a passionate young man, and I’m not even sure if he realizes where he is,” McLellan said.

Where he is, is smack dab in the middle of a dominant start for the Sharks, who improved to 3-0-0 on the season with a 9-2 drubbing of the New York Rangers. Along with Hertl’s four goals, rookie Matt Nieto, Joe Pavelski and Jason Demers had three-point nights and 15 different Sharks players recorded at least one point. San Jose has outscored its opposition 17-4 this season.

While Hertl and the Sharks were in dream mode, the game was a nightmare for the Rangers and new head coach Alain Vigneault. Playing the second of a back-to-back after beating the Kings on Monday, New York looked lethargic and sluggish, and the Sharks took full advantage.

“Yeah, they were probably tired from coming in last night and playing L.A.,” Joe Thornton said. “Just a combination of a long night for them, and we always seem to be ready here at home.”

The Sharks erased an early 1-0 deficit with a shorthanded goal by Marc-Edouard Vlasic at 4:23 of the first, and added another with Dan Boyle’s marker three-and-a-half minutes later. A 2-1 lead increased to 6-1 in the second period, when the Sharks scored four times in just over four minutes, including Hertl’s first two of the night.

“Our start was going to be important. We didn’t get what we wanted, but I thought our energy in the second period really took over,” McLellan said. “We out-changed them a little bit, and were able to get a lot of pucks to the net, and retrieve them for second opportunities.”

While the game was basically over at that point, the excitement from Hertl was just beginning. In the third period, after the Rangers made it 6-2 on Derek Dorsett’s breakaway, Hertl’s power play goal completed the hat trick and fans flooded the ice with all sorts of headgear.

But it was his fourth goal that will be remembered. Just minutes after the ice crew had cleared the frozen surface of hats, Hertl took a pass from Demers at the offensive blue line and raced in alone on net. His between-the-legs shot over the shoulder of Martin Biron brought the crowd to its feet once again, and multiple replays of the goal on the in-arena jumbotron brought more and more gasps and ovations with every showing.

Whether Hertl should have tried such an ostentatious move with the score already 7-2 is debatable, but, predictably, no one in the Sharks locker room had a problem with it.

“He's out there just playing. That's the bottom line. He's playing,” Pavelski said. “It's a great goal, really. What can you say? Obviously, it's going to make a few people mad, probably. Hopefully not. But, he's got a lot of skill, and that's what he chose to do. It was great to see."

McLellan said: “Our game needs a little bit of that. And, again, it’s that innocence that he has. He doesn’t completely understand where he is, and he’s playing free.”

He’s doing more than that. And if Hertl does feel like he's dreaming, the Sharks hope he doesn’t wake up any time soon.

Sharks Notes

Per Elias Sports, Hertl became the youngest player to score four goals in a game since March 30, 1988, when Jimmy Carson scored four for the Kings. … Hertl is the first Sharks player to score six goals in his first three career games. … Owen Nolan is the only other Sharks player to score four goals in a game (12/19/95 at Anaheim) . … Nieto’s first career goal ended up as

the game-winner. … Demers’ three points was a new career high. … The Sharks scored nine goals in a game for the sixth time in franchise history.



Mixed emotions for Moore in return to San Jose

SAN JOSE – Dominic Moore has played for nine NHL teams in his 10-year career, so going into buildings that he used to call home is old hat for the 33-year old Rangers forward.

But coming back to San Jose, where he played at the end of the 2011-12 season, brings back a hurricane of emotions. Shortly after the Sharks acquired him in February of that year, Moore’s wife Katie was diagnosed with liver cancer. Moore had to leave the team during its first round playoff series against St. Louis, and his wife passed away Jan. 7, 2013, at the age of 32.

“It’s interesting being back, and a little bit weird being back,” an emotional Moore said, shortly before the Sharks-Rangers game on Tuesday night at SAP Center. “Last time I was here, basically, there are some good memories – the last memories of a healthy wife, and also obviously other memories when things started to turn, with the illness and stuff. It’s kind of a clash of memories there. That’s just the way it is.”

Moore expressed his gratitude to the Sharks’ organization, specifically the team’s wives and girlfriends, who have since helped raise money for the Katie Moore Foundation. According to its website, the Katie Moore Foundation is “dedicated to helping patients and families with rare cancers through research, advocacy, and community.”

“It shows a lot about the kind of people over there, so that goes a long way,” Moore said.

Moore sat out the shortened 2013 season before signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Rangers over the summer. Getting back into the swing of things has its challenges.

“It’s great to be back into the routine of the season, and everything like that,” he said. “Having taken so much time off, that part is difficult trying to get back into the rhythm of everything. I feel good. The goal is to improve every single day throughout the course of the season, and see how it goes.”

For more information on the Katie Moore Foundation, click here.



Kevin and Brodie: Hertl raising expectations; Stuart returns

Rangers-Sharks: In the Crease

Programming note: Rangers-Sharks coverage gets underway tonight at 7 p.m. with Sharks Pregame Live, only on Comcast SportsNet California

Where they stand

Sharks: 2-0-0, 1st Pacific Division, 3rd Western Conference

Rangers: 1-1-0, 4th Metropolitan Division, 9th Eastern Conference

Vitals

Sharks

Goals per game: 4.00 (T, 3rd)

Goals-against per game: 1.00 (T, 2nd)

Power play: 16.7 percent (T, 14th)

Penalty kill: 85.7 percent (T, 10th)

Rangers

Goals per game: 2.00 (T, 21st)

Goals-against per game: 2.50 (T, 10th)

Power play: 14.3 percent (T, 18th)

Penalty kill: 80.0 percent (T, 17th)

Probable lines

Sharks

Tomas Hertl – Joe Thornton – Brent Burns

Tyler Kennedy – Logan Couture – Patrick Marleau

Matt Nieto – Joe Pavelski – Tommy Wingels

James Sheppard – Andrew Desjardins – John McCarthy

Marc-Edouard Vlasic – Justin Braun

Matt Irwin – Dan Boyle

Jason Demers – Brad Stuart

Antti Niemi

Alex Stalock

Rangers

Brad Richards – Derek Stepan – Rick Nash

Benoit Pouliot – Derick Brassard – Mats Zuccarello

Taylor Pyatt – Brian Boyle – Ryan Callahan

Derek Dorsett – Dominic Moore – Arron Asham

Ryan McDonagh – Dan Girardi

Marc Staal – Michael Del Zotto

Anton Stralman – John Moore

Henrik Lundqvist

Martin Biron

Keep an eye on…

Sharks: Marc-Edouard Vlasic. The Sharks’ veteran defenseman earned the primary assist on two of the team’s first three goals on Saturday against Phoenix, and is tied with Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl for the team lead in points with three. He had just seven points in 48 games last season.

Rangers: Ryan Callahan. The Rangers’ captain made his season debut on Monday in Los Angeles, his first game since offseason shoulder surgery.

He’s had success against the Sharks, too, with five goals (and seven points) in five career games vs. San Jose.

Last game

Sharks: Tomas Hertl scored the first two goals of his NHL career, giving the Sharks an early 2-0 lead, and the team cruised to a 4-1 win over the Phoenix Coyotes at SAP Center on Saturday night. Patrick Marleau and Logan Couture (empty net) also had goals, and San Jose was 2-for-4 on the power play. Antti Niemi allowed a single goal for the second straight game in improving to 2-0.

Rangers: Brad Richards scored twice and Ryan McDonagh added a strange shorthanded goal in the Rangers’ 3-1 win in Los Angeles on Monday. Richards’ goals were his first of the season, while McDonagh was the beneficiary of a huge misplay by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick in the third period. Rick Nash had two assists, while Henrik Lundqvist made 28 saves.

Injuries

Sharks: Raffi Torres (right ACL surgery), Marty Havlat (offseason pelvic surgery), and Adam Burish (lower body) are out.

Rangers: Carl Hagelin (left shoulder surgery) is out.

Season series

This is the first of two games between the Sharks and Rangers, who won’t play again until March 16, 2014 at Madison Square Garden. This is the first game between the two teams since Oct. 31, 2011 in New York.

San Jose is just 6-18-3-2 all-time against the Rangers, but since the 1999-2000 season, the Sharks have gone 6-5-1-2 against New York.

Quoteable

“It’s huge, any time you can just roll the lines and throw three sets of D out there, it’s going to conserve a lot of energy through the lineup. That allows you to maintain the forecheck, and do what we want to do in our system to be successful.” – Matt Irwin, on the Sharks’ ability to roll four lines and three defense pairs

Burning question

Which Eastern Conference team are you most looking forward to seeing at SAP Center this season, and why?


720356 St Louis Blues

Blues seeking to do a better job closing games vs. Chicago

4 hours ago • By Jeremy Rutherford [email protected] 314-444-7135

Ken Hitchcock's club puts its hot start on the line against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Read more

As the Blues have built toward catching the Chicago Blackhawks in recent years, one area that has been a problem for the club is playing with the lead.

In 2010-11, the Blues blew a 2-0 advantage over the Blackhawks on three occasions, eventually losing. In 2011-12, they coughed up leads of 3-1, 2-1 and 1-0.

To play with the advantage, not fold into a defensive shell and succumb to the pressure, is a characteristic of a mature team and one that the ’Hawks acquired long ago.

Well, perhaps the Blues are finally on the verge of acquiring it as well, coach Ken Hitchcock said, after watching his team add to its lead in a 7-0 victory over Florida and a 4-2 win over Nashville to open the season.

“What’s different about this team than any one that I’ve been around here … is that they are really hungry to score,” Hitchcock said. “In two games that I’ve seen, they don’t take the foot off the accelerator. It looks like there’s a real hunger to make the other team defend, which I think is the way you have to play in the National Hockey League.

“I think that once we sniffed out a little bit of blood in the water, we kept the foot on the gas right to the end. The score is not relevant for me. It could be 2-0, it could be 7-0, I don’t care. In both of these games, once we got a little bit of a lick in, we turned up the volume and we kept the temperature up until the end of the game, which is what made me the happiest.”

On Tuesday, the Blues’ coaching staff emphasized how critical the team’s continued pressure was in the victory over Florida.

“We saw a video clip today where (Blues associate head coach Brad Shaw) pointed out where we had three guys back-checking and it was 5-0,” Blues forward Chris Stewart said. “That’s just habits. We’re here for the long haul. You can’t let your foot off the gas. Teams are too good in this league. If you give them chances, they’re going to come back.”

Hitchcock insisted that Blues’ coaches have been preaching this approach for a while, but now the players are practicing what the coaches are preaching.

“We’ve been selling it for two years now and getting a gradual buy in,” Hitchcock said. “It’s not easy to play on your toes for 60 minutes, it’s hard. You want to be able to rest at times, that’s natural, but we’re trying to get these guys to stay on their toes for 60 minutes.

“When we play like we play, that forechecking, reloading, hang-onto-the-puck mentally, we’re effective. That’s what I liked about both games — as the game went on, we got hungrier and hungrier to keep it in the o-zone.”

LAPIERRE AWARE

No one has to tell new Blues’ pest Maxim Lapierre to get worked up when playing the Blackhawks tonight.

Lapierre spent the last two seasons in Vancouver, where the rivalry with Chicago, from an intensity standpoint, might even be greater than the Blues-Blackhawks rivalry because of the Canucks-’Hawks recent playoff history.

“I think it’s perfect for (tonight’s) matchup,” Lapierre said. “We always liked the games against Chicago in Vancouver, and I feel like it’s going to be the same here. It’s going to be pretty intense and it’s going to be a playoff type of game.”

BLUENOTES

The Blues led the NHL in goals per game (5.5) going into Tuesday’s action. They were third in the league in power-play success (37.5 percent) and were tied with six other teams for No. 1 in penalty killing (100 percent).

Among those teams, only Vancouver has more kills (14) than the Blues (11).

• The Blues have 10 different goal scorers this season, making them the first team since Calgary (1991-92) to have double-digit scorers through the first two games of the year.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 10.09.2013


Blues-Blackhawks matchup box


BLUES

VS.

BLACKHAWKS

When • 7 p.m. tonight.

Where • Scottrade Center

TV, radio • NBC Sports Network,

KYKY (98.1 FM)

Blues • The Blues are looking forward to the first of five meetings this season against the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Blues are 2-0 with victories over Florida and Nashville, but say that Chicago will give them a better barometer of where they stand. The club will use the same lineup tonight as it has in the first two games, including Jaroslav Halak as the starting goaltender. Halak is coming off a 19-save outing in Saturday’s 7-0 win over Florida, earning his 17th shutout with the Blues, eclipsing Glenn Hall’s franchise record.

Blackhawks • After two home games to open 2013-14, Chicago heads on the road for the first time this season. Patrick Kane and Brandon Saad are each off to solid starts with two goals each. Also chipping in a goal for the Blackhawks this season is Brandon Bollig, who will be making his return to his hometown of St. Louis after helping the ’Hawks to the Stanley Cup last season. Like the Blues, Chicago’s last game was Saturday, a 3-2 shootout loss to Tampa Bay, so the club will be plenty rested when it takes the ice tonight.

Injuries • Blues — none; Blackhawks — none.



Blues, Blackhawks rivalry ready for national exposure


Team has especially struggled finishing off tonight's opponent in recent years. Read more

Blues captain David Backes starts in front of his own net. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews begins in front of his. The two dart to center ice, where they stop and engage in a stare down.

A series that has seen more than 300 matchups is in the national spotlight tonight, with the TV promo featuring Backes and Toews setting the stage for NBC Sports Network’s “Wednesday Night Rivalry” game at 7 at Scottrade Center.

As tech-savvy fans might have surmised, the captains weren’t really on the ice together for the shoot. The footage was filmed separately several weeks ago, while the two players were in New York.

“That’s the magic of video,” Backes said.

Backes and Toews were pasted together in the editing room but when their clubs meet for the first time in the 2013-14 season, they along with their teammates will be pasted together on the rink outside their respective locker rooms.

The Blackhawks won their second Stanley Cup in four years in 2012-13, and after a couple of seasons in which the Blues believed they were closing the gap, the time finally might be here. At the very least, they will have a barometer of where they stand.

“I think what creates the rivalry is they have the Cup and everybody wants a piece of it,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “They’re a measuring stick for everybody that plays them…

“You want information for your team. As a coach, the quicker you can get information, the more it helps. Sometimes it hurts getting lulled into a sense of security. We haven’t played somebody that’s won before.”

The Blues have won their first two games, over Florida and Nashville, by a combined score of 11-2. But several players said this week with all due respect to those clubs, they’re not the Blackhawks.

“It’s going to be a totally different game,” Blues forward Vladimir Sobotka said. “We’ve got to be prepared for it. It’s not going to be easy, we all know that. We’ve got to work harder than we did (in Saturday’s 7-0 win over Florida).”

The ’Hawks ran away with the Central Division title last season, finishing 17 points ahead of the second-place Blues. They proved their mettle once again in the postseason, battling past Boston in a successful six-game Stanley Cup series.

But it’s a new season, with newly realigned divisions, and with the Blues and Chicago projected to play for the Central Division title, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville realizes his former team remains on the heels of his current club.

“The last two or three years, they’ve been as good as anybody over the regular season,” Quenneville said. “They’re got a lot of good things about their team that make them successful. We find when we go in there we have to be all committed to playing that type of game with everybody contributing.”

Chicago, which has opened the season 1-0-1 with a win over Washington and a shootout loss to Tampa Bay, is aware of the Blues’ early momentum.

“They’ve had a good start to the season,” Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane said. “It’s a tough building to play in and I’m sure it’s a game they’ll be really excited for, especially knowing what we did last year. And they’re probably looking at us as the team they want to beat in our division.”

Perhaps no one on the outside is as close to the matchup as Jamal Mayers, who spent 10 years in a Blues uniform before landing in Chicago.

He played two seasons with the ’Hawks, putting his name on the Stanley Cup in 2012-13. With plans to make his retirement official soon, “Jammer” has returned to St. Louis and now works as an analyst on the NHL Network and as a co-host of a local hockey show.

Mayers admitted the Blackhawks might have bigger rivals in Vancouver and Detroit because of the recent playoff history, but the ’Hawks have noted the Blues’ progress.

“There’s no question,” he said. “Any time you played against the Blues for the last several years, you knew it was going to be a man’s game. They play in your face and they’re physical. I know that’s what was discussed in the locker room before games … you knew that you were going to have to put your hard hat on and it wasn’t going to be easy.”

Despite scoring 11 goals in their first two games, the Blues insist they must play the same style that has kept them respectable against Chicago. While the ’Hawks have won two Cups in the last fours years, the Blues are 8-11-4 against them in that span.

“I don’t think we should change anything,” Sobotka said. “Just play hard, forecheck hard and try to get the pucks from their skill guys.”

Blues forward T.J. Oshie said the Blues have to be “themselves.”

“Obviously we’ve got to be careful about who we’re playing,” he said. “There’s different teams that have different strengths. Last year, (the Blackhawks) were the best in the league. It’ll be a good test for us and we’re looking forward to it.”

The Blues aren’t backing down. And neither are the ’Hawks .

“We’re a confident group, they’re a confident group, so we’ll see where this ends up at the end of the night,” Hitchcock said.

Unlike the TV promo, it won’t be a stare-down. That was just the network’s way of setting the stage.

“But they did a pretty good job if you ask me,” Backes said. “I think they dialed it right in.”



Blues-Blackhawks get set to renew rivalry Wednesday


Perhaps you've seen the TV commercial this week promoting the Blues-Blackhawks game Wednesday at Scottrade Center.

Blues captain David Backes and Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews start at their own nets and skate to center ice, where they stop and engage in a stare down.

It does a good job of setting the stage for "Wednesday Night Rivalry" on NBC Sports Network, which will carry the 7 o'clock game.

Well, as you might have surmised, Backes and Toews weren't really on the ice together, filming the commercial. The footage was shot separately several weeks ago, while the two players were in New York.

"That's the magic of video," Backes said. "But they did a pretty good job on it if you ask me. I think they dialed it right in."

So it's one thing for a Blues' fan to be watching TV when the commercial spot comes on. But what's it like to be David Backes, vacuuming the carpet or folding laundry, and you suddenly see yourself on the tube?

"I don't typically watch those channels where that's going to come on at night...I try to relax, clear my mind, get away from it," Backes said. "But I have seen glimpses of it."

Also priming fans for the Wednesday's game, NBCSN will air a show tonight called "NHL Rivals," which will focus on the rivalry between the two teams playing that week's game. Tune in tonight at 9:30 p.m. CDT and catch the history of the dual between the Blues and 'Hawks, with interviews from Brett Hull, Darren Pang and former Post-Dispatch beatwriter Dave Luecking among others.

***

FRIENDS OR FOES?

In the old days, players on opposing teams didn't socialize much off the ice, but today's game is different.

It is nothing to see, for example, Blues players such as David Backes and Kevin Shattenkirk speaking with Blackhawks' star Patrick Kane 20 minutes after a game outside one of the teams' locker rooms.

Backes was Olympic teammates with Kane for Team USA in 2010 and Backes and Shattenkirk are both projected to be on the American roster again with Kane in the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. All three spoke at the recent orientation camp in Virginia.

"I've known (Kane) since high school... he went to the (U.S.) national team and was a year ahead of me," Shattenkirk said. "We know each other a little bit. It is what it is, it's a lot like your friends on other teams in the league. You're friends when you see them, but obviously on the ice, it's a competition. I know he's going to try to make me look silly, so I'll try to do it right back at him if I can."

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock is considered "old-school" but he doesn't mind the off-ice fraternizing between opposing players.

“When I first saw it, I used to get upset about it," Hitchcock said. "But it doesn’t bother you anymore. We do the same thing as coaches. We’re not catching up on the how team is playing. We’re more on the personal side of things.”

***

LAPIERRE IS ALREADY AWARE

No one has to tell new Blues' pest Maxim Lapierre to get worked up when playing the Blackhawks.

Lapierre spent the last two seasons in Vancouver, where the rivalry with Chicago, from an intensity standpoint, might even be greater than the

Blues-Blackhawks rivalry right now because the Canucks and Hawks have had bitter meetings in the postseason recently.

"I think it's perfect for tomorrow's matchup," Lapierre said. "We always liked the games against Chicago in Vancouver, and I feel like it's going to be the same here. It's going to be pretty intense and it's going to be a playoff type of game."



Blues-Blackhawks rivalry heats up again

Published: October 8, 2013 Updated 10 hours ago

By NORM SANDERS — News-Democrat

ST. LOUIS — The biggest difference between the St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks are five Stanley Cup championships, including two in the last four years.

One of the NHL's best rivalries resumes Wednesday when the defending Stanley Cup champs visit Scottrade Center for a nationally televised game on NBC Sports Network.

"I think what creates the rivalry is they have the (Stanley) Cup and everybody wants a piece of it back," said Blues coach Ken Hitchcock, whose team outscored the opposition 11-2 on the way to a 2-0 start. "They're a measuring stick for everybody that plays them."

Blues captain David Backes and Chicago captain Jonathan Toews are part of a new commercial for NBC Sports Network's new "NHL Rivals" series that highlights a rivalry with a show broadcast one night before the games.

"They did a pretty good job on it if you ask me, they dialed it right in," said Backes, who hasn't paid much attention to the commercial with he and Toews glaring at each other.

Backes said they used "the magic of video" to make it seem like both were together on the ice. They weren't.

"There's going to be measuring sticks along the way and the team that's won two Stanley Cups in the last four years is a good team to measure yourself against," Backes said.

The NHL's new division alignments and playoff format also places more of an emphasis on the rivalry.

While eight teams from each conference still qualify for the playoffs, the Western Conference will take the top three teams from each of two divisions --the Blues are in the Central -- along with the teams with the next two best records as wildcard entries.

Detroit's move to the Eastern Conference from the Western leaves Chicago as the Blues' natural top rival.

"It's already there, but it's just going to get more and more fierce," Backes said. "We play them five times during the regular season and then in order to get to the next level in the playoffs. you're going to have to beat two other teams in your division to get there."

The Blues have won the season series against Chicago only twice since 2005. Has the 2013-14 edition of the Blues managed to close the gap a bit?

"They've proven themselves twice now," Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said with a nod to Chicago's two recent championships. "We went through a little bit of growing pains the past couple years. They were able to get to the summit quicker and achieve that goal.

"I don't think we view them as any better than us because they've won it. We look at them as equals and (Wednesday) we have to best them and do it for the rest of the season."

Chicago star Patrick Kane said recently he felt Vancouver was a bigger rivalry for the Blackhawks than the Blues.

But the teams have close ties, from former Blues coach Joel Quenneville having won two Stanley Cups with Chicago to Toews being a teammate of Blues winger T.J. Oshie at the University of North Dakota.

Chicago's Brandon Saad is off to a quick start with two goals and four points in two games. Kane also has two goals.

Hitchcock said the next three games should give him a good indication of where this Blues team is headed.

Do the players consider the Blackhawks a good measuring stick to see where they're at?

"We feel that we're every bit as good as them and they obviously did it last year, they did the whole thing," Shattenkirk said. "They went the distance. But that's our goal this year and they're another team that we have to work through to get there."

Hitchcock likes the way his team has attacked the net during the 7-0 win over Florida and 4-2 victory over Nashville.

"What's different about this team than any one that I've been around here is that they are really hungry to score and they don't take the foot off the accelerator," Hitchcock said. "It looks like there's a real hunger to make the other team defend, which I think is the way you have to play in the NHL if you expect to play defense.

"Once we sniffed out a little bit of blood in the water, we kept the foot on the gas right to the end. That's what made us happy."

While new Blues Maxim Lapierre, Brenden Morrow and Derek Roy have been facing the Blackhawks for years, now they get to do it from inside the rivalry.

"It only takes one mistake and they'll make you pay for it.," Morrow said. "They're very disciplined."

Backes thinks the feisty Lapierre should add to the rivalry mix.

"He's a guy that you love having on your team," Backes said. "When you turn the temperature up, he's a fierce competitor that doesn't back down from anyone. That's kind of our way of life around here."

Contact reporter Norm Sanders at 239-2454, [email protected] or on Twitter @NormSanders

Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 10.09.2013

720361 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts rally again, top Sabres in OT

By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff

Published: October 8, 2013

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Another third-period, power-play-fueled comeback lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 overtime victory to cap a successful three-game road trip to open the season.

Alex Killorn scored the winner 1:50 into the extra session to cap off the comeback in front of an announced crowd of 18,243 at First Niagara Center as Tampa Bay opened the season with two victories in the three games.

Tyler Johnson and Teddy Purcell also scored for the Lightning, while Ben Bishop stopped 21 shots. Cody Hodgson and Mike Weber scored power-play goals for the Sabres, who got 31 saves from Jhonas Enroth.

After dropping the season opener in Boston, the Lightning picked up consecutive victories in overtime, and for the second consecutive game scored a third-period power-play goal.

“It's always tough to win on the road, especially with the starts we've had, having to come back in a couple of games,” said Purcell, who also had the tying goal in Saturday's shootout win at Chicago. “We dug ourselves some holes, but we showed resiliency and character, and it's good to see that early on.”

Killorn notched his first goal of the season, picking up a lost puck in front of Eric Brewer, skating to the opposite side of the slot and beating Enroth, who was down and trying to recover.

“I had to make the read and realize that I would have a better opportunity if I held it for a second,” Killorn said. “So it worked out. It was a little bit of a defensive breakdown for them, I was just lucky enough to be able to sell the shot.”

The news wasn't all good as Tampa Bay lost forward Tom Pyatt, who was making his season debut, to a broken collarbone in the third period.

After a scoreless first period, the second period ended pretty much the same way the first did, with Tampa Bay holding the puck for extended periods. The dominant possession time resulted in the Sabres going 14 minutes, 24 seconds between shots, extending from the first period until the early stages of the second. But just like the first period, Tampa Bay was unable to take advantage of its opportunities while Enroth made some solid saves.

Tampa Bay then started to find penalty trouble that allowed Buffalo to build momentum and grab the lead.

With Pierre-Cedric Labrie in the penalty box at 10:19 for hooking, the Sabres opened the scoring when Hodgson found a loose puck at the side of the net at 11:09.

The Lightning came come back with some quality scoring chances. Just 37 seconds after Sami Salo rang a shot off the post, Johnson pulled Tampa Bay even, taking a pass from Victor Hedman to the right wing, where he drilled a top-shelf shot at 13:35 for his first goal of the season.

But more penalty trouble put the Lightning on the defensive again late in the period. Brewer took a hooking call on Kevin Porter, who was behind the defense.

The Sabres were again able to captialize on the opportunity. Weber was able to find a seam and fired a wrist shot past Bishop at 18:34 for a second Buffalo power-play goal and a 2-1 lead.

“You look at the shot clock, and yes there (was a disparity), but I was more or less looking at the fact we didn't give up a whole ton of chances and Bishop stood tall,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “And our penalty kill, we had chances to get pucks out and we didn't, and ultimately it cost us a little bit.”

Buffalo thought it had grabbed a 3-1 lead, but a goal was waved off for a high sticking call on Vanek, though it appeared Matt Carle struck himself with his own stick.

The result was a Tampa Bay power play at 5:21, and 22 seconds into the man advantage, the Lightning were able to find the tying goal off the stick of Purcell, who took a pass down low from Ryan Malone and quickly put the puck through the five-hole to pull Tampa Bay even at 5:43.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013


Bolts notes: Cooper shuffles lineup at Buffalo

By Erik Erlendsson | Tribune Staff

Published: October 8, 2013

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The third game of the season will see some lineup shuffling from Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

The changes are not necessitated by injury or even poor play. Rather, it’s an effort to keep players from being on the sideline for too long to start the season.

So, D Keith Aulie and RW Tom Pyatt will make their season debuts against the Sabres, while D Andrej Sustr and RW Richard Panik will be scratched. Getting Aulie and Pyatt into the lineup means everybody on the current roster will have appeared in at least one game to this point.

“I think guys will be switched out because of performance-based and guys will be switched out just because we need to get other guys in or it’s a match up thing,’’ Cooper said. “We look into a lot of different variables and I wouldn’t read into much to the guys who get switched in and out here early on.’’

Aulie will slot into the right side on defense alongside Eric Brewer, while Pyatt will join the second line skating at right wing with Valtteri Filppula and Alex Killorn.

For Aulie, moving to the unfamiliar side of the ice — he normally plays on the left side — will offer a different perspective.

“It is a little bit different,” Aulie said. “You have to get used to it, but it’s fun. It’s a new challenge and I’m interested to see how I feel over there.”

Pyatt, who had been a regular in the lineup the previous two seasons, said not playing the first two games was a different feeling for him.

“It’s not something that I pictured when I was getting ready during the summer but (with) the depth that we have, we have a lot of good players between the forwards,’’ he said. “I think it’s good for everyone. Everyone stays competitive and you have to play well if you want to stay in. I’m just excited for the chance.’’

Line shuffling

In addition to the lineup changes, Cooper also shuffled the line combinations a bit, moving RW Teddy Purcell in place of Panik to play with C Tyler Johnson and LW Ondrej Palat. Purcell started the first two games on the second line with Filppula and Killorn.

“Sometimes (if) things aren’t rolling right for them, it’s good to sometimes break up the family,’’ Cooper said of the Palat-Johnson-Panik line. “That line hasn’t had a lot of puck possession, and with Teddy it’s like a yo-yo on his stick. He can create some space for people, so we’ll see how it works. It’s Game 3, so we are trying different things out.’’

Learning curve

By all accounts, Sustr has handled himself well in the first two games this season, including stepping into a top-four role in the season opener when D Sami Salo was a late scratch due to injury. But Cooper doesn’t want to rush Sustr, the 6-foot-8 free agent signee out of the University of Omaha-Nebraska.

“He’s fast tracking since he’s only played four NHL games in his career, but you also don’t sit here and anoint him an every-dayer,” Cooper said. “He’s an every-dayer on our team. He’s an almost every-dayer in our lineup. And in the not too far future, he will be in every-dayer in the lineup. He has all the skills and capability to do it.’’

Sustr understands the situation and will use the time off to his advantage.

“I do understand, I’m a rookie in this league I’m just getting started,’’ Sustr said. “There are eight of us (defensemen), so obviously there’s going to be some rotation going on that is just going to benefit our team in the long run. So, I’m not disappointed or anything. I just take it as it is and will keep working hard.’’

Nuts and Bolts

G Ben Bishop, who stopped 37 shots in Saturday’s shootout victory at Chicago, will start in net for the Lightning. ...Buffalo G Ryan Miller, who missed Saturday’s game with a groin issue, participated in Tuesday’s morning skate, but Jhonas Enroth was the first off the ice, generally the indicator as to who will start. Sabres’ coach Ron Rolston did not announce who would start in net. ...RW Marty St. Louis needs one point to pass Bobby Orr for 94th place on the all-time NHL scoring list.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 10.09.2013


Lightning tops Sabres in OT

Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 11:35pm

BUFFALO, N.Y. — When Jon Cooper coached at AHL Norfolk and Syracuse, and Alex Killorn was one of his players, Cooper told the left wing often he had an NHL-quality shot.

Now that both are with the Lightning, Cooper lamented, "He doesn't use it."

He did Tuesday night, scoring his first goal of the season on a backhand from the slot 1:50 into overtime for a 3-2 victory over the Sabres at the First Niagara Center.

"Just lucky enough to sell the shot," Killorn said.

It's tough to call a win in Game 3 of the season big, but this one really was.

Tampa Bay already had beaten the Blackhawks, last season's Stanley Cup champions, during its season-opening road trip that also included a game with Cup finalist Boston. And the Sabres entered Tuesday's game 0-3-0 with two goals total.

A loss would have been an opportunity wasted.

But by gaining four of a possible six points on the trip, the Lightning (2-1-0) set itself up well for seven straight games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum beginning Thursday.

"These are the games you have to take advantage of," Cooper said. "This will be a big test for us."

Tyler Johnson scored his first goal of the season for the Lightning, which also got a huge boost from Teddy Purcell's power-play goal 5:43 into the third period that tied the score 2-2.

Purcell's goal came 22 seconds after Sabres forward Thomas Vanek was called for high-sticking on defenseman Matt Carle, and 22 seconds after a late whistle blew the play dead as Buffalo's Jamie McBain's wrist shot beat goalie Ben Bishop. Had McBain's goal counted, the score would have been 3-1.

Purcell considered the call, which was upheld by the NHL, "the turning point of the game." Cooper called it "a big turn of events."

"It was tough," Cooper said. "The (referee's) arm was up, but it was a late whistle, so that's what got everybody up in arms. The way it played out was a big momentum swing for us."

It wasn't all gravy for the Lightning. It couldn't cash in on numerous scoring chances despite a 34-23 shot advantage, though goalie Jhonas Enroth had a lot to do with that. And it gave up two power-play goals to a team that was 0-for-13 with the man advantage.

"We had chances to get pucks out, and we didn't," Cooper said. "Ultimately that cost us. But overall, I really liked the way we competed."

He really liked Killorn, who got the puck from Eric Brewer and crossed the slot for a better shooting angle.

"You just had to make a read," Killorn said. "I realized I had a better opportunity if I held it for a second. It worked out."

With an NHL-quality goal.

Lightning 0 1 1 1 3

Sabres 0 2 0 0 2

Lightning 0 1 1 1 3

Sabres 0 2 0 0 2

First Period—None. Penalties—Gudas, Tampa Bay, major (fighting), 3:22; Foligno, Buf, major (fighting), 3:22; Myers, Buf (interference), 5:27; Hedman, Tampa Bay, major (fighting), 12:58; Ott, Buf, major (fighting), 12:58; Ennis, Buf (holding), 19:00.

Second Period—1, Buffalo, Hodgson 1 (Vanek, McBain), 11:09 (pp). 2, Tampa Bay, Johnson 1 (Hedman, Palat), 13:35. 3, Buffalo, McBain 1 (Hodgson, Vanek), 18:34 (pp). Penalties—Labrie, Tampa Bay (hooking), 10:19; Malone, Tampa Bay, major (fighting), 11:23; Weber, Buf, major (fighting), 11:23; Gudas, Tampa Bay (roughing), 14:47; Brewer, Tampa Bay (hooking), 17:11.

Third Period—4, Tampa Bay, Purcell 2 (Malone, St. Louis), 5:43 (pp). Penalties—Gudas, Tampa Bay (interference), 3:10; Vanek, Buf (high-sticking), 5:21.

Overtime—5, Tampa Bay, Killorn 1 (Brewer, Filppula), 1:50. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 10-10-12-2—34. Buffalo 3-7-13-0—23. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 1 of 3; Buffalo 2 of 4. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Bishop 2-0-0 (23 shots-21 saves). Buffalo, Enroth 0-1-1 (34-31). A—18,243 (19,070). T—2:32. Referees—Paul Devorski, Ian Croft. Linesmen—Greg Devorski, Brad Kovachik.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 10.09.2013


Lightning's Cooper tries out different line setups



BUFFALO, N.Y. — Lineup tweaks happen all the time in the NHL. And as Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of his juggling for Tuesday's game with the Sabres, "It's Game 3, so we're trying different things out."

But given the fanfare around the promotion from AHL Syracuse of the line of C Tyler Johnson, Richard Panik and Ondrej Palat — and how well it played in the preseason — scratching Panik got some extra attention.

"Sometimes things aren't rolling right for them," Cooper said. "Sometimes it's good to break up the family."

Especially after two games in which the line had just four shots on goal and was minus-5. "We have to find a way to transfer to the NHL how we were playing in the AHL," Panik said. "The first two games, we didn't play so good, so we have to find a way."

RW Teddy Purcell took Panik's spot. Tom Pyatt took over for Purcell on a line with C Valtteri Filppula and Alex Killorn.

Moving Purcell had its own back story. Cooper said Purcell and Filppula are too much of the same player — pass-first types — to be on the same line. But Purcell's puck skills might be able to help Johnson and Palat.

"Teddy can create some space for some people," Cooper said.

As for the Johnson-Palat-Panik line, it is not dead.

"We sit here and say, 'Oh, well, the three of them made the team,' " he said. "The three of them would have made the team individually as well. Sometimes you just got to split them up."

"It's disappointing, but I guess I deserve it," Panik said. "I don't want to get sent down. I'm going to try to convince the coach I am still part of this team, and I will work hard in practice and after practices off-ice, and we'll see what happens."

PYATT HURT: Pyatt left the game with 13 minutes left in the third period with a broken collarbone, the team said. He is out indefinitely. A callup from AHL Syracuse is likely. Pyatt, in his first game of the season, had a shot and a hit in 13:15 of ice time.

MORE MOVES: Rookie D Andrej Sustr was scratched in favor of Keith Aulie. "He deserves to be in," Cooper said of Aulie, a scratch in the first two games. "Aulie is a good defenseman in this league. … Guys got to get in and play."

"It's tough sitting out," said Aulie, who last season played 45 of 48 games. "You feel like you're outside of the team for a couple of hours." Paired with Eric Brewer, Aulie, a lefty, called playing the right side "a new challenge" and had 12:41 of ice time.

POTENTIAL: Sustr, 22, has impressed even while acclimating to the speed of the game. In the first two games of the season, he had zero points and was minus-1, but he had four shots and averaged 19:20 of ice time.

Cooper called the 6-foot-8, 225-pounder "an almost every-dayer in our lineup, and in the not-to-distant future he'll be an every-dayer. (He) has a really good mind for the game."

"I'm not disappointed in anything," Sustr said of sitting out. "I'll just take it as it is, and I'm just going to keep working hard."

BLUE CARPET: Lightning players will walk the blue carpet at the Tampa Bay Times Forum beginning at 4 p.m. Thursday before the home opener against the Panthers. Players will sign autographs and take photos. The first 10,000 fans get thunder sticks.

ODDS AND ENDS: About 1,000 tickets remained for the home opener. … D Mark Barberio also was scratched.



Lineup goes through changes as Lightning prepares for Sabres



Lightning coach Jon Cooper made some lineup changes for tonight’s game with the Sabres.

Right wing Richard Panik is scratched from his line with center Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat, and Teddy Purcell takes his place. Tom Pyatt takes Purcell’s spot on the line with center Valtteri Filppula and left wing Alex Killorn, and defenseman Keith Aulie takes Andrej Sustr’s spot on a pairing with Eric Brewer.

As for moving Purcell to the Johnson, Palat line, Cooper said he believes that line had puck-possession problems in the first two games. “Teddy can create some space for some people.” Cooper also said he’s finding out Filppula and Purcell are too much of the same player. In other words, both are pass-first players. Pyatt might not have Purcell’s shot, but he has a nose for the net.

As for switching out Sustr for Aulie, who, like Pyatt, is getting in his first game, Cooper said it is just time for Aulie to play.

“He deserves to be in,” Cooper said. “Only six play and we thought Sustr has done a great job for us. He’s a right-handed shot, which we lack some of those on this team. But Aulie, he’s a good defenseman in this league. It’s not that these guys are far apart from each other. It’s maintenance. Guys got to get in and play, and I’m sure Keith has not been happy about being out of the first two games.”

Cooper also was clear this is not a step back for Sustr, who in two games averaged 19:20 of ice time, had zero points and was minus-1.

“Sustr has a really good mind for the game. He has good size. He’s hard to get around,” Cooper said. “The one thing that people find out about this game is that everybody knows how to play hockey. Not everyone knows how to play in the NHL, and that’s what he’s learning. He has all the skills and all the capability to do it. … He’s an every-day player on our team. He’s an almost every-dayer in our lineup, and in the not too distant future he’ll be an every-dayer in our lineup.”

Sustr said he understands why he is scratched.

“I’m a rookie in this league. There are eight of us (defensemen on the roster) so, obviously, there’s going to be some rotation going on that’s going to benefit the team in the long run. I’m not disappointed in anything. I’ll just take it as it is, and I’m just going to keep working hard.”

Same as Panik: “I don’t want to get sent down. I’m going to try to convince the head coach I am still part of this team and I will work hard in practices and after practices off ice and we will see what happens.”

Other stuff from the morning skate: As expected after his 37-save effort in the 3-2 shootout win over the Blackhawks, Ben Bishop gets the start in net. … Defenseman Mark Barberio also scratched tonight. … Pyatt said, “I didn’t really picture myself being a scratch this summer getting ready for the season. But you look at the depth we have, it’s a good thing for the team. It keeps everyone competitive, and I have to be sharp if I want to get in on a consistent basis.” … It wasn’t clear if Ryan Miller (groin) would start in net for the Sabres or if it would be Jhonas Enroth, who came off the ice first. Miller is 0-2 this season but with a 1.53 goals-against average and .962 save percentage.

[Last modified: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 3:21pm]


720366 Toronto Maple Leafs

Avalanche squeeze by Leafs to hand Toronto first loss of season

JAMES MIRTLE




They are hardly a cast of household names, these Colorado Avalanche defencemen.

Of the group, only Erik Johnson stands out, and only then mainly for being a disappointing first overall pick from seven years ago, a player who lost an entire season after a bizarre golf cart injury while playing in St. Louis.

Next to Johnson, there’s Jan Hejda, Andre Benoit, Cory Sarich, Nate Guenin and promising youngster Tyson Barrie, who might just ultimately be the best of the bunch.

No, their star power is mainly behind the bench – i.e. Patrick Roy – and up front with some impressive young talent.

Even so, the Avs are finding a way to win, game after game, with smart, simple hockey. It’s may only be three games, but the early returns indicate they may well wind up as one of this NHL season’s revelations – especially if the defence holds up.

In a battle of undefeated teams on Tuesday, Colorado’s latest victim was the Toronto Maple Leafs, part of an entertaining 2-1 game that was in doubt the entire 60 minutes but which the better team ultimately won.

The Avs edge came both on the back end – where Roy’s collection of castoffs and up-and-comers outplayed the Leafs more heralded group – and in the fact Leafs coach Randy Carlyle used a very short bench up front, giving five of its 12 forwards less than 9.5 minutes ice time.

The win wasn’t the result of anything fancy, but rather just simplicity – with Colorado cycling the puck, clearing their zone, crashing the net and playing the kind of hockey Carlyle has been seeking from his team in the early going of this season.

“Tonight we were held in our own zone from their aggressiveness,” Carlyle said. “We didn’t seem to be able to handle it, specifically in the second period [where Toronto was outshot 15-7]. Any time that we got the puck through the neutral ice, we either were 2-on-3 or 2-on-4 or 3-on-4 and we weren’t able to sustain any pressure. I think that was a lot of the way the game went against us.”

Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul, who scored the Leafs lone goal midway through the second period, admitted it was a frustrating game to play in, one where the road team dictated the play for pivotal stretches.

“But not every game’s going to be wide open, up and down,” Lupul said. “They played a good road game, and they’re a good checking team.”

From the start, the game was back and forth, with few whistles early and just five power plays all night, a showcase of even strength play between two young teams unfamiliar with one another.

The Avs speed, meanwhile, shone through, as did their depth at centre, with Matt Duchene – who played nearly 20 minutes and was 72 per cent on the draw – and Paul Stastny clearly helping control play in the Leafs end.

It was Toronto that scored first, however, capitalizing when Avalanche netminder Semyon Varlamov had a hard time handling rookie Carter Ashton’s long shot and the puck bobbled in underneath him in the crease. Lupul crashed the net, pushing both goalie and puck toward the goal line with his stick, and it trickled in under somewhat dubious circumstances.

Roy didn’t like it on the Colorado bench, but the goal stood.

Colorado then tied it minutes later when Sarich (of all people) swept in from the point and put a seeing eye shot over Leafs starter Jonathan Bernier’s shoulder for his first goal in nearly two years, and just his 21st in 918 regular season games. The goal ended a flawless run for Bernier who hadn’t allowed a goal in more than 100 minutes.

Early in the third, with the Leafs pairing of youngster Jake Gardiner – the sudden subject of trade rumours – and Paul Ranger scrambling, Colorado went up 2-1 when PA Parenteau directed a cross-crease pass with his skates.

Ranger had misplayed his man in the neutral zone, and Gardiner was sprawled out helplessly on the ice far too early on the resulting 2-on-1, potentially another mark against the pairing as Carlyle continues to contemplate how to get more consistent play out of his blueline.

Toronto had several chances to get the equalizer late, including a couple near misses on a power play that had the puck bouncing in and around Varlamov, first behind him and then on top of the net before Hejda dislodged it.

Aside from that, however, they took their first loss of the season rather quietly.

“I thought our goaltender gave us a chance,” Carlyle said. “The one goal that they did get went off a skate, but that’s when you throw pucks at the net, drive the middle lane and those things happen. Fair marks for them.”

Overall, the Leafs are probably where they should be after four games, with six points and a solid position in what will be a difficult Atlantic Division, a record built mainly on strong goaltending and special teams play, despite missing several bodies.

They certainly had a few bounces their way in Saturday’s win over the Ottawa Senators – including Mason Raymond’s controversial spin-o-rama winner in the shootout – and in their earlier two wins, too, but the hockey gods weren’t with them against the Avs.

Sometimes that's enough to turn two points into one, or one point into none.

And Colorado was a little bit better, a little bit deeper, and that was enough.

“It’s still a work in progress,” Lupul said of the Leafs game. “They got to us in the second period – they almost had 20 shots so obviously we’re not doing something quite right there. We played hard; we just got away from a couple things that we wanted to do. And they played well, so give them credit.”



Mirtle: Could the Leafs really trade Jake Gardiner?

JAMES MIRTLE


Published Tuesday, Oct. 08 2013, 11:34 AM EDT


Well, this certainly adds new meaning to the #FreeJakeGardiner movement from last season.

Hockey Night in Canada’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday night that there is “definitely some level of conversation going on between other teams and Toronto” with regards to young defenceman Jake Gardiner, a tidbit that is sure to send some of the Leafs fan base into hysterics.

You can read Friedman’s take for yourself in points 14 and 15 of this week’s 30 Thoughts column.

First of all, it’s worth pointing out that these types of “conversations” often get reported when it comes to the Leafs. In some cases, nothing comes of it (Phil Kessel early last season, Dion Phaneuf in the off-season, Cody Franson during contract negotiations, etc.), and in others, the “talk” turns into something (Francois Beauchemin, Luke Schenn, Jonathan Bernier, Joe Colborne, etc.).

Then there are other moves that come right out of the blue, like when Phaneuf was acquired one sleepy Sunday morning in 2010 and no one in the media saw it coming.

So this Gardiner business could be something – and Friedman certainly has the sources to back this up – or it could fizzle and he’ll remain a key part of the Leafs blueline.

But here’s why it makes sense, at least from the perspective of Toronto management:

They’ve got a lot of similar elements in their top six, and they’re not particularly heavy on Randy Carlyle elements.

By that I mean the Leafs now have three cheap, young defencemen you would describe as offence-first, defence-second (Franson, Gardiner and Morgan Rielly) and really only two shutdown types (Carl Gunnarsson and Mark Fraser).

The only physical with a capital P options on the blueline, meanwhile, are Phaneuf and Fraser, the latter of whom is probably best suited for a No. 7 role and limited minutes.

It’s obvious that a big part of GM Dave Nonis’s rebuild of the roster over the summer was aimed at getting more physical, too, with finesse types like Mikhail Grabovski and Clarke MacArthur dumped in favour of the two Daves(Clarkson and Bolland) and the Troy Bodies and Jamie Devanes getting spots on the roster.

Where that transformation hasn’t taken place at all is on the back end.

One of the reasons John-Michael Liles fell out of favour in Toronto is the type of defenceman he is: A small, skilled puck mover with a left hand shot, something the Leafs suddenly have in abundance.

That basic description also applies to both Gardiner and Rielly, and with Gardiner – for all his talents – still more unpredictable than Carlyle wants, that could make him another odd-man out.

The problem here is that the Leafs really don’t have any cap space – it’s getting down into five digits territory – so they can’t exactly move Gardiner for a more established centre or defenceman (their two biggest needs) that makes more than his modest base salary ($875,000).

That means swapping a young player for a young player, and in the case of Gardiner – who barely played in the NHL last season due to concussion, consistency and coaching issues – they’d be selling low.

For all the good in their first three games, it’s also pretty clear that the Leafs would benefit from an upgrade on the blueline. As always, Phaneuf remains

tasked with too much, and the unit in general looks like one that’s making only $15.7-million.

If moving Gardiner meant they could add a two-way defender that could log tough minutes and ease the burden on Phaneuf and Gunnarsson, it might make some sense. Given that’s not possible, the best course of action is probably to live through some of these growing pains and allow the blueline to be more of a skilled, skating one than Carlyle would typically want.

Gardiner looked remarkably poised and relatively mistake-free under Ron Wilson in his rookie season two years ago but has never had that comfort level under Carlyle, either because he is still readjusting to coming back to the NHL or he is being asked to play out of his personal comfort zone.

He’s not a big guy and not used to playing with much physicality, something this coaching staff is asking for repeatedly.

He is also still only 23 years old, and many, many capable top four NHL defencemen don’t become what they’re going to be until a couple more years into their careers.

But his gifts are obvious – and it’d be a mistake to give up on those too soon.



Maple Leafs to start goalie Jonathan Bernier against Colorado Avalanche

By: Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

Jonathan Bernier will start in goal Tuesday night when the Maple Leafs face the Colorado Avalanche and put their undefeated, 3-0 record on the line.

The Leafs — whose sterling record is tainted by an NHL-leading 50 turnovers so far — will be making a game-time decision on centre Jay McLement, who was with his wife who went into labour.

McLement, one of the club’s most reliable two-way forwards, and its top penalty killer, did not participate in the club’s morning skate Tuesday.

Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said the couple, expecting their first child, went to the hospital about 3:30 a.m. ET.

“Hopefully it comes quicker than later,” said Carlyle, mindful of a game looming with the Colorado Avalanche. “But it’s something we don’t have control over.

“You can’t blame me for that one guys,” he told reporters, drawing laughs.

LEAFS CHAT WITH MARK ZWOLINKSI STARTS AT 2 P.M.

Toronto called up Marlie captain Trevor Smith to fill in the roster spot for the skate.

The Leafs always have a buzz surrounding the club, and Tuesday morning was no different; the latest talk centred on Jake Gardiner and where he fits in under coach Randy Carlyle’s system.

Gardiner has not played up to expectations on occasion at this early point of the season, sparking rumours he is a prime candidate to be traded. But Leafs assistant GM Claude Loiselle went on radio Tuesday morning and said the Leafs have not offered Gardiner to any team.

In the meantime, Bernier may also be getting the nod for the next three games, all of which are against Western Conference opponents. Bernier’s career prior to joining the Leafs in an off-season trade has seen a predominant Western team exposure; he spent the bulk of his career with Los Angeles, and is far more familiar with the teams from out west than fellow goalie James Reimer.

Toronto plays Colorado on Tuesday, and is on the road Thursday to Nashville; Bernier is 7-1-0 lifetime against the Predators, with a 1.88 GAA and a .932 save percentage.

The three-game swing finishes with the Edmonton Oilers in Toronto on Saturday night.

“For sure, you are more comfortable with the Bostons and the Montreals because you know what they’ll be doing most of the time,” Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul said. “We haven’t played the Western teams much and we haven’t played our game the way we are capable of.

Toronto, while getting off to a solid 3-0 start, has turned the puck over at an alarming rate.

“We have to move the puck better as a group, I’d like to see us with better execution, coming out of our own zone, with better passes, and less turnovers,” Lupul said. “It’s not a case of trying to do too much, it’s more like just passing the puck better and doing what we’re capable of doing.”

Thirty-three of those turnovers came during the club’s win over Ottawa; Toronto has jumped out to that early season lead in turnovers, and is coming off a season last year in which they led the NHL with 554 turnovers.

“We’re sloppier than you might have expected right now, that last game was like holy crow, what’s going on out there,” Carlyle said. “But it’s be simple for me to say if we continue to get outshot every game, and win every game, then would we be talking about this . . .”

With files from The Canadian Press



Toronto Maple Leafs lose first game, fall to Colorado Avalanche 2-1

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

There would appear to be a hole as big as David Clarkson’s salary on the right side of the Maple Leafs’ forward lines.

That hole — which swallowed Clarkson (10-game suspension), Nikolai Kulemin (broken foot) and Jay McClement (who was going to play on Nazem Kadri’s wing but left to attend the birth of his son) — just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Joffrey Lupul, a left winger for most of his time with the Leafs, moved over to the right side Tuesday night as coach Randy Carlyle begins dealing with ranks thinning at an alarming rate.

“Left is where I’m more comfortable, but I’m going to do whatever the team needs,” said Lupul, the lone Leaf scorer in a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. “Right now, we need someone on the right side, so that’s fine with me.

“There’s always going to be people in and out of the lineup,” added Lupul. “For me, I’ve bounced around each and every line early on. That’s the way it goes. You don’t expect Kulemin to break his ankle at practice. McClement is out. He has a baby boy. That’s exciting.

“Some of these things, this early in the season, you don’t expect to lose guys quite like that. It’s going to happen sometime. It’s a chance for other guys to step in and play well. You have to be able to play with everyone.”

There were nine players players in the Leaf lineup on Tuesday night that weren’t with the team at the end of last season. There were three that didn’t even make the team out of training camp, getting their chance due to the pileup of scratches and limited space under the salary cap. There was a “fourth” line — Troy Bodie, Trevor Smith and Jamie Devane — that might not even be the first line with the Marlies.

So it’s no surprise that a healthy, spunky, young and aggressive Avalanche squad had just a bit more than the Leafs on Tuesday.

“You’re going to have to deal with adversity throughout the course of the season,” said Carlyle. “Birth of children, injuries, family illness, all those things roll into the things you have to deal with.

“We’re no different than anybody else from a standpoint that we’re going to get our fair share of injuries. We’ve already had some adversity with the suspension. To me, those can be built-in excuses and we’re not going there with this hockey club.”

Lupul scored the first goal of the game by digging hard under an otherwise unbeatable Semyon Varlamov.

“Just how poor the ice conditions are and how tight of a checking game it was, that’s probably the way you’re going to score goals,” said Lupul. “Some games are like that. You have to be prepared to score goals in different ways.”

That’s how the Avs did it to go 3-0-0 under new coach Patrick Roy. Colorado’s Corey Sarich tied it at 16:39 of the second, a hard shot that beat Bernier high on the short side. It was a seeing-eye shot, a small hole, and it was Sarich’s first goal since Jan. 10, 2012.

Then P.A. Parinteau got credit for the winner in the third, a puck that went in off his skate as he battled Jake Gardiner in front of Bernier.

“The goal they got went off a skate,” said Carlyle. “But that’s when you throw pucks to the net and drive the lane, those things happen. Fair marks to them, they won the game on that goal.”

Lupul had a couple of other chances in close while the likes of Phil Kessel (seven shots) and Tyler Bozak (two shots) were shooting from some distance.

Carter Ashton picked up his first career NHL assist, shooting the puck that Lupul dug for and digging for it himself. He’s one of the young players getting a chance to play meaningful minutes due to the injuries of others.

“We feel we have four lines that can contribute,” said Ashton. “Someone has to step up when someone goes down with an injury, or whatever situation. We have guys who can step up.

“Any time you get called on, you have to take advantage.”

The Leafs are now 3-1-0 to start the season. Not bad. They’ve had better starts lately — they were 4-0-0 to start the 2010-11 season and 3-0-1 to start 2011-12 — but missed the playoffs in both campaigns.



Patrick Roy, ever-entertaining Colorado Avalanche coach, grabs the media spotlight

By: Rosie DiManno Columnist, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

It is a rare occasion when the Toronto media is more preoccupied with the opposing team’s coach than documenting every twitch and snort and spit-blob emanating from the Maple Leafs during the morning skate on game-day.

But this, of course, was Patrick Roy, the most entertaining off-ice thing to hit the NHL since Tampa Bay introduced scantily-clad cheerleaders to the sport a dozen years ago — if you go for that kind of thing.

Roy is no flash-in-the-pan sideline gimmick, although there might indeed by some gimmickry to go with the glitz that he’s brought to his job as novice big-league coach with the Colorado Avalanche.

This is a team that’s missed the playoffs three years in a row, four times out of the last five seasons, and was bottom-feeder in the Western Conference when the lockout-shortened schedule wound to a close in April. It’s been a long time since the once formidable Avs led any sports newscast or grabbed front page coverage in home-town Denver, much less rival cities around the continent.

The arrival of Roy — four-time Stanley Cup winner, playoff MVP, Hall of Famer and St. Patrick as he was worshipped in Montreal before he vanished over the mountains, all pouty and temperamental — to prowl behind the bench as head coach has changed the channel, switched the screen back to hockey in the Mile High City and the notice that others are taking.

True, it would be hard not to notice what unfolded in Roy’s debut last week, that screaming match with Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau, Roy so over-the-top hissy that he twice pounded the glass partition between the teams’ benches, pushing glass and stanchion right over — rather an impressive show of strength.

For his antics, Roy was fined $10,000 by the league.

Welcome back, Patrick.

“Things like this happen sometimes,” Roy told a massive media scrum in the Air Canada Centre corridor after coming off the ice Tuesday morning. “I’m very passionate.”

He professed reluctance to revisit the incident for reporters, but then went there himself.

“I’ve learned a lot from my junior days,” he claimed.

During those junior days, eight years with the Quebec Remparts, Roy was a chronic offender, regularly dipping into his pocket to pay for fines levied as a result of his fiery temper and chronically intemperate — but always quote-worthy — remarks.

Let’s just say Roy could well afford it, having amassed a fortune during his nearly two-decade playing career estimated at around $83 million.

The incident on opening night at the Pepsi Centre, however, just might have been a wee bit contrived, as Roy re-introduced himself to the public and the hockey universe.

“I’m always going to be really calm when the game is one the line.”

That game wasn’t on the line, Colorado mere seconds from a 6-1 win — they’re now 2-0, heading into Tuesday night’s tilt against the Leafs — at which point Roy sent out a fourth-line that features two Avalanche enforcers, clearly to issue some payback for what the coach thought was an unnecessary knee-on-knee hit against his marquee rookie, Nathan MacKinnon, by Ben Lovejoy.

What Roy said after getting slapped with the fine, issued for “irresponsible actions” at the conclusion of that game: “I guess I have to change a few things. I understand it now. At the same time, I will always defend my players.”

And clearly they appreciated the coach having their back.

“I felt like a kid again,” admitted centre Matt Duchene, of watching the theatrics between Roy and Boudreau, when it looked very much like the former might climb over the glass to punch out the latter. This is a goalie, you may recall, who once traded blows with his opposite, Mike Vernon, during an on-ice melee.

“I felt like I was watching him fight Vernon back in the day.

“It was really funny. I had a hard time not laughing through that whole thing. Everybody was so serious and I was trying not to laugh.”

Every player got the sub-text message.

“Pretty cool for the coach to have your back,” Duchene continues. “He was standing up for us and that was what we want to see in a coach.”

Moreover, Duchene added, just having a hockey legend of Roy’s stature in charge has made everybody walk a little bit taller, certainly no longer acting like the NHL punching bags.

“It’s a huge difference, just the feeling in the room. It’s just more of a winning feeling. We’ll all feel like it’s within our control, what happens, where before we didn’t really know what was going on sometimes.

“It’s still early and (Roy) is still making the transition. But he’s had a good start and we’re pulling for him, for sure.”

And vice-versa, for sure.



Tips for Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy to control his temper

By: Curtis Rush News reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

Relax, Patrick Roy. It’s just a game.

Remember those public service ads by Hockey Canada a few years ago?

The advice for out-of-control hockey parents can apply to NHL coaches too.

If you don’t do something to control yourself, Patrick, the ACC staff might be wise to reinforce the glass partition that separates the players’ benches for tonight’s game between your Colorado Avalanche and the Maple Leafs.

Anger management experts consulted by the Star suggest you didn’t have to wreck the furniture to make your point that you were angry with Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau last week.

Yes, the $10,000 fine levied by the National Hockey League must have hurt a little.

But did this teach you a lesson? Your team won the game handily 6-1, so what was this about? And let’s be honest, Patrick. This is not the first time you’ve blown your cool.

Mel Borins, a leading expert in mental health, author and associate professor at the University of Toronto, said anger actually clouds your judgment.

“My experience is that anger is not all that helpful. You never see great players like Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby lose their temper. They get angry, but it’s a fine line.”

Roy might benefit from a new movement called “mindfulness,” which teaches you the state of being more present with the world and being more in touch with what you’re feeling and thinking — and not being so reactive. A course in mindfulness-based stress reduction therapy might be useful.

Here’s another suggestion from Borins.

“No one can make you angry. Angry is how you respond to the world. Life is 3 per cent of what happens and 97 per cent of how you respond.”

Let’s be clear: In the heat of battle, this next piece of advice might not be practical for Roy, but if nothing else works, why not give this a shot? He should practice being more perceptive.

Sometimes, Roy might be misunderstanding what people are saying and he’s taking it the wrong way.

Instead of jumping all over them, he could seek explanation in a calm voice: “I’m not sure what you are saying, but what were you thinking? What do you mean?”

And do it nicely, so there is nothing explosive.

Here’s another tip that will work if nothing else does, experts say.

Take a time out. When Roy is feeling like he’s getting hot under the collar, he could curtail this emotions by saying this to his antagonist: “You know what? I want to think this over, it’s important, and I’ll get back to you.”

Or this: Engage in a little self-talk. When Roy is feeling like he’s going to lose it, he could ask himself a simple question: Will the thing that upsets me be an issue five years from now? Is this the worst thing that has ever happened in my life?

The answers to those questions might bring about a more peaceful, even lovable, coach.

Leila Feldman, a Toronto psychologist who specializes in anger management, says she has a tailor-made program for individuals that involve up to 10 sessions for “the individual who is going through some difficulty.”

In the meantime, here are some other simple steps she suggests for containing a temper.

Find out what your triggers are, and guidance may be needed because not everyone knows what his or her triggers are.

Awareness is important. By the time you get angry, it means there’s a primary emotion that has hit you hard.

Empathy is important. Try to get a read on someone else without your own projection of what you think it is from your own experience or your own upbringing.

Walk it off or run it off. Exercise is a great way to release the adrenaline rush. That way you will be calmer at game time.

Deep-breathing exercises before the game. They will help calm and relax you. Take a few deep breaths before engaging in battle.

Practice some yoga or stretching exercises.

Listen to some calming music.

Most important, get away from the person you are angry with.

In the end, these tools can help bring about a more peaceful, lovable coach, though there’s no guarantee they could make a new man of Patrick Roy.



LeafsBeat: Goaltender decisions and Randy Carlyle’s scouting prowess

By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

Three games in and it could well be that Jonathan Bernier has already taken the No. 1 goalie’s job. Now, we all know Leafs coach Randy Carlyle is not the kind of coach who tips his hand on his starting goalie.

But after Bernier relieved Reimer trailing 4-2 on Saturday, then pulled off a 5-4 shootout win, Carlyle may well have spoken out of turn.

When asked after the game if the goalies' performances mean anything to the coach choosing who will start next, Carlyle quipped: “It makes it easier.”

SCOUT CARLYLE

It's fairly clear that Leafs GM Dave Nonis relies a great deal on coach Randy Carlyle when it comes to putting together his team. It makes sense. You may as well get the kind of players the coach likes. And Carlyle, it turns out, could have a future as a pro scout, given the way he’s identified players who have become available to the Leafs.

His comments about Jay McClement and Dave Bolland tell a story about how Carlyle might watch the game differently than most.

“When you coach against a team and the opposition coach puts a player out against your best players consistently, then you've got to believe that they trust that player," said Carlyle. "That's the same with Jay McClement and with David Bolland. When I was in Anaheim, both those players were assigned the task of playing against Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. So that gives you insight as an opposition coach what they think of their players.

"With Jay McClement, he was a guy who was sent out for his time in Colorado and St. Louis to play against Ryan Getzlaf. That was my first opportunity to watch his penalty killing and his defensive abilities. Honest, hard-working guy."

And when McClement became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2012, Carlyle knew just who to call for advice.

"One of the guys I reached out to was Alexander Steen. He played with him," said Carlyle. "Alexander Steen and my son grew up together in Winnipeg. It was one of those, where you make a phone call and ask about a guy. He said nothing but he was an honest hockey player. Never an issue as far as maintenance. Just a complete pro who comes to play."

MEDIA GUIDES

The Leafs media guide is out and one of my favourite things to do is peruse the personal section for each player. You know, learn their pet peeves, favourite movies, favourite road cities, things like that.

Here's a tidbit about each Maple Leaf, straight from the official guide.

Jonathan Bernier doesn't like it when people drag their feet.

Dave Bolland would be a pro lacrosse player if he wasn't a pro hockey player.

Tyler Bozak would love to skate with Pavel Bure if he ever got the chance.

David Clarkson's pregame ritual "depends on how I'm playing."

Cody Franson's hidden talent is barbecuing, and his favourite movie is Dumb and Dumber.

If Mark Fraser was not a hockey player, he'd be in the music industry.

If Jake Gardiner was not a hockey player, he'd be a hunting guide.

Carl Gunnarsson just hates it when people chew loudly.

Nazem Kadri's favourite movie is Carlito's Way.

Phil Kessel can't live without his dog, Stella.

Nikolai Kulemin can't live without hockey, even though his favourite off-season activity is tennis.

Ladies, Joffrey Lupul's favourite bar is Bar Isabel.

Jay McClement can't live without the St. Lawrence River. (Neither can the rest of Canada, Jay.)

Perhaps the most honest answer from a hockey player, about what he'd be doing if he weren't a pro goes to Frazer McLaren: "I'd be shovelling gravel."

Colton Orr — no surprises here — says Warrior is his favourite movie.

Dion Phaneuf believes he’d be a lawyer if he weren't in the NHL. Given the way he thinks before he answers even the smallest question, I believe him.

If Paul Ranger had to audition for American Idol, he'd sing “Chicken Fried” by Zac Brown Band.

James Reimer — whose favourite movie is also Dumb and Dumber — says his favourite outdoor hockey memory — FAVOURITE, remember — is getting frostbite and needing his head bandaged playing at home in Morweena, Man.

And, finally, James van Riemsdyk is boring. His answers: Adam Graves, Tennis, Minnesota and Chipotle. To make it interesting, I'll let you figure out the questions.

BIG, TALL AND YOUNG

The Maple Leafs are no longer the youngest team in the NHL, a claim they've been able to make on and (in a battle with Colorado) for the past two seasons. But they are still one of the youngest.

The Leafs (on Sunday) had an average age of 26.7, an average height of 6-foot-2, and an average weight of 205.1 pounds.

Teams that are younger: Buffalo and Columbus (both 26.3) and Winnipeg (26.4). The oldest is New Jersey (30.6).

Only Tampa is bigger, but only barely at 6-foot-2.7.

Teams that are heavier: Los Angeles (209.8) Washington (209.1), St. Louis (208.4), Tampa (207.4), Phoenix (206.8), Winnipeg (206.7) and Columbus (206.2) and Ottawa (206).

THE RANT: DEE-FENCE

This is my eighth year covering the Maple Leafs and the first one for which I did not fall for the old ‘what-are-the-Leafs-going-to-do-with-all-those-defencemen’ story.

From Brendan Bell to James Wisniewski, every year in training camp we are treated to stories about just how deep the Leafs blue line really is — why, there must be 10 NHL defencemen in camp! — and how can they make room for all those young player and oh my goodness, who are they going to lose on waivers?

Then, by about Game 10, reality sets in and it all proves to be a bit of a fiction. The Staffan Kronwalls and Jaime Sifers’ eventually find their levels. Injuries and the reality of the speed of the NHL game generally have the Leafs desperate to find six good defenceman, much less 10.

Which brings us to the reality check of this year's team.

The Leafs started off with seven defenceman and quickly lost Mark Fraser to injury.

The top pairing of Carl Gunnarsson and Dion Phaneuf match up with any in the league but it trails off after. Each have their own challenges.

Cody Franson missed most of training camp and it finally showed on Saturday.

There's a nickname for the kinds of things Jake Gardiner does: Jake Mistakes.

Morgan Rielly is a rookie, so let’s leave him off the table (although if they're counting on a rookie defenceman to lead them to the playoffs, well, insert your own reality-check joke here).

That leaves us with Paul Ranger, the feel-good story on the team. He’s popular and everyone is pulling for him.

But let's not forget, he's been four years out of the NHL. He has had his struggles keeping up with the speed of the game.

"Last year with the Marlies was really his first foray back into hockey," said Carlyle. "It's not an easy task he's trying to accomplish. If you watch him in the one-on-one battles, and how many of those he wins, the things he's

capable of, the size and the strength, I think we've got something we can hang our hat on.

"We've got a defenceman who can chew big minutes, and play good sound defensive hockey that has a history of providing offence, also."

FROM THE SCRUM: NAZEM KADRI

QUESTION: How do you feel getting bumped to third line?

KADRI: That's just something that is going to happen. Juggling lines, I don't think it will be the first time this year. Every guy is good on this team no matter what role they're given. It means you've just got to pick it up a little more to get that ice back.

Q: Do they still communicate the plan for you?

A: Of course. Randy's the head coach and he makes the final decisions. Whatever decision he makes, we support. We have to be doing something right, being off to a pretty good start.

Q: How do you assess your start to the season?

A: Pretty good. The first game, I was skating pretty well. Maybe the second game, I fell off a little bit. It's going to happen. You'll have games where you'll feel good and games when you don't. Two tough games to open up, opposing team's home openers. It was back-to-back for us.

Q: You really get into the Battle of Ontario?

A: It's a great rivalry. I was inspired the last couple of years. You got two great teams that have re-invented themselves and earned a little more respect last year.

Q: Do you set goals for yourself for the season when it comes to offensive numbers?

A: Of course. You always, every single year, you try for better and better. I was trying to get better each and every year. There are goals and milestones you want to get to. But at the same time, it's still so early, you can't even begin to think about that stuff.

Q: Can you tell us what the numbers are?

A: Not really. Just better than last year. You want to improve every year. It's not really specific numbers I can give. Each year you don't say: ‘I want this many goals, this many assists, this many points.’ It just kind works out by itself.

Q: How about faceoffs?

A: That's huge. That's one of the things I'm trying to concentrate on. Against Montreal, I was around 90 per cent. Then in Philly I struggled. For a young player, I'm trying to watch some of the better faceoff men in the league, their tendencies, their strategies. I still have things to learn and I'm always trying to improve certain areas of my game.

FROM THE SCRUM II: MASON RAYMOND

Q: To what do you ascribe your early season success?

MASON RAYMOND: We are only three games in. I don't look at it as a ‘me’ thing, I look at this as a lot of people helping me contribute to success. As I said, we're three games in. Things have been good so far. We have to continue to move forward.

Q: Was your contract status a motivator?

A: To be honest, the only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself. I came in here on a PTO (professional try out). You do everything you can to make the team. You put everything out there. Pressure-wise, it's the pressure I put on myself.

Q: Do you think you're making the most of this opportunity?

A: I'm doing everything I can. I think that is all you can ask out of any player. Doing everything you can to better yourself and hopefully better your team.

Q: Did your lack of a contract change your mindset for the season?

A: It wasn't easy. It was a different summer. But that was the reality. You come in and play the best as you can and you hope everything works out for itself.

Q: What about that chemistry you have with Dave Bolland? You both were rivals once. (Bolland with the Blackhawks; Raymond with the Canucks.)

A: I played against him a lot in the playoffs. He's one of those guys, he sees the ice so well. He's a great two-way player. He's very reliable in his own end. He's got great offensive instincts. It's been a joy right here to play with him. He's won Two Cups, that speaks volumes alone.

Q: I heard you worked a long time on that spin-o-rama shootout goal?

A: The shootout is important. You get points out of them. At the same time, there are times where you have to be a little creative and think outside the box. I've had success with that move in the past. I'm thankful it worked out again in Saturday.

Q: What do you think of the fan reaction to this team?

A: There's a lot of history with Leaf Nation. It's an Original Six team. I came from a hockey market. I believe this is a bigger hockey market. Seeing the passion here with the fans, as a player that's enjoyable and what you want to play in front of.

RAYMOND-BOLLAND CHEMISTRY

It was a big subject this week, the way those two newcomers — Mason Raymond and Dave Bolland — have taken a heavy load with the Leafs. The two used to be rivals on the Canucks and Blackhawks. Now they're teammates.

Here's Bolland's recollection of his on-ice battles with Raymond:

"Oh yeah, we've had some huge battles. I know I'm probably the one that's disliked in Vancouver from past years. With Raymond, I think we've played pretty hard against each other. It's different in hockey: You go against each other and the next thing you know you're sitting beside him in the room and you're best friends, you're great friends and you're on a line. There's just something about hockey when things are done off the ice, things are different. The way the guys around the league just gel when something happens like that, I know even with the Blackhawks with guys coming in, (you think) geez, I either battled that guy or I hit him hard or we had a good fight against each other, the next thing you're teammates and you're gelling together. We've had some great battles in the past, but it's time to join in now and battle on some other guys."

PHANEUF OVERRATED

Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf was again named the most over-rated player in the NHL by an anonymous vote of his peers.

Given the legion of Phaneuf detractors out there, you could argue he's the most under-appreciated.

Phaneuf joked with reporters after being told of the honour, wondering why he never gets to vote. Then he added: "To be completely honest, I don't lose too much sleep over it. It's an anonymous poll. I don't pay too much attention to it."

THE WEEK THAT WAS

A tidy 3-0-0 to start the NHL season. Here's how it went.

Tuesday vs. Montreal: Maple Leafs 4, Canadiens 3

The day started with Phil Kessel signing an eight-year, $64 million contract extension and ended with Habs enforcer George Parros being carted off in a stretcher after falling face-first during a fight with Toronto's Colton Orr.

Mason Raymond, Tyler Bozak, Dion Phaneuf and James van Riemsdyk scored for the Leafs who — stop us if this sounds familiar — held a 4-2 lead late in the third period and almost blew it.

Lars Eller scored his second of the game with two and half minutes to go, pouncing on a Jake Gardiner giveaway.

"We've got some work to do defensively," said Leafs coach Randy Carlyle. "We did a lot of good things and we're fortunate we were on the right side of the score. We gave up one late in the game to keep the fans in the building. That always bothers a coach.

"But mistakes are going to happen. The best part of our game, when we got up 4-2, we were able to play the grind game in the offensive zone."

Wednesday vs. Philadelphia: Maple Leafs 3, Flyers 1

Dave Bolland scored twice and Phil Kessel added a goal and Jonathan Bernier put on a terrific netminding performance.

Two road starts, two enemy home openers, two wins. A first to start a season in team history.

“Wins at the beginning of the season are just as important as ones at the end,” reasoned head coach Randy Carlyle afterwards.

Saturday vs. Ottawa: Maple Leafs 5, Senators 4 (S/O)

Leafs fans got a chance to see both James Reimer and Jonathan Bernier in action. Reimer got pulled after giving up four goals on 21 shots. Bernier stopped everything the rest of the way, including all Ottawa shootout attempts.

When asked after the game if the goalies' performances mean anything to the coach choosing who will start next, Carlyle quipped: "It makes it easier."

THE WEEK THAT WILL BE: The West comes East

Tuesday vs. Colorado Avalanche: A first chance for Leafs fans to get a look at Nathan MacKinnon, the No. 1 overall pick from the summer draft. Also, cast a glance behind the bench to have a look at Patrick Roy, in his rookie year as an NHL head coach. The players on the Avs might be a bit bland. But the coach is always colourful.

Thursday at Nashville Predators: The Leafs have only faced the Predators 13 times, holding a record of 5-6-1-1. (One of those 1s is a tie.) They've only faced the Minnesota Wild (10 times) and Columbus Blue Jackets (11 times) fewer. Maybe it will be time to catch up with Viktor Stalberg.

Saturday vs. Edmonton Oilers: Hello again, Dallas Eakins. Good to see you. The whole Taylor Hall experiment at centre is over. The fun thing here is to measure the Oilers against the Leafs. Both teams were horrible at the same time. The Oilers had three consecutive first overall picks. The Leafs, well, didn't. Toronto chose the hurry-up trade and free agent route and made the playoffs last year. That handed the mantle of the longest active playoff drought to the Oilers.

OLYMPIC SPOTLIGHT: Patrice Bergeron

When the Tampa Bay Lighting come to town, Canadian players know they're doing double duty: Helping their NHL team and trying to impress Bolts GM Steve Yzerman, who is in charge of Canada's Olympic entry.

Patrice Bergeron’s candidacy got off to a strong start on Thursday in Boston's 3-1 win over Tampa Bay, reports the Boston Herald. Bergeron was a plus-1, won 16 of 27 faceoffs and scored a lovely goal on a toe-drag to the middle and a snap past goalie Anders Lindback.

“That’s a good audition,” said Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli, an assistant GM for Team Canada. “He was skating well and he played a strong two-way game. He didn’t miss a beat from last year.”

In 2009 Bergeron wasn’t included in Team Canada’s 46-player, pre-Olympic summer orientation camp, but played his way onto the 2010 team. Four years later, his reputation as a reliable two-way player ― and a guy who makes big plays when big games are on the line ― has skyrocketed.

“I would love to be on that team,” Bergeron said. “It’s something very special to play for your country. But I know there’s a lot of work to be done before even thinking about that. It’s all about worrying about the Bruins, doing a good job for this team and then see what happens.”

AROUND THE WEB: Rookie Watch

The Blue Jackets’ best-laid plans didn’t make it 20 minutes into the regular season. The No. 1 line, with rookie left wing Boone Jenner, centre Brandon Dubinsky and right wing Marian Gaborik, lasted three shifts. Jenner, formerly of the Oshawa Generals, seemed overwhelmed.

“We talked about the speed of the game being overwhelming early, and I think it was for Boone, which is to be expected somewhat,” Richards told the Columbus Dispatch. “As the game went on, he got more comfortable, more familiar with the speed, and he seemed to settle in fine.”

Jenner spent the rest of the game as a nomad, bouncing from line to line. “I was nervous. I’m nervous before a lot of hockey games, and that was definitely the biggest game," said Jenner.

TEEDER KENNEDY'S RECORD INTACT

Aleksander Barkov, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft, scored the game-tying goal for the Panthers in their comeback victory over the Stars. At 18 years, 31 days (on Thursday), Barkov became the youngest goal-scorer in an NHL game since Jan. 8, 1944, when Ted “Teeder” Kennedy scored for the Maple Leafs at 18 years, 27 days.

THIS WEEK IN LEAFS HISTORY

Oct. 10, 1930: King Clancy joined Toronto after his services were purchased from Ottawa for an unheard of amount of $35,000. The Board of Directors would only contribute $25,000 and the remainder was obtained on a longshot bet on a race horse called Rare Jewel, owned by Smythe.

Oct. 11, 2007: Mats Sundin became the Maple Leafs’ all-time leader in goals and points, when he scored his 390th goal and 917th point, in Toronto’s 8-1 win over the New York Islanders at the Air Canada Centre. He was named the game's first, second and third star.

"One of the referees congratulated me and I said, 'You never know what can happen if you hang around long enough,’” Sundin told The Star’s Paul Hunter at the time. “These fans have stuck with the team through thick and thin. We all know it hasn't been easy some years. We had a couple of good runs to the conference finals but haven't reached all the way but these fans keep growing. Every year you're a Maple Leaf you kind of understand it more and appreciate it more, the support we have from the city and the fans.”

Oc. 13, 1947: Leafs play NHL All-Stars in first game between Stanley Cup champions and NHL All-Stars (4-3 All-Stars).

Oc. 14, 2006: Mats Sundin registered three goals and an assist, including the game-winning goal, while shorthanded in overtime as the Maple Leafs won, 5-4, over Calgary. Sundin’s final goal of the game was the 500th of his career and he became the first player in Maple Leafs history to record that milestone while playing for Toronto.



Maple Leafs prepare for week with three Western Conference opponents

By: Stephen Whyno The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

The last time the Toronto Maple Leafs faced a Western Conference opponent, it was Ron Wilson’s final game as coach.

Thanks to the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season that created an all intra-conference schedule, Tuesday’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche will mark the Leafs’ first game against a team from the West since facing the Chicago Blackhakws on Feb. 29, 2012. And the following two games — Thursday at the Nashville Predators and Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers — make it an all-Western Conference week.

“I think early in the season I don’t think that it is much of an issue because everything is so new,” coach Randy Carlyle said. “I think the Western Conference teams historically have always been a challenge for the Eastern teams, but I think that that is evening itself out as we go.”

Seeing unfamiliar opponents could be more jarring if Toronto wasn’t expected to lean so heavily on two top-six forwards and a starting goaltender who came from the West. And of course there’s the fact that Carlyle coached parts of seven seasons with the Ducks, and he saw Dave Bolland and Mason Raymond plenty.

“Mason Raymond has got world-class speed and world-class skills,” Carlyle said. “I coached a lot of games against the Vancouver Canucks when I was in Anaheim, so I got a little bit maybe of a leg up on some of you guys in watching Mason Raymond and then with David Bolland.”

Carlyle recalled Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville always putting either captain Jonathan Toews or Bolland on the ice against his stars, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Bolland was often counted on in that defensive role in Chicago.

Bolland has shown a bit of an offensive side this season. He already has two goals and an assist in three games with the Leafs.

“I think we had a great team in Chicago there. We had a lot of guys that did their jobs and they did the right things to win,” Bolland said. “Here it could be a different thing with myself, but for myself it’s going to be bringing everything forward. If it’s scoring, it’s scoring, if it’s playing against their top lines and shutting them down, then that’s it.”

How about a little bit of everything? That was the case Saturday as Bolland and Raymond played on a line together, eventually joined by Joffrey Lupul, and dominated against the Ottawa Senators.

That group is expected to start together against the Avalanche, hoping to keep the chemistry going.

“I think they put us two together with Mason, he’s got some great skills and he’s got some great speed going down the wing,” Bolland said. “It’s always crucial to have a guy with speed on your wing.”

Carlyle believes in pairs sticking together more than lines, like Tyler Bozak and Phil Kessel. He wondered aloud Monday if the Leafs had a new pairing in Bolland and Raymond after they combined with winger Spencer Abbott to be the team’s best line in training camp.

Bolland can’t figure why it has worked out so well. Perhaps competing against each other in the Western Conference helped.

“I played against him a lot in the playoffs,” Raymond said. “He’s one of those guys, he sees the ice so well. He’s a great two-way player. He’s very reliable in his own end. He’s got great offensive instincts. It’s been a joy right here to play with him.”

The soft-spoken Bolland lit up when talking about the “huge battles” he and Raymond had as part of the Blackhawks-Canucks rivalry.

“I think we’ve played pretty hard against each other,” Bolland said. “It’s different in hockey: You go against each other and the next thing you know you’re sitting beside him in the room and you’re best friends, you’re great friends and you’re on a line. ... We’ve had some great battles in the past, but it’s time to join in now and battle on some other guys.”

They’re joined in that by goaltender Jonathan Bernier, a 2006 first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings who went 9-3-1 with a 1.88 goals-against average and .922 save percentage last season when facing all Western Conference competition. After shutting out the Senators in relief Saturday, Bernier is expected to start against Colorado.



NHL: Colorado rookie Nathan MacKinnon loving the NHL life

By: Mark Zwolinski Sports reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

If you’ve seen the sheer excitement of the contestants on The Voice and other dream-come-true reality shows, then you’ll know how Nathan MacKinnon feels now that he’s in the NHL.

“I’m loving every second of it,” MacKinnon said as his life as an NHL 18-year-old continues to unfold in dream-like fashion. “The travelling with the team, the way that they treat the players is pretty special. Obviously a little different than junior but I can’t complain about that either. It’s been great.”

The Colorado Avalanche forward played his third NHL game on Tuesday night, and the backdrop of hockey’s biggest stage was an adrenaline high. MacKinnon, a native of Halifax, “liked the Leafs” growing up, and with his father Graham and mother Cathy making the trip to Toronto to witness the moment, the game took on a magical quality for the young player.

But there is also the sense that MacKinnon hasn’t quite grown up yet. Like the Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly, a teenaged phenom, MacKinnon is NHL ready, but still a baby in pro hockey.

The fact that he’s landed with a solid organization like Colorado — which picked him first overall in the 2013 draft — has set the table for success. MacKinnon, while all wide-eyed with the newness of his NHL experience, quickly realized he couldn’t “have asked for a better” start to his career.

The six-footer, who just looks like the epitome of a Canadian hockey player, has had a rapid NHL baptism under rookie coach Patrick Roy. There’s been Roy’s celebrated outburst at Anaheim counterpart Bruce Boudreau, but Roy quickly established a confidence-building relationship with MacKinnon by sending the teenager over the boards in key situations.

“He’s a player’s coach, and he treats everyone very well. You want to play for him and that’s huge. . . . If you don’t have that as a coach it’s tough, but he’s been great for everyone on this team,” MacKinnon said. “Just letting me play — power play, penalty kill, the last minute of a period. I couldn’t ask for more and I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”

Tuesday brought another first-time experience for MacKinnon — the glare of the hockey spotlight in Toronto. With Roy’s recent outburst making headlines, well over 30 media types crowded the Avalanche dressing room for the morning skate.

MacKinnon’s teammates, even the veteran ones, remarked on the “circus” that can be Toronto’s passionate hockey market. MacKinnon, though, was on cloud nine — a throng of media types hanging on his every word, cameras rolling, rock-star treatment. Life is pretty good at the moment.

“I had this game circled on my calendar,” MacKinnon said.

Roy deploys MacKinnon at centre, and with third-year pro Matt Duchesne, the potential for a long-term one-two punch at the position is reminiscent of another time franchise history, when the Avs had arguably the two best centermen of their era.

“We have two very good young players at that position and you see in the past it worked for Joe (Sakic) and Peter (Forsberg),” Roy said. “(MacKinnon) is strong and he’s fast . . . it’s the perfect fit for him. He doesn’t have to come here and be the saviour. He can come in here and be himself and play.

“We’re extremely happy with our decision (to draft him). He’s been outstanding in the first two games, despite the fact that he had an injury in training camp. We’re very excited and we love what we have seen so far of him.”

MacKinnon and his teammates had a front-row seat when Mount Roy erupted during the club’s season-opening game against Anaheim.

MacKinnon found it entertaining, and during that game, he also had a short visit from Ducks star Ryan Getzlaf, who congratulated him on his first overall selection and entry into the NHL.

With all the whirlwind of NHL life, the Avalanche have set up a very special billet for MacKinnon — veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

“I’m with Giggy — he has three boys and his wife is from Halifax, so there’s a Maritime connection there,” MacKinnon said. “She ‘s a great cook and they just take great care of me, so I don’t have to worry about cooking and things like that. I get well fed.”

Giguere, the former Leaf, recognizes the benefit of a family-like setting for a teenaged NHLer.

“I have three young boys under the age of 6 and love hockey and having a big brother has been fun for them,” Giguere said. “Being young, 18 years old in the NHL, it’s probably better for him, too, to have a family around him.

But “I don’t want to be overbearing,” Giguere added. “I’m not his dad, first of all. I’m not going to tell him when to come home and stuff like that and I don’t want to be overbearing and be giving him advice and stuff like that.”

There are, however, limits to MacKinnon’s freedom in the Giguere household.

“Not a chance,” Giguere said, laughing, when asked if he lets MacKinnon touch the dial on the car stereo. “We have the hit list going, that’s as far as I’m willing to go. No country, no hip-hop.”

MacKinnon, meanwhile, also circled the club’s Oct. 21 game in Pittsburgh.

MacKinnon grew up in the shadow of another Nova Scotia hockey hero, Sidney Crosby, and the two have become closer friends now that MacKinnon is at the top rung of the game. MacKinnon, in fact, worked out with Crosby and John Tavares this off-season, and Crosby has taken a keener interest in MacKinnon’s progress.

“I liked the Leafs growing up . . . this game (Tuesday night) and Pittsburgh are circled on my calendar,” MacKinnon said. “Everything is exciting with this. Everywhere I play will be exciting and you follow these players as a kid so to be on the same ice, it’s special.”



Sochi Olympics: Team Canada shows off hockey jerseys

By: Brendan Kennedy Sports reporter, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

A modern homage to national teams past, or an uninspired rip-off of Petro-Canada?

Canada’s Olympic hockey jerseys were met with much criticism and little praise following Tuesday’s official unveiling at Maple Leaf Gardens.

“Petro-Canada is not part of any of our design research,” said a laughing Ken Black, Nike’s senior creative director, who took the most common criticism of his design in good humour. “That’s not even close to any of the inspiration that we took as we designed it.”

Black, an American from Nike’s Portland, Ore., headquarters, led a team of six designers, including Stuart Iwasaki, Martin Lotti and Michelle Miller, who worked with Hockey Canada to create the final look after “an immense number of drafts” over two years.

Black said the design aims to be a modern take on two jerseys from Canada’s Olympic history: the Winnipeg Falcons’ sweater worn by Canada’s first gold medal-winning team in 1920, and the iconic half-maple-leaf jerseys worn by Paul Henderson and company in the 1972 Summit Series.

The jerseys are also super lightweight — 15 per cent lighter than those worn in 2010 — and made from 73 per cent recycled polyester, derived from plastic water bottles melted down into a synthetic yarn.

Some social media reaction

[View the story "Sochi 2014 Team Canada hockey jerseys unveiled" on Storify]

All three jerseys include an arm band on the left, but not the right arm, as well as a “flywire” collar, which simulates traditional laces but ensures a lighter weight, and textured maple leaves on the shoulders.

Tuesday’s formal unveiling came a month after leaked photos of the new look had already made the rounds online, drawing mostly bad reviews. Critics were no less sympathetic after seeing the jerseys officially launched.

In an informal poll of about 1,300 Star readers, 20 per cent said they liked the black jersey best, followed by the red (18 per cent) and the white (8 per cent). But most voters (54 per cent) didn’t like any one of them.

Team Canada jerseys through the years

“Another classic example of Nike overcomplicating what is an otherwise simple but clean and classic design,” Chris Creamer told The Star Tuesday afternoon.

Creamer is something of a sports jersey connoisseur; he runs a website devoted to his hobby at www.sportslogos.net. Creamer said he liked the jerseys’ core concept and how they included nods to the national team’s history, but he hated the “cheap and tacky” faux laces and the leaves on the shoulders.

“They tried to have their cake and eat it, too — taking a clean, classic design and slapping on modern flashy elements. Pick an era, pick a style and embrace it in your design.”

“You’re going to have people that are going to be divided on this, but that’s the way it is,” said Joe Nieuwendyk, who played for Canada’s Olympic team in the 2002 and 2006 Games. “I also know that come Olympic time on the streets of Canada, everybody is going to have them on, too.”

Nieuwendyk said the players are going to be most impressed by how light the jerseys feel.

Lucia Dell’Agnese, who teaches fashion design at Ryerson University, said she was surprised by the amount of negative response to the jerseys.

“I’m very happy with the design,” she said, praising its simplicity and high-contrast colour scheme. “It’s very bold and it’s very strong.”

Angela Elter, who teaches fashion at George Brown, also liked the jerseys, calling them “pleasing” with “clean design lines.”

“Fashion goes through cycles and right now we’re kind of going through a minimalist cycle.”

Elter liked the asymmetrical arm bands and the textured leaves, but wasn’t too high on the faux laces at the collar.

Despite his criticisms, Creamer said he thinks Canada’s jerseys are actually the best of those designed by Nike for the 2014 Games. The company recently unveiled its designs for the Czech Republic, Russia and Team USA.

“We should consider ourselves lucky. The Americans have shiny stars all over the top half of their jerseys. So it could’ve been much worse.”

Jersey Facts:

Each jersey is made from 17 recycled plastic water bottles

They weigh just 448 grams, 15 per cent lighter than those worn in 2010

The 12 gold stars inside the front collar of each jersey represents the 12 gold medals Canada’s men’s, women’s and sledge hockey teams have won

Proceeds from the sale of the jerseys will be split evenly between Hockey Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Twitter Reacts

@gravelrunner has anyone asked if there’s a gas discount when you wear your jersey while you fill up your tank?

@SkinnyPPPhish The invasion of Poland. RT @BKennedyStar Black says black uniform (provide) clear statement of Canada’s intent

@J_BlueJaysFan Is that the new Petro-Canada uniforms?

@cathalkelly Regardless of design, the Cdn. Oly. hockey jersey will still make us appear a nation of knobs when grown men wear them to the grocery store.

@taiterstan Kindergarten drawing contest results in embarrassing #Sochi2014 Team Canada hockey jerseys. Entire nation blushing.



Hockey violence has always been controversial, Stephen Harper points out

By: Bruce Cheadle The Canadian Press, Published on Tue Oct 08 2013

BALI, INDONESIA—Stephen Harper has dropped his prime ministerial gloves and put on his hockey historian’s helmet to wade in on the subject of violence in Canada’s most popular sport.

And he did so from a beachfront hotel in Bali, Indonesia, of all places.

The prime minister, who has a book coming out next month on the early history of professional hockey, prefaced his unsolicited comments Tuesday on his role as an author, not as a politician.

“Since I’m taking off my hat soon on this (hockey historian) business anyway, as you know, I welcome the opportunity to comment on it,” he told bemused reporters at a closing news conference following a summit of Asia-Pacific leaders.

Harper — a sharp-elbowed partisan in the political game — said hockey is a rough sport but he’s an admirer of skill over brawn.

“I do think that authorities have historically not taken their responsibility to try and keep the rough, tough part of the game within the rules,” he said, adding he’s particularly concerned about head shots.

“These are very serious issues and they do have to be taken seriously by the NHL and other sports bodies.”

Last week’s opening of the 2013-14 NHL season saw a nasty incident in which Montreal Canadiens enforcer George Parros pitched to the ice during a battle with Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy Colton Orr, falling hard on his chin and knocking himself unconscious.

The Parros incident was one of several that marred the early season and renewed yet again the debate over fighting on ice.

“I’m not trying to be nonchalant about some of these incidents, which I think are of concern to any parent watching this and seeing examples set and worrying about what could happen to their own boys and girls when they step on the ice,” Harper said, speaking in a hotel penthouse room overlooking the Indian Ocean.

“That all said, what we all have to realize is that this debate is as old as the game itself.”

In fact, said historian Harper, “there has never been an era in hockey, including from the very beginning, where violence was not an issue of controversy.”

Matters are actually less rough today, said the prime minister, who called the level of violence in pre-war hockey “quite shocking.”

Harper’s coming book is titled “A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs and the Rise of Professional Hockey.” Author and Globe and Mail columnist Roy MacGregor acted as an editorial consultant on the book, which is to be released Nov. 5, with proceeds going to a military charity.



Three wise men guide Varlamov

By Lance Hornby ,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - About the only person missing from Semyon Varlamov's stable of high-profile coaches and advisors is Vladislav Tretiak.

His partner in the Colorado Avalanche crease is Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Stanley Cup and 250-game winner. His goalie coach is Francois Allaire, trainer to the stars of La Belle Province. And should he choose to give his two cents, you can bet Varlamov will listen to his Hall of Fame head coach Patrick Roy, a three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.

And that's not to say Varlamov was a lost lamb before this season, with a record of 67-58-18, first playing in Washington and, since the summer of 2011, in Denver.

But combine his talent and this support group and it's no surprise the Avs are 3-0-0 so far, with just three goals against. Last season, the fourth in the past five in which the once-mighty Rocky Mountaineers missed the playoffs, Varlamov received the second-worst offensive support of any peer, 2.09 goals a night to Johan Hedberg's 1.84 in Anaheim. The Avs were last in the West.

Varlamov gives much of the credit to Allaire, who is with him for two hours of instruction on non-game days, with a good pep talk before every start.

"After practice, I'm dying every day," said Varlamov, who made 27 saves against the Leafs on Tuesday in Colorado's 2-1 win. "But that's how he works.

"Does Patrick help me with my position? It's a tough question. Patrick is the head coach and he is busy with all the other players. I work a lot with Francois and I like it."

Ex-Leaf Giguere, who has yet to play while Varlamov goes to the head of the save percentage class, said Roy has startled him a couple of times with well-meaning tips when Giguere is used to being a mentor. But Roy mostly lets Allaire do his job. Giguere believes Roy has made a team-wide impact.

"At training camp, he made us more accountable," Giguere said. "He brought us out of our comfort zone, myself included.

"His practices are harder with all the skating at the end, but I think winning should hurt. We all had forgotten what it's like to be on a winning team.

"Patrick's emotional and he knows he'll have to keep that in check. And we have guys who love emotion on the ice. We just have to make sure we don't get carried away. But every once in a while, it's not bad to be emotional."

Roy has vowed that the Game 1 glass-bending episode between him and Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau won't be the norm.

"I"m passionate about what I'm doing and I love to win," Roy said at the morning skate. "I've learned a lot from my junior days that you have to control those emotions. Everything is going to be calculated. If (an outburst) can turn the game around, I'll turn it. If it's the end of the game and I think it's time, then it's time, but I promise you, I'll have it under control.

"I don't know if the (players) feed off of it, but it's the way I am and I'm certainly not going to change. But this group have missed the playoffs and they want a change."

That includes warhorse defenceman Cory Sarich, who scored just his 21st goal in 918 NHL games on Tuesday by beating Paul Ranger to get open and burning Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier.

"I like winning the ugly ones, they're fun and they're memorable," Sarich said. "That's a first for me, scoring in Toronto, so I'm going to enjoy it. I don't score many, so it's pretty easy to keep track of them all.

"Patrick has done a good job of keeping a balance. You saw out there tonight that our coverage wasn't where it needs to be, but our work ethic was. That's what we have to keep up."

Toronto Sun LOADED: 10.09.2013


Maple Leafs' Jake Gardiner needs to play better

By Terry Koshan ,Toronto Sun


The Jake Gardiner watch continues.

This isn’t to say a trade is imminent.

But as the 23-year-old defenceman stands right now, he’s not coach Randy Carlyle’s kind of player. One of two things, it seems, will come — either the free-wheeling Gardiner will buy in to what Carlyle wants or his time in a Leafs uniform will wind down quickly.

Gardiner’s skating ability is a magnet that attracts even the most critical of pro scouts. But if they go back to their respective general managers with reports that say he can’t or won’t play defence on a consistent basis, the odds that a trade happens diminishes.

The Gardiner situation will be intriguing to observe as the season continues to unfold. If he can get back to being the kind of player we saw in the playoffs against the Boston Bruins last spring, one who knew when to use his body and made smart decisions, then it could be that Carlyle grows to like him.

Yet the fact Gardiner’s name is churning through the rumour mill is enough evidence that Carlyle’s patience is thin. Ditto for assistant coach Dave Farrish, who runs the Leafs blue line.

We would have loved to be a fly on the wall — or on the bench — after Gardiner carelessly flipped the puck behind the Leafs net during a Toronto power play in the first period of Tuesday’s game, a 2-1 loss, against the Colorado Avalanche. Nazem Kadri didn’t anticipate Gardiner’s move, not that he really could have, and the Avs intercepted the puck.

There is speculation that the Leafs want to acquire more depth at forward, and would be willing to move a defenceman. And there is the idea that if another team bites on Gardiner, the Leafs want in return a similar type of player, preferably a forward, in age and potential.

Gardiner was tied with captain Dion Phaneuf through two periods with a team-high 15 minutes, 25 seconds. When the outcome was on the line in the third, Gardiner played less than five minutes.

FROM THE HASH MARKS

If it comes down to keeping Gardiner or Morgan Rielly — if there’s no room for both on a Carlyle blue line — Rielly will be the guy, and not just because he’s a Leafs pick. He’s smarter and more responsible than Gardiner is ... Joffrey Lupul doesn’t miss sure-goals often, but he did in the first period on a 3-on-1 rush. Lupul had goalie Semyon Varlamov down but could not convert. Nine times out of 10, Lupul buries that chance. But that was the one. The rush happened after Rielly took the puck from Matt Duchene in the Leafs’ end ... Lupul had plenty of time to bang away at the puck — or Varlamov’s equipment — until the puck inched across the line for the first goal of the game at 13:12 of the second period. Carter Ashton drew an assist on the play, his first NHL point in his 18th game ... Jonathan Bernier has flashed the leather more in the past two games than James Reimer did all of last season. Reimer had to be sitting on the bench wondering when he is going to get in again. The Leafs don’t have a back-to-back situation for another 16 days, when they’re in Columbus on Oct. 25 and play host to Pittsburgh on the 26th. Could it be that Reimer stews until the Leafs meet the Blue Jackets?

POINT SHOTS

Jay McClement missed the game to be with his wife Lesley, who gave birth to a boy on Tuesday ... Paul Ranger’s re-adjustment to on-ice life as an NHL player has not gone very smooth, has it? ... Nathan MacKinnon produced in the Avs’ first two games, but was not spectacular in his first NHL game on Canadian soil. Taken first overall in the draft in June, the 18-year-old did assist on PA Parenteau’s third-period goal. Overall, what’s not to like about a Colorado team that boasts MacKinnon, Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly and captain Gabriel Landeskog? If the Avs can shore up

defensively, there is potential to be a contender relatively soon. “They have good skilled players,” Leafs defenceman Cody Franson said. “They play that chess-match game — sit and wait, sit and wait. When they get their chance, they jump.” ... Cory Sarich probably hasn’t scored many prettier goals than the one he got in the second period, when he roofed a shot over Bernier on the short side. It was the 35-year-old defenceman’s first goal after 64 games without one and just his 21st in 918 NHL games. Mason Raymond didn’t do much to try to check Sarich before the shot ... None other than Walter Gretzky was serenaded with Happy Birthday by many in the crowd of 19,388 in celebration of his 75th. The Great One’s father is a Leafs season-ticket holder ... Patrick Roy’s off-ice antics, of course, had plenty of chapters when he was running the Quebec Remparts in major junior. At the 2006 Memorial Cup in Moncton, Roy didn’t have any trouble saying that a couple of opposing goalies, Dustin Slade and Josh Tordjman, might have been over their heads. That kind of criticism, from a coach of another team, is rare at the junior level ... Roy is perfect as an NHL coach with three wins. Wonder what Mario Tremblay thinks.



Leafs' sloppy turnovers a concern

By Dave Hilson ,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - Morning skates are usually pretty relaxed affairs, just a way for the team to get together one last time to shake off any cobwebs before the game.

Not so Tuesday. The Leafs skate looked more like a practice. It went about 15 minutes longer than normal and there was even a bit of bumping along the boards. Phil Kessel and Nazem Kadri jawed at each other a little for missing an open net on a drill. Coach Randy Carlyle urged his troops to clog up the middle.

The way things looked, it was hard to tell the Leafs were going into Tuesday night's home contest against the Colorado Avalanche with a perfect 3-0 record.

But while undefeated, the Leafs haven't exactly been a well-oiled machine.

Turnovers have been particularly worrisome. They had 50, count 'em, 50, heading into the game against the Avs. It's an area they know they have to clean up if they want continued success.

"It's a combination of things," Leafs defenceman Cody Franson said of the turnovers. "We've been playing a little sloppy as a group; we didn't protect the puck that well ... It's just a matter of communication in our defensive zone."

Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul agreed.

"I think we can improve in a lot of areas. I'd like to see us a little bit better execution-wise," Lupul said. "We've had some problems coming out of our own zone, executing passes and turning over some pucks in the neutral zone. It hasn't been so much about guys wanting to do too much, it's been more along the lines of just not making the plays we are capable of. So it's about being a little more crisp and putting the puck on guys' sticks like everyone can in here."

RALLY AROUND ROY

The NHL might not have liked the behaviour of Avs coach Patrick Roy at the end of his team's win over the Anaheim Ducks in Colorado's season opener, but his players sure didn't mind.

Roy got into a spirited shouting match with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau at the end of his team's 6-1 win and ended up shoving over the glass that separates the two benches. He was fined $10,000 by the NHL for his fiery display.

"He was standing up for us and that's what you want to see from your coach," centre Matt Duchene said. "He's emotional but not in a bad way. Some guys let their emotions get the best of them, but he's always in control of it. He's very passionate, very loud and outgoing, but in a good way."

For his part, Roy seems to have already moved on.

"Things like this happen sometimes," Roy said after his team finished its morning warmup. "The objective was to protect our players. But I'd rather talk about (the Avs-Leafs) game, if you don't mind."

AWESOME BEING NATHAN

After his team left the ice, 2013 No. 1 overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon was asked if there was anything about the NHL that surprised him.

"I guess how good they treat us here," the 18-year-old forward said. "It's awesome, I'm loving every second of it. Travelling with the team, the way they treat the players is pretty special. It's a little different than junior."

It's the first NHL road trip for the Cole Harbour, N.S., native (Sidney Crosby is from there also) after the Avs opened their season with two wins at home.

"It's my first road game, it's pretty cool that it's at the ACC against the Leafs. I liked the Leafs growing up. Along with Pittsburgh, those are the two dates I had circled on my calendar."

Meanwhile, back in Colorado MacKinnon is living with former Leafs goaltender J.S. Giguere and his family.

"He has three little boys -- six, four and one -- so they're awesome. His wife is actually from Halifax, so we have a little Maritime connection."

QUICK HITS

Versatile Leafs forward Jay McClement missed the morning skate to be at the hospital with his wife who was delivering the couple's first child. McClement did not play Tuesday ... Defenceman Carl Gunnarsson said he wasn't overly concerned by the amount of shots the Leafs had given up in their first three games, 105 in all. "Look at the shots, where they're coming from. If there's a lot of shots in the slot then that's where we have to be strong. If your goalie sees every shot from the outside ... I think those are easy shots to save. As long as we keep them to the outside, I think we're fine."



Leafs goalie Bernier looks like the real deal

By Steve Simmons ,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - Joffrey Lupul first began to hear about Jonathan Bernier when he played for the Anaheim Ducks and the two teams in Southern California seemed to know too much about each other.

He had heard a lot about Bernier, but rarely saw him play.

“It always seemed it was (Jonathan) Quick in net there when we played them,” said Lupul, the Leafs winger. “I knew he was highly touted. And talking to guys I knew that played for the Kings they had nothing but good things to say about him.

“Basically, they said, ‘If he was anywhere else, he would be a No. 1 goalie.’”

Bernier is now anywhere else. The goaltender who is introducing himself to the NHL in the early season. The present, the future, all in one rather diminutive Maple Leafs package.

The Leafs have yet to play a great game in this no-longer-undefeated season and their brand new goalie has yet to play below superb. Bernier has been that terrific; the rest of the Leafs have been that ordinary.

When and if the two come together — the Leafs being more dependable, better defensively, with a roster that isn’t battered by suspension, injury and paternity — this could be a potent combination.

Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre seemed like a convention of former general managers, with a press box full of hockey names from the past — Jimmy Devellano, Cliff Fletcher, Lou Nanne, Pierre Gauthier, Nick Beverly, Gilles Leger — all of them, to a man, talking about the Leafs’ new goaltender.

All of them wondering how the Leafs wound up getting Bernier so inexpensively.

Bernier beat Philadelphia in the Flyers home opener and soon-to-be general manager Ron Hextall had to be kicking himself by not bringing Bernier with him when he left Los Angeles.

Bernier almost stole a game against the young Colorado Avalanche, with legendary goalie Patrick Roy behind the bench, and the Avs made a push for Bernier last season.

They have to be wondering, in retrospect, why they didn’t push harder.

The Leafs haven’t had a young goalie this sharp since Felix Potvin was a kid and, before that, Mike Palmateer. There are even rumblings, this early in the goalie watch, that Team Canada decision makers have their eye on Bernier, as much of a longshot as that seems to be.

But it’s hard not to be impressed.

The Leafs lost 2-1 and it had nothing to do with goaltending.

“He’s given us a chance to win every time he’s been in there,” said Lupul. “He’s been spectacular at some points. We can’t ask any more of him.”

The early season numbers won’t hold up but they border on the Quick Stanley Cup crazy: 1.18 goals against average, .963 save percentage.

James Reimer is a good goalie. Bernier is looking like a great one.

And there is something particularly trustworthy about the style in which he plays. He is comfortable in goal. He cushions the puck. He doesn’t allow bouncing rebounds. He squares up and rarely seems out of position.

And basically, he cost the Leafs Matt Frattin and some draft picks. And that’s all.

This is how young Bernier is: He wasn’t born when Patrick Roy won his first Stanley Cup. He hadn’t turned five when his home town Canadiens won their second Cup with Roy in goal. His first comprehension of Roy was as the temper tantrum goalie who got away, still hated in Montreal.

Now Bernier is playing against Roy. And the two have little in common other than province of birth and language of choice.

But Bernier does have something in common with the now retired Miikka Kiprusoff. In Darryl Sutter’s last year coaching in San Jose, he had three capable goalies and somehow Kiprusoff wound up as No. 3.

But just as Sutter loved Bernier in Los Angeles, he felt the same way earlier about Kiprusoff in San Jose.

When Sutter moved on to Calgary as coach and general manager, among his first moves was trading for Kiprusoff, who was a Top 5 NHL goalie for about the next decade.

Sutter would whisper similar positives about Bernier, even as Jonathan Quick was winning Conn Smythe Trophies. I once asked him the difference between Quick and Bernier. He held his fingers about an inch and a half apart and said, “This much.” And he didn’t seem to be advertising.

He believed it. The Leafs now have to believe. And the rest of hockey is learning that, for now, in the hockey capital of the world, Jonathan Bernier is living up to the hype.



Maple Leafs lose first game of season to Avalanche 2-1

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - Deep down, Leafs coach Randy Carlyle had to know that a perfect record wasn’t going to last much longer with such imperfect play.

Not to mention being forced to ice an imperfect lineup this early in the NHL season.

Dressing a group that had little resemblance to the one he drew up in the summer, Carlyle and the Leafs couldn’t get away with it for another night as Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy got his first NHL victory in Canada, a 2-1 win.

With Tuesday’s loss in front of a sleepy sellout crowd at the Air Canada Centre, the Leafs are still a credible 3-1, but also still attempting to find their way defensively as they next head to Nashville for a Thursday meeting with the Predators.

“We gave up too many scoring chances in the good areas,” Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf said.

“When you do that, your odds of winning go down.”

When you give up 15 shots in a period — as the gung-ho young Avalanche managed to lay on the Leafs on Tuesday — your chances of winning are diminished as well.

Even another strong outing from goaltender Jonathan Bernier wouldn’t be enough, though the two pucks that got by him were a bullet to a tiny open space and a game winner that went off Colorado forward P.A. Parenteau’s skate.

The first — by career grinder Corey Sarich — came on a bad-angle shot that squeezed into a tiny corner of the net above his left shoulder.

Over all, the Leafs had their chances to swipe yet another win, but couldn’t get a bounce to go their way or connect on a third-period power play in which they had control of the puck for a good minute in the Colorado zone.

Nobody’s panicking yet, of course.

But just as clearly there is plenty of work still to be done.

“It’s still a work in progress,” said forward Joffrey Lupul, who got the Leafs’ lone goal after repeated jamming at the arm of Colorado goaltender Semyon Varlamov was rewarded when the puck squirted free and across the line.

“They got to us in the second period. When a team gets almost 20 shots, obviously, we’re not doing something quite right there.”

The biggest work in progress so far for Carlyle has been to find a way to tighten things up defensively.

He harps at it in practice, reinforces his points in the game-day skate and, during TV time-outs, the coach has been feverishly working his oversized whiteboard.

Part of the issue is the ragged play expected early in the season and part of it is persistent giveaways (the Leafs were charged with 16 on Tuesday to only nine by the Avalanche.)

“We didn’t seem to be able to handle it, especially in the second period,” Carlyle said.

“Any time we got the puck through the netural ice, we were either two-on-three or two-on -our or three-on -our and we weren’t able to sustain any pressure.

“I think that was a lot of the way the game went against us.”

The Avalanche, which outshot the Leafs 33-28, took just enough advantage to sneak away with another win for enthusiastic coach Roy and a 3-0 record overall.

“We were better (defensively) than that game against Ottawa (on Saturday), but still not good enough,” Leafs defenceman Cody Franson said.

The Leafs obviously could have used some offence on this night as well, but the patchwork forward group necessitated by absentees Jay McClement (whose wife gave birth to a baby boy on Tuesday), Nikolai Kulemin (ankle injury) and David Clarkson (suspension) made for a challenge.

Nazem Kadri, for example, spent most of the night grinding on a fourth line with Carter Ashton and Colton Orr.

Phil Kessel led all shooters with a hefty seven shots on net, though none were terribly threatening.

His linemate Tyler Bozak just missed batting home a loose puck in the final two minutes and, in the end, the Avalanche were rewarded with a textbook road win.

“We’re 3-1, we’re not too upset,” Bozak said.

“It’s a good start to the season. I don’t think many would have called us having that record to start the year.”

CARLYLE WON’T PLAY INJURY CARD

Putting together a Leafs lineup these nights is a moving target for Randy Carlyle.

Could the Leafs coach benefit from David Clarkson or his underrated ace checking centre Jay McClement in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche? You bet he could, but he’s not going to use the growing absentee list as a crutch.

“We’re no different than anybody else from the standpoint we are going to get our fair share of injuries,” said Carlyle, who was without another regular when Jay McClement accompanied his wife for the birth of their baby boy. “And we’ve already had some adverse situations with the suspension (to Clarkson).

“To me, they can be built-in excuses and we’re not going there with this hockey club. We’re no different than anybody else.”

The absences have created opportunities for others, including forward Carter Ashton, who got his first career point, an assist on the lone Leafs goal. Rookie defenceman Morgan Rielly has now played two games and Marlies captain Trevor Smith drew in the lineup for his first game.

“There’s always going to be people in and out of the lineup,” Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul said. “That’s the way it goes. Some of these things this early in the season you don’t expect, but it’s a chance for other guys to step up.”



Maple Leafs fall to Avalanche and Patrick Roy

By Lance Hornby ,Toronto Sun


TORONTO - Going on two years since the Maple Leafs played a Western Conference team because of the lockout, one of the flashiest teams from the other side of the NHL returns to the Air Canada Centre Tuesday night.

With Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy now in management and coaching, respectively and young talent such as first overall draft pick Nathan MacKinnon, the Colorado Avalanche will look to keep their fast start going and hand Toronto its first loss.

Join Toronto Sun hockey columnist Lance Hornby for a live chat from the ACC, starting at 7 p.m.



Patrick Roy show takes centre stage at Leafs skate

By Dave Hilson ,Toronto Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 11:13 AM EDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 03:53 PM EDT

The Maple Leafs have a game at home on Tuesday night against the Avalanche, but that fact was overshadowed during their morning skate at the Air Canada Centre.

The Patrick Roy show was in town and everyone wanted to hear what the often emotional coach had to say about his outburst during Colorado’s season-opening victory against the Anaheim Ducks that ended up costing him $10,000.

Problem was the Hall of Fame goaltender didn’t really want to talk about it.

“Things like this happen sometimes,” Roy said after his team finished its morning warm-up. “The objective was to protect our players. But I’d rather talk about (tonight’s) game, if you don’t mind.”

Roy got into a spirited shouting match with Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau at the end of his team’s 6-1 win and ended up shoving over the glass that separates the two benches. The league didn’t like what it saw and slapped the Avs coach with the fine.

Outbursts are nothing new to Roy, whether it was as an NHL goalie or as a coach in the Quebec junior league, and he said he isn’t planning on changing the way he approaches the game.

“I’m passionate about what I’m doing,” Roy said when reminded that it might be difficult to keep up such emotions over an 82-game schedule. “I love to win, and that always comes first. I learned a lot during my junior (coaching) days, that you have to control those emotions and it’s been very easy and it will be very easy because I am here to win. I always have to be really calm when the game is on the line. Everything has to be calculated. If it can turn the game around, then turn it around. If it’s at the end of the game and I think it’s time (to get emotional) then it’s time.”

As for the Avalanche players? Well they seemed to like Roy’s fire against the Ducks.

“He was standing up for us and that’s what you want to see from your coach,” centre Matt Duchene said. “He’s emotional but not in a bad way. Some guys let their emotions get the best of them, but he’s always in control of it. He’s very passionate, very loud and outgoing, but in a good way.”

The Avalanche can go 3-0 for the first time since the franchise was situated in Quebec as the Nordiques if they can knock off the Eastern Conference-leading Leafs (3-0)

Toronto could be without versatile centre Jay McClement who missed the morning skate to be with his wife who was delivering the couple’s first child. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said if everything went smoothly with the delivery he hoped to have McClement in the lineup, but that it would be a game-time decision.

While the Leafs have started their campaign undefeated, they still have some kinks to iron out – one of them being the league-leading 50 turnovers that they have committed.

“It’s a combination of things,” Leafs defenceman Cody Franson said of the turnovers. “We’ve been playing a little sloppy as a group; we didn’t protect the puck that well. We have to limit our turnovers. It’s just a matter of communication in our defensive zone.”

Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul agreed with Franson’s assessment.

“I think we can improve in a lot of areas. I’d like to see us a little bit better execution-wise,” Lupul said. “We’ve had some problems coming out of our own zone, executing passes and turning over some pucks in the neutral zone. It hasn’t been so much about guys wanting to do too much, it’s been more along the lines of just not making the plays we are capable of. So it’s about being a little more crisp and putting the puck on guys’ sticks like everyone can in here.”

Not that there was much doubt after Saturday night’s performance against the Ottawa Senators, but it appears that for the time being the No. 1 goaltender spot is Jonathan Bernier’s to lose.

Bernier stepped in for starter James Reimer, who let two goals in a 21-second span in the second period on Saturday, and will get the start tonight against the Avalanche. Bernier stopped all 15 shots he faced and looked very good doing it.



Maple Leafs’ unbeaten streak halted by Avalanche

Michael Traikos | Published: 08/10/13

TORONTO — The speed of the game has been the biggest adjustment.

As Paul Ranger said, a lot can happen in a split-second. The other day, for example, the Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman had the puck on the blue line and was deciding whether to take a shot or make a pass. And in that brief moment of indecision, an opposing player stripped him of the puck and skated the length of the ice for a breakaway.

Why Patrick Roy says controlling his emotions will be ‘very easy’ while coaching the Colorado Avalanche

“To me, it seemed like I had a little bit more time to put on net,” Ranger said prior to Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. “But I got the puck and looked up and he was right there.”

Ranger, who returned to the NHL after a four-year absence this season, prepared himself for this transition. He realized his game would not be perfect right away and that essentially he would be learning on the job.

In that way, Ranger is lot like the rest of Toronto’s defence: a work in progress. And aside from the top pairing of Dion Phaneuf and Carl Gunnarsson, it is not hard to see why:

• Mark Fraser, the team’s only true stay-at-home defenceman, is out with a lower-body injury.

• Cody Franson, who was a minus-3 against the Senators on Saturday, missed the first two weeks of training camp because of a contract negotiation.

• Jake Gardiner, who spent most of last season in the minors, is still learning how to harness his high-wire offensive game.

• Morgan Rielly, who made his NHL debut on the weekend, is just 19 years old.

Add it up and it is not difficult to see why the Leafs defence has been the team’s weak spot so far.

In the first three games, Toronto averaged 11 turnovers and 35 shots against and seemed to win despite the play of its blueliners. If not for timely scoring from a depleted forward corps and capable play from their two goaltenders, the Leafs might have a losing record.

“We’re giving up way too many chances and our goalies have had to bail us out too many times to make it comfortable,” Franson said. “There’s a lot of work to do.”

That was certainly true after Tuesday’s loss. Toronto did not play terrible hockey. But it was far from perfect. Through two periods, the Leafs committed 10 turnovers and were outshot 25-19. There were also the usual momentary lapses of judgment, such as allowing Gabriel Landeskog to be alone in the slot, forcing goalie Jonathan Bernier to come up with another spectacular glove save.

“He’s given us a chance to win every time he’s been in there and he’s been spectacular at some points. We can’t ask anything more of him,” Joffrey Lupul said of Bernier, before adding that the team has to make it easier on its goalies.

“Like I said, in the second period I think they got close to 20 shots. So anytime a team is getting 20 shots in a period you’re not doing something right there.”

It is difficult to pin all the blame on the defence. After all, defending is a team concept. But lately, the team has looked incomplete. It is not just the defence, which is missing Fraser. With centre Jay McClement out of the lineup to be with his wife for their birth of their first child and three others regulars — David Clarkson, Nikolai Kulemin and Frazer McLaren — either suspended or injured, Toronto’s forward corps is a mixed bag of fourth-liners and minor-leaguers.

Head coach Randy Carlyle did not want to use the depleted roster as an excuse (“You’re going to have to deal with adversity throughout the course

of the season,” he said), but the Leafs essentially relied on their top-two lines all night long, a fact that became apparent as the game dragged on and the team was pinned in its own end.

After a scoreless first period, in which Toronto and Colorado traded scoring opportunities, the Leafs took a 1-0 lead when Lupul shovelled in a puck that seemed to be underneath Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov. But the Avalanche tied it about three minutes later when Cory Sarich beat Bernier with a high shot.

In the third period, the turnovers and defensive gaffes finally caught up to the Leafs. Ranger and Gardiner found themselves defending a 3-on-2. And though Ranger made a nice diving play to break it up, the pair got caught for another odd-man rush and gave up a two-on-one goal on the same shift.

This time, the Leafs offence was unable to make up for the error.

“Our goal is to limit [the chances] and play defensively as a group,” Ranger had said before the game. “A big part of it is — and we’ve been talking about it — is to be more responsible defensively. That can be as simple as limiting turnovers and keeping the puck deep in their zone and working the cycle versus playing a transition game and trading back and forth.”

That might be the goal. But so far this season, old habits have been hard to break.

National Post LOADED: 10.09.2013


Why Patrick Roy says controlling his emotions will be ‘very easy’ while coaching the Colorado Avalanche

Bruce Arthur | Published: 08/10/13

it did not take Colorado Avalanche head coach Patrick Roy long to show he had not lost his fiery side.

It took most of one game before Patrick Roy tried to tear the walls down, and he nearly did it. When he hit the glass partition between the benches in Denver with a fury he was lucky nobody got hurt; the second time he hit the glass it lurched towards Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau but it held, barely. It took most of one game for Patrick Roy to be the talk of the NHL again.

Flyers catch NHL by surprise with firing of Peter Laviolette three games into season

“I really didn’t see that coming,” says Avalanche winger Alex Tanguay, who once played with Roy, and is now playing for him in Colorado.

He knew it was possible, of course. Patrick Roy was always a volcano of a man, and just saying his name brings back his eruptions; in Montreal, mostly, where he walked out in a way nobody else ever did, certainly not among Hall of Famers. Patrick Roy has a furnace inside him, and it took most of one game in the NHL for him to blow up. How easy will it be to hold the fire in check for 82 games, as a rookie head coach?

“Very easy,” said Roy, greying but still a magnetic figure, the morning of Colorado’s 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which his Avalanche moved to 3-0 and their coach was serene. “It’s very easy. Because first of all, I’m passionate about what I’m doing, and I love to win, and the love to win [is] always first. I learn a lot from my junior days, that I have to learn to control those emotions.

“And it’s been very easy, and it will be very easy, because I’m here to win. I’m always going to be really calm when the game’s gonna be on the line, and — everything’s going to be calculated. I’m going to make sure that if it could turn the game around, I’ll turn the game. If it’s at the end of the game, and I think it’s the time, it’s time. But I can promise you that I’ll be very under control.”

In the QMJHL he was a sort of mad king as the coach, GM and co-owner of the Quebec Remparts, swinging his broadsword every which way. He criticized the league’s director of discipline (“too good a person”), called another general manager names (“a pea brain”), yelled at a rival assistant coach for talking to his players (Roy said carrying jockstraps must leave the assistant free time to chat), and in 2007 directed his son Jonathan, a goalie, to wade into a brawl and attack the other goaltender, who didn’t want to fight. It looked like assault.

The elder Roy was suspended for five games for that one, and the brawl was so big that Quebec Premier Jean Charest threatened to pass a law against violence in hockey. Roy was also investigated by police for allegedly throwing punches at Chicoutimi’s co-owner outside the team bus. But he sailed through it all, shrugged off fines like they were unobstructed shots, and won a Memorial Cup. And as the head of the operation, it was said he printed money.

And now he is running the Avalanche shop on a non-guaranteed contract, aiming to be the rare great player who becomes a great coach. He has, in fairness, paid his dues, or had his dues pay him. But the same furnace is in there, boiling away. He just turned 48.

“Has he changed? Older, maybe,” says Tanguay. “But as far as the rest, he’s got a passion for the game that never left him. I remember playing with him, and seeing before the game, how he was. And before the first game [this season] I saw him walking around, pacing, and it was very similar to what it was as a player. I think he’s been really good for our team, bringing a lot of intensity.

“I don’t know how you’d describe it — he’s got that aura around him, that swagger, that presence. And he demands, he wants intensity. He wants to win.”

Roy promised himself he’d shed his endless list of superstitions when he retired; he couldn’t change that, though. “I surprised myself sometimes,” he

says. “If we lose a game, I replace the pen that I’m going to write the lineup. I try to be very low-key on this, to be sure. At the end, wow, you almost need a list of all the things that I was doing.”

And his fierce hockey intelligence has endured and sharpened. No. 1 pick Nathan MacKinnon is just one of the young talented boys who already love him, because Roy is showing confidence in him, playing him in tough situations. Roy says of MacKinnon, “It’s the perfect fit for him; he doesn’t have to come here and be the saviour. He can just come in here and be himself.”

It is Roy, of course, who wants to be the saviour, just as he used to be. After opening night in Denver he told reporters, “For me, it’s always been a love story for me with our fans. The noise and the passion they made tonight, honestly it felt like I was just here, still playing.” On this morning, he is asked if playing or coaching is harder.

“I was nervous at the start of the game, when the puck dropped, or if I was making the first save, for some reason, and it’s a bit of the same thing,” says Roy. “Sometimes you’re nervous because you wish you could be there. But I mean, I don’t think you want me to be there anyway. But it’s different, but at the same time, this is such a great game, it’s fun to be part of. When you’re in the building, the fans, everything — that’s what I love about this game. It’s enjoying the moment when I’m on the ice or behind the bench, it’s the exact same thing.”

Asked in French if coaching replaces that electric adrenaline rush that he needed as a player, he says, “I think that for me, hockey is a passion; for me, hockey is something I love. It gives me that feeling … It’s very different, sure, but at the same time, it replaces it pretty well.”

Patrick Roy is back in the arena, back under the lights, back in the spotlight. And he is ready for a fight.



Why Toronto Maple Leafs trading Jake Gardiner would be a mistake


Jake Gardiner was part of the NHL’s all-rookie team in 2011-12, when he had seven goals and 30 points in 75 games.

First of all, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not shopping Jake Gardiner.

Former rivals Dave Bolland, Mason Raymond find instant chemistry with Leafs

Assistant general manager Claude Loiselle said as much in an radio interview with Sportsnet Fan 590 on Tuesday morning. But as CBC’s Elliotte Friedman reported and Loiselle confirmed, teams are inquiring about the availability of the 23-year-old defenceman. And right now, the Leafs are doing nothing more than listening.

There are two reasons why teams are calling: the first is because Toronto forwards are dropping like flies and the team has depth of puck-moving defenceman. The other and more obvious reason is because there appears to be friction between head coach Randy Carlyle and Gardiner.

The two are simply not compatible. This goes back to last season, when Carlyle favoured minor-league journeyman Mike Kostka over Gardiner, and has carried over to this year with Gardiner receiving the fewest minutes of any defenceman.

For those reasons, teams are apparently connecting the dots and gauging Toronto’s interest in parting ways.

As long as the Leafs do nothing more than listen, they will be fine. But barring a ridiculous offer — say, if Brian Burke is willing to offer two first-round picks and a second-rounder — making a move at this point would be a mistake.

Again, Gardiner is only 23. He was part of the NHL’s all-rookie team in 2011-12, when he had seven goals and 30 points in 75 games. He will get better and his relationship with Carlyle will improve. He already is the best skater on Toronto’s defence and does things with the puck that cannot be taught. If he ever learns how to play in his defensive zone and reel in his high-risk tendencies — the way that Nazem Kadri was able to — there is no telling how good he can be.

More than that, the Leafs need him in the lineup these days. The team might have plenty of young defencemen in the system (Petter Granberg, Stuart Percy, Matt Finn) but they are not ready to jump in the lineup and take Gardiner’s minutes.

If Gardiner is gone, who replaces him? Morgan Rielly has played just one game; John-Michael Liles is buried in the minors for a reason; T.J. Brennan, just named the American Hockey League’s player of the week, has 40 NHL games under his belt.

Right now, Gardiner is the best option. And yet the Leafs must listen to offers, and they must decide on Gardiner’s future sometime this season.

He becomes a free agent July 1 — along with fellow defencemen Dion Phaneuf, Cody Franson, Mark Fraser and Paul Ranger — and the Leafs have to determine what they have with the former first-round pick. Can Gardiner grow into a top-four role? Can he take Phaneuf’s minutes if the team decides to part ways with the captain? Can he become someone Carlyle trusts?

If not, maybe he will get traded. But if it happens now, the team would likely regret it.



‘You can’t do that’: NHL referee admonishes Dallas Stars’ Shawn Horcoff, explains penalty in the most basic way possible

National Post Staff | Published: 08/10/13

If you’re an NHL referee, chances are you probably don’t want fans to know your name. Officials typically draw attention only for blown calls.

Mike Leggo, though, took an unusual route to Internet fame: He offered a gentle admonition and simple but unspecific explanation when announcing a penalty to Shawn Horcoff.

In Saturday night’s game between the Stars and Capitals, Leggo called a hooking penalty on Horcoff when the Dallas centre tried to stop Washington’s Jay Beagle from reaching the Stars’ net.

After the whistle, Leggo held up his hand and shook his head as if to dismiss the critics — the Dallas crowd was booing, but the broadcast commentary suggests Horcoff or another Stars player out of the frame was complaining at Leggo — and went to centre ice to announce the penalty.

“You can’t do that,” Leggo, who has worked as an NHL official since 1997, announced to the crowd. “Dallas penalty, No. 10. Two minutes for hooking.”

Video of the incident was posted on Deadspin and has drawn more than 690,000 views on YouTube.

The Stars won the game 2-1.



Former Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider prepares for return visit: ‘I learned a lot from Roberto’

John Korobanik, Canadian Press | 08/10/13 | Last Updated: 08/10/13 10:08 AM ET

EDMONTON — New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider doesn’t plan to get emotional about his return to Vancouver on Tuesday night when he’ll share the spotlight with former teammate Roberto Luongo.

Vancouver Canucks mired in on-the-job training of coach John Tortorella’s new system

“We’re there less than 24 hours. Gotta play a game, gotta win a game. I’m not going to get all nostalgic,” Schneider said Monday.

He’ll get the start against the Canucks since teammate Martin Brodeur was tabbed to start for New Jersey on Monday night against the Oilers.

Schneider took the Vancouver starting job from Luongo last season. When the Canucks found they couldn’t trade Luongo they turned around and sent Schneider to the Devils last June for the ninth pick in the 2013 draft.

Now the two will go head to head at Rogers Arena. While players usually like to insist it’s team versus team, Schneider admits he’ll be trying to outplay Luongo.

“Sure I am,” he said before Monday night’s game in Edmonton. “It’s not me versus him, but generally you want to be better than the other guy.”

Schneider posted a 17-9-4 record last season with five shutouts and a 2.11 goals-against average. He looked like the Canucks’ future goaltender while the team tried all season to trade the veteran Luongo.

“It’s something we were forced to deal with,” said Schneider, who dropped a 3-0 decision to Pittsburgh in his first game as a Devil. “It’s not that we wanted to or chose to, that’s just life playing hockey in Canadian cities.

“I hope that I’ve learned something from playing there. I do think it was a good experience growing up, kind of learning to play the game there.”

Now the 27-year-old Schneider is New Jersey’s goaltender of the future with the 41-year-old Brodeur once again toying with retirement.

“He’s our future. It could be as early as a who knows when. I won’t play forever,” said Brodeur, who added that while Schneider doesn’t plan to get nostalgic, it likely will be a difficult day in Vancouver.

“I can’t talk from experience, because I’ve never played against my old team. But, these are things in his career that are once in a lifetime. It’ll be an exciting day, hard day for sure. I think he’ll be alright.”

While it will be a quick visit for the Devils, there’s a good chance Schneider and Luongo will find time for a few words between friends.

“I learned a lot from Roberto, whether it was on the ice or off the ice,” Schneider said. “The way he dealt with some situations there that were fair or unfair, he put on a smile and did what was best for the team. And that’s not easy to do, especially for a guy who has accomplished as much as he has and has as much pride as he has.

“He always did as much as he could do to support me, to put the team first.”

And that, he added, is one of the reasons why he doesn’t plan to get emotional.

Schneider said he learned last year that players have to remind themselves there’s no sense in getting frustrated or angry about situations they have no control over. To do so will have a negative impact on how he plays and, by extension, will have a similar impact on the team.

“I’ve just learned, you have to do what’s best for the team, and prepare to play whenever you’re called upon,” he said. “I just don’t think you can be a selfish player in this league.”



Toronto Maple Leafs’ Dave Bolland and Mason Raymond, former rivals, find instant chemistry


TORONTO – For Dave Bolland, it is difficult to say what was more surprising: having Don Cherry compare you to Doug Gilmour on Hockey Night In Canada or finding instant chemistry with a player who was once a hated rival.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mason Raymond’s shootout goal prompts NHL to clarify spin-o-rama rule

Both are something that he never would have expected. Then again, everything about coming home and playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs — a team that the Mimico native grew up cheering for — has been “a little out there.” And yet, the transition has been seamless.

Bolland, who was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks six days after scoring the winning goal in the Stanley Cup final, has been every bit the two-way centre that the Leafs spent last season searching for. He has provided offence, with two goals and one assist. He has provided defence, killing penalties and shutting down the other team’s top line. And he has formed an unlikely relationship with former Canucks winger Mason Raymond, proving that rats and roadrunners can get along when they are wearing the same jersey.

“We’ve had some huge battles,” Bolland said of Raymond, who has two goals and two assists. “I’m probably the one who’s disliked in Vancouver over the past years, so with [Raymond] I think we’ve played pretty hard against each other.

“It’s different in hockey. One day you’re against each other and the next thing you know you’re sitting beside him in the room and you’re best friends and you’re on the same line.”

With David Clarkson serving a 10-game suspension and Nikolai Kulemin out for two weeks with an ankle injury, Bolland and the speedy Raymond have stepped up. In three games, they have combined for four goals and seven points and along with Joffrey Lupul have become a pseudo second line for the Leafs.

“We put them together in training camp and we had [Spencer] Abbott with them and I thought they were as good of a line as we had in training camp as far as what they were doing,” head coach Randy Carlyle said. “Not so much from an offence standpoint, but they had the puck and they knew where one another were on the ice and they made plays.

“So that was a stroke of luck, more than anything. Have we created a Bolland and Mason Raymond partnership, as we have with [Tyler] Bozak and [Phil] Kessel? Maybe. Maybe not.”

Whoever Bolland plays with this season, you can bet that Carlyle will get the most out of him. After all, he has already become Toronto’s Mr. Everything, a player who gets double-shifted when the Leafs are protecting a one-goal lead and who gets a top-six role when the offence is not clicking.

“I think his defensive game is something,” Clarkson said. “I think he does well in a lot of areas on the ice. I think him and Raymond have really found something together where they seem to be finding each other on the ice.”

Carlyle said Bolland was a player he noticed while coaching against him in Anaheim, because he was a pain-in-the-neck pest who regularly matched up against Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry but could also hurt you offensively. So when Leafs were thinking of trading for Bolland this summer, Carlyle immediately gave the green light.

“When he has the two Stanley Cups as part of his résumé, it’s pretty easy to say yes to the player,” Carlyle said. “And then you’re around him and you watch how professional he is and how hard he works … he doesn’t go to the back of the line. He goes to the front of the line.”

By doing that, Bolland has received more ice and more accolades. But whatever his role with the Leafs, he is not thinking of being the next Doug Gilmour or having his name dropped on Hockey Night In Canada. He just wants to help the team win like he did in Chicago.

“We had a lot of guys [in Chicago] who did their jobs and did the right things to win,” Bolland said. “Here it could be a different thing for myself … if it’s scoring, it’s scoring; If it’s playing against their top lines and shutting them down, then that’s it. Whatever happens on a given night, I’m going to try and help the team to win.”


720390 Washington Capitals

Capitals’ second line ‘still a work in progress’

By Katie Carrera, Published: October 8 at 4:14 pm]

During the preseason, Brooks Laich and Mikhail Grabovski would sit in their stalls after practice at the Capitals’ practice facility in Arlington and diagram plays with their fingers using a Gatorade bottle to represent the net.

The pantomime continues even now in the regular season as they discuss certain passes, reactions and reads along with winger Troy Brouwer, searching for a jump start. Through the first three games of the regular season, the second line of Laich, Grabovski and Brouwer has yet to create any offensive production as a unit.

Grabovski is the lone member of the line with points (3 goals, 2 assists), but two of his goals came on the power play and his only even-strength tally came without either of his linemates on the ice.

“I think it’s still a work in progress. We’ve had some chances, we’ve had spurts at times, but it hasn’t been a consistent, every-shift threat yet which is something that I think we can get to,” Laich said. “All three of us expect to produce. We don’t hope to, we expect to, and when it’s not going, we really want to work on it, try to find a way to figure it out and get it done.”

The slow start isn’t entirely unexpected, given that the trio has only played four games, including one preseason contest, together as a group. Grabovski arrived at training camp a week late after being delayed by visa issues and Laich was limited by a left hip flexor injury throughout the preseason as well. Those hangups prevented them from working regularly as a group until the regular season began on Oct. 1.

But Washington as a whole is searching for improvement at even strength, where it has been outscored 10-3, including an empty-net tally, and the absence of offense from the second line can’t be ignored.

“The three of us are responsible defensively, and it works out from there. As long as we’re not giving up chances against, I think the chances for will come,” Brouwer said. “I know Oatsey has a lot of faith in our line and we demand a lot out of ourselves, but we need to start scoring.”

When it comes to the second line, Coach Adam Oates isn’t overly concerned about the trio.

“Little stuck at times. It happens, and I’m really not worried about it at all,” Oates said. “I know what the guys can do; you’ve seen what they can do. We have a lot of guys that need to get a couple goals and relax. We need to keep in our rhythm.”

Part of the reason Oates isn’t about to hit reshuffle for the second line is because there are encouraging signs. He went so far as to dub them the best unit in Dallas, where they combined for seven shots on goal and had a few quality scoring chances, including one by Brouwer 10 feet out in the slot that went wide.

“We control, we move with the puck, we can go forward very quick,” Grabovski said. “We just need to fix little things, make us better — just control the puck more and help each other more.”

While they’re not putting points up yet, the second line also isn’t getting trapped in its own zone much either. Where they’re getting hung up is the neutral zone or in maintaining a cycle game once they cross the offensive blueline. The details that will help them maintain better puck possession and ensure proper support are the ones the players are confident will develop with time, the same ones they focus on after practice.

“We’re playing well, but it’s still going to take some time to get familiar with each other and know what the other guys’ tendencies are,” Brouwer said. “Like, if there’s a loose puck, we know to throw it behind the net and the guy’s going to be supporting us down the wall. Those are the things that require more puck possession and more touches, those will come.”

Washington Post LOADED: 10.09.2013


Alexander Urbom expected to make Capitals debut during homestand

By Katie Carrera, Published: October 8 at 1:15 pm

The Capitals picked up rangy defenseman Alexander Urbom off waivers from the New Jersey Devils last week, and after allowing the 22-year-old Swede some time to get to know the team’s system, Coach Adam Oates expects to get him some ice time during the upcoming five-game homestand.

“We didn’t throw him to the wolves in Dallas just because he just got here and I wanted to get Stevie [Oleksy] in the lineup, the other guys have played good hockey,” Oates said. “Now he has the chance to get four days of practice with the group and get more acclimated with the players.”

Urbom rotated through drills Tuesday and occasionally skated with John Carlson, but at this point it seems likely the Capitals would opt to ease him in to a regular season game on the third pairing. Urbom skates well for his size (6-feet-4, 215 pounds) and has the mobility that Oates consistently values on the blueline.

How well he fits in, and if he’s ready to spend any significant time in the NHL, remain to be determined. But he would certainly add a lot of size to the Capitals’ third pairing.

“I know Calle’s talking to him a lot and trying to get him as comfortable as we can so when he gets his chance he succeeds,” Oates said. “The minors in Jersey, they pretty much play the way the big club does so he’s seen a lot of the stuff we do. I know the way the Devils kind of work with their D so my understanding is he’s probably been taught well.”

>> Oates also said Michal Neuvirth will get a game during this homestand. “He played good, he came in did a great job for us,” Oates said. “We needed him.”



Nicklas Backstrom becomes a father; Capitals recall Michael Latta

By Katie Carrera, Published: October 8 at 10:43 am

Nicklas Backstrom’s girlfriend, Liza Berg, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a baby girl, early this morning. Both mother and baby are doing well, according to a team spokesman.

Skating in Backstrom’s place on the top line at practice is gritty center Michael Latta, recalled this morning from the Hershey Bears.

Latta made his NHL debut in the season opener at Chicago but was assigned to the Bears before he could make a second appearance after Washington picked up defenseman Alexander Urbom off waivers. He recorded a goal and an assist in Hershey’s season opener Saturday night, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Adirondack Phantoms.

“He did a good job and we wanted to show him we thought he did a good job,” Coach Adam Oates said. “So we had the opportunity, some practice time and brought him back.”

The Capitals made another roster move Tuesday, placing defenseman Jack Hillen, who is expected to miss four to six months after suffering a fractured left tibial plateau, on the long term injury list retroactive to Oct. 3. That gives the Capitals a little more wiggle room under the salary cap. While his $700,000 salary cap hit still counts against the team’s overall cap payroll, the Capitals can receive cap relief if it exceeds the $64.3 million salary cap while Hillen is on LTI. (Capgeek has a good breakdown of how this works.)

With the exception of Latta filling in on the first line, the forward lineup remains the same as it has been for the past several days and games.



Capitals have candidates for breakout year in Fehr, Brouwer, Johansson

By Mike Harris

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Adam Oates thinks his breakout year was his first with the St. Louis Blues. Or maybe it was his last with Detroit, the year before he got traded to the Blues.

Either way, they’re good choices. Oates had 16 goals and 62 assists in 1988-89, his last with the Red Wings. He had 23 goals and 79 assists the next season. The current coach of the Capitals established himself as a force in the league early in what became a Hall of Fame career.

It’s not all numbers. Oates had better seasons numbers-wise later, including 97 assists in 1992-93. That’s more assists in a season by anyone not named Orr, Lemeiux or Gretzky.

“Everybody is different in terms of how they value their game and what’s a successful game for them,” Oates said. “For me, I expected to get points. I felt like I needed minutes.”

No matter how you define them, every team needs a few players to have breakout years if it is to reach or exceed whatever expections it has. The Capitals, for example, know what they’re going to get from Alex Ovechkin. He has won three Most Valuable Player awards since 2007-08. But the Caps haven’t advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs with Ovechkin.

To burst through that ceiling, several Caps need to burst through theirs. Candidates are many. One on each of the top three forward lines stands out. All three agreed they haven’t reached their peak, that there is more in them than they’ve shown thus far — even though they’ve each shown a good bit.

Working from the third line up:

Eric Fehr, center, third line

Fehr, 28, had 21 goals and 18 assists in 2009-10. Yet he was the most emphatic that his best is ahead. He’s only had 21 goals and 19 assists total since then.

“In my mind, I haven’t” had a breakout year, Fehr said. “I think I’ve shown spurts of what I can do and what I think I can accomplish.”

But it won’t be all about points.

“I think it is just the way you feel on the ice, just feeling confident every game,” Fehr said. “I think there’s some games where you feel like the puck is following you around and you’re playing great and there’s some games when you’re not feeling it. Finding a way to be consistent and bringing your best game forward and helping the team in some other way is important.

“For me, moreso than points is just being consistent every night. That’s when I’ll see myself as a breakout player, when I’m able to be consistent every night. I’m feeling a lot more confident than I have in years past, feeling more confident with the puck. I think I can feel better yet.”

The Caps asked Fehr to move to center this year, a pleasant surprise and a switch he thinks he’s adjusting to well. As he gets used to the new spot, improvement should follow.

“I’m getting more comfortable, definitely,” Fehr said. “It is a lot tougher. As a winger, you’re kind of a robot out there. You know where you need to be right down to the square inch on the ice. As a centerman, you’re all over the place. You have to read and react. I think that’s the toughest adjustment for me, knowing which guys I have to take and which guys I have to get a body in front of, finding a way through the zone.”

“In my mind, I haven’t” had a breakout year, Fehr said. “I think I’ve shown spurts of what I can do and what I think I can accomplish.”

But it won’t be all about points.

“I think it is just the way you feel on the ice, just feeling confident every game,” Fehr said. “I think there’s some games where you feel like the puck

is following you around and you’re playing great and there’s some games when you’re not feeling it. Finding a way to be consistent and bringing your best game forward and helping the team in some other way is important.

“For me, moreso than points is just being consistent every night. That’s when I’ll see myself as a breakout player, when I’m able to be consistent every night. I’m feeling a lot more confident than I have in years past, feeling more confident with the puck. I think I can feel better yet.”

The Caps asked Fehr to move to center this year, a pleasant surprise and a switch he thinks he’s adjusting to well. As he gets used to the new spot, improvement should follow.

“I’m getting more comfortable, definitely,” Fehr said. “It is a lot tougher. As a winger, you’re kind of a robot out there. You know where you need to be right down to the square inch on the ice. As a centerman, you’re all over the place. You have to read and react. I think that’s the toughest adjustment for me, knowing which guys I have to take and which guys I have to get a body in front of, finding a way through the zone.”

Troy Brouwer, wing, second line

Brouwer is the only Cap who has won a Cup. He did it with Chicago in 2009-10, when he set a career high with 22 goals. He had 19 last season in the lockout-shortened campaign, so it was a better year statistically. It is not unthinkable for the 28-year-old to hit the 30-goal mark and he could also establish a career mark for assists (19 in 2010-11) playing on a potentially explosive line with wing Brooks Laich and center Mikhail Grabovski.

“Just coming off last season, points-per-game it was by far my best season and I think that’s not an unrealistic goal to believe that I could do it again,” Brouwer said. “I’ve scored 20 goals before, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise I was able to put up good numbers. It would have been good to see with a full season what the final numbers could be.”

Center Mike Ribeiro, who left via free agency in the offseason, told Brouwer last year not to give the puck back. The addition of Grabovski through free agency and the return of Laich from injury gives the Caps’ second line more shooters. Thus far, Grabovski is the only one with any points and most have come on the power play.

“I think I had a lot of opportunities last season to be able to handle the puck, be in good positions to get good shots off in scoring opportunities,” Brouwer said. “I’m trying to get myself in those situations this year. It has only been three games. I’m not worried about it yet. I do need to start contributing.”

Marcus Johansson, wing, first line

As a 21-year-old in 2011-12, Johansson had 14 goals and 32 assists. Breakout year? He says that’s not for him to judge.

“I just play the best I can,” he said. “If somebody calls it a breakout year or not, I don’t care about that.”

Playing on a line with one of the best in the game in Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom provides him with plenty of chances to pad the scoresheet. He had his first career three-point game (all assists) in the Caps’ home opener last Thursday.

“I want to get better every day,” Johansson said. “I’m 23 years old. I don’t think I’m as good as I can be.”

Washington Times LOADED: 10.09.2013

720394 Winnipeg Jets

WINNIPEG JETS

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/9/2013 1:00 AM

THURSDAY brings up the first Central Division game of the season for the Winnipeg Jets.

And as of Tuesday, it will pit the league's best faceoff team against one of its worst.

Through three games, the Jets were winning draws just a little more than 41 per cent of the time.

"We practise pretty much every day after morning skates," said Jets centre Jim Slater. "It's a big part of the game. They (Minnesota) do win a lot, they have four top guys. Especially (Miko) Koivu. The west is solid all the way down, pretty much all four guys on these teams.

"It's going to be a good challenge for us. It's going to be tough."

On Tuesday, Jets' practice was missing right-winger Chris Thorburn, who was a scratch on Sunday night against Anaheim.

Noel was very vague as to Thorburn's condition.

"Day to day with an injury that depends which way he's doing whatever," the coach said. "It could be lower body, mid-body, it depends."

This Thursday and Friday mark the season's first back-to-back games for Winnipeg, in Minnesota and at home to Dallas.

Could this lead to the first start of the season for backup goalie Al Montoya?

"That's a good question," the coach said. "You sleep last night? We'll just have to wait and see, but that's a good question."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 10.09.2013


Jets focus on starting games quicker

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/8/2013 1:11 PM

Having been a perfect three for three in being slow out of the gate early in this new NHL season, the Winnipeg Jets turned their attention today to some of the matters that could help them get going sooner.

Winnipeg has been outshot a collective 48-20 in the first period by the Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings and Anaheim Ducks, yet sport a 2-1 record after the first three games.

"If I knew that, we would fix it," Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec said after today’s practice at the MTS Iceplex. "I think you have to be focused right away, ready to play the game, be in the game, just be ready for that first faceoff.

"A hockey game is 60 minutes. We know we have to be ready. It’s just a few games. The last two games. I’m sure we’re going to be better. It’s not going to be like that every game but it is something we have to work on."

Pavelec said nobody is burying their head in the sand on this element so far.

"Everybody knows what to do," he said. "Everybody’s been in the league for a little bit. We know what it takes."

The team’s next chance to do better is Thursday night in St. Paul, Minn., against the Minnesota Wild.

Jets coach Claude Noel had some focus going today on areas of defensive responsibility in light of the underwhelming first periods so far.

"We all have to be responsible for that, not only the players," Noel said. "It’s a reflection of the room but not only that, a reflection of the preparation of the room and the coaches preparing the room and the head coach preparing the room. All of us. We all have to be accountable to that. It’ll change. We’ll get it squared around because it’s not going to go like this."

Right-winger Chris Thorburn missed today’s practice due to an injury but the team wouldn’t say what it was.



Big-game FEVER

By: Tim Campbell

Posted: 10/9/2013 1:00 AM

'We have to be ready'

THERE wasn't much resistance to the suggestion Tuesday that the Jets have done better than expected in their first three games -- a record of 2-1 -- considering how they have started out each night.

The Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings and Anaheim Ducks have collectively outshot them 47-20 in first periods so far.

"We all have to be responsible for that, not only the players," Jets coach Claude Noel said Tuesday. "It's a reflection of the room but not only that, a reflection of the preparation of the room and the coaches preparing the room and the head coach preparing the room.

"All of us. We all have to be accountable to that. It'll change. We'll get it squared around because it's not going to go like this."

Ondrej Pavelec, Winnipeg's No. 1 goalie, is largely responsible for keeping each of those games competitive while the team got engaged.

"We know we have to be ready," Pavelec said. "It's just a few games. The last two games. I'm sure we're going to be better. It's not going to be like that every game but it is something we have to work on."

Here comes the start of the main attraction of the 2013-14 NHL season for the Winnipeg Jets.

Thursday marks their first start inside the new Central Division with a game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., against the Minnesota Wild.

The Jets have 29 games against Central rivals this season and this one's the first of five against their closest geographical foe.

"The division games are important because you know in your division, the top three teams are getting a bye into the playoffs," Jets coach Claude Noel said after the team's practice Tuesday at the MTS Iceplex. "So after that it's just a battle. But they're always important; they're four-point games if you can get them clean."

With the move to the new division and also to the Western Conference, the Jets are finding out many things are not as they were when they resided in the Southeast Division and the Eastern Conference for the Atlanta years, and for two map-misfit years in the Manitoba capital.

One item showed itself strongly Friday night at the MTS Centre. Even though the Jets won the game 5-3, they found the Los Angeles Kings to be as stern an opponent as they've ever seen.

"We're finding there's a difference between the east and the west," Noel said. "We're finding it in the faceoff circle, for example, in talking to the players. They find it quite a bit different there. So these are some adjustments."

In their three games, though they've managed to win two of them, the Jets are barely 41 per cent in the faceoff circle.

Jets centre Jim Slater, who confirmed that difference on Tuesday, said it's pretty clear life is going to be a challenge in both the Central and the west.

"We know Minnesota's going to be one of those teams in the end that's going to be in the playoffs or fighting for a spot," Slater said. "We want to be a team like that, too, so to get wins against divisional opponents is crucial early in the year."

Slater thinks Thursday's affair will be the expected new style: tight.

"We're looking forward to getting this division thing started," he said. "I know we'll have Jets fans down there cheering us on. It's the start of something good, I believe."

And on the matter of cheering, Jets right-winger Devin Setoguchi was downplaying his return to the Xcel Energy Center, where he played two seasons for the Wild before being traded to the Jets last summer.

"Really, it's just another hockey game just played against some friends I know from last year," Setoguchi said. "But it's a big game for us as a group. You never want to lose back-to-back games. You've got to refocus and start over again.

"We're going into Minny with a good mentality, trying to get off to a better start, to play the game the way we can, do what we can control and not worry about them."

Setoguchi said he's expecting nothing unusual from fans on Thursday.

"I got traded out of there, so it's not like they should boo me or anything," he said. "Let's hope not. But who cares. They went a different direction; no hard feelings on both sides and I don't think I should be getting a bad reception."

The Taber, Alta., native said he's way more concerned about being on the winning side Thursday night.

"It's going to be a big game no matter what," he said. "We want to win; don't want to lose back-to-back games."



Winnipeg Jets aim to stop the big shots by shoring up defence

By Ted Wyman Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 08:04 PM CDT | Updated: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 10:33 PM CDT

stuart Jets defenceman Mark Stuart says good breakouts from their own zone will help them cut down on the number of shots and good scoring chances against.

It would seem the glaring shot differential that has jumped off Winnipeg Jets scoresheets like a giant red flag through the first three games is not that difficult to correct.

At least, if you ask Jets veteran defenceman Mark Stuart.

“It starts in our D-zone and we need to break the puck out cleaner,” Stuart said. “If we get out of our zone cleaner, we’re not going to spend as much time in there and we’re not going to give up as many shots. It’s a matter of that, it’s a matter of getting their cycle stopped right away, closing on people and having guys in position where we can move the puck up and get out of the zone.”

Simple, right?

So why have the Jets had so much trouble putting it into practice?

Through three games, two of which were wins, the Jets have been outshot 108-78. In the first period alone, they’ve been outshot 48-20. Few people would argue that, with those numbers, the Jets are fortunate to be 2-1, thanks in no small part to the performance of goalie Ondrej Pavelec.

Part of the blame lies with the fact the Jets are winning just 41.1% of their faceoffs. If you start without the puck most of the time, you are putting yourself in a tough position. Part of the problem lies with scrambly play in their own zone, perhaps a lack of patience on the part of the players.

“Of course you want to be more patient,” Stuart said. “Everybody wants to be Nik Lidstrom. But sometimes it’s a matter of not just throwing it up the wall to get rid of it and putting your trouble on somebody else. If you have to eat it, you eat and wait for help. It’s about finding the right people to give it to.”

That was where the focus lay for the Jets Tuesday as they practiced for the first time since Sunday’s 3-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. With a divisional road game coming up Thursday in Minnesota, the Jets want accomplish two major improvements in practice -- the shot differential and the way they start games.

“I don’t know if it’s a lack of focus or we’re just not ready to start the game but it seems like the last three games we’ve come out really slow and we’ve waited to see what the other team is going to do before we got going,” Jets centre Bryan Little said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been badly outshot and outchanced. We need to focus on coming out of the gates really hard.”

Surprisingly, the Jets have actually outscored their opponents 5-4 in the first period, but that is a statistical anomaly. The shot clock and the numbers of quality chances tell the real story, even though Jets coach Claude Noel said Tuesday shots are not always an indicator of a game’s overall flow.

“It’s more shots relating to scoring chances,” he said. “We concern ourselves with scoring chances and how we’re starting the game. It’s a topic that we’re trying to deal with and we realize what it is and we’re trying to get it fixed. It needs to change.”

Stuart, who is one of the Jets leading shot-blockers, said getting in the shooting lanes more is not part of the solution at this point.

“It’s more positionally, we need to be better in order to not give those shots up at all,” Stuart said. “You shouldn’t have to be trying to block everything. You should be taking away passing lanes, closing on people in the slot so that guy doesn’t have the opportunity to get a shot off.

“It’s kind of a fine line. Yeah, you want to block shots, but if you just depend on screening your goaltender and blocking shots all the time it’s not good.

You need to play positionally first, move the puck out well, to not give shots up at all before you want to start thinking about blocking.”

Jets centre Jim Slater said having two practices this week before the game in Minnesota could make a big difference.

“Playing from the inside out is a big thing for us,” Slater said. “We worked on it today in practice, I believe we’re going to work on it tomorrow and we’re going to keep working on it till we get better at it, which we have to.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 10.09.2013


Sports book likes Winnipeg Jets coach Claude Noel's odds of being fired

By Paul Friesen,Winnipeg Sun


Online sports book Bodog has updated its lines on which NHL head coach will be fired next, with Winnipeg Jets boss Claude Noel ranked fourth.

Noel has a 4-to-1 chance of being next to walk the plank, more secure only than Calgary’s Bob Hartley (2-to-1), Carolina’s Kirk Muller (5-to-2) and Mike Yeo of Minnesota (7-to-2).

This with the Jets winning two of their first three.

With the patient approach of GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and owner Mark Chipman, I’d say Noel’s team would have to fall right off a cliff for him not to make it through Year 3.

Then again, if he can’t start getting his players to buy into his defence-first approach, something he’s been working on for two-plus seasons, that cliff could be in view by Christmas.

What does Bodog know, anyway, you ask?

Their pre-season odds had Philly’s Peter Laviolette as the favourite to go first



Winnipeg Jets trying to draw up new plan for winning faceoffs

By Ted Wyman


Being the centre of attention isn't always a good thing.

Exhibit A: The centres on the Winnipeg Jets, who have collectively won 41.1% of their faceoffs this year.

Starting too often without the puck has contributed to the Jets getting outshot in each of their first three games and its an issue everyone wants to rectify quickly.

But don't pin the responsibility all on the players who take the draws.

"That’s a five-man job, not just the centres," Jets defenceman Mark Stuart said. "In this league, centres are so good, a lot of draws are basically ties and it’s the other players who help out their centres, those are the teams that are winning draws. It really is as a unit winning draws collectively."

While Stuart has the right of it, Jets centres Jim Slater (45.4%) Bryan Little (36.8%), Olli Jokinen (47.3%) and Mark Scheifele (31.6%) all want to do better.

"It’s one of those things where sometimes it takes a while to get back into it," Little said. "The last three games have been pretty difficult but I’ve been trying to work on it and get better at it. Switching conferences this year we’re seeing a lot of different guys so it takes a while to get used to other guys’ tendencies."

Jets coach Claude Noel says the faceoffs are a just part of the kinds of puck battles you have to win in every game to have success.

"It's a battle area," he said. "But it's not only the centre. It's a reflection of your team battles, your wingers and defence, everybody helps out."

Slater agreed that centres have to do a better job of tying up sticks and the other players on the ice need to do a better job of finding loose pucks.

"The thing I've found different about this year with the teams we've played is everyone's good at faceoffs all the way down, all four guys," Slater said. "We've got to get that mindset that it takes five guys to win the faceoff because other teams are doing it and we've got to be able to get those ones that are tied up."

THORBURN HURTING

Right-winger Chris Thorburn skated on his own while the rest of the team practiced Tuesday at the IcePlex in preparation for Thursday's game at Minnesota.

Noel gave an unusual answer when asked for an update on Thorburn, who was replaced by Anthony Peluso in the lineup on Sunday.

"He's day-to-day, with an injury that depends (on) which way he's doing whatever," Noel said. "It could be lower body, mid-body, depends."

Alright then.

HALISCHUK SIGHTING

Forward Matt Halischuk, who has been a healthy scratch for three games, skated in a rotation with Peluso and James Wright on the fourth line alongside Slater on Tuesday.

Halischuk says he is patiently waiting for his opportunity to get in the lineup and show what he can do.

"It's kind of out of my hands," Halischuk said. "I just try to work hard in practice and stay as ready as possible. I've got to be ready to go when I get a chance to go in."

When asked if he'd like to get Halischuk, signed as a free agent in the off-season, into the lineup soon, Noel said: "I would."

Noel refused to say if backup goaltender Al Montoya would start Thursday in Minnesota or Friday at home against Dallas, but there's a good chance that will happen in one of the back-to-back games.



Wild fandom: Jets diehards converge on Minnesota

By Doug Lunney,Winnipeg Sun

First posted: Tuesday, October 08, 2013 05:17 PM CDT

A group of Winnipeg hockey fans, including several who can't get their hands on tickets to NHL games at MTS Centre, are travelling to Minneapolis to see the Jets visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 10/13. Here they gather in the "mancave" of Bobby A group of Winnipeg hockey fans, including several who can't get their hands on tickets to NHL games at MTS Centre, are travelling to Minneapolis to see the Jets visit the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 10/13. Here they gather in the "mancave" of Bobby St. Laurent to discuss their travel plans.

Dave Kaye remembers buying cheap Winnipeg Jets tickets at Safeway and 7-Eleven in the 1980s and '90s.

That was long before the Jets were the hottest ticket in town.

Kaye has only missed seven home games since the Jets returned in 2011, but it's not always easy.

"I'm always on Ticketmaster and I'm on the waiting list," Kaye said. "I'm part of a group where I get a few games a year."

That's not enough for diehard fans like Kaye. He's part of a group of 16 headed to St. Paul, Minn., to see the Jets play the Wild on Thursday.

"Because there was so many of us going, we were able to purchase them before the public," said Kaye, who received a group-rate discount when he bought the Wild tickets in August.

It's estimated 4,000 Winnipeg fans watched the Jets play the Wild at Xcel Energy Centre in the 2011-12 NHL season, and Kaye was one of them. He and other Jet fans took over a sports bar across the street from the arena before and after the game.

"We were doing the Go Jets Go chant and also singing O Canada in the middle of the bar," Kaye said. "If you walked into the bar with a Jets jersey on everybody would cheer. If you walked in with a Wild jersey on you got booed.

"At the arena it was the same thing. It was almost like a home game."

Bob St. Laurent, another member of the group, will be met at the game by his friend from Minnesota, who will wear his Atlanta Thrashers jersey (seriously, someone actually purchased a Thrasher jersey).

"He's going to bring a sign saying 'These guys stole my team!'" said St. Laurent, who will fly to California with his kids next spring break to see the Jets play the Ducks and the Kings.

The plan is for the group to hit Minnesota for one Jet game each season, which they can't do together at MTS Centre, Kaye said.

"This way we can have 16 of us sitting together," Kaye said.

The group will leave Minnesota on Friday, but the fun won't stop there. Friday night they'll invade a Buffalo Wild Wings bar and grill in Fargo, N.D., to watch the Jets host the Dallas Stars on TV.

"With it being the long weekend, there will be a lot of Winnipeggers in Fargo," St. Laurent said.

LOVE MY CALENDAR DOG

Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue has launched two calendars that will be great Christmas stocking stuffers for the animal lovers on your list.

They were both professionally photographed with dogs they've rescued and adopted out. "Famous Puppy Litters" and "Mutts and Men" are each $10 and can be ordered off MMDR's website (manitobamutts.org).

They can also be purchased at Pet Valu locations (35 Lakewood Blvd., 963 Henderson Hwy., 134 Taylor Ave., and 2136 McPhillips St.) and other locations listed on their website.

One of the lovable beasts featured in the Mutts and Men calendar is Bijou, the mastiff my family adopted last January. She was photographed along with her adorable sister, Bentley.

When the photographers told me they were short a couple of male models, I suggested two good guys I know from the local wrestling community, Jeff Wallace (a.k.a. Shane Madison) and Danny Warren (a.k.a. Danny Duggan), who were quick to donate their time.

The photographers had no problem making the dogs behave, but it got a little crazy when Madison and Duggan threatened to hit each other with a chair over who had bigger biceps.



Wake-up call for Jets


Staff

The shot clock has not been the Winnipeg Jets' friend through the first three games of the NHL season.

Outshot 108-78 overall and 48-20 in the first period, the Jets went to practice at the IcePlex Wednesday with a focus on cutting that number, and the number of quality scoring chances, way down.

The Jets are 2-1 on the season but have been outshot and outchanced in every game. They hope to change that trend when they head to Minnesota for a game against the Wild on Thursday.

“It starts in our D-zone and we need to break the puck out cleaner,” Jets veteran defenceman Mark Stuart said. “If we get out of our zone cleaner, we’re not going to spend as much time in there and we’re not going to give up as many shots. It’s a matter of that, it’s a matter of getting their cycled stopped right away, closing on people and having guys in position where we can move the puck up and get out of the zone.”

The Jets had a long, spirited practice session Tuesday with an aim to not only shore up defensively in the coming games, but also to come out of the gates more quickly.

“I don’t know if it’s a lack of focus or we’re just not ready to start the game but it seems like the last three games we’ve come out really slow and we’ve waited to see what the other team is going to do before we got going,” Jets centre Bryan Little said. “That’s one of the reasons we’ve been badly outshot and outchanced. We need to focus on coming out of the gates really hard.”

The Jets suffered their first loss of the season Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks at home and play six straight home games after the trip to Minnesota.

The players know they have a good chance to have a winning record in the first 10 games of the season if they can fix some of the problems that have hurt them early.

“Part of it is being engaged in the game right away,” Stuart said. “Part of it is not trying to ease your way in. You’ve got to go into the game with confidence that you are going to play well and you’re going to win. If you try to ease into it, maybe wait to see what the other team is going to do first, you get into trouble. We’ve been trying to ease into these games and you can’t do that.”

Jets right winger Chris Thorburn skated on his own Tuesday while the rest of the team was practicing. Matt Halischuk, who has been a healthy scratch so far this season, skated in a rotation on the fourth line with James Wright and Anthony Peluso alongside centre Jim Slater.

Jets coach Claude Noel said Thorburn is day-to-day with an injury. He described it as “Lower-body, mid-body. Depends.”

Slater said the Jets simply need to be more patient in their own zone in order to turn things around defensively.

“Good, clean, five-man group breakouts, not leaving a guy out by himself where he can turn the puck over,” Slater said. “Playing from the inside out is a big thing for us. We worked on it today in practice, I believe we’re going to work on it tomorrow and we’re going to keep working on it till we get better at it, which we have to.”


720402 Vancouver Canucks

Mike Santorelli: the best Canuck story going

October 8, 2013. 10:36 pm •

Staff

Most of us never gave Mike Santorelli a chance and, really, you couldn’t blame us.

Signed as a free agent by the Vancouver Canucks on July 6, Santorelli was an underwhelming line on the National Hockey League transaction wire.

Sure, it was nice of the Canucks to sign a kid from Vancouver, although at 27 Santorelli was really no longer a kid in professional hockey. He played on four teams last season, finally dumped on waivers by the Florida Panthers to the Winnipeg Jets. He had one assist in 10 games for the Jets, then became a free agent.

It was only three years ago that Santorelli poured in 20 goals and 41 points for the Panthers. But he’d had only 11 goals and 15 points since then. Santorelli signed a two-way contract with the Canucks, and his NHL salary of $550,000 was barely one-third of the $1.6-million he earned each of the two years after his big season in South Florida.

He was a cheap, low-risk investment for Vancouver.

Santorelli was signed for depth, to give the Canucks’ farm team in Utica, NY, a skilled, experienced, one-time NHL scorer. He got none of the summer hype that surrounded June draft picks Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk.

And if one or both of those new, shiny baubles failed to make the Canucks this fall, well there were still other first-rounders Nicklas Jensen and Brendan Gaunce in line ahead of Santorelli. Plus Jordan Schroeder, plus real NHL free agent Brad Richardson.

Like we said, Santorelli never had a chance. Except for the one new coach John Tortorella gave him.

Santorelli was the only Canuck to finish ahead of Daniel and Henrik Sedin during Tortorella’s 12-minute run on the second day of training camp. That got the coach’s attention, since few people test better than the twins at anything.

Santorelli, who lives in Kitsilano, explained later than he enjoys running, that it helps clear his head. Let’s assume there was some stuff to clear after last season.

“I remember him from Florida,” Tortorella said Tuesday morning. “You could see there was something. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go, but it’s a pretty good story for a guy coming to a pretty good team and simply saying: ‘I’m going to make this club.’ By his actions. He doesn’t say boo. I don’t think I’ve said one word to him. He just goes out and plays.”

And that’s what Santorelli did Tuesday. With Horvat and Gaunce back in junior, Jensen assigned to Utica and Schroeder injured, Santorelli started on the Canucks’ third line against the New Jersey Devils.

By the middle of the second period he had been promoted to the first line with his running-mates, the Sedins, and it was about then that the Canucks woke from their stupor and surged back from an 0-2 deficit.

By overtime, Santorelli was on the ice with his old Florida buddy, David Booth, and charging the net when Jason Garrison’s point shot ticked Santorelli and went in for a 3-2 Canuck victory.

At press time, the goal was still credited to Garrison and don’t expect Santorelli to lobby for it.

As Tortorella said, the kid doesn’t say boo.

Only two nights earlier, Santorelli got the goal and the glory in overtime as the Canucks beat the Calgary Flames 5-4.

Even Tortorella didn’t envision this.

“This Santorelli, we talk about him every day,” the coach said. “To win consistently in the league, your top players need to be top players. But you need help.”

Santorelli was plus-three on Tuesday. Unofficially, he has already exceeded in four games the two goals he tallied in 34 NHL games last season.

“Forget about the goals; there are a lot of other little things he does in the game,” Tortorella continued. “I’m looking up and down the bench in all situations for him. So it’s a really good story.”

We’ll be the judge of that, coach, but yes Santorelli is a great story.

He has been given the chance to resurrect his career, and through one training camp and one week of the regular season, Santorelli has taken it.

“You can’t relax,” he said before the game. “This league is the best league in the world and everyone is so good that you have to bring it every night. I just wanted to come out and work hard and whatever I’m given, I’m given. That’s still my mentality – to keep getting better each day.”

Booth said: “He’s just a guy who works hard and really cares about the game. I don’t want to say it’s a fault, but he really, really cares about the game. I’ve met very few people as dedicated as him; he really wants to succeed. He’ll come tomorrow and work just as hard as he did yesterday.

“The thing that helps him here is this locker room and how positive guys are. When he has that support and guys are encouraging him, he’s such a tremendous player. He has done this before.”

But Santorelli can’t remember when he last scored an overtime winner before coming to the Canucks. He was glowing after the game, almost in disbelief that he played with the Sedins, world-class players who won consecutive NHL scoring titles.

“It was pretty crazy,” he smiled. “Those are two unbelievable players. It was pretty exciting, and I can learn a lot from them as well.”

Asked about his unofficial goal Tuesday, Santorelli hardly said boo.

“I don’t know – you just go to the net and never know what will happen,” he said.

You never know.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Canucks to celebrate 25th million customer Thursday

October 8, 2013. 3:44 pm • Section: Puckworld

elliottpap

The Canucks are planning to make a big deal Thursday out of the 25th million customer to swing through their turnstiles at Rogers Arena. The building, originally known as General Motors Place, opened Sept. 19, 1995 with a Bryan Adams concert. But it will be at a hockey game – San Jose Sharks at the Canucks – where the 25th million customer will be selected and honoured with Canuck season tickets as well as tickets to a year’s worth of Live Nation concerts. According to a release from the team, there will be other giveaways and surprises for those attending Thursday’s game.

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Gallagher: Canucks eke out win against Devils despite depleted lineup

By Tony Gallagher, The Province October 9, 2013 12:00 AM

In a little informal chat before the game, New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was saying he actually prefers back-to-back games rather than a day in between games, feeling his players are definitely focused and they make sure to take especially good care of themselves in those situations.

That’s a good thing because the Devils have 22 back-to-backs this year that would bury a team in the Western Conference but may be survivable when you’re as close to as many teams as New Jersey is back East.

But doing it out here with some of the prehistoric players he has in his lineup is a different story as the Vancouver Canucks demonstrated Tuesday night.

Despite the fact that Cory Schneider was very solid, Lamoriello’s Devils remained winless and the Canucks demonstrated that while they don’t seem to have enough forwards going these days and certainly didn’t have many playing their best once again, they’re at least smart enough to capitalize on the schedule when it’s in their favour and outlast a tired visitor.

While this team really misses Alex Burrows desperately, and if truth be told Zack Kassian as well, they found enough bodies up front playing decent enough to grind out an ugly win over another uninspired team, the Rogers Arena faithful watching a tilt that seemed to have the look of a pre-season affair without tough guys trying to make a team most of the time.

Nobody hit anyone, nobody showed much emotion and while it was workmanlike in an very NHL way and eventually a tough win, the best Vancouver players were the three Swedes, led by Alex Edler.

“There’s a lot there that I think is untouched and I think he’s going to continue to grow,” said coach John Tortorella of Edler after saying he appeared to tire in the third period, which resulted in him icing the puck ‘15’ times.

Edler made a glaring error in the first period when he skated himself out of position and caused an outstanding Jersey scoring chance on the rush, but unlike in the past when such an error would send him into a tailspin, he recovered and played a very solid, aggressive game.

“That’s what the game is about, it’s not what you’ve just done, it’s about your next shift,” said Edler, "and that’s what I tried to do tonight and it seemed to work out."

The Sedins were effective on most of their shifts despite the fact they were split up briefly late in the first period, and it would be unfair to Mike Santorelli not to give him a mention as in the absence of decent showings from the likes of Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins, he earned himself lots of ice time.

“He’s done it before, playing good wherever he plays,” said David Booth of Santorelli. “He’s one of those guys who when he’s given a chance he runs with it and he’s one of the most humble guys I know. I think that’s why he doesn’t say much.”

In fact he has three stock answers no matter what the question happens to be, although the team just hopes he keeps playing the way he is because they’re grasping up front despite the fact they’ve scored enough for a 3-1 record.

Then again, when a team seems to be indiscriminately grabbing players off waivers and making trades involving waiver-wire-quality players, this shouldn’t be terribly surprising.

Unless the lineup gets a little more settled, the bleep will be hitting the fan when the seven-game road trip starts, but at least by then, Kassian will return and Burrows won’t be far off.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 10.09.2013


Canucks 3 Devils 2 (OT): Goalie battle becomes Sedin show in Vancouver

By Jason Botchford, The Province October 8, 2013 11:04 PM

When you manage to overshadow Roberto Luongo versus Cory Schneider in this town, you’re doing something right.

What began as one of the season’s most anticipated duels between two old friends turned into another episode of the Sedin Show.

Luongo made some big saves, but it was the twins who had to carry the mail, driving the Vancouver Canucks uphill with three points in a 3-2 come-from-two-goals-down overtime win.

Jason Garrison played the hero, scoring his third of the season, which whizzed by Schneider 2:18 into the extra period.

But it was the Sedins who got them there.

Really, who else was going to bail out Vancouver after a fluke Patrik Elias goal in the second put the Canucks down two goals for the second consecutive game?

There is no fourth line. At least, not one that actually takes regular shifts. The third is in a constant flux. And, other than Saturday’s win against Edmonton, Ryan Kesler playing has been a rumour.

It’s been on the Sedins to go to work, and they’ve done it so far in a way people haven’t seen since the 2010-11 regular season.

Daniel Sedin now has six points in four games, and 16 shots — all of those in the past three. And Henrik has been better.

“Guys on the bench have just been watching, looking at each other, because when they’re at their best it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” David Booth said. “It never gets old. I know it’s corny to say, but it does inspire guys.

“It’s like, ‘Man, we gotta get going. Build on that momentum.’ They can change a game in a shift.”

In three of four games, they’ve managed to do that.

The linemates haven’t mattered. They’ve cycled through Jannik Hansen, Mike Santorelli, David Booth, and, way back on opening night, Alex Burrows. Being separated hasn’t stopped them. Neither has killing penalties.

There was a lot of speculation about who John Tortorella’s arrival would impact the most. The easy choice was Kesler, whose edge and emotion seemed either a good fit with Tortorella, or a pending disaster.

But Kesler’s had one great game, and been a non-factor the rest.

The Sedins, meanwhile, have been unrelenting and desperate to prove they can be complete players.

“I think it’s good (Tortorella) keeps mixing things up; sometimes you need a spark and you realize (what you’re doing) is not good enough,” Daniel said. “You get a change like that and you get, I don’t know, a new energy.

“The new options does a lot for you.”

Elias had scored 7:23 into the second on a bizarre sequence in which the puck first deflected off an official’s skate in the corner, redirecting by Dan Hamhuis to the front of the net. Elias tried a pass but the puck caught Dale Weise’s skate and slid under Luongo.

It put Schneider and the Devils up 2-0 and in total control.

Schneider had got a standing ovation to start the game, to mark his return here. It was sweet, warm and appropriate.

Not only was he a good, professional teammate, given all the issues he was forced to deal with, he was a great friend to Luongo, and his best advocate.

Over the years, it was marvellous to watch, and so was the ovation. But the fans let Schneider know they have moved on late in the second as they serenaded him with a derisive “Schneider” chant.

Less than two minutes after the Elias goal, the Sedins got their break. A Daniel Sedin wrist shot deflected off Anton Volchenkov and edged by Schneider’s sprawled out left toe.

The Sedins carried the momentum into a series of dominating shifts. The one that tied it started with Henrik winning a defensive-zone faceoff, on a line with Chris Higgins and David Booth.

Daniel Sedin replaced Higgins on a change, and Alex Edler blasted a shot off of Ryane Clowe.

Watching Clowe try to limp off the ice was like watching Ketchup. The Sedins pounced on the opportunity. Daniel set Edler up with a beauty pass that cut through the offensive zone, which opened up because Clowe just couldn’t get off.

Edler took the pass and went short-side, high on Schneider and tied the game 2-2.



Goalie Confidential never came between Luongo, Schneider

By Ed Willes, The Province October 8, 2013

When Goalie Confidential was at its height, and it was serving up gold to the media on a daily basis, it was easy to miss the better story at the core of the soap opera.

Who starts next? Who stays? Who goes? What do the Canucks get in return? Those questions were infinitely more interesting and made for far sexier copy than the relationship between Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider.

But now that it’s over — even though it isn’t really over — there’s one thing we all missed, and it took Luongo, speaking from his heart before Tuesday night’s game with the Devils, to remind everyone of what’s important to him about facing Schneider.

“I’m just looking forward to playing against my friend,” Luongo said. “That’s what it’s all about for me tonight. I want to win. I want to play a good game. And I want to enjoy being at the other end of the ice from Cory, just like every day we had at practice here.”

But this wasn’t just like every day they had in practice. Not by a long shot.

“It was a situation we handled between me and him,” Luongo said. “We leaned on each other for support, and it wasn’t an easy situation for both us. We made the best of it. The good thing about it was, no matter who was playing, there’s wasn’t any friction there at all.”

And when you think about it, there’s something very admirable in that.

The story that kept on giving served up another course to the media on Tuesday when Schneider, the former franchise goalie to be, arrived in town with the New Jersey Devils after an off-season trade that brought some level of closure to the Canucks’ complicated crease situation.

We need not revisit it all again in detail. Suffice to say that, for the better part of two seasons, Luongo and Schneider battled fiercely for the Canucks net, and in so doing, created a teleplay that became appointment viewing for the hockey world.

It ended with Schneider’s shocking trade to New Jersey at this summer’s draft. For fans and the media, it was fascinating. For the Canucks, it was tiring and distracting. But, through it all, Luongo and Schneider maintained an unshakeable friendship; one that survived amid the turmoil and pressure of a situation that wasn’t of their making.

A different reaction could have torn this team apart. Instead, both men worked together and that wasn’t lost on anyone in the Canucks’ room.

“The team could deal with it,” Kevin Bieksa said. “You just felt sorry for those two guys. If Roberto wasn’t playing, he’d come in and all the cameras would in be his face. Or if Cory wasn’t playing, he’d come in and have to answer all the questions about why he’s not playing.

“That was tough to watch. It’s tough when you see teammates going through something like that. You want to do something, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing you can do.”

Henrik Sedin was asked if he was surprised Luongo and Schneider handled things as well as they did.

“Not if you know them,” said the Canucks’ captain. “They’re great teammates and they’re both class acts. For us it was never a big deal. We were never worried about them not getting along.”

Luongo, in fact, said it wasn’t an issue from Day 1.

“I like to be friends with my backup,” he said. “You know right away the guys who are a bit more selfish and rooting for you to fail. But Cory wasn’t like that. That’s why it was so easy to become friends with him. Instead of going against each other, we’d push each other to help this team win games.”

The Canucks’ keeper was asked if this was the last chapter in the story.

“I wish it was, but I have a feeling it’s not,” he said.

But Schneider’s role in this story has concluded, and, on this day, it felt like something was begin laid to rest. The friendship will go on. All the stuff around that friendship has ended. Finally.



Canucks want Booth to be more sports specific with his training methods

October 8, 2013. 12:55 pm •

Ben Kuzma

David Booth had not beat a goalie for an actual goal since April 7, 2012 — he did have an empty-netter on March 14 against Nashville — and the winger finally did what he does best Sunday in Calgary. Booth got to the net, got his stick on the puck and deflected it home during a 5-4 overtime win over the Flames.

If Booth can maintain that focus and his health, the Vancouver Canucks may get more of that vital secondary scoring tonight against the New Jersey Devils.

“That was exactly how my first NHL goal was scored,” recalled Booth. “It was in Calgary. Right in front of the net and it actually went off my butt. It’s been a long time and it’s a learning process for me to get back in that game shape with reactions and speed. There are positives and I can only get better. I haven’t played to my full potential yet and I’m starting to read a little bit more and get into plays. There are times I look back and certain things I need to do.”

Booth had ankle surgery in March and screws were needed to re-attach his fibula and tibia and keep them in place. All that after suffering a groin injury in an initial training-camp skating test a year ago that cost him the first 14 games of the lockout season. He then played just a dozen games and an offseason regimen that includes hiking in the wilds and hunting wild game — to go with his legendary gym workouts — have the Canucks concerned about his preparation being sports specific. You can label it different.

“Different isn’t the word — I don’t know what it is with him,” said Canucks coach John Tortorella. “We do no testing on bikes and the old VO2 test. The training needs to be more specific and David likes to work out. We just hope and there have been conversations to understand your body and understand where the most important time is — and that’s game time — and act accordingly. He’s a pro and a really good player and I know there’s a history with his injuries and I think we’re working through that.”

In previous years, Booth was spotted running laps in arenas and said his offseason the regular-season training had never been addressed as a problem earlier in his career.

“It’s funny,” he said. “I’ve never really heard those type of things until I got here. I know my body really well and I know what makes me feel good and gets me ready for the game. Everybody is different and to pinpoint the correct way, it’s like the right curve or flex to use on your stick or the right skates. I understand to be game ready and my preparation gets me ready.”

Tortorella’s system helps. It seems well suited for his game that’s wired to get off the wall and get to the net.

“It’s just go and mistakes are by being too aggressive, rather than being in the right position and nothing happens,” said Booth. “You don’t run around out there, but we’re not passive and it suits my kind of game.”

Maybe Tortorella put it best about Booth being a crease presence.

“You look at his core and his body — he’s a man that needs to be there and he’s doing a pretty good job,” he said. “It’s hard for him right now without the camp of trying to get the pace. His game is coming and he’s a very important guy for us.”



Game Day Torts: Media warning, warming up to Santorelli, no Hamhuis worry

October 8, 2013. 12:10 pm •

Ben Kuzma

If the Vancouver Canucks are as ready as the media was supposed to be, then expect a sharp start against the New Jersey Devils tonight at Rogers Arena — certainly a better awareness than lackadaisical reporters when John Tortorella took to the podium at the exact appointed time of 10:25 a.m. for his game-day address.

“I’m not going to wait — if you’re not here I’m going to walk,” warned Tortorella. “I’ve got a lot of things to do.”

With a 2-1-0 record, the emphasis for the Canucks — who are tied for the league lead in goals with 12 and third in blocked shots with 51 — is pushing the pace and outmanning the opposition on the forecheck. As for that goaltending showdown between former crease mates Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider?

“That’s for you guys,” said Tortorella. “These are the Devils and he [Schneider] happens to be the goalie. We want to beat them.”

Tortorella has beat his system of aggressiveness and zone defence into his players with mixed results. On Sunday in a 5-4 overtime win in Calgary, the good news was secondary scoring from Mike Santorelli, David Booth, Jannik Hansen and Dale Weise.

“Santorelli. We talk about him every day, and he did more than score a couple of goals,” added Tortorella. “It can’t be the Sedins. Henrik and Daniel struggled through most of the game and made some big plays in the third period, and some other guys picked them up. To win consistently, top players need to be top players, but they need some help.”

The bad news in Calgary was some ongoing early struggles by Dan Hamhuis, who was split from Kevin Bieksa and aligned with Alex Edler, while Bieksa joined Jason Garrison. Hamhuis logged just 17:07 against the Flames, down four minutes from his game average.

“I don’t think it’s the system,” said Tortorella. “Danny played better in the second half of that game. It’s been a little bit of a struggle early, but we know what he is. He’ll get back there. I don’t think he and Kevin were playing that well together and it helped both of them when we split them up.

“The best thing that came out of that game was when we’re dead in the water after 40 minutes, that we found a way to play a good period and win that game. There are a number of times in this schedule that it [17 back-to-game games] is up against us. It’s how you handle the situations. In our first whack, we were successful in changing our mindset and not giving in. That was the most important thing.”

The early goal spree has been a league-wide story, but also an emerging one in Vancouver with Tortorella willing to split the Sedins to spark the offence. The power play needs to be more effective than scoring twice on 13 chances, but the 14-for-14 penalty kill is pleasing. As for those dozen goals heading into the clash with the 0-1-2 Devils?

“I don’t pay attention to that,” stressed Tortorella. “Talk to me at game 60 or 65. You watch this team [Devils] defend and there’s not much in the middle of the ice or a lot of lateral plays made when you enter the zone. We need to look north-south and put some pucks on the goal and see if some things happen from there. Sometimes we’re looking for the next play — the best play is to shoot the puck.”



Canucks Hat Trick: Classy Cory returns, fronting what should be a tired Devils lineup

October 8, 2013. 8:27 am •

Tony Gallagher

It’s another game day and what coach, teammate or fan doesn’t hope for a hat trick. Here we grant you your wish, discussing three issues around the Vancouver Canucks ahead of their game against the New Jersey Devils Tuesday night …

1. Everyone knows both Cory Schneider and Roberto Luongo are class acts but the quality of Schneider as a person really shone through on Sunday in Alberta, when discussing his time in Vancouver. It’s not that he simply doesn’t bear any kind of grudge for what amounted to the team misleading him, when all was said and done, in that they led him to believe Luongo would be traded and he would be the starter here. He knows why he’s not holding one. “We never discounted the possibility (of getting moved from Vancouver). … It’s part of the game, guys get traded, so you’re not going to get very far being upset by things, you accept it,” he told reporters in Edmonton. “They were very good to me while I was there, they treated me very well and I owe a lot of where my career is at to that organization. But I’m part of (the New Jersey Devils) organization now so I’m more focused on succeeding here than I am about Vancouver. I’ve learned never to get frustrated, to get upset. It’s counter-productive. There had to be a resolution one way or another in Vancouver, and this is it.” And about Luongo? Schneider says there aren’t many guys around the league you openly root for but Lui is one of them and that while they don’t talk “every day,” Schneider still “keeps tabs on him” and wishes him nothing but the best. That’s Cory, all right.

2. We’re not sure how long it will last but the Canucks getting offence from someone other than Ryan Kesler and the Sedins is certainly a little trend this team would like to continue as the season wears on. Two goals from Mike Santorelli isn’t going to happen every night, that’s for sure, and neither is consistent offence from Brad Richardson. BUt when they can chip in a little something — even if it’s just against teams like Calgary, and their ilk — it’s got to be an unexpected bonus. Now the juggled lines may have had something to do with it, but more likely it’s the new, pressuring style on the forecheck which has this team off to such a solid offensive start, with 11 goals in the past two games. Could it be that playing the same way for so long under Alain Vigneault is now resulting in them catching some teams a bit by surprise, particularly those they played so often in the old Northwest Division? Perhaps. That level of production is not likely to continue and coach John Tortorella should know that while Henrik has produced when on a line by himself in the past, when Daniel has been injured, splitting the twins up has never worked before when both were healthy. Sunday night was a first.

3. One of the most discussed team stats with any NHL team this year will be how they do on their back-to-back games. And given the Canucks are a little older than some of the other teams in the league, it’s going to be watched even more closely here. But there’s another consideration in this mix as well, and that’s going to be how a team does when having the luxury of facing a team on the second game of their back-to-back, as the Canucks have tonight with the Devils. (The Oilers stormed back with four third-period goals to beat New Jersey and Marty Brodeur Monday night.) As the coaching staff will no doubt point out, these are the games you absolutely must win at home, when you have the physical advantage, and points that slip away under these conditions are going to be sorely missed, and moaned about, at the end of the season. Certainly the Canucks are facing an outstanding goalie in Schneider tonight and that story is clearly at the heart of the game, to command all the attention. And the Canucks know that Schneider would like nothing more than to come in and backstop a tired team against the Canucks’ new pressuring style. So while there will be lots of nights when the Canucks will sleepwalk through games, as they did Sunday night, tonight should not be one of them.

Jason Botchford will be here at the White Towel Wednesday morning with a post-Canucks-Devils Hat Trick.



Van Provies: Why jeering Schneider was BS, who loves Torts the most and AV fallout

October 9, 2013. 12:06 am •

Jason Botchford

Best news

At least we know that Zack Kassian will play with the twins. Everyone does.

Best question

Should Steve Bernier shots count as saves?

Best schizophrenia

Thoroughly enjoyed the standing ovation for Cory Schneider. It was sweet and and it was right.

I could have done without the sneering “Schneider” chant after the Canucks came back to tie it.

Consider that what Schneider wanted most was to be the starter in Vancouver.

Consider all the shit he had to deal with because the team he wanted to play for was incapable of making a decision on which goalie it really wanted.

Consider the Canucks told him he was their No. 1 guy. Then traded him to a team where he can’t be a No. 1 guy.

Consider he’s 27, one of the most talented goalies in the NHL and he’s still not a starter. Consider he was a great ambassador not only for Vancouver, but for Luongo, who he defended more eloquently and vigorously than anyone else ever did.

Consider, he always said the right thing, never complained, and put on a clinic in professionalism athletes should be forced to study before signing their first pro contract.

@botchford don't forget he a class act! Stayed after the loss to sign an autograph, chat with my son and snap a pic: http://t.co/B2dNuElBmR—

Dantastic (@dantastick) October 09, 2013

When the game was over tonight Schneider said this on the jeers:

“I like to think it came from a place of love. But probably not.”

There should be no ambiguity. There should be nothing but love for Schneider in Vancouver. And it should be this way always.

Best pattern

Who had the Sedin twins as the players who would be most enamoured with John Tortorella?

We’ve heard how they love killing penalties. We heard how they love the forechecking with a lead.

And after Tuesday, we find out they can’t get enough of his constant line changing.

“I think it’s good he keeps mixing things up; sometimes you need a spark and you realize (what you’re doing) is not good enough,” Daniel said.

“You get a change like that and you get, I don’t know, a new energy.

“The new options do a lot for you.

“It’s better than going with a stale group again and again.”

Reason No. 34 AV and Torts are nothing alike

In the third, the Canucks called a timeout with 1:08 left in PP after a Schneider glove save. Let’s review, a timeout was called.

Best exchange



Cory Schneider hoping to “move on,” from Canuck goalie saga after his first trip to Vancouver is done

October 8, 2013. 2:11 pm

Steve Ewen

Cory Schneider isn’t splitting net time with Roberto Luongo any more. He did borrow John Tortorella’s podium Tuesday morning.

There was such a media throng to quiz Schneider in his first visit to Rogers Arena since the Vancouver Canucks traded him to the New Jersey Devils on draft day that the netminder did his morning skate interviews at the dais normally reserved for Canuck bench boss Tortorella. It made more sense than trying to crowd around one stall in the New Jersey dressing room.

“I feel like a head coach,” Schneider quipped off the top.

There was a light-hearted tone to the whole endeavour Tuesday morning, both with Schneider and the Canucks.

Asked if he planned to talk to Luongo during the pre-game skate, Schneider said that they would bring their cell phones on the ice and “text each other or tweet each other.” Asked if he missed Schneider being around, Luongo needled Eddie Lack, explaining, “You look at who I’ve got now as a back-up. You can’t compare that.”

It was going to be a pleasant reunion. Through all of this, Schneider and Luongo were either going to despise each other, or they were going to forge a bond. There could be no happy medium.

Luongo gracefully understand Schneider taking No. 1 status in Vancouver, was assured again and again that he would be traded and then, when the Canucks couldn’t find a deal to their liking, Schneider was shipped out instead, going to the Devils on June 30 for the ninth overall choice in the NHL Draft. The Canucks’ used that pick to select Bo Horvat.

You had to be in the very inner circle to properly understand the whole ordeal.

“It was a situation we handled between me and him, ” said Luongo, 34. “We leaned on each other for support through what wasn’t an easy situation for both of us. We made the best of it.”

Schneider added: “He never wavered in his support for me, which was pretty impressive.”

Schneider, 27, admitted he was worried that this trip through Vancouver was going to be a distraction to his new club. New Jersey’s morning skate was only an optional, so there were only a few players on hand.

Schneider did get a chance to speak Tuesday morning with some of the Canucks support staff and thank them for what they did during his three seasons in Vancouver

“Those are the people who are the lifeblood of your hockey team but don’t get a lot of credit,” said Schneider.

This is New Jersey’s lone trip to Rogers Arena this season, and there were plenty of questions Tuesday morning whether this is the end of the whole goaltending saga starring Luongo, Schneider and the Canucks. Luongo laughed and said, “I wish it was, but I have a feeling it’s not.”

Schneider, not surprisingly, shared his sentiments.

“I’m hoping for it to be [over],” he said. “With you guys, I’m sure every time we play them it will be brought up and that’s fine. That comparison will be made.

“This is my first time back since the trade. It’s exciting, it’s fun, it’s different, but I’m hoping to move on from here once this is done and play hockey.

“I don’t want to a be distraction to my team and my teammates. Vancouver is coming [to New Jersey] the end of October. Who knows if it will still be talked about then? Hopefully Roberto and I are in this league for a long time and we play each other more than just this once.”



Canucks want Booth to be more sports specific with his training methods

October 8, 2013. 12:55 pm •

Ben Kuzma

David Booth had not beat a goalie for an actual goal since April 7, 2012 — he did have an empty-netter on March 14 against Nashville — and the winger finally did what he does best Sunday in Calgary. Booth got to the net, got his stick on the puck and deflected it home during a 5-4 overtime win over the Flames.

If Booth can maintain that focus and his health, the Vancouver Canucks may get more of that vital secondary scoring tonight against the New Jersey Devils.

“That was exactly how my first NHL goal was scored,” recalled Booth. “It was in Calgary. Right in front of the net and it actually went off my butt. It’s been a long time and it’s a learning process for me to get back in that game shape with reactions and speed. There are positives and I can only get better. I haven’t played to my full potential yet and I’m starting to read a little bit more and get into plays. There are times I look back and certain things I need to do.”

Booth had ankle surgery in March and screws were needed to re-attach his fibula and tibia and keep them in place. All that after suffering a groin injury in an initial training-camp skating test a year ago that cost him the first 14 games of the lockout season. He then played just a dozen games and an offseason regimen that includes hiking in the wilds and hunting wild game — to go with his legendary gym workouts — have the Canucks concerned about his preparation being sports specific. You can label it different.

“Different isn’t the word — I don’t know what it is with him,” said Canucks coach John Tortorella. “We do no testing on bikes and the old VO2 test. The training needs to be more specific and David likes to work out. We just hope and there have been conversations to understand your body and understand where the most important time is — and that’s game time — and act accordingly. He’s a pro and a really good player and I know there’s a history with his injuries and I think we’re working through that.”

In previous years, Booth was spotted running laps in arenas and said his offseason the regular-season training had never been addressed as a problem earlier in his career.

“It’s funny,” he said. “I’ve never really heard those type of things until I got here. I know my body really well and I know what makes me feel good and gets me ready for the game. Everybody is different and to pinpoint the correct way, it’s like the right curve or flex to use on your stick or the right skates. I understand to be game ready and my preparation gets me ready.”

Tortorella’s system helps. It seems well suited for his game that’s wired to get off the wall and get to the net.

“It’s just go and mistakes are by being too aggressive, rather than being in the right position and nothing happens,” said Booth. “You don’t run around out there, but we’re not passive and it suits my kind of game.”

Maybe Tortorella put it best about Booth being a crease presence.

“You look at his core and his body — he’s a man that needs to be there and he’s doing a pretty good job,” he said. “It’s hard for him right now without the camp of trying to get the pace. His game is coming and he’s a very important guy for us.”



The Province>Blogs >Sports>Hockey>The White Towel The White Towel RSS Feed

October 8, 2013. 1:49 pm •

Jim Jamieson

He’s as close to a No. 1 defenceman as the Canucks have, but Dan Hamhuis’ playing time didn’t look like it in Sunday’s 5-4 overtime win in Calgary.

After a poor first two periods, head coach John Tortorella orchestrated a major shakeup and Hamhuis’ ice-time suffered.

He finished with just 17:07, which put him fifth amongth D-men, and behind even No. 3 pairing player Chris Tanev (19:27). Hamhuis, who is a key penalty killer a sometime member of the power play unit and plays against the other team’s top line, has averaged 23:24 over the past two seasons.

Yes, it’s just three games into the new regime of Tortorella, so maybe it’s a bit early to be reading too much into it.

Here was Hamhuis’ take at Tuesday’s morning skate.

“They made a bunch of changes there in the third to just shake things up. It probably my best game in terms of the start I had in Calgary, so they moved things around. I was happy to contribute with the ice-time I had.”



Canucks wish ex-teammate Schneider well in return to Rogers Arena, but not that well

October 8, 2013. 12:50 pm •

Jim Jamieson

The long-standing circus around goaltenders Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider sprang to life larger than ever on Tuesday at Rogers Arena. Most involved are hoping it’s for the final time.

Schneider was making his first visit to Vancouver since his stunning trade to New Jersey at last summer’s draft and will face Luongo and his former teammates.

It was a move that shocked both Luongo – who was hoping and expecting to be the one traded – and Schneider, whose career path took a step backward in going to the Devils to back up for future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur.

Luongo, who didn’t speak publicly about the trade for nearly two months, developed a close friendship with Schneider in the three years they were a tandem for the Canucks. After Tuesday’s morning skate, Luongo said the goaltending controversy that developed during the time Schneider arrived in Vancouver and eventually supplanted him as a starter was something they dealt with together.

“It was a situation that we handled pretty much between me and him,” said Luongo, 34, who’s been in regular touch with Schneider since the trade. “We leaned on each other for support. We made the best of it. The good thing about it is it didn’t matter who was playing.”

Canucks defenceman Kevin Bieksa said the game will be special because it’s Schneider in goal for the opposition. Schneider, 27, was immensely popular in the Canucks dressing room and the thought was he would be the starter for years to come.

“It’s obviously just another game for us, but it’s special in the sense that we’re playing an ex-teammate. You play in the league long enough, you play against a lot of ex-teammates and good friends and this is one of those games. It’s a friend, but you have a job to do. You hope you score more goals on him at the end of the game, but you hope he has a good game anyway.”

Bieksa said the goalie debate was difficult for both netminders.

“ I know it was hard on both Roberto and Cory, so it’s nice these questions are going to come to an end,” he said. “It was tough for each of them, because they knew a couple of bad games and there was a guy ready to come in and take your (starting) job. But it was good for our team, have two great goalies.

“They can both move on with their careers. They’re two great goalies, with great careers ahead of them.”

Bieksa, mirthfully, said he thought the Canucks might have an edge in that they know Schneider’s tendencies and could exploit them.

“He’s knows some of our tendencies, but we know all of his,” said Bieksa. “We’ll see how it ends up.”

NEED TO KNOW

The Canucks continue to be without winger Alex Burrows, who’s out with an injured foot. They will continue to play defenceman Yannick Weber on the forward line, as winger Zack Kassian must still sit out the last two games of his five-game suspension. The Canucks didn’t run line rushes… The Devils, who are starting the season on a five-game road trip, lost in Edmonton 5-4 in a shootout on Monday. They gave up four straight third period goals to let the Oilers back in the game.



Game Day Torts: Media warning, warming up to Santorelli, no Hamhuis worry

October 8, 2013. 12:10 pm •

Ben Kuzma

If the Vancouver Canucks are as ready as the media was supposed to be, then expect a sharp start against the New Jersey Devils tonight at Rogers Arena — certainly a better awareness than lackadaisical reporters when John Tortorella took to the podium at the exact appointed time of 10:25 a.m. for his game-day address.

“I’m not going to wait — if you’re not here I’m going to walk,” warned Tortorella. “I’ve got a lot of things to do.”

With a 2-1-0 record, the emphasis for the Canucks — who are tied for the league lead in goals with 12 and third in blocked shots with 51 — is pushing the pace and outmanning the opposition on the forecheck. As for that goaltending showdown between former crease mates Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider?

“That’s for you guys,” said Tortorella. “These are the Devils and he [Schneider] happens to be the goalie. We want to beat them.”

Tortorella has beat his system of aggressiveness and zone defence into his players with mixed results. On Sunday in a 5-4 overtime win in Calgary, the good news was secondary scoring from Mike Santorelli, David Booth, Jannik Hansen and Dale Weise.

“Santorelli. We talk about him every day, and he did more than score a couple of goals,” added Tortorella. “It can’t be the Sedins. Henrik and Daniel struggled through most of the game and made some big plays in the third period, and some other guys picked them up. To win consistently, top players need to be top players, but they need some help.”

The bad news in Calgary was some ongoing early struggles by Dan Hamhuis, who was split from Kevin Bieksa and aligned with Alex Edler, while Bieksa joined Jason Garrison. Hamhuis logged just 17:07 against the Flames, down four minutes from his game average.

“I don’t think it’s the system,” said Tortorella. “Danny played better in the second half of that game. It’s been a little bit of a struggle early, but we know what he is. He’ll get back there. I don’t think he and Kevin were playing that well together and it helped both of them when we split them up.

“The best thing that came out of that game was when we’re dead in the water after 40 minutes, that we found a way to play a good period and win that game. There are a number of times in this schedule that it [17 back-to-game games] is up against us. It’s how you handle the situations. In our first whack, we were successful in changing our mindset and not giving in. That was the most important thing.”

The early goal spree has been a league-wide story, but also an emerging one in Vancouver with Tortorella willing to split the Sedins to spark the offence. The power play needs to be more effective than scoring twice on 13 chances, but the 14-for-14 penalty kill is pleasing. As for those dozen goals heading into the clash with the 0-1-2 Devils?

“I don’t pay attention to that,” stressed Tortorella. “Talk to me at game 60 or 65. You watch this team [Devils] defend and there’s not much in the middle of the ice or a lot of lateral plays made when you enter the zone. We need to look north-south and put some pucks on the goal and see if some things happen from there. Sometimes we’re looking for the next play — the best play is to shoot the puck.”



Luongo one save better than Schneider as Canucks beat Devils in OT

DAVID EBNER

Published Wednesday, Oct. 09 2013, 1:00 AM EDT


It was not – despite the clamorous billing of this early-season tilt – a goaltending showcase. The men in net, on whom such a spotlight has shined, were relatively good but never reached amazing.

Before it began, there they were, the two by the boards and the penalty boxes, during warmups, stretching and chatting, old friends, brothers, lifelong member of the goaltenders fraternity. Each one loosened up, the centre red line dividing the two, Cory Schneider – it still seems strange – in a New Jersey Devils uniform and Roberto Luongo in the blue of the – it still seems improbable – Vancouver Canucks.

Vancouver Canucks' head coach John Tortorella laughs as he removes an earpiece after an interview following a news conference after he was hired by the NHL hockey team in Vancouver, B.C., on Tuesday June 25, 2013

Henrik Sedin Title: Captain Job: A heavier work load. Still counted on to produce goals and set up his brother Daniel, the twins will now also shoulder penalty-kill duties. On falling short of the Stanley Cup: “We haven’t won anything. We’ve won the regular season, we won the scoring titles, but if you look back at our careers [here], I don’t think you’d read anywhere that we’ve won anything.”

The Canucks' main characters

On Tuesday night in Vancouver, it was Schneider’s 100th game in the National Hockey League, and Luongo’s 750th. The teammates and friendly rivals faced each other for the first time as true rivals – and it was, at the end, Luongo who was the victor, as the Canucks came from behind to win 3-2, giving Luongo his 350th victory in the league, second among all active goalies.

It came down to overtime. Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison, halfway through the five-minute final frame, lobbed a shot at Schneider, with Mike Santorelli in front with a screen. The puck floated through, giving Garrison three goals in four games, and with the win sealed, the Canucks‘ record climbed to 3-1. The loss left the Devils still winless, falling to 0-1-3.

"We got the win, so that's what matters," said Luongo after the game, saluting the work of "Scheids" at the other end of the rink, crediting him for keeping New Jersey in the game.

And for all the chatter about goaltending, two older fellows made some of the most noticeable noise on the score sheet: the 33-year-old Sedin twins. Sure, it’s only four games in but for all the talk that the two – in the final year of their contract – are past their prime, and can no longer drum up a point per game, are no longer elite, the Sedins have announced themselves this October.

After another productive night – Daniel had a goal and an assist, and Henrik had an assist – the twins are in a four-way tie for second in the league in scoring, with six points, alongside Washington’s Alex Ovechkin and Michael Grabner. Well, well. (Who is No. 1? San Jose's Tomas Hertl, a 19-year-old who is the first Sharks to play for the team who was born after the franchise played its first game in 1991. Hertl had an incredible four goals on Tuesday night, to reach seven points, as the Sharks beat the New York Rangers 9-2.)

Daniel’s goal fit the mould of the mood of the evening. Midway through the second, the Canucks down 2-0, Daniel Sedin sent in a shot from a long way out, some 17 metres. The puck deflected off Anton Volchenkov along the way and floated in on Schneider’s glove side, the goaltender a little too far right in the crease for the redirected puck. It wasn’t one Schneider should have snagged exactly but there was no magic in the crease either.

"You've got to fight through that and make saves," said Schneider after the game.

The same thing, 90 seconds earlier. New Jersey sent a puck into the Vancouver corner and it bounced off the boards, hitting the skate of a

referee. Canucks defenceman Dan Hamhuis, who was right there, could do nothing to watch it slide away towards the net, right to Patrick Elias, who cracked it at the Luongo. The puck then banked off the skate of Vancouver’s Dale Weise in front and slipped through Luongo’s legs. Not exactly the goaltender’s fault, but no magic in the crease either.

Fact is, even for all the hype around Tuesday’s game for Schneider’s return, neither goaltender has been tremendous this season. Schneider had a crazy great preseason, giving up one goal on 80 shots, winning the opening-night job over legend Marty Brodeur, but then lost 3-0 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Luongo lost on opening night, too, in a game he played well, and won against Edmonton, when he played less well.

The finest goal of the night came as the second period rolled towards its end, as the Canucks kept pushing for a sustained increase in the pace, trying to pin back the Devils, who were playing for the second time in two nights.

The effort cracked through with about six minutes left, as New Jersey temporarily lost Ryan Clowe after he blocked an Alex Edler shot. As Clowe limped off, the Canucks swarmed again, with Henrik Sedin pushing the puck to his brother Daniel who, from the wing, whipped it to a charging Edler. The defenceman took the pass off his right skate, got the puck under control and – facing down Schneider one-on-one – deked right and then left before popping the puck up and in, cleanly beating the Devils netminder.

Earlier in the day, Schneider said it was “obviously bittersweet” to return to Vancouver, and he had kind words for his friend. “We had a deal with a lot last year,” said Schneider. “He [Luongo] never wavered in his support for me.”

The young 2013-14 season churns on. Vancouver will face New Jersey once more, on the road. The lives of the two men in net have now, mostly, diverged, but they will be entwined in minds for a long time yet. And, while odds are low, maybe the two men see each other next February in Sochi, Russia, at the Olympics, where Luongo is a primary candidate for Canada, and Schneider a long-shot for the United States.

Luongo, asked Tuesday morning whether all the drama is finally over, would not close the chapter on a saga that has constantly unfurled in unexpected ways.

“I wish it was,” said Luongo, smiling, “but I have a feeling it’s not.”


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ESPN / Ramblings: Complaints, castaways and canned coaches

By Scott Burnside

How about those new Team Canada sweaters? Feeling the love? And the recycled plastic bottles?

So, we are now a week into the NHL calendar, with no shortage of storylines and sidebars. Sounds like the perfect time for more ramblings.

Clarke the carpenter: Interesting to hear much-traveled Clarke MacArthur make his not-so-positive feelings about former head coach Randy Carlyle known before the Leafs’ home opener against MacArthur’s Ottawa Senators over the weekend. The comments were a bit more temperate than similarly negative comments from another former Leaf, Mikhail Grabovski, who was bought out by Toronto before signing late in the offseason with Washington. Still, it made us cringe to hear MacArthur boohooing about being made a healthy scratch in the playoffs last spring, and how it took the fun out of the game for him. Seriously? Get over yourself just a bit. Maybe it had something to do with the fact MacArthur had managed just two goals in his last 20 regular season games. Or maybe it was the fact that MacArthur had developed a reputation as a guy who showed a little flash, but little in the way of substance, since he was drafted 74th overall in 2003. Whether things change in Ottawa -- his fourth NHL club, by the way -- remains to be seen, although the carping about his treatment in Toronto suggests not.

Cast of thousand castaways: Speaking of Grabovski, the first week of the NHL season has been a boon for players cast aside by other teams. Slotted into the second-line center role in Washington, Grabovski has responded with three goals and five points in three games, and he’s thrown in a shootout goal for good measure. Mason Raymond showed up at Toronto's training camp on a tryout basis and has two goals and two assists, including a game winner for the 3-0-0 Leafs. How about Mathieu Perreault, who ran out of chances to make a case as a top-six forward with the talented Caps, and was dealt on the eve of the regular season? He has two goals and an assist, including a game winner, for the 2-1 Anaheim Ducks. Tom Gilbert, signed after a tryout with the Panthers, played 24:41 in Florida’s opening-night victory over Dallas (and 22:03 in their 7-0 loss to St. Louis in the team’s second game) while Damien Brunner, surprisingly at loose ends after a strong season for the Detroit Red Wings, has three goals and an assist with the New Jersey Devils. Even Chuck Kobasew, a surprise addition to the Penguins’ roster, has scored twice in two weeks.

Not a flying start: Top on the list of teams that absolutely had to get off to a good start were the Philadelphia Flyers. How is that working out for them? The Flyers have scored three times in three straight losses and have a league-worst minus-6 goal differential, all of which combined for head coach Peter Laviolette's firing Monday morning. Still, for all their stumbling about in recent years, it’s refreshing to watch the Flyers do business. Owner Ed Snider, president Peter Luukko and general manager Paul Holmgren were all on hand for the announcement Monday. Mistakes were acknowledged, but no one backed down from the decision. “The press conference was honest and powerful,” one NHL executive told ESPN.com. “They want to win, no B.S., and they get after it. Tough day for them but they handled it well.” How will the players respond? The pressure is certainly on talented captain Claude Giroux, who struggled last season and has yet to record a point in the team’s three losses. Time for him to step up.

Dubious with Dubnyk: During the offseason, we wondered aloud at the passive approach the Edmonton Oilers were taking to their goaltending situation. Yes, Devan Dubnyk had decent enough numbers (a .920 save percentage and 2.57 GAA last season), but those were numbers produced on a team that had only moderate expectations. If, as the coaching staff and management have repeatedly indicated, this season is a time for shedding the "Oh, they’re still a young team" crutch, they need the goaltending to provide meaningful support. Thus far, Dubnyk has allowed 10 goals in a little more than a game and a half for the Oilers. Seven of those goals were at even strength. The problem for the Oilers is that they have no Plan B. Jason LaBarbera was brought in to act as Dubnyk’s backup and allowed three first-period goals and four goals on 25 shots in his first start, which was Monday night. Still, the Oilers managed to eke out a 5-4 win in a shootout for their first victory of the season. But as one NHL executive told ESPN.com, LaBarbera’s a tourist, he’s not equipped to assume a significant workload if Dubnyk falters. Unless the goaltending

sorts itself out quickly, this season is going to get away from the Oilers, just like all the others have since their last playoff appearance in 2006.

Speaking of goaltending: You can hardly fault Ryan Miller, who is one of the most interesting figures in the NHL as he enters the final season of his contract, for the Buffalo Sabres’ 0-3-0 start. Miller, looking to restore himself to the upper echelon of NHL goaltenders, has allowed just three goals on 80 shots for a .963 save percentage. He remains a key figure in the Sabres dressing room and has been nothing but a good citizen, even in the face of disappointing results. Soon, teams (hello, Edmonton general manager Craig MacTavish) will be asking Buffalo general manager Darcy Regier about the asking price for Miller. Beyond that, the 33-year-old's play will continue to be closely watched by U.S. Olympic team organizers. Needless to say, his early performances -- including one in which he dueled with fellow U.S. Olympic team hopeful Craig Anderson of Ottawa -- aren't going unnoticed.

Not a Quick start: While on the subject of U.S. Olympic goaltending hopefuls, it hasn't been a banner start for Jonathan Quick, who is clearly the favorite to be named starter when the U.S. hits the ice in Sochi in February. Quick was yanked in the Kings’ second game of the season and then badly misplayed a shorthanded icing shot Monday night that helped the New York Rangers to a 3-1 win over the 1-2-0 Kings.

Blueshirts bounce-back: The Rangers' win Monday was the first of the season for the 1-1-0 Rangers, who won’t play at home until Oct. 28 as construction continues at Madison Square Garden. After playing poorly both in the preseason and in their opening night loss to Phoenix, Monday’s win will take a weight off the team, and presumably head coach Alain Vigneault. But Monday’s win was significant, specifically for beleaguered forward Brad Richards, who had two goals, including the game winner. Also, netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who has struggled to find a groove but was excellent Monday, turned aside 28 of 29 Kings shots. The Blueshirts are going to need both those veteran players to be at their best if they’re to come out of this elongated nine-game road trip in decent shape in the competitive Metropolitan Division.

No sweater: And, finally, Hockey Canada officially unveiled their Olympic jerseys, even though they seemed to have leaked out weeks ago. Sadly, they don’t look any different now from when the picture was leaked. Of course, this comes from a guy who, at one point, used to wear a chef’s white jacket to work as a news reporter at The Windsor Star, so we acknowledge we’re probably not qualified to comment on the stylings of the new Canadian gear. And we’re pretty sure the fact that at least one of the offerings looks like an old du Maurier cigarette box won’t have any bearing on whether Sidney Crosby & Co. will successfully defend their gold medal in Sochi. The fact that each jersey is apparently made up of 17 recycled plastic water bottles is cool, and of course, environmentally hip. We hope they didn't use the water bottles the Canadian men’s squad used the last time the Olympics were held outside North America, when they were bounced in the quarterfinals by Russia in Italy in 2006.

ESPN LOADED: 10.09.2013

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ESPN / Rumblings: International play, shootout spins and goalie police

By Pierre LeBrun

The NHL’s international future could get clearer next week when the league and the NHL Players’ Association meet and delve deeper into details pertaining to the World Cup of Hockey and NHL regular-season games in Europe.

It is still undecided what form, exactly, the return of the Premiere Games in Europe will have. For five straight seasons from 2007 through 2011, the NHL held regular-season games in Europe to open the season.

One idea that seems to have the most traction is to hold the games around late October instead of at the beginning of the regular season, as had previously been done. Given that most NHL teams have already booked their preseason games for next season, it would make sense to delay the event later into October.

A high of six NHL teams took part in the Premiere Games in October 2010 (four in 2011 when it was last held), but it’s expected that next season the number will be either four teams or just two clubs.

Meanwhile, there has been debate about whether the World Cup of Hockey -- not held since September 2004 -- would return either in the fall of 2015 or the fall of 2016, but as my colleague Elliotte Friedman reported over the weekend on "Hockey Night In Canada" and a source also told ESPN.com, it’s almost a given if the tournament returns that it would be in September 2015; the idea being that it would avoid going up against the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

What is not expected to be a focus when the NHLPA and NHL meet next week is future participation in the Olympics. It’s no sure thing the NHL will continue to take part past Sochi, but if it does, I suspect both the players and owners will want further concessions from the IOC after Sochi. Of course, how things go in Sochi will also have a major impact on that conversation. The players have more desire than the owners to continue with the Olympics, but if the experience in Sochi is sour, that could have an impact. Either way, the prevailing sense is that both sides want to wait until after Sochi to see how it goes before continuing that discussion.

Spin-o-rama debate

Mason Raymond's spin-o-rama shootout goal against Ottawa over the weekend sparked renewed controversy.

This is nothing new. When he did it in Vancouver over the past few seasons, the same type of debate would erupt. But it’s all about timing, and center stage on "Hockey Night In Canada" will get you some attention.

Senators head coach Paul MacLean didn’t like the goal but technically speaking, Raymond’s goal was OK.

The rule stipulates a spin-o-rama goal on a shootout is OK as long as there’s continuous motion and the puck doesn’t stop at any point -- or the player reverses.

The goal would also be disallowed if the goalie is interfered with.

Raymond absolutely knows what the rule is.

"You’re walking a fine line, but it’s high risk, high reward," Raymond said Tuesday after the Leafs’ morning skate at Air Canada Centre.

It’s a move the league isn’t enamored with, though.

"We’ve discussed the spin-o-rama at several GMs meetings over the past years, based on the fact it’s a move that has an aspect to it that a lot of managers thought was illegal," Colin Campbell, the NHL’s executive vice president and director of hockey operations, told ESPN.com on Tuesday.

"Such as the player backing into the goaltending, the reversal of motion from the shooter or the puck stopping; based upon that and the difficulty in recognizing that, and the time it takes to review it on video, it takes away a bit from the shootout.

"My personal opinion is that we expose the goaltenders to an extreme situation with the shootout itself, if it extends past beyond the three

shooters. I don’t think we should expose them to a spin-o-rama move that’s not even a normal move in practice."

And certainly from the goalies’ perspective, no question they’re not big fans of it.

Leafs netminder James Reimer was sitting just a few feet from Raymond on Tuesday morning but couldn’t lie.

"I’ll preface it by saying more power to him, because it’s not illegal now, so it’s a legal move and go for it," Reimer said, chuckling as he looked in Raymond’s direction. "But I hate it. To me it goes against the rules and they allow it. The puck stops. I don’t know, it’s interesting. But I’m not a fan of it at all. I told Mason: 'I’m glad you’re on my team and we got the point, but I hate that move.'"

Raymond said he got a text from former Canucks pal Roberto Luongo in the wake of Saturday night’s spin-o-rama goal which read: "What was that?"

In all seriousness, though, because these types of goals are so tough to judge, the league’s hockey operations department recommended last season at the March GMs meeting that they be nixed. The GMs agreed, but when it came to the players signing off in the summer, the answer was "No." The players didn’t see the merit in eliminating an exciting play.

"It’s a bit of creativity," Raymond said. "It’s fun for the fans. But at the same time, you can get a lot more points in the shootout, that was another point in the standings for us. I’m glad they never took it out. It’s a move I’ve had success with and I enjoy doing. It’s not one you use every day."

Now, if the NHL really, really, really wanted to get rid of the spin-o-rama, it would just do that and then invite the NHLPA to grieve the matter. But a spin-o-rama move in a shootout isn’t seen as worthy enough for the league to pick a legal fight with the players over.

I’ve got the solution for everyone: Let’s ban shootouts and institute 3-on-3 overtime instead after the 4-on-4 period. Right?

"I’d be up for that," Reimer said.

Berube in charge

No question there are some people who question an in-house hire in Philly in the wake of Peter Laviolette’s firing as head coach. But former Flyers head coach John Stevens knows Craig Berube, who was an assistant on his staff both with the Flyers and AHL Phantoms. Berube and Stevens also broke into pro hockey together as players with AHL Hershey in the mid-1980s.

"Craig is a good hockey man with excellent people skills," Stevens, an assistant coach with the Kings, told ESPN.com via text message.

Colorado Avalanche winger Steve Downie played for Berube both in the AHL and NHL while with the Flyers organization and his eyes lit up Tuesday morning at Air Canada Centre when asked for his reaction to Berube’s promotion.

"I think it’s a really good fit," Downie said. "He’s a players’ coach. He demands the best out of players, and I really think it’s going to be good for Philly."

One recurring comment I got from other hockey people I reached out to is that the former tough guy would demand accountability from his players.

"He’s a big believer in accountability," said one hockey person who knows Berube.

But as another source said, "His biggest problem is that defense corps; it’s really, really slow."

To unlock the offense in Philadelphia, Berube is going to need to find a way to improve the team’s transition game and that starts with that defense corps making better decisions, more swiftly and coming out of their zone.

Easier said than done.

Goalie police

Kay Whitmore was on hand at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday for the morning’s game-day skates, as he often is.

Whitmore, senior manager with the NHL’s hockey operations department in Toronto, is better known as the goalie police. All pieces of NHL goaltending equipment go through his office before netminders can wear them in an NHL game. But the bigger trick is keeping an eye on just what’s being worn

throughout the season, even more of an issue this season with the reduced goalie pads and paddle instituted in the offseason.

To that end, Whitmore will be doing more traveling this season to keep an eye on things.

"I’ll be going around more, doing more unexpected visits to rinks around the league," Whitmore told ESPN.com.

Any goalie caught cheating faces a two-game suspension, the team gets charged a $25,000 fine and the poor ol’ equipment manager gets dinged $1,000.

ESPN LOADED: 10.09.2013

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FOXSports.com / Quick's error proves costly as Kings drop home opener

ABBEY MASTRACCO |

LOS ANGELES -- The Kings home opener was neither pretty nor polite.

The Kings sold out the Staples Center for the 69th consecutive game Monday night, but a costly defensive miscue led those fans to jeer one of the team's heroes as Los Angeles ultimately fell 3-1 to the visiting Rangers.

Down 2-1 with the power play on and 4:39 left in the third period, Ryan McDonagh sent the puck from the defensive faceoff circle careening off the boards and in the direction of the Kings goal.

Jonathan Quick came out of the net and dropped his stick right as the puck bounced off of him and into the goal.

McDonagh was credited with the shorthanded goal that ultimately pushed the game out of reach for the Kings, and gave the Rangers (1-1) their first win of the season.

A despondent Quick said little about the goal after the game.

"You're trying to stop the puck for your teammates," Quick said. "That's the thought process…

"Everybody gives up bad goals. That's part of the game."

The life was taken out of the once-rowdy crowd. Just moments later, Quick made a spectacular stop to a Brad Richards slap shot which was met with mixed results: Some booed him, some mocked him.

His teammates, however, tried to rally for him.

"Nobody wanted to get a 4-3 win more than everybody on that bench right there for that but stuff like that happens within a game," said Justin Williams. "We simply were not good enough. We got out-played, out-battled."

Quick received no tough love from head coach Darryl Sutter.

"There's nothing to talk about – he dropped his stick," Sutter said. "What do you want to talk about, tell him not to drop his stick? It's his job to stop the puck."

Knowing that Quick is ultimately not a big-picture type of problem, Sutter managed to joke about the situation. But the Kings (1-2) have now lost two in a row and turnovers and 5-on-5 scoring could potentially be problematic moving forward.

"Our 5-on-5 scoring is nonexistent," Williams said. "You can search for any excuses you want but our 5-on-5 scoring needs to improve. You can’t just rely on a power play, you need to get dirty, and we have not done that yet."

Sutter felt the issue had more to do with execution and personnel. Despite Jake Muzzin's goal, he didn't hesitate to say that he would absolutely bench Muzzin should the defenseman continue his sloppiness with the puck.

"When you have the puck in your stick and you give it up to the other team that's a top player turnover not a team turnover," Sutter said. "Muzzin, he's going to have to learn how not to turn the puck over. He wants to play, period."

FOXSports.com LOADED: 10.09.2013

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NBCSports.com / Court throws out NHL’s claims against former Coyotes owner

Jason Brough

Oct 8, 2013, 5:26 PM EDT

What, you thought the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy story was dead and buried? Come on now, of course it’s not.

From the Arizona Republic:

A federal bankruptcy court in Arizona threw out most of the National Hockey League’s claims against former Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes for expenses associated with the team’s tenure in bankruptcy and NHL ownership.

Moyes filed the team for bankruptcy in 2009.

After months of courtroom wrangling, the NHL purchased and ran the franchise for nearly four years before selling it in August to a new group of owners.

The NHL filed suit against Moyes in 2010, claiming multiple instances of breach of agreements and fiduciary duty.

The NHL initially sought to recover $145.9 million from Moyes, including $112.7 million in operational losses while the league ran the team and $6.5 million in unpaid salary for former coach Wayne Gretzky.

To be clear, this is a dispute between the NHL and Moyes; it doesn’t involve the Coyotes or their new owners.

The Gretzky angle is an interesting one though. Will The Great One ever get the money that’s owed to him?

if moyes won't pay gretzky over $6.5 mil, it's time nhl teams bucked up and bring 99 into nhl fold in some capacity—

Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) October 08, 2013

Matheson is a sportswriter for the Edmonton Journal who’s covered the Oilers since the 1970s. For his expanded thoughts on the issue, click here.

Whether the NHL passes the hat for No. 99 down the road, we’ll have to wait and see. It’s been discussed by the Board of Governors before, so it’s not out of the question.

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 10.09.2013

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USA TODAY / USA TODAY Sports' Kevin Allen wins award

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports 3:23 p.m. EDT October 8, 2013

The next time you read a Kevin Allen story, you can place the words "Lester Patrick Award winner" before his name.

The NHL announced on Tuesday that USA TODAY Sports' hockey columnist won the award for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. He will be presented with the award in Detroit on Dec. 2.

Kevin has been our hockey writer since 1986. He has written countless articles. He has gone to the Arctic Circle to accompany Jordin Tootoo on a hunt. He spent time with coach Bob Hartley during his day with the Stanley Cup at a Canadian auto glass factory. He went to Europe during the 2004 lockout to catch up with players. He has covered every Winter Olympics since 1988 and will be going to Sochi in February.

He has written books. He's omnipresent on radio and TV. He has been president of the Professional Hockey Writers Association the past 10 years. And it's his reputation for fairness that makes people want to talk to him.

I've had the pleasure of being Kevin's boss for 20 years and the easiest way to tell his impact on the world of hockey is to walk down a hallway with him at an All-Star Game arena or the media hotel.

It takes forever. His wife, Terri, calls it the gauntlet.

Everyone is always stopping to chat with him: be it Gordie Howe or Jeremy Roenick or a general manager or a coach or a USA Hockey official. I've seen Wayne Gretzky, in the middle of a media scrum, look up, wink and say, "Hey Kevin."

Today, a lot of people are doing just that to congratulate him.

USA TODAY LOADED: 10.09.2013

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