SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF - Philadelphia Flyers

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF 

NHL 3/8/2013 

Anaheim Ducks 

661911 Ryan Getzlaf is Ducks' Captain Comeback 

661912 Ducks closing in on franchise record of 11 straight home 

wins 

661913 Miller: High school hockey players take a peak 

661914 Lev: 1,000th game no minor feat for Steve Carroll 

Boston Bruins 

661915 Anton Khudobin helps Bruins stop slide 

661916 Bruins place Chris Bourque on waivers 

661917 Bruins beat Maple Leafs, 4-2 

661918 Bruins bounce back for 4-2 win over Maple Leafs 

661920 Final: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2 

661921 Tonight's Bruins lineup 

661922 Chris Bourque placed on waivers 

661923 Lineup changes likely for Bruins 

661924 Game 21: Maple Leafs at Bruins preview 

661925 Deposed Brian Burke only focused on what’s next 

661926 For B’s, result two good 

661927 Right steps for Tyler Seguin 

661928 Chiarelli ‘close’ to scoring Swede Carl Soderberg 

661929 Bruins never make it easy 

661930 A special delivery for the B's? 

661931 Bruins hold off Leafs, 4-2 

Buffalo Sabres 

661932 Sabres notebook: Hecht a scratch for first time in Buffalo 

661933 Sabres lose in shootout after Enroth is injured 

661934 NHLPA approves realignment; Sabres would welcome 

Detroit, Florida, Tampa to division 

661935 Poll: Which goalie will end winless skid? Sabres' Enroth 

(0-10-2) or Devils' Hedberg (0-6-1)? 

661936 Enroth set to make rare start in net for Sabres; Hecht 

agitated over likelihood of being healthy scratch 

661937 Devils focused on getting win for team, Hedberg against 

Sabres 

661938 Buffalo Sabres fall in a shootout to New Jersey 

661939 Amerks find strong pairing in McNabb, Pysyk 

Calgary Flames 

661940 Johnson: Hartley ties idol on NHL career coaching wins list 

661941 Flames gear up for Anaheim’s powerful power play 

661942 Weekend gauntlet in California no paradise trip for Flames 

661943 Game Day: Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks 

661944 Flames' house of horrors 

661945 Puck Stops Here — Stop staged fighting in NHL 

661946 Same old song and dance from Flames goalie Miikka 

Kiprusoff 

Carolina Hurricanes 

661947 DeCock: Canadiens are setting the bar 

661948 Hurricanes fall to Canadiens 4-2 

Chicago Blackhawks 

661949 Hossa, Shaw to travel with Blackhawks; Sharp won't 

661950 Does anyone really have to ask who's first-half Hawks MVP? 

661951 LeBron to Blackhawks: 'u guys are AWESOME!!' 

661952 Strange but true, fan personally blacks out Hawks 

661953 Hawks game-by-game mantra serving them well 

661954 Sharp could be out a while with shoulder injury 

661955 Kings Coach Darryl Sutter says players should use face 

shields 

661956 Time for Hawks to lighten up 

661957 Friday's matchup: Blackhawks at Avalanche 

Blackhawks cont'd 

661958 Blackhawks get significant offense from checking line 

661959 TELANDER: The Blackhawks have to lose, right? Right? 

661960 Libertyville Sports Complex to host Blackhawks road party 

661961 Hossa, Shaw, Frolik OK to return; Sharp staying home 

661962 Hawks not letting streak change their focus 

661963 Carcillo’s hard work pays off for Hawks 

661964 Blackhawks’ Sharp to miss three weeks? 

661965 Hawks' defense produces more impressive numbers 

661966 Blackhawks recall Bollig as team heads to Denver 

661967 Military members honored by Hawks' anthem, salute 

661968 The numbers behind the Blackhawks' historic streak 

661969 Blackhawks' streak strains the laws of probability 

661970 SportsNet Central: Blackhawks Fever 

661971 NHL realignment inches closer 

Colorado Avalanche 

661972 Avalanche headed to new Midwest Division next season in 

realignment plan 

661973 Chicago Blackhawks bringing remarkable run to Denver 

661974 Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche preview 

661975 Avalanche headed to new Midwest Division in 2013 NHL 

realignment plan 

Columbus Blue Jackets 

661976 Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1 (OT): Calvert’s goal produces 

third straight win 

661977 Jackets at brink of move to East after union vote 

661978 Jackets-Canucks summary 

661979 NHL: Jackets go OT to win third straight 

661980 NHL Players' Association approves realignment 

Dallas Stars 

661981 NHLPA OK with NHL’s proposed realignment; When it could 

go into effect and how it affects the Stars 

661982 'Changed' Jaromir Jagr, not thinking stats, scores twice in 

Stars' 5-2 win 

661983 Heika: Jaromir Jagr scored the goals but Kari Lehtonen led 

the way in Dallas Stars' road win against Los Angel 

661984 In win over Kings, Dallas Stars' Jaromir Jagr's two goals not 

enough to earn top star 

661985 Heika: Realignment latest the victory for Dallas Stars off the 

ice; one aspect is particularly key 

661986 Stars coach Glen Gulutzan sets possible return date for 

injured forward Ray Whitney 

661987 Stars vs. Kings: Jordie Benn stays in the lineup, Philip 

Larsen stays out 

661988 Heika: The Stars moving Jamie Benn to wing is an option, 

but only if this happens 

661989 Jagr’s 2 goals help Dallas Stars beat Kings

Detroit Red Wings 

661990 Writer: Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall is leading candidate for 

Norris Trophy 

661991 Detroit 3, Edmonton 0: Jimmy Howard posts second shutout 

of season 

661992 NHLPA signs off on realignment; Red Wings one step closer 

to East 

661993 Idled Ian White wondering about future with Red Wings 

661994 Jimmy Howard stymies Oilers as Red Wings remain hot 

661995 Players OK realignment; Wings one step closer to Eastern 

Conference 

661996 Live blog: Detroit Red Wings put 11-game point streak on 

line tonight vs. Edmonton Oilers 

661997 Red Wings one step closer to moving East after NHLPA 

approves league's realignment proposal 

661998 Red Wings not allowing many goals lately, but need to limit 

scoring chances tonight against Oilers 

661999 Red Wings' Ian White hasn't asked for trade and doesn't 

expect to be moved, as he continues to sit 

662000 Detroit Red Wings Gameday: What has been the most 

memorable moment of the season to date? 

662001 Detroit Red Wings fans: Defenseman Brian Lashoff has 

been the club's most impressive rookie 

662002 Red Wings' young defensemen and grinders stepping up 

big, enabling club to bank points 

662003 Jimmy Howard and a strong defensive performance lift 

stingy Red Wings past Oilers, 3-0 (video) 

662004 Red Wings blank Edmonton, 3-0 

662005 Ian White scratched from Red Wings’ lineup again 

Edmonton Oilers 

662006 Red Wings outshoot, outplay, shut out hapless Oilers 

662007 Ben Eager out, Chris VandeVelde in for Edmonton Oilers 

662008 Nugent-Hopkins and Schultz slumping, Sam Gagner coming 

on strong 

662009 So, Edmonton Oilers fans, do you miss Shawn Horcoff yet? 

662011 Same old result as Edmonton Oilers fall to Detroit Red 

Wings 

Florida Panthers 

662012 Washington Capitals punish Florida Panthers again 

662013 Recap: Washington vs. Florida 

662014 ROLLED OUT OF THE CAPITAL: Washington Continues 

Capital Domination of Panthers with 7-1 Win 

662015 STEPHEN WEISS: Wrist Surgery Only Option 

662016 Preview: Jets at Panthers, 7 p.m. Friday 

662017 Panthers hope to score a win in D.C. 

662018 Markstrom, Panthers get pounded 7-1 by Caps 

662019 4 quick goals help Capitals beat Panthers 7-1 

Los Angeles Kings 

662020 Kings' third-period magic is missing in 5-2 loss to Stars 

662021 Jagr's two goals helps Stars beat Kings, 5-2 

662022 DALLAS 5, KINGS 2: Kings see stars in loss to Dallas 

662023 Preview: Jeff Carter's scoring streak puts the Los Angeles 

Kings back in NHL playoff hunt 

662024 Game 22 Preview: Dallas at Los Angeles 

662025 Darryl Sutter on face shields 

662026 NHLPA consents to realignment 

662027 March 7 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter 

662028 Tough love for Martinez 

662029 March 7 morning skate quotes: Jarret Stoll 

662030 Hot on the draw 

662031 March 7 postgame notes 

662032 March 7 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter 

662033 March 7 postgame quotes: Jaromir Jagr 

662034 March 7 postgame quotes: Jonathan Quick 

662035 March 7 postgame quotes: Dustin Brown 

662036 Game 22: Dallas at Los Angeles 

Minnesota Wild 

662037 Minnesota Wild: NHL players say yes to realignment 

Montreal Canadiens 

662038 Prust and Eller notch goal and two assists in Habs win over 

Canes 

662039 Therrien’s message awakens Canadiens 

662040 Price makes 42 saves to calm 'Canes 

662041 About last night … 

Nashville Predators 

662042 Ryan Suter braces for boos in Nashville return 

662043 Preview: Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers 

662044 Nashville Predators could have new division next season 

662045 Predators' playoff chances improve under NHL's proposed 

realignment 

New Jersey Devils 

662047 Quirk in the N.H.L. Visor Debate: Fighters Get Penalized 

662048 As they play: Devils vs. Sabres 

662049 Devils looking to avoid longest losing streak since 1985-86 

662050 Devils' changes on defense no reflection on Adam Larsson, 

Mark Fayne 

662051 Devils' Tom Kostopoulos takes junior linemate Krys Barch's 

job for a night 

662052 Tribute for Stompin' Tom Connors at Devils-Sabres? It would 

make sense 

662053 Tom Kostopoulos joins Devils for morning skate 

662054 Did Devils know beforehand Henrik Tallinder might not be 

able to play? 

662055 Devils end losing streak with 3-2 shootout win over Sabres 

662056 Devils notes: Tom Kostopoulos excited to make debut 

662057 Devils snap six-game skid, beat Sabres, 3-2, in shootout 

662058 NHL Players Association gives consent to league's proposed 

realignment which puts NY Rangers, NY Islanders and 

662059 Devils end six-game skid 

662060 5 Questions with Dave Maloney 

662061 Devils nip Sabres in shootout to snap six-game skid 

New York Islanders 

662062 Rick Nash ties game with another third period goal, Marian 

Gaborik wins it as NY Rangers top NY Islanders, 2-1 



662064 Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT lifts Rangers over 

Islanders 

662065 Ex-Islander Micheal Haley returns with Rangers 

New York Rangers 

662066 Rick Nash ties game with another third period goal, Marian 

Gaborik wins it as NY Rangers top NY Islanders, 2-1 

662067 Quirk in the N.H.L. Visor Debate: Fighters Get Penalized 

662068 Brad Richards resting neck and back but is not dealing with 

concussion symptoms; Roman Hamrlik joins NY Ranger 

662069 Crushed Ice: J.T. Miller mans center vs. Flyers in Brad 

Richards' absence, penalty kill struggles but power pl 



662071 5 Questions with Dave Maloney 

662072 Momentum continues in fourth straight win 

662073 Gaborik, Nash lead Rangers as Isles blame officiating 

662074 Hamrlik sees action, but defenseman ‘not in shape’ 

662075 Rangers notes: Brad Richards "fortunate" 

662076 Brad Richards improving after cross-check but sits against 

Islanders 

662077 Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT lifts Rangers over 

Islanders 

662078 Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT gives Rangers a 2-1 

win over Islanders 

662079 Rangers at Islanders. 

662080 Rangers-Islanders in review 

662081 Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (OT): Post-game notes

NHL 

662082 N.H.L. Realignment Plan Gains Union’s Approval 

662083 Stompin’ Tom Connors, Canadian Singer, Dies at 77 

662084 NHLPA gives consent to NHL's proposed realignment with 

review post-2014-15, now only Board of Governors must a 

662085 Jets fly west, Wings and Jackets move east as NHLPA 

agrees to realignment 

662086 Players today understand the risks involved when they 

engage in a fight 

662087 Stanley Cup of women’s hockey finds a home at Hockey Hall 

of Fame 

662088 No one really gets hurt in hockey fights, right? 

Ottawa Senators 

662089 Sens can afford to smile a little as they hit mid-season 

662090 A welcome return: Spezza could be back in 2-3 weeks 

662091 Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray not a fan of staged fights 

662092 By the numbers: Ottawa Senators take on New York 

Rangers 

662093 Bruce Garrioch rates Ottawa Senators mid-term 

performance 

662094 Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner could battle mentor 

Philadelphia Flyers 

662095 Flyer Chris Pronger battles depression while injured 

662096 Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger says he is not retiring 

662097 Pronger talks of 'dark days' 

662098 Ex-Flyers recall unbeaten streak as Blackhawks close in on 

the mark 

662099 Penguins climb out of 3-goal hole to beat Flyers 

662100 Pronger won't be an ad-visor 

662101 Flyers' Hartnell: 'We just sat back' 

662102 Penguins roar back and beat Flyers 

662103 Flyers let big lead, big game get away 

662104 Read returns 'just a bit early' 

662105 Pronger opens up about life after injury 

662108 Grossmann questionable for Pens game 

662109 Pronger talks at Flyers' morning skate 

662110 Flyers' early lead blows up in their faces in 5-4 loss to Pens 

662111 Flyers Watch Blog: Pronger re-introduces himself to 

Philadelphia 

662112 Flyers' Chris Pronger describes dark days battling 

concussion symptoms 

662113 Read, Grossmann could play vs. Penguins 

662114 Pronger updates health; still suffering symptoms 

662115 Flyers-Penguins: What you need to know 

662116 Home ice a disadvantage in Flyers-Penguins rivalry 

662117 Three keys to Flyers vs. Penguins 

662118 Flyers show inconsistency in 2nd period vs. Pens 

662119 Is it time to be worried about the Flyers? 

662120 Flyers allow big lead to slip away in loss to Pens 

662121 Personality returns, vision hasn't for Pronger 

662122 Flyers not worried despite blowing three-goal lead 

662123 Flyers squander lead in 'embarrassing' loss to Penguins 

Phoenix Coyotes 

662124 Game Day: Blues at Coyotes 

662125 Phoenix Coyotes’ Dave Tippett impressed with Jason 

LaBarbera 

662126 Phoenix Coyotes fall big at home to the St. Louis Blues 

662127 Smith's struggles continue in Coyotes' loss 

Pittsburgh Penguins 

662128 Pens’ Orpik considering wearing protective visor 

662129 Penguins rally from 4-1 deficit to down Flyers 

662130 Players OK NHL plan that puts Penguins in 8-team division 

next season 

662131 Martin to play for Penguins tonight vs. Flyers 

662132 Kunitz, Crosby spark comeback as Penguins shoot down 

Flyers, 5-4 

662133 Robert Morris hockey will not overlook first-round foe 

662134 Penguins Notebook: Orpik sounds like he's ready to wear 

visor at last 

662135 Penguins rebound from three-goal deficit to beat Flyers, 5-4 

San Jose Sharks 

662136 Sharks lose to Flames, 4-1 

662137 Streaker hops glass during Sharks game Wednesday 

St Louis Blues 

662138 Blues updates: Allen has been playing plenty lately 

662139 Round Two: Blues a real contender in Western Conference? 

662140 NHL realignment moves one step closer 

662141 Berglund lifts Blues to 6-3 victory 

Tampa Bay Lightning 

662142 Tampa Bay Lightning notes: Malone returns from injury 

662143 Tampa Bay Lightning rookies have been big contributors 

662144 Ryan Malone ready to return to Tampa Bay Lightning's 

lineup 

662145 Lightning can't build on win, lose to Jets 

662146 Lightning has dug tough hole 

662147 Jets' late goal sinks Lightning 

662148 Bruised foot hobbles Lecavalier 

Toronto Maple Leafs 

662149 NHLPA gives its approval for realignment 

662150 Vincent Damphousse and ex-wife come to truce 

662151 Maple Leafs tough guy act has the Boston Bruins talking 

662152 Bruins' Lucic a fan of Maple Leafs' fighter 

662153 Leafs' setback no reason to panic 

662154 In today's NHL, you can just say no to fights 

662155 Maple Leafs a 'legit contender' for playoffs: Bruins coach 

Claude Julien 

662156 Bruins show Leafs what's in store for them in loss 

662157 Marc Staal eye injury should be another wake-up call for 

NHL 

662158 Here is the Leafs midseason report card 

Vancouver Canucks 

662159 Canucks continue to struggle, lose in overtime to lowly Blue 

Jackets 

662160 Ex-Canuck Adrian Aucoin hasn’t Mess-ed much with 

shoot-first philosophy 

662161 Should the Canucks pull the goaltender in overtime? (No.) 

662162 Game Day: Columbus coach still wary of Canucks despite 

recent Vancouver swoon 

662163 Ex-Canuck Adrian Aucoin and a tale worth telling 

662164 Van Provies, Kadri edition 

662165 Tanev’s worth a shot on Canucks’ ailing power play 

662166 Bieksa and Ballard out. Alberts and Barker in. And they’re 

together 

662167 They don’t shoot, they don’t score: Power play paralysis is 

costing Canucks points 

662168 Van Provies Nightly Awards: Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1 OT 

662169 Vancouver, this is your wakeup call: Lifeless Canucks limp to 

OT loss against lowly Columbus 

662170 Canucks Gameday: Columbus ‘another tough game’ against 

hard-working opponent, says Vigneault

Washington Capitals 

662172 Open thread: Capitals vs. Panthers 

662173 NHLPA approves realignment 

662174 Capitals weigh in on visor debate after Marc Staal injury 

662175 Capitals ‘fighting against ourselves’ to move up the 

standings 

662176 Michal Neuvirth sick, Capitals recall Philipp Grubauer 

(updated) 

662177 Caps’ confidence is up after win against Bruins 

662178 Tyson Strachan may face suspension for hit on Jason 

Chimera 

662179 Capitals’ 7 goals swamp Florida 

662180 Capitals notes: Wojtek Wolski stays in lineup vs. Panthers 

662181 NHL players divided on visor use even after latest gruesome 

injury 

662182 Capitals take care of business by drubbing Panthers 

662183 Capitals score early, often in rout of Panthers 

662184 In NHL, freedom to add visor or not to add visor 

Websites 

662195 ESPN / Midseason picks for awards 

662196 ESPN / Five players who need to step up 

662197 ESPN / Rumblings: Fighting, Pronger and more 

662198 ESPN / Fighting realignment too risky for NHLPA 

662199 ESPN / NHLPA OK with realignment plan 

662200 ESPN / Need to know: It was a sickening night 

662201 FOXSports.com / Terry Crisp reminisces about Lightning's 

start 

662202 FOXSports.com / Colorado rocky? Columnist suggests feud 

between O’Reilly, Duchene 

662203 NBCSports.com / Report: Dallas boasts NHL-best 

attendance increase 

662204 NBCSports.com / NHLPA approves realignment 

662205 NBCSports.com / Frenzy or flop? Lombardi talks about the 

trade market 

662206 NBCSports.com / Daly: NHL wants mandatory visors 

662207 USA TODAY / Billy Beane compares 'Moneyball' streak to 

Heat, Blackhawks 

662208 USA TODAY / Heat, Blackhawks pull for each other as 

streaks roll on 

662209 USA TODAY / NHLPA approves NHL realignment proposal 

662210 Wall Street Journal / How the Blackhawks Became 

Unbeatable 

662211 YAHOO SPORTS / NHL realignment plan an improvement, 

not perfect 

662212 YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Staged fights have no 

place in the NHL; visor debate; pull up your safety socks 

Winnipeg Jets 

662185 Byfuglien man of few words on personal life; ready to face 

Lightning 

662186 Right approach, right results 

662187 Montoya near-perfect in tough gig, as he must be 

662188 Jets-Panthers summary March 7 

662189 march 8 game lineup Jets vs Panthers 

662190 Buff breaks his silence 

662191 Dustin Byfuglien's return to hockey helped him deal with 

grandfather’s death 

662192 No quit this night 

662193 Tangradi nets his first 

662194 A win and is he back in? 

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

661911 Anaheim Ducks 

Ryan Getzlaf is Ducks' Captain Comeback 

Many thought something was wrong last season, but the center's revival 

has been a catalyst to Anaheim's hot start. 

Helene Elliott 

8:45 PM PST, March 7, 2013 

When Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf invited his teammates, the club's owners 

and top executives to his home for a barbecue during training camp, they 

probably expected burgers and corn on the cob. What they got was insight 

into Getzlaf's keen desire to rebound after stumbling through a season so 

awful that those around him feared he was hiding an injury or a loved one's 

illness. 

Passionate without raising his voice, Getzlaf said he brought everyone 

together after the lockout to emphasize the importance of working as a 

team, according to someone who attended. Be ready and mean business, 

he said. 

He spoke for only a few minutes, but his words still resound. 

With a 16-3-3 record and 35 points, the Ducks rank No. 2 in the NHL and 

have equaled their franchise-best point total through 22 games, the 15-2-5 

start that launched them to the Stanley Cup in 2007. Their depth is better 

and their defense beefier than last season, when they missed the playoffs, 

but Getzlaf's revival has been a vital catalyst. 

"He seems to be so strong and hungry with every puck, every loose puck, 

every battle. It's almost like there's a mission in his eyes," Teemu Selanne 

said. "One day when he really wants to be great, he can, because he has 

all the tools." 

Where Getzlaf was sloppy defensively last season, he's diligent and has 

earned his plus-10 defensive rating. Where he was emotionally detached — 

except when he took bad penalties — he's fiery but controlled. Where he 

couldn't buy a goal, he's producing. He has six goals and 18 points in his 

last 11 games and stands among the NHL leaders with nine goals and a 

team-high 27 points. He had 11 goals and 57 points in 82 games last 

season and was minus-11. 

"The only thing that I need on the bench is a beer and hot dog to watch," 

Selanne said. 

What's behind the turnaround? 

Selanne recently hinted that it's because Getzlaf is in the final year of his 

contract. But Corey Perry, Getzlaf's longtime right wing and friend, said 

there's more to it. 

"When you're playing a game you love and that you've grown up playing, 

your compete level is high. You know what you did the year before, and if 

you didn't have a great year you want to prove the critics wrong and show 

everybody you can be that top player," said Perry, who's also eligible for 

free agency this summer. 

"I think he's trying to prove he can be that top player everybody knows." 

Getzlaf, who has a Cup title and a 2010 Olympic gold medal with Team 

Canada on his resume at age 27, agreed he's different as a player and 

person. 

"I feel like I got back to myself and the things I like doing. I feel like things 

are back to normal, so to speak," he said. "Last year was one of those 

years that is tough to explain. There were a lot of different things going on. 

But it feels good to be back." 

He wouldn't specify what had troubled him but said it wasn't an injury or 

illness. 

"Without getting into it too much, when you have kids it's different. Things 

change," said Getzlaf, father to sons Ryder, 2, and Gavin, 2 months, with 

wife Paige. "There was a lot I had to learn about keeping things at home 

and getting my rest when I'm at home, and me and my wife had to figure 

out how to be parents. At the same time, we were going through a 

struggling season." 

Being the captain of an underachieving team also weighed on him. He got 

the honor before the 2010-11 season when he and the Ducks were 

prospering. He hadn't dealt with much adversity before and he didn't know 

how to respond. 

In addition, in late November 2011 the Ducks fired Randy Carlyle — the 

only NHL coach Getzlaf had played for — and hired Bruce Boudreau. 

Carlyle had made Getzlaf his go-between to take the team's temperature. 

Boudreau, more hands-on, talks to everyone. Getzlaf said the change has 

been good and the team has responded well, but it was another turbulent 

moment for him in a season full of them. 

"When you go through a losing season there are more things you have to 

deal with. Media, management, everybody turns to you and I don't always 

have the answers, much like everybody," Getzlaf said. 

This season, he said, his wife has helped him balance being a dad and an 

athlete. A baby sitter helps ensure Getzlaf gets his afternoon nap and can 

prepare for games, and he has learned to leave wins and losses at the rink. 

Although his resurgence confirms his value to the Ducks, it also increases 

his potential payday as he nears the end of his five-year, $26.625-million 

contract. He'd be in demand as a free agent alone or packaged with Perry, 

as Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were last summer. Getzlaf said remaining 

here is his first choice, preferably alongside Perry. 

"I do want to stay and I always have. I've always said that. That's always 

been my first priority when I came into the league. I wanted to play in the 

same place if I could," Getzlaf said. "I've been happy here. It's just a matter 

of getting that deal done." 

It might not be that simple. But turning his career around this season wasn't 

simple, either. 

LA Times: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ducks closing in on franchise record of 11 straight home wins 

The Anaheim Ducks won their ninth home game in a row on Wednesday. 

They will try for No. 10 against Calgary on Friday. 

By Lance Pugmire 

March 7, 2013, 4:55 p.m. 

The Ducks are two wins from matching their longest home winning streak of 

11 games when the Calgary Flames visit Honda Center on Friday. 

"It'll be a challenge because they're playing very good right now," Ducks 

Coach Bruce Boudreau said of the Flames after a voluntary practice 

Thursday. "Emotionally, and confidence-wise, they're at their highest level. 

"When teams feel that way, they all want badly to win that first game on the 

road." 

As it opens a three-game trip, Calgary (9-8-4) has won four of its last six 

games — including a 4-1 victory over San Jose on Wednesday — and has 

scored four or more goals in the last five. 

"They're not going to have a bad game," Boudreau said. 

The Pacific Division-leading Ducks won 11 consecutive home games in the 

2009-10 season. St. Louis visits Sunday. 

"It's because we're a good team and we love the home cooking and 

support," Boudreau said the morning after the Ducks (16-3-3) shut out 

Phoenix, 2-0. Goaltender Jonas Hiller stopped all 18 shots he faced to 

lower his goals-against average in the last four home games to 1.75. 

Goalie platoon 

Hiller was given his second consecutive start Wednesday despite giving up 

four goals plus more in a shootout loss at Phoenix Monday and the 

emergence of rookie goalie Viktor Fasth. 

"It was how I wanted the rotation to go, as part of the next five to eight 

games," Boudreau said. "I know who I have in 'Hilly' and I'm looking to put 

each of these guys in the best spots to win. Some of it is statistical. Some is 

a good feeling." 

Corey Perry scored the opening goal Wednesday and has 15 points in the 

last 10 games. 

Injury front 

Wing Kyle Palmieri skated at Thursday's practice after suffering an upperbody 

injury on a hit in Phoenix on Saturday, but Boudreau said Palmieri is 

unlikely to play Friday. 

Defenseman Bryan Allen (flu symptoms) could return after pushing himself 

through extra practice time. 

Defenseman Cam Fowler hasn't scored a goal this season. He sat out eight 

games after suffering a head injury in a Feb. 2 game against the Kings. He 

returned to play Feb. 24 

"He's a little tentative of jumping into a play, maybe because he missed 

those eight games," Boudreau said. "Last night was his first time on left 

defense. He's just focusing more on defense. He's playing good. They're 

not scoring goals on him." 

Tonight 

VS. CALGARY 

When: 7:30. Where: Honda Center. 

On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 830. 

Record vs. Flames: 1-0. 

Etc. Veteran right wing Jarome Iginla has scored six of his seven goals in 

the last five games. 



Miller: High school hockey players take a peak 

By JEFF MILLER 

ANAHEIM – Their season-long climb began in a forest. 

In August. 

In the dirt. 

Those might seem like some unlikely first steps for a high school sports 

team, especially one that plays hockey. 

But the journey all made sense Thursday, when JSerra first spied the peak 

– ice capped, no less – at Honda Center, home of the Ducks High School 

Hockey League championships. 

The Lions met Santa Margarita in the marquee event, the Varsity 1A title 

game. 

But, back in August, they weren't necessarily building toward a 

championship. They were just building. 

As part of an annual team bonding trip, the Lions gathered at Blue Jay 

Campground near Lake Elsinore. The group then hiked through the 

Cleveland National Forest, toward the top of the Los Pinos Trail, nearly two 

hours away and 4,500 feet in the air. 

"Climbing a mountain ... there's a little bit of symbolism there," JSerra coach 

Mike Perkins says. "During the course of a season, there are a lot of ups 

and downs, and you're trying to make it to a pinnacle. It does sort of 

replicate what the hockey season is like." 

This league certainly replicates what the high school sports experience is 

like. Since its inception in 2008, the project has grown to 14 teams and 

features both varsity and junior varsity and now even boasts a co-ed 

element. 

Unlike club programs, it also offers the opportunity to play with classmates 

while wrapped in the school colors. 

The allure of that opportunity is a powerful one, strong enough to result in a 

commitment so tangible that it can be measured in actual numbers, like 

miles per gallon, for instance. 

"I just love hockey," Megan Almond says. "I love to play." 

She loves it enough to tolerate what the game demands of her – hours of 

commuting time. Almond, an independent studies student, lives in Ontario 

but plays for Los Alamitos. 

Almond travels to Anaheim for practices and games, two hours each way, 

in an '03 Ford Expedition, no doubt enjoying freeways like the 60, 57 and 

91. Frankly, two hours in the penalty box doesn't sound less inviting. 

"It has a V-8 (engine), so the mileage isn't great," the JV goalie says. "But 

this is a cool opportunity. The closest school to me that has hockey is 

Damien (in La Verne), and it's an all-boys school." 

The driving costs $400 a week in gas alone, a gift to Almond from her 

grandmother, Judy, for all the work Megan does in helping her single 

mother, Karen, raise four kids. 

Two of Almond's siblings, brother Mitchell and sister Erin, are deaf and 

have other special needs. Because of the requirements at home, Almond 

started doing independent study through Upland High. 

She offered to give up hockey because of the cost, but her grandmother 

insisted she keep playing. Almond's aunt, Kathy, also has helped 

financially. 

"I don't like thinking about it," Almond says. "I don't like having money spent 

on me. But my grandma knows how much I love playing." 

So she played Thursday, finished her high school season in the JV title 

game, won by JSerra, 5-4. 

The Lions varsity later concluded their year against Santa Margarita, which 

recently won a state title and this month will travel to Florida for a national 

tournament. 

It was only seven months ago that JSerra's players were up there in the 

woods, taking their first strides that led to Thursday. 

On the yearly bonding trip, the Lions typically have a Wiffle Ball game and a 

cookout – hot dogs and hamburgers. Last year, there were skits and this 

year the players had a poker tournament. One of the kids brought his guitar 

and played around the campfire. 

"From the first day of practice, I tell the seniors, 'This is your last year. Be 

careful. We'll be at the end of the year before you know it,'" says Perkins, a 

campus minister at the school. "It always happens that way for the seniors. 

Before you know it, they're in the locker room and it's the last day and the 

weight of what that really means hits them." 

Another aspect of the August trip is the time capsule. Perkins has his 

seniors write messages – some choose the seriously inspirational and 

others the silly and comical – and then those messages are stuffed in an 

old change canister and buried. 

Next August, the latest group of Lions will convene at Blue Jay 

Campground, hike up the Los Pinos Trail, unearth the words of those who 

came before them and, using those words as guidance, set their sights on 

another season, another climb. 

"Our goal is have our older players, our veterans, mentor the younger kids," 

Perkins says. "That's really high school sports in a nutshell. We want them 

to understand, 'This is your team. This is your season. It's up to you to 

make the most of it.'" 

The Lions lost the Varsity 1A final here to Santa Margarita, 4-3, meaning 

their climb finished a stride short. 

That's OK. These kids already came together to reach one peak. 

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Lev: 1,000th game no minor feat for Steve Carroll 

After toiling in the minor leagues for almost two decades, Carroll is living his 

dream as the Ducks’ radio play-by-play announcer.) 

By MICHAEL LEV / ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER 

Roger Ebert once wrote an entry in his online journal entitled "The best 

damn job in the whole damn world." It was about him wanting, more than 

anything, to become a newspaper reporter. 

Steve Carroll can relate. 

DirecTV faces a difficult decision regarding "NFL Sunday Ticket." According 

to reports, the satellite provider is considering dropping its exclusive 

agreement with the league, or dropping the package altogether, if the price 

to re-up in 2015 is too high. The question is: How many customers would 

DirecTV lose in the process? 

If you missed Mike Tyson's one-man "Undisputed Truth" show in Orange 

County and can't make it to the Pantages Theatre in L.A. to see it this 

weekend, I suggest "The BS Report" podcast Bill Simmons did with Tyson 

and Jalen Rose last week. It's riveting. "The BS Report" can be found on 

Grantland.com and iTunes. 

TBS isn't the only one guilty of this, but the network's Sunday MLB 

schedule predictably includes multiple appearances by the Yankees and 

Red Sox over the first two months. I was sick of them when they were good; 

I have even less interest in watching them when they're bad, which is the 

direction things seem headed. 

MICHAEL LEV/The Register 

For as long as he can remember, Carroll wanted to be a radio play-by-play 

announcer for a professional sports team. As a youth, the St. Louis native 

would go to bed with a transistor radio (remember those?) so he could 

listen to Jack Buck call the Cardinals or Dan Kelly the Blues. Carroll even 

tucked a radio into his pocket during his high school graduation ceremony. 

Several decades and numerous minor-league stops later, Carroll is living 

his dream. This past Saturday he broadcasted his 1,000th game as the 

radio voice of the Ducks, who honored him at center ice before the opening 

faceoff against Phoenix on Wednesday night. 

That Carroll has made it this far is a testament to his dogged determination. 

He called thousands of minor-league baseball and hockey games over the 

course of two decades before landing the Ducks job in 1999. 

"Every day I come to work here is a good day," the gravelly voiced Carroll, 

57, said from his perch in the home-team radio booth at Honda Center. 

"Every day I've come in here it's like, 'This is what I've worked for.' It's 

everything I thought it would be." 

Like many American males, Carroll grew up as an unabashed sports geek. 

He memorized players' uniform numbers and statistics. He could list all the 

winners of the Indianapolis 500 and the Triple Crown horse races. He'd 

walk around the house shouting "Shoots he scores!" and "Lays it up and 

in!" 

Listening to Buck, Kelly and others – you can pick up stations from 

Minneapolis to Houston in centrally located St. Louis – Carroll developed a 

love affair with radio. There was just something about the way those 

broadcasting legends painted a picture with their words. 

So Carroll attended the Broadcast Center school in St. Louis, the start of an 

odyssey that would take him from Farmington, Mo., to Des Moines, Iowa, to 

New Haven, Conn., and parts in between. In the early 1990s, he held five 

jobs at once in Nashville, Tenn., including serving as the play-by-play 

announcer for the Music City Jammers of the Global Basketball 

Association. 

Carroll enjoyed almost every minute of it, but he longed to work in the big 

leagues. He finally got his break at age 40, when he became the radio guy 

for the Philadelphia Flyers. But the Flyers let him go after only one season, 

for reasons that remain unclear. So Carroll went back to the minors, this 

time in New Orleans. He met his future wife there but seriously wondered 

whether he'd ever make it. 

Carroll was on the verge of giving up hope when a colleague told him that 

the Ducks had an opening – a second and, in all likelihood, final shot. He 

sent the team a tape, came out for an interview and got the job. 

"I just had this feeling that it was right. I can't tell you why," Carroll said. 

"And here we are, 13 years later." 

There's no place Carroll would rather be. If it isn't the best damn job in the 

whole damn world, it's a close second. 

FS1'S HEAD START 

Fox Sports 1, the latest entry into the 24-hour-a-day sports-channel market, 

won't take down ESPN anytime soon. But FS1 does have two advantages 

CBS Sports Network and NBC Sports Network lack or lacked. 

One is distribution in about 90 million homes at launch. FS1, set to debut 

Aug. 17, is replacing Fox's Speed channel. 

The other is rights to big-time sports programming, including Pac-12 football 

and, starting in 2014, Major League Baseball. 

In conjunction with FS1, Fox will launch a mobile app ("Fox Sports Go") 

enabling participating cable and satellite subscribers to watch live games on 

their devices. 

REMOTE PATROL 

ESPN's "Championship Week" – which is actually 12 days long – already 

has begun, and it'll feature 136 men's games across the various ESPN 

platforms. New this year: ESPN will televise a quarterfinal, semifinal and the 

championship game of the Pac-12 Tournament. As part of the conference's 

new 12-year media deal, ESPN will have those rights every other year. ... 

Recognizing that we can't get enough when it comes to mock drafts, 

NFL.com is launching a weekly show devoted to that topic. "NFL.com LIVE: 

Mock Draft Weekly," debuting at 10 a.m. PT Friday, will feature fresh mock 

drafts and analysis leading up to the real thing next month. Matt "Money" 

Smith serves as host for the show, which also will be available on demand. 

... 

From the wish-I'd-thought-of-it-first file: SI.com's Richard Deitsch, with some 

help from his friends, conducted an "Ultimate College Basketball 

Broadcaster Draft" in advance of the NCAA Tournament. Deitsch had the 

first pick and chose Gus Johnson. Charles Barkley went second. The most 

notable omission: superb play-by-play man Kevin Harlan. ... CBS Sports 

Network will chronicle Kansas' improbable 1988 championship run in a onehour 

documentary. "The Miracles: The 1988 Kansas Jayhawks" debuts at 5 

p.m. Monday. ... The streaking Chicago Blackhawks are good for NBC's 

business. The Chicago-Detroit game Sunday was the network's highestrated, 

regular-season NHL game, excluding Winter Classics. 


661915 Boston Bruins 

Anton Khudobin helps Bruins stop slide 

By Michael Whitmer 

Globe Staff / March 7, 2013 

This story is from BostonGlobe.com, the only place for complete digital 

access to the Globe. 

With the Bruins in the early stages of a schedule that from here offers 

precious little downtime, getting solid goaltending when starter Tuukka 

Rask sits figures to be a key and closely watched story line during this 

condensed season. 

If Anton Khudobin keeps playing this way, Bruins fans won’t panic when 

seeing Rask on the bench, confident that there won’t be a noticeable dropoff 

in production. 

Khudobin was charged on Thursday night with stopping a Toronto offense 

that had scored 14 goals in its last three games, all wins. He met the 

challenge, stopping 25 shots in the Bruins’ 4-2 win at TD Garden. 

Losers of two straight games coming in, the Bruins were in search of a 

spark to stop the mini-slide. Khudobin, a 26-year-old Russian who has now 

appeared in all of 12 NHL games, was perhaps an unlikely candidate. 

“It’s a big win for everybody. We lost a couple games, so we had to recover, 

get back on track,” Khudobin said. “We have to continue to win and keep 

getting points, because the schedule is getting tougher and tougher.” 

Because of that, coach Claude Julien has maintained that Khudobin will be 

seeing plenty of action. Rask is the established starter, but the better 

Khudobin can play, the better the Bruins will be. 

“It certainly makes our team feel a lot better when you know, no matter who 

you put in net, they’re going to give you a solid performance,” Julien said. 

“That’s what you want and you hope to get from your backup goaltender. 

He played well tonight.” 

Getting the start for the second time in four games — he stopped 20 of 22 

shots in Saturday’s 3-2 home win against the Lightning — Khudobin played 

a smart 60 minutes: consistent, great when he had to be, and giving up no 

bad goals. 

Khudobin was at his best early in the game. With the Bruins handing the 

Maple Leafs a short-lived five-on-three advantage midway through the first 

period of a scoreless game because of penalties on Chris Kelly and Daniel 

Paille, Khudobin knew he’d get tested. He was, blocking a point-blank bid 

by Tyler Bozak after the puck hit the back boards and bounced straight 

toward the crease. 

There was also a highlight-reel kick save on a shot by former Bruin Phil 

Kessel, who heard it from the Garden crowd every time he touched the 

puck. Khudobin denied Kessel with his right pad. 

It helped Khudobin that the Bruins never played from behind. The Leafs tied 

it at 1 early in the second period during four-on-four play, when Nazem 

Kadri buried a perfect cross-ice pass from Clarke MacArthur. Khudobin 

stood little chance of making the save, but actually thought for an instant 

that he had. 

“I was thinking I stopped that,” he said. “It hit my stick but it went into the 

net. Sometimes it’s going to be a save, sometimes a goal.” 

Goals by Tyler Seguin and David Krejci staked Khudobin to a two-goal 

advantage, wiggle room that proved necessary when he let in his second 

shot of the night, a deflection off the stick of Jay McClement with a lot of 

traffic in front. 

“That second goal you could see he was mad, he felt he should have had 

it,” Julien said. “But he made some real good saves for us the whole game. 

I thought he was solid.” 

More importantly, the Bruins are playing with confidence when Khudobin is 

in the lineup. They’ve won four of his five starts, a 4-2 loss at Buffalo on 

Feb. 15 the exception. 

“We have a lot of confidence in Anton,” said Patrice Bergeron, the game’s 

No. 1 star after a 3-point game (goal, two assists). “Tonight was another 

example of what he can give us.” 

Experience will most certainly come, with the Bruins playing their final 27 

games of the regular season over the next 51 days. Khudobin will get his 

chance whenever Rask needs a break to stay fresh. But even on those 

nights, the Bruins’ top netminder plays an important role. 

“My teammates are always helping me, before the game, after the game. 

Tukes, he helps me, too,” Khudobin said. “Just by saying a couple good 

words.” 

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer at globe.com. 

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.08.2013


Bruins place Chris Bourque on waivers 

By Fluto Shinzawa 




The Bruins’ third line has not performed to expectations. On Thursday, 

Chris Bourque suffered the consequences of the line’s shortcomings. 

The Bruins placed the left wing on waivers. Any team can claim Bourque by 

noon on Friday. If Bourque clears, it’s likely the Bruins will assign him to 

Providence. Bourque is in the first season of a two-year, $1.1 million 

contract. He will be on a one-way deal in 2013-14. 

The Bruins acquired Bourque from Washington for Zach Hamill last May. 

The Bruins projected Bourque to mesh with Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley 

on the third line because of his skill and hockey sense. Bourque was also 

most recently on the point on the No. 2 power-play unit. 

But Bourque struggled with his consistency at both ends. In 18 games, 

Bourque had one goal and three assists while averaging 12:04 of ice time. 

In Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime loss, Bourque was on the ice for two Washington 

goals. 

“We’re certainly hoping not to lose him,” said coach Claude Julien. “It 

doesn’t mean his time here is over. He knows that it took a little bit of time 

to find his game. It was coming around a little bit. He knows that his last 

game wasn’t the best, either. But when you look at the way he played in 

Providence, he’s certainly a guy you can’t count off your lineup here. Right 

now, it could be just a bump along the way. If we needed a guy to be called 

up, he’s certainly a guy I would have no issues seeing back here.” 

On Thursday against Toronto, Jay Pandolfo replaced Bourque on the third 

line, and was minus-1 in 11:42 of ice time in the 4-2 win. Pandolfo had 

played primarily on the fourth line in his three previous games. 

Pandolfo is likely a fill-in. The Bruins have been targeting the No. 3 left wing 

position as an area to upgrade via the trade market. That will not change 

prior to the April 3 deadline. It is their highest priority along with defensive 

depth. 

TSN noted the Bruins could finally land Carl Soderberg. The Bruins 

acquired the Swedish forward from St. Louis for Hannu Toivonen on July 

23, 2007. Soderberg has been reluctant to report to the NHL, especially if 

AHL seasoning were required. 

Soderberg, a left-shot forward, has scored 31 goals and 29 assists in 54 

games for Linkoping of the Swedish Elite League, and would participate in 

the Swedish playoffs before joining the Bruins. 

The Bruins could also look internally. Jordan Caron has a goal in each of 

his last two games for Providence. Caron had initially been a candidate for 

the third line but was unavailable because of a shoulder injury to start the 

NHL season. 

The Bruins could also consider Ryan Spooner. The first-year pro leads 

Providence with 10 goals and 30 assists in 44 games. Spooner also could 

center the third line, moving Kelly to left wing. 

Daniel Paille has played several games with Kelly and Peverley. But the 

Bruins were pleased with Paille’s play on the fourth line with Gregory 

Campbell and Shawn Thornton against the Capitals. They would prefer to 

keep the fourth line intact. 

“Our fourth line played their best game probably in a year and a half the last 

game in Washington,” said coach Claude Julien. “They were a real factor. I 

thought they had some great scoring chances with O-zone time and 

everything else. If they can continue to play like that, then we’ve just got to 

hope that our third line can turn the corner here.” 

Line isn’t straight 

Since his arrival from Ottawa on Feb. 15, 2011, Kelly’s transition has been 

seamless. Kelly has won a Stanley Cup. He’s an alternate captain. He is 

the workhorse on the league-leading penalty kill, averaging 2:37 of 

shorthanded ice time per game, most among Bruins forwards. 

Those accomplishments make it especially puzzling why Kelly’s game is not 

close to the standards set by himself and his employer. 

“I wish I could put my finger on it,” Kelly said of the third line’s performance. 

“We need to manage the puck better and not make those crucial mistakes. 

They seem like they’re not a big deal at the moment, but then they tend to 

snowball and end up being in the back of your net.” 

The No. 3 line is one of the organization’s most pressing concerns. Two 

years ago, one of the reasons the Bruins won the Cup was the two-way 

contributions of Kelly, Peverley, and Michael Ryder. 

“There’s two guys in Kelly and Peverley that were great assets and big plus 

players last year,” said Julien. “Right now, they’re struggling to get that part 

of their game going. The one thing you don’t do is lose confidence in them. 

They’ve just got to work their way through it. That’s part of their job. It’s part 

of our job. We know what they’re capable of doing. Everybody in that room 

knows we’re capable of getting better presence from that team than we 

have so far.” 

Kelly entered Thursday’s game with just one goal, while Peverley had three 

goals and three assists. 

But the third line’s defensive lapses have been even more alarming. Kelly 

was on the ice for three of Washington’s four goals on Tuesday. The 

Capitals scored twice with Bourque and Peverley on the ice. 

Kelly’s line didn’t score against Toronto. Even though Peverley and 

Pandolfo were on the ice for Jay McClement’s third-period goal, the line 

submitted a more reliable defensive performance. 

“That line was better for me tonight,” Julien said. 

Punching in 

Adam McQuaid logged the lone fight of the game at 3:23 of the first. He 

challenged Mark Fraser after the Toronto defenseman decked Pandolfo 

from behind. Fraser connected with more punches . . . David Krejci missed 

a third-period shift. Korbinian Holzer clobbered Krejci with a clean hit, briefly 

sending the center to the dressing room . . . Paille appeared in his 400th 

career game. 

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa at globe.com. 



Bruins beat Maple Leafs, 4-2 

By Fluto Shinzawa 




On Thursday night, for the third straight game, the Bruins took a lead into 

the third period. For the first time, they emerged with 2 points. 

The Bruins halted an 0-1-1 slide with a blue-collar, 4-2 win over the Maple 

Leafs before 17,565 at TD Garden. The Bruins were coming off a 4-3 

overtime loss to Washington on Tuesday in which the Capitals wiped out a 

3-0 deficit. 

“I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty,” said coach Claude Julien. “When you 

lose two games the way we did, I didn’t expect us, all of a sudden, to be this 

great team. I knew it was going to be tough. But what I wanted to see from 

our team is us battling through it. We did. They forechecked hard. We were 

able to get the puck out eventually. The goalie made some good saves. We 

battled and we found a way to score some goals the way we want to score 

them — with good net-front presence.” 

The scorching line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Tyler Seguin 

punched in three of the Bruins’ four goals. Seguin led the march with two, 

including an empty-netter at 19:45 of the third period. 

Phil Kessel, the ex-Bruin whose trade brought back Seguin, Dougie 

Hamilton, and Jared Knight, submitted his usual Boston performance: no 

goals, no assists, two shots, on the ice for two opposing goals. 

“It’s nice to see Siggy finally finishing,” Marchand said with a smile. “He was 

getting a little frustrated there early on. It’s nice for him to finally get a 

couple there and get his confidence up there.” 

It was the nature of the Bruins’ goals that pleased their boss: grinding along 

the boards, support from linemates, sprints toward the net. 

At the other end, the Bruins weren’t as sloppy with the puck nor loose with 

their coverage as they had been during setbacks to Washington and 

Montreal. When necessary, they looked to Anton Khudobin (25 saves) to 

provide timely stops. 

But the go-to players, once more, were Marchand, Bergeron, and Seguin. 

In the first period, Marchand created the first goal by winning a puck battle 

against Korbinian Holzer against the boards in the neutral zone. Because 

Holzer was engaged with Marchand, the Leafs were vulnerable on the back 

end. Seguin recognized the weakness. 

Seguin found the puck, blew into the offensive zone, and barreled toward 

the net. Ben Scrivens (21 saves) turned back Seguin’s shot. But Bergeron, 

who had been following the play, had an easy tap-in at 19:07 to give the 

Bruins a 1-0 lead. 

“Pretty indicative of what we’d asked from our players,” Julien said. “First 

one is a great effort by Marchand right in front of their bench, battling for the 

puck with two guys around him. That finally let Siggy get loose with the 

puck. He did a great job getting to the front of the net and cutting in. Bergy 

was following right there.” 

Nazem Kadri answered for the Leafs at 2:32 of the second during four-onfour 

play. With Johnny Boychuk caught up ice, Kadri and Clarke MacArthur 

converted a two-on-one rush against Dennis Seidenberg. 

But Bergeron’s line connected with the counterpunch at 7:11 of the second. 

Again, Holzer was caught out of position. He tried to challenge Bergeron at 

center ice to prevent the center from gaining the red line. But Bergeron 

found Marchand on the left wing. At the same time, Seguin flew over the 

blue line to create the outnumbered rush. 

Dion Phaneuf tried to recover. But Marchand slipped a cross-ice pass to 

Seguin. The right wing didn’t hesitate, snapping the puck past Scrivens to 

give the Bruins a 2-1 lead. 

“Just one of those games where that line did a great job getting pucks past 

their D’s, working through it, and doing the grunt work,” Julien said. 

The line’s hard-hat work was contagious. Late in the second, David Krejci 

netted the winning goal with a similar desire to enter the danger area. 

The play started deep in the Bruins’ zone. Dougie Hamilton started the 

breakout by banging the puck off the glass. As the Bruins picked up speed 

through the neutral zone, Andrew Ference decided to join the rush. Milan 

Lucic picked the puck off the wall, spotted Ference, and gave the 

defenseman the puck. 

Ference’s high-slot shot didn’t make it through traffic. But Krejci, who had 

been charging toward the cage, was in the right spot to find Ference’s 

rebound. Before Scrivens could recover, Krejci tapped the puck in at 18:03 

of the second. 

The Leafs kept fighting in the third. Jay McClement tipped Mikhail 

Grabovski’s shot past Khudobin to make it a one-goal game with 5:08 

remaining in regulation. 

The Bruins had blown two straight third-period leads. They knew that a third 

straight collapse would not be acceptable. 

“We never talked about, ‘Let’s not blow a lead for the third straight time 

here,’ ” Julien said. “Certainly not a good message for your team heading 

into the third with a 3-1 lead.” 

Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at fshinzawa at globe.com. 



Bruins bounce back for 4-2 win over Maple Leafs 

By JIMMY GOLEN 

AP Sports Writer / March 7, 2013 

BOSTON (AP) — Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist and Patrice 

Bergeron had one of each on Thursday night to lead the Boston Bruins to a 

4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Anton Khudobin stopped 25 shots for Boston, which blew leads in each of 

its previous two games and lost both. 

David Krejci also scored for Boston, and Brad Marchand had a pair of 

assists. With the win, the Bruins moved three points ahead of Toronto in the 

Northeast Division while remaining one point behind first-place Montreal. 

Nazem Kadri and Jay McClement scored for the Leafs, and Ben Scrivens 

made 21 saves for Toronto.end of story marker 



Bruins bounce back for 4-2 win over Maple Leafs 

By JIMMY GOLEN 

AP Sports Writer / March 7, 2013 

BOSTON (AP) — Tyler Seguin had two goals and an assist and Patrice 

Bergeron had one of each on Thursday night to lead the Boston Bruins to a 

4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Anton Khudobin stopped 25 shots for Boston, which blew leads in each of 

its previous two games and lost both. 

David Krejci also scored for Boston, and Brad Marchand had a pair of 

assists. With the win, the Bruins moved three points ahead of Toronto in the 

Northeast Division while remaining one point behind first-place Montreal. 

Nazem Kadri and Jay McClement scored for the Leafs, and Ben Scrivens 

made 21 saves for Toronto.end of story marker 



Final: Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 2 

Mike Whitmer, Globe Staff March 7, 2013 06:54 PM 

19:45 of 3rd, Bruins, 4-2: Tyler Seguin ices it, potting the empty-netter for 

his second goal of the game. It's a final. 

14:52 of 3rd, Bruins, 3-2: Mikhail Grabovski makes it a one-goal game, 

spinning around a Bruins defender and sending the puck past Khudobin, 

who had a lot of traffic in front of the net. 

11:00 of 3rd, Bruins, 3-1: Krejci driven hard into the boards by Holzer, but 

gets right up and finishes his shift. 

3:28 of 3rd, Bruins, 3-1: McQuaid vs. Colton Orr, but the referees step in 

before it escalates. Orr still sent to the box, 2 minutes for roughing. Bruins 

on the PP once again. 

:32 of 3rd, Bruins, 3-1: Bruins get an early PP after Phaneuf sent off for 

cross checking Marchand. 

End of 2nd, Bruins, 3-1: Leafs outshooting the Bruins, 22-15, but Boston 

has made the most of its scoring chances. 

18:03 of 2nd, Bruins, 3-1: Apologies, blog fans. Connection issues here at 

the Garden prompted a time-consuming computer restart. Bruins go up, 3- 

1, on a goal from David Krejci, who nonchalantly backhands the puck past 

Scrivens. Pinpoint centering pass from Milan Lucic to Andrew Ference, who 

shoots on net. Scrivens stops that one, but puck bounces right to Krejci, 

who easily knocks in his sixth goal of the season. 

12:00 of 2nd, Bruins, 2-1: Boychuck flattens van Riemsdyk with a solid, 

legal check. In football, that's called a de-cleater. What's the hockey term? 

11:06 of 2nd, Bruins, 2-1: Bruins still being outshot (17-13), but the 

Marchand-Seguin-Bergeron line has carried them to the lead. 

7:11 of 2nd, Bruins, 2-1: Seguin puts the Bruins back in front, after receiving 

a centering pass from Marchand. Unmarked (but MacArthur trying to 

distract him with a diving lunge from behind), Seguin beats Scrivens stick 

side. Seguin, Marchand, Bergeron all with multiple points tonight. 

3:16 of 2nd, 1-1: Bruins on PP for first time tonight. 

2:32 of 2nd period, 1-1: Leafs tie it during 4-on-4 play on a goal from 

Nazem Kadri. Clarke MacArthur got the puck in Boston's zone, busted out 

on a 2-on-1 with Kadri, and Seidenberg between them. 

1:22 of 2nd period, Bruins, 1-0: Marchand, Phaneuf each sent to the box for 

roughing. 

End of 1st period, Bruins, 1-0: Leafs outshoot the Bruins, 10-9, but Boston 

gets the last-minute goal from Bergeron to push ahead. Bruins killed two 

penalties, including a brief 5-on-3. Khudobin has made some solid saves, 

including one against Phil Kessel, who continues to get booed every time 

he touches the puck. 

19:07 of 1st, Bruins, 1-0: Patrice Bergeron puts the Bruins up 1-0 by 

knocking in a rebound of Tyler Seguin's initial shot. Seguin split a pair of 

defenders after getting a pass from Brad Marchand, and went straight at 

Scrivens, who stopped the initial shot. But Bergeron was there for clean-up 

duty. 

17:40 of 1st, 0-0: Pandolfo's bid turned away by Scrivens, with Kelly unable 

to knock home the rebound, his shot bouncing off the post. Peverly also 

with a chance. 

14:00 of 1st, 0-0: Bruins kill short-lived 5-on-3 (great save by Khudobin on 

Tyler Bozak at the doorstep), then kill Paille's penalty. Kelly, after leaving 

the penalty box, created a 2-on-1, but Scrivens gloves a high shot. 

12:03 of 1st, 0-0: Now it's a 5-on-3., Paille caught high-sticking, and joins 

Kelly in the box for 23 seconds. Leafs call timeout. 

10:25 of 1st, 0-0: Kelly sent off for slashing. Leafs go on the PP first. 

8:35 of 1st, 0-0: Khudobin kicks away low shot from former Bruin Phil 

Kessel. Great save with his right leg, then he pounces on the rebound try. 

7:30 of 1st period, 0-0: Nice sliding block by Toronto's Korbinian Holzer foils 

in-close look from Chris Kelly. 

6:42 of 1st period, 0-0: Pretty evenly-played period so far. Each team with 

three shots. A couple of sloppy passes -- one from Chara, another from 

Ference -- haven't cost the Bruins. 

3:23 of 1st period, 0-0: McQuaid squares off against Mark Fraser after 

Fraser drilled Jay Pandolfo from behind along the boards. Pretty good fight, 

both landing solid blows. 

Pregame: Former Bruin and hockey Hall of Famer Milt Schmidt, who turned 

95 on Tuesday, handles the ceremonial puck drop ... We're minutes away 

from the Bruins taking on Toronto from TD Garden. Anton Khudobin (3-1, 

2.52 GAA) will get the start in goal for Boston, opposed by Ben Scrivens (6- 

6, 2.41). Leafs have played better of late, winning three straight and four of 

their last five. 



Tonight's Bruins lineup 

Mike Whitmer, Globe Staff March 7, 2013 06:32 PM 

By Michael Whitmer, Globe Staff 

Based on pregame warm-ups: 

Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton 

Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin 

Jay Pandolfo-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley 

Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton 

Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk 

Dennis Seidenberg-Dougie Hamilton 

Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid 

Anton Khudobin 

Tuukka Rask 

Ben Scrivens (6-6-0, 2.41 GAA, .923 save percentage) will start in goal for 

the Maple Leafs. 



Chris Bourque placed on waivers 

By Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff 

The Bruins have placed Chris Bourque on waivers. Teams can claim 

Bourque before noon tomorrow. If Bourque clears waivers, it’s likely that the 

Bruins will assign the forward to Providence. 

Bourque, the son of Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, has struggled to find 

consistency for most of the season. In 18 games, Bourque has one goal 

and three assists while averaging 12:04 of ice time per appearance. 

Bourque had been playing mostly on the third line with Chris Kelly and Rich 

Peverley. Bourque had also seen time at the point on the No. 2 power-play 

unit. 

Bourque was a healthy scratch against Montreal on Sunday. 



Lineup changes likely for Bruins 


With only one point in their last two games, the Bruins are in line for some 

tweaks tonight against Toronto. Anton Khudobin was the first goalie off the 

ice following the morning skate, indicating he will start against the Maple 

Leafs. Tuukka Rask dropped his last two starts. 

Claude Julien praised the fourth line of Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell, 

and Shawn Thornton. Julien said against Washington, they played one of 

their best games in the last year and a half. 

Julien hasn’t been as happy with the No. 3 line, primarily Chris Kelly and 

Rich Peverley. Neither of the forwards has played well at both ends of the 

ice. Based on this morning’s line rushes, Jay Pandolfo will skate alongside 

Kelly and Peverley. Chris Bourque will be the healthy scratch. 

A possible lineup for tonight: 



Jay Pandolfo-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley 






Tuukka Rask 

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.08.2013


Game 21: Maple Leafs at Bruins preview 


Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins will host the Maple Leafs 

tonight. The Bruins are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Washington in 

which they gagged up a three-goal lead. 

The Bruins will have to address the play of their No. 3 line. They have been 

neither scoring nor playing stout defense. We’ll have to wait until warmups 

to determine who will be on the line. For now, we’ll assume Chris Bourque 

will stay alongside Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley. Daniel Paille could also 

get a crack on the line. 

Puck drop: 7 p.m. 

TV/radio info: NESN (Jack Edwards, Andy Brickley, Naoko Funayama),98.5 

The Sports Hub (Dave Goucher, Bob Beers) 

Records: Leafs 15-9-0, Bruins 14-3-3 

Projected Bruins lineup: 



Chris Bourque-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley 





Tuukka Rask 


Healthy scratches: Aaron Johnson, Jay Pandolfo, Lane MacDermid 

Storylines: The Bruins are 0-1-2 in games when they’ve held a lead 

entering the third-period this season. The Bruins were 62-2-2 in such 

situations during the previous two seasons… Phil Kessel scored a goal and 

two assists in Toronto’s 5-4 win over Ottawa last night… This will mark the 

first match of a two-game homestand. The Bruins host Philadelphia on 

Saturday. They will then depart for a two-game road trip against Ottawa and 

Pittsburgh… Nazem Kadri is on a hot streak. Kadri has scored five goals in 

the last three games… Tonight will be Daniel Paille’s 400th career game… 

Stephen Walkom and Gord Dwyer will be the referees. Derek Amell and 

Tim Nowak will be the linesmen. 



Deposed Brian Burke only focused on what’s next 

Stephen Harris / Boston Herald 

When Brian Burke, after four pressure-packed and unsuccessful seasons 

as general manager/president of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was abruptly 

fired on Jan. 9, it might have been easy to assume the 57-year-old would 

want to take some time off. Maybe just go to the Caribbean and relax. 

Hardly. 

“I’m not much for sitting on beaches,” said Burke in a phone chat from 

Toronto yesterday. “At my press conference (after his dismissal), I was 

asked if I wanted to be a GM again. I said, ‘Yeah, tomorrow.’ ” 

Under the incessant demands and scrutiny of ownership, fans and media, 

Burke worked hard to build his team — yet it never made the playoffs 

during his tenure. 

But now, the team he assembled is suddenly playing well, and it’s looking 

like the Leafs could return to the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04. 

Toronto took a three-game win streak into last night’s game against the 

Bruins at the Garden, and was fifth in the Eastern Conference at 15-9-0. 

Whether Burke is angry, frustrated or proud about the Leafs’ performance is 

anyone’s guess. He is adamant he said what he wanted to say at his exit 

press conference and will say no more. 

“It’s (interim GM) Dave Nonis’ team. I haven’t done any interviews about 

this and I’m not going to,” said Burke. “I absolutely refuse to talk about the 

job or what happened.” 

At his farewell press conference on Jan. 12, Burke said his dismissal was 

completely unexpected. 

“There’s some times when you get fired and you see the vultures circling 

and you understand it’s coming,” he said then. “You’re not sure when you’re 

going to drop dead in the desert, but it’s coming and you can see the 

vultures. This one here was like a two-by-four upside the head to me.” 

He was candid about the team’s failings, but even after being blindsided by 

new corporate boss Tom Anselmi, Burke did not lose his love of the GM’s 

job. 

For the past few weeks, he has been working as a pro-level scout for the 

Anaheim Ducks — the team he, as GM, led to the Stanley Cup in 2007 — 

but hopes he’ll get to run another NHL team in the future. 

“The pressure of winning accompanies the general manager’s job in any 

city; it’s obviously intensified somewhat in Canada,” said Burke, whose 

previous GM work includes stints in Hartford and Vancouver, plus with 

Team USA at the 2010 Olympics. “But being a GM in the NHL is one of the 

great jobs in pro sports. If I can get back into that, I’d love it. We’ll see. 

“All general manager jobs are 24 hours. I guarantee you Peter Chiarelli 

drives his kids to school and the first thing he thinks about once he lets 

them out of the car is, ‘What can I do to make this team better?’ It’s 24/7, 

every GM, every sport, and that’s not unique to Canada.” 

It takes a unique guy to take on the job. And Burke is ready to get right back 

at it. 



For B’s, result two good 

Team needed points big-time 

Steve Buckley / Boston Herald 

So there. The Bruins emerged with a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple 

Leafs last night at the Garden, and all is right again in the Boston Sports 

World, Hockey Division. 

No, the Bruins didn’t push the Leafs all the way to the Tobin. This victory 

was workmanlike, not masterful. They scored enough goals to get the two 

points, but not enough to make a statement. They didn’t make noise. 

Instead, they made sense — which in this case means playing a mostly 

consistent 60 minutes of hockey. 

You all know what happened the last two games. Two straight losses, two 

straight blown leads in the third period. The Bruins gave up two third-period 

goals in a 4-3 loss to those floppin’, embellishin’ Montreal Canadiens. 

Against the Washington Caps, they amassed a 3-0 first-period lead and 

then pressed the snooze button; when they awakened, they were 4-3 

overtime losers. 

And you might think this is just a fan thing — win a game, regain the mighty 

mo — but it turns out the Bruins themselves, from coach Claude Julien on 

down, attached a decided urgency to last night’s game. 

Julien went so far as to say he didn’t expect art on ice. He just wanted the 

two freakin’ points, as though a playoff berth were at stake. 

“I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty,” said the coach. “When you lose two 

games the way we did, I didn’t expect us to all of a sudden be this great 

team. I knew it was going to be tough. What I wanted to see from our team 

is us battling through it, and we did.” 

So, how important was it to the Bruins that they win this one? 

“It was very important,” announced Patrice Bergeron, who scored the 

team’s first goal. “We talked about it before the game, and the morning 

skate as well, and the emphasis was on having a 60-minute effort and 

being solid and coming out with the two points.” 

If you’re the glass-is-half-empty type, last night’s game changes little. The 

Bruins still have third-line issues, with or without Chris Bourque, and one 

game doesn’t make the 60-minutes-of-consistency issue go away. 

But if you watched the game through your half-filled glass, you saw that 

when Bergeron scored the first goal it was because he knocked in the 

rebound of a shot by Tyler Seguin, who finessed his way past the Toronto 

defense. 

And when Seguin scored the B’s second goal, it was because he got a nice 

centering pass from Brad Marchand. 

And when David Krejci scored goal No. 3, it was because he was able to 

bang home the rebound of a shot by Andrew Ference, who’d been the 

recipient of a nice pass from Milan Lucic. 

It was all nice and concise, and, again, workmanlike. 

And it was two points. 

Plus, it was two points on a night when Bruins fans had every right to say, 

“Oh, boy, here we go again,” after the Leafs made it a one-goal game with 

just over five minutes remaining. 

“I was a little nervous when they scored that one in the third period,” said 

Seguin, with surprising candor. “Just how the last few games have gone. 

But we bared down and walked away with two points, so it makes me 

happy.” 

I swear a National Hockey League record was set last night for most 

usages of the term “two points.” 

But this is Boston, and these are the Bruins, and those two previous losses 

were truly horrific. Put it all together — the decade-long run of 

championships in this town, the expectations for this Bruins team, the 

cough-cough-cough against the Habs and Caps — and your local pro 

hockey team absolutely, positively had to win a game last night. 

Two points for the Bruins. 

There’s plenty of time for them to think big picture. What they needed to do 

last night was think small — as in two points — and in that respect they 

succeeded. 

“It was a big one for us, especially after the last two games,” said the big 

guy, Zdeno Chara. “We need to be much better for the whole game, for a 

60-minute game, and I thought we were better than we were the last two 

games. It was a good effort.” 

Not a great effort, mind you. Just a good one. That’s a start. 



Right steps for Tyler Seguin 

Stephen Harris / Boston Herald 

In most circumstances, Switzerland is a lovely place for a visitor from North 

America to spend a couple of months. But maybe not so much if you’re a 

young hockey player still trying to figure out the rigors and demands of a 

sound, two-way game. 

You can bet Tyler Seguin had himself a grand time during his lockout stint 

in the Swiss league. Life, and scoring goals, were easy. Perhaps too easy. 

And perhaps the 21-year-old brought some bad habits back to the NHL. 

It takes time to break those habits. Seguin is showing signs of doing just 

that the last couple of weeks, certainly again last night at the Garden, where 

he collected two goals and an assist in the Bruins’ latest victory, 4-2, over 

the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

To be the player Seguin says he wants to be, it’s not just about points. 

Points are great, but his model is not super sniper Steven Stamkos. It’s 

linemate Patrice Bergeron, one of the most honest and hard-working 

forwards in the NHL. 

The credo of a Bergeron: You don’t cheat and cut corners to find scoring 

chances. You work for them. Seguin has been working much better lately 

and the results show it: 5-7-12 totals and a plus-8 in the last 10 games. 

“I think the last couple of weeks, I’ve been playing good in my D-zone, a lot 

more than I think I was at the start of the season,” said Seguin. “Over in 

Europe, I think I was circling a little bit more. I didn’t have to battle. I don’t 

know if I even got hit over there in the few months I was there. 

“I had to find that game again. I think it’s coming now.” 

Seguin struggled early in the abbreviated season, and figured out pretty 

quickly the open-ice, little-contact hockey of Europe wasn’t going to work in 

NHL arenas. In the first 11 games, he missed a bundle of chances and 

posted only two goals. 

But from those struggles, he found the motivation to go back to a simpler, 

more competitive manner of play. 

“It comes with not producing and getting more determined,” he said. “(It’s) 

getting back to focusing on the little things — not the big picture, or the 

statistics.” 

And ain’t hockey a great game? When you work hard at the less glamorous 

aspects, the offense magically follows. 

“He’s playing better,” said coach Claude Julien after his team continued its 

dominance of the Maple Leafs — albeit a much improved club playing a 

much stronger two-way game than in recent years. 

“He’s battling along the boards and being quicker on the puck. There’s no 

hesitation in his game. When he skates the way he skates — and takes the 

hesitation out — a lot of good things can happen for him.” 

Seguin skated without hesitation last night, and two of the good things that 

happened to him were great setups from linemate Brad Marchand. The first 

sent Seguin flying down the left side and to the net hard — his shot was 

stopped by Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens, but Bergeron tapped in the rebound. 

Later, Marchand drew a crowd along the left boards, then feathered a pass 

into space on the wide open right side. Seguin skated onto it, moved in and 

whistled in a wrister from the right circle. 

He capped his night with an empty-netter with 14.6 seconds left. 

Seguin didn’t deny it when it was noted that he tends to particularly play 

well against his hometown team. In contrast to Phil Kessel — who has 3-6- 

9 totals and a minus-20 in 20 games against the team that dealt him for 

picks that became Seguin and Dougie Hamilton — Seguin is 10-5-15 and a 

plus-9 in 14 games against Toronto. 

“I think that’s a little bit normal,” said Julien of Seguin’s knack for good 

games against the Leafs. “He comes from there, so it’s always exciting to 

be playing your hometown. 

“But at the same time, he’s been playing much better the last couple of 

weeks. He’s really picked up his game. This is just a continuation of what 

we’re seeing from him lately.” 

Seguin, and his linemates, have been making it look easy. They’ve been 

doing it by working really hard. It’s a great game. 



Chiarelli ‘close’ to scoring Swede Carl Soderberg 

Steve Conroy / Boston Herald 

Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli confirmed a TSN report last night 

that Swedish star Carl Soderberg, whose NHL rights have been owned by 

the B’s since 2007, is close to coming to play for the team this year after his 

season with Linkoping HC in the Swedish Elite League ends. 

Chiarelli told the Herald he’s still waiting on final clearance from the league 

to make sure the move would be allowed, but he’s optimistic. 

“We’ve been trying for five years to get him over here and it’s close,” said 

Chiarelli, who said the move wouldn’t stop him from continuing to explore 

the trade market. “He’s had a hell of a year and he’s grown into a big strong 

kid now, a man, and he’s told us that he feels he’s ready now. He’s a good 

player, big strong player. There are still some steps to go, but it looks 

good.” 

The 27-year-old Soderberg had a breakout year, posting 31-29-60 totals for 

Linkoping. The SEL has just finished the regular season and Soderberg’s 

team is about to start a best-of-seven quarterfinal round. 

Soderberg is a left-hand shot that could possibly be a solution for the third 

line. Chris Bourque, who had been playing there, was placed on waivers for 

the purpose of sending him down to Providence (teams have until noon 

today to claim him). 

Hard-line approach 

Exactly what the answer is for the struggling third line remains unclear. But 

it appears the B’s organization has come to the realization that changes 

needed to be made — and Bourque was waived. 

In the B’s losses to Montreal and Washington, the third line was on the ice 

for four goals. Chris Kelly, plus-33 last year, and Rich Peverley, plus-20 last 

year, are minus-7 and minus-8, respectively, this year. 

“It’s pretty obvious that it’s been a bit of a challenge for us,” said Bruins 

coach Claude Julien of finding the right mix for the bottom six. “There are 

two guys in Kelly and Peverley that were great assets and big plus players 

last year that are struggling to get that part of their game going. The one 

thing you don’t do is lose confidence in them. They just have to work their 

way through it. That’s part of their job and it’s part of our job. We know what 

they’re capable of doing.” 

Julien said the move doesn’t necessarily mean the end for Bourque in a 

Bruins uniform. 

“This is not a coach’s decision, it’s an organization’s, and it wasn’t an easy 

one because we know the type of person Chris is and he’s a great player,” 

said Julien. “Just because right now we’re waiving him, we certainly hope 

not to lose him.” 

Better effort 

The B’s went with Jay Pandolfo in Bourque’s spot against the Maple Leafs 

in last night’s 4-2 win and the unit had a better game. In one frustrating 

second-period sequence, all three players glittering scoring chances that 

didn’t go. 

“When you’ve got a guy like Pandolfo on the left there he’s got a lot of 

experience with the defensive part of his game and I thought they had some 

great chances again,” said Julien. “Poor Pev he’s got a wide-open net and 

he’s kind of handcuffed. You know when it rains it pours for some of those 

players and somehow you’re keeping your fingers crossed that he’s going 

to get a goal and take a little bit of pressure off his shoulders and let him 

play at ease again. But he’s really fighting it right now and he’s certainly not 

getting a break, but that line was better for me tonight.” . . . 

Adam McQuaid and Mark Fraser had a long, brutal bout early in the first 

period. Fraser landed a lot of blows and McQuaid did well to stay on his 

feet, getting in a few of his own. . . . 

David Krejci had a good night in the faceoff circle, winning 12-of-16 draws. 



Bruins never make it easy 

Seguin’s pair stops Toronto 


The Bruins may still be lacking the killer instinct, but at least for this night 

they found a way to get the two points. 

The B’s took a 3-1 lead into the third period and, though they could have 

made their lives a little easier on a couple of power plays with which they 

did nothing early in the period, they finally salted away the game when Tyler 

Seguin scored his second goal into an empty net with 14.6 seconds left. 

That gave the B’s a 4-2 victory over the much improved Toronto Maple 

Leafs at the Garden. 

“We’re certainly not perfect right now and we’re certainly not firing on all 

cylinders. Right now, we’re laboring through it,” said B’s coach Claude 

Julien. “But the work ethic was there tonight.” 

Things got interesting when the Leafs cut the Bruins’ lead to 3-2 with 5:08 

left in the third. Mikhail Grabovski possessed the puck on the left side and 

fired a shot that Jay McClement redirected past Anton Khudobin, who made 

25 saves and played very well in nailing down the win. 

But unlike Sunday against Montreal or Tuesday in Washington, the B’s did 

not let this one slip through their fingers. They were pretty solid defensively 

the rest of the game and when Patrice Bergeron (goal, assist) sprung 

Seguin (2-1-3) for the empty netter, they could finally breathe easily. 

“Right after the goal, we talked about how we needed a big shift right after 

and I thought we did that,” said Bergeron. “I thought we got the momentum 

back and that killed their push.” 

After a hard-fought first period in which Khudobin did some of his best work, 

especially when the B’s had to kill off consecutive penalties, they took a 1-0 

lead with 52.3 seconds left in the period. 

Brad Marchand first stopped a Toronto breakout just outside the Maple 

Leafs zone. The Leafs momentarily regained control, but the puck squirted 

free to Seguin, who drove hard to the net. Leafs goalie Ben Scrivens made 

the initial save on Seguin, but Bergeron was there to clean up the rebound. 

However, Toronto tied it up quickly in the second period. 

During a 4-on-4 situation with Marchand and Dion Phaneuf in the box for 

roughing, David Krejci lost the puck high in the offensive zone and the 

Leafs broke out on a 2-on-1. Clarke MacArthur fed Nazem Kadri for what 

looked like an easy goal at 2:32 and it was a new game. 

The B’s then regained the lead at 7:11, and it was again the ever 

dependable Bergeron line that produced the goal. Bergeron moved the 

puck up to Marchand along the right wing and, in perhaps a nod to 

Marchand’s burgeoning reputation as a skilled player, the Leafs overcommitted 

to him, leaving Seguin wide open. 

Marchand slid the pass over to his linemate on the right wing, and Seguin 

ripped it through Scrivens. 

“They know how to take the dangerous guy, right?” cracked Marchand, 

needling the talented Seguin. “That’s how it plays out sometimes. Bergie 

made a great play and when he chipped it to me, it kind of drew everyone to 

me. Then I saw Siggy all alone and I guess no one’s threatened by him now 

because he’s not scoring. It’s just nice to see him finish.” 

Krejci then gave the B’s a two-goal lead with the eventual game-winner at 

18:03 of the second. Andrew Ference jumped up into the play, snapped a 

shot that got blocked in front and Krejci shoveled home the rebound past 

Scrivens. 

It got a little hairier than the Bruins wanted it to in the third, but the game, as 

a whole, was a step forward from their previous two games. 

“It was a big win for us, especially after the last two games when we 

needed to be better for the whole game, for a 60-minute game,” said 

captain Zdeno Chara, who notched a plus-3. “We’ve just got to carry on that 

same approach and effort for the next game.” 



A special delivery for the B's? 


Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli tonight confirmed a TSN report that Swedish star 

forward Carl Soderberg, on whom the B's have owned the rights since 

obtaining him in a trade for goalie Hannu Toivonen in 2007, is close to 

coming to play for the Bruins this year after his season with Linkoping HC in 

the Swedish Elite League is finished. 

Chiarelli, who met with the Linkoping GM last week, said he's still waiting on 

final clearance from the league to make sure the move would be copacetic, 

but he's optimistic. 

“We've been trying for five years to get him over here and it's finally close,” 

said Chiarelli, who said the move wouldn't stop him from continuing to 

explore the trade market. “He's had a hell of a year and he's grown into a 

big strong kid now, a man, and he's told us that he feels he's ready now. 

He's a good player, big strong player. There are still some steps to go, but it 

looks good.” 

The 27-year-old Soderberg had a breakout year, posting 31-29-60 totals for 

Linkoping. The SEL has just finished the regular season and Soderberg's 

team is about to start a best-of-seven quarterfinal round. Soderberg is a left 

hand shot that could possibly be a solution for the third line. Chris Bourque, 

who had been playing there, was placed on waivers Thursday for the 

purpose of sending him down to Providence. 



Bruins hold off Leafs, 4-2 


The Bruins may still be lacking the killer instinct, but at least they found a 

way to get the two points. 

The B’s took a 3-1 lead into the third period and, though they could have 

made their lives a little easier with a couple of power-plays with which they 

did nothing early in the third, they couldn’t salt away the game until Tyler 

Seguin scored his second goal into an empty net with 14:6 seconds left to 

give the B’s a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Things got interesting when the Leafs cut the B’s lead to 3-2 with 5:08 left in 

the third when Mikhail Grabovski possessed the puck on the left and fired a 

shot that went through a some bodies and past Anton Khudobin. 

But that’s all they would get and the B’s snapped a two-game losing streak. 

The Bruins were out to snap a two-game skid that saw them cough up third 

period leads in both contests. 

And they were playing a Leafs team that, though it had many of the same 

players, was a far cry from the patsy that the B’s swept in the six-game 

season series last year. Under coach Randy Carlyle, a midseason 

replacement for Ron Wilson last year, the Leafs are both much stingier in 

front of the net and harder on their sticks. 

“They’ve done a great job with that team, the coaching staff,” said B’s coach 

Claude Julien after the morning skate. “You’ve got to give credit to a lot of 

people there because they are playing really well defensively. They’ve 

really tightened up their game. Offensively, they’re still a skilled team, but 

they’re also doing the grunt work 

They come at you hard. 

“I’m one of those guys that believes they’re a legit contender, no doubt 

about it. They play like one. Having said that, I’ve already told our guys, ‘If 

you’re not ready for a tough game tonight, then you’re making a big 

mistake.’ ” 

Adam McQuaid and Mark Fraser got things going with a big boy bout at 

3:23. Fraser got a lot of punches in and McQuaid did well to stay on his feet 

and was able to land a few blows of his own. 

Anton Khudobin got the start in net for the Bruins and, fortunately, he was 

on his game because he had to make some terrific saves. He made a fine 

pad stop on Phil Kessel and then later another on Tyler Bozak off an 

intentionally wide shot that came right to Bozak at the side of the crease. 

The Leafs carried a lot of the play early, but after the B’s killed off a short 5on-3, 

the hosts started to pick up their game. 

The struggling third line, with Jay Pandolfo taking over for Chris Bourque, 

had three great chances on one shift. Pandolfo took a shot that Ben 

Scrivens had to make a great save on, Chris Kelly then threw the rebound 

off the post. That rebound bounced right to Rich Peverley, who had an open 

net but couldn’t get the puck to settle. 

The B’s, however, did take a 1-0 lead with 52.3 seconds left in the period. 

Brad Marchand first stopped a Toronto breakout just outside the Leafs 

zone. The Leafs regained control, but Tyler Seguin stole a short pass and 

moved in quickly on Scrivens. 

The goalie made the initial save Seguin’s in-tight shot, but Patrice Bergeron 

cleaned up the rebound. 

The Leafs tied it up quickly in the second. In a 4-on-4 situation with 

Marchand and Dion Phaneuf in the box for roughing, David Krejci lost the 

puck high in the offensive zone and the Leafs broke out on a 2-on-1. Clarke 

MacArthur fed Nazem Kadri for an easy goal at 2:32 and it was a new 

game. 

The B’s regained the lead at 7:11, and it was again the ever dependable 

Bergeron line that produced the goal. Bergeron moved the puck up to 

Marchand along the right wing and, in perhaps a nod to Marchand’s 

dangerousness, the Leafs over-committed to him, leaving Seguin wide 

open. Marchand slid it over and Seguin ripped it through Scrivens. 

Krejci then gave the B’s a two-goal lead going into the third. Andrew 

Ference jumped up into the play and snapped a shot that Scrivens stopped 

but he couldn’t control and Krejci shoveled home the rebound. 


661932 Buffalo Sabres 

Sabres notebook: Hecht a scratch for first time in Buffalo 

BY: John Vog 

NEWARK, N.J. — Jochen Hecht was agitated and not in the mood to talk. 

Getting scratched for the first time after 10 seasons in Buffalo obviously 

didn’t sit well. 

The former Sabres captain took a seat Thursday night against the New 

Jersey Devils despite being healthy. It had never happened before to the 

team’s longest-tenured player, who arrived from Edmonton via trade before 

the 2002-03 season. 

“No comment. Talk to the guys that are playing,” Hecht told The Buffalo 

News in Prudential Center. 

Hecht had been threatened with benchings twice during his long stay in 

Buffalo. Former coach Lindy Ruff came close to sitting the forward during 

the playoffs in 2007 and in December 2008, but he never followed through 

with a scratch. 

The 35-year-old Hecht has one goal, six points and a plus-2 rating in 24 

games this season. He had been skating on the left wing with rookie center 

Mikhail Grigorenko and right wing Drew Stafford. 

Enforcer John Scott replaced Hecht. 

“We have to make decisions on our lineup,” interim coach Ron Rolston said 

after the game. “We always just put the lineup we feel is going to give us 

the best opportunity to win. He’s playing been playing good hockey for us, 

and I’m sure he’ll get another opportunity real soon.” 

After the morning skate Rolston said: “Jochen is a smart player. “He plays 

very smartly, does whatever you need, and he’s played well lately. We’ve 

had him in a situation where he’s been with Mikhail, so he can provide that 

stability, I think, on that line along with Staff as wingers, like a veteran 

presence. … I think that helps the transfer over to Grigo on the bench.” 

It appears the Sabres will welcome Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay to their 

division next season. 

The NHL Players’ Association has approved the league’s realignment plan, 

which calls for 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 teams in the 

Western Conference. Detroit and Columbus will move to the East, while 

Winnipeg will join the West. 

“After discussions with the executive board, the NHLPA has given consent 

to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,” union 

Executive Director Donald Fehr said in a statement. 

The NHL board of governors will vote on the proposal, with acceptance 

expected. 

The East would have two eight-team divisions, while the West would have a 

pair of seven-team divisions. The Sabres’ division would also include 

Boston, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto. 

Eight teams in each conference would make the postseason. The top three 

teams in each division would secure a spot and be joined by two “wild card” 

clubs with the next-best records, regardless of division. 

... 

Former Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder joined the Devils for the start 

of the pregame warm-up then left the ice and was replaced by Mark Fayne, 

whom coach Pete DeBoer said in the morning would be a healthy scratch. 

New Jersey said Tallinder had a lower-body injury. 

Along with Hecht, Buffalo scratched defenseman Adam Pardy. 

... 

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Cliff Benson, the Sabres’ chief 

development officer, will meet at 10 this morning in First Niagara Center to 

formally complete the sale of the Webster Block to the Sabres. ... The ninth 

annual Scotty Bowman Showcase, which features high school players from 

Buffalo competing against their counterparts from Rochester, will be held at 

6 p.m. April 15 in the arena. ... The Sabres and Unyts will hold their annual 

blood drive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 18 in First Niagara Center. The first 

200 donors will receive a free Sabres hat. 

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.08.2013


Sabres lose in shootout after Enroth is injured 

BY: John Vogl 

NEWARK, N.J. – Jhonas Enroth was just more than a minute away from his 

first victory in 16 months. Suddenly, he couldn’t move his right leg and had 

to be helped to the Buffalo Sabres’ dressing room as New Jersey’s fans 

celebrated a tying goal. 

It turned out the only thing injured was Enroth’s pride. 

The Buffalo backup goaltender cramped up near the end of his first start in 

more than a month, ending a night filled with highlight-reel, confidenceboosting 

saves. He was in the back when the Devils completed a stunning 

rally by beating Ryan Miller and the Sabres in a shootout, 3-2. 

“I was so close,” said Enroth, who hasn’t won in 15 appearances dating to 

November 2011. “I’m very disappointed. I don’t know what to say. I’ve just 

got to come back here and try to get better, I guess.” 

Enroth’s night – and the Sabres’ 2-1 lead – came to an end with 1:06 to 

play in regulation. Enroth kicked David Clarkson’s shot from the point 

directly to a driving Patrik Elias. The goalie dived across the crease to try to 

get in the way, but the puck went in as the fans in Prudential Center roared. 

Enroth stayed on the ice, but it wasn’t in disappointment over allowing the 

tying goal. He needed to be helped to the dressing room by athletic trainer 

Tim Macre, unable to put any weight on his right leg. 

He allowed two goals on 29 shots, but both came in the final 6:30 as the 

Sabres’ 2-0 lead transformed into a 0-1-2 slide. 

“Those are the games we’ve got to close,” captain Jason Pominville said. 

“There’s no excuses for it. We’ve got to find a way to close those games.” 

Miller stopped four shots in the final minute and overtime. David Clarkson 

and Elias beat him in the shootout while Thomas Vanek and Pominville 

failed in their attempts for Buffalo. 

The loss and Enroth’s early departure overshadowed what had been a 

memorable night. 

The Sabres’ power play struck for the second time in as many games as 

Vanek opened the scoring midway through the second. 

Buffalo doubled its lead with 10:04 left in regulation as Brian Flynn earned a 

prized souvenir. 

Andrej Sekera’s point shot hit a body in front, and Flynn promptly whacked 

the deflection toward Johan Hedberg. The goalie got a piece of the shot 

with his pad but not enough to keep it from going through his legs to start a 

celebration. 

Marcus Foligno and Christian Ehrhoff both went after the puck, then joined 

the hugs and fist taps as smiles radiated for Flynn’s first NHL goal. 

“At the time it was awesome,” Flynn said, “but it doesn’t feel as good now 

after losing the game that way.” 

The Devils started to put a damper on Enroth’s welcome-back party with 

6:30 to play. With Ehrhoff in the box for holding, fellow defenseman Mike 

Weber got in the way of Adam Henrique’s close-range blast. As Weber hit 

the ice in pain, Henrique picked up the puck and ripped it high into the net. 

Enroth was feeling tight as the 17,625 fans partied. 

“I was cramping pretty much the whole third period there,” said Enroth, who 

is 0-10-2 in his last 12 decisions, including a loss in his previous start Feb. 5 

in Ottawa. “I’ve got to take a little more care of my body when I’m playing. I 

haven’t been playing in a while, so I probably should have been drinking 

more water and Gatorade and stuff like that before the game.” 

Hedberg made 23 saves to end his seven-game winless streak and send 

the Sabres into Sunday’s game in Philadelphia with a three-game slide. 

“We would have liked to have a better outcome, but we’re doing things a lot 

better as a team,” said Sabres interim coach Ron Rolston, who liked his first 

look at Enroth. “It was a hard outcome for him, but life’s hard. He’s got to 

bounce back. I know he will. I liked what he did. He made some huge saves 

for us.” 



NHLPA approves realignment; Sabres would welcome Detroit, Florida, 

Tampa to division 

By John Vogl 

NEWARK, N.J. -- Realignment is likely on its way. 

The NHL Players' Association today approved the league's plan to create a 

16-team Eastern Conference and 14-team Western Conference. The NHL's 

board of governors will next vote, and with expected approval the changes 

will be implemented next season. 

"After discussions with the executive board, the NHLPA has given consent 

to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season," union 

leader Donald Fehr said in a statement. 

The East will have two eight-team divisions, while the West will have two 

with seven teams. Eight teams in each will make the playoffs, the top three 

in each division and two "wild cards" with the best record, regardless of 

division. 

The Sabres' division will be: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, 

Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto. 



Poll: Which goalie will end winless skid? Sabres' Enroth (0-10-2) or Devils' 

Hedberg (0-6-1)? 

By John Vogl 

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Someone has to win. Probably. 

The goaltending matchup tonight in New Jersey could have been the 

Devils' Martin Brodeur, the winningest goalie in NHL history, and Ryan 

Miller, who has the most victories in Sabres history. But Brodeur is hurt and 

Miller is getting a rest after 14 straight starts. 

So instead it's Buffalo's Jhonas Enroth and the Devils' Johan Hedberg. Both 

need to win. Desperately. 

Enroth is on an 0-10-2 skid. He hasn't won since Nov. 26, 2011. In his 14 

appearances since the win over Washington, Enroth has a 3.47 goalsagainst 

average and .898 save percentage. 

Hedberg, meanwhile, has struggled with an 0-6-1 record in his last seven 

starts. He has a 3.98 GAA and .841 save percentage during the slump. 

Unless one of them fails to finish the game and his backup earns the 

victory, it stands to reason one goalie will finally end his slump. 



Enroth set to make rare start in net for Sabres; Hecht agitated over 

likelihood of being healthy scratch 

By John Vogl 

NEWARK, N.J. -- Jhonas Enroth will make a rare appearance in the Sabres' 

net. Jochen Hecht may make an ever rarer appearance on the healthyscratch 

list. 

Enroth will start for the first time since Feb. 5 tonight when the Sabres face 

the New Jersey Devils. Enroth is 0-2 this season and is on an 0-10-2 skid. 

He hasn't won since Nov. 26, 2011. 

Ryan Miller will sit after making 14 straight starts. 

"We felt this was a good opportunity to get him in there," interim coach Ron 

Rolston said of Enroth, who was not made available to the media. "He’s 

done a good job since I’ve been here working with [goalie coach] Jim Corsi 

and really for him right now his practices are his games. Again, we’ve had 

limited practice times, but in those situations he’s certainly done a good job 

for us and merits an opportunity. 

"Most importantly for us, we want to play well, play well in front of Jhonas. 

All along since I’ve been here, our job is to make the goaltender’s game 

easier than it has been. Whether it’s Ryan or Jhonas, we want to do a good 

job in front of him and be consistent and keep working on our game." 

The goaltending matchup in Prudential Center will be the struggling Enroth 

against Johan Hedberg, who is 0-6-1 in his last seven decisions. 

"He’s been working really hard in practice," Sabres right wing Drew Stafford 

said of Enroth. "Obviously, it’s part of his job to always stay ready. He’s 

done that. It’s good to see him in there, and hopefully we can have a good 

game in front of him and give him a big win." 

It appears Hecht will not be in front of Enroth. The veteran forward, who is 

in his 10th season with the Sabres, skated after practice with injured Jordan 

Leopold and Ville Leino and healthy defense scratch Adam Pardy. 

Enforcer John Scott took Hecht's spot on a line with center Mikhail 

Grigorenko and Stafford. Rolston would not confirm Scott will play. 

Initial research indicates Hecht, who was a two-time captain under coach 

Lindy Ruff, has never been a healthy scratch in Buffalo. 

"No comment. Talk to the guys that are playing," the 35-year-old told The 

Buffalo News. 

"Jochen is a smart player," Rolston said. "He plays very smartly, does 

whatever you need, and he’s played well lately. We’ve had him in a 

situation where he’s been with Mikhail, so he can provide that stability, I 

think, on that line along with Staff as wingers, like a veteran presence. 

"He’s very even-keeled in terms of game situations. No matter what’s 

happened, you’re going to get the same product on the ice. I think that 

helps the transfer over to Grigo on the bench, talking to him and just making 

sure he’s calm all the time and making sure he’s where he needs to be 

when he goes over the boards." 



Devils focused on getting win for team, Hedberg against Sabres 

By John Vogl 

NEWARK, N.J. -- David Clarkson has 74 fights in his NHL career, including 

one Saturday with Steve Ott in the opening minute of the game between the 

Devils and Sabres. So whenever he's around, there's a chance of 

scrapiness. 

He said this morning the team isn't looking for it tonight against Buffalo 

despite a chippy loss to the Sabres a few days ago. 

"There’s always that edge to the game," Clarkson said after skating in 

Prudential Center. "The way I play, there’s always teams that will feel that 

way. But I think this game’s too important for us to worry about those little 

things. We’ve got to come out and here and get back to playing our game." 

The Devils are on an 0-5-1 slide and just 1-6-2 in the last nine games. 

Goaltender Johan Hedberg, who is filling in for injured Martin Brodeur, 

hasn't won since Feb. 10 (a span of seven games) and will get the start. 

"I don’t think Moose has played bad at all," Clarkson said. "We’ve allowed 

three-on-twos and two-on-ones and plays that kind of leave him hanging, 

As a team, we’re going to do a better job and be there for him and give him 

a chance to win tonight." 

The Devils are making two changes on defense, scratching Mark Fayne 

and Adam Larsson for Peter Harrold and Anton Volchenkov. Krystofer 

Barch, who has 44 penalty minutes in 18 games, also will sit. 



Buffalo Sabres fall in a shootout to New Jersey 

Tom Canavan 

Associated Press 

NEWARK, N.J. — David Clarkson and Patrik Elias scored in a shootout and 

the New Jersey Devils rallied from a late two-goal deficit to defeat the 

Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Thursday night, snapping a season-high six game 

winless streak. 

Elias and Adam Henrique got the Devils to the overtime, scoring in the final 

6 1/2 minutes, with Elias tying the game on a rebound with 66 seconds left 

in regulation. 

Thomas Vanek and rookie Brian Flynn staked Buffalo to a 2-0 lead, with 

Vanek tallying his team-high 13th goal of the season on a second-period 

power play, and Flynn getting the first of his career midway through the 

third period. 

Johan Hedberg made 23 saves and stopped both Sabres shootout attempts 

for New Jersey. 

After Ilya Kovalchuk and Vanek missed on the first two shootout attempts, 

Clarkson made a nifty move to beat Ryan Miller with a backhander. 

Jason Pominville seemed to miss the net on the Sabres’ second try and 

Elias deked Miller out of position for a tap-in game winner. 

Miller was forced to end a rare night off when Sabres starter Jhonas Enroth 

hurt his right leg on Elias’ tying goal. 

The Sabres seemed in command until defenseman Christian Ehrhoff took a 

holding penalty with 7:24 to play in regulation. 

Henrique got the Devils within a goal less than a minute later. His initial shot 

was blocked by defenseman Mike Weber. The shot stunned Weber and 

Henrique was able to get the loose puck and fire it past Enroth. 

Elias’ tying goal seemed a little soft. Clarkson took a long shot from the left 

point seconds after Hedberg left for a sixth skater. Enroth kicked out a long 

rebound and Elias had a wide-open net. 

Enroth lay prone on the ice after the play and had to be helped to the 

bench, dragging his right leg. 

Sabres coach Ron Rolston disclosed after the game that Enroth was 

cramping the entire third period. 

“I like what he did,” Rolston said. “He made some huge saves for us. I know 

he’s disappointed he couldn’t finish. He’ll be back. 

“We’re disappointed we couldn’t get the win for him. The guys were 

working. There was a lot of sacrifice out there. I like the way our team is 

competing right now.” 

Vanek staked the Sabres to a 1-0 lead in the second period, converting a 

pass from Tyler Ennis on a power play. 

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 03.08.2013


Amerks find strong pairing in McNabb, Pysyk 

Kevin Oklobzija 

Hockey night 

The matchup: Amerks vs. Abbotsford Heat (affiliate of the NHL’s Calgary 

Flames). 

Time/place: 7:05 p.m. Friday/Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester 

Community War Memorial. 

Tickets: $16, $19, $21. 

Records: The Amerks are 29-22-2-1 with 61 points in 54 games. The Heat 

are 27-24-3-5 and have 62 points in 59 games. 

Slumping: The Heat have just one win in their past 10 games (1-8-0-1). 

Season series: The Amerks are 3-3 against Abbotsford. 

Amerks update: RW Shawn Szydlowski was recalled from Fort Worth of the 

CHL. C Kevin Porter, RW Brian Flynn and D Adam Pardy remain on recall. 

RW Evan Rankin (ankle) and LW Kevin Sundher (upper body) are out 

indefinitely. 

Broadcasts: Time Warner Cable channel 98, WHTK-AM (1280). 

When the Rochester Americans’ coaching staff put defensemen Brayden 

McNabb and Mark Pysyk together as a pairing, it was hardly by 

happenstance. 

It’s quite possible this is the future in the making. 

“It’s a pretty good starting point,” Amerks interim coach Chadd Cassidy 

said. 

Pysyk, a rookie, was the Buffalo Sabres’ first-round draft pick (23rd overall) 

in 2010. McNabb, a second-year pro, was chosen in the third round (66th 

overall) in 2009 and his stock has risen stoutly since. 

They have been the Amerks’ best defensive pairing, the lockdown duo that 

is called up to protect one-goal leads in the last minute and is given the 

prime-time matchup against the opponents’ best line. 

“I like the challenge of playing against the top lines,” McNabb said. 

Cassidy now and former coach Ron Rolston both referred to McNabb as “a 

general on the ice.” He’s clearly the guy who makes it happen — or not 

happen in terms of what the opposition accomplishes. 

“With the ice time I’m getting, I want to be a leader back there,” McNabb 

said. 

He has earned the title. While the 6-foot-4, 205-pound McNabb didn’t play 

all that well from perhaps mid-November through December, he has 

regained his stature on the ice that he displayed as a rookie. 

He is confident, is much better with the puck, and is using his size to subtly 

eliminate opponents in front of the net and on the wall simply with smarter 

positioning. 

He has also learned that the simple play is often the best play. A chip of the 

puck high off the glass is boring, but there’s no risk of turnover. 

“Coaches love boring,” Cassidy said with a smile. 

McNabb is starting to understand. When he went through his slump, he was 

trying to dance past one too many defenders when trying to elude even one 

was a risk. 

“I think I caught myself trying to do too much,” he said. “The flip, or just 

going off the glass, can be a good play.” 

Said Cassidy: “He’s identifying situations better, when he might be in a little 

bit of trouble and he’s willing to chip it out.” 

While McNabb perhaps needed time to fully grasp the play-it-safe concept, 

Pysyk pretty much knew it all along. 

“That’s sort of been my game ever since I was playing in junior (with the 

Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings),” the 6-foot-1, 193-pound 

Pysyk said. “If I don’t get noticed, that’s a good game for me.” 

Oh, but people do notice. They notice his poise. They see a calmness 

about him even when forecheckers are converging. They watch him make 

precision passes nearly every time he outlets or headmans the puck. No 

one is better among Amerk defensemen. 

“His passes are right on the tape,” Cassidy said. 

And in corner battles, it’s as though the tape on Pysyk’s stick has magical 

adhesive. 

“It’s uncanny how he can be in those puck battles and can pull it out and 

transition it all in one motion,” Cassidy said. 

Put Pysyk with McNabb and it’s the perfect pairing. 

“He has a lot to do with it,” Pysyk said. “I enjoy playing with him. The longer, 

the better.” 

KEVINO at DemocratandChronicle.com 

Democrat and Chronicle LOADED: 03.08.2013

661940 Calgary Flames 

Johnson: Hartley ties idol on NHL career coaching wins list 

Flames bench boss grew up watching Michel Bergeron and has learned 

plenty about the craft from him 

By George Johnson, Calgary Herald 

Small, singularly feisty, outspoken, confrontational, mischievously 

charming. Like a vibrating tuning fork. Seemingly always on the verge of 

detonation. 

“That’s what I loved about him,” laughs Bob Hartley of former NHL coach 

Michel Bergeron. “Passion. For me, that’s what this game is about. 

“You can’t be successful in this business, I think, without passion. Some 

guys might believe it. I don’t. 

“And Michel had plenty of passion.” 

Thursday’s 4-1 decisioning of the San Jose Sharks was notable for 

something other than the hugely-anticipated return of Miikka Kiprusoff to the 

Calgary Flames’ cage. With that win, Hartley quietly took his place beside 

Bergeron on the all-time coaching wins bench, at 338. 

For Hartley, that’s no mean feat. 

“I have two coaches, they are my idols. No. 1 is Scotty Bowman. I saw him 

win so many Cups when I was cheering on the Montreal Canadiens as a 

kid. Obviously, I had the chance to coach against him. He’s the best. 

Period. 

“And my second? Michel Bergeron. He played senior hockey in my 

hometown (Hawkesbury, Ont.) for my father-in-law. Then I remember his 

days in Trois-Riviereres, coaching the Quebec Major Junior team, and 

obviously he was a big, big attraction there. 

“Then I kind of became a fan of the Quebec Nordiques because of Michel 

Bergeron. Hey, I love Stash (Peter Stastny) and Dale Hunter, too. But 

Michel, ahhh, he was special. A tiger. Let Petit Tigre, right? 

“I have idols because I’m the kind of guy who believes in details, stuff like 

this. These guys leave an impression. 

“I remember having lunches with Michel discussing coaching. Even when I 

was coaching in Laval once, Scotty came early to see Marty Lapointe, their 

first-round pick, and we talked. Those are conversations that stay with you. 

They certainly helped me. 

“In my little coaching world, Scotty, Michel, those were the guys I looked up 

to.” 

For those too young to remember, Michel Bergeron was among the most 

charismatic, quotable (whilst in charge of the Rangers, Bergeron was once 

asked by a New York journalist what 14 losses by one goal could possibly 

mean. “It means,” he replied, “that we’re in the basement”) personalties of 

an era. 

Twice he guided the Nordiques to the conference finals, and the visceral 

rivalry between Quebec and the mighty Canadiens provided some of the 

finest, most uncompromising hockey of a decade. 

Among other things, Bergeron holds the distinction of being the only coach 

ever to be traded. Openly feuding with Quebec GM Maurice Filion, the 

Nords swapped him to the Rangers for a first-round pick and $75,000. 

Later on, long after Bergeron and the NHL had bid a mutual adieu, after 

Hartley had piloted the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup in 2001, the 

two men’s paths crossed again. They worked a number of RDS television 

Montreal Canadiens-related shows together after Hartley was let go by the 

Atlanta Thrashers and between coaching assignments, as well a reality gig 

three years ago that played up the beer-league hockey rivalry between 

Quebec City and Montreal. 

“And you know what?” crows Hartley. “We were packing the Quebec 

Colisee for those games. It was so crazy we would get 1.2-1.3 million 

viewers on TV. 

“So I coached that year with Bergy. It was a lot of fun.” 

The Bowman influence — as well on virtually anyone of the last two 

decades who ever toted a whistle white board and a pair of skates — is one 

the Flames’ boss will happily acknowledge. 

“I remember matching myself against Scotty during that Colorado-Detroit 

rivalry. It’s something I’ll never forget. I’d go over game tapes again and 

again, and I would write down every one of his line changes. Every one. 

Just to try and figure out Scotty Bowman. Which, of course, is impossible. 

“When he started to coach, I was not even born. And all he did was win. 

Win, win, win. 

“It was always a very uneven matchup. But I felt my team was as good as 

his team that time so I had to try and prepare my players well enough to 

win. When the game started, I had to forget that it was Scotty behind the 

other bench. But it was always great to watch his team practice, to watch 

his strategy during games, to try and measure up, you know?” 

William Scott is out of sight, of course. In the tactician trade he resides 

alone, omnipotent, in a galaxy far, far away of his own making, at a neverto-be-toppled 

1,244 coaching wins. 

But if you can’t reel in one icon ... 

“Hey,” pipes up Bob Hartley, in search of W No. 339 tonight at the Honda 

Center, a place that has become a virtual embalming oven for the Flames, 

“Michel Bergeron is pretty good company, too. 

“I love Bergy. He had a great influence on me. 

“It’s always an amazing feeling when you can be mentioned in the same 

breath as one of your idols.” 

George Johnson is the Herald’s sports columnist. 

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Flames gear up for Anaheim’s powerful power play 

Ducks clicking at a prolific 29.2% rate and Calgary will have to figure out a 

way to stop them 

By Scott Cruickshank, Calgary Herald 

The bad news — the Anaheim Ducks own the most potent power-play unit 

in the National Hockey League. 

The good news — the Ducks don’t draw very many penalties. In fact, only 

the Boston Bruins have had fewer chances with the man advantage. 

Nevertheless, the Calgary Flames are quite rightly braced. 

“Their power play is deadly,” Chris Butler said of the Ducks’ flock that is 

clicking 29.2 per cent of the time. “They’ve got a core of forwards that are 

big and play the game with a tonne of skill — and they play hard. Those are 

guys we can’t afford to give any space to. 

“When they have time, players like Bobby Ryan and Ryan Getzlaf and 

Teemu Selanne — that guy is still playing extremely well — are going to 

make plays and they’re going to make you pay. They love hanging onto 

pucks and making plays in the offensive zone.” 

The Ducks don’t have a single soul among the NHL’s top 30 power-play 

point-getters, meaning that their attack must be diversified. So be wary. 

Alleviating matters somewhat is the Flames’ manners. Only the Nashville 

Predators average fewer penalty minutes. 

So that will help to minimize the hosts’ kicks. 

Additionally, the Flames’ penalty killers, ranked 21st, have been perfect 

over the past three games. 

“Good controlled pressure (is key),” Butler said. “I think we did a really good 

job (Wednesday against San Jose) of forcing their guys when they had the 

puck in tough areas. At certain times, you are going to have to sit back and 

not be too aggressive because skilled players will make those plays.” 

KIPRUSOFF STARTING 

No surprise, Miikka Kiprusoff gets the start Friday at the Honda Center. 

The goalie’s return to action Wednesday had been a (32-save) success in 

what turned out to be his 300th win in Flames silks. 

“I went to see him after the game — he had zero pain, he felt great,” said 

coach Bob Hartley. “(Thursday) we are going to sit with him on the plane 

and we’re going to see how he feels . . . but the fact is, we have Joey 

MacDonald. We feel very fortunate. We have two goalies that can win 

games, that can play, that can contribute to the team’s success. That’s a 

good feeling.” 

This season, MacDonald is 3-3-1, with a 3.04 goals-against average and a 

.899 save percentage. 

Kiprusoff is 3-3-2 (2.95, .886). The Finn is 12-9-4 lifetime versus the Ducks. 

COMEAU MARCHING 

The time was right for Blake Comeau to break out of his slump. 

Of his 62 goals, 21 have arrived in March — by far his most productive 

month (next best is December’s 13) — including the game-winner against 

the San Jose Sharks. 

“The way he was skating, the way he was going to the net, I had a good 

feeling,” said coach Bob Hartley. “(Assistant) Marty Gelinas on the bench, 

he said, ‘Comes is flying.’ That certainly helped me, making my decision (to 

put him on a scoring line) a little easier.” 

Comeau’s goal — a perfect wrister as he hustled down the right wing — is a 

feel-good story for the coach. 

“You see him every morning, 15 or 20 minutes (before practice), he’s 

shooting on the goalies,” said Hartley. “That was an NHL shot, inside post. 

It couldn’t happen to a better guy at a better time, because, yes, he was 

squeezing that graphite stick — the juice was coming out of that stick. 

Maybe it’s the start of a good thing.” 

Butler was happy to have provided the helper on the dryspell-ending tally. 

“It’s great to see him get rewarded,” said Butler. “His skating has been 

awesome the last handful of games. He’s been creating chances for us with 

his feet. He’s been taking pucks wide, throwing pucks on net. He’s been 

great on the penalty kill. It’s just a nice monkey off his back to get that goal, 

(which may) allow him to play a little bit looser. He’s got great skills and I 

think those will come to light.” 

ROOTIN’ TOOTIN’ GOOD TIME 

The Calgary Stampede, as part of a Travel Alberta promotion, is going to be 

selling itself Saturday before the Flames’ game at the Staples Center. On 

tap are country music, line dancing and, of course, a mechanical bull. 

“California has always been a target market for the Calgary Stampede,” 

said Deanne Carson, Stampede vice-president, marketing and external 

relations. “Partnering with Travel Alberta really shows our visitors the vast 

array of things to do in Alberta — everything from our Calgary Stampede to 

world-class golf.” 



Weekend gauntlet in California no paradise trip for Flames 

With games against Anaheim, L.A. and L.A. again, Calgary’s recent 

hot streak will be put to the test 


Surely, even a shovel and an acre of snowdrifts would be more fun than 

this. 

The Calgary Flames, on one of those rare occasions when a winter swing 

through southern California isn’t appealing, face a far-from-sunny weekend 

of work. 

They are scheduled to square off with the big and the bad, three times in 

all. 

Friday, it’s the Anaheim Ducks — the second-best outfit in the National 

Hockey League — in a barn where the Flames haven’t won since Jan. 19, 

2004. 

If that isn’t enough, the Calgarians then take on the defending Stanley Cupchampion 

Los Angeles Kings — twice, Saturday and Monday. 

“A huge road trip for our team,” said Chris Butler. “We talk about breaking 

our season down into little (seven-game) segments, and this segment, with 

this chunk of road games, could be the most important one for us this 

season. 

“To get a couple wins on this trip — and to play well — would be huge for 

our confidence going forward.” 

Expect the travellers to be tested in the corners and alleys. 

The Ducks average 204 pounds. The Kings check in at 210 pounds — 

making them the heaviest group in the NHL. 

Pegged at 199 pounds, the Flames represent the lightest collection of 

players in the Western Conference. (On the other side of the league’s table, 

Philadelphia, Montreal and the New York Islanders are also sub-200.) 

“Not by any means are we going to beat teams physically,” Alex Tanguay 

said earlier in the week. “We haven’t been built that way and we’re not that 

type of team. We’re a skating team. In order for us to have success, we 

need to be able to use our legs, move the puck, be aggressive, and really 

use our speed to our advantage.” 

Asked about the benefits of stature, Michael Cammalleri laughed. 

“You’re asking the wrong guy,” said Cammalleri, five foot nine and listed at 

190 pounds. “Size disadvantage or advantage? I don’t really look at it that 

way. We’re in a team sport. If we play well, if we play our game, we can 

beat anybody.” 

A modest two-game winning streak has staked the team to a 9-8-4 record. 

Friday, it can grow to three victories, the longest spree of the winter. 

“We’ve been rewarded,” said Butler. “But it would have been nice to string 

together a longer run with the games in Minnesota and Colorado. Those 

were games we let slip away and we can’t afford to let points slip away in 

that manner. But it’s such a short season, it’s nice. You play every other 

night so you don’t have time to sit around and dwell on games that got 

away from you or mistakes that you made. To be able to come home and 

get a couple of wins (over Vancouver and San Jose) was great.” 

Thanks to their fourth straight home-ice triumph, the Flames, for the first 

time this season, have poked their noses above the break-even point. 

Not that Bob Hartley could be found handspringing around the Saddledome 

corridors. 

“I don’t care about .500,” the Flames coach said. “It’s to be in the playoffs. 

That’s my main goal. All the other stuff, that’s good for you guys — you fill 

your TV time and your papers — but I was hired to bring this team to the 

playoffs. 

“Those guys (on our team), I feel it, they want to be in the playoffs. We still 

have lots of work to do.” 

Starting with Friday’s assignment. 

The Flames arrive at the Honda Center haunted by a crummy past — 15 

straight regular-season losses (0-10-5) in this rink. 

Sure, many nights have been close. 

But as Hartley himself has noted, close counts only in curling. 

“I never look in the past,” he said. “Whether it’s good or bad, every game is 

a different situation. I think that we’re becoming a different team and we’re 

going to have a chance to prove it again. It’s all a matter of 20 guys putting 

their mind to work and doing it for the best of the team.” 

Flames’ horrid history here aside, no one is having much luck lately against 

the Ducks, 16-3-3 (9-1-0 at home). 

“That’s a team that’s playing extremely well right now,” said Butler. “They’re 

a deep team, getting contributions from a lot of different guys. We’re going 

to have to play solid and we’re going to have to take care of the puck.” 



Game Day: Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks 

Keep your eyes on Chris Butler and Ryan Getzlaf 


Calgary Flames (9-8-4) at Anaheim Ducks (16-3-3) 

8:30 p.m., Honda Center 

TV: Sportsnet West 

Radio: FAN 960 

THE FLAMES 

Keep Your Eye On 

Chris Butler — Mobile defender is plus-seven in his past six dates. Set up 

game-winner Wednesday. Looks comfortable working alongside Dennis 

Wideman. 

The Lines 

Tanguay Cammalleri Comeau 

Hudler Cervenka Iginla 

Glencross Stajan Stempniak 

McGrattan Begin Jackman 

The Pairings 

Giordano Bouwmeester 

Butler Wideman 

Brodie Smith 

The Goalies 

Kiprusoff 

MacDonald 

The Injuries 

C Mikael Backlund (knee), C Paul Byron (hand) 

THE DUCKS 

Keep Your Eye On 

Ryan Getzlaf — Fresh off a two-point night (in a 2-0 win), former Hitmen 

star is seventh in league scoring. Also, 29 points in 27 dates against 

Calgary. 

The Lines 

Ryan Getzlaf Perry 

Beleskey Bonino Selanne 

Winnik Koivu Cogliano 

Holland McMillan Etem 

The Pairings 

Souray Beauchemin 

Fowler Allen 

Lydman Lovejoy 

The Goalies 

Hiller 

Fasth 

The Injuries 

RW Kyle Palmieri (upper body) 

5 THINGS TO WATCH 

1. HOT DUCKS — Anaheim has constructed a formidable 16-3-3 log, the 

best 22-game start in franchise history. During the Ducks’ championship 

season, 2006-07, they had been 15-2-5 out of the gates. Amazingly, they 

are still 10 points back of the 21-0-3 Chicago Blackhawks. “It’s a pretty 

amazing feat, and (the Blackhawks) deserve a lot of credit,” C Ryan Getzlaf 

told reporters after the Ducks’ 2-0 win Wednesday over the Phoenix 

Coyotes. “They’re playing great and doing things the right way, but at the 

same time, we just worry about ourselves and keep pushing forward.” 

The Ducks won 11 straight home games during the 2009-10 season. With 

victories Friday over the Flames and Sunday over the St. Louis Blues, they 

can equal that team mark. 

2. QUACKER PRIMER — The Ducks, possessors of the circuit’s best 

power play, are led by the usual suspects. Reunited recently is the first line 

of LW Bobby Ryan, C Ryan Getzlaf, RW Corey Perry. Meaning the wellseasoned 

likes of RW Teemu Selanne and C Saku Koivu can come at you 

in secondary waves. And while size/sandpaper is apparently tough to come 

by, Anaheim, in the off-season, managed to add free agents D Sheldon 

Souray, D Bryan (Bad News) Allen, LW Daniel Winnik, RW Brad Staubitz. 

Another summertime signing, Swedish backup goalie Viktor Fasth, is 9-1-2 

(2.08 GAA, .922). 

3. CAPTAIN HEATING UP — RW Jarome Iginla, after an early patch of 

indifference, is starting to pile up points, nine in his past seven dates. In that 

spree are six goals, including a game-winner Sunday. Which makes it a 

good time to update his production portfolio. With 1,091 points, Iginla is 

59th on the NHL charts, one slot above Theoren Fleury. His 523 goals put 

him 33rd, one behind Bryan Trottier. The 1,209 games stake him 89th, just 

behind Claude Lemieux. 

The league didn’t track game-winning goals prior to the 1970s, but Iginla’s 

82 ties him with Mike Bossy for 20th place. 

4. ROOKIE BLUES — When RW Blake Comeau was handed an in-game 

promotion Wednesday, it was LW Sven Baertschi who got stapled to the 

bench for the third period. The kid had been good against Colorado and 

Vancouver, but much quieter against San Jose. Which may not be great 

timing for Baertschi, with C Mikael Backlund (knee) on the verge of 

returning. The Flames are at the roster maximum of 23 players, meaning 

one healthy body must be re-assigned when Backlund is cleared for game 

action. 

5. INS, OUTS, WHAT-HAVE-YOUS — G Miikka Kiprusoff starts Friday as 

Calgary hunts for three consecutive wins for the first time this season . . . 

It’ll be an interesting night at the faceoff dot. Neither team is very good. 

Anaheim, at 47.3 per cent, is 25th. Calgary is worse . . . The Flames are 

third in the league with four empty-net goals (only Pittsburgh and Carolina 

have collected more) . . . Anaheim D Francois Beauchemin and D Sheldon 

Souray are tied for 10th in the NHL, with plus-10 ratings . . . Calgary and 

Anaheim are two of nine teams to not have allowed a shorthanded goal . . . 

Only Edmonton, with four, has been involved in fewer fights than Calgary. 

Toronto, with 24, is the league’s scrappiest bunch. 



Flames' house of horrors 

By RANDY SPORTAK, Calgary Sun 

Snow White's Scary Adventures at Disneyland -- an original part of the 

Happiest Place on Earth -- was shut down in June. 

All things considered, that was probably about the scariest part of visiting 

Anaheim. 

Well "¦ other than the traffic snarls and cost of buying dinner for the whole 

family. But that's a different aspect to a California adventure. 

The horror show the Calgary Flames want to be blasted to smithereens is at 

the home of the Anaheim Ducks, where they visit Friday night (8:30 p.m., 

Sportsnet West). 

If you want to talk about scary, look up the Flames history at the Honda 

Centre. 

"Oh, don't talk about that," Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff responded 

when the subject of his team's struggles was broached before heading to 

SoCal for Friday's clash. 

"It's a challenge. That's a good team and playing well." 

It doesn't matter whether the Ducks have been at the top of the NHL, at the 

bottom or muddling along with others around the league's .500 mark. When 

the Flames visit, they stand as much chance of winning as the Queen does 

of surviving once the dwarfs target her in the Disney adaptation of the 

famous Brothers Grimm fairytale. 

The Flames have lost the last 15 regular-season games in Anaheim -- five 

of the last seven in extra time -- and have just one victory in their last 25 

visits. 

It's a skid which started with a 5-1 loss in Anaheim on March 28, 1999. Paul 

Kariya scored twice on Fred Brathwaite, Teemu Selanne had three points, 

and Val Bure replied with the lone Flames goal. 

"It's one of those things you don't know until the morning of the game, when 

someone asks you about it," said Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. "I 

don't care. I don't read into it too much. Every year is different. For every 

team, there's places. Lots of teams have those strange streaks or whatever 

you want to call them." 

The painful numbers don't end there for the Flames, especially for their 

biggest stars. 

Kiprusoff has never won a regular-season game in Anaheim as a member 

of the Flames, while captain Jarome Iginla has tasted victory only twice in 

30 tilts. 

As a team, the Flames have won only four times since Iginla made the jump 

to the NHL in 1996, and he was injured and missed two of those victories. 

In fact, the last time the Flames won in Anaheim -- Jan. 19, 2004 -- both 

Iginla and Kiprusoff were on the shelf, while Roman Turek backstopped the 

team to a 5-1 win. 

"At some point, we had a thing like that in Atlanta -- not too many wins in 

that building. We were able to break that," said Kiprusoff, who did record 

one win in three playoff meetings in the spring of 2006. 

"You can't worry about the past too much, because we know for a fact it's 

going to be a big test. We just have to get ready." 

Facing the Ducks is only the first part of a difficult three-game sojourn to 

SoCal. The Flames also meet the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday and 

Monday before returning home. 

The Ducks are the surprise Pacific Division leaders with their 16-3-3 record, 

while the Kings (12-7-2) went into their game against the Dallas Stars 

having won nine of their last 11 outings. 

"It's a test for us," said Kiprusoff, who collected his 300th victory with the 

Flames in Wednesday's win over the San Jose Sharks. "If we play good 

defence, we have a chance to win there." 

Not based on past history, they don't. 

"I never look in the past," Flames head coach Bob Hartley said. "We went to 

Columbus, and all I could hear was about our record. Whether it's good or 

bad, every game is a different situation. I think that we're becoming a 

different team, and we're going to have a chance to prove it again. 

"It's all a matter of 20 guys putting their mind to work and doing their best 

for the team. 

"If we played like we played (Wednesday) and the last couple of games, I 

like our chances." 

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Puck Stops Here — Stop staged fighting in NHL 

By RANDY SPORTAK, Calgary Sun 

To think, midway through this week, the biggest silly debate of the week 

was over mandatory visors. But a much more critical issue has since taken 

centre stage. 

In light of the ugliness which came out of the fight between Frazer McLaren, 

of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Dave Dziurzynski, of the Ottawa Senators, 

staged fighting is once again a hot-button topic across the NHL. 

The staged fight Wednesday night only 26 seconds into the game ended 

with Dziurzynski crumpled on the ice after several hard punches to the head 

— one particularly powerful to the chin — and then being helped to the 

dressing room while his legs were jelly. 

First off, by no means is this to diminish the NHL’s tough guys. The respect 

I have for them is off the charts. The courage to be willing to take a bareknuckled 

punch to the face can’t be questioned. 

What can be debated is whether the NHL needs these spectacles, 

especially when the end result can be so catastrophic. 

Here’s hoping Dziurzynski will be OK and not suffer any long-term issues 

from the concussion he received. He’s a 23-year-old rookie trying to make 

it, so the thought of this being career-ending is not one we want to consider. 

But how many players need their careers ended by a punch before enough 

people put a stop to it? 

Hockey is a hard, physical game, with aggression at the forefront, 

especially when there are far too many “rats”, to borrow Brian Burke’s 

phrase, running around with some form of impunity. 

But there’s no need for fighting just because a puck has been dropped. If 

any fan enjoys what happened when McLaren knocked out Dziurzysnki, 

they’re no fan of the game. 

HOCKEY TALKY 

Why the NHL and the NHLPA continue to allow wearing a visor to be a 

choice of the players is baffling — and, once in a while, we’re reminded of 

that. The latest incident, of course, was New York Rangers defenceman 

Marc Staal being hit in the eye by a deflected shot Tuesday night. The 

precedent for mandatory visors was set long ago when there no longer was 

a choice regarding helmets. It was simply grandfathered into the league. 

However, one fear about making visors mandatory to wear is almost all 

players will immediately doff their helmets before a fight and increase the 

risk of somebody hitting their head on the ice when they fall … Thankfully, 

the Chicago Blackhawks streak of winning games — or at least not losing in 

regulation time — is giving the NHL something positive in what has been an 

otherwise ugly week. That said, it’ll be interesting to see whether the 

Blackhawks can keep rolling if Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa spend 

much time on the sidelines … One story receiving too little attention is 

Sidney Crosby’s return to top form in Pittsburgh. Going into Thursday’s 

clash with the Philadelphia Flyers, he had 29 points in a 16-game span, 

brushing off the rust of two injury-plagued seasons. It’s probably easier to 

note players who are under-achieving, plus easy to become blasé about 

Crosby’s achievements … Say what you want about the treatment Nazem 

Kadri received while Burke and Ron Wilson were running the Toronto 

Maple Leafs, but isn’t his performance proof the value of a young player 

spending a couple of seasons in the minors and the benefits they can 

receive? 

CREASE CRASHING 

Brad Marchand’s game — the Boston Bruins’ forward is on pace for a 50goal 

season if it was 82 games, with a knack for winners — is too good for 

his antics. Bruins head coach Claude Julien didn’t do his team any favours 

by complaining about the Montreal Canadiens “embellishing”, with 

Marchand’s history easy fodder for the comical retort on YouTube … Yes, I 

get the irony that video was put together by a Vancouver Canucks fan … 

So are the Washington Capitals finally getting their act together or is this 

run just a mirage? … A fun race worth watching the rest of the season: Will 

the Anaheim Ducks hang on to the Pacific Division or will the Los Angeles 

Kings overtake them? Either way, this year has the opportunity to take that 

rivalry to a whole new level. If only their two meetings in April would be 

afternoon games … By no means were we on enough of a Rocky Mountain 

High prior to the season to say the Edmonton Oilers would be atop the 

Western Conference, but should the Oilers finish around 11th, is that a 

disappointing season? 

FLAMING C NOTES 

In his first game back after missing a month due to a knee injury, goalie 

Miikka Kiprusoff was bumped really hard once and took another couple of 

shots from crease-crashers against the San Jose Sharks. Does nobody in 

the NHL see this as a problem? … Is the difference in Roman Cervenka’s 

game the last couple of outings simply due to being in better physical 

shape? Since being scratched a couple of times, Cervenka has had more 

jump in his step, and it can’t all be from playing centre. It helps him and Jiri 

Hudler to be together, too … The games this weekend against the Ducks 

and the Kings will be a real test of how Cervenka and rookie Sven Baertschi 

handle big players who play big. Both those teams have size and players 

willing to use it, unlike the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday at the 

Saddledome … It’s too bad the NHL doesn’t keep track of times thrown out 

of the faceoff circle, because Matt Stajan would have to be closing in on a 

record of some sort. 



Same old song and dance from Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff 

By WES GILBERTSON, Calgary Sun 

CALGARY - You don’t just forget the lyrics to a familiar song. 

Especially when you’ve been singing the same tune for as long as almost 

anybody can remember. 

Fresh off a four-week absence due to a knee injury, Calgary Flames 

netminder Miikka Kiprusoff looked a lot like, well, Miikka Kiprusoff in 

Wednesday’s 4-1 triumph over the San Jose Sharks at the Saddledome. 

Were his teammates surprised by his stellar performance? Not a bit. 

Were they surprised anybody expected anything less? To be honest, yeah. 

“It was the usual,” summed up Flames defenceman Jay Bouwmeester. 

“He’s a very good goalie, and he played very good. 

“You pretty much know what you’re going to get from him every night. 

Nobody saw it, but skating during the lockout, he’s a guy that could miss a 

month and come and still be the same guy. He’s that good. So you give him 

a few practices and he’s not going to miss a beat.” 

He didn’t. 

Kiprusoff faced 33 shots against the Sharks, with only Joe Thornton’s 

second-period attempt sneaking past him. 

It’s no coincidence the Flames offered up one of their best all-around efforts 

of the season in front of the flexible 36-year-old. 

They’ll say all the right things about sticking to the same gameplan, but 

Kiprusoff inspires a confidence that seems to be missing when somebody 

else is standing in the crease. 

“He’s the best goaltender in the world, in my opinion. And knowing that you 

have that guy between the pipes for you is a great feeling,” said Flames 

blueliner Chris Butler. 

“That’s not a knock on Joey MacDonald or Danny Taylor or Leland Irving. I 

don’t feel like we play any different, we don’t change our style, depending 

on who’s in net. But when Kip goes in there, you just know that he’s going 

to bail you out. There’s just a comfort level.” 

Of the current cast in Calgary, only captain Jarome Iginla has been around 

longer than Kiprusoff. 

Wednesday’s win over the Sharks marked No. 300 for the soft-spoken 

puck-stopper in a Flames uniform. Assuming he’s back between the pipes 

for Friday’s clash with the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center (8:30 p.m., 

Sportsnet West), it will be his 607th appearance for the team. 

You can’t fake that sort of familiarity. 

“He’s really good at playing the puck. He talks more than people probably 

think, and that makes a big difference,” said Bouwmeester, now in his fourth 

season with the Flames. 

“When you’re used to the guy, and he goes out and plays the puck and you 

know where he’s going to put it, you kind of go to spots. It makes that part 

of the game a little bit easier. 

“And he makes those above-average saves, those ones that leave you 

scratching your head.” 

Kiprusoff didn’t need to make any jaw-droppers against the Sharks, 

although you get the feeling he certainly would’ve been up to that 

challenge. 

Thanks to the combined efforts of Irving, MacDonald and Taylor, the 

Flames managed a 7-5-2 record during his four-week recovery from a 

sprained knee ligament. 

Now that he’s back, there’s no doubt Kiprusoff is again the most important 

individual on Calgary’s roster. 

If the Flames (9-8-4) climb into a playoff position, it’s going to be on the 

back of No. 34. 

“I think he’s the best goalie in the league,” Bouwmeester said. “A lot of the 

goalies are just big guys that block the puck. You look at a guy like Kip or a 

guy like Marty Brodeur and they’re athletic. They makes saves. 

“There’s a lot of good goalies, but there’s a few guys that are just on 

another level. And Kip is one of those guys.” 


661947 Carolina Hurricanes 

DeCock: Canadiens are setting the bar 

By Luke DeCock - staff columnist — ldecock at newsobserver.com 

RALEIGH — For five periods this season, two of them Thursday night, the 

Montreal Canadiens did to the Carolina Hurricanes what they have done to 

just about everyone else in the NHL this season: shut down their offense 

with a disciplined, stifling game that may not be particularly exciting but is 

powerfully effective. 

For one period Thursday night, the Hurricanes tore apart the Canadiens 

with a fast, dynamic attack, playing with magnificent intensity and furious 

aggression. 

Based on Carolina’s third period, such an effort was not easily duplicated. 

After fighting back to tie the score, and having a chance to take the lead on 

an Eric Staal penalty shot, they fizzled in a 4-2 loss, their second to the 

Canadiens this season after a 3-0 loss in Montreal 21/2 weeks ago. 

As promising as Thursday’s second period was – Hurricanes coach Kirk 

Muller called it the best period his team has played this season – the other 

five periods should raise alarm bells for the Hurricanes. If they make the 

playoffs, as they should with a four-point lead in the Southeast Division in 

the era of the bonus loser’s overtime point, they do not want to see these 

Canadiens again. 

That’s not necessarily breaking news – with the Canadiens leading the 

Eastern Conference, no one is going to want to line up to face them in the 

postseason – but it just so happens that the Canadiens’ particular style is 

exactly one that can neutralize all of the Hurricanes’ advantages. 

“That’s the nature of their system and that’s why it’s effective,” Hurricanes 

defenseman Jay Harrison said. “It’s not unbeatable. It requires a 60-minute 

effort and sticking with your system for a full game. We just came off it a 

little bit. Our start was a little slow and we could have had a better finish as 

well.” 

By taking away time and space better than anyone else in the NHL, they 

prevent the Hurricanes from utilizing the speed and skill on their top two 

lines, and as a team they’re not big or strong enough to fight through it with 

brute force. It took a Herculean effort to break the Canadiens down in the 

second period, and the Hurricanes were out of gas in the third. It’s difficult 

to imagine them maintaining such a pace over the course of a playoff 

series. 

These are first-world problems, of course, and the Hurricanes would – and 

should – be happy just to make the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and 

only the second time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, particularly 

with the absence of Cam Ward. 

Yet this matchup is particularly disconcerting as the hockey gods have a 

way of sending the same teams the Hurricanes’ way in the playoffs – the 

New Jersey Devils, most notably, but Montreal and the Boston Bruins as 

well. The playoff series against the Canadiens in 2002 and 2006 spawned 

an unlikely rivalry that only now has fizzled, although it certainly sparked at 

times during a feisty, chippy game Thursday. 

The Hurricanes burnished their credentials as a playoff team with their 

second-period performance, while raising concerns about their ability to 

beat the best team in the conference otherwise. 

“It’s definitely possible,” Hurricanes center Jordan Staal said, asked 

whether the second-period effort was replicable. “We’ve dominated games 

before. Against a team like that, they make it hard for you to really generate 

and get momentum. We were happy with our second and what we did, but 

they do make it tough to keep that momentum going.” 

They may not have to beat the Canadiens to make the playoffs, but they 

may need to figure out a way to do it if they get there. 

News Observer LOADED: 03.08.2013

661948 Carolina Hurricanes 

Hurricanes fall to Canadiens 4-2 

By Chip Alexander — calexander at newsobserver.com 

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes went to their locker room after the 

second period Thursday feeling good about themselves, about the hockey 

game. 

Canes coach Kirk Muller later would call it his team's best period of the 

season. Jordan Staal and Drayson Bowman scored and Carolina could 

have had one or two more goals, putting 21 shots on net in tying the score. 

But the Montreal Canadiens were more than ready for the third period. 

Instead of folding, the Habs surged to a 4-2 victory that ended the Canes' 

four-game winning streak and quieted a PNC Arena crowd of 16,774 that 

sensed a comeback win in the making. 

"The first 10 minutes of the game we didn't have our best, but the last 10 

minutes of the first we were coming on and carried it into the second," 

Canes goalie Justin Peters said. "We had a lot of momentum going into the 

third. But they capitalized on their chances and turned the tide of the game." 

The Canadiens, who got 42 saves from Carey Price, first killed off a Brian 

Gionta roughing penalty to begin the third period. That was timely for the 

Habs. Lars Eller then scored off a pass from Josh Gorges for a 3-2 lead 

with 13:51 left in regulation. 

A half-minute later, Price made sharp stops on shots from the Canes' Alex 

Semin and then Tim Gleason. That was timely for Montreal, too. 

Semin, perhaps frustrated, soon was called for high-sticking and the Habs 

made the Canes pay for the offensive-zone penalty. Defenseman P.K. 

Subban got off a shot that Peters said knuckled past him. 

"I'd like to have that one (back) to give us a chance at the end," said Peters, 

who made his second straight start since being recalled from the Charlotte 

Checkers of the AHL. 

Brandon Prust and Gorges scored for the Habs (15-5-4) in the first period 

as Montreal, a 6-3 loser Tuesday to the New York Islanders, took the 2-0 

lead. But the Canes came out with jump in the second, firing away. 

The Hurricanes (13-9-1), who lead the Southeast Division, limited the Habs 

to five shots in the period while peppering Price. Staal scored on a shot 

from the right circle and Bowman on a bullet from the left circle that tied the 

score 2-2 with 9 minutes, 33 seconds left in the period. 

With a little more than five minutes left in the second and Montreal on a 

power play, Eric Staal took off on a shorthanded breakaway. Habs 

defenseman Yannick Weber was called for hooking, setting up a penalty 

shot. 

With the crowd standing and roaring, Staal had his forehand attempt 

stopped by Price. 

"In the second we did everything we possibly could and pushed hard," 

Muller said. "But we went into the third and they got that third goal, which 

was the breaker in terms of now they really sat back and played safe. 

"I thought the guys played hard but fell short. We threw 40-something shots 

at the net and Price came up big." 

Price came into the game having given up big numbers -- 12 goals on 59 

shots in a 7-6 loss to Pittsburgh and then the loss to the Isles. But he was 

solid enough Thursday. 

While the Habs got the power-play score from Subban, the Canes were 0-4 

with a man advantage. 

"We say all the time you've got to get momentum from your power play," 

Muller said. "For some reason our guys play hard five on five and drop the 

pace on the power play. … It probably cost us tonight." 

Peters, the winner Tuesday in the 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, had 

24 saves. Peters was in net again as Dan Ellis continues to recover from 

the flu. 

Center Riley Nash missed the game with flu-like symptoms and Jeremy 

Welsh was recalled Thursday from the Checkers. Welsh earned his first 

NHL point, assisting on Bowman's goal. 

Prust and Eller each finished with a goal and two assists for the Habs, who 

lead the Northeast Division. 

"We didn't keep the pressure on them," Jordan Staal said. "We kind of lost 

our hunger for the puck. One little mistake and it's in the back of our net, 

and we took one too many penalties as well and it cost us. Against a team 

that plays well defensively, it's tough to come back." 

News Observer LOADED: 03.08.2013

661949 Chicago Blackhawks 

Hossa, Shaw to travel with Blackhawks; Sharp won't 

By Chris Kuc 

Tribune reporter 

2:29 PM CST, March 7, 2013 

When the Blackhawks boarded their charter flight to Denver on Thursday 

afternoon, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Steve Montador were 

scheduled to be on it. Patrick Sharp and Michael Frolik were not. 

With Frolik set to meet the team in the Mile High City while he takes more 

time to recover from an illness, the injury news was mostly positive with the 

exception of Sharp, who will not play Friday night when the Hawks face the 

Avalanche—and possibly quite a bit longer. 

Sharp suffered an apparent shoulder injury when he was checked along the 

boards by Colorado’s Ryan O’Byrne during the Hawks’ 3-2 victory on 

Wednesday night at the United Center. 

A source said the severity of Sharp’s injury and the length of time the 

veteran will miss were still being determined Thursday. 

The Hawks recalled forward Brandon Bollig from AHL affiliate Rockford, 

where he had been sent Wednesday. 

Hossa was a late scratch from Wednesday’s game with an upper-body 

injury while Shaw left during the second period after taking an elbow to the 

chin from Paul Stastny. The fact the players were to make the trip is a good 

indication they will play Friday night. 

A league source said the NHL’s Dept. of Player Safety reviewed the play 

but did not schedule a hearing for Stastny so no disciplinary actions were to 

be taken. 

Montador was active from the injury list prior to Wednesday game but was a 

scratch against the Avs late that night. 

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.08.2013


Does anyone really have to ask who's first-half Hawks MVP? 

Steve Rosenbloom 

So, I’m up early Thursday morning, reading another dramatic and sparkling 

edition of My Chicago Tribune and logged on to My Chicago Tribune’s 

digital presentation, the only local news source you’ll ever need. 

OK, that’s it for sucking up to the current wonks and future owners. Moving 

right along ... 

I scroll down the user-friendly website and see the headline: “Who ya got as 

Blackhawks’ first-half MVP?’’ 

Do they really need to ask? Do WE really need to ask? 

Maybe that’s a new special Chicago Tribune Digital trick, a private message 

in headline form on my laptop. My Chicago Tribune cyberwonks just want 

my help. I guess they want me to tell them that Jonathan Toews is the 

Hawks’ first-half MVP. 

So, I click on the headline, and whoa, it’s a web poll. What the ... ? 

Who posts a web poll when the answer seems so obvious? 

OK. Fine. I click and vote for Toews like probably every other Hawks 

observer, and whoa again, Patrick Kane owned almost half the votes and 

Toews didn’t have even 20 percent. 

A disclaimer at the bottom noted “Results not scientific,’’ and they will 

remain so until people start agreeing with me. 

The other choices were Marian Hossa, Corey Crawford and Ray Emery, 

and there’s an argument to be made. Kane, too, certainly. They’d all make 

a good case for ranking second to Toews. 

Kane has always been the pretty, shiny thing, and he certainly has been 

from the start of this truncated season, scoring the kind of big and dramatic 

goals that mark his history. Kane seemed to have the jump on the entire 

league after playing in Switzerland during the lockout. 

In fact, Kane had such a jump that he’s getting the Pavel Datsyuk level of 

respect from opposing players, several of them Datsyuk’s teammates. 

Many quality defensemen who would normally try to squish Kane suddenly 

are backing off. They look afraid to make a run at the quick, shifty and 

creative Kane for fear he will make them look stupid. Kane’s improved 

elusiveness intimidates. Defenseman misses, Kane dances into open ice, 

“Chelsea Dagger’’ to follow. 

But there’s something else with Kane. Something important. Something 

mature. Kane also has displayed a new resolve to become a more 

complete player. Specifically, Kane realizes he has defensive 

responsibilities, too. 

During the interviews after the Hawks’ dramatic 3-2 victory over Colorado 

on Daniel Carcillo’s last-minute goal, Kane told NBC’s Pierre McGuire his 

game has changed because he’s playing and thinking defensively as much 

as he is offensively. He cited Hossa’s spectacular two-way game, saying 

that if Hossa could come back so hard to his own zone and still remain one 

of the scariest offensive weapons in the league, well, then, so could Kane. 

Kane could’ve said the same thing about Toews, who always has played 

both ends of the ice and done it at a more important position. The rink is 

200 feet. Same goes for Toews’ game. If you want the puck, then go get it 

yourself in your own zone. It’s a handy way to protect your goalie, not to 

mention the best plan to vet yourself from Joel Quenneville using the icetime 

hammer to nail your backside to the bench. 

It’s funny: Kane is getting a lot of Hart Trophy chatter for playing a new 

game that is modeled after the way Toews always has played and certainly 

plays better. Kane leads the team with 12 goals, but people talk as if he’s 

first and nobody is even second. Toews has 10 goals after that jawdropping 

short-hander that tied Colorado at 2 in the third period 

Wednesday. Big goal, ahem. 

Giving Kane credit for continuing to score big goals and adding to his game, 

I would argue long and loud that Toews is the Hawks’ MVP, and here’s 

why: 

He’s a center, which makes him more valuable than any other forward, and 

he’s among the best faceoff men in the league. The faceoff is the first 

battle. You can’t score without the puck. That’s why his line starts. Connect 

the dots, people. 

He’s part of the first penalty-killing unit that has ranked among the league’s 

best all season, and here’s the thing about penalty-killing: If you’re looking 

for postseason harbingers, killing penalties is second to great goaltending 

on any sane list of priorities. It’s hard work and a lot of want-to, which 

means a team has a greater chance of continuing to do it at a high level. 

What’s more, it can deflate a more talented team. See last year’s Hawks for 

details. 

Toews also is part of the first power-play unit, which has shown signs of 

improvement with a couple goals in the last three games, ranking 12thin the 

NHL after wallowing around 19th or 20th recently. 

Oh, and Toews is the captain because he’s the best leader, and that starts 

with the kind of game he plays. Toews works the toughest spots -- along 

the boards, in the corner, behind the net, and certainly in the slot. He’s the 

personification of Quenneville’s demand for “net presence.’’ A guy with that 

many points and that much talent remains willing to get dirty because that’s 

the right way. 

From my penalty box here, Toews is the guy playing a more important 

position and doing more valuable things in more critical areas of any given 

game. That’s why he’s my Hawks MVP, at least until he stupidly tries to 

fight Joe Thornton again. 



LeBron to Blackhawks: 'u guys are AWESOME!!' 

Tribune report 

8:49 AM CST, March 7, 2013 

The Chicago Blackhawks' NHL-record points streak hasn't escaped the 

notice of LeBron James, whose Miami Heat team is riding an impressive 

streak of its own. 

James congratulated the Hawks via Twitter after their dramatic, nationally 

televised 3-2 victory Wednesday over the Colorado Avalanche, tweeting, 

"Hey Chicago Blackhawks, u guys are AWESOME!! #streaking." 

Blackhawks winger Bryan Bickell replied, "Thanks for the support man. It's 

been pretty crazy." 

The Hawks now have earned a point in all 24 games this season and have 

won 11 straight. The Heat won their 16th straight Wednesday, edging the 

Orlando Magic. 

“ at kingjames: Hey Chicago Blackhawks, u guys are AWESOME!! 

#streaking” Thanks for the support man. It's been pretty crazy. 

— Bryan Bickell ( at bbicks29) March 7, 2013 

Hey Chicago Blackhawks, u guys are AWESOME!! #streaking 

— LeBron James ( at KingJames) March 7, 2013 

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC 



Strange but true, fan personally blacks out Hawks 

Angry with NHL commissioner over lockout, Schucker religiously avoids 

favorite team 

Steve Schucker 

Steve Schucker swore off the Blackhawks during the NHL lockout, and has 

remained stalwart as the season progresses. (Taylor Glascock / Chicago 

Tribune / March 6, 2013) 

David Haugh's In the Wake of the News 

10:27 p.m. CST, March 7, 2013 

During the second period of the Blackhawks' 3-2 victory Wednesday night 

over the Avalanche at the United Center, my phone buzzed. 

"Hawks on their way to 24 straight unbeaten?'' the text from fan Steven 

Schucker read. 

Schucker wasn't the only person in Chicago who didn't know the score of 

the Blackhawks game. But he might have been the only person in Chicago 

who intentionally didn't know the score of the Blackhawks game. 

He didn't give up hockey for Lent. He gave it up for 2013. 

"I picked the wrong year not to watch the Hawks,'' Schucker acknowledged 

Thursday. 

A 27-year-old graduate of Columbia College, Schucker had my number 

because I reached out to discuss him carrying out his decision to actively 

avoid all things Hawks in protest of the NHL lockout he blamed on 

Commissioner Gary Bettman. It was during the league's 119-day work 

stoppage when Schucker vowed to pay no attention to the Hawks if the 

season was saved. That meant no viewing or attending games. 

Somehow through an NHL-record start of 24 straight games without a loss 

in regulation for the 21-0-3 Blackhawks, Schucker has honored that vow in 

a city obsessed again with Indianhead sweaters. He misses Pat Foley's 

voice and Joel Quenneville's steely glare. Hawks games have been 

replaced on Schucker's television by reruns of "House'' or "Monk.'' And he 

can thank Bettman for expanding his knowledge of NBA rosters and Craig 

Sager's suits. 

"You have an NHL commissioner who doesn't care about his sport and it 

got to the point it just turned me off hockey,'' Schucker said Thursday. "I 

can't support watching a sport run by someone like that. I love the Hawks. 

My issue is with the principle of what's going on with the sport. It would be 

easy for me to drop my gloves and say, 'OK, I'll go back and watch.' But I'm 

a man who believes in standing by my principle, tough as it is to do this 

year.'' 

Schucker and his best friend, Alex Weldon, recently went to The Rail Bar & 

Grill to catch the Bulls on a large-screen TV. The Hawks played the same 

night so, during a commercial, somebody turned the channel to temptation. 

"Steven looked up to see hockey and you could tell he was struggling to 

avert his eyes,'' said Weldon, a counselor at Senn High School. "It's hard 

because he wants to take part in how much fun this Hawks season is. It has 

been hard for him to hold back.'' 

It has been even harder for his buddies to resist razzing Schucker for 

choosing the best Blackhawks start ever to ignore. In response to 

Schucker's Facebook post bemoaning his poorly timed stance, a co-worker 

at Jewel-Osco unloaded. 

"Your (sic) a moron for not watching a sport because you don't like the 

commissioner,'' Steve Lotman replied. 

To Schucker, such reactions merely reflect the passion of Chicago sports 

he embraces. His voice rose remembering the atmosphere inside McGee's 

Tavern celebrating the 2010 Stanley Cup title. When Schucker recalled his 

internship at CSN Chicago in 2007, he sounded as if he was describing his 

dream job. He grew up in West Rogers Park and still cherishes memories of 

going to Northwestern football games with his late father, David. Like 

millions of fans in the Chicago area, Schucker loves the Bulls, Bears, Sox 

and a good sports debate. 

Like, is the Hawks' start diminished because the compressed schedule 

reduced training camp and eliminated Eastern Conference opponents? 

"I hate to say it, but yes,'' Schucker said. "The competition is altered by the 

fact a lot of these guys weren't in shape and not where they would be 

normally.'' 

I disagree, but the only dumb sports arguments are ones based on nothing. 

At least Schucker ably defends his position on a protest that ultimately hurts 

nobody but himself. 

"I respect and understand the logic of criticizing me and why people say, 

'You're not a fan if you're not watching the Hawks,''' Schucker said. "I'm not 

one who likes to be considered fair-weather. If I'm committed to something, 

I'm committed. When I say I'm going to do something, I do it. This is one of 

those things.'' 

Friends say this fits the independent-minded personality of a guy who 

responded to the 2011 NBA lockout by boycotting televised pro basketball 

except Bulls games. He once went to high school with half his face 

unshaven for effect. After six years with a flip-phone, he only recently 

upgraded to a smart-phone. A conformist, he isn't. 

"He's unique and once he has his mind set on something, he commits,'' 

Weldon said. 

A long postseason will test Schucker's commitment to put the Blackhawks 

on ice. 

"I feel like he can make it through the season,'' Weldon said, chuckling. "But 

I'm skeptical about the playoffs.'' 



Hawks game-by-game mantra serving them well 

Toews attributes great start to 'work ethic and depth … really playing a 

complete game' 

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter 

8:41 p.m. CST, March 7, 2013 

DENVER — Throw out quantum physics and the supernatural when it 

comes to trying to explain the Blackhawks' record-breaking streak to start 

the season. 

"There's no special equation … or magic going on," Jonathan Toews said. 

Still, as Daniel Carcillo stated matter-of-factly, "It's not normal, that's for 

sure." 

The Hawks have reached the halfway mark of the lockout-truncated 48game 

campaign without a loss in regulation and begin the stretch run 

toward the postseason with a 21-0-3 record and 45 of a possible 48 points. 

While that sounds ethereal, Toews stuck with a conventional theory to 

outline what has been going right since the season opener Jan. 19 in Los 

Angeles. 

"It's just work ethic and it's the depth of our team kicking in," Toews said. 

"We're working for every little chance we get and every little piece of 

offense and we're playing smart in our own zone. We're really playing a 

complete game." 

That isn't nearly as much fun as envisioning team ambassadors Stan 

Mikita, Tony Esposito, Bobby Hull and Denis Savard using wood hockey 

sticks as magic wands to cast spells to help the Hawks get off to one of the 

greatest starts in professional sports history, but goaltender Ray Emery also 

took a grounded approach like his mere-mortal teammate. 

"Part of the secret is that we just refocusing and taking it game by game," 

Emery said. "We're not cheating or getting ahead of ourselves because 

we're doing well. We're respecting our opponents and playing by the 

system we want to play." 

That system, which includes contributions from every player on the roster 

and seemingly a different hero each game, has helped the Hawks reel off a 

franchise-record 11 consecutive victories and secure at least one point in 

the first 24 games — 30 dating to last season. 

"Good teams find a way to win and for that you can't rely on two, three, four 

guys every night to score," Carcillo said. "You're back end has to score and 

your goalies have to play great and guys have to step up." 

Added Emery: "It's exciting when you get contributions from different guys. 

That's what a team is about." 

Along with coach Joel Quenneville, the leaders in the dressing room won't 

allow focusing on anything other than the next game, which will come 

Friday against the Avalanche at the Pepsi Center. 

"We're staying very realistic, knowing if we don't keep working and doing 

the right things we're not going to have the same success," team captain 

Toews said. "We've said all along our No. 1 priority is just building 

ourselves as a team to be the best we can be later in the season and 

postseason. 

"You want to win every game and give yourself a chance. Most of the time 

it's not realistic to think you're going to win every night but we're playing 

great." 



Sharp could be out a while with shoulder injury 

Veteran winger doesn't make trip to Denver, but signs are positive on 

Hossa, Shaw 

By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter 

10:53 PM CST, March 7, 2013 

DENVER — When the Blackhawks' charter flight took off for Denver on 

Thursday afternoon, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw, Steve Montador and 

Brandon Bollig were on it. Patrick Sharp and Michael Frolik were not. 

With Frolik set to meet the team in the Mile High City while he takes more 

time to recover from an illness, the injury news was mostly positive with the 

exception of Sharp, who will be sidelined Friday when the Hawks face the 

Avalanche — and he could be out for a matter of weeks rather than days. 

The veteran winger suffered a shoulder injury when he was checked along 

the boards by Colorado's Ryan O'Byrne during the Hawks' 3-2 victory 

Wednesday at the United Center. 

A source said the severity of Sharp's injury and the length of time he will 

miss still were being determined Thursday. When asked after the game if 

Sharp's injury could be season-ending, coach Joel Quenneville said, "I don't 

think so." 

Sharp likely will be placed on the injured list. Brandon Bollig was recalled 

from Rockford to put the Hawks over the 23-man limit. 

Hossa was a late scratch Wednesday with an upper-body injury, while 

Shaw left during the second period after taking an elbow to the chin from 

Paul Stastny. With the forwards making the trip, it's a positive indicator they 

will play in the rematch. 

A league source said the NHL's Department of Player Safety reviewed 

Stastny's hit but did not schedule a hearing for the Avs forward, so no 

disciplinary action was taken. 

After missing the first 23 games with symptoms related to a concussion, 

Montador was activated from the injured list Wednesday but was a scratch 

against the Avs. 

Streaking: Goaltender Ray Emery set an NHL record with 10 consecutive 

victories to start a season when the Hawks defeated the Avalanche. Since 

signing with the Hawks before the 2011-12 season, he has a sparkling 17- 

0-3 record at the United Center. 

"We play well (at home) and we have a good team, (so) it doesn't take a 

lot," Emery said. "I just kind of play solid when I get in there ... and our team 

finds a way to win more often than not." 

Them again: The Hawks will look to extend their streak of games to start 

the season without a regulation loss to 25 on Friday against an Avs team 

that nearly ended the remarkable run. 

Colorado held a third-period lead before the Hawks came back on goals by 

Jonathan Toews and Daniel Carcillo to win it. 

"I expect the same type of game; really tight defensively, fast-paced, up and 

down the ice (and) very physical," Toews said. "We'll have to play a smart 

road game if we want to give ourselves a chance to win." 



Kings Coach Darryl Sutter says players should use face shields 

By Lisa Dillman 

5:12 PM CST, March 7, 2013 

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter spent weeks in a Minnesota hospital early in his 

playing career with the Chicago Blackhawks when he was hit in the face on 

a shot by teammate Doug Wilson. 

Sutter had a fractured cheekbone and a damaged left eye. He ended up 

missing 18 games in that 1983-84 season and was fortunate not to have 

any lingering issues with his vision. 

Which is why, for many reasons, his is an important voice on the issue of 

face shields, a debate sparked earlier this week when New York Rangers 

defenseman Marc Staal sustained an eye injury when he was hit by a puck. 

The Rangers say Staal is expected to make a full recovery. 

“I’m a proponent of the shield,” Sutter said Thursday after the Kings’ 

morning skate. “These kids play their whole life with a shield or a cage. Why 

wouldn’t you continue to protect it once you are playing at the highest level? 

That’s not Marc. That’s everybody. 

“There are kids that come from the American [Hockey] League that take 

their shields off to play. That shouldn’t be the way it is. I believe the one 

time they shouldn’t have the helmet on or the shield on is warmups. That’s 

the only time they ever get to do anything on the ice without it. I think that’s 

their right, their identity. That should be their 16 minutes for people to see 

that, ‘He’s got blond hair or sideburns.' 

“It doesn’t really make that much sense [to play without a shield]. It’s their 

right. It doesn’t matter until it’s grandfathered, or a rule. Or a parent or a 

wife or a son that says, ‘Dad, honey.’ That’s the way it works. There’s not 

one thing I, or any of us, can do about it.” 

Face shields are not mandatory in the NHL. Helmets were made mandatory 

before the 1979-80 season, which happened to be Sutter’s rookie season in 

Chicago. Veterans were grandfathered. 

Naturally, hockey superstitions reigned. 

“It would be funny,” Sutter said. “There would be guys that would be hot or 

cold and they would not wear a helmet or they would wear a helmet. If they 

hadn’t scored in three games, they’d take a helmet off. You were still 

allowed to do it.” 



Time for Hawks to lighten up 

Quenneville's 21-0-3 club has nothing left to prove vs. Western Conference 

opponents 

Dan McNeil 

7:29 PM CST, March 7, 2013 

There's no point assigning letter grades to the Blackhawks now that they've 

reached the halfway point in the truncated 48-game season. 

Straight A's across the board. 

Even the marketing team and virtual unknowns behind the scenes have 

performed at a Stanley Cup championship level, evidenced by a tasteful yet 

brief ceremony to acknowledge Marian Hossa's 1,000th game Tuesday 

night before playing Minnesota. 

So here's a 24-karat request — a suggestion actually — for the Hawks as 

they begin the back nine of the regular season this evening in Denver. 

Relax just a smidge. Take a few deep breaths and recognize the 

Presidents' trophy and a couple dollars afford only a CTA bus fare. 

Joel Quenneville's 21-0-3 club has nothing left to prove against Western 

Conference opponents. The Hawks undeniably are the class of the 

conference and the only two obstacles that can preclude a second trip to 

the Cup finals in four years are injuries and mental fatigue. 

The ouchies are the biggest concern. Hossa was a late scratch with the flu 

Wednesday and missed the 3-2 win over Colorado. 

Maybe that's all it was, but when a player spends several months reciting 

his ABCs after a concussion from a brutal hit like the one Hossa incurred 

last spring, there always will be cause for concern when he's absent or gets 

drilled in the melon. 

Patrick Sharp, victimized by a nasty Avalanche sandwich in the third period 

Wednesday, needed assistance getting off the ice. While Sharp has been a 

bit snakebitten, he is a versatile, poised veteran, without whom the Hawks' 

chances would be diminished significantly. 

My humble suggestion to Coach Q — with all due respect to a cat with 645 

career wins, seventh most in league history — is to back off the ice time for 

his most valuable assets. 

The Hawks are blessed with depth. Ride it. There's no good reason for 

Duncan Keith to lead the league in minutes played. Keith's playing time has 

been reduced recently and that should continue. 

That hasn't been the case for Hart trophy candidate Patrick Kane, who's 

been double-shifting a bit and logged a team-high 22:15 of ice time against 

Colorado. 

Gritty Jamal Mayers has played in only 12 games. With 24 games in the 

next 49 days, ample doses of Mayers, Bryan Bickell (who is this guy all of a 

sudden?), Michael Frolik, Marcus Kruger, Sheldon Brookbank and Steve 

Montador would be a good thing. 

Before the lid was lifted on the season, the Blackhawks suggested they 

were willing to use the farmhands in Rockford. Do it. Ready or not, here 

they should come to lighten the work load a bit for the most integral 

components to a run at hockey's Holy Grail. 

Brandon Bollig and Jimmy Hayes are big bodies and Hayes has shown 

flashes of offensive spark when he's been given the opportunity. Now is the 

right time to give him more. 

All observers appreciate the Hawks' "play every game like it's you're last" 

work ethic, but that approach has the potential to burn out a hockey team 

before the second season commences. The best regular season in club 

history was in 1990-91, but their league-best 106 points were easily 

forgotten when the eighth-seeded Minnesota North Stars popped the 

Hawks in six in Round 1. 

Finishing first matters more in June than in March. The only parade in the 

spring is for St. Patrick's Day. 

Special contributor Dan McNeil hosts "The McNeil and Spiegel Show" 

weekdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on WSCR-AM 670. 



Friday's matchup: Blackhawks at Avalanche 

6:47 PM CST, March 7, 2013 

TV/radio: 8 p.m. Friday; CSN-Plus, CLTV, WGN-AM 720. 

Series: Hawks 1-0. 

Last meeting: Hawks won 3-2 Wednesday at the United Center. 

Probable goaltenders: Hawks, Corey Crawford, 11-0-3, 1.53 gaa; 

Avalanche, Semyon Varlamov, 6-9-3, 2.80. 

Team comparison 

Averages per game (NHL rank) 

HAWKS (21-0-3) CATEGORY AVALANCHE(8-10-4) 

3.12 (4) Goals for 2.36 (24) 

1.79 (1) Goals against 2.91 (19) 

17.8 (12) Power-play pct. 11.9 (29) 

89.0 (2) Penalty-kill pct. 77.4 (25) 

Statistics through Wednesday. 

Storyline: The teams are meeting for the second time in three nights after 

the Hawks extended their franchise-record winning streak to 11. The Hawks 

are 2-3-2 in their last seven games at Colorado. PA Parenteau (nine goals, 

11 assists) and Matt Duchene (eight, 12) lead the Avalanche in scoring. 



Blackhawks get significant offense from checking line 

By MARK LAZERUS mlazerus at suntimes.com March 7, 2013 10:14PM 

Go back and re-watch Wednesday’s dramatic Blackhawks victory over the 

Colorado Avalanche. Watch how Dave Bolland sneakily (illegally?) knocks 

the stick out of Avalanche forward Jamie McGinn’s hands to free Jonathan 

Toews for his game-tying short-handed goal. Look how Marcus Kruger 

fights for the puck behind the opposing net to set up Daniel Carcillo’s gamewinning 

goal. See how Carcillo is in the right spot at the right time to muscle 

in the winning backhander. 

These are the subtle ways — the craftiness, the hustle, the savvy — in 

which the Hawks are winning games on this team-record 11-game winning 

streak, and this NHL-record season-opening 24-game points streak. 

Then there’s the not-so-subtle contribution of Bryan Bickell, Andrew Shaw 

and Viktor Stalberg — a checking line in name only. When Shaw scored the 

first goal of the game (before leaving in the second period after taking an 

elbow to the head by Paul Stastny), it marked the seventh time in the last 

eight games that one of those three players has scored a goal. Granted, 

this particular one was on the power play, but the point remains — on a 

team loaded with elite talent, difference-making goals keep coming from 

unlikely sources. 

Through 24 games, Stalberg has six goals and seven assists. Bickell has 

five goals and seven assists. Shaw has six goals and four assists. 

“That’s been a big key to our success, is having different guys step up and 

score that goal,” defenseman Duncan Keith said. “It’s never about one 

guy.’’ 

And as with so many other guys on the Hawks — think Kruger, think 

Michael Frolik, think Bolland — the third line’s success has come from their 

individual willingness to reinvent themselves to fill a team need. 

It starts with Shaw in the middle. After playing center for most of his junior 

career, Shaw spent the last two seasons on the wing. Moving back to 

center — in Bolland’s old spot — was a tough transition, and it showed as 

the line struggled offensively, scoring three goals in the first nine games. 

But since Shaw found his groove again, the line has taken off. 

“The main thing is [Shaw is] getting better at center,” Stalberg said. “His first 

five or 10 games, he struggled at times playing that position — it’s 

something he hasn’t done for a while in the pro ranks. He’s just more 

poised with the puck, and we’re having the puck more -because of it.” 

Then there’s Bickell, a guy known for his physical presence who’s turning 

himself into an all-around player. Known for having a heavy, nasty wrist 

shot — “When I was a kid, I didn’t play video games or anything like that, I 

just worked on my shot,” he said — Bickell has been making a conscious 

effort to shoot more, and it paid off with two goals against the Wild. He also 

has made two brilliant centering feeds from behind the net that created 

goals against Columbus and St. Louis. 

“I’ll help the team in any way,” Bickell said. “I know they’ve been aboveaverage 

passes for me; I’m usually a shooter. But different years, and 

playing with different players, you have to adjust. I’ll do whatever to make 

this team win.” 

Finally, there’s Stalberg, a gifted offensive player asked to play on a 

checking line. Of course, even though defense is the priority, on this 

particular checking line — much as the memorable trio of Andrew Ladd, 

Kris Versteeg and Bolland did during the 2010 Stanley Cup run — offensive 

chances are everywhere. 

“They’ve had some real long offensive zone shifts the last couple, three 

games, and they’ve been productive, as well,” coach Joel Quenneville said. 

“When you don’t have to check in your own end, it’s a bonus.” 

Added Shaw: “Everyone’s buying into the system, everyone’s playing 

defense first. And when you do that, good things come offensively. We just 

hope to keep it going.” 

NOTES: There were no official updates on the statuses of Patrick Sharp, 

Andrew Shaw, Marian Hossa or Michael Frolik. But TSN in Canada 

reported on Thursday night that Sharp has a “fairly severe AC-joint shoulder 

separation.” He is likely to be out for a minimum of three weeks, possibly for 

a month. 

Ray Emery is the first goalie in NHL history to win his first 10 decisions in a 

season. He already held the record for the most wins to start a career, with 

nine. 

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


TELANDER: The Blackhawks have to lose, right? Right? 

By RICK TELANDER rtelander at suntimes.com March 7, 2013 9:54PM 

Earlier this year I started a column by writing, “They have to lose sometime, 

right?’’ 

Plain logic. Now, you gotta wonder. Maybe an apple can fly upward. Maybe 

Kris Jenner is sweet. Maybe E=MC3. 

Because the Blackhawks have reached the halfway point in this lockoutshortened 

season, and they haven’t lost in regulation yet, and I don’t know 

when or how they are going to lose. 

As we all now know — since everybody in Chicago is a hockey fan these 

days (thank you, Derrick Rose’s injured ACL) — the Blackhawks have at 

least one point for every game, which means their 21-0-3 record is jawdroppingly 

good. 

They now hold the record for the NHL opening-season points streak, and — 

if you go back to last season, which we will — they have scored at least one 

point in 30 consecutive games. That’s just five away from the NHL record. 

And if you don’t like the overtime part of this hockey equation — if you think 

those three non-wins should be called losses, just remember the Hawks 

now have 11 straight honest-to-God wins, a franchise record. Indeed, it will 

no longer be enough for them simply to win their second Stanley Cup in 

four seasons — they must blow through the playoff field like a shotgun blast 

through wallpaper. 

OK, it’s easy to predict and demand such stuff when you’re sitting in the 

press box high above, away from stick knobs, all your teeth in place, 

nobody like the -Sedin brothers bearing down on you. But, seriously, why 

should these guys lose? 

It could have already happened, multiple times. But the Blackhawks have 

pulled out games in every way imaginable — with short-handed winners, 

shootout circuses, with fights, without fights, via nail-biters, annihilations, 

with an astounding 12 players scoring -winning goals, with two goaltenders, 

which is something no great team does. 

But the Hawks bonded so quickly after the torturous lockout that they might 

be the only team in the NHL that would have been hindered by playing 

exhibition games. It’s like they have silent communication going between all 

parts, like bees in a colony. Consider that brilliant defensemen Duncan 

Keith and Brent Seabrook have been in the Blackhawks system together for 

more than a decade (Keith was drafted in the second round in 2002; 

Seabrook in the first round in 2003), and maybe you can understand how 

they link up for goals, assists, and stops almost as one creature. 

And, believe it, we here in Chicago are noticing. It seems impossible, but all 

10 of the Hawks’ highest-rated TV games have occurred this season. 

According to a report from Comcast SportsNet, which carries most of the 

games, 18 of the 19 highest-rated Hawks games (using household 

viewership) have occurred this year, with the highest-rated game ever being 

the second-to-last one, a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild, on Tuesday 

night. 

There has been excited chatter about the 16-game winning streak the 

Miami Heat is on, as if it is somehow equal to or better than the Hawks’ 

streak. Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell have even been tweeting cheerily 

back and forth with Heat hoops god LeBron James. “U guys are 

AWESOME!!’’ tweeted James yesterday. “Keep rolling,’’ replied the Kaner. 

Nice, but irrelevant. Sixteen games in the middle of a season is not like 24 

at the start. Not even close. You have a lot of chances to have a big streak 

sometime during a long season. You have only one chance at the 

beginning. Why, the 1995-96 Bulls won 18 in a row, after winning 12 in a 

row, after winning 10 of 11. They then had winning streaks of seven, six, 

six, six and five. The 1991-92 Bulls won 14 in a row and then 13 in row. In 

1997, the Bulls started 12-0. 

At any rate, that’s nice what you’re doing there, Miami. But it’s not even the 

longest streak in the NBA this season. 

The Blackhawks are in uncharted waters, or ice, here. Who is going to beat 

them? The Avalanche out there in Denver on Friday night? Edmonton back 

here on Sunday? The Blue Jackets, the Stars, the Ducks? 

Any of it’s possible. But then we’re talking about crazy science here. 

‘‘We just take them one game at a time,’’ said captain -Jonathan Toews, 

using the greatest sports cliché ever to explain what the Blackhawks 

actually do. 

The rest of us? We can take them by the two dozen. 

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


Libertyville Sports Complex to host Blackhawks road party 

By Mick Zawislak 

For a third consecutive year, the Libertyville Sports Complex will be 

transformed to the United Center North for rabid fans to watch and cheer 

the hottest team in hockey. 

On April 9, the Blackhawks again will bring the official "Roadwatch Party" to 

the complex at Route 45 and Peterson Road for the game against the 

Minnesota Wild. 

In each of the past two years, about 400 fans, many in Hawks garb, have 

attended the event and basked in an atmosphere designed to make the 

experience feel as close to a home game at the United Center as possible. 

Fans sit in bleacher seats and picnic tables set up on a basketball court to 

watch the game on a big-screen TV but there are plenty of extras, including 

appearances by a legendary player/ambassador (it was Hall of Famer 

Denis Savard the past two years); Tommy Hawk, the official mascot; and, 

the Ice Crew Girls. 

Jim Cornelison again will be in the building to deliver his stirring live 

rendition of the national anthem to start the game. 

"This is a very important part of their outreach and marketing in the 

community so they bring out their key celebrities," said Connie Kowal, the 

director of the village-owned facility. 

Banners will be displayed from the rafters. The scoreboard at the complex 

is synced to the game clock. When the Hawks score, the signature red light 

is lit and the "Chelsea Dagger" singing rendition begins. 

Other activities include rally towels for attendees, a shoot the puck contest, 

raffles for Hawks memorabilia, poster and picture giveaways and a floor 

hockey area for kids. 

"The Hawks really put a lot into this," Kowal said. 

Tickets are $10 per person with 500 available. They can be ordered by 

calling (847) 918-7275 or at the front desk of the Sports Complex. Doors 

open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. start. 

Roadwatch parties traditionally have been done at bars and restaurants but 

Kowal, a former executive with a variety of professional sports teams 

including the Cubs, initiated the contact with the thought of expanding the 

size of the venue for a family event. 

"After the first year, they saw it worked. They've been just as anxious as I 

am to say, `Let's do it again,'" Kowal said. 

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


Hossa, Shaw, Frolik OK to return; Sharp staying home 

Posted by TimS on Thu, 03/07/2013 - 16:24 

While Patrick Sharp won’t be making the trip to Denver for Friday’s rematch 

with the Avalanche, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Steve Montador were 

on the Blackhawks’ team charter that left on Thursday. 

Michael Frolik, who has missed the last two games with the flu, wasn’t on 

the charter but will meet the team in Colorado. 

Hossa was a late scratch on Wednesday with an upper body injury. He took 

the pregame warmup but decided he couldn’t go. 

Shaw was hurt in the second period when he took an elbow from Paul 

Stastny in the head. 

Sharp was injured in the third period when he was checked hard into the 

glass by Avs defenseman Ryan O’Byrne and left the ice holding his left 

shoulder. Hawks coach Joel 

Quenneville called it an upper body injury and will update the media on 

Sharp’s condition following Friday’s morning skate in Denver. 

Brandon Bollig was recalled from Rockford a day after being sent down. 



Hawks not letting streak change their focus 

By Tim Sassone 

It's halfway through the season and the Blackhawks still don't have a loss in 

regulation. 

Let that sink in for a moment. 

Halfway through the season and the Hawks are 21-0-3. 

Not even coach Joel Quenneville would have believed this could happen if 

someone had told him before the season it was possible. 

"Nobody in their right mind," Quenneville said. 

"I think you want to be objective and optimistic when you start the season," 

Quenneville said. "When I say start, your start is usually five or 10 games 

and it has gone on here now. It's been a lot of fun and we're very pleased, 

shocked, surprised, you can use a different term." 

The Hawks have won a franchise record 11 games in a row, own the NHL 

record for best start at 24 games without a loss in regulation, and are within 

five games now of Philadelphia's league mark of 35 games with at least a 

point. 

They are 13-0-3 in 1-goal games, the latest being Wednesday's 3-2 win 

over Colorado on Daniel Carcillo's goal with 50 seconds to play. 

"I'd say No. 1, it's really exciting for our fans," captain Jonathan Toews said. 

"It gives them something to be really pumped about. We're staying very 

realistic in this locker room. If we don't keep working and doing the right 

things, we're not going to have the same success. We've said all along our 

No. 1 priority is to build ourselves as a team to be the best we can later on 

and in the postseason. 

"We're taking it one game at a time, but it's definitely fun to come to the rink 

and be in the locker room with these guys." 

The win on Wednesday was the fourth time the Hawks had to rally in the 

third period to get at least 1 point. 

"We never go away, we never give up, we keep coming at them, whether 

we have guys injured and basically playing three lines (like Wednesday)," 

Toews said. "We keep coming at them." 

When Toews looks at 21-0-3, he has a hard time fathoming how the Hawks 

got here. 

"You want to go out there and win every game, you want to give yourself a 

chance," Toews said. "Most of the time it's not realistic to think you're going 

to win every night, but we're playing great. There's no special equation, no 

magic going on, it's just work ethic. It's the depth of our team kicking in. 

We're working for every little chance we get and every little piece of offense. 

It's all those little details that we're really playing a complete game. 

"Obviously you're not going to go out flying and dominate every period, but 

even in those moments where maybe we're back on our heels, we're 

playing smart and making it tough for other teams to create offense in our 

zone." 

Trailing 2-1 going into the third period against the Avs, the Hawks felt calm 

on the dressing room during the second intermission. 

"We've been in that position many times this year and we didn't feel any 

pressure," Toews said. "What we've been through lately really gives us that 

confidence that we can go into the third period, down a goal, and we have a 

great feeling that somehow, some way, we're going to find a way." 

"There's no special handshake we do in the room here, no rah-rah-rah, or 

anything like that," defenseman Duncan Keith said. "It's hockey. It's just 

playing the right way, everybody worried about doing their role and doing 

their job." 

It has been seemingly a different hero every night for the Hawks. On 

Wednesday, it happened to be Carcillo. 

"That's been a big key to our success, having different guys step up," Keith 

said. "We're rolling all four lines, all six D and both goaltenders." 

• Follow Tim's hockey reports on Twitter at TimSassone and check out his 

Between the Circles blog at dailyherald.com. 



Carcillo’s hard work pays off for Hawks 


Daniel Carcillo doesn't want to be known as simply the Blackhawks' 

enforcer. 

He believes he has other skills and he wants to show them off to everyone, 

like he did Wednesday night when he drove to the net and backhanded a 

Viktor Stalberg rebound past Colorado goalie Semyon Varlamov with 50 

seconds left to give the Hawks a 3-2 win. 

It has been a long way back into the spotlight for Carcillo, who missed half 

of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee only to return this year and 

sprain his MCL in his right knee in the opener at Los Angeles. 

"I want to be more than just the enforcer," Carcillo said. "Just to be able to 

step in with some key guys that went down (Patrick Sharp, Andrew Shaw 

and Marian Hossa), and help the team anyway I can in this particular 

situation, scoring the game winner, that's what we play for. 

"We knew we were down to three lines and some guys had to step in and 

play roles they're not usually in. I think we did a great job keeping our 

heads." 

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville was happy to see Carcillo find some 

success. 

"Car Bomb has been working his tail off," Quenneville said. "The grind of 

trying to rehabilitate yourself is a pain and is not fun. It was nice to see him 

score there." 

Second chance: 

The Avs don't have to wait long to get another crack at ending the Hawks' 

various streaks with a rematch Friday night at the Pepsi Center. 

Colorado coach Joe Sacco thought his team deserved a better fate than it 

got at the United Center on Wednesday. 

"We just had a breakdown at the end of the game and it wound up in the 

back of our net," Sacco said. "They're a good team. We controlled their 

tempo for the most part. Their speed, they have a quick transition game and 

you want to manage the puck well against them because if you don't they'll 

make you pay. 

"I thought for the most part we did that. We tried to get it deep, we chipped 

it, we had zone time, but when you don't, they're quick. Their defense gets it 

up to the forwards quickly." 

The Avs have alwas been a tough matchup because of their speed and 

quickness. 

"I've got a lot of respect for their team," Joel Quenneville said. "Off the rush 

and on the attack they're as good as any team in the league. With their 

quickness and ability to take you on 1-on-1, they're a threat to beat you with 

their speed or with their moves." 

Hang 10: 

Ray Emery broke Glenn Hall's team record by winning his 10th straight 

game Wednesday. Hall had nine wins from January-March of 1967. 

Corey Crawford owns the team record for undefeated streak at 13, breaking 

Denis DeJordy's old mark of 12, also set in January-February, 1967. 

"Every night, whether it's Ray or Crow, you can look at it as 1A and 1B, you 

can talk about how good they've been," Joel Quenneville said. "Guys have 

confidence in front of them." 



Blackhawks’ Sharp to miss three weeks? 


While Patrick Sharp didn't make the trip to Denver for Friday's rematch with 

the Avalanche, Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Steve Montador were on 

the Blackhawks' team charter that left on Thursday. 

Sharp was injured in the third period when he was checked hard into the 

glass by Avs defenseman Ryan O'Byrne and left the ice holding his left 

shoulder. NBC Sports Network reported late Thursday that Sharp could 

miss three weeks the injury. 

Hawks coach Joel Quenneville called it an upper-body injury, saying Sharp 

would "miss some time." Quenneville will update the media on Sharp's 

condition following Friday's morning skate in Denver. 

Michael Frolik, who has missed the last two games with the flu, wasn't on 

the charter but will meet the team in Colorado. 

Hossa was a late scratch Wednesday with an upper-body injury. He took 

the pregame warmup but decided he couldn't go. 

Shaw was hurt in the second period when he took an elbow from Paul 

Stastny in the head. 

Winger Brandon Bollig was recalled from Rockford, one day after being 

sent down. 



Hawks' defense produces more impressive numbers 

DENVER – Corey Crawford just shook his head on Sunday, not so much at 

his own performance, but at the one by the guys in front of him. 

“Our defensemen have been good blocking shots and taking passing lanes 

away,” he said. “They’ve been so solid back there.” 

Entering their Friday-night tilt with the Colorado Avalanche, the Blackhawks 

have allowed just 43 goals through regulations and overtimes this season, 

best in the NHL. (Oh, they allowed three shootout goals, too, and the 46 

total allowed is still best in the league). The Blackhawks defense, which has 

been much maligned the last two seasons, takes pride in its current 

numbers. 

“That’s always a good thing,” said Brent Seabrook, who leads the 

Blackhawks with 57 blocked shots this season. “Our job is to keep the puck 

out of the net. But it’s a collective effort. Forwards have been doing a good 

job of backchecking, stripping pucks from behind and getting pressure on 

guys. Our goaltending’s been unbelievable, and our D is doing a good job 

of making plays out of our zone to get forwards the puck.” 

Fellow defenseman Nick Leddy, a minus-12 last season and a plus-10 this 

one, said, “I think if we keep it there, gives us a great chance to win. We 

have so much skill and offense on this team that the goals will come. We 

just have to play good team D.” 

The low goals allowed are a far cry from last season, when the team’s 

defense came under fire, critically and literally. The Blackhawks allowed 

231 goals last season, which put them at 22nd in the league. They 

struggled in so many categories, from goaltending to penalty kill to defense, 

with the goalies and blue liners taking most of the heat. 

A year later everything is better. 

One of the biggest differences among the defensemen alone is the balance. 

The Blackhawks have three solid, dependable D pairings. Seabrook and 

Duncan Keith have long been together. Johnny Oduya (whose plus-12 

rating is best among Blackhawks’ defensemen) and Niklas Hjalmarsson 

(plus-10) have built chemistry, and Leddy has formed a good tandem with 

Michal Rozsival (plus-11) or Sheldon Brookbank, who have been swapped 

in and out throughout the season. 

That balance has helped keep individual minutes down, too, especially for 

the Blackhawks’ top two defensemen. Last season, Keith and Seabrook’s 

time-on-ice per game was 26:53 and 24:43, respectively. This season, 

Keith is playing 23:53 a game and Seabrook is averaging 23:04. 

“It’s good to do that, especially early on in a shortened season,” Seabrook 

said of the more spread-out minutes. “You’re trying to find your timing and 

your legs and get back to playing hockey. It was nice not to play 26, 27 

minutes every night. For all of us, it’s been good. And it gives guys more 

confidence, doing different roles and different things. It’s been a lot of fun.” 

Keith said depth has been pivotal for the Blackhawks. 

“Obviously part of our team success is having that depth, be it defensemen 

or all four lines of forwards going,” Keith said. “We’re not relying on any one 

player. It’s a total team effort, and that’s a big reason why we’re having 

success.” 

The Blackhawks are having plenty of success denying opponents offense. 

Their defense struggled through its porous times. Now, it’s just plain stingy. 

“We’ve improved with how we’ve been defending,” coach Joel Quenneville 

said. “Collectively, on the back end, everyone’s been pulling their weight.” 

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.08.2013


Blackhawks recall Bollig as team heads to Denver 

March 7, 2013, 3:15 pm 

DENVER – Marian Hossa, Andrew Shaw and Steve Montador traveled to 

Denver on Thursday, as the Blackhawks are slated to play the Colorado 

Avalanche there on Friday night. 

Patrick Sharp, who suffered what looked to be an arm/shoulder injury in the 

third period of the Blackhawks’ 3-2 victory over Colorado on Wednesday, 

did not travel and is out for tomorrow night’s game. Michael Frolik, who has 

missed the last two games due to illness, will meet the team in Denver 

tomorrow. 

Hossa (upper body) was a late scratch before Wednesday night’s game but 

coach Joel Quenneville said afterward that he was hopeful Hossa will play 

Friday. Shaw took an elbow to the head in the second period on 

Wednesday and did not return. Quenneville said he “wasn’t too bad” after 

the game. 

Montador was just added to the active roster on Wednesday afternoon. The 

defenseman, whose concussion problems have kept him out of all but one 

game dating back to last February, was available for Wednesday’s game 

but did not play. 

The Blackhawks also recalled Brandon Bollig from the Rockford IceHogs on 

Thursday. Bollig was reassigned to Rockford on Wednesday, when 

Montador’s clearance meant the Blackhawks had to make a roster move. 

The Blackhawks are looking to run their season-opening undefeated streak 

to 25 consecutive games on Friday. 



Military members honored by Hawks' anthem, salute 

March 7, 2013, 9:15 am 

Cornelison joins both gentleman after the national anthem concludes. 

At the age of 91, Lt. Alexander Samaras received the phone call he had 

waited years for. 

Before the start of each Blackhawks home game, one active military 

member and one veteran are honored on the ice in front of thousands of 

fans. They stand at the center of a roaring crowd that's cheering for not only 

their team, but also for their country. Now it was his turn to be a part of the 

celebration. 

"[When I received the call], I was tickled to death," said Samaras, who 

served in the United States Navy. "70 years ago was a long time… World 

War II. And to be honored like this… it's very, very nice." 

The Blackhawks' anthem is one of the most spectacular and moving 

moments in all of sports. Led by soloist Jim Cornelison, the anthem not only 

serves as a tribute, but also as a way to bring the crowd together as the 

United Center stands as one to honor those who have served our country. 

Thanks to the growing partnership between the Blackhawks and the United 

Service Organizations (USO), a lasting bond has been created between 

Chicago's hockey and military communities. 

[MORE: Army veteran describes standing next to Jim Cornelison during the 

anthem] 

USO president and CEO Alison Ruble has watched the relationship 

between both organizations develop over the last 16 years, and she 

couldn't be happier to see our nation's heroes being honored each night in 

front of such supportive fans. 

"I think the salute on the ice is a way for the American people to show their 

appreciation for those who wear the uniform and provide service to our 

nation," she said. "As a USO, we're just honored to be that [connection] 

between the fans and the military and give them that once-in-a-lifetime 

experience." 

The thought of that experience had Samaras feeling a whirlwind of 

emotions as he waited to walk down to the ice. 

"It's going to be a big crowd," he said. "Just listening to [Cornelison] sing the 

national anthem is big, but I'm going to try to sing with him." 

Standing alongside him was 25-year-old Marine Sgt. Paul Hodge. Like 

Samaras, he was all smiles as he arrived at the United Center, thrilled to be 

honored by his favorite team. 

"I'm a huge Blackhawks fan, so I was absolutely excited to be coming out 

here," Hodge said. "I can't really say I've done anything like this or I've been 

more honored to do something like this, so it's a big experience for me." 

Before they knew it, it was time for them to experience that feeling firsthand. 

Both men walked down to the ice, the lights dimmed and 22,000 fans began 

to roar. 

"It was very exciting, [I was] nervous, my legs were shaking, good think I 

had a marine next to me to take care of me," Samaras said after the salute 

concluded. 

At that moment, both USO members were beaming with pride. It was clear 

just how much respect they had for each other. 

[RELATED: Blackhawks inspired by military heroes at Hockey City Classic] 

As the two men walked back to the concourse, fans continued to stand and 

cheer, thanking them once more for their service to our country. 

"It was great. You could feel everything, and I was so proud to be standing 

next to this gentleman right here," Hodge said as he put his hand on 

Samaras' arm. "He told me a little about his story before we went down 

there, so I couldn't be more proud to show my tribute to him as well. This is 

a great overall feeling." 

But the tribute didn't stop there. In fact, while speaking with Hodge, a 

Blackhawks fan walked right up, offered to buy him a drink and thanked him 

personally for his services. 

"I feel like I'm just respected all around," Hodge said after thanking the 

stranger for his kind words. "Every time I walk around [the United Center], 

even when I'm not wearing my uniform, I still get amazing amounts of 

respect. I can't describe it. It's amazing." 

That tremendous amount of pride both Samaras and Hodge felt is 

something Cornelison experiences night after night. Not only does he 

experience the emotions of standing and the center of a roaring arena, but 

he also meets countless heroes who share each of their unique stories with 

him. 

"I love having these guys out there with me," Cornelison said. "It's an honor, 

a real privilege. I've met some incredible people, and [honoring members of 

the military] has been a great addition to the anthem tradition here for the 

Blackhawks. 

"It's always emotional having these guys here. After I'm done, I'm able to 

talk with them and I've seen tears, I've seen shaking, I've seen just smiles 

and joy. It's really, really neat to be able to show these guys [the 

Blackhawks' and fans' appreciation]. It's just a small thing we can do." 

For more on Lt. Alexander Samaras and Sgt. Paul Hodge, check out 

Susannah Collins’ report on SportsNet Central tonight at 10:30. 



The numbers behind the Blackhawks' historic streak 

March 7, 2013, 9:45 pm 

CSN Staff 

CSN stat guru Chris Kamka delves deeper into the Blackhawks' historic 

start to the 2013 season: 

RELATED: Blackhawks' streak strains the laws of probability] 

1 - Full year (as of Wednesday) that Ray Emery has gone without a 

regulation loss 

4 - The most goals the Blackhawks have allowed in a game this season, 

which has occurred only once. 

6 - Blackhawks players with a plus/minus of at least +10 

9 - NHL goalies with double-figure wins this season. Blackhawks have two 

of them. 

10 - Consecutive decisions without a loss for Ray Emery to start the 

season. He's the first goalie to do that. 

[MORE: Hawks' defense produces impressive numbers] 

11 - Consecutive wins by the Blackhawks 

12 - NHL goalies who have allowed at least the same number of goals as 

Corey Crawford (21) & Emery (22) Combined 

13 - Daniel Carcillo's jersey number, who last night became the 13th 

Blackhawks player with a game-winning goal this season. 

14 - of 14 Western Conference opponents the Blackhawks have earned a 

point against 

24 - consecutive games with a point to begin the season 

30 - consecutive regular season games with a point (dating back to last 

season) 

199 - combined regular season regulation losses by the Bulls, Bears, Cubs 

& White Sox since the last regulation defeat for the Blackhawks. 

249 - NHL-leading amount of takeaways. 49 more than the next team. 



Blackhawks' streak strains the laws of probability 

March 7, 2013, 7:00 pm 

James Fegan 

As good as the Blackhawks have been, it takes a bit of good fortune to play 

24 games in the NHL, and accumulate a point in every single one. But how 

much good fortune? 

Stephen Stigler, PhD, professor of statistics at the University of Chicago 

since 1979, says it's a matter of determining how good the Blackhawks 

really are, but their run is not as improbable as it sounds. 

"They are not violating the laws of nature in the probability of what's been 

happening," said Dr. Stigler. 

As Stigler explained, with all things being equal, the chance of an average 

team getting a point in a single game is .75 (or 75 percent). Under those 

circumstances, "the chance of getting a point in 24 straight games, well 

then it's one-in-1000." 

Obviously, the Blackhawks are not an average team and Stigler 

acknowledged that this model was too simple for figuring out how unlikely 

their run has been. 

To dig deeper, Stigler started by determining the probability of a team 

winning 18 out of 24 games in regulation. For an average team, Stigler 

calculated that the chances of winning 18 out of 24 to be one-in-100. Stigler 

then adjusted the formula to "correspond to data on top teams" and 

changed the probability in his formula that the Blackhawks would win any 

game to 60 percent. With that assumed, Stigler calculated the probability of 

the Blackhawks winning 18 out of 24 as one-in-10. 

"Not that extraordinary," Stigler said. "What makes it a bit more 

extraordinary is if you factor in also the chance that of the non-wins, they 

were all ties." 

Since the Blackhawks have gone 3-3 in shootouts, Stigler classified them 

ties for the sake of his calculation, and pitted the probability of the 

Blackhawks not having a single overtime loss at two-in-50. The odds of 18 

regulation wins and no overtime losses happening at the same time? 

"What we're observing has a chance of about one-in-50," Stigler said. 

For the Blackhawks to repeat the feat in the second half of the season, 

there are more factors at work than simply nailing another one-in-50 shot. 

Stigler himself acknowledged "The Blackhawks have been incredibly 

healthy." 

Ryan Wagman of Hockey Prospectus identified the Blackhawks' defense as 

a driving -- and possibly luck-related -- factor in the Blackhawks' success. 

He pointed out that the Blackhawks' team save percentage (.933 through 

Thursday) was well-above what the career averages of Corey Crawford and 

Ray Emery would suggest is sustainable. 

However, Wagman also identified the Blackhawks' shooting percentage 

(the rate of shots on goal that resulted in scores) as being at a 

unexpectedly low 8.99 percent on Feb. 26th, and predicted that it would rise 

to a degree that would cancel out the harm done by a decline in goaltending 

performance. 

"The pieces are in place for an historic regular season," Wagman said, 

"Outside of injuries (debatably) their current record is not the result of 

rampant good luck but of a well-built team." 

No team goes 24 games without a regulation loss without beating the odds, 

but a well-built roster can go a long way toward making the game looked 

fixed. Even though the math says otherwise, Stigler understands if people 

start to think that chance is no longer part of the equation. 

"The inference to be made is that the Blackhawks are playing at a level that 

they're almost certain to win every night," he said. 



SportsNet Central: Blackhawks Fever 

Kristen Harper 

The first half of the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks season has been nothing 

short of a jaw-dropping. With training camp shortened and the season 

compressed to 48 games in 99 days, having a few bad games would be 

expected and likely accepted. 

But that hasn’t been the case for this Hawks team. They’ve earned a point 

in each of their 24 games this season, blowing the doors off the NHL record 

(17) and are in the midst of an 11-game win streak. 

In Wednesday night’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, things 

looked bleak for the Blackhawks down 2-1 after two periods. But they pulled 

even on a Jonathan Toews shorthanded goal and won the game with 49 

seconds remaining on an improbable Daniel Carcillo. Goal. 

[More: Avs looking forward to 'second whack' at Blackhawks] 

Tonight at 11, Comcast SportsNet spotlights the Blackhawks’ success on 

“SportsNet Central: Blackhawks Fever.” This live 30-minute program, 

hosted by Chuck Garfien and Blackhawks analyst Steve Konroyd, will 

feature an interview with University of Chicago statistics professor Stephen 

Stigler who looks at this historic start by the numbers. Conversations also 

include Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz, while CSN’s Susannah Collins 

recaps all the Hawks’ marvels this season. 

Blackhawks fans can be a part of the program by tweeting questions with 

the hashtag #HawksTalk, with some of the questions being answered on 

the show. 

The Blackhawks phenomenon has transitioned not only into the hearts of 

die-hard fans here in Chicago, but onto the radars of other professional 

athletes. Miami Heat All-Star LeBron James salutes the Hawks on their 24game 

point streak calling the record-setting NHL team “awesome.” The two 

teams, who coincidentally both had games Wednesday night, mirrored each 

other, both squeaking by with victories to extend win streaks (Hawks 11, 

Heat 16). 

[Related: LeBron James salutes the Hawks via Twitter] 

Also be sure to tune in as the Blackhawks go for 25 straight games with a 

point Friday night against the Avs on Comcast SportsNet Plus ( to find the 

CSN+ channel in your area). Coverage begins at 7:30 with Blackhawks 

Pregame Live, followed by the puck drop at 8 p.m. from Denver. 



NHL realignment inches closer 

March 7, 2013, 7:00 pm 

Remember when the new NHL realignment plan was first reported about a 

week or so ago, and the Chicago Blackhawks’ rival, the Detroit Red Wings 

were pegged to head East? Well, it’s one step away from happening. 

The NHLPA gave its OK to the league’s new realignment proposal and all 

that’s left is getting the Board of Government’s stamp of approval. 

“The NHL Players’ Association confirmed to us today that it has consented 

to a revised Plan for Realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season,” NHL 

Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “Our next step will be to 

bring the proposed Plan for Realignment to the NHL Board of Governors for 

its consideration. We will update the status of the process as future 

developments warrant.” 

The NHLPA nixed the last realignment proposal, which was drawn up 

during last season. There have been changes to this one, including Detroit 

and Columbus moving East. There are still odd divisions – two with seven 

teams, two with eight – but the league is proposing a wild-card system to 

even the playing field regarding qualifying for the postseason. 

“After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA has given consent 

to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,” NHLPA 

executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement today. 

[MORE: Military members honored by Blackhawks' anthem, salute] 

Once it is approved, realignment starts with the 2013-14 season. A 

reminder, the Blackhawks’ new division would include Nashville, Dallas, 

Minnesota, Winnipeg (moving from the East), Colorado and St. Louis. 

Travel-wise, the Blackhawks aren’t affected that much; although there’ll be 

a lot fewer short-flight trips to Detroit and Columbus. But the biggest 

winners of the West are probably Minnesota and Dallas, who get slammed 

with distant travel in their current divisions (the Northwest and Pacific, 

respectively). Their fans will also deal with fewer late start times. 

And yes, that means bye-bye to all those Blackhawks-Red Wings games 

every regular season. As we were reminded with Sunday’s matchup 

between the two, it’s been fun. All good things must end some time. 


661972 Colorado Avalanche 

Avalanche headed to new Midwest Division next season in realignment 

plan 

Denver Post staff and wire services 

Posted: 03/07/2013 05:26:50 PM MST 

Updated: 03/07/2013 05:28:58 PM MST 

It will be goodbye to the Northwest Division and welcome to the Midwest for 

the Avalanche next season in a realignment of the NHL approved by the 

NHL Players' Association on Thursday. 

Midwest Division teams will be Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, 

Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg. 

The change will cut down on the length of some trips for the Avalanche, 

which is in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference with Calgary, 

Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver. 

Now that the NHL has received the go-ahead from union chief Donald Fehr, 

the league will only need to get approval from team owners to put 

realignment in place. 

"The NHL Players' Association confirmed to us today that it has consented 

to a revised plan for realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season," NHL 

deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "Our next step will be to 

bring the proposed plan for realignment to the NHL board of governors for 

its consideration." 

Fehr signed off on the plan after discussions with the union's executive 

board and said the realignment issue will be "re-evaluated following the 

2014-15 season." 

No official details of the changes have been released by the NHL, but it is 

widely believed that teams such as Detroit and Columbus will be put into 

more travel-friendly divisions in the Eastern time zone, and the Winnipeg 

Jets — formerly the Atlanta Thrashers — will leave the Southeast Division 

for a spot in the Western Conference. 

Up until now, there has been an even split of teams with 15 in each 

conference. Under the new plan, the East will have 16 clubs in it — making 

playoff qualification a bit tougher. 

The two divisions out West will contain seven teams each. The East 

divisions will both contain eight. 

Each conference will still have eight teams in the playoffs but the setup will 

be slightly different. 

Instead of the current system, under which the top eight teams in each 

conference make the playoffs, the new plan will award spots to the top 

three teams in each division along with the next two teams with the best 

records as wild cards. 

The new Atlantic Division in the East will be comprised of Carolina, 

Columbus, New Jersey, New York's Rangers and Islanders, Philadelphia, 

Pittsburgh and Washington. The Central Division will contain Boston, 

Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto. 

The other Western Division, the Pacific, will be made up of Anaheim, 

Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver. 

Denver Post: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Chicago Blackhawks bringing remarkable run to Denver 

By Mike Chambers The Denver Post 

Posted: 03/08/2013 12:01:00 AM MST 

Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov makes a save against the 

Blackhawks' Jonathan Toews (19) during the second period Wednesday 

night at the United Center in Chicago. (Jim Young, Reuters) 

The Avalanche has front-row seats to one of the most remarkable runs in 

NHL history, and if anyone in Colorado can appreciate the magnitude of the 

Chicago Blackhawks' 21-0-3 record, 11-game winning streak and 30-game 

points streak, it's former Avs star Joe Sakic. 

Sakic, a Hockey Hall of Fame center and Avs adviser, knows a thing or two 

about streaks. That's why Chicago captain Jonathan Toews wears No. 19 

— in honor of his childhood hero, Sakic — and perhaps why the 

Blackhawks seem so in sync behind their star Canadian center. 

"Joe Sakic was always my guy. Definitely looked up to the way he played," 

Toews said. "He was a playoff competitor, scored big goals ... and he never 

embarrassed his opponent. One of those 

quiet leaders I definitely have a lot of respect for." 

Sakic helped lead the Avs to two Stanley Cup titles with an all-star cast. 

Toews is on his way to his second with Chicago, which features a whopping 

five players who played in the 2010 Olympics. On the heels of 

Wednesday's 3-2 home victory over Colorado, the Blackhawks have 

completed half the shortened NHL season without losing in regulation. They 

enter Friday's game at the Pepsi Cener with the NHL record for the longest 

points streak to begin a season (24 games). 

"We never go away. We keep coming," Toews said after Wednesday's 

victory, during which he scored a short-handed goal that tied the score in 

the third period. "We didn't feel any pressure. We just went out there and 

worked. We're confident if we do that, things can go our way." 

With a win or overtime/shootout loss against Colorado, the Blackhawks will 

move closer to the hallowed ground skated only by the Philadelphia Flyers 

in 1979-80. The Flyers played 35 consecutive games without losing at a 

time when ties didn't lead to shootouts. 

Chicago is 15-0-1 when leading after two periods, 3-0-1 when trailing after 

two periods and has won seven times in 10 overtimes. In the three times 

the Blackhawks haven't amassed the full two points, they lost in shootouts 

to Minnesota, Vancouver and Anaheim. 

"It's been dramatic. It's been pretty amazing," said Chicago coach Joel 

Quenneville. "Commend the guys for persevering and finding ways." 

Said Toews: "No special equation. No magic. Just work ethic." 

And talent. The Blackhawks lead the NHL in goals-against average (1.79) 

and rank fourth in scoring (3.12). They lead the league in takeaways (176) 

and their penalty killing ranks second (89 percent.) 

"They're a team that's confident and goes into every game thinking they're 

going to win. They're just on a roll," said Avs defenseman Ryan O'Byrne. 

Toews is among the five Blackhawks who played in the 2010 

Olympics. He and Patrick Kane are two of hockey's premier playmaking 

forwards and Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook are considered two of the 

NHL's top defensemen. They and winger Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp 

are surrounded by a cohesive cast of role players backed by goalies Ray 

Emery and Corey Crawford, whom Quenneville platoons. 

"Lot of depth," O'Byrne said of the Blackhawks, who have 202 consecutive 

sellouts at home. "Three really good centers down the middle. Each line 

comes at you hard. And if you look at their back end, they have three good 

pairings, obviously led by Keith and Seabrook, two guys who have been in 

this league a long time and won a Cup, and a gold medal. They just know 

how to win." 

Avs coach Joe Sacco, who succeeded Quenneville in Denver, likes his 

team's chances in the rematch. 

"We controlled their tempo for the most part (Wednesday)," he said. "You 

want to manage the puck well against them, because if you don't they'll 

make you pay, and for the most part I thought we did." 

The only thing the Avs didn't do was win. But few teams do against the 

Blackhawks. 

Mike Chambers: 303-954-1357, mchambers at denverpost.com or 

twitter.com/mchambersdp 

Lead roles 

The Avalanche (8-10-4) hosts the record-setting Chicago Blackhawks (21- 

0-3) on Friday to complete a home-and-home series. The teams have fared 

far differently in taking leads into the third period and winning tight games. A 

comparison: 

Leading after two periods 

Avalanche 4-2-3 

Blackhawks 15-0-1 

Trailing after two periods 

Avalanche 2-8-1 

Blackhawks 3-0-1 

Overtime/shootout record 

Avalanche 2-4 

Blackhawks 7-3 

Mike Chambers, The Denver Post 



Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche preview 

7 p.m. Friday, Altitude, 950 AM, 104.3 FM 

Spotlight on Corey Crawford: The goaltender has played a big role in 

Chicago's remarkable 24-game points streak to start the season. Crawford 

is a big goalie who tends to play pretty deep in his net. The Blackhawks 

also have played goalie Ray Emery a lot, including Wednesday against the 

Avalanche. But Crawford is considered their No. 1 goaltender. 

NOTEBOOK 

Avalanche: The Avs didn't practice Thursday. They hope defenseman Ryan 

Wilson (ankle) will return to the lineup Friday. The status of winger Milan 

Hejduk (torso) will be updated before the game. ... The Avs reassigned 

defenseman Stefan Elliott to Lake Erie of the AHL and activated Erik 

Johnson, who has missed time recently because of a head injury. A final 

determination on Johnson's status for Friday's game will be made after the 

morning skate, but he is likely to play. ... The Avs have scored only five 

goals in their past three games. ... Ryan O'Reilly has won 15 of his past 22 

faceoffs. O'Reilly will be playing his first home game of the season Friday. 

... The Avs rank seventh in the NHL in penalty minutes, averaging 14.1 per 

game. ... Colorado's 82 shots on the power play rank 29th in the league. 

Blackhawks: Patrick Sharp, injured during Wednesday's game when he 

took a hard hit from Avs defenseman Ryan O'Byrne, is expected to be out 

for a while. Sharp appeared to suffer a shoulder injury. ... Marian Hossa, 

who missed Wednesday's game because of an upper-body injury, may 

return Friday. He has four game-winning goals this season. ... Chicago is 

11-0-0 when leading after the first period and 10-0-3 when trailing after the 

first period. 

Adrian Dater, The Denver Post 



Avalanche headed to new Midwest Division in 2013 NHL realignment plan 

By Adrian Dater The Denver Post 

Posted: 03/07/2013 05:26:50 PM MST 

Updated: 03/07/2013 06:32:55 PM MST 

Colorado's Shane O'Brien (5) and Columbus' Derek MacKenzie reach for 

the puck during a game last Sunday. 

It will be goodbye to the Northwest Division and hello to the newly created 

Midwest Division for the Avalanche next season in a realignment of the 

NHL approved by the NHL Players' Association on Thursday. 

Midwest Division teams will be Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, 

Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg. 

The change will cut down on the length of some trips for the Avalanche, 

which is in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference with Calgary, 

Edmonton, Minnesota and Vancouver. 

Avalanche vice president Jean Martineau said the team is happy with the 

new realignment. 

Now that the NHL has received the go-ahead from union chief Donald Fehr, 

the league will only need to get approval from team owners to put 

realignment in place. 



deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement Thursday. "Our next step 

will be to bring the proposed plan for realignment to the NHL board of 

governors for its consideration." 

Fehr signed off on the plan after discussions with the union's executive 

board and said the realignment issue will be "re-evaluated following the 

2014-15 season." 

No official details of the changes have been released by the NHL, but it is 

widely believed that teams such as Detroit and Columbus will be put into 

more travel-friendly divisions in the Eastern time zone, and the Winnipeg 

Jets — formerly the Atlanta Thrashers — will leave the Southeast Division 

for a spot in the Western Conference. 

Up until now, there has been an even split of teams with 15 in each 

conference. Under the new plan, the East will have 16 clubs in it — making 

playoff qualification a bit tougher. 

The two divisions out West will contain seven teams each. The East 

divisions will both contain eight. 

Each conference will still have eight teams in the playoffs but the setup will 

be slightly different. 

Instead of the current system, under which the top eight teams in each 

conference make the playoffs, the new plan will award spots to the top 

three teams in each division along with the next two teams with the best 

records as wild cards. 

The new Atlantic Division in the East will be comprised of Carolina, 

Columbus, New Jersey, New York's Rangers and Islanders, Philadelphia, 

Pittsburgh and Washington. The Central Division will contain Boston, 

Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and Toronto. 

The other Western Division, the Pacific, will be made up of Anaheim, 


Under realignment, the Avs would play each Eastern team home-and-home 

(32 games), three games each against Pacific (21 games) and 29 divisional 

games (four games for some, five for others). 

Material from The Associated Press was used for this report. 


661976 Columbus Blue Jackets 

Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1 (OT): Calvert’s goal produces third straight win 

By Shawn Mitchell 

The Columbus Dispatch Friday March 8, 2013 5:14 AM 

This Blue Jackets’ season, shortened by a lockout, was shaping up to be a 

painful but quick trip toward Newark, N.J., and the three first-round picks 

that awaited them there at the June draft. 

It has instead morphed into a journey of self-discovery. 

The Blue Jackets won a third consecutive game last night, beating the 

Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in overtime in front of 13,632 in Nationwide Arena. 

“We’re starting to learn how to win hockey games and do it as a team, and 

do it as a team for a full 60, or 65, minutes in this case,” said Blue Jackets 

left winger Matt Calvert, who scored the winning goal with 56.9 seconds 

remaining in overtime. 

It was a costly victory. Right winger Derek Dorsett, the gritty soul of his 

team, suffered a broken clavicle 19 seconds into his first shift. He probably 

will miss the rest of the season. 

“We obviously lost a character guy in Dorse there, but everyone stepped up 

and pulled their load,” Calvert said. 

None yanked harder than goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who saved 34 of 

35 shots and was forced to make three one-on-one saves and bail out 

teammates Derick Brassard, Dalton Prout and Jack Johnson, all of whom 

committed glaring turnovers that led to prime chances for the Canucks. 

Bobrovsky, 4-1-1 in his past six games, shrugged them off. 

Playing with a lead after R.J. Umberger crashed the net and buried a 

rebound midway through the first period, Bobrovsky was at his best in the 

second when he stopped all 16 shots he faced. 

The Canucks, humming after a slow start, carried momentum into the third. 

Henrik Sedin tied the score when he shot a loose puck in front before 

Bobrovsky could reach it at 1:05 of the third. 

The Jackets had two power-play opportunities late in regulation but failed to 

get a shot off during either one. They were capped by a turnover by 

Johnson at the blue line that sprung Jannik Hansen, but his short-handed 

breakaway was caught by Bobrovsky with 4:41 remaining in regulation. 

“Really disappointed with our power play in the third period,” coach Todd 

Richards said. “It was a chance to go out and win a hockey game in 

regulation, and we actually almost gave them the game on our power play.” 

Calvert instead won it in overtime. He slipped through the Canucks 

defense, walked in on the net of Cory Schneider (25 saves) and, standing 

on one leg, snapped a rising wrist shot over the glove of Schneider. 

It was the first overtime winner of his pro career, Calvert said. 

It was the Jackets’ fifth consecutive overtime game and ninth straight 

decided by one goal. They are 4-3-2 and have at least a point in its past five 

games. Every team the Blue Jackets trail has at least one game in hand, 

but they are only four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. 

“We’re finding a way,” Richards said. “You can sense it in the locker room 

that the players are getting more confident. When you win, it gives you 

energy. I’m sensing that, with the players. They’re feeling better about 

themselves, about their game.” 

Slap shots 

Center Brandon Dubinsky missed his ninth straight game but took part in 

the morning skate and indicated that he is getting close to a return. … 

Defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Tim Erixon left the morning skate early — 

Tyutin with what Richards called “bumps and bruises,” and Erixon with an 

illness. They both played last night. 

Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline contributed to this report. 

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.08.2013


Jackets at brink of move to East after union vote 

With NHL approval, realignment would begin next season 

By Aaron Portzline 


The Blue Jackets hope they have cleared the final hurdle before heading — 

at long last — to the Eastern Conference. 

The Players’ Association yesterday approved the NHL’s plan to realign the 

league before next season, a move that would end the Blue Jackets’ costly 

distinction as the league’s easternmost Western Conference team. All that 

remains before the plan is adopted is for the Board of Governors to approve 

it, but many expect it to pass with ease. 

The league has informed all clubs that it wants the matter settled by the end 

of next week. 

“This just makes common sense,” Blue Jackets president of hockey 

operations John Davidson said. “This is about a marriage between a 

hockey club and its fans. 

“This is the right thing for our group (of fans) who come to our games, 

because it’s more of the teams they really want to see, the teams they 

maybe grew up with. This is the right thing for our group to watch and listen 

to our games, at a reasonable hour. This is just common sense.” 

The Blue Jackets would become members of a newly built Atlantic Division, 

along with Carolina, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, the New York 

Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. Further, the Jackets 

would join a conference that includes Buffalo, Detroit and Toronto, all of 

whom have regional appeal. 

The Jackets would play 68 games in the Eastern Conference and only eight 

games in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. 

“This is a reward for our fans in many regards,” Blue Jackets president Mike 

Priest said. “This is a win for our market and our fan base.” 

The NHL has given club owners an option for how it wants to vote — either 

by fax or an in-person meeting of the board of governors. If an in-person 

meeting is called, it could signal that some of the current Eastern 

Conference clubs have an issue with the change. 

The only rub — and the players fought with this, too, before announcing 

their approval yesterday — is that the Eastern Conference would have 16 

clubs and the Western Conference 14. Currently, each conference has 15, 

but under the plan, Columbus and Detroit would go to the East, and 

Winnipeg (the former Atlanta Thrashers) would finally go to the West. 

Many believe the unbalanced conferences would give an unfair advantage 

to the Western clubs reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs. Still, it is rare for 

commissioner Gary Bettman to let a process of this importance reach a 

vote among the Board of Governors if the issue isn’t already mostly 

approved. 

Blue Jackets winger R.J. Umberger, who spent the early seasons of his 

career in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia, knows how big a 

difference this would be for the Blue Jackets. 

“If it happens, it’s one of the biggest (days) in franchise history,” Umberger 

said. “You can look at so many aspects — fans watching games, us 

traveling and recovering, the finances of the club — you could make a list 

that goes on and on with how important this is to our team.” 

The union stated in its release that the format would be revisited after the 

2014-15 season. 

“It will definitely be a good day if this happens, when it’s actually passed,” 

Priest said. “Nothing is over until all the owners have their say, and that will 

happen in due course.” 

The new alignment would come with a new schedule matrix. The Blue 

Jackets would play two games against each club in the Western 

Conference (28), three games against each club in the other Eastern 

Conference division, the Central (24), and the remaining 30 games within 

the Atlantic Division. 

Priest said the Blue Jackets have already submitted schedule dates for the 

2013-14 season. 



Jackets-Canucks summary 

Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1 (OT): Calvert’s goal produces third straight win 

Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1, OT 

Vancouver 0 0 1 0 — 

1 

Columbus 1 0 0 1 — 2 

FIRST PERIOD: Scoring — 1, Columbus, Umberger 4 (Foligno, Johansen), 

11:33. Penalties — Lapierre, Van (tripping), 13:40. 

THIRD: Scoring — 2, Vancouver, H.Sedin 5 (Hamhuis, D.Sedin), 1:05. 

Penalties — Tyutin, Clm (holding), 8:23; Alberts, Van (slashing), 11:26; 

H.Sedin, Van (cross-checking), 14:17. 

OVERTIME: Scoring — 3, Columbus, Calvert 4 (Tyutin, Johnson), 4:03. 

Shots on goal: Vancouver 9-16-9-1—35. Columbus 8-11-6-2—27. Power 

plays: Vancouver 0 of 1; Columbus 0 of 3. Goalies: Vancouver, Schneider 

6-4-3 (27 shots-25 saves). Columbus, Bobrovsky 6-6-3 (35-34). A: 13,632. 

T: 2:28. 



NHL: Jackets go OT to win third straight 

By Shawn Mitchell 


This Blue Jackets’ season, shortened by a lockout, was shaping up to be a 

painful but quick trip toward Newark, N.J., and the three first-round picks 

that awaited them there at the June draft. 

It has instead morphed into a journey of self-discovery. 

The Blue Jackets won a third consecutive game last night, beating the 

Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in overtime in front of 13,632 in Nationwide Arena. 

“We’re starting to learn how to win hockey games and do it as a team, and 

do it as a team for a full 60, or 65, minutes in this case,” said Blue Jackets 

left winger Matt Calvert, who scored the winning goal with 56.9 seconds 


It was a costly victory. Right winger Derek Dorsett, the gritty soul of his 

team, suffered a broken clavicle 19 seconds into his first shift. He probably 

will miss the rest of the season. 

“We obviously lost a character guy in Dorse there, but everyone stepped up 

and pulled their load,” Calvert said. 

None yanked harder than goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who saved 34 of 

35 shots and was forced to make three one-on-one saves and bail out 

teammates Derick Brassard, Dalton Prout and Jack Johnson, all of whom 

committed glaring turnovers that led to prime chances for the Canucks. 

Bobrovsky, 4-1-1 in his past six games, shrugged them off. 

Playing with a lead after R.J. Umberger crashed the net and buried a 

rebound midway through the first period, Bobrovsky was at his best in the 

second when he stopped all 16 shots he faced. 

The Canucks, humming after a slow start, carried momentum into the third. 

Henrik Sedin tied the score when he shot a loose puck in front before 

Bobrovsky could reach it at 1:05 of the third. 

The Jackets had two power-play opportunities late in regulation but failed to 

get a shot off during either one. They were capped by a turnover by 

Johnson at the blue line that sprung Jannik Hansen, but his short-handed 

breakaway was caught by Bobrovsky with 4:41 remaining in regulation. 

“Really disappointed with our power play in the third period,” coach Todd 

Richards said. “It was a chance to go out and win a hockey game in 

regulation, and we actually almost gave them the game on our power play.” 

Calvert instead won it in overtime. He slipped through the Canucks 

defense, walked in on the net of Cory Schneider (25 saves) and, standing 

on one leg, snapped a rising wrist shot over the glove of Schneider. 

It was the first overtime winner of his pro career, Calvert said. 

It was the Jackets’ fifth consecutive overtime game and ninth straight 

decided by one goal. They are 4-3-2 and have at least a point in its past five 

games. Every team the Blue Jackets trail has at least one game in hand, 

but they are only four points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. 

“We’re finding a way,” Richards said. “You can sense it in the locker room 

that the players are getting more confident. When you win, it gives you 

energy. I’m sensing that, with the players. They’re feeling better about 

themselves, about their game.” 

Slap shots 

Center Brandon Dubinsky missed his ninth straight game but took part in 

the morning skate and indicated that he is getting close to a return. … 

Defensemen Fedor Tyutin and Tim Erixon left the morning skate early — 

Tyutin with what Richards called “bumps and bruises,” and Erixon with an 

illness. They both played last night. 



NHL Players' Association approves realignment 

Blue Jackets would move to the Eastern Conference 

By Aaron Portzline 

The Columbus Dispatch Thursday March 7, 2013 6:11 PM 

The NHL Players' Association tonight has approved a plan that would move 

the Blue Jackets to the Eastern Conference beginning next season. The 

NHL Board of Governors, who have final approval, will vote on the measure 

in the coming days, but are expected to pass it with ease. 

The Blue Jackets, who have been the Eastern-most franchise in the 

Western Conference since joining the NHL as an expansion franchise in 

1998, will join a newly-shaped Atlantic Division, along with Carolina, 

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, New York 

Rangers, and Washington. 

Meanwhile, other regional draws like Buffalo, Detroit and Toronto will also 

be in the Eastern Conference with Columbus. 

The NHLPA indicated the plan would be reviewed following the 2014-15 

season. 

Here's the NHLPA statement: “After discussions with the Executive Board, 

the NHLPA has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following 

the 2014-15 season.” 

The NHL's statement, from deputy commissioner Bill Daly: "The NHL 

Players' Association confirmed to us today that it has consented to a 

revised Plan for Realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season. Our next 

step will be to bring the proposed Plan for Realignment to the NHL Board of 

Governors for its consideration. We will update the status of the process as 

future developments warrant." 


661981 Dallas Stars 

NHLPA OK with NHL’s proposed realignment; When it could go into effect 

and how it affects the Stars 

By MIKE HEIKA 

Staff Writer 

The NHLPA on Thursday afternoon announced it is OK with the NHL’s 

proposed realignment plan, and that should pave the way for the plan to go 

into effect in the 2013-14 season. 

Here is the press release from the NHLPA: 

Toronto (March 7, 2013) – NHLPA Executive Director Don Fehr issued the 

following statement this evening: 


to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season.” 

So here is how the four-division format would look: 

Mid-West Division 

Chicago 

Colorado 

Dallas 

Minnesota 

Nashville 

St. Louis 

Winnipeg 

Pacific Division 

Anaheim 

Calgary 

Edmonton 

Los Angeles 

Phoenix 

San Jose 

Vancouver 

Central Division 

Boston 

Buffalo 

Detroit 

Florida 

Montreal 

Ottawa 

Tampa Bay 

Toronto 

Atlantic Division 

Carolina 

Columbus 

New Jersey 




Pittsburgh 

Washington 

The East would have 16 teams and the West would have 14. Teams in the 

East have a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs. Teams in the West 

have a 57 percent chance. That said, you can argue that the real fight is for 

the teams in the eighth and ninth spots, so having extra teams at 15 and 16 

don’t really matter, but the perception is unbalanced conferences mean 

unfair battles. 

That was a sticking point, and one of the reasons the NHLPA would like to 

re-evaluate after two seasons. 

The Stars will be ecstatic at this change. Here is the flying distance 

between Dallas and the cities in the current Pacific Division and between 

Dallas and the cities in the new Mid-West Division: 

Pacific 

Los Angeles: 1,230 miles 

Anaheim: 1,200 miles 

San Jose: 1,430 miles 

Phoenix: 865 miles 

Mid-West: 

Nashville: 630 

Colorado: 640 

Chicago: 801 

St. Louis: 550 

Winnipeg: 1,170 

Even more important is the fact the Stars will have most road start times in 

the Central Time Zone. Thus, you will not get 9:30 p.m. starts like Thursday 

at LA. 

“Travel distance is big, but really, the start times are the main thing,” said 

Stars president and CEO Jim Lites. “It’s a big deal to us, and to our fans, 

and that’s why we’ve been pushing so hard for this.” 

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.08.2013


'Changed' Jaromir Jagr, not thinking stats, scores twice in Stars' 5-2 win 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Published: 07 March 2013 10:05 PM 

LOS ANGELES - Even though the goals and assists don’t come in bunches 

on a regular basis anymore for Jaromir Jagr, every now and then he 

displays the form and instincts that have kept him playing hockey at a high 

level, even at age 41. 

Jagr had his first multi-goal game since opening night, Brenden Morrow got 

the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Dallas Stars ended the Kings’ 

six-game home winning streak with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night. 

Jagr’s three-game goal streak is his longest since his final four games of 

the 2007-08 regular season with the Rangers. The nine-time All-Star and 

1999 MVP spent the next three years out of the NHL before returning last 

season with Philadelphia, and has 28 goals in 95 games since his 

comeback began. 

He needs four assists to join Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, 

Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic and former Pittsburgh teammate Mario Lemieux 

as the only players in NHL history with at least 1,000 assists and 600 goals. 

“The goals and the points, it’s not in my head. That’s why it’s sometimes 

hard to get them,” Jagr said. “If you want to be a goal scorer and win 

scoring titles, you have to be hungry. But I’ve changed. I’m not 22 or 25 

anymore, so I don’t look at the stats. 

“But personally, my body never gets tired. The more I play, the fresher I get 

and the stronger I get. I think it would be better if I played one more game 

right now.” 

Jagr and Cody Eakin connected on power plays for Dallas’ first two goals 

after penalties against Los Angeles defenseman Keaton Ellerby. Jagr 

converted a rebound of Jamie Benn’s shot with 10:20 remaining, his ninth 

of the season and 674th of his career — 10th on the NHL’s all-time list. 

“I don’t know what I want to bring to this team. I’m not really sure,” Jagr 

said. “Last year, I know they had a lot of guys who could score goals, and 

this year I’m getting paid more money than I did last year. So I’ve got a little 

more responsibility on the power play and scoring goals. So I have to 

change my thinking a little bit.” 

Eakin is impressed. 

“He’s been playing real strong for us, and we need him to be playing like 

this,” Eakin said. “He’s a threat out there every night, and it’s huge for the 

team when he produces like that. He’s been around for a long time and he’s 

seen it all in this game. I think I read somewhere that he won a Stanley Cup 

the day after I was born — so guys have a tremendous amount of respect 

for him.” 

Antoine Roussel completed the scoring with an empty-net goal and Kari 

Lehtonen stopped 30 shots in his third straight start, after missing the 

previous five games with a lower body injury. 

Jeff Carter scored his 12th goal in 12 games and 16th this season for Los 

Angeles. Trevor Lewis also scored for the defending Stanley Cup 

champions and Jonathan Quick made 17 saves. 

“We didn’t get good enough goaltending tonight,” coach Darryl Sutter said. 

“We need to raise the save percentage. It’s one stat that doesn’t lie, right? 

… If you’re giving up four goals a game, you can’t win. You need better 

goaltending and better defense. Simple. “ 

Quick’s record slipped to 7-7-2. Last season he was 35-21-13 while setting 

franchise records with 10 shutouts, a 1.95 goals-against average and a 

.929 save percentage before winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff 

MVP. 

The Kings took a 2-1 lead shortly after they were stopped by Lehtonen on a 

short-handed bid. Carter’s wrist shot from the right caromed into the net off 

Benn’s left skate. But Dallas pulled even late in period as Eakin chipped the 

puck past the backchecking Martinez in the Kings’ zone and beat Quick to 

the glove side while Ellerby was off for hooking Trevor Daley. 

“We played OK, but kind of up and down — spurts of good and spurts of 

bad — and we let a team like that hang around and they kind of took over in 

the third,” Kings forward Colin Fraser said. 

“They seemed to have the puck a lot and they just took it to us a little too 

much.” 

Jagr opened the scoring 5:28 into the game. Ellerby was off for tripping Erik 

Cole when Benn passed the puck from the top of the right circle to Jagr 

about 10 feet to the left of the net, and the five-time NHL scoring champ 

one-timed it past Quick. 

“The first one was beautiful. He found me on the back door on the power 

play,” Jagr said. “The first 15 games we kind of struggled on the power play, 

but lately we’ve been doing a lot better job. That’s important because it’s a 

short season and the games are so tight. So the special teams are going to 

win the games for you.” 

Los Angeles tied it when Dwight King’s persistent forechecking behind the 

net allowed Lewis to gain control. He circled the net before using Vernon 

Fidler as a screen to beat Lehtonen high to the stick side. 

This was the opener of a five-game season series with the Stars, whom the 

Kings beat out for the final Western Conference playoff berth before 

becoming the first eighth seed to win a Stanley Cup. 

“Of course you’re more excited when you come to play against the team 

that just won the Cup, so I think that really helped us get ready to battle,” 

Lehtonen said. 

NOTES: Morrow’s goal was his 243rd with the Stars, tying Jere Lehtinen for 

second place on the Dallas list behind Mike Modano’s 434. Modano scored 

123 other goals for the franchise while it was in Minnesota. … Los Angeles 

D Rob Scuderi and Dallas LW Eric Nystrom were both raised in the same 

town, Syosset, N.Y., which is about 30 miles east of Madison Square 

Garden. Nystrom is the son of Bobby Nystrom, who won four Stanley Cup 

titles with the Islanders. 



Heika: Jaromir Jagr scored the goals but Kari Lehtonen led the way in 

Dallas Stars' road win against Los Angeles Kings 

By MIKE HEIKA 

Staff Writer 

LOS ANGELES — Jaromir Jagr scored twice, pushing his career total to 

674 goals, as the Stars beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 at Staples Center 

Thursday night. 

The win pushes the Stars to 12-9-2 (26 points), while the Kings fall to 12-8- 

2 (26 points). Jagr, 10 overall in career goals, pushed his lead over 11place 

Teemu Selanne to five goals. 

Kari Lehtonen was spectacular in net with 31 saves for the Stars, while 

Cody Eakin had a goal and an assist. Jamie Benn and Alex Goligoiski each 

added two assists. The Stars were outshot 33-22, lost the faceoff battle 19- 

41 (32 percent) and were outhit 24-41. Still, they were resilient and 

opportunistic. 

"I thought we played a decent game," Star coach Glen Gulutzan said. "The 

faceoff circle hurt us. We took in a lot of chances off that. A bulk of their 

chances and shots were coming off lost draws. We need to do a better job 

as a group. Coming into a game like this they are a great team. They 

played strong. You can see why they have such a good home record here. 

Tonight we got good goaltending and we got timely goals." 

The Stars opened the scoring on the power play just 5:28 into the game. 

Benn sent a puck at the net, and it was blocked and came right back to him. 

He then sent a pass through the slot to Jagr sneaking in the back door, and 

Jagr shoveled it in for his eighth goal of the season. 

The Kings came back with a strong shift from their hard-working grinders 

and tied it up at the 12:10 mark of the first period. Dwight King helped win a 

battle behind the net, and Trevor Lewis walked out and whipped in a perfect 

shot from the left circle. The wrister sailed over Lehtonen’s glove into the far 

top corner. It was the third goal of the season for Lewis. 

Los Angeles controlled much of the play in the second period, and earned a 

solid break at the 15:30 mark. Jeff Carter threw a hopeful puck near the net, 

and it bounced in off of the skate of Jordie Benn. It was the 16 goal of the 

season for Carter, who is second in the NHL in goal-scoring. 

The Kings followed that with a huge crushing hit, as defenseman Drew 

Doughty caught Alex Goligoski with his head down and knocked him off his 

feet. Goligoski bounced up, but it appeared the Kings had all the 

momentum. 

However, Trevor Daley drew a hooking penalty, and the Stars quickly 

scored their second power play goal of the game. Eakin was able to control 

a puck through a crowd, and emerged in the slot with possession. He lifted 

in a backhand shot for his fourth goal of the season, and the game was tied 

after two periods. 

"We have a nice blend of young guys," Gulutzan said. "Cody Eakin and 

Reilly Smith played strong tonight. All our young guys are helping us. They 

are giving us some youthful enthusiasm, some juice and giving us some 

production." 

Smith and Eakin made a couple of great plays midway through the third 

period, and Brenden Morrow swept in his sixth goal of the season to make 

the score 3-2. Smith drove two defenders into the corner, and Eakin then 

picked up a loose puck and found Morrow all alone in front of the net. 

"It took a full 60 minutes to beat them," said Eakin. "I think the second 

period we bent a little bit and they took a bit of momentum but we stuck with 

it and stuck with our system. You start strong and it starts in the net. Kari 

has been great for us all season. It’s great to have him back. We continued 

to make smart and solid plays. Forwards were getting open for them and 

we were blocking shots. We battled and it turned out well for us." 



In win over Kings, Dallas Stars' Jaromir Jagr's two goals not enough to earn 

top star 

By MIKE HEIKA 

Stars 5, Los Angeles 2 

1.Kari Lehtonen, Stars — Kept the Stars in long enough to allow them to 

win. 

2.Jaromir Jagr, Stars — Right place, right time…twice. 

3.Cody Eakin, Stars — Goal, assist, solid defense. 

First Period: The Stars opened the scoring on the power play just 5:28 into 

the game. Jamie Benn sent a puck at the net, and it was blocked and came 

right back to him. He then sent a pass through the slot to Jagr sneaking in 

the back door, and Jagr shoveled it in for his eighth goal of the season. The 

Kings came back with a strong shift from their hard-working grinders and 

tied it up at the 12:10 mark of the first period. Trevor Lewis walked out from 

behind the net and whipped in a perfect shot from the left circle. 


Second Period: Los Angeles controlled much of the play in the second 

period, and earned a solid break at the 15:30 mark. Jeff Carter threw a 

hopeful puck near the net, and it bounced in off of the skate of Jordie Benn. 

It was the 16 goal of the season for Carter, who is second in the NHL in 

goal-scoring. The Stars quickly recovered and scored their second power 

play goal of the game. Eakin was able to control a puck through a crowd, 

and emerged in the slot with possession. He lifted in a backhand shot for 

his fourth goal of the season, and the game was tied after two periods. 


Third period: Reilly Smith and Cody Eakin made a couple of great plays 

midway through the third period, and Brenden Morrow swept in his sixth 

goal of the season to make the score 3-2. Smith drove two defenders into 

the corner, and Eakin then picked up a loose puck and found Morrow all 

alone in front of the net. Dallas then came up with the back-breaker when 

Benn whipped a shot on net, and the rebound went straight to Jagr, who 

buried his ninth goal of the year. Antoine Roussel added an empty-net goal. 




Heika: Realignment latest the victory for Dallas Stars off the ice; one aspect 

is particularly key 

By MIKE HEIKA 

LOS ANGELES — Off the ice, the Stars are on a roll. 

They were bought by new owner Tom Gaglardi in 2011, restocked their 

marketing and sales staffs in the last year, have planned new uniforms for 

next season, and now will get a new division in NHL realignment. 

The NHL Players Association on Thursday gave its blessing to the NHL’s 

plan for a four-division format, and that plan is now expected to quickly be 

approved by the NHL’s Board of Governors and be put in place for next 

season. 

The Stars are expected to move into a new division with Minnesota, 

Chicago, St. Louis, Nashville, Winnipeg and Colorado. That’s a huge 

difference in distance from playing games in the current Pacific Division 

with Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Jose and Phoenix. 

And games such as Thursday’s 9:30 p.m. start time in Dallas for a big 

contest against the Kings was just one reason Stars president and CEO Jim 

Lites has been pushing for this change. 

“Honestly, it’s one of the best things that can happen to us,” Lites said of 

the realignment. “From a competition standpoint, from a cost standpoint, 

from a player health standpoint, but mostly from the standpoint that this is 

so much better for our fans.” 

The Stars joined the Pacific Division in 1998, and has had some great 

rivalries with the Sharks, Ducks and Kings. However, many of those games 

ended in exciting overtime or shootout games past midnight for local 

viewers. 

“It just kills the television ratings, but it’s more than that,” Lites said. “A lot of 

our fans missed some of the most important games in our history, and that 

just doesn’t sit right with me. If you want to build an audience and you want 

fans to follow the story of your season, and you want kids to be a big part of 

your audience, you have to give them a chance to watch every game.” 

The Stars can start doing that next season. Yes, they will still play games in 

California — and in fact will play every team in the league twice a year 

under this format, which is a huge advantage over the current plan, where 

Eastern teams visited once every three years — but they will play a 

significant amount of their games against division rivals. 

The top three teams in each division will qualify for the playoffs, and the 

next two will be the teams with the next best records in the conference, 

meaning one division could have five teams qualify and the other only 

three. 

The conferences will be unbalanced, as the East will have 16 teams and 

the West will have 14. That was one of the concerns of the NHLPA, and 

one of the reasons the players have asked for a re-evaluation after two 

seasons. There are also concerns that the Phoenix franchise might have to 

move and that the league might add two expansion teams to balance out 

the conferences. 

So there’s no guarantee this doesn’t change again after a couple of years. 

But this format pretty much assures that the Stars will play in their time 

zone for many years going forward. And that’s something that can be added 

to the list of good things that have happened for Stars fans in the last two 

years. 

“I just think the time zone difference messes up a lot of things, and nobody 

knows that better than us,” Lites said. “There are times of the year when 

every one of our division opponents are two hours out of our time zone. 

That means we get back late, or we have to stay over, and that adds to 

wear and tear on the players and loss of practice days. Look, the flights 

aren’t what kill you, it’s changing time zones. And I can promise you that 

starting all of our road games at 7 or 7:30 will make our TV numbers soar. 

It’s a great day, and we have waited a very long time for this.” 



Stars coach Glen Gulutzan sets possible return date for injured forward Ray 

Whitney 

By MIKE HEIKA 

Staff Writer 

LOS ANGELES — Ray Whitney is old school. 

There’s not a whole lot of choice when you’re 40. 

The Stars winger said he grew up in an era when the team was always 

ahead of the individual, so he feels uncomfortable talking about himself in 

general, but especially if he’s not playing games. 

“Honestly, the focus should be on the guys on the ice,’’ he said. “I’ll be glad 

to talk when I’m back playing.’’ 

Whitney has said he would just rather go about his business and not focus 

on the progress being made on the broken bone in his foot. He missed his 

15 straight game on Thursday, but Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said there is 

a chance he could return on Tuesday against Nashville. 

“He is getting very close,” Gulutzan said after Whitney participated in 

Thursday’s morning skate at Staples Center. “I would say, hopefully, there 

is a chance on Tuesday that he can play. He is getting in some skating with 

this trip, but when you have a broken foot, you can’t take a chance. As good 

as he looks skating, if we take a chance now like we did when was he 

playing with it in the beginning, we are going to be right back to where we 

were before. It’s pretty simple, you have to wait for it to heal.” 

Whitney also is old school in his approach to rehabbing injuries. He is 

impatient, and this is an injury that requires patience. He hurt himself in the 

first week of the season, continued to push himself through games, and 

turned a fracture into a crack. So he is now walking the line between 

pushing hard and resting, and he said even he doesn’t know when it will 

feel right. 

“Honestly, I’ll tell you the day I’m going to play,’’ he said with a smile. “I’ll 

know for sure then 



Stars vs. Kings: Jordie Benn stays in the lineup, Philip Larsen stays out 

By MIKE HEIKA 

The Stars will jump back into play after a three-day break with a 9:30 p.m. 

tilt against the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings tonight. 

To prepare visually, you must first consume the video preview of ace 

colorman Daryl Reaugh here.Spoiler alert: No goofy hat or scarf here. 

And then soak up the Southern California vibe via Cody “Clint” Eastwood 

here. At one point, he holds a gun and tells the kids to get off his lawn. It’s 

intimidating. 

Now, as for the actual game, well, the Stars are pulling a bit of a change 

from what was expected. While Philip Larsen appears to be ready, he will 

not get back into the lineup tonight. Because the Kings bring a big lineup, 

coach Glen Gulutzan will leave Jordie Benn in. So expect the lines to look 

like this: 

Loui Eriksson-Jamie Benn-Jaromir Jagr 

Antoine Roussel-Derek Roy-Erik Cole 

Brenden Morrow-Cody Eakin-Reilly Smith 

Eric Nystrom-Vern Fiddler-Ryan Garbutt 

Brenden Dillon-Stephane Robidas 

Jordie Benn-Trevor Daley 

Alex Goligoski-Jamie Oleksiak 

Kari Lehtonen in goal 

Ray Whitney (foot) and Aaron Rome (foot) are out. Larsen and Francis 

Wathier are healthy scratches. 

The Stars are 3-1-1 in their last five games and have scored three or more 

goals in 12 of the last 13 games. Kari Lehtonen is 8-3-1 with a 2.26 GAA 

and .930 save percentage and has only one real clunker of a game this 

season. So the Stars feel they have some good things working. What’s 

more, they are coming off a three-day break while the Kings are playing 

their third game in four nights. 

That said, nothing seems to be easy with this team. 

Here’s Glen Gulutzan on why he wants to keep Jordie Benn in the lineup: 

“There’s certain things he has to clean up in his game, but we think he’s 

made strides in that area,” Gulutzan said. “We just wanted to play our best 

lineup.” 

The Stars have juggled pairs in practice drills for three days and haven’t 

really run any kind of line rushes. Gulutzan said he likes to stick with what 

works, but he’s open to changing things. 

“We’ll see how the flow of the game goes,” he said. “If we don’t like the way 

the match-ups are going, we’ll change some things.” 

Larsen was determined when I talked to him. He said he’ll keep working 

and be ready for his chance whenever it comes. He said he feels great and 

is ready to go, and he’ll just keep working until he gets back in. 

I told him, “Don’t worry, You’ll be all right.” And he replied: “You’re right, I 

will be. Nobody needs to worry about that.” 

Larsen has athletic confidence on the ice and he also has inner confidence 

off of it, and he’s leaning on that right now as he tries to get back into the 

lineup. 

The Kings are playing very well. They are 7-1-0 in their last eight games, 

and are 7-1-1 at home this season. The defending champs have the 

second-leading goal-scorer in hockey in Jeff Carter at 15 goals, and they 

have two great goalies in Jonathan Quick and Jonathan Bernier. 

Quick is expected to get the start in goal. He is only 7-6-2 this season with a 

2.49 GAA and .900 save percentage, but he is 13-3-2 in his career against 

the Stars with a 2.16 GAA and .925 save percentage. 

Here is the expected lineup for the Kings: 

Dustin Brown-Anze Kopitar-Justin Williams 

Dustin Penner-Mike Richards-Jeff Carter 

Trevor Lewis-Jarret Stoll-Dwight King 

Kyle Clifford-Colin Fraser-Jordan Nolan 

Jake Muzzin-Drew Doughty 

Rob Scuderi-Slava Voynov 

Keaton Ellerby-Alec Martinez 



Heika: The Stars moving Jamie Benn to wing is an option, but only if this 

happens 

By SPORTSDAYDFW.COM 

Published: 07 March 2013 06:08 PM 

Stars beat writer Mike Heika held a chat on Thursday. Here are some 

highlights. 

What are the chances of Benn moving back to wing either on the PP or if 

we were to go after a top-6 center? Does Benn miss playing wing at all? 

There is the option if the Stars can get another top line center, but those 

players are hard to come by. I personally believe Benn would be more 

comfortable on the wing, but he is never going to say that. He understands 

what Joe Nieuwendyk is trying to do, and he respects that, and he's trying 

his hardest to make it work. My guess is he is a center from here on out. 

What has to happen to split up Benn and Jagr? They have a horrible +/- 

over the past 5 games, and I don't think just adding Loui to the other wing 

can fix that. 

Glen Gulutzan likes consistency, and believes players can work through 

things. It would take a lot to break up Benn and Jagr right now. There is 

certainly room for debate in breaking them up, because both like to have 

the puck on their stick a lot, and that makes it's difficult to build chemistry, 

and also makes them vulnerable to counter-attack. But, it appears that 

debate will have to wait until the minuses really pile up. 

Do you see Jamie Benn as a true leader on this team? Obviously skill wise 

he is a leader but I just don't see him as a true captain for this squad. Is 

there a different Jamie Benn in the locker room that we don't get to see 

through the media? 

He is a determined competitor, and he was a leader on his junior team and 

on the Texas Stars when they ran through the playoffs, so he has a history. 

But, no, he's not a guy who is going to jump up and give a speech. He's 

young, and he would have to grow into the captaincy if he got it, but I don't 

think it would be a mistake to give it to him. I think he can handle it. 



Jagr’s 2 goals help Dallas Stars beat Kings 

Posted Friday, Mar. 08, 2013 0 comments Print Reprints 

By Joe Resnick 

The Associated Press 

LOS ANGELES — Jaromir Jagr had his first multi-goal game since opening 

night, Brenden Morrow got the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the 

Dallas Stars ended the Kings' six-game home winning streak with a 5-2 

victory on Thursday night. 

Jagr and Cody Eakin connected on power plays for Dallas' first two goals 


converted a rebound of Jamie Benn's shot with 10:20 remaining, his ninth 

of the season and 674th of his career – 10th on the NHL's all-time list. 

Jagr's three-game goal streak is his longest since his final four games of the 

2007-08 regular season with the Rangers. The nine-time All-Star and 1999 

MVP spent the next three years out of the NHL before returning last season 

with Philadelphia, and has 27 goals in 95 games since his comeback 

began. 

Antoine Roussel completed the scoring with an empty-net goal. 

Star-Telegram LOADED: 03.08.2013

661990 Detroit Red Wings 

Writer: Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall is leading candidate for Norris Trophy 

Posted by James Jahnke 

So to mark the occasion, ESPN hockey writers today made their midseason 

picks for the league awards. 

Lo and behold, the Detroit Red Wings have a front-runner for the Norris 

Trophy ... and his name isn't Lidstrom! 

Pierre LeBrun went with Niklas Kronwall as his pick for the top defenseman 

in the league so far. His reasoning: 

"It came down to Kronwall and (Kris) Letang for the midseason award. I 

chose the Red Wings veteran because, on a blue line that lost Nicklas 

Lidstrom and Brad Stuart and is trying to survive committee-style, Kronwall 

has had to do even more and has elevated his game in doing so. He is 

playing 24 minutes a game and is among the defenseman scoring leaders, 

and everyone knows about his physical play. I think he deserves the nod 

right now." 

Scott Burnside picked the Penguins' Letang, for what it's worth. 

No other Wing received more than honorable mention from the writers. 

Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk got it for the Hart Trophy (MVP), 

Jimmy Howard for the Vezina Trophy (goalie), Mike Babcock for the Jack 

Adams Award (coach), and Ken Holland for GM of the year. 

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.08.2013


Detroit 3, Edmonton 0: Jimmy Howard posts second shutout of season 

By Noah Trister 

Jimmy Howard made 22 saves, and Jakub Kindl and Cory Emmerton 

scored in the second period to lift the Detroit Red Wings over the Edmonton 

Oilers 3-0 on Thursday night. 

Justin Abdelkader’s empty-net goal put the game out of reach. 

Howard made 36 saves in a win Tuesday against Colorado, but coach Mike 

Babcock wasn’t all that impressed with his team’s overall performance that 

night. The Red Wings were sharper defensively against Edmonton and took 

control in the second period, when they outshot the Oilers 15-7. 

Detroit is 10-0-1 in its last 11 regular-season games against Edmonton. 

The Red Wings have gone five games without allowing a goal in the first or 

second period, and the Oilers didn’t do much to threaten that streak. 

Edmonton is 0-3-1 in its last four games. 

After a scoreless first period — a shot off the crossbar by Detroit’s Kyle 

Quincey was the only noteworthy moment — the Red Wings looked a bit 

more energized in the second. 

Jordin Tootoo fought with Edmonton’s Mike Brown early in the period, and 

Kindl opened the scoring less than a minute later. Kindl was caught 

between two Oilers when he managed a shot that slipped through goalie 

Devan Dubnyk and trickled across the line for a 1-0 lead. 

The Red Wings added another goal after some sustained pressure when 

Emmerton took a pass from Drew Miller and beat Dubnyk high to the stick 

side from the slot. 

Howard had to make a couple of terrific saves against the Avalanche and 

came within 90 seconds of a shutout in that game. He wasn’t tested as 

much by Edmonton, even after the Oilers pulled their goalie with more than 

2 minutes remaining. 

Abdelkader’s empty-netter was his first goal of the season. 

NOTES: Detroit had 28 shots on goal. ... The Red Wings scored more than 

two goals for the first time in five games, but they’ve lost only once in 

regulation during that span. ... Edmonton’s Taylor Hall was called for highsticking 

56 seconds into the game — and that was the only power play for 

either team. Server down article marked with star need gathered. 



NHLPA signs off on realignment; Red Wings one step closer to East 

By Helene St. James 

Days from embarking on a grueling travel schedule, the Red Wings got a 

fantastic piece of news: The NHLPA has signed off on re-alignment, 

clearing the path for it to happen next season. 

The Wings would go from playing the majority of their road games in other 

time zones to playing most of them in the Eastern time zone, as they would 

join Buffalo, Boston, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Tampa Bay, a 

conference that also features four Original Six teams. 

The deal still has to be approved by the NHL's Board of Governors, but that 

isn't a hurdle and could come within days. 

"Will immediately be in touch with the Board to determine best way to 

proceed," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the Free Press. "Hope to 

conclude process within a week or so." 

When news of the proposal first surfaced last month, the Wings greeted it 

with delight. 

"We know how to deal with it, we've traveled back-and-forth across the 

United States quite a bit, but to move to the East, I think that would be a lot 

of fun," Jimmy Howard said. That would be great for our fans, too, not 

having to stay up till all hours of the night to watch us." 

The Players Association, which scuttled a different re-alignment proposal in 

December of 2011, spent several weeks analyzing this version before 

signing off. Executive director Don Fehr released a statement Thursday 

afternoon saying, “After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA 

has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 

season.” 

The Wings have been toiling in the Western Conference's Central Division, 

where they are the only Eastern-time-zone team besides Columbus. That's 

made for a lot of hard travel especially in the playoffs - like in 2007, when 

the Wings played Calgary, San Jose and Anaheim. 

The other conferences, as they are called at the moment, would have one 

with Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, N.Y. Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, 

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. The two western conferences 

would have one with Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. 

Louis and Winnipeg. The other would be Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los 

Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver. 

The news should soothe the Wings as they prepare to be gone for most of 

the month. Starting next Tuesday, they depart for a three-games-in-four 

nights haul to Western Canada. Then they come home for one game - 

March 20, against Minnesota, after which they will immediately leave for 

Anaheim, where they play two games, then swing over to Phoenix, then 

over to San Jose. 

Contact Helene St. James: 313-222-2295 



Idled Ian White wondering about future with Red Wings 

By Ted Kulfan 

The Detroit News 

Ian White has met with both general manager Ken Holland and coach Mike 

Babcock to get an idea of where things stand. 

Detroit — Thursday's game against Edmonton will be the fifth consecutive 

game Red Wings defenseman Ian White will be a healthy scratch. 

It wasn't easy to sit out the first of those games, and it hasn't gotten easier 

lately. 

White has met with both general manager Ken Holland and coach Mike 

Babcock to get an idea of where things stand. 

White didn't ask for a trade when talking to Holland but does wonder about 

his future with the Red Wings. 

"We're not there (asking for a trade) yet," White said. "I was just voicing this 

is game five and you can play so many games in a condensed period and it 

(the schedule) can get away from you pretty quickly. After the weekend 

here (coming up), that's seven straight games if you don't play. 

"We have (defenseman Carlo) Colaiacovo coming back right away and I 

just wanted a determination of where he (Babcock) thinks you fit and where 

Kenny thinks you fit, now and going forward as well," 

White is an unrestricted free agent after this season. His cap hit this year is 

$2.875 million. 

"From speaking with them, they're clear they want to keep me around," 

White said. "You just hope by keeping around it means putting you in the 

lineup, and hopefully get back in soon and forget about this." 

But with the Red Wings winning games, playing well defensively and 

Babcock liking what he sees from his defensive unit, White will have to be 

patient. 

"It's tough to change the lineup when you're giving up one goal or so a 

game," White said. "I have to come to the rink and be a good teammate. 

You can't put yourself above the team and mope around here. That doesn't 

do anyone any favors. Just stay positive." 

Filppula skates 

Forward Valtteri Filppula (left shoulder) took part in Thursday morning's 

skate. 

Filppula will miss his fifth consecutive game against Edmonton and doesn't 

expect to play this weekend. 

But a return in time for next week's eastern Canada trip seems almost 

certain. 

"That's more of a reality," Filppula said. "Hopefully by then I'll be back 

playing. 

"I skated on my own (Wednesday) and today was the first time with the 

team. I was pretty happy about that. It was good to be back. 

"Definitely I felt better. I was able to shoot a little bit and the skating felt 

good. 

"It feels better." 

Detroit News LOADED: 03.08.2013


Jimmy Howard stymies Oilers as Red Wings remain hot 

By Ted Kulfan 

The Detroit News 

Detroit — The standings say the Red Wings are seven points better than 

Edmonton. 

Maybe, but watching the Red Wings defeat the Oilers, 3-0, Thursday, you 

would have thought the gulf was a lot more. 

It sure looked it on the ice. 

Goalie Jimmy Howard stopped 22 shots for his second shutout, Jakub 

Kindl, Cory Emmerton and Justin Abdelkader (his first goal of the season) 

scored goals, and the Red Wings (12-8-4, 28 points) were hardly bothered 

while winning their fifth game in seven (5-1-1). 

"Pretty complete game for us," said a hoarse coach Mike Babcock, who is 

battling a cold these days. "We got better and our goaltender was under 

way less duress than he was the other night. It was a good win." 

Booted out of their arena by a curling championship, the Oilers (8-10-5, 21 

points) played their sixth game of a nine-game trip and appeared every bit 

as weary and you'd expect. 

The Wings outshot Edmonton, 28-22, controlled the play territorially, and 

allowed few quality chances. 

"We're doing a lot of good things," said Howard, who has allowed only four 

goals in his last four starts. "We're playing well, focusing on all the details. 

Guys are trusting each other to do their jobs, working hard, and paying 

attention to details." 

After a scoreless first period, the Red Wings took control early in the 

second. 

Kindl put the Red Wings up 1-0 at 3 minutes, 16 seconds. 

Kindl skated through the zone, cut to the middle, and fired a shot that goalie 

Devan Dubnyk stopped. But Kindl stayed persistent and corraled the 

rebound, fanning on an attempt but getting enough power on the second 

shot to fool Dubnyk with a shot through the goalie's legs for his second goal 

of the season. 

Emmerton made it 2-0 with his second goal, too. 

On a dominant Red Wings shift, Drew Miller found Emmerton, who was 

coming onto the ice. Emmerton skated to the hashmarks and beat Dubnyk 

high at 12:19. 

"Pavel (Datsyuk) broke his stick at the end of the shift," Emmerton said. "I 

kind of got lost on the change and came in a little higher than they probably 

expected. It was nice to get that open space. 

"You don't really get those open ice chances very often, and especially right 

in the slot like those." 

With goals from Emmerton, Abdelkader and Kindl, it was the type of 

secondary scoring the Red Wings will need late in the season. 

And it was the type of scoring they weren't getting much of earlier in the 

season, when they struggled. 

"It's huge, and it'll be huge all season and it'll be huge in the playoffs," said 

Emmerton. "The biggest thing is to get the confidence up so you know you 

can score. It's something we've been talking about and we're trying to build 

on it" 

For Abdelkader, it was his first goal after going the first 23 games without 

one. 

Never mind that this goal went into an empty net. 

"It feels good, it been a long time coming," he said. 

Abdelkader believes the Wings' depth is showing through. 

"Guys have done a real good job of filling into roles and playing with 

different guys," he said. "They're playing in situations that show we have 

great depth and that's a good thing moving forwards." 

Babcock said one of the Red Wings' best forwards against the Oilers was 

Joakim Andersson. 

"Andersson was unreal, a real good player for us," Babcock said. 



Players OK realignment; Wings one step closer to Eastern Conference 

By Ted Kulfan The Detroit News 

Detroit — The Red Wings are one step closer to geographic sanity in the 

NHL. 

Bill Daly, the league's deputy commissioner, said in a statement Thursday 

that the Players Association has signed off on a proposed realignment. 

"The NHL Players Association confirmed to us that it has consented to a 

revised Plan for Realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season," Daly said. 

"Our next step will be to bring the proposed Plan for Realignment to the 

NHL Board of Governors for its consideration. We will update the status of 

the process as future developments warrant." 

That Board of Governors are expected to meet at some point next week. 

Don Fehr, the NHL Players Association executive director, said in a 

statement: "After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA has 

given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 

season." 

The Red Wings and Blue Jackets are currently the lone Eastern time zone 

teams in the Western Conference. (Columbus is also moving into the East 

under the revamped realignment.) 

"It's awesome," goaltender Jimmy Howard said of the Red Wings moving to 

the Eastern Conference. "These West Coast swings, they take a lot out of 

us, you guys, but also the fans who stay and watch us late at night. 

"To play in the Eastern time zone will be very beneficial. We want to play in 

the East. Last year we were one of the teams that wanted to play in the 

East. Hopefully it'll go through." 

The union rejected a proposed alignment last year in which the Red Wings 

were based in a Midwest Division with mostly Central time zone teams. 

The union rejected the plan largely because of concerns about travel and 

the imbalanced split of 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and 14 in the 

Western Conference. 

The imbalance remains in this present realignment. 

"We'll see how it all shakes out," said Red Wings forward Justin 

Abdelkader, an assistant player representative. "It'll be different for 

everyone. We'll kind of see how it goes. Hopefully it'll be good for the 

game." 

Under the proposed realignment, the Red Wings would be grouped with the 

Original Six rival Maple Leafs, Bruins and Canadiens, along with the 

Sabres, Senators, Lightning and Panthers in what would be the Central 

Division of the Eastern Conference. 

The Red Wings have long wanted to be moved to the Eastern Conference, 

where the vast majority of the games will be in the Eastern time zone — no 

more long West Coast trips — improving TV ratings and cutting down 

considerably on travel. 

The ability to re-establish rivalries with the Maple Leafs (with which the Red 

Wings likely will play in the 2014 Winter Classic), Canadiens and Bruins is a 

bonus in the equation. 

The Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference would consist of Carolina, 

Columbus, New Jersey, the N.Y. Islanders, the N.Y. Rangers, Philadelphia, 

Pittsburgh and Washington. 

Under the new format, the top three teams in each division will make the 

playoffs. 

There will be four wild card teams, two from each conference that have the 

best records regardless of division. 



Live blog: Detroit Red Wings put 11-game point streak on line tonight vs. 

Edmonton Oilers 

Brendan Savage | bsavage at mlive.com 

on March 07, 2013 at 6:30 PM, updated March 07, 2013 at 7:49 PM 

DETROIT – There's no team the Detroit Red Wings like to see on the 

schedule than the Edmonton Oilers. 

The Red Wings have won six straight at home against the Oilers and have 

earned 20 of a possible 22 points in their last 11 vs. Edmonton over a span 

of more than three years. 

The Red Wings are 9-0-2 in that stretch against Edmonton and haven't lost 

to the Oilers since suffering a 4-1 setback on Dec. 3, 2009. 

This season, the Oilers (8-9-5) have struggled after winning four of their first 

six games. They've dropped three in a row, are 2-4-2 in their last eight and 

have a 4-7-5 mark since that 4-2 start. 

Meanwhile, the Red Wings (11-8-4) are 4-1-1 in their last six games and 

have allowed five goals in regulation during their last four. 

Join Ansar Khan and Brendan Savage live tonight from Joe Louis Arena to 

discuss all the action from start to finish. 

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.08.2013


Red Wings one step closer to moving East after NHLPA approves league's 

realignment proposal 

By Ansar Khan | akhan1 at mlive.com 


The Detroit Red Wings moved one giant step closer to the Eastern 

Conference Thursday, when the NHL Players Association approved the 

league's realignment proposal that will take effect next season. 


to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,'' NHLPA 

executive director Don Fehr said in a statement. 

The final hurdle, expected to be a formality, is getting the plan approved by 

the NHL's board of governors within the next week. 

In the plan, the Red Wings would join the eight-team Central Division that 

includes Boston, Buffalo, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay and 

Toronto. 

The Red Wings have long desired to move East. It will cut down 

substantially on their travel, in the regular season and especially the 

playoffs. It will enable them to have earlier start times for most of their road 

games. And it will rekindle rivalries with fellow Original Six clubs Toronto, 

Montreal and Boston. 

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement: "The NHL Players' 

Association confirmed to us today that it has consented to a revised Plan 

for Realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season. Our next step will be to 



developments warrant." 

The Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference would feature Carolina, 

Columbus, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, 

Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. 

The Midwest Division of the Western Conference would include Chicago, 

Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg. 

The Pacific Division of the Western Conference would feature Anaheim, 


The top three teams in each of the four divisions would automatically qualify 

for the playoffs. Two wild-card teams from each conference would round 

out the field. 

Under the proposal, every team will play each club in the other conference 

home and away. 



Red Wings not allowing many goals lately, but need to limit scoring chances 

tonight against Oilers 



DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings haven't allowed a goal in the first two 

periods in four consecutive games. Overall, they'll allowed five goals in their 

past four games. 

But, they were too loose defensively in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over 

Colorado, something coach Mike Babcock hopes he doesn't see tonight 

against the Edmonton Oilers at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit). 

“We gave up too many chances last game and got away from how we've 

been playing and can't continue to do that and win,'' Babcock said. “So we 

got to get back to the details of our game without the puck and continue to 

be hard on the other team's goalie and D.'' 

But, he is happy that the team is 4-1-1 in its past six games. 

“I'm not trying to take anything away from our team. We've done a real good 

job,'' Babcock said. “It's just when you leave the game last game, everyone 

tells you how good your team played. I do the scoring chances, I know. 

We've played way better and lost. 

“The way this team has to play is real simple. We have to be good 

defensively. We can't outscore our mistakes. We're not talented enough as 

a group to play river hockey all night and expect you're going to win on a 

nightly basis.'' 

Babcock said there will be no lineup changes tonight. Here are the 

anticipated line combinations and defense pairings: 

Johan Franzen-Henrik Zetterberg-Damien Brunner 

Justin Abdelkader-Pavel Datsyuk-Daniel Cleary 

Tomas Tatar-Joakim Andersson-Patrick Eaves 

Drew Miller-Cory Emmerton-Jordin Tootoo 

Niklas Kronwall-Jonathan Ericsson 

Kyle Quincey-Brendan Smith 

Brian Lashoff-Jakub Kindl 

Jimmy Howard (starting) 

Jonas Gustavsson 

Defensemen Ian White and Kent Huskins will be scratched for the fifth 

game in a row. 

Filppula eyes return next week: Forward Valtteri Filppula (left shoulder) 

skated with the team Thursday morning and said he doesn't expect to play 

this weekend's games against Columbus (Saturday-Sunday), but should be 

back next week. 

“I feel better, definitely,'' Filppula said. "I'm able to shoot a little bit now, and 

skating feels good.'' 

Center Darren Helm (back) has skated the past four days, joining the team 

on the ice for the first time today, albeit briefly. There is no time frame for 

his return. 



Red Wings' Ian White hasn't asked for trade and doesn't expect to be 

moved, as he continues to sit 

Ansar Khan | akhan1 at mlive.com 


DETROIT – Veteran defenseman Ian White can't crack a crowded Detroit 

Red Wings defense that has been playing well lately, raising questions 

about his future with the team. 

White spoke with coach Mike Babcock and general manager Ken Holland 

about his situation and said Thursday that he hasn't asked for a trade, nor 

does he expect to be moved anytime soon, if at all. 

“We're not there yet,'' White said. “This is Game 5 (being scratched), you 

play so many games in a condensed period, it can get away from you pretty 

quick. All the sudden you look, after the weekend that's seven straight 

games, if you don't play. 

“You just try to get a determination of where (Babcock) thinks you fit and 

where Ken thinks you fit, now and going forward.'' 

White will be a healthy scratch for the fifth consecutive game tonight against 

the Edmonton Oilers. 

Babcock sat White following an 8-3 victory over Vancouver on Feb. 24 

because he was having trouble getting the puck out of his zone. Since then 

Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey returned from injuries and Babcock has 

used the same six defensemen. The team has allowed only five goals in 

four games, prompting him to stick with the same group. 

White said he remains confident he can contribute. 

“From speaking with them, they made it clear they want to keep me 

around,'' White said. “You just hope by keeping you around it means putting 

you in the lineup. Hopefully, I'll get back in soon and forget about this.'' 

Babcock indicated it would take a poor defensive game or an injury to get 

White back in the lineup. 

“We've been playing pretty solid defensively, not letting in too many goals, 

so it's tough to change the defense up,'' White said. 

White, 28, is not accustomed to being the odd-man out. He played on the 

top pairing with Nicklas Lidstrom most of last season, after signing a twoyear, 

$5.75 million free-agent contract on July 2, 2011. White has played 

more games (492) than anyone on Detroit's defense. 

“You got to come to the rink and be a good teammate; can't put yourself 

above the team and be pouting and moping around here,'' White said. “That 

doesn't do anyone any favors. 

“Just try to stay positive, there's more to life than just hockey. You got your 

family at home to worry about. But, it's really a frustrating time.'' 

He understands it's difficult to change a winning lineup and a defense that 

has played well. The Red Wings could have nine healthy defensemen next 

week, when Carlo Colaiacovo is expected to return from a shoulder injury. 

“It's a little bittersweet because you want to be with the guys when they're 

playing well,'' White said. “When they're playing well, you seem to play well, 

too. So it's frustrating all around, but usually there's some sort of reasoning 

behind it that helps make it more understandable.'' 

All he can do is skate hard after practices and be ready when he's called 

upon. 

“The one thing you kind of lose a little bit is your timing. Even your hands a 

little bit,'' White said. “More than anything, just mentally you got to stay 

positive. 

“Times like this you question your abilities. You can't do that. You got to 

stay true to yourself. You know you've had success in the past, you know 

how to play the game. When you do get that next opportunity, you got to go 

back to playing the way you know how.'' 



Detroit Red Wings Gameday: What has been the most memorable moment 

of the season to date? 

Brendan Savage | bsavage at mlive.com 

on March 07, 2013 at 12:00 PM 

GAME INFORMATION 

• Who: Detroit Red Wings (11-8-4) vs. Edmonton Oilers (8-9-5) 

• Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena 

• Live coverage: Join the MLive conversation at 6:30 p.m. ET and follow 

Ansar Khan ( at AnsarKhanMLive) and Brendan Savage ( at 

BrendanSavage) on Twitter. 

• TV: Fox Sports Detroit 

• Radio: WXYT-FM (97.1) and the Red Wings Radio Network 

• Latest spread: Red Wings -1.5 (5.5) 

THE ISSUE 

The Detroit Red Wings (11-8-4) reach the midpoint of their schedule after 

tonight's home game against the Edmonton Oilers and there have been 

plenty of memorable moments during the first half of the season. 

Some were highlights. Others can be considered lowlights. 

The highlights included Henrik Zetterberg's fifth career hat trick in a 5-3 

victory over St. Louis Feb. 1, rookie goaltender Petr Mrazek beating the 

Blues 5-1 in his NHL debut, Damien Brunner's shootout goal to beat 

Columbus and the back-to-back victories over Nashville (4-0) and 

Vancouver (8-3) at Joe Louis Arena. 

There were also lowlights such as the 6-0 shellacking by St. Louis in the 

season opener, losses to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime and a 

shootout, the 4-2 defeat in Columbus Feb. 2 and all the injuries. 

There are countless others worthy of inclusion. 

What was your most memorable moment of the first half? 

ANSAR KHAN 

After the way they were dominated in the season-opening 6-0 loss at St. 

Louis on Jan. 19, to go back into that building and beat the Blues 5-1 on 

Feb. 7 was a huge statement game. 

It seemed like Mrazek was being thrown to the wolves, but he played with 

poise and confidence, giving the organization a glimpse of the future. 

It was important for the Red Wings to show they could beat the big, physical 

Blues on the road by forechecking hard, spending most of the first two 

periods in the offensive zone and getting contributions from their third and 

fourth lines. 

BRENDAN SAVAGE 

I'm going to go with Mrazek's debut just because it's such a good story and 

because it came at a time when the Red Wings really needed a victory. 

They were facing the Blues in St. Louis for the first time since the openingnight 

debacle and Mrazek came through in a big way, making 26 saves to 

help the Red Wings end a two-game skid. 

Nobody was really sure what to expect from Mrazek, who began the season 

in Toledo of the ECHL before being promoted to Grand Rapids when the 

Griffins started slowly. He helped the Griffins turn their season around and 

played so well that he earned a spot a in the AHL All-Star Game. 

When he got to Detroit, Mrazek said he wasn't nervous at all and proved it 

by performing like a seasoned veteran in his debut against the Blues while 

perhaps giving the Red Wings and their fans a glimpse of the future. 

That was good stuff. 

READER REACTION 

What has been the most memorable moment of the Red Wings' season to 

date? 



Detroit Red Wings fans: Defenseman Brian Lashoff has been the club's 

most impressive rookie 

By Brendan Savage | bsavage at mlive.com 

on March 07, 2013 at 7:00 AM, updated March 07, 2013 at 7:01 AM 

Injuries changed that. 

When Jonathan Ericsson went down in the season opener against St. 

Louis, the Red Wings recalled Lashoff from Grand Rapids and he's not only 

been a mainstay on the back end, he's been Detroit's most impressive 

rookie this season according to MLive.com readers. 

Of the 1,740 readers who answered our poll question – Which rookie has 

been the most impressive this season? – Lashoff finished more than 100 

votes ahead of forward Tomas Tatar. 

Lashoff garnered more than 44 percent of the vote as 768 readers cast their 

ballots for him. Tatar was next with 656 votes (37.7 percent) while Joakim 

Anderson (156-9.0) and Brendan Smith (127-7.3) were third and fourth, 

respectively. 

Goaltender Petr Mrazek and forward Gustav Nyquist, who have played two 

games apiece, had a combined 35 votes. 

Damien Brunner, who leads the Red Wings with 10 goals entering tonight's 

game against Edmonton at Joe Louis Arena, was not eligible because at 

age 26 he's too old to qualify as a rookie under NHL rules. 

"Brian Lashoff, but I have high hopes for all of these guys," wrote reader 

DTYWings. "Lashoff is the one that, for me, really came out of nowhere. I've 

been monitoring his stats and didn't think the guy would be getting a chance 

up here until at least next year, and even then I wasn't sure how regular 

he'd ever be. He's the guy who's capitalized the most on these injuries, no 

doubt about it. 

Lashoff is also the biggest surprise, says reader Trueblue18. 

"A diamond in the rough," Trueblue18 wrote. "A guy who in the mold of a 

Brad Stuart will clear the front of the net. Knock bodies around; and make a 

nice tape to tape pass out of the zone. He's made the most impact in my 

eyes because you didn't really expect it. Not flashy. Very solid." 

Smith was the only one of the rookies who was a sure thing to begin the 

season in Detroit. And at least one reader thinks that might have worked 

against him in our poll. 

"He's at a bit of a disadvantage in this poll because most everyone 

expected him to do well," wrote reader askscott. "He does everything well, 

great skater, excellent passer, plays with some grit, can skate the puck out 

of the zone, and adds some offense. If you watched the Hawks game 

sunday, he was excellent all over the ice. Lashoff has been the biggest 

surprise, and Tatar, and Andersson have done well, but with Smith you are 

seeing the beginnings of a special career." 

Lashoff might be the most impressive rookie this season but what about 

down the road? Who has the brightest future? 

"Another way to ask this question: based on this year's performance, which 

rookie has the highest ceiling?" asked Scott_Lacy_2. "Tough call, but I'm 

going with Tatar. I think he's a star in waiting. He's a special mixture of 

quick feet, raw speed, tenacity, instincts, good hands, and a great shot. 

He's a 30-goal scorer as soon as next season, in my opinion." 

Scott_Lacy_2 isn't the only reader who likes Tatar. 

"I get that Brian has been a bright spot in a suspect D," reader US131 

wrote. "but ... how anyone can vote other than Tomas is beyond me ... [!]." 

Regardless of who the most impressive rookie is this season, having so 

many choices could bode well for the future of the Red Wings. 

"This is the first time in a very long while that the Wings have more than one 

rookie getting any kind of ice time, let alone enough rookies playing well 

enough to create a legitimate debate," wrote reader kalvinmembrane. 

Did the readers get it right? Has Lashoff been the most impressive rookie, 

is it somebody else or should Brunner qualify despite his age? 



Red Wings' young defensemen and grinders stepping up big, enabling club 

to bank points 


on March 07, 2013 at 11:31 PM, updated March 08, 2013 at 1:27 AM 

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings' best players carried them earlier in the 

season. If they didn't produce, the team suffered. 

Now, the club is getting goals from different sources, and its young 

defensemen have stepped up their play. 

They are cultivating depth, which is boosting confidence. They are grinding 

out wins, banking important points as they face a daunting second-half 

schedule. 

Jimmy Howard made 22 saves Thursday for his second shutout of the 

season and 13th of his career, as the Red Wings defeated the Edmonton 

Oilers 3-0 at Joe Louis Arena. 

The Red Wings are 5-1-1 in their past seven games, having allowed only 

eight goals. They reached the midway point of this lockout-shortened 

season with 28 points, at 12-8-4. They play 15 of their final 24 games on 

the road. 

“I think we've made a lot of great strides,'' said Howard, who had shutouts 

spoiled in the waning minutes of his previous two starts. “We just got to 

continue working hard, focus on doing the little things right. If we can 

continue to pin teams in their own end and keep the third man high and not 

turn the puck over, we'll be fine.'' 



Jimmy Howard and a strong defensive performance lift stingy Red Wings 

past Oilers, 3-0 (video) 



DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings' young and inexperienced defense 

continues to get better with each game. 

Jimmy Howard made 22 saves Thursday for his second shutout of the 

season and 13th of his career as the Red Wings defeated the Edmonton 

Oilers 3-0 at Joe Louis Arena. 

Jakub Kindl and Cory Emmerton scored for Detroit in the second period. 

Justin Abdelkader added an empty-net goal in the third. 

The Red Wings are 5-1-1 in their past seven games, having allowed only 

eight goals during this stretch. They reached the midway point of this 

lockout-shortened season with 28 points, at 12-8-4. Now, they will play 15 

of their final 24 games on the road. 

After a scoreless and fairly uneventful first period, the Red Wings 

dominated in the second, outshooting the Oilers 15-7 and taking a 2-0 lead. 

They had numerous quality scoring chances, shooting wide on several, 

while having nine shots blocked. 

Kindl opened the scoring at 3:16, 42 seconds after a fight between Jordin 

Tootoo and Mike Brown, whom the Oilers recently acquired from Toronto. 

Kindl's shot from the slot went through Devan Dubnyk's pads and slowly 

rolled over the goal line. It was his second goal of the season. 

Emmerton made it 2-0 at 12:19 with his second of the season. 

Drew Miller worked hard to control the puck along the boards and centered 

it to an open Emmerton, who just came off the bench, in the slot. Emmerton 

slapped it past Dubnyk. He had missed on a couple of excellent chances 

earlier in the period. 

“I think I had more chances in that period than I had all season,'' Emmerton 

said during an interview on Fox Sports Detroit after the second period. “It's 

nice to finally get one, and hopefully they'll continue to go in.'' 

The Red Wings have not allowed in goal in the first two periods in each of 

their past five games. 

“I think at first we were a little slow,'' Emmerton said. “Edmonton did a pretty 

good job at clogging it up a bit and getting pucks in deep and we were 

running around a little bit. 

“In the second period we wanted to really focus on making the D turn and 

get down low and grind it out. We did a pretty good job of creating chances 

off the cycle.'' 

Abdelkader scored into an empty net with 1:10 left. It was his first goal of 

the season, ending his 41-game goal-scoring drought that dated back to 

March 10, 2012. 



Red Wings blank Edmonton, 3-0 

By Chuck Pleiness 

at wingsfrontman 

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings played a pretty complete game 

Thursday night against the Edmonton Oilers; just ask their coach. 

The Wings got a 22-save performance from Jimmy Howard and goals from 

Jakub Kindl, Cory Emmerton and Justin Abdelkader to skate past the 

Oilers, 3-0. 

“We didn’t skate as well or execute as well as we would have liked in the 

first period, but in saying that we got better and it was a pretty complete 

game for us,” Babcock said. “We didn’t give up much and our goalie was 

under way less duress than the other night. This sets us up for our road 

game here.” 

The Wings, who play at Columbus on Saturday afternoon, are now 6-1-1 

over the last eight games and have allowed five goals during that stretch. 

“This last run we’ve had we’ve played way better defensively than we have, 

with the exception of our last game, we’ve played real well,” Babcock said. 

“I thought our fourth line was outstanding, (Joakim) Andersson was unreal, 

a really good player for us and Emmerton’s line was good as well. So we 

had all our lines on deck tonight going.” 

The shutout was Howard’s second of the season and 13th for his career. 

“I think we’re playing well as a team,” Howard said. “We’re doing a lot of 

great things. We’ve been playing real well for a while now, focusing on the 

details and doing the little things right.” 

It’s the fifth straight game the Wings have not allowed a goal by the 

opposition through two periods. 

“There’s a lot of talk in our own zone right now,” Howard said. “Guys are 

trusting one another to do their jobs, and second efforts and blocking 

shots.” 

Over the Wings’ last five games they’ve scored just eight goals, this after 

putting up eight in one game on Vancouver. 

“We’re a team right now that’s playing really well in all three zones,” 

Abdelkader said. “We might not be scoring six or seven goals a game, but 

we know we have to play tight defensively and I think we’ve been doing a 

good job of that and Howie has been playing really well in net for us as 

well.” 

A fight between Jordin Tootoo and Mike Brown just two minutes and 34 

seconds into the second period may have been the spark the Wings’ 

offense needed as they scored twice in the middle frame. 

Kindl opened the scoring just 42 seconds after the off-setting fighting 

majors, going end-to-end to record his second goal of the season. Ladislav 

Smid blocked Kindl’s original shot, but the Wings defenseman kept with it 

and picked up the loose puck and snuck a soft shot under Devan Dubnyk’s 

left pad. 

Emmerton doubled the Wings’ advantage with a blast between the faceoff 

dots. 

Coming off the bench on a change for Pavel Datsyuk, Emmerton gained 

easy entry to the Oilers’ zone and got a pass from Drew Miller from along 

the boards and he quickly fired a puck past Dubnyk, who finished with 25 

saves, for his second goal of the game. 

“Pavel broke his stick, it was the end of a shift,” Emmerton said. “He 

changed and Millsy made a heads-up play there to get it to me in the 

middle. I just tried to make a good shot there. I think I kind of got lost in the 

change and came in a little bit higher than they expected but it’s nice to get 

that little bit of open space. You don’t get it too often.” 

And unlike Tuesday, the Wings held the Oilers off the score sheet with their 

goalie pulled and then added an empty netter from Abdelkader, his first goal 

since in at Nashville on March 10, 2012. 

“It’s a long time coming,” Abdelkader said. “It feels like I haven’t scored in 

about five years. I’ve seen a lot of fluky things (happen on empty net 

attempts). Once I got it I just wanted to shoot it because I saw the 

defenseman closing in. I wanted to make sure to shoot it before he got his 

stick in the way. 

“Sometimes it’s those kinds of goals, maybe off your body or something like 

that will get you going,” Abdelkader added. “I felt good. I had some 

chances. Hopefully, I get a few more breaks here.” 

Abdelkader led the team with five shots on goal. 

“You just keep putting it on net and hope for the best,” Abdelkader said. “I’m 

not too worried about it. I need to keep playing a hard game and keep 

hanging onto pucks.” 

It was the sixth game of a nine-game road trip for Edmonton, which wraps 

up Tuesday in Colorado. 

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ian White scratched from Red Wings’ lineup again 

By Chuck Pleiness 

at wingsfrontman 

DETROIT – Defenseman Ian White is all about being a team player. 

But that doesn’t stop him for wanting to know his position on the team. 

White was a healthy scratch for a fifth straight game Thursday night. 

“It’s a little bittersweet because you want to be with the guys when they’re 

playing well,” White said after the morning skate Thursday at Joe Louis 

Arena. “When they’re playing well, you seem to play well, too. So it’s 

frustrating all around but usually there’s some sort of reasoning behind it 

that helps make it more understandable.” 

Wings coach Mike Babcock sat White after Detroit’s 8-3 win over the 

Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 24. He did so because he was having difficulty 

getting the puck out of his zone. 

And with the return of Brendan Smith and Kyle Quincey to the blue line, 

White was benched. 

“I talked to Mike two days ago, just asking what it’s going to take to get back 

in the lineup,” White said. “The way it went was after the Vancouver game 

we won two in a row at home and went to L.A. They have fairly big 

forwards, so they figured they’re going to throw all the biggest D we have 

against them. We ended up playing pretty well defensively, gave up that 

last goal, but overall played a pretty good game. And then went to San Jose 

and another pretty big group and only gave up one. Come home and played 

Chicago, similar story, played sound defensively and again the day before, 

didn’t allow a goal until the end. So it’s pretty hard to change the lineup 

when you’re letting in one goal a game.” 

Heading into Thursday’s game, the Wings had allowed just five goals in the 

last four games, all with White as a healthy scratch. 

“From talking to the coach, what it’s going to take is a poor defensive 

game,” White said when asked what it will take for him to get back in the 

lineup. “We’ve been playing pretty solid defensively, not letting in too many 

goals, so it’s tough to change the defense up. So that’s what it’s going to 

take for me to get in, or an injury. 

“In terms of trying to stick with it and how I deal with it, you’ve got to come 

to the rink and be a good teammate, can’t put yourself above the team and 

be pouting and moping around here,” White continued. “That doesn’t do 

anyone any favors. Just try to stay positive, there’s more to life than just 

hockey, too. You’ve got your family at home to worry about. So there are 

lots of things on the go other than this. But it’s really a frustrating time.” 

This is all brand new for White, 28, who was paired with Nicklas Lidstrom 

most of last season after signing a two-year deal worth $5.75 million to 

replace Brian Rafalski on the blue line. 

White, who is the elder statesman on the blue line playing 492 games, said 

he has not asked to be traded. 

“No, we’re not there yet,” White said. “This is Game 5, you play so many 

games in a condensed period, it can get away from you pretty quick. All of a 

sudden you look after the weekend that’s seven straight games, if you don’t 

play. Where do I fit, we’ve got (Carlo) Colaiacovo coming back. You just try 

to get a determination of where he thinks you fit and where Ken (Holland) 

thinks you fit, now and going forward.” 

Colaiacovo, who the Wings signed this offseason, is expected to return 

from a sprained left shoulder soon, which creates an even bigger jam on 

the blue line. 

“You can skate, that keeps your conditioning up as much as you can for 

games,” White said. “Obviously, in games everything changes. The 

intensity is up more and your adrenaline is flowing a little bit. The one thing 

you kind of lose a little bit is your timing. Even your hands a little bit. It’s one 

thing to stick-handle in practice and do stuff there, but it’s usually not the 

same pace as the game. 

“More than anything just mentally you’ve got to stay positive,” White added. 

“Times like this you question your abilities. You can’t do that. You’ve got to 

stay true to yourself, you know you’ve had success in the past, you know 

how to play the game. When you do get that next opportunity you’ve got to 

go back to playing the way you know how.” 

White, who missed five games early in the season after suffering deep leg 

laceration, has one goal and one assist in 14 games. He’s also a minus-2. 

“I’m confident I can contribute,” White said. “I’m sure, from speaking with 

them, they made it clear they want to keep me around. You just hope by 

keeping you around it means putting you in the lineup. Hopefully I’ll get 

back in soon and forget about this.” 

Wings heading East 

Detroit’s move to the Eastern Conference got one step closer Thursday with 

the NHLPA agreeing to the realignment, which would move the Wings into 

a division with Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Florida, Tampa Bay and 

Ottawa. 



executive director Don Fehr said in a statement. 

All that awaits now is the approval by the NHL Board of Governors which is 

expected to come within a week to make it official. 

“I think it looks awesome,” Daniel Cleary said when the news broke two 

weeks ago. 

“Us going to the East, that would be a no-brainer,” Niklas Kronwall said. 

Filppula improving 

Valtteri Filppula (left shoulder) skated again on his own Thursday. 

“I feel better, definitely,” Filppula said. “I’m able to shoot a little bit now and 

skating feels good. I still can’t really tell (how much longer I’m out) because 

I don’t know, but it feels a lot better.” 

Filppula said it looks like he won’t play this weekend. He’s aiming for next 

week. 

Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.08.2013

662006 Edmonton Oilers 

Red Wings outshoot, outplay, shut out hapless Oilers 

Edmonton drops to 8-10-5; have not won in Detroit for more than three 

years 

By Joanne Ireland, Edmonton Journal March 7, 2013 

DETROIT — The last time the Edmonton Oilers found the win column in 

Joe Louis Arena, Taylor Hall was with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, Ryan 

Nugent-Hopkins was in his second season with the WHL’ Red Deer Rebels, 

and Nail Yakupov was just 16, playing for the Nizhnekasmsk junior team in 

Russia. 

It was Dec. 3, 2009, and by season’s end, Oilers general manager Steve 

Tambellini had blown up his roster and started a rebuild that is still a major 

work in progress. 

The Oilers were no match for the Red Wings on Thursday night, even 

without Carlo Colaiacovo, Mikael Samuelsson, Darren Helm, Todd Bertuzzi 

and Valtteri Filppula in the lineup. 

In a 10-minute second-period span, the Red Wings took over the game, 

netted a pair of goals and went to score a 3-0 victory. 

The Oilers, now winless in four, are 8-10-5 with a game looming Friday 

against the Nashville Predators. They have won just one game since Feb. 

25, they’ve been outshot in 15 of the 23 games they’ve played this season. 

And for the first time this season, they were shut out by an opponent. 

“The game plan just disappeared. Disappeared,” said head coach Ralph 

Krueger. “For 10 minutes they just dominated us in every category. We lost 

our defensive coverage, we lost battles, and in that time period, the game 

was decided. 

“I thought the team put in an effort in the third ... but with the experience of 

Detroit, we just didn’t have enough energy to resist that. 

“There’s no excuse for this one,” Krueger continued. “We cannot stop 

playing for 10 minutes against the Detroit Red Wings and expect to get 

points. We just stopped playing for 10 minutes and that was enough.” 

After a scoreless opening period, Jakub Kindl threw a shot that Devan 

Dubnyk lost sight of, then Cory Emmerton, with his second goal of the 

season, gave Detroit a 2-0 second period lead. 

“Edmonton did a pretty good job of clogging it up a bit (in the first) ... we 

were running around a little,” said Emmerton. “The second period we 

wanted to really focus on getting down low and grinding it out.” 

“You’re not going to win games scoring zero goals,” said Oilers winger 

Taylor Hall. “That’s on us. That’s on the top two lines. 

“It took them a period to get their legs and once that second period came, 

we got on our heels. When we’re playing in our end, it’s hard to score. We 

have to work to get out of our end as quick as possible and limit those 

chances.” 

Justin Abdelkader put the finishing touch on the game, scoring into an 

empty net, ending a goalless streak that dated back to March 10, 2012. 

“On that first one, I was coming across on my knees and as soon as I lost 

sight of it, I started to get up and he whacked at it,” said Dubnyk. “It came 

through a guy’s feet and caught me right below my hand. 

“It’s disappointing. We just can’t keep going back to the same things and 

not have the puck in their end. We can’t just keep doing it or nothing is 

going to change. We can’t just sit in here and say all the right things and not 

have things change. We have to go do it. It’s up to us.” 

OIL SPILLS: Veteran winger Ales Hemsky left the game in the second after 

taking a shot off his right foot. It wasn’t broken, but he is doubtful for the 

game against the Predators ... Mike Brown threw a flurry of rights at Jordin 

Tootoo in his first fight as an Oiler, a second-period scrap that came on the 

heels of a hit the winger threw at Tootoo. Kindl scored when the two were in 

the penalty box ... Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has now allowed 

just two goals in his last three games ... There was just one power play in 

the game and it came 56 seconds in when Hall was sent off for highsticking. 

Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ben Eager out, Chris VandeVelde in for Edmonton Oilers 

Joanne Ireland 

Detroit – Mike Babcock, the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, is a 

stickler about details so despite a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche 

in his club’s last outing, he expects more against the Edmonton Oilers. 

In short, don’t expect anything less than a disciplined Detroit squad, which 

of course means an even tougher challenge for the Oilers who haven’t won 

in Joe Louis Arena since Dec. 3, 2009. 

“We’ve played way better and lost,” Babcock said Thursday morning. “To 

me, the way this team has to play is real simple. We can’t outscore our 

mistakes. We’re not talented enough as a group to play river hockey all 

night and expect to win on a nightly basis. 

That’s just the facts.” 

The Oilers, 1-2-2 since leaving Edmonton, will send a lineup similar to the 

one that was on the ice for a 4-3 shootout loss against the Columbus Blue 

Jackets. The one change will be in the bottom six, with Ben Eager coming 

out of the lineup and Chris VandeVelde returning to centre. Ryan Smyth will 

move back to the wing. 

“Detroit is not a very physical team but they are a very deep, well versed 

hockey team,” said head coach Ralph Krueger. “We just feel with the back 

to backs we need four solid lines going. 

“It’s not about the line combinations as much as it is about our habits. The 

willingness to give up the puck to create opportunities . . . is something 

we’re continuing to work on. We want puck possession. We just need to be 

a little smarter and create more chaos in front of the net. 

“This is a team that does a lot of things habitually we’d like to do . . . but we 

have to match their work ethic.” 

The Oilers play the Predators in Nashville on Friday. 



Nugent-Hopkins and Schultz slumping, Sam Gagner coming on strong 

March 7, 2013. 8:28 am • Section: Cult of Hockey, Oilers 

David Staples 

Recent Posts From This Author 

Even though star centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is mired in a season-long 

point-scoring slump, one of the consoling thoughts for Edmonton Oilers 

fans has been that the 19-year-old has been chipping in on numerous 

scoring chances, so he’s about to break loose with a bunch of points. 

For much of the season this has, in fact, been the perfect summation of the 

Nugent-Hopkins’ actual on-ice performance, but in the last five games his 

play has slumped badly at even strength in terms of his two-way play. 

The same goes for 22-year-old rookie Justin Schultz, who is mired in an 8game 

slump in his offensive and defensive play at even strength. 

The good news is that for the past 10 games Sam Gagner has come on 

strong in terms of his two-way play. 

It’s safe to say that a steady diet of the tough competition (and perhaps 

some undisclosed injury woes) have hit hard both Schultz and Nugent- 

Hopkins, while Gagner has finally cranked up his game to where it was last 

season in terms of two-way play, doing a much better job in his own zone 

while chipping in with some strong attacking play against somewhat less 

onerous competition than RNH typically faces. 

What do the numbers say? 

The chart above gives you all the numbers, but to summarize, in the first 16 

games of the year, Nugent-Hopkins was chipping in on more than five 

scoring chances per game at even strength, while making mistakes on 

slightly less than two per game. 

Remarkable. For a 19-year-old to play at such a high level is a hopeful sign. 

In the last five games, however, he’s chipped in on about two scoring 

chances per game, while making mistakes on about three per game. That’s 

a poor ratio for a centre. A centre will be in the 1.5 for-to-1.0 against or two 

for-to-one against range if he’s getting his job done well (he’s OK being in 

the lower range if he’s facing off against tough competition). 

In contrast, Gagner started out the year chipping in one about three scoring 

chances per game at even strength in the first 12 games, but making 

mistakes on about the same number, a weak one-to-one ratio. 

In the last 10 games, however, Gagner has chipped in on about 3.3 

chances per game at ES, while making mistakes on 1.6 per game, a good 

ratio indeed. 

As for Schultz, he was outstanding in his first 14 games. A defenceman 

who is doing his job will chip in on about one scoring chance for every 

scoring chance he makes a mistake on, a one-to-one ratio. In his first 14 

games, Schultz chipped in on about four scoring chances per game at even 

strength, while making mistakes on just two per game. 

Also remarkable. 

But he’s now slumping — and slumping big time. In the last eight games, 

he’s chipping in one less than two chances per game, while making 

mistakes on almost three per game. 

Any solutions to what ails Schultz and RNH here? 

Well, some success on the struggling, disjointed top power play unit might 

pick up both their spirits. A bit better luck would help. If they are indeed hurt, 

some rest and better health is important. 

Mostly, though, they are being asked to do a bit too much at this point. They 

need veteran help, more experienced players to come in and assist them 

do more of the heavy lifting against tough competition. Nugent-Hopkins, 

especially, has gone up against the toughest the NHL has to offer. 

Right now, this tough competition is not just weighing down these two 

excellent young players, it’s starting to squash them. 



So, Edmonton Oilers fans, do you miss Shawn Horcoff yet? 

Bruce McCurdy 

That’s a darn good question, Ted, good enough to deserve its own 

headline. Seems like a pretty keen observation as well — Edmonton Oilers 

were doing alright until Shawn Horcoff caught the injury bug. Since then? 

Not so much. 

The Oilers have gotten two periods of work out of their captain since he first 

went down late in Game 6 at Phoenix, steamrolled by Shane Doan. He 

missed the tail end of that game (in which Oilers blew a 1-0 lead in the 

dying seconds just after Horcoff left the game, but managed to pull out the 

win on an overtime powerplay), and missed two games, both losses, with 

some variation of whiplash or “concussion like symptoms”. Horcoff then 

rushed back for an ill-fated home date with the Canucks, in which he 

suffered a badly broken knuckle blocking a shot and left the game one shift 

into the third period, the Oilers leading 2-1. The club blew a late lead in that 

one too, and went on to lose in overtime. 

Just within the two games that Horcoff left, both times in the third period, 

after his departure the Oilers scored just one goal and allowed three. More 

importantly they blew one point in the standings while ceding three to their 

opposition du jour. (Those numbers don’t add up, but so it is with Bettman 

Math, where 2+0=2, but 1+1=3 … yeah I know, it’s confusing!) 

For simplicity, though, let’s ignore those blown leads in the two games 

which Horcoff didn’t finish, and simply consider Oilers’ overall performance 

in games with and without their captain in the line-up, whether he finished 

the game or not. It’s a WOWY analysis that lives up to its acronym. 

horcoffWOWY 

In each case the better of the two numbers (higher or lower as the case 

may be) is bolded in blue. Overwhelmingly, the blue numbers appear in the 

“with” column, with the differences between won-loss records and points 

percentage being particularly stark. The differences in goals for and against 

(shootout “goals” have been excluded) are slender — the Oilers output has 

been about a quarter of a goal worse at each end of the ice — but in the 

context of artificial parody parity, over any length of time a difference of half 

a goal per game is gargantuan, and the W-L-O results certainly bear that 

out. 

WOWY analyses are by nature one-dimensional, and of limited value in a 

complex environment. Obviously this isn’t exactly a controlled experiment 

where Horcoff’s absence is the only variable. Maybe the team would have 

gone into the tank anyway. Maybe the early success was more the result of 

an unsustainable powerplay, which scored at least once in all 7 of Horcoff’s 

games, 12 goals altogether, and has only netted 8 goals in the 15 games 

he missed. No doubt some sort of correction was due there, Horcoff or no 

Horcoff, although in his absence it’s become increasingly apparent that the 

PP has been missing some key ingredients in terms of faceoff proficiency, 

zone entry and net front presence. 

Other metrics like PK proficiency and shots for/against data are fairly 

neutral, but there are no areas whatsoever where the team has shown a 

meaningful improvement since the captain went down, while several of the 

key stats have shown a marked decline. While shot differential has 

remained the same (and bad, at -5.5 per game), Oilers have seen a dip in 

both their shooting and save percentages during Horcoff’s absence, with 

the combination of the two (PDO) dropping from 1.015 to .996 during the 

games in question. So maybe it’s all just variance, a.k.a. “luck”. We are, 

after all, speaking of data sets of just 7 and 15 games respectively. 

Or maybe the Oilers are facing more bad match-ups. Long the top minute 

muncher among Oilers forwards, Horcoff had seen a reduction of his even 

strength time in the early season. He was, however, still was lining up in his 

own zone a lot (just 36% of his end zone starts in the offensive zone), and 

facing the toughest of the toughs, being first with a bullet among Oilers 

forwards in all three of Gabe Desjardins’ Quality of Competition metrics. By 

another nifty device, Rob Vollman’s Player Usage Charts (app by Greg “the 

Ninja” Sinclair), Horcoff is nearly off the charts. 

There’s been something of a chain reaction in the aftermath of the injury, 

with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Gagner taking on tougher competition, 

Eric Belanger having been forced into Horcoff’s spot as 3C and a variety of 

replacement (and replacement-level) players filling in for Belanger on the 

fourth line. Anton Lander got the first two games after the Doan incident 

before he too went down, with Chris VandeVelde (nine) and an out-ofposition 

Ryan Smyth (four games) having shared the duties since. 

I took a look at the player grades Jonathan Willis and I maintain here at the 

Cult, and to my non-surprise found that the identified replacement had an 

average game grade of just 4.1, a full cut and a half below Horcoff’s 5.6. 

Take that for what it’s worth (and with the requisite pound of salt), but it 

seems like Jon and I are both seeing the same thing: underperformance at 

4C. Some of that is bad injury luck (especially losing the first choice call-up 

in Lander), and some of it is on management for not stashing a more NHLready 

pivot somewhere in the system, or going out and getting one when it 

became clear the Horcoff injury would cost him significant time. 

Related post — Willis: Injuries expose Oilers’ dangerous lack of depth at 

centre 

Belanger, meanwhile, has been up against it. He is taking on even more of 

the defensive zone assignments than ever, starting in the O-zone just 33% 

of the time on his even strength shifts. He’s not facing quite the quality of 

toughs that Horcoff was, but the Oilers are getting swamped to the tune of 

about 37½ shots against per 60 minutes, a terrible figure that is ahead of 

only Ben Eager’s execrable 40.2 SA/60. (Data here, but bear in mind that at 

behindthenet.ca “SA” means “saved shots against” and must be combined 

with GA to get the total shots against value.) 

Horcoff is at the other end of that table, best among centres and second 

among forwards (behind Magnus Paajarvi, interestingly enough) with just 

28 shots allowed per 60. Which when you consider those other factors of 

where he starts out and who he lines up against, is pretty impressive. 

Related post — Staples: Oilers are going backwards on defence, leaking 

too many scoring chances 

The other thing currently missing on the bottom six is any sort of nurturing 

environment for a young player. Among his many roles with the Oilers over 

the years, Horcoff has found considerable success as a mentor, notably in 

2010-11 when he did the heavy lifting between rookies Taylor Hall and 

Jordan Eberle as they found their way in the NHL. These days there’s 

another rookie in Nail Yakupov who is looking for a place to latch on within 

the team. The infamous Belanger Triangle doesn’t seem to be that place. A 

spot beside “Horcov” might be ideal, a bigger man who can handle ownzone 

duties while being a little more adept at getting the puck to the right 

man with space to do something with it. His hands aren’t what they once 

were, but Horcoff’s always had a good grasp on getting the puck moving in 

the right direction. 

What all this is doing is providing Oilers fans and management alike a 

sneak preview of what this team might be facing should the decision be 

taken to buy Horcoff out, or to trade him and the last two, lowest-paying 

years of his albatross contract to a club looking to reach the cap floor 

without spending the actual dollars. Early results suggest that the 

organization better have a pretty good replacement in mind, and it’s 

probably not someone they’ll find in-house. Not likely someone they’ll find in 

the bargain bin, either, raising the question of what economies can be found 

by paying Horcoff not to play for the Oilers plus paying his replacement. 

Unless they are hard against the cap, the club might be better served to bite 

the bullet. “Value for money” is a complex equation, but there is certainly 

significant value on the one side, even as there’s a lot of money on the 

other. The contract will run its course in two more years, and it seems likely 

the team will be needing a tough-minutes pivot for all of that. Whether 

Horcoff can stay healthy is of course a whole ‘nother question. 



Ben Eager out, Chris VandeVelde in for Edmonton Oilers 

Joanne Ireland 

Detroit – Mike Babcock, the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, is a 

stickler about details so despite a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche 

in his club’s last outing, he expects more against the Edmonton Oilers. 

In short, don’t expect anything less than a disciplined Detroit squad, which 

of course means an even tougher challenge for the Oilers who haven’t won 

in Joe Louis Arena since Dec. 3, 2009. 

“We’ve played way better and lost,” Babcock said Thursday morning. “To 

me, the way this team has to play is real simple. We can’t outscore our 

mistakes. We’re not talented enough as a group to play river hockey all 

night and expect to win on a nightly basis. 

That’s just the facts.” 

The Oilers, 1-2-2 since leaving Edmonton, will send a lineup similar to the 

one that was on the ice for a 4-3 shootout loss against the Columbus Blue 

Jackets. The one change will be in the bottom six, with Ben Eager coming 

out of the lineup and Chris VandeVelde returning to centre. Ryan Smyth will 

move back to the wing. 

“Detroit is not a very physical team but they are a very deep, well versed 

hockey team,” said head coach Ralph Krueger. “We just feel with the back 

to backs we need four solid lines going. 

“It’s not about the line combinations as much as it is about our habits. The 

willingness to give up the puck to create opportunities . . . is something 

we’re continuing to work on. We want puck possession. We just need to be 

a little smarter and create more chaos in front of the net. 

“This is a team that does a lot of things habitually we’d like to do . . . but we 

have to match their work ethic.” 

The Oilers play the Predators in Nashville on Friday. 



Same old result as Edmonton Oilers fall to Detroit Red Wings 

By Derek Van Diest, Edmonton Sun 

DETROIT - The Edmonton Oilers were hoping this time around things 

would be different. 

But the only positive coming out of Thursday, was news they may not have 

to travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings as often anymore. 

For the Oilers, realignment can’t come soon enough as the same story 

played out again, falling 3-0 to the Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena. 

Jakub Kindl, Corey Emmerton and Justin Abdelkader scored for the Red 

Wings, while Jimmy Howard pitched the shutout, turning away 22 shots. 

“We were pleased with the first period, I thought we had out-chanced them 

at the start and came into the room trying to build on that and make that a 

positive,” said Oilers head coach Ralph Krueger. “Then on the 1-0 goal, we 

lose the battle in front on the puck against Kindl, he puts it in the net and 

then the game plan disappeared. 

“For 10 minutes they dominated us in every category, we lost our defensive 

coverage, we lost our battles, and at that time in period, the game was 

decided when they were able to pull it to 2-0.” 

The Oilers have only won once in their last 10 visits to Detroit, that victory 

back in December, 2009. Since then, the Oilers have dropped seven 

straight to the Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena. 

Under the current NHL alignment, the teams face each other four times in a 

season. With the NHL players association agreeing to new divisional 

alignments for next year, the Oilers may only have face the Red Wings 

twice, meaning just one trip to the city where it’s been practically 

guaranteed win night for the Red Wings in the past five years. 

“You’re not going to win a game scoring zero goals,” said Oilers winger 

Taylor Hall. “That’s on us, that’s on the guys on the top two lines, we’re the 

guys that are relied to score every night and we didn’t.” 

It doesn’t really seem to matter who the Red Wings have in the lineup, 

games always seem to play out the same. The Oilers were able to hang 

around for a while until the Red Wings decided to take their game to the 

next level. 

Thursday, the Red Wings turned it on in the second period and the Oilers 

had no response. 

“We knew they were going to come out really hard at home and it took them 

a period to get their legs,” Hall said. “Once that second period came, we 

kind of got on our heels for a few shifts, and once we got down 2-0, it didn’t 

seem like anything we shot at the net was going to go in and we really 

didn’t get the bounces.” 

After a scoreless first, Kindl put the home side up, whacking away at a 

loose puck in front which slipped past Oilers goaltender Devan Dubnyk. 

Emmerton increased the lead later in the period taking a pass in the slot 

and picking the top corner. 

“I don’t think that was the defensive zone that we wanted to play and 

against a group like that, they’ll make you pay for it and that’s what 

happened,” said Dubnyk. “On that first goal, I came across on my knees 

and as soon as I lost sight of it, I started to get up and I was half getting up 

and he whacked it and it came through a guy’s feet and it went through right 

below my hand. It was kind of a weird one, I almost had it, but it was a bad 

spot for me between getting up and staying down.” 

A post and couple of solid stops from Dubnyk prevented the Red Wings 

from increasing their lead in the period, having out-shot the Oilers 15-7 in 

the frame. 

Adding to the Oilers misery in the period was the loss of Ales Hemsky, who 

took a Kindl point-shot off his right foot and had to leave the game. 

According to Krueger, x-rays were negative, but Hemsky will likely not be 

available against the Nashville Predators Friday. 

“The second period, that phase for all of us, including the players was 

extremely disappointing,” said Krueger. “You need to bottle up the anger 

you feel right now and turn it into something good in Nashville. It’s 

something that I’ve seen in this group. We’re not quitters, we’ve lost our 

way, but I don’t believe it was a lack of effort, it was a lack of concept that 

lost it for us.” 

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.08.2013

662012 Florida Panthers 

Washington Capitals punish Florida Panthers again 

By George Richards 

To avoid problems landing in the nation’s capital, the Panthers left South 

Florida on their charter plane a few hours early Wednesday. 

On Thursday, they checked out of their game in Washington early as well. 

Washington chased goalie Jacob Markstrom to the bench with two goals on 

two shots then kept the party going by beating down the Panthers 7-1 at 

Verizon Center. 

The Panthers, who played their final game in Washington as a division rival 

for some time Thursday, found themselves down 4-0 in the first. 

By the time Alex Ovechkin scored to make it 5-0 in the second, well, it 

meant little more than to pad his stats. 

“You give up two goals on two shots,” said Panthers coach Kevin Dineen, 

whose team’s 19 points are fewest in the entire league. 

“I don’t like to leave anyone out to dry, but obviously I don’t think Jacob 

Markstrom was ready to play tonight and the ball started to roll.” 

Said Markstrom: “I felt like I let the team down. I didn’t stop pucks. It wasn’t 

good enough.” 

The Panthers are probably happy to get away from Washington when the 

league reconfigures its divisions next year. Florida has lost seven in a row 

in Washington and six in a row to the Caps overall. 

“They’re a good team in their building,” said Jack Skille, who ended Braden 

Holtby’s shutout bid with 9:11 left. That made it only 6-1. 

“I think they smell blood when we come in here and they can get a couple 

early,” Dineen said. “We can talk about pushback, but we got spanked 7-1. 

It’s unacceptable.” 

Scott Clemmensen was brought in and didn’t fare much better. On 

Washington’s sixth shot, John Carlson fired a long-range missile that 

skipped though. Mike Ribeiro made it 4-0 two shots later. 

The biggest news could come Friday when it will be determined whether the 

league takes disciplinary action against defenseman Tyson Strachan for his 

open-ice hit on Jason Chimura. 

Chimura hit the ice hard after Strachan’s hit and stayed down on the ice 

before returning. Strachan was hit with a major penalty and an ejection. 

Ovechkin scored 20 seconds later. 

The Panthers’ defensive depth is tapped as they have already used 11 

different defensemen this season. 

Strachan declined to comment after the game. 

“I’ll have to take a good look at it,” Dineen said. “It’s a moot point whatever 

the coach says because that’s going to be handled on a different level. I 

have a strong amount of respect when the league makes those decisions. 

We’ll see how it plays out.” 

Realignment 

The days of the Panthers and Capitals battling it out for the Southeast 

Division title are probably over — because this is the last season the two 

will share the same division at least for the next two years. 

The NHLPA approved the NHL’s realignment plan, one that puts the 

Panthers in a new division with the Lightning and six other teams (all north 

of New York City). 

Florida’s new division rivals: Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Boston, Toronto, Montreal 

and Detroit. With the realignment comes a playoff format change, with 

teams within the division playing each other in the postseason. 

The other three teams in the Southeast (Winnipeg, Washington and 

Carolina) are moving elsewhere, with the setup being examined after two 

seasons. 

“This is the hand we’ve been dealt, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” 

Skille said. “This was the league’s choice, and we just have to win some 

games in that division. There’s a lot of Canadian people who live in Florida, 

so we’ll have the barn packed.” 

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.08.2013


Recap: Washington vs. Florida 

By Sports Network 

Braden Holtby made 29 saves and seven different Capitals scored in 

Washington's 7-1 dismantling of the Florida Panthers at Verizon Center. 

Alex Ovechkin, Wojtek Wolski and Mike Ribeiro each had a goal and two 

assists for the Capitals, who have erupted for 18 goals in three victories 

over the Panthers this season. 

John Erskine and John Carlson each scored in a four-goal first period, while 

Eric Fehr and Mathieu Perreault both got in on the act in the third. 

Jacob Markstrom, fresh off his first win of the season against the Winnipeg 

Jets on Tuesday, started in net for Florida and was quickly pulled after 

giving up goals on Washington's first two shots. Scott Clemmensen yielded 

five goals on 24 shots in relief, and Jack Skille scored the Panthers' lone 

goal. 

These Southeast Division rivals came in tied for last place in the Eastern 

Conference, but the Capitals are on their way up with wins in eight of their 

last 11 games, while the Panthers have dropped four of their last five. 

"The guys are playing better and good things are happening. ... All in all, in 

the last three weeks we've only had one bad game," Capitals head coach 

Adam Oates said. 

Markstrom let up two soft goals in the first 3:10, as he was unable to handle 

Erskine's seemingly innocuous slap shot 1:58 in and saw Wolski's weak 

wraparound find the back of the net before he found a seat on the bench. 

"I couldn't stop the puck on the first two shots. (There's) no excuse for that," 

Markstrom said. "It was terrible. I feel like I let the team down. I am there to 

stop pucks and I didn't do that tonight." 

Clemmensen came in and allowed two more goals over a 2:32 span. 

Carlson's low slap shot off a faceoff win lit the lamp at 5:38, and Ribeiro 

took Ovechkin's feed from behind the net and beat a flat-footed 

Clemmensen for a 4-0 lead. 

Florida defenseman Tyson Strachan was whistled for a game misconduct 

for interference 8:57 into the second period, and Ovechkin capitalized with 

a snap shot from the left circle 20 seconds into the five-minute power play. 

After Fehr's power-play tally made it 6-0, Skille ended Holtby's shutout bid 

with 9:11 to play. 

Perreault finished off the rout with a goal in the final minute. 



ROLLED OUT OF THE CAPITAL: Washington Continues Capital 

Domination of Panthers with 7-1 Win 

... Markstrom Pulled Early, Strachan Faces Shanahan 

TWITTER: at GeorgeRichards 

WASHINGTON -- To avoid problems landing in the nation's capital, the 

Panthers left South Florida on their charter plane a few hours early on 

Wednesday. 

On Thursday, they checked out of their game in Washington early as well. 

Washington chased goalie Jacob Markstrom to the bench with two goals on 

two shots then kept the party going by beating down the Panthers 7-1 at 

Verizon Center. 

The Panthers, who played their final game in Washington as a division rival 

for some time Thursday, found themselves down 4-0 before the midway 

point of the first. 

By the time Alex Ovechkin scored to make it 5-0 in the second, well, it 

meant little more than to pad his stats. 

"You give up two goals on two shots,'' said Panthers coach Kevin Dineen, 

whose team's 19 points are fewest in the entire league. 

"I don't like to leave anyone out to dry but obviously I don't think Jacob 

Markstrom was ready to play tonight and the ball started to roll. For us, we 

need to be firing on all cylinders to have success and that wasn't the case,'' 

Said Markstrom: "I felt like I let the team down. I didn't stop pucks. It wasn't 

good enough.'' 

The Panthers are probably happy to get away from Washington when the 

league reconfigures its divisions next year. Florida has lost seven straight in 

Washington and six straight to the Caps overall. 

In the five losses in D.C. since last season, the Panthers have been 

outscored a whopping 23-3. Florida, shut out here three times since last 

season, have been outscored here 12-1 in the past few weeks alone. 

"They're a good team in their building,'' said Jack Skille, who ended Braden 

Holtby's shutout bid with 9:11 left. That made it only 6-1. 

The Capitals got the only two goals they would need 3:10 in. 

Markstrom gave up his first goal 1:58 when John Erskine whipped a shot 

from inside the blueline that caught Markstrom's right armpit. When 

Markstrom adjusted, the puck sank into the back of the net. 

Just over a minute later, Wojtek Wolski -- acquired by the Panthers for their 

playoff run last spring -- shoved a puck past Markstrom to make it 2-0. 

"I think they smell blood when we come in here and they can get a couple 

early,'' Dineen said. "We can talk about pushback, but we got spanked 7-1. 

It's unacceptable.'' 

Scott Clemmensen was brought in and didn't fare much better. On 

Washington's sixth shot, John Carlson fired a long-range missle that 

skipped though. Mike Ribeiro made it 4-0 two shots later. 

The biggest news could come Friday when it will be determined whether the 

league takes disciplinary action against defenseman Tyson Strachan for his 

open-ice hit on Jason Chimura. 

Chimura hit the ice hard after Strachan's hit and stayed down on the ice 

before returning. Strachan was hit with a major penalty and an ejection. 

Ovechkin scored 20 seconds after Strachan headed to the visitor's locker 

room for a 5-0 lead. 

The Panthers defensive depth is tapped as they have already used 11 

different defensemen this season. Brendon Nash, who played in two games 

with Montreal last season, has likely been summoned to Sunrise. 

Strachan declined to comment after the game. 

"I'll have to take a good look at it,'' Dineen said. "It's a moot point whatever 

the coach says because that's going to be handled on a different level. I 

have a strong amount of respect when the league makes those decisions. 

We'll see how it plays out.'' 

REALIGNMENT 

The days of the Panthers and Capitals battling it out for the Southeast 

Division title are probably over -- since this is the last season the two will 

share the same division at least for the next two years. 

The NHLPA approved the NHL's realignment plan, one that puts the 

Panthers in a new division with the Lightning and six other (all north of New 

York City) teams. 

Florida's new division 'rivals': Tampa Bay, Buffalo, Boston, Toronto, 

Montreal and Detroit. With the realignment comes a playoff format change 

with teams within the division playing each other in the postseason. 

The new divisions -- the other three teams in the Southeast (Winnipeg, 

Washington and Carolina) are moving elsewhere -- go into effect next 

season with the setup being examined after two seasons. 

"This is the hand we've been dealt and there's nothing we can do about it,'' 

Skille said. "This was the league's choice and we just have to win some 

games in that division. There's a lot of Canadian people who live in Florida 

so we'll have the barn packed.'' 

FRIDAY: JETS AT PANTHERS 

When, Where: 7:30 p.m.; BB&T Center, Sunrise 

TV/Radio: FSNF; WQAM-560 

The series: Jets lead 41-31-5 

The game: Florida snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Jets 

on Tuesday. Winnipeg has spent the week in the Sunshine State and 

played Tampa Bay on Thursday. Florida is expected to have Jacob 

Markstrom back in net after he was pulled Thursday in Washington. 

Markstrom made 30 saves against the Jets. 

Posted by George Richards 



STEPHEN WEISS: Wrist Surgery Only Option 

... Realizes Sunday May Have Been Last Game with #FlaPanthers, 

Welcomes Return 

TWITTER: at GeorgeRichards 

Panthers center Stephen Weiss said Wednesday morning the pain in his 

right wrist was so severe he wasn't helping himself or his team. 

After consulting with specialists at the Cleveland Clinic on Monday, Weiss 

made the decision to have season-ending surgery. 

"It doesn't make sense to keep playing like this,'' he said. "I have to get it 

fixed. .-.-. You can't fake your way through this league. It's too good.'' 

Weiss said the procedure, which he had once before at the end of the 

2008-09 season, would be done in Cleveland on Tuesday by Dr. Thomas 

Graham. Weiss also had surgery on his left wrist in 2006. He has been told 

he would be able to shoot pucks again in three months. 

Weiss said he has had pain in the wrist for over a year and had an MRI 

done last year that showed he had a problem. Weiss said not properly 

taping it during NHL lockout workouts and the repetitiveness of taking shot 

after shot likely contributed to the deterioration. 

"This surgery was the last resort. I didn't want to have a second one done,'' 

said Weiss, who had just one goal off 19 shots in 17 games this season. 

Weiss averaged 2.12 shots per game and 23 goals per year over the past 

three seasons. 

"As this season went on, it became evident I couldn't play the way I need to 

be effective and help the team win games and be the player I need to be. I 

need to get this thing fixed once and for all and get a fresh start with a 

healthy wrist when I'm ready to go again.'' 

Weiss is the first to admit this isn't the best time to have a wrist problem. 

A pending free agent, Weiss may have played his final game with the 

Panthers after more than a decade with the team. Drafted fourth overall at 

the 2001 draft held at the Panthers' arena in Sunrise, Weiss is in his 11th 

season with Florida. 

Weiss said "he wouldn't have written" that Sunday's forgettable loss to 

Carolina would be his last with the Panthers. Yet, that may have been it for 

Weiss. And it is something that has crossed his mind. 

"It kind of burns at me that is how I could be going out,'' Weiss said. "But 

that's life sometimes. You have to deal with the cards you're dealt. This is 

not an easy decision for myself or the team, but it's something that needs to 

be done. If it is the last game, it's the last game. I just hope everyone 

understands why I made this decision. It's been a good ride.'' 

Weiss, who turns 30 next month, hasn't ruled out a return to the Panthers, 

saying "it would be awesome to finish my career here.'' 

The reality is Weiss' agent and the organization haven't spoken about a 

new deal and the Panthers will likely want to see how this surgery goes 

before a new long-term deal is talked about. 

Weiss said he would welcome a return to the Panthers and said he hopes 

to chat with the team "in the not-too distant future.'' 

"I started my career here and you don't see that too often, guys staying for 

one team,'' Weiss said. "That would be great. But they have to want me 

back. If they do, those will be decisions I have to make at some point. I'm 

going to look at all the options and see what's best for me moving forward.'' 

Weiss said during the lockout he wouldn't negotiate with the Panthers 

during the season as he didn't want it to be a distraction. Even though that 

isn't a concern now, general manager Dale Tallon said there is no rush to 

get something done. 

Weiss' contract, signed six years ago and worth $3.1 million per season, 

expires July 1. 

"He couldn't perform up to his capabilities, in his opinion, and he wanted to 

get it fixed," Tallon said. "It was difficult for him and for all of us. Stephen 

cares and he feels badly about it, but he's got to do what's best for him, too. 

This is a big year for him as well." 

And although the Panthers haven't fully moved on without Weiss, Mike 

Santorelli has already taken over his long-time locker stall inside the BB&T 

Center. Prime real estate, that. 

Coincidence Santorelli scored his first goal of the season in Tuesday's 4-1 

win over the Jets? 

"Maybe it brought me a little luck,'' Santorelli said. 



Preview: Jets at Panthers, 7 p.m. Friday 

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel 

6:48 p.m. EST, March 7, 2013 

Jets at Panthers 

When/where: 7 p.m.; BB&T, Sunrise 

TV: FSF Radio: WQAM-560 

Scouting report: The Panthers will play their fifth straight game against a 

Southeast foe and the Jets for the second time at home in four days. ... The 

Panthers are 2-0-1 against Winnipeg, including Tuesday's 4-1 victory in 

which Jacob Markstrom notched 30 saves for his first win of the season. ... 

Before Thursday's game with Washington, rookie Jonathan Huberdeau had 

three goals in two games, giving him a team-leading 11. ... The Panthers 

are 0-3 in second games of back to backs. The Jets, who played Tampa 

Bay Thursday, have lost two straight, and are 2-1 in second games of back 

to backs. ... F Kris Versteeg is expected to play after missing the last 12 

games with a rib-cage injury. 

— Harvey Fialkov 

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 03.08.2013


Panthers hope to score a win in D.C. 

Florida has been shut out in three of its last four trips to the Verizon Center 

By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel 

7:02 p.m. EST, March 7, 2013 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — — 

The Panthers took advantage of a false-alarm snow day off in the nation's 

capital Wednesday to shoot some hoops on a full-length court in their posh 

downtown hotel. 

Perhaps putting a much smaller round rubber object in a larger net against 

Capitals red-hot goalie Braden Holtby in the Verizon Center would be easier 

now. 

Unlikely. The Panthers have been blanked in three of their last four games 

in Washington, including their lone appearance earlier this season on Feb. 

9 (5-0). Holtby, 23, is 3-0 with a 2.73 goals-against average against the 

Panthers, and 7-3 with a 2.20 GAA in his last 10 games. 

"It's this building,'' said Panthers leading scorer Tomas Fleischmann, who 

played for the Capitals from 2005-2010. "We scored like one goal here in 

the last five games. This is going to be a tough game. We've got to be 

ready for it, otherwise, it'll end up like all the other times.'' 

It was no surprise that Panthers 6-foot-6 defenseman Nolan Yonkman, who 

was called up before Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Jets, would win the 

intrasquad basketball rebounding game called "Lightning" with a onehanded 

dunk. 

"There's more soccer players than basketball players in here,'' said 

Yonkman after morning skate Thursday. "I need to do what I do, play hard 

and give them quality minutes.'' 

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen, whose had to put a patchwork lineup on the 

ice filled with rookies, AHL journeymen and first-time NHLers to 

compensate for eight injured starters, is looking for consistency. 

"Consistency is a key word,'' Dineen said. "The change of travel plans 

worked out really well. We didn't get on the ice, we didn't meet with the 

players yesterday. They shot some hoops. No coaching is sometimes better 

than too much." 

Tallas' weird day 

Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas was one pulled groin away from taking 

over for goalie Scott Clemmensen in last Sunday's 3-2 loss to the 

Hurricanes because the equipment for AHL callup Jacob Markstrom was 

lost by United Airlines. 

Tallas, two weeks shy of his 40th birthday, had a six-year NHL career (28- 

42-10), but last played for the Blackhawks on Feb. 19, 2001. As per NHL 

rules, the Panthers were allowed to sign Tallas to a one-day contract. 

Fortunately, after participating in warmups with Roberto Luongo's old No. 1 

jersey, Markstrom's pads arrived midway through the first period and Tallas 

was off the hook. 

"I've only put my equipment on maybe six times in the last eight years,'' 

smiled Tallas. "I didn't want Clemm to be distracted. It was unique we could 

talk through the game and period, and it was a neat reminder of how fast 

the game is when you're down on ice level.'' 

And if Clemmensen got hurt? 

"At that point my knees would've started knocking,'' Tallas said. 

Tallas revealed that Yonkman, who was on the same flight as Markstrom, 

had to borrow the ice skates of former Panthers forward Peter Worrell, the 

hockey coach at FAU, who drove to the arena to deliver them. 

Flash honored 

With two of the three Panthers leaders, captain Ed Jovanovski and 

alternate captain Stephen Weiss, sidelined by injuries, Dineen has handed 

the alternate captain 'A's to Tomas Kopecky and Fleischmann. Brian 

Campbell remains the other alternate. 

"I'm really honored,'' Fleischmann said. "I also had it like 10 games ago 

when Weiss was out. It's good, this time we won the game.'' 



Markstrom, Panthers get pounded 7-1 by Caps 

Capitals score four goals in first 8:10, second quickest in NHL history; 

Panthers lose their seventh straight in D.C. 

March 7, 2013|By Harvey Fialkov, Sun Sentinel 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — — The question that Panthers coach Kevin Dineen 

had to be asking after watching the resurgent Capitals score four goals on 

their first eight shots against two different goalies was probably: "Did goalie 

coach Robb Tallas bring his gear?" 

Tallas, 39, who suited up Sunday when Jacob Markstrom's equipment was 

misplaced by the airline, couldn't have done worse than the Swedish rookie 

or veteran backup Scott Clemmensen in an embarrassing start to Thursday 

night's 7-1 blowout loss at the Verizon Center. 

Anyone miss Jose Theodore? Tomas Vokoun? Stop me at Roberto 

Luongo. 

The Panthers have been outscored 31-7 while dropping their last seven in 

the D.C. house of horrors, including a 5-0 loss last month. Only a goal by 

Jack Skille in the third period prevented Florida's fourth shutout loss in the 

last five games in the nation's capital. 

"They're a good team in their building,'' Skille understated. 

On the bright side, the realignment plan that was approved by the players 

Thursday has the Capitals and Panthers in separate divisions. 

"I think they smell blood when we come in here,'' a disgusted Dineen said. 

"You outshoot a team 4-0 on the first two shifts and you let two goals in on 

two shots. Obviously, I didn't think Jacob Markstrom was ready to play 

tonight. … The starting guy has to be the go-to guy, a hard lesson for us 

and [Markstrom]. 

"You could talk about pushback, but you get spanked 7-1, obviously, it's 

unacceptable.'' 

There will be little time to pout as the Panthers host the Jets again Friday. 

Young Caps goalie Braden Holtby had 29 saves and is 4-0 against Florida 

but 8-3 during a recent run that has moved the Caps out of the Eastern 

Conference basement, where the Panthers now reside by themselves at 

the halfway mark. 

Markstrom, who was coming off a 30-save feel-good victory over Winnipeg 

on Tuesday, received what has to be one of the fastest hooks ever after 

giving up two tissue-soft goals on Washington's first two shots in the first 

3:10. 

"There's no excuse for all of us,'' Markstrom said. "It was terrible and I feel 

like I let the team down.'' 

The first came on an unscreened blue-line bomb from defenseman John 

Erskine at 1:58 that caught most of Markstrom's pads before dribbling 

across the goal line. 

Just 1:12 later, Wojtek Wolski scored on a wrap-around to end Markstrom's 

evening. 

Clemmensen relieved and 2:18 later, defenseman John Carlson unleashed 

an unscreened blast just inside the blue line. Then Alex Ovechkin set up 

Mike Ribeiro on the doorstep to cap off a four-goal barrage in the first 8:10. 

Dineen called a timeout. Instead, he should've put the whole team in 

timeout. 

It's the second-fastest time in NHL history that any team has scored four 

goals to start a game, behind Pittsburgh's 7:04 barrage in 1995, according 

to Elias Sports Bureau. 

In the second period, Panthers defenseman Tyson Strachan took out his 

frustration on the head of Jason Chimera for a five-minute major, game 

misconduct and possible suspension. The Panthers may call up recently 

acquired defenseman Brendon Nash from San Antonio. 

Ovechkin responded with a power-play snap-shot tally. In the third, Eric 

Fehr added another power-play goal and Matthieu Perreault capped off the 

rout with a toe-drag, spin-o-rama with 59 seconds left for No. 7 to tie a 

season high in goals against the Panthers. 



4 quick goals help Capitals beat Panthers 7-1 

By HOWARD FENDRICH 

The Associated Press 

WASHINGTON — 

Alex Ovechkin was 4 months old the only time the Washington Capitals 

started a game with a quicker four-goal outburst than they produced 


What a way to start: four goals on eight shots in less than 8½ minutes. 

John Erskine, Wojtek Wolski, John Carlson and Mike Ribeiro all scored 

while Ovechkin chipped in two assists during that perfect beginning before 

adding a goal later, and the Capitals climbed out of a tie for last in the 

Eastern Conference by beating the Florida Panthers 7-1 Thursday night. 

"Of course, it's a little bit luck," the 27-year-old Ovechkin said. "But we need 

that kind of luck right now." 

The Capitals, citing the Elias Sports Bureau, said the 8-minute, 10-second 

spree represented the second-fastest four goals to start a game in team 

history. Washington accumulated four within 6:49 of the opening faceoff 

against the Minnesota North Stars on Jan. 21, 1986. 

"We wanted to jump on them early," Ribeiro said. "We were able to do that." 

Florida's Jacob Markstrom allowed two goals on two shots and was pulled 

after 3 minutes, 10 seconds — the fastest yanking of an NHL goalie for 

something other than an injury in more than a year, according to STATS 

LLC. 

"I don't like to hang out anybody to dry, but obviously I don't think Jacob 

Markstrom was ready to play tonight," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. 

Markstrom's replacement, Scott Clemmensen, didn't fare much better, 

giving up two goals in the first six shots. Asked about that performance, 

Dineen said: "It's easy to hang him out to dry, but you know what? If you're 

the starting guy, you've got to be the go-to guy." 

When Dineen's comments about not being ready to play were relayed to 

Markstrom, the goalie pursed his lips tightly, shrugged his shoulders and 

did not reply, ending his 75-second interview session with reporters. 

Here is what Markstrom did offer earlier: "I don't know what to say. I couldn't 

stop the puck in the first two shots or whatever, first 3 minutes. No excuse 

for that. It was terrible. I feel like I let the team down. I'm there to stop pucks 

and I didn't do that tonight." 

Ten players each earned at least a point in Thursday's four-goal outburst. 

Late in the first period, Ribeiro pulled back at the end of a forward rush, 

content to perform the hockey equivalent of dribbling out the clock in 

basketball. The red-wearing fans saluted the home team with a standing 

ovation as the period expired. 

Braden Holtby made 29 saves in his 11th consecutive start, the longest 

streak for a Washington goalie since Olie Kolzig started 16 in a row in 2003. 

"It's hard to play your game in those last two periods when you have a 

lead," Holtby said, "but I think we did a very good job of it." 

The Capitals and the reigning Southeast Division champion Panthers 

entered tied for the fewest points in the East with 19. 

But after starting the season with two wins in its first 11 games, Washington 

has won eight of its last 11. 

"We started so bad that it was a big hole to climb out of, and it didn't look 

good," Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. "We're just happy that we're 

winning games right now, and we don't want to be a .500 team." 

The Panthers, meanwhile, have won two of their last eight games as they 

deal with all sorts of injury problems, including to center Stephen Weiss — 

expected to miss the rest of the season because of a wrist surgery — and 

goalie Jose Theodore. As it is, Florida began the game having allowed an 

NHL-worst 83 goals in 23 games, a 3.61 average. 

The only blemish on this night for the Capitals was the hit that forward 

Jason Chimera took from Florida's Tyson Strachan, who was given a game 

misconduct penalty. Chimera left for the locker room to get checked by a 

trainer, but he did eventually return to the ice. It took 20 seconds into the 

power play for Ovechkin to make it 5-0, diving to the ice to celebrate his 

ninth goal of the season. 

Capitals coach Adam Oates said he thought the hit was "a little late," but 

added: "I'm glad Chimmer's OK." 

Notes: STATS LLC said Islanders goalie Kevin Poulin was pulled after 1:35 

on Feb. 20, 2012, against the Senators. ... Florida has lost its past seven 

games at Washington, getting outscored 31-7. ... The Capitals are 3-0 

against Florida this season, part of a 6-2 mark against Southeast Division 

opponents; they're 4-9-1 against everyone else. 

___ 

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich 

Palm Beach Post LOADED: 03.08.2013

662020 Los Angeles Kings 

Kings' third-period magic is missing in 5-2 loss to Stars 

The Kings had allowed only two goals in the third period in their last nine 

games, but they give up three to Dallas and lose at home for first time in 

seven games. 

By Lisa Dillman 

11:03 PM PST, March 7, 2013 

Ownership of the third period at home finally got away from the Kings, 

wrested away from their tight grasp and eventually eluding them. 

With that, a long winning streak at Staples Center came to a halt at the 

hands of Dallas. The Stars scored the game's final four goals, including 

three in the third period to secure a 5-2 victory against the Kings on 

Thursday night, handing them their first loss at home in seven games. 

The Kings have been so dominant in the third period at home, it seemed as 

though they just needed to flick a switch to get it done in the latter stages. In 

their last nine games overall, they had given up two third-period goals, one 

of them an empty-netter. 

Dallas surpassed that with three in the third — including an empty-netter — 

starting with a goal by captain Brenden Morrow, who was left alone at the 

right post and managed to score when it looked like he almost fanned on 

the puck. But Morrow got just enough on it to get it past Jonathan Quick at 

5:16. 

Morrow's goal made it 3-2 and the Stars went ahead by two when 41-yearold 

Jaromir Jagr scored on a rebound. Jamie Benn's initial shot went off 

Quick's pad, right to a wide-open Jagr. It was the second goal of the game 

for Jagr, who had scored on the power play in the first period, making it 1-0 

for Dallas at 5:28. 

"That big line of Benn, [Loui] Eriksson and Jagr found ways to get behind 

our [defense], our five-, six-man unit and found a way to get goals," said 

Kings captain Dustin Brown. 

Kings Coach Darryl Sutter agreed: "We couldn't handle the Benn line. 

Nobody answered, took responsibility. Goalie, defense and forwards. We 

couldn't handle that line." 

This also begged an obvious question. Did the Kings simply run out of 

energy, having played three games in four nights? 

"I know it's a heavy schedule, but so is an 82-game schedule," Brown said. 

"We had 2-2 going into the third. We needed a better start to the third, 

probably. We didn't really go after it in the first five [minutes] and they get 

that goal. 

"Now we're chasing the game from there. We've got to come out better in 

the third." 

Trevor Lewis scored the Kings' first goal, converting from a sharp angle and 

hitting the upper right corner in the first period. The other Kings' goal came 

from a predictable source, the high-scoring Jeff Carter, who got some help 

from the skate of Stars defenseman Jordie Benn. 

Carter picked up his 16th of the season, making it 2-1 at 15:30 of the 

second period. But the Stars pulled even by the end of the second on 

another power-play goal. 

With defenseman Keaton Ellerby off for hooking, Cody Eakin scored with 

1:14 left in the period, shooting up the middle and surprising Quick with a 

backhander after Alec Martinez had trouble with a clearing attempt. 

Eakin's goal took away the Kings' momentum, which had carried through 

most of the period. But they simply could not build on Carter's goal. 

Carter is seemingly doing almost all the heavy lifting in terms of offense. 

The Kings have 62 goals this season and Carter is responsible for 16 of 

them. 

Sutter bypassed poetic and went right to short, sweet and straightforward 

earlier in the day to describe Carter's recent output. "He's money," Sutter 

said. 



Jagr's two goals helps Stars beat Kings, 5-2 

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

LOS ANGELES – Even though the goals and assists don't come in 

bunches on a regular basis anymore for Jaromir Jagr, every now and then 

he displays the form and instincts that have kept him playing hockey at a 

high level, even at age 41. 

Jagr had his first multi-goal game since opening night, Brenden Morrow got 

the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Dallas Stars ended the Kings' 

six-game home winning streak with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night. 

Jagr's three-game goal streak is his longest since his final four games of the 

2007-08 regular season with the Rangers. The nine-time All-Star and 1999 

MVP spent the next three years out of the NHL before returning last season 

with Philadelphia, and has 28 goals in 95 games since his comeback 

began. 

He needs four assists to join Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, 

Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic and former Pittsburgh teammate Mario Lemieux 

as the only players in NHL history with at least 1,000 assists and 600 goals. 

“The goals and the points, it's not in my head. That's why it's sometimes 

hard to get them,” Jagr said. “If you want to be a goal scorer and win 

scoring titles, you have to be hungry. But I've changed. I'm not 22 or 25 

anymore, so I don't look at the stats. 

“But personally, my body never gets tired. The more I play, the fresher I get 

and the stronger I get. I think it would be better if I played one more game 

right now.” 

Jagr and Cody Eakin connected on power plays for Dallas' first two goals 


converted a rebound of Jamie Benn's shot with 10:20 remaining, his ninth 

of the season and 674th of his career — 10th on the NHL's all-time list. 

“I don't know what I want to bring to this team. I'm not really sure,” Jagr 

said. “Last year, I know they had a lot of guys who could score goals, and 

this year I'm getting paid more money than I did last year. So I've got a little 

more responsibility on the power play and scoring goals. So I have to 

change my thinking a little bit.” 

Eakin is impressed. 

“He's been playing real strong for us, and we need him to be playing like 

this,” Eakin said. “He's a threat out there every night, and it's huge for the 

team when he produces like that. He's been around for a long time and he's 

seen it all in this game. I think I read somewhere that he won a Stanley Cup 

the day after I was born — so guys have a tremendous amount of respect 

for him.” 

Antoine Roussel completed the scoring with an empty-net goal and Kari 

Lehtonen stopped 30 shots in his third straight start, after missing the 

previous five games with a lower body injury. 

Jeff Carter scored his 12th goal in 12 games and 16th this season for Los 

Angeles. Trevor Lewis also scored for the defending Stanley Cup 

champions and Jonathan Quick made 17 saves. 

“We didn't get good enough goaltending tonight,” coach Darryl Sutter said. 

“We need to raise the save percentage. It's one stat that doesn't lie, right? 

… If you're giving up four goals a game, you can't win. You need better 

goaltending and better defense. Simple. “ 

Quick's record slipped to 7-7-2. Last season he was 35-21-13 while setting 

franchise records with 10 shutouts, a 1.95 goals-against average and a 

.929 save percentage before winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff 

MVP. 

The Kings took a 2-1 lead shortly after they were stopped by Lehtonen on a 

short-handed bid. Carter's wrist shot from the right caromed into the net off 

Benn's left skate. But Dallas pulled even late in period as Eakin chipped the 

puck past the backchecking Martinez in the Kings' zone and beat Quick to 

the glove side while Ellerby was off for hooking Trevor Daley. 

“We played OK, but kind of up and down — spurts of good and spurts of 

bad — and we let a team like that hang around and they kind of took over in 

the third,” Kings forward Colin Fraser said. 

“They seemed to have the puck a lot and they just took it to us a little too 

much.” 

Jagr opened the scoring 5:28 into the game. Ellerby was off for tripping Erik 

Cole when Benn passed the puck from the top of the right circle to Jagr 

about 10 feet to the left of the net, and the five-time NHL scoring champ 

one-timed it past Quick. 

“The first one was beautiful. He found me on the back door on the power 

play,” Jagr said. “The first 15 games we kind of struggled on the power play, 

but lately we've been doing a lot better job. That's important because it's a 

short season and the games are so tight. So the special teams are going to 

win the games for you.” 

Los Angeles tied it when Dwight King's persistent forechecking behind the 

net allowed Lewis to gain control. He circled the net before using Vernon 

Fidler as a screen to beat Lehtonen high to the stick side. 

This was the opener of a five-game season series with the Stars, whom the 

Kings beat out for the final Western Conference playoff berth before 

becoming the first eighth seed to win a Stanley Cup. 

“Of course you're more excited when you come to play against the team 

that just won the Cup, so I think that really helped us get ready to battle,” 

Lehtonen said. 

NOTES 

Morrow's goal was his 243rd with the Stars, tying Jere Lehtinen for second 

place on the Dallas list behind Mike Modano's 434. Modano scored 123 

other goals for the franchise while it was in Minnesota. ... Jagr needs four 

assists to join Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Steve 

Yzerman, Joe Sakic and former Pittsburgh teammate Mario Lemieux as the 

only players in NHL history with at least 1,000 assists and 600 goals. ... 

Kings D Rob Scuderi and Dallas LW Eric Nystrom were both raised in the 

same town, Syosset, N.Y., which is about 30 miles east of Madison Square 

Garden. Nystrom is the son of Bobby Nystrom, who won four Stanley Cup 

titles with the Islanders. ... This was the opener of a five-game season 

series with the Stars, whom the Kings beat out for the final Western 

Conference playoff berth before becoming the first eighth seed to win a 

Stanley Cup. 



DALLAS 5, KINGS 2: Kings see stars in loss to Dallas 

NHL: Jagr scores twice as L.A. is unable to pull out another victory. 

By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer 

The Kings sure didn't start strong enough to suit coach Darryl Sutter on 


They didn't play all that well in the middle, either. 

As for the ending? 

Well, Sutter said it best after a defenseless 5-2 loss to the Dallas Stars at 

Staples Center. 

"We couldn't handle the Benn line," he grumbled after Dallas center Jamie 

Benn and ageless winger Jaromir Jagr skated circles around the Kings, 

ending their six-game home winning streak. "Nobody answered, took 

responsibility. Goalie, defense and forwards. We couldn't handle that line. 

"Benn and Jagr were too much for us." 

The 41-year-old Jagr scored twice, including the back-breaking goal a little 

more than four minutes after Brenden Morrow gave the Stars the lead for 

good at 3-2 only 5:16 into the third period. Sutter wasn't happy about Jagr's 

goal, but Morrow's really irritated him. 

"Stoll in the corner, Slava shouldn't go there. Scuderi? I don't know," Sutter 

said, breaking down the Kings' coverage breakdown by pointing out with 

Jarret Stoll marking his man in the corner, defenseman Slava Voynov 

should have stayed near the net. 

Voynov's defense partner, Rob Scuderi, also should have covered the net, 

according to Sutter. 

"If you're giving up four goals a game, you can't win," Sutter said, referring 

to the Kings' losses last Saturday to the Vancouver Canucks, their victory 

Tuesday over the St. Louis Blues and their loss to the Stars. 

"You need better 

goaltending and better defense. Simple." 

The Kings' losses to the Canucks and Stars included late empty-net goals. 

They rallied from a 4-1 deficit to beat the Blues by scoring five consecutive 

goals. Whatever momentum they generated from wins Monday over the 

Nashville Predators and Tuesday over the Blues disappeared Thursday. 

Sutter refused to blame the Kings' lackluster play on a stretch of three 

games in four nights. 

"No excuse for it," he said. "I felt good. I'm almost 55. I felt awesome." 

Sutter then addressed what he believed to be lackluster play in net from 

Jonathan Quick, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the MVP of the 

playoffs last spring. Sutter didn't spare Quick, who simply hasn't been as 

sharp as he was during the Kings' Stanley Cup championship run. 

"Well, I think we didn't get good enough goaltending tonight," Sutter said. 

"We need to raise the save percentage. It's a stat that tells the truth. If 

there's one stat that doesn't lie - right? (Dallas' Kari) Lehtonen was at about 

.940 or so. That's a stat that always holds true." 

The Kings took an all-too-brief 2-1 lead thanks to Jeff Carter's 12 th goal in 

as many games, an even-strength lightning bolt that seemed to come out of 

nowhere at 15:30 of the second period. Carter's casual flip from the faceoff 

circle struck a retreating defender and ricocheted into the net. 

"He's money," Sutter said of Carter at the Kings' morning skate. 

Dallas tied the score at 2-all on Cody Eakin's power-play goal on a nifty 

backhander that caught Quick by surprise at 18:46 of the second period. 

Morrow then scored 5:16 into the third period to give the Stars a 3-2 lead, 

and the Kings couldn't answer back. 

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Preview: Jeff Carter's scoring streak puts the Los Angeles Kings back in 

NHL playoff hunt 

By Elliott Teaford, Staff Writer 

Posted: 03/07/2013 07:48:11 PM PST 

Updated: 03/07/2013 07:52:18 PM PST 

LOS ANGELES KINGS vs. DALLAS STARS 

Faceoff: 7:30 p.m. today, Staples Center 

TV: FSW 

The Kings won seven consecutive games at home going into their contest 

against the Dallas Stars at Staples Center, the third game on a five-game 

homestand. The Kings also won nine of their past 11 games, including two 

straight after a road loss Saturday at Vancouver. 

Jeff Carter has 11 goals in his past 11 games and leads the Kings with 15. 

"He's money," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said of Carter. 

But the Kings' recent success, after a 3-5-2 start to their Stanley Cup 

defense, isn't simply a one-man show. The Kings continue to mix sound 

defense and goaltending with timely scoring to win. Jonathan Quick is 

expected to start in goal against Dallas. 

And now the Kings are displaying more scoring depth than in the past. Five 

different players scored in their 6-4 victory Tuesday over the St. Louis 

Blues, although none of them were named Drew Doughty. The standout 

defenseman is still looking for his first of the season. 

"It's frustrating, obviously," Doughty said. "It's in my head too often. I want 

to get that goal really bad. It's not that I'm cheating or anything different to 

try to get it. I'm still playing my solid defensive game and if I have that 

opportunity I'll try to put one in the net. 

"Yeah, it's frustrating, but the coaches are happy with the way I'm playing 

and if I don't score a goal and we're winning, it really doesn't matter. … I'm 

shooting every chance I get. Sometimes the bounces go your way and 

sometimes they don't." 

LA Daily News: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Game 22 Preview: Dallas at Los Angeles 

Posted by JonRosen on 7 March 2013, 3:33 pm 

Projected Starting Goaltender, Los Angeles – Jonathan Quick 

Season: 16 GP (15 GS) / 7-6-2 record / 2.49 GAA / .900 Sv% / 0 SHO 

Career vs Dallas: 18 (17) / 13-3-2 / 2.15 / .925 / 2 

Last Game vs Dallas: 2/12/12 / 60 MP / 26/28 shots / 4-2 W 

2012-13, Home: 6 (5) / 4-1-1 / 2.07 / .896 / 0 

Projected Starting Goaltender, Dallas – Kari Lehtonen 

Season: 14 (13) / 8-3-1 / 2.26 / .930 / 0 

Career vs Los Angeles: 12 (12) / 6-6-0 / 2.72 / .900 / 0 

Last Game vs Los Angeles: 2/12/12 / 59 MP / 12/15 shots / 2-4 L 

2012-13, Away: 7 (7) / 4-2-0 / 1.95 / .938 / 0 

Leading Scorers, Los Angeles 

Total Points: Anze Kopitar (7-13=20) 

Goals: Jeff Carter (15-2=17) 

Assists: Anze Kopitar (7-13=20) 

Plus/Minus: Slava Voynov (+10; 4-9=13), Justin Williams (+10; 2-10=12) 

Penalty Minutes: Jordan Nolan (31; 2-2=4) 

Leading Scorers, Dallas 

Total Points: Jaromir Jagr (7-8=15), Loui Eriksson (7-8=15) 

Goals: Jaromir Jagr (7-8=15), Loui Eriksson (7-8=15) 

Assists: Derek Roy (3-11=14) 

Plus/Minus: Derek Roy (+7; 3-11=14) 

Penalty Minutes: Brenden Dillon (33; 3-3=6) 

A stick tap goes to: Texas Stars (AHL) coach Willie Desjardins and Dallas’ 

division of player development. There are a handful of players making 

impacts at the NHL level that were adequately prepared to contribute during 

their stay with the Cedar Park (Austin), Texas-based club during the 

lockout. Defensemen Brenden Dillon, Jordie Benn and 6-foot-7 giant 

Jamieson Oleksiak have forged roles, while forwards Cody Eakin and 

Antoine Rousseau have added secondary scoring in the absence of Ray 

Whitney. The 6-foot-3 Dillon, a late-blooming, non-drafted free agent who 

signed a three-year entry level contract in March, 2011, has shown 

toughness in rising quickly through the team’s system and has provided 

some needed minutes in adding an option to the club’s blueline. 

A fist shake goes to: 82-game NHL seasons. The Stars, who have missed 

the playoffs for four consecutive years, have not been a strong second-half 

team in their playoff drought. Dallas sputtered through a 3-8-1 February two 

years ago and missed the playoffs on the final day of the regular season in 

April, 2011. Last year, the Stars led the Pacific Division after 70 games with 

83 points before finishing with three wins in their final 12 games and missed 

the playoffs by six points. Since winning seven of nine division titles 

between 1996-97 and 2005-06, Dallas surprisingly hasn’t finished above 

third in the Pacific Division. 

Why the Kings need to win this game: This is a home game against a 

divisional rival that will be in a dogfight for the playoffs. Jonathan Quick 

needs to continue to find his rhythm. 

Rankings and Statistics 

Goals/Game: LAK – t-13 / 2.81; DAL – 17 / 2.73 

Goals Against/Game: LAK – t-6 / 2.43; DAL – 18 / 2.86 

Power Play: LAK – t-16 / 16.5%; DAL – 13 / 17.7% 

Penalty Kill: LAK – t-10 / 83.3%; DAL – 9 / 83.8% 

Shots/Game: LAK – t-15 / 28.9; DAL – t-26 / 27.3 

Shots Against/Game: LAK – 2 / 24.5; DAL – 22 / 30.5 

Faceoffs: LAK – 7 / 51.9%; DAL – t-23 / 47.8% 

Save Percentage: LAK – 20 / .901; DAL – t-15 / .906 

Projected Lines – Los Angeles 

Dustin Brown – Anze Kopitar – Justin Williams 

Dustin Penner – Mike Richards – Jeff Carter 

Dwight King – Jarret Stoll – Trevor Lewis 

Kyle Clifford – Colin Fraser – Jordan Nolan 

Jake Muzzin – Drew Doughty 

Rob Scuderi – Slava Voynov 

Keaton Ellerby – Alec Martinez 

Jonathan Quick 

Jonathan Bernier 

Notes: Jake Muzzin has set career-highs in ice time five different times this 

season. Los Angeles has improved from 22nd in the league to 7th in the 

league in faceoffs over the last eight games, logging a 7-1-0 record over 

that span. The Kings have outscored their opponents 16-2 in the third 

period since Nick Foligno’s goal late in a 2-1 Los Angeles win over 

Columbus on February 15. The Kings have scored 30 goals in their last 

eight games. As always, line projections are educated assessments and not 

definite alignments. 

Projected Lines – Dallas 

Loui Eriksson – Jamie Benn – Jaromir Jagr 

Antoine Rousseau – Derek Roy – Erik Cole 

Brenden Morrow – Cody Eakin – Reilly Smith 

Eric Nystrom – Vern Fiddler – Ryan Garbutt 

Stephane Robidas – Brenden Dillon 

Alex Goligoski – Jamieson Oleksiak 

Jordie Benn – Trevor Daley 

Kari Lehtonen 

Richard Bachman 

Notes: Lines via Defending Big D and Mike Heika. Ray Whitney is eyeing a 

return next week from a stress fracture in his foot that has kept him out of 

the lineup since February 1. The Stars have recorded points in 16 of their 

last 20 games at Staples Center. Since the start of the 2006-07 season, 

Dallas has gained 26 points in Los Angeles, more than the point totals 

gained on the road against any other Pacific Division team. As always, line 

projections are educated assessments and not definite alignments. 

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Darryl Sutter on face shields 


In light of the frightening injury suffered when Marc Staal was struck in his 

eye by a deflected puck on Tuesday, there was a discussion at this 

morning’s skate over the merits of grandfathering in a rule that would make 

face shields mandatory for all players entering the NHL, and Darryl Sutter 

shared some of his opinions on the subject. 

Darryl Sutter, on face shields: 

“I’m a proponent of the shield. These kids, they play their whole life…with a 

shield or a cage, so why wouldn’t you continue to protect it once you’re 

playing at the highest level you can? That’s not Marc [Staal], that’s 

everybody. The kids that come from the American League take their shields 

off to play. The one time they shouldn’t have the helmet on or the shield on 

is warmups. I mean, that’s the only time they ever get to do anything 

without a [helmet] on the ice…and I think that’s their right as their identity. I 

believe that should be their right. That should be their 16 minutes [for] 

people to see that he’s got blonde hair, or sideburns. That’s good. Like, 

really, that’s the only time ever that you get to see them with their gear 

close to competition. But other than that, I believe that they should [wear 

shields].” 

Sutter, on irregular use of face shields: 

“You know what? Look, go through it. Kids that come from the American 

League take their shields off when they get here. It doesn’t really make that 

much sense. But you know what? It’s their right. It doesn’t matter until it’s a 

grandfather [clause] or a rule or a parent or a wife or a son that says ‘Dad, 

honey, you know what?’ That’s the way it works. There’s not one thing I or 

any of us can do about it. My first year playing in the NHL was the first year 

it was grandfathered in. It was the last year you could not wear a helmet. So 

within three years, there were only like four guys without helmets. Like, 

everybody was wearing them…Really, the only guys that were left…that 

were my age group were Doug Wilson and Craig MacTavish. But other than 

that, everybody put them on. And it’d be funny, because there would be 

guys that would be hot or cold, and they’d not wear a helmet, they’d wear a 

helmet. If they hadn’t scored for like three games, they’d take the helmet 

off. You were still allowed to do that. But that was the last year, and then 

you signed the waiver….If you signed it, either you were going to wear it or 

not wear it. Then you had to do it, But we had lots of guys in Chicago. 

They’d not wear a helmet, they’d like wear a different type of helmet. It was 

funny, actually…Chicago was probably one of the last teams with most 

guys without helmets.” 



NHLPA consents to realignment 


The National Hockey League Players’ Association has consented to the 

realignment proposed by the National Hockey League. 



Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “Our next step will be to 



developments warrant.” 

The general sentiment is that the NHL Board of Governors will approve the 

plan. 

Under the proposed realignment, teams would be placed into a 14-team 

Western Conference or a 16-team Eastern Conference, with divisions 

outlined below. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE 


KINGS 

Anaheim 

Calgary 

Edmonton 

Phoenix 

San Jose 

Vancouver 


Chicago 

Colorado 

Dallas 

Minnesota 

Nashville 

St. Louis 

Winnipeg 

EASTERN CONFERENCE 


Carolina 

Columbus 

New Jersey 




Pittsburgh 

Washington 


Boston 

Buffalo 

Detroit 

Florida 

Montreal 

Ottawa 

Tampa Bay 

Toronto 

On February 25, Darryl Sutter shared his opinions on the proposed plan, 

saying “I went through lots of…realignments in 35 years. I went through 

divisions, conferences, unbalanced schedules, unbalanced divisions, 

unbalanced conferences, so whatever they decide…you’re never going to 

be happy all the way around because of travel. It’s the way it works. My 

only issue, quite honest, with what they’re proposing is obviously…borders. 

It affects border crossings and backs-to-backs and adds a lot of time into 

your schedule. There’s nothing you can do when you’re on the west coast 

about time zones, because, hey, half the teams are in another time zone. 

So those are always the two things for you, are how your travel affects you. 

Other than that, it’d be nice to be put a little bit of pressure on the east so 

they’re not in their own bed and jammies all the time. It is. It’s easier for 

them come playoff time. I’ve coached only in the Western Conference, and 

the Eastern Conference has an easier path once playoffs start just because 

of the travel. Hey, Detroit’s always wanted to get over there. It’d be 

awesome being an old school guy to see Detroit, Toronto, you know, that 

sort of thing. But you know, we had the old division in Chicago, and there 

were three of us from the original six, and…it was pretty cool. Detroit, 

Toronto and Chicago. So that was pretty cool. The heritage guys, the 

history guys all liked that part of it.” 

More notes and opinions on realignment will come as the plan progresses. 



March 7 morning skate quotes: Darryl Sutter 


On what has caused the recent turnaround: 

“I don’t think there’s been any sort of a ‘turnaround’. I think we’ve played – 

I’ve said it numerous times – other than two games, we’ve played really well 

this year.” 

On Carter’s recent scoring touch: 

“He’s money. Give him the puck. He doesn’t need much time.” 

On why, “all of a sudden”, is Carter scoring: 

“It’s not really ‘all of a sudden’. He’s got 15 goals this year. It’s not ‘all of a 

sudden.’ He led the playoffs in goal scoring last year, I believe, with two 

other players in this room. He’s averaged 30-something goals a year. It’s 

not ‘all of a sudden.’ That’s Jeff Carter. He’s a goal scorer. 

On what allowed the team to come back on Tuesday: 

“We gave up some easy goals. It wasn’t a 4-1 game going into the third 

period. It wasn’t. They had like four goals on what, five or six shots. They 

had a pleasant time with it. Until then, we hadn’t been able to generate 

anything. If you look at shots and opportunities as the game goes along, 

that wasn’t the right score.” 

On his recent comment that he likes his teams to play like they’re a goal 

down: 

“I’m not a coach that coaches to sit on leads or sit on being down two or up 

two or any of that stuff. I believe you’re supposed to play the game the way 

your gameplan started the game, and it’s not by the score. So, if you do that 

consistently, it builds trust and it builds belief, and eventually you win more 

than you lose. It’s got nothing to do with the outcome of the game, ever. 

You’re going to win, you’re going to lose. I don’t know anybody… – other 

than Chicago – that goes 48-0. It’s not really anything other than that. If you 

believe you have a good team, then you have a chance to win every night if 

you play the same way. You’re not always going to win, but you’ll have a 

good chance.” 

On some coaches leaning towards a defensive style when their teams are 

ahead: 

“Some guys don’t last very long, either.” 

On where this particular coaching philosophy comes from: 

“I don’t really know, but probably from watching guys like Scotty Bowman 

and great coaches [where] you learn what they’re trying to do, and with the 

understanding that the coach is usually the one that instills the confidence 

or the trust in a group. That’s the way the game is now, and that’s one thing 

that probably will never change. You have to be able to instill that.” 

On whether he reinforces this mantra between periods: 

“Every shift, every time out, every whistle, every time a young player comes 

to the bench. It’s pretty much got nothing to do with ‘between periods’. 

Game day is game day and I believe it starts this morning and when the 

game is over tonight, it’ll stop. It’s not reinforcing a thing.” 

On what he likes about Jeff Carter’s shot: 

“It’s not so much the shot. You have to have the ability as an off winger – a 

good offensive player – to get open or to find where you are open, and then 

get it away. You look at [the] last two or three goals that he’s scored, first 

off, him, Brown and Williams lead our team in shots. So there’s a good 

chance if you do that…you get more chances to score. Right now, he is and 

Brownie and Willie have to continue to get shots. Jeff Carter…there’s not 

one thing that’s greater in his game than anything else. It’s not his shot or 

his size or his speed or anything like that. They’re all good. So when you 

have all those combined, you have a good hockey sense, and if you’re 

playing with good players, then you have a chance to score.” 



Tough love for Martinez 


After the win over St. Louis, Darryl Sutter commended the play of his “four 

kids” on defense, mentioning Jake Muzzin, Keaton Ellerby, Slava Voynov 

and Drew Doughty by name. 

After today’s morning skate, Sutter made it quite clear that he hadn’t simply 

forgotten Alec Martinez’s name while evaluating the play of his 25-year-old 

blueliner. 

Darryl Sutter, on his evaluation of Alec Martinez’s play since his return from 

injured reserve: 

“He’s struggled. Quite honestly, when he got hurt, the team was, quite 

honest, not playing as well as they should have and he…has to be a bigger 

part of the solution if he wants to stay in the lineup. I think that he’s a young 

player that hasn‘t played much in this league, and my job is to teach them 

and make sure they’re prepared to compete, but if they don’t learn and they 

don’t compete, then they’re going to have trouble with me in terms of how 

much they play and if they play. And that’s the truth.” 



March 7 morning skate quotes: Jarret Stoll 


On what he attributes the third period success “Just not getting too down, 

not getting too carried away with the score, the situation, the period [and] 

where we are in the game. Just sticking with our gameplan and knowing 

over time it’ll work out. We’ll get our chances. It’s just a matter of if we 

capitalize on them or not, and that’ll be the difference in the game. The 

other night we capitalized on them. We stuck with the same game. We 

didn’t have a very good start, I didn’t think. I thought within the dressing 

room, on the bench, we were very positive. We…weren’t down. We weren’t 

getting negative. Guys weren’t off-page, straying away from the system. 

Everybody was on the same page there, and we just kept pushing. 

Eventually they had some breakdowns and we capitalized.” 

On what he attributes his 69% faceoff success rate in the last five games “I 

had some tough games. I had a couple of them that were 20-something 

percent or 30 percent. That pisses me off, to be honest with you. I wanted 

to make sure I cleaned up that area of my game. I work on it in practice a 

little bit more and [added] a little bit of a change, too, in the way I’m taking 

them, too. With the linesmen the way they are – they crack down so much 

year after year after year – I’m trying to get kicked out less and change up 

some of my tendencies. And that’s hard, too, because I’ve been taking 

faceoffs the same way for a long time now. You’ve got to change with the 

game, be smart about it and try to work with the linesmen. It’s tough getting 

kicked out. Sometimes we don’t have two centermen out there. I’m just 

trying to make sure I’m at least 60 [percent] or above consistently.” 

On how often he communicates with the linesmen during the game in 

regards to faceoffs: 

“Always. You want to know where they’re at. Some games are different. 

Some games, there’s a little bit more leeway for you, and some games 

there’s not at all. So you’ve got to realize that when that game is. There 

have been some games where my first two faceoffs I’ve been kicked out, so 

I’m [thinking] ‘this is going to be a night here where I’ve got to bear down 

and play the game with the rules there on the faceoff.’ Every game’s 

different. Every linesman’s different. You’ve just got to adjust.” 

On whether he had seen the Toronto-Montreal faceoff in which Tyler Bozak 

was not allowed to reset and the puck was dropped: 

“I heard about it. I didn’t see it, no. That happens. It definitely happens. I 

don’t think it’s happened to me where we’ve gotten scored on right away for 

maybe a game-winner or something. Yeah, that happens. 

Miscommunication, timing, all those things. It’s tough luck there.” 

On whether he gets a “we’re better than this” feeling when the team is 

trailing: 

“Oh yeah. Anytime we’re down, especially three, four-one, you know you’re 

better than that. You know you can bring more, and that’s probably the 

calmness in our game where we know that. A lot of situations aren’t going 

to rattle us, aren’t going to get us off-page, and it didn’t the other night. The 

character in the room, just the sense and the feeling that we know we can 

do this, we know we can come back, we know we can get a goal, get two 

goals. We all know what happens when that happens. It’s a tough lead to 

keep when it feels like the ice is tilted on you. We’re fine in here with any 

situation during the game.” 



Hot on the draw 

Posted by JonRosen on 7 March 2013, 8:53 am 

Los Angeles’ faceoff rate has improved significantly over the past three 

weeks. Over the span of eight games – the Kings have won seven of the 

eight – the team’s faceoff ranking has catapulted from 22nd in the league to 

seventh due to a success rate of 57.2% over that time. Overall, the team 

has won 51.9% of faceoffs this season. L.A. finished seventh in the league 

by winning 51.5% of its faceoffs a season ago. 

In the chart below, Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, Jarret Stoll and 

Colin Fraser qualify as “regular centers”, as they’ve logged significantly 

more draws than any other skaters. Jarret Stoll has been particularly strong 

at the faceoff dot over his last five games, winning 54 of his last 84 draws 

for a 69.0% success rate. 

Dallas, tonight’s opponent, is tied for 23rd in the league with a 47.8% 

success rate. 

Date / Result / Faceoffs / Successful Faceoffs / Unsuccessful Faceoffs 

2/19 / 3-1 at EDM / 33/55 (60%) / Kopitar 10/16 / Stoll 9/17 

-All regular centers were above 50%. Only Dwight King (0/1) was below 

53%. 

2/20 / 3-1 at CGY / 40/62 (65%) / Kopitar 14/22 / Fraser 0/2 

-All regular centers were above 64% except for Fraser. 

2/23 / 4-1 vs COL / 27/55 (49%) / Kopitar 10/16 / Stoll 2/10 

2/25 / 5-2 vs ANA / 41/65 (63%) / Kopitar 16/21 / Fraser 2/5 

-Jarret Stoll: 13/23 

2/27 / 2-1 vs DET / 33/64 (52%) / Richards 10/16 / Carter 0/3 

-Jarret Stoll: 8/15 

3/2 / 2-5 at VAN / 36/58 (62%) / Richards 8/11 / Fraser 3/5 

-Anyone who took a faceoff for L.A. had at least a 56% rate. Jarret Stoll: 

10/16 

3/4 / 5-1 vs NAS / 24/48 (50%) / Stoll 9/14 / Kopitar 6/15 

3/5 / 6-4 vs STL / 31/56 (55%) / Stoll 14/16 / Kopitar 7/16 



March 7 postgame notes 


-Jeff Carter has 12 goals in the last 12 games (12-1=13. 

-Dustin Penner has assists in four straight games (0-4=4), a career high. 

-Mike Richards has eight points (2-6=8) in his last eight games. 

-Keaton Ellerby logged 11:40 of ice time, which ties for his second-lowest 

time-on-ice total with Los Angeles. 

-All Kings recorded shorthanded time on ice except for Justin Williams, 

Dustin Penner, Jordan Nolan and Dwight King. 

-The Kings received only one power play for the third time in eight games. 

-Los Angeles won 41 of 60 faceoffs (68%). Jarret Stoll has won 64 of his 

last 97 faceoffs (66.0%) 

-Drew Doughty and Jake Muzzin tied with a game-high five shots on goal. 

Friday’s practice is scheduled for 10:30 am at the Toyota Sports Center. 



March 7 postgame quotes: Darryl Sutter 


On what happened after a strong first period: 

“It didn’t seem like a strong first period in my opinion. That’s your opinion, 

and that was mine.” 

On the strong five-on-five play until the third period: 

“We couldn’t handle the Benn line and had nobody to answer the checking 

responsibility.” 

On whether the forwards and/or defensemen were responsible: 

“Goalie, defense and forwards. We didn’t have anyone that could handle 

that line.” 

On whether there was a new look from a Dallas team that featured some 

new faces: 

“Not really, I mean we’re pretty familiar with all their players. They have 

some kids in their lineup this year that are similar to our kids. They’re 

energy, hardworking guys and Benn and Jagr were too much for us.” 

On what led to Dallas’ third goal, scored by Brenden Morrow: 

“Stoll in the corner, on his man, Slava shouldn’t go there and Rob Scuderi – 

I’m not really sure.” 

On whether there’s a concern over the lack of 60-minute efforts recently: 

“Giving up four goals a game, you can’t win. We need better goaltending, 

better defense. Simple. It’s four goals in Vancouver, plus an empty net. We 

beat Nashville 5-1. Gave up four, have to score five in the third to win our 

last game and gave up four tonight. You won’t win any games.” 

On whether playing three games in four nights was a factor: 

“No, we had a day off yesterday. No excuse for it. I felt good. I’m almost 55. 

I felt awesome today.” 

On whether there’s an advantage playing the same team twice in a row, as 

will happen with Calgary: 

“I don’t know. I don’t know how it would…Well, I think we have to do that 

several times. It’s no different than a playoff series. We do it with Phoenix 

right away. We do it with San Jose home and home, right away.” 

On whether he’s surprised that at game 22 goaltending is an issue: 

“I’m saying we didn’t get good enough goaltending tonight.” 

On the team needing to raise its save percentage: 

“We do. It’s a stat that tells the truth. That’s one stat that doesn’t lie, right? 

Lehtonen tonight was at about a .940 or so. That’s a stat that always holds 

true…Goals against, save percentage – it’s a big thing. They’re both team 

stats.” 



March 7 postgame quotes: Jaromir Jagr 


On being a leader by example for Dallas: 

“I don’t know…I’m not really sure. Last year, I knew [Philadelphia had] a lot 

guys who could score goals. This year, I’m getting paid a lot more money 

than I did last year, so I’ve got a little more responsibility on the power play 

and scoring goals. That’s why I have to change my thinking a little bit. I’ve 

got to be more hungry for the goals than I was last year.” 

On where he sees his game at halfway through the season: 

“It’s not about me, It’s about the team. Like you said, everything’s so tight. 

The race for the playoffs is going to go to the last game. I like the way we’ve 

played in the first half, but I think we can get a lot better in the second half 

and hopefully we’re going to be injury-free and Kari’s going to play the 

same way he played the first half. He’s just one of the best, maybe the best 

goalie. This is the way we play. Our defense depends on the goaltender 

and some who score goals and work hard….We’re not the [most skilled] 

guys in the league, but we can work hard.” 

On his chemistry with Jamie Benn: 

“I think we are probably 30% of what we can play. I think we’ve got a long 

way. We can get a lot better. Obviously I play a different defense style of 

the game than he’s probably used to. But it’s tough for me at my age to 

change. I can not dump and chase. I’m not fast for that, so I like to keep the 

puck, and he adjusts a little bit. I know it’s not his game, but he’s doing a 

good job.” 

On his goals: 

“The first one was beautiful. [Jamie Benn] found me on the backdoor on the 

power play. The first 15 games, we kind of struggled on our power play, but 

lately we’re doing a lot better job, and it’s important. Short season, the 

games are so tight and the special teams are going to win the games for 

you. So we have to focus and we have to be good.” 

On whether he’s aware of his career goal race with Teemu Selanne: 

“I don’t know, actually. I’m not 25 anymore. I don’t look at the stats at all. I 

don’t know…I don’t really worry about it. It’s not in my mind. I kind of 

changed the last few years, the last five, six years. The goals and the 

points, it’s not in my head. That’s why it’s sometimes hard to get them. If 

you want to be a goal scorer, you want to end up winning the scoring title, 

so you’ve got to have it in your head. You have to be hungrier. But I’ve 

changed. I’m not 22, 25 anymore.” 



March 7 postgame quotes: Jonathan Quick 


On whether the team’s play varies over the course of a long home stand: 

“It’s another game. It’s no different whether you’re on the road or at home. 

Same thing. [You’ve] got to win a hockey game. We didn’t do it today.” 

On the challenges in the third period: 

“They scored more than us. We were able score more than the other team 

last game in the third period, and they were able to do it tonight. That’s why 

they won.” 

On what allowed Dallas to outscore L.A. in the third period: 

“I didn’t stop them, and usually when you don’t stop the pucks, they go in 

the net.” 



March 7 postgame quotes: Dustin Brown 


On where the breakdowns in the third period occurred: 

“I know the fourth one was a faceoff goal, so I’m not really sure what 

happened there. It’s probably the one time in the hockey game where you 

have a set play. We must have lost coverage. I’m not sure. I haven’t seen 

[the replay]. Both goals were just kind of a guy gets in behind our coverage. 

It’s a five man, six-man awareness to where everyone is. We made some 

errors and they capitalized.” 

On whether this was a faster Dallas Stars team than in previous years: 

“They definitely had a different look to them. [They had] a lot of new guys in 

their lineup with a lot of energy. It was a divisional game and they found a 

way to win.” 

On the errors that led to Dallas’ goals: 

“They worked hard, but every error we made they made a good play on and 

found a way to score. That line of Benn, Eriksson and Jagr had an impact 

on the game. Our top guys need to be better in a game like tonight.” 



Game 22: Dallas at Los Angeles 


Dallas Stars 5, Los Angeles Kings 2 

Final 

Three Stars 

1) Jaromir Jagr, DAL 

2) Cody Eakin, DAL 

3) Dustin Penner, LA 

Attendance: 18,118 

SOG: LAK – 33; DAL – 22 

PP: LAK – 0/1; DAL – 2/3 

Third Period 

5) DAL – Brenden Morrow (6) (Cody Eakin, Reilly Smith), 5:16 

6) DAL – Jaromir Jagr (9) (Jamie Benn, Trevor Daley), 9:40 

7) DAL ENG – Antoine Roussel (5) (Roy), 18:19 

Second Period 

3) LAK – Jeff Carter (16) (Dustin Penner, Mike Richards), 15:30 

4) DAL PPG – Cody Eakin (4) (Alex Goligoski), 18:46 

First Period 

1) DAL PPG – Jaromir Jagr (8) (Jamie Benn, Alex Goligoski), 5:28 

2) LAK – Trevor Lewis (3) (Dwight King, Alec Martinez), 12:10 

Los Angeles Kings (12-7-2) vs Dallas Stars (11-9-2) 

Thursday, March 7, 2013, 7:30 pm (PT) 

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA 

Referees: #10 Paul Devorski, #14 Dennis LaRue 

Linesmen: #9 Don Henderson, #57 Jay Sharrers 

LAK scratches: F Brad Richardson, D Davis Drewiske 

LAK starting lineup: G Jonathan Quick, D Rob Scuderi, D Slava Voynov, 

LW Dustin Brown, C Anze Kopitar, RW Justin Williams 

DAL scratches: D Philip Larsen, F Francis Wathier 

DAL starting lineup: G Kari Lehtonen, D Trevor Daley, D Jordie Benn, LW 

Antoine Roussel, C Derek Roy, RW Erik Cole 


662037 Minnesota Wild 

Minnesota Wild: NHL players say yes to realignment 

By Bruce Brothers 

bbrothers at pioneerpress.com 

After approval from the league's players association announced Thursday, 

March 7, and pending an expected rapid approval by the NHL board of 

governors, the NHL will be realigned next season and the Wild will play in 

the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. 

The Wild will be in a division that includes the Chicago Blackhawks, 

Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and 

Winnipeg Jets. 

The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets will be in the Eastern 

Conference. 

Midwest Division teams are expected to play 32 games against the 16 East 

teams (one home, one away), three games each vs. the Pacific division of 

Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and 

Phoenix and 29 games in their own division. 

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr issued the following statement 

Thursday: "After discussions with the executive board, the NHLPA has 

given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 

season." 

Pioneer Press LOADED: 03.08.2013

662038 Montreal Canadiens 

Prust and Eller notch goal and two assists in Habs win over Canes 

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Associated Press 

Carey Price held off Carolina and his offence got the key goals in the third 

period for the win. 

Price had a season-high 41 saves and Brandon Prust and Lars Eller each 

had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens as they earned a 4-2 win over 

the Hurricanes on Thursday. 

Eller’s goal at 6:09 of the third gave Montreal the lead for good and P.K. 

Subban added a power-play goal at 7:56 to make it 4-2. 

Price, who had given up 12 goals in his previous two starts, was sharp in 

the first and third periods and faced pressure in the second when the 

Hurricanes threw 21 shots at him. 

“A lot of guys understand that you can’t dwell on losses,” Price said. “If 

anybody is struggling, we’ve got each other’s back. I thought we came out 

strong in the first period and were a little flat in the second, but the most 

important thing is that we bounced back in the third period.” 

Carolina’s top line of Eric Staal, Alexander Semin and Jiri Tlusty had no 

success against Price despite combining for 15 shots. 

Price stopped Eric Staal’s penalty shot with 5:08 left in the second and 

made a tremendous glove save against Semin also in the second. It was 

the first time in four games Carolina’s top line has failed to pick up a point. 

“We couldn’t get a bounce or break,” Eric Staal said. “The effort was there.” 

Carolina goalkeeper Justin Peters, playing his second straight game since 

being called up from Charlotte of the AHL, made 24 saves on 28 shots. 

Peters has gotten both starts since Cam Ward went out with a knee injury. 

Prust opened the scoring at 3:22 of the first and defenceman Josh Georges 

notched his second goal of the season at 8:19 and Montreal went up 2-0 in 

the first period. 

“They came at us hard in the second,” Prust said. “I think we caught 

ourselves on our heels and didn’t respond the right way, but I think we did a 

good job regrouping during the intermission and had a good third period.” 

Using an 8-1 shot advantage to start the second period, the Hurricanes 

rallied as Jordan Staal got his sixth goal of the season with a shot from the 

right circle at 6:07 to make it 2-1. 

Drayson Bowman tied it at 2-2 when he scored his second goal of the 

season at 10:27 of the second. 

NOTES: The Canadiens played their third game of a five-game road trip. ... 

Carolina recalled F Jeremy Welsh from Charlotte and placed Tim Brent on 

injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 28. Welsh earned his first NHL point with 

an assist. ... Montreal coach Michel Therrien was back behind the bench 

after missing Thursday morning’s pregame skate with an illness. ... 

Montreal D Francis Bouillon played his 700th career game. 

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.08.2013


Therrien’s message awakens Canadiens 

By Pat Hickey, The Gazette March 8, 2013 

RALEIGH, N.C. — Carey Price wasn’t selected as one of the three stars in 

the Canadiens’ 4-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, but coach Michel 

Therrien said he was the reason the Canadiens left town with a win. 

“We gave up 21 shots in the second period and 11 of them were scoring 

chances,” said Therrien. “If not for Carey Price, we would have ended up 

packing our bags after the second period.” 

Price downplayed his role in the win but he made 42 saves, including one 

on a point-blank shot by Justin Faulk in the first period and one on an Eric 

Staal penalty shot in the second. 

“We did a pretty good job in front of me,” said Price, who had given up 12 

goals in his last two starts. “I kicked out a lot of rebounds, but the guys did a 

good job in front of me. (The Hurricanes) got a lot of chintzy shots. On their 

chances, they buried a few but, overall, we played good." 

Price described the glove save on Faulk as “one of the saves I wasn’t 

making over the last two games, so that definitely helped out.” 

Therrien said Price showed his character by participating in an optional 

workout Wednesday. It featured lots of penalty shots and the practice paid 

off on Staal’s attempt, which came with the game tied 2-2. 

“I kind of had an idea of what he wanted to do,” said Price. “He does the 

same thing Alex (Galchenyuk) does, coming in slow and he stops and tries 

to shovel it high blocker. At that point in the game, it was kind of important. I 

think that might have changed the tide a little (if he had scored), but in the 

third we refocused and came out strong.” 

The Canadiens received some help with their motivation from Therrien. 

“We got a message from coach between the second and third periods,” said 

Price. “I won’t go into the details, but we got the message loud and clear. It 

was all deserved and well put.” 

Price said he was more competitive than in his last two starts. 

“It’s being on top of the paint and being aggressive, not sitting back on your 

heels,” said Price. “I came in with a different attitude than in Long Island. I 

had a couple of lucky bounces. I got hit in the face with one I didn’t see. 

Some nights they hit you; other nights, they squeak past you.” 

The line of Lars Eller, Brandon Prust and Galchenyuk sparked the offence, 

with Prust having a three-point night with a goal and two assists. 

“I think you have to go back to peewee or maybe the minors, it’s been a 

while,” Prust said when asked about his last three-point night. 

He was a fight away from registering a Gordie Howe hat-trick — a goal, an 

assist and a fight. 

“I used to have them all the time in junior and I thought about (fighting) in 

the second period when we were struggling, but I was pretty sure we were 

going to come back,” said Prust. 

“He’s getting a chance and he’s playing the best hockey of his career,” 

Therrien said of Prust. “He’s in a position not only to play defence and kill 

penalties, but also to contribute on offence. That line was our best line 

tonight.” 

One of his assists came in a 4-on-4 situation with Josh Gorges joining the 

rush. 

“Backhand saucer pass, my specialty,” Prust said when asked to describe 

the play. “I saw (Gorges) streaking in and he had his man beat and I was 

able to get the puck to him.” 

“We encourage the players, especially the defencemen, to get that second 

wave on the rush,” said Therrien. “We’ve been working on that in practice 

and Josh jumped in on the play and it worked out for him.” 

Yannick Weber made only his second start of the season but he struggled 

before leaving the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. The 

Canadiens have called up defenceman Greg Pateryn from Hamilton and he 

will join the team Friday in Tampa. 

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.08.2013


Price makes 42 saves to calm 'Canes 

By Pat Hickey, The Gazette March 8, 2013 5:39 AM 

RALEIGH, N.C. — Carey Price was back in top form, making 42 saves as 

the Canadiens rallied in the third period to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4- 

2 Thursday night at PNC Arena. Lars Eller snapped a 2-2 tie when he went 

to the net and converted a pass from Josh Gorges at 6:11. Eller also 

collected an assist on P.K. Subban’s power-play goal at 7:56. 

Still No. 1: The victory allowed the Canadiens to maintain their hold on first 

place in the Eastern Conference, but the Boston Bruins defeated Toronto to 

remain one point back in the Northeast Division with three games in hand. 

What happened?: It would be a mistake to say the Canadiens got caught up 

in a run-and-gun game in the second period because the Hurricanes did all 

the running and gunning. They outshot Montreal 21-5 and scored twice to 

tie the game at 2-2. The Hurricanes had an 11-0 shot advantage to open 

the period and were rewarded when Jordan Staal scored at 6:07. Drayson 

Bowman tied it at 10:27 with an assist to Jeremy Welsh. It was the first NHL 

point for Welsh, who was called up from Charlotte earlier in the day. 

Changing up: Yannick Weber played his first game since Jan. 27 and it may 

be a while before he plays another one. Weber, who replaced Tomas 

Kaberle on defence, had a blind clearing pass picked off and that led to 

Carolina’s second goal. He also provided Eric Staal with an opportunity 

when he misplayed the puck at the point. Weber set off in pursuit of Staal, 

who was awarded a penalty shot when Weber hooked him. Weber was let 

off the hook for that miscue when Staal failed to beat Price. Weber left the 

game late in the second period with what was described as a lower-body 

injury. 

Opening act: Brandon Prust seems to enjoy playing against the Hurricanes. 

He opened the scoring in the Canadiens’ 3-0 home win over Carolina Feb. 

9 and he delivered the first goal in Carolina Thursday night when he scored 

on the rebound of Alexei Emelin’s shot from the point at 3:22 of the first 

period. Prust also assisted on the second goal, finding Gorges in front after 

taking a stretch pass from Subban, and he picked up the second assist on 

Eller’s game-winner. 

Streaking Subban: With an assist in the first period and a power-play goal in 

the third, Subban extended his points streak to five games. He has three 

goals and four assists in the streak. 

What’s next: The Canadiens wrap up the five-game road trip with back-toback 

games Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sunday 

against the Florida Panthers. They are back at the Bell Centre Wednesday 

against the New Jersey Devils. 



About last night … 

Posted by Mike Boone 

Here’s my theory: Glen Sather felt guilty. 

When Brandon Prust became an unrestricted free agent last summer, the 

Rangers general manager could have re-signed his rugged winger. 

Instead, Sather let Prust walk. And the Canadiens signed him to a fouryear, 

$10 million deal. 

Most of the punditocracy thought GM Marc Bergevin had overpaid for a role 

player. 

But with half the season completed, Prust is one of the main reasons your 

astonishing Montreal Canadiens are in first place in the Eastern 

Conference. 

Where does the guilt come in? 

The well-traveled Sather played the 1974-’75 season in Montreal. He 

became a good friend of the legendary Red Fisher; and in subsequent 

seasons, as an NHL executive, Sather has savoured the delights of our 

beautiful city, including the great steaks at Moishe’s. 

So perhaps it weighed on Sather’s conscience after he unloaded Scott 

Gomez’s toxic contract on Bob Gainey. Maybe he figured he owed us one 

and made good by letting Prust leave the Rangers. 

OK, that’s a totally idiotic idea, even by my standards. 

But Prust has been the revelation of the season to date. And this franchise 

was WAY overdue for a pleasant surprise. 

In the 4-2 win over Carolina Thursday night, Prust had the first three-point 

game of his career. The goal he potted to open the scoring was Prust’s 

fourth. In 82 games with the Rangers last season, he had five. 

Prust never takes a shift off. He kills penalties. He’s fit in seamlessly with a 

variety of linemates – including rookies Brendan Gallagher and Alex 

Galchenyuk. He leads the team at plus-13. 

And he’s not afraid of Milan Lucic. 

At this point, $2.5 million – prorated for a 48-game sked – makes Brandon 

Prust a bargain. 

And value for money is something else we’re not used to in Montreal. 

Prust’s line was the Canadiens’ best in Carolina. 

I don’t know what team psychologist Sylvain Guimond told Lars Eller, but 

for the last week the Dane has been great. Eller had a goal and two assists 

against the ‘Canes. He was part of a penalty-kill that pitched a shutout. Eller 

went 13-9 on faceoffs and had a couple hits. Possibly emboldened by the 

proximity of Prust, Eller is using his size effectively. 

Galchenyuk did not show up on the scoresheet, but the kid’s game is 

coming along and he fits in nicely with Eller and Prust. I liked Galchenyuk’s 

intensity on the puck during some third-period shifts when the line kept 

Carolina bottled up in their end. 

The Canadiens got two points for 40 minutes of hockey thanks in no small 

part to their goaltender. During a second-period onslaught that was the 

team’s worst 20 minutes of the season, Price made 19 saves and foiled Eric 

Staal on a penalty shot. 

But this being Montreal, someone will phone TSN 690 Friday morning to 

criticize Price’s glove hand on the Drayson Bowman goal. 

Give it a rest, peeps. Price made a season-high 42 saves in Carolina. He is 

one of the main reasons this team has not lost consecutive games in 

regulation time this season. 

And with the exception of the woeful second period, Price got help from his 

teammates. An injury to Yannick Weber forced Michel Therrien to go with 

five defencemen, and everyone stepped up. 

Andrei Markov and P.K. Subban each played in excess of 27 minutes. 

That’s still a tad high for Markov; but Subban, who had a goal and an assist, 

continues to play some of the best – and, this season, most disciplined – 

hockey of his career. 

On L’Antichambre, Michel Bergeron praised Subban effusively. 

“You can’t coach a P.K. Subban like a Gorges or Bouillon,” Bergeron said, 

pleased that Michel Therrien seems to have loosened the reins on his 

flamboyant young defenceman. 

“P.K. is a thoroughbred,” Bergeron added, and extravagantly talented 

players screw up once in a while. “Larry Robinson made big mistakes … 

after he made 100 great plays.” 

Josh Gorges, of all people, had a goal and a assist. Scoring to give the 

Canadiens a 2-0 lead in the first period, Gorges converted a perfect pass 

that Prust gleefully described as “backhand sauce – my specialty.” 

Alexei Emelin executed a Savardian Spinorama at the Carolina blueline 

before firing a shot that Justin Peters could handle cleanly, with Prust 

burying the rebound. Emelin also dished out eight hits. 

Some Canadiens had off-nights in Carolina. 

The David Desharnais line was invisible. Michael Ryder was benched for 

the third period, ceding his spot on the Tomas Plekanec-Brian Gionta line to 

Travis Moen. Ryder, Ryan White and Colby Armstrong played single-digit 

minutes. 

But the Canadiens survived 20 minutes of horror to bag two more points. 

They head south to Tampa Bay with two wins in three games on the longest 

road trip of the season. 

Carey Price has his mojo back. And Brandon Prust might make us forget 

the last former Ranger to pass through these parts. 


662042 Nashville Predators 

Ryan Suter braces for boos in Nashville return 

Some ex-Predators returned to cheers 

Josh Cooper 

Ryan Suter left the Predators in the offseason to sign a 13-year, $98 million 

contract with the Minnesota Wild. Other recent core players who left the 

Predators for other teams: 

• Forward Jordin Tootoo signed with the Detroit Red Wings as an 

unrestricted free agent after the 2011-12 season for three years, $5.7 

million. 

• Forward Steve Sullivan signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins as an 

unrestricted free agent after the 2010-11 season for one year, $1.5 million. 

• Forward Joel Ward signed with the Washington Capitals as an 

unrestricted free agent after the 2010-11 season for four years, $12 million. 

• Defenseman Dan Hamhuis’ rights were traded to the Philadelphia Flyers 

after the 2009-10 season. He eventually signed with the Vancouver 

Canucks for six years, $27 million. 

• Forward Scott Hartnell and defenseman Kimmo Timonen were traded to 

Philadelphia and goaltender Tomas Vokoun was traded to the Florida 

Panthers after the 2006-07 season as part of a salary dump. 

• Forward Paul Kariya signed with the St. Louis Blues as an unrestricted 

free agent after the 2006-07 season for three years, $18 million. 

—Josh Cooper 

When Minnesota played at Detroit earlier this season, Wild defenseman 

Ryan Suter got a preview of what he likely will hear at Bridgestone Arena 

on Saturday. 

He was booed every time he touched the puck. 

But that situation was different. Suter, who signed a 13-year, $98 million 

contract with the Wild in the offseason, never played for the Red Wings. He 

never built a relationship with their fans, doesn’t know the arena workers 

and team staff. He had no connection to Motor City. 

Suter does have ties with Music City, however, having spent his first seven 

NHL seasons with the Predators. And when he comes back to Nashville for 

the first time as a member of the Wild, he returns as more of an enemy than 

any former Predator. 

The Red Wings and Predators were among the teams that tried to sign 

Suter over the summer. He selected the Wild, angering the Predators 

organization and, by extension, its fan base. 

“Have I ever had anything like what’s going to probably happen? Probably 

not,” Suter said in a phone interview. “It’s going to (stink), and I wish the 

fans knew … well, I know they know how much I enjoyed my time there. But 

it’s just part of the business. I mean, you have to make decisions for 

yourself and for your family.” 

Players come and go these days in free agency or trades, and the smallmarket 

Predators are no strangers to the concept. Fan favorites such as 

Joel Ward, Dan Hamhuis, Paul Kariya, Scott Hartnell, Tomas Vokoun and 

Kimmo Timonen all moved on. 

When they returned to Bridgestone Arena to face the Predators, they 

received ovations or saw their video highlights beamed to the crowd. But 

those players were all Predators at a financially unstable time for the 

franchise. An ownership change made it tough to retain them. 

“When that era of players come into town, you can’t really hold it against 

them. You still like the guy, and so, unless they make a play on a Predators 

player like a bad hit or whatever, you don’t really hold it against them 

because it’s not their fault and they didn’t really leave under any ill will,” said 

Codey Holland, a longtime Predators fan. “You almost feel jaded because 

almost 10 years has been invested in Ryan Suter, and he just gets up and 

leaves.” 

The Predators courted Suter, a 2012 All-Star and 2010 U.S. Olympian, 

throughout the 2011-12 season, and were in the mix to re-sign him when he 

went to unrestricted free agency on July 1. Nashville’s final offer was 13 

years, $90 million. 

When Suter selected Minnesota, Predators general manager David Poile 

seemed especially angry and voiced his frustration in interviews at the time. 

Most photos and other indications Suter had played for the Predators were 

quickly taken down inside Bridgestone Arena. 

“Poile coming out and saying what he did didn’t help the reaction from the 

fan base,” Holland said. “The fan base was already borderline angry about 

it to begin with.” 

Poile declined to comment for this story through a team spokesman. 

Suter said his decision-making process was difficult. According to his agent, 

Neil Sheehy, when Suter considered his potential destinations and which 

one would make the best home, Nashville constantly rated near the top 

along with the Wild. 

Suter said he cried when he called Poile on July 4 to tell him he was 

leaving. 

“He drafted me, he was my GM, he was all I knew,” Suter said. “In the NHL 

he gave me all the opportunities.Through the highs and lows, he stuck with 

me, and I felt like I was letting him down.” 

Whether the Predators will acknowledge Suter with a tribute video has not 

been made public. Videos honoring former Predators Steve Sullivan 

(Coyotes) and Jordin Tootoo (Red Wings) were shown this season before 

games against Phoenix and Detroit. 

“(Fans) probably won’t see me in the same regard as those guys. But that’s 

their decision. They have a right to be mad, and they have a right to cheer 

for who they want, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Suter said. 

“I know every single person that works as a security guard at that rink. I 

know every single person that works for the team by name. I have such a 

deep respect for that organization. If the fans don’t want to cheer me, and 

boo me, I understand.” 

Tennessean LOADED: 03.08.2013


Preview: Predators vs. Edmonton Oilers 

Josh Cooper 

PREDATORS VS. OILERS 

• When: 7 p.m. tonight 

• Where: Bridgestone Arena 

• TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM 

• Hat trick: 1. This is the first of three games for the Predators against the 

Oilers this season. Nashville was 1-3-0 vs. Edmonton last season. 2. Three 

new Predators — forwards Zach Boychuk and Bobby Butler and 

defenseman Victor Bartley — could make their debut. Boychuk and Butler 

were obtained off waivers, and Bartley was called up from Milwaukee. 3. 

The Predators have allowed two power play goals in each of their past four 

games. 

• Injuries: Predators D Hal Gill (lower body) and F Brandon Yip (upper body) 

are out. Oilers D Mark Fistric (elbow) is questionable; D Andy Sutton 

(knee), G Nikolai Khabibulin (groin), F Teemu Hartikainen (shoulder), F 

Anton Lander (foot) and F Shawn Horcoff (hand) are out. 

• Next for Predators: 7 p.m. Saturday vs. Minnesota. 



Nashville Predators could have new division next season 

Josh Cooper 

PROPOSED NHL REALIGNMENT 

Proposed division lineup for realignment, which would take place next 

season if the NHL Board of Governors ratifies the new plan: 

• Division: Nashville, Chicago, St. Louis, Dallas, Colorado, Winnipeg, 

Minnesota 

• Division: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, 

Vancouver 

• Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, 

Toronto 

• Division: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Rangers, New York 

Islanders, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington 

The Predators are one step closer to playing in a new division next season. 

The NHL Players’ Association said Thursday it had consented to the NHL’s 

realignment plan for the 2013-14 season, to be re-evaluated after the 2014- 

15 season. 

The NHL Board of Governors is expected to vote soon to ratify the plan. 

The Predators would be part of a division with Chicago, Minnesota, St. 

Louis, Winnipeg, Dallas and Colorado, according to an ESPN.com report 

last week that outlined the plan. 

Detroit and Columbus — rivals for Nashville in the current Central Division 

— would move to a more easterly grouping. Nashville has sold out every 

home game against Detroit since Dec. 12, 2009. 

The Predators have declined to comment on realignment since it has not 

officially been ratified. 

Under realignment, all teams outside Nashville’s division would play the 

Predators at least once. Currently, Eastern Conference teams visit 

Nashville on a rotating basis. 

Nashville’s travel would increase under the new plan. 

“It’s only 2,000 more miles per year, and the last seven years we averaged 

40,000 miles … so it’s not much of a difference, obviously, but it is still a 

difference,” Predators forward and NHLPA player rep David Legwand said 

last week. 

Last season, the NHL approved a realignment plan with a similar format. 

But it included Detroit and Columbus — but not Colorado — in Nashville’s 

division. The NHLPA thwarted the plan over travel concerns. 



Predators' playoff chances improve under NHL's proposed realignment 

By David Boclair 

The Nashville Predators will have a better chance to make the playoffs the 

next two seasons. 

The NHL Players Association on Thursday approved a proposal from the 

league office for realignment, which would divide the NHL into two unequal 

conferences. 



executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement. 

All that remains for the proposal to go into effect is approval from the NHL’s 

Board of Governors. 

If that happens, as expected, beginning in 2013-14 Nashville will compete 

in the Midwest Division with six other teams, all based in the Central and 

Mountain time zones. Those teams would comprise half of the Western 

Conference with Pacific Division, seven teams in the Mountain and Western 

time zones. 

The Eastern Conference would consist of two eight-team divisions. 

Eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs, which means 

that while Eastern Conference teams will have a 50 percent chance to 

reach the postseason, Western Conference teams, including the Predators, 

will have a 57 percent chance. 

That disparity is of concern for the NHLPA. 

The divisions under the realignment proposal would be as follows: 


Midwest Division: Nashville, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, St. 

Louis, Winnipeg. 

Pacific Division: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San 

Jose, Vancouver. 


Atlantic Division: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, 

New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington. 

Central Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa 

Bay, Toronto. 

The schedule under this format will allow for teams to play two games (one 

home, one away) each season with teams from the other conference. 

Western Conference teams will play five of the other six teams in their 

division five times per season. They will ply the sixth team just four times. 

They will play the seven teams from the other division three times each. 



deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. “Our next step will be to 




Nashville City Paper LOADED: 03.08.2013


Predators' playoff chances improve under NHL's proposed realignment 

By David Boclair 

The Nashville Predators will have a better chance to make the playoffs the 

next two seasons. 

The NHL Players Association on Thursday approved a proposal from the 

league office for realignment, which would divide the NHL into two unequal 

conferences. 




All that remains for the proposal to go into effect is approval from the NHL’s 

Board of Governors. 

If that happens, as expected, beginning in 2013-14 Nashville will compete 

in the Midwest Division with six other teams, all based in the Central and 

Mountain time zones. Those teams would comprise half of the Western 

Conference with Pacific Division, seven teams in the Mountain and Western 

time zones. 

The Eastern Conference would consist of two eight-team divisions. 

Eight teams from each conference will qualify for the playoffs, which means 

that while Eastern Conference teams will have a 50 percent chance to 

reach the postseason, Western Conference teams, including the Predators, 

will have a 57 percent chance. 

That disparity is of concern for the NHLPA. 

The divisions under the realignment proposal would be as follows: 


Midwest Division: Nashville, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, St. 

Louis, Winnipeg. 

Pacific Division: Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San 

Jose, Vancouver. 


Atlantic Division: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, 

New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington. 

Central Division: Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa 

Bay, Toronto. 

The schedule under this format will allow for teams to play two games (one 

home, one away) each season with teams from the other conference. 

Western Conference teams will play five of the other six teams in their 

division five times per season. They will ply the sixth team just four times. 

They will play the seven teams from the other division three times each. 







Nashville City Paper LOADED: 03.08.2013

662047 New Jersey Devils 

Quirk in the N.H.L. Visor Debate: Fighters Get Penalized 

By DHIREN MAHIBAN 

Toronto's Frazer McLaren says the N.H.L.'s visor rule is good for 

fighters.Mark Blinch/Reuters Toronto’s Frazer McLaren says the N.H.L.’s 

visor rule is good for fighters. 

Rangers defenseman Marc Staal’s recent eye injury has again highlighted 

the hot-button issue of visors. The N.H.L. has expressed its desire to make 

them mandatory, but right now, it actually has a rule penalizing those who 

do wear them. 

Rule 46.6 in the N.H.L. rule book states: “If a player penalized as an 

instigator of an altercation is wearing a face shield (including a goalkeeper), 

he shall be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.” 

While the league says it wants to promote player safety by having all 

players wear visors, but players say they’re reluctant to wear a visor if 

they’re likely to fight because they don’t want to further penalize their team. 

“That’s probably my biggest reason,” said Maple Leafs defenseman Mark 

Fraser of removing his visor, because fighting “is part of my role on this 

team and it just prevents me from any larger penalties and also sort of the 

unwritten rule that if you’re going to fight with a visor you’d have to take 

your helmet off completely.” 

Fraser said the league is sitting on the fence when it comes to player safety 

with the rule. 

“It does seem a little contradictory perhaps, because obviously a lot of guys 

that do (take the visor off), that might be part of their justification,” said 

Fraser, who has 18 N.H.L. fights in his career, according to 

hockeyfights.com. “I’d rather keep my helmet on with no visor than take it 

off completely because part of player safety as well is concussions and 

falling down and hitting your head or whatever else.” 

Fraser’s teammate, Frazer McLaren, also believes the rule prompts fighters 

to keep the visor off. 

“From a fighter’s perspective it’s not really that ridiculous because if 

someone instigates a fight with you who’s got a visor on, it’s tough for the 

guy without the visor because the other guy’s face is protected. In that 

sense it’s a good rule for some of the fighters,” said McLaren, who has 26 

career fights, including the Wednesday night knockout blow he delivered to 

Ottawa’s Dave Dziurzynski. 

“At the same sense I understand the angle you’re coming from where it kind 

of probably deters some players from wearing visors, who might have 

originally worn them. “ 

Then there’s Senators tough guy Chris Neil, who appears to be in denial 

about visors preventing eye injuries. 

Neil was struck in the eye in January 2011 by the stick of Montreal’s Max 

Pacioretty. He wasn’t wearing a visor then and still doesn’t. 

“I think that situation is a fluke accident, but as far as sticks coming up, 

that’s the scary thing,” Neil said, referring to Staal’s injury. “I think if 

everyone’s wearing no visor guys would be more respectful around the 

league with their sticks.” 

Despite players such as Tye McGinn of the Flyers, who has three fights this 

season, and Kings forward Colin Fraser now wearing visors, Neil had this to 

say regarding Rule 46.6: “I don’t really look at that either because, you 

know, usually guys aren’t fighting if they’re wearing visors.” 

Chris Phillips, who is the Senators’ union rep who sustained an eye injury in 

1998, admits the rule does raise some red flags. 

“That’s what makes it a good debate, you don’t want to see guys get hurt,” 

Phillips said. “I’ve seen guys take their helmets off in sort of respect to each 

other … you don’t want to see a guy get a concussion cause he’s fallen 

down in a fight and hit his head. There’s always a trickle-down effect from 

doing certain things that makes it a good debate. At the end of the day you 

don’t want to see guys get hurt.” 

New York Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


As they play: Devils vs. Sabres 

By Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger 


Right winger Tom Kostopoulos made his Devils debut tonight against the 

Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center. 

Defenseman Henrik Tallinder was a late scratch with what the team called a 

lower body injury and Mark Fayne, slated to be a healthy scratch, played in 

his place. Krys Barch and Adam Larsson were also scratches. 

The Devils, with Johan Hedberg in goal, were looking to avoid their first 

seven-game losing streak since 1985-86. 

Anthem was performed by Shayne and Taylor Daneyko, Ken's kids. 

Devils lines: 

Alexei Ponikarovsky-Travis Zajac-Ilya Kovalchuk 

Patrik Elias-Adam Henrique-David Clarkson 

Stefan Matteau-Andrei Loktionov-Steve Bernier 

Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Tom Kostopoulos 

Defense pairings: 

Bryce Salvador-Marek Zidlicky 

Andy Greene-Mark Fayne 

Anton Volchenkov-Peter Harrold 

FIRST PERIOD 

Tyler Ennis high-sticked Fayne at 1:26. Hedberg ended the power play at 

2:15 when he drew an interference penalty behind his net by checking Brian 

Flynn into the end boards. 

With both penalties over, Hedberg made a glove save on Christian 

Ehrhoff's shot from the left point at 5:04. 

Cody Hodgson hit the right post with his shot at 6:12. 

Henrique was stopped one-on-one by Enroth at 10:07 before Elias was 

unable to bury the rebound from the deep slot. 

During a break in the action the Devils played The Hockey Song by 

Stompin' Tom Connors. A nice tribute to Stompin' Tom, who passed away 

yesterday. 

Mike Weber was called for high-sticking Elias at 12:15. 

Hedberg made a left pad save on John Scott from the high slot with 2:30 to 

go. 

The Devils outshot the Sabres, 11-6. 

End of period: Devils 0, Sabres 0 

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.08.2013


Devils looking to avoid longest losing streak since 1985-86 



The Devils are still not halfway to equaling the franchise record for the 

longest losing streak, but a loss tonight against the Buffalo Sabres would 

give them their first seven-game losing streak since 1985-86. 

Back in 1985-86, the Devils went 0-7 between Jan. 24 and Feb. 8. That 

team, captained by Mel Bridgman, also had an eight-game losing streak 

(Dec. 19-Jan. 6) and a six-game losing streak (Mar. 9-19) that season. 

That was two seasons before the arrival of general manager Lou 

Lamoriello. 

The Devils' longest losing streak was 10 straight Oct. 14-Nov. 4, 1983, 

during their second season in New Jersey. 

But the franchise mark, still safe, belongs to the Kansas City Scouts when 

they lost 14 in a row Dec. 30, 1975 to Jan. 29, 1976. That was the 

franchise's second season in existence. 

Entering tonight's game against the Sabres, the Devils have lost six in a 

row. One of those losses came in a shootout last Saturday in Buffalo. 

* 

The Devils Mystery Puck Night will take place this Wednesday, Mar. 13, 

when the Philadelphia Flyers visit Prudential Center at 7:30 p.m. 

Proceeds from the sale of the pucks will benefit the Hurricane Sandy relief 

effort. 

During an autographed mystery puck sale the identity of the player who 

signed the 

puck is kept secret until after it is purchased. Wives and girlfriends of Devils 

players will be on hand to sell the pucks, which will be available for $20 

each. A total of 500 pucks will be available and there is a one-puck limit per 

individual. The event will take place on the main concourse. For further 

information, contact the Devils’ communications department at 973- 

757-6100. 

Rich Chere 



Devils' changes on defense no reflection on Adam Larsson, Mark Fayne 

Rich Chere/The Star-Ledger 


Devils defenseman Adam Larsson doesn’t feel he deserves to be taken out 

of the lineup, but he knows how the game is played. 

With the Devils having lost their last six games (one in a shootout), Larsson 

understands that changes were likely to be made. 

“I guess they had to do something with six straight losses,” Larsson said 

after the morning skate today. 

Larsson and Mark Fayne will be healthy scratches against the Buffalo 

Sabres tonight at Prudential Center. Peter Harrold and Anton Volchenkov 

will play. 

Up front, Tom Kostopoulos will make his Devils debut after being picked up 

on waivers, replacing Krys Barch. 

“We’re in tough stretches and we’re going to use our entire bench,” coach 

Pete DeBoer said. “We’ve two new D in there with fresh legs and we have 

two new forwards with (Stefan) Matteau and Kostopoulos. I think it’s critical 

we keep fresh legs moving in and out of the lineup. 

“It’s not necessarily anything that Larsson or Fayne haven’t done. If you’ve 

got fresh people you might as well use them. Especially looking at the 

schedule.” 

What’s Larsson think of the changes? 

“Not much,” he said. “I think (I’ve played) good so far, so it’s kind of 

disappointing.” 

Harrold has played only one game this season. 

“I’m ready to go. Obviously I’m excited to play,” Harrold said. “It’s been a 

while (Feb. 2 in Pittsburgh). I get to play with (Andy) Greene. He and I have 

played together before. Should be all right, an easy transition.” 

He said he doesn’t feel pressure to provide extra offense since the Devils’ 

forwards haven’t been doing it. But DeBoer confirmed that Harrold will see 

some time on the power play point. 

“Yes, I think we’ll definitely give him a look there for some minutes,” DeBoer 

said. 

Why so long in between games for Harrold? 

“I don’t think there has ever been a confidence issue from the coaching staff 

with putting him in or what he’s capable of doing,” DeBoer said. “We 

probably don’t get to the Stanley Cup Final without his contribution last 

year. That’s never been the issue. 

“The idea is we would have eight defensemen here and I’m surprised— 

knock on wood—we haven’t had any injuries where we’ve had to. For him 

it’s just been circumstance.” 

* 

How will the Devils get out of their losing streak? 

“Character. Experience. When you sit in our locker room on a day to day 

basis and look at the fine line between the seven or eight games we won in 

a row and the six we lost in a row, it’s very small. I think the guys know that 

and recognize that,” DeBoer said. “They know we don’t need to change all 

kinds of things. We just have to get on the right side of that line. There are 

some small areas we need to clean up but it’s not that far away.” 

No one hopes that is true more than goalie Johan Hedberg. 

“Everyone wants to win and play their best for Johan. He’s that kind of guy,” 

DeBoer said. “He’s one of the leaders in our dressing room. No one works 

harder than him or prepares better than him. I think the thoughts of the 

group are absolutely on getting a win for him. 

“When you’re sitting in that position, a lot of the times you take the brunt of 

the blame. A lot of times unnecessarily.” 

* 

Travis Zajac is back on the first line. He’ll center LW Alexei Ponikarovsky 

and RW Ilya Kovalchuk after being moved around to other lines in recent 

games. 

“The first, second, third or fourth line stuff, I don’t get caught up in a lot of 

that,” DeBoer noted. “I think Travis works every night. It’s no secret he 

hasn’t had the offensive success yet consistently this year that he probably 

deserves for the effort he puts in. 

“At least Kovy is a guy he has a history with. We’re just going back to it.” 

Zajac has no goals in four games and one in his last nine. 

Rich Chere 



Devils' Tom Kostopoulos takes junior linemate Krys Barch's job for a night 



Devils newcomer Tom Kostopoulos got a locker stall next former junior 

hockey linemate Krys Barch. 

Kostopoulos, claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday, 

and Barch were on the 1998-99 London Knights team that went to the 

Ontario Hockey League Finals against Belleville. 

“Best year of my career. I think I had 30 points in the playoffs. I think he had 

40 or 38,” Barch recalled. “It was the best we did in junior, making the OHL 

Final.” 

Did Barch knock on coach Pete DeBoer’s door and inform him of this? 

“No, that was a long time ago. I think his role and my role both changed,” 

Barch said. 

In fact, during 25 OHL playoff games in ’99, Kostopoulos had 35 points (19 

goals) while Barch scored 26 points (nine goals). 

No hard feelings, then, that Barch lost his spot in the lineup tonight because 

Kostopoulos will skate at right wing with Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta. 

They both have similar roles now, with Kostopoulos accumulating 705 

penalty minutes in 615 career NHL games with five teams. The Devils are 

his sixth. 

“He loved the game so much he started doing things nobody else wanted to 

do. When I played with him he was a leader,” Barch said. “Tremendous 

guy. Probably the best teammate I’ve ever had.” 

DeBoer was happy to get the 34-year-old Kostopoulos. 

“I’m excited. I actually coached in junior hockey against him, so I’ve seen 

him play since he was a 16 or 17-year-old kid. I always admired his work 

ethic and grit and his leadership,” DeBoer said. “Hopefully he can give us 

some of those things.” 

Kostopoulos signed a tryout contract with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton with hopes 

of then being signed by the Penguins. That happened, but he had to clear 

waivers in order to be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and the Devils 

claimed him. 

“I knew I had more hockey in me,” he said. “I wanted to get back to the 

NHL. The original goal was to get back to Pittsburgh. The way things 

worked out I’m very happy and excited. At first I was surprised, but once it 

sank in I was very excited.” 

His agent had talked to the Devils about signing with Albany, but he’d 

played in Wilkes-Barre before. 

“I wasn’t sure what to expect going through waivers, so I was kind of 

surprised to get picked up,” Kostopoulos said. “I signed a contract and then 

got put on waivers to be sent to Wilkes-Barre to see how things go and try 

to work my way up. This is better.” 

He played with Barch in juniors and skated with David Clarkson in the 

summer. He also knows Johan Hedberg and Peter Harrold. 

“I’m very excited. From not knowing where your career is going to getting 

another shot. This organization has a great reputation,” Kostopoulos said. 

“Everybody that has been in it talks very highly of it. I’m excited to be here. 

“Hopefully (I can bring) consistency, working hard every night. Nothing 

flashy. Just getting pucks in (deep the offensive zone) and getting pucks out 

of our end. Playing physical.” 

Rich Chere 



Tribute for Stompin' Tom Connors at Devils-Sabres? It would make sense 

Drew van Esselstyn/Star-Ledger Sports Editor 

on March 07, 2013 at 11:45 AM, updated March 07, 2013 at 3:21 PM 

If you're headed for the Devils game tonight at the Prudential Center, how 

great would it be to watch a tribute to one of hockey's legends -- either 

before the puck drops or during one of the intermissions? 

Stompin' Tom Connors, revered and loved throughout Canada and much of 

the NHL for "The Hockey Song" (go to the 1:45 mark of the video above), 

died Wednesday at the age of 77 -- and our Rich Chere, for one, thinks it 

would be appropriate to celebrate Connors tonight at The Rock: 

Still, it would be nice if the Devils played Stompin' Tom Connors' The 

Hockey Song as a tribute tonight at the Rock. 

— Rich Chere ( at Ledger_NJDevils) March 7, 2013 

The Canadian country-folk singer, whose toe-tapping musical spirit and 

fierce patriotism established him as one of Canada's biggest cultural icons, 

died at the age of 77, his promoter said Wednesday night. 

Connors passed away from natural causes at his home Wednesday 

evening, Brian Edwards said. The musician, rarely seen without his 

signature black cowboy hat and stomping cowboy boots, was best known 

for songs "Sudbury Saturday Night," ''Bud the Spud" and especially "The 

Hockey Song," a fan favorite played at hockey arenas around North 

America. 

Those three songs are played at every Toronto Maple Leafs home game. At 

Toronto's Air Canada Centre on Wednesday night, many fans took to their 

feet as "The Hockey Song" was played after Connors' death was 

announced. 

Although wide commercial appeal eluded Connors for much of his fourdecade 

career, his songs are regarded as veritable national anthems 

thanks to their unabashed embrace of all things Canadiana. 

"The hockey song was the biggest one," Edwards said. "Domestically he 

was known everywhere." 

The National Hockey League tweeted: "Sad to hear that legendary 

Canadian Stompin' Tom Connors has passed. His legacy lives on in arenas 

every time 'The Hockey Song' is played." 

Connors knew his health was declining and had posted a message on his 

website a few days ago, saying Canada kept him "inspired with its beauty, 

character, and spirit." 

Dubbed Stompin' Tom for his habit of pounding the floor with his left foot 

during performances, Connors garnered a devoted following through 

straight-ahead country-folk tunes that drew inspiration from his extensive 

travels around Canada, dating back to his itinerant teenage years when he 

roamed the country working one job or another. 

The country that Connors celebrated in song was strangely ignored by 

other Canadian songwriters, he often said."I don't know why I seem to be 

the only one, or almost the only one, writing about this country," Connors 

said in 2008. "This country is the most underwritten country in the world as 

far as songs are concerned. We starve. The people in this country are 

starving for songs about their homeland." 



Tom Kostopoulos joins Devils for morning skate 


on March 07, 2013 at 9:41 AM, updated March 07, 2013 at 11:08 AM 

Tom Kostopoulos, claimed off waivers Wednesday, joined the Devils for 

their morning skate today at Prudential Center. 

Kostopoulos will wear No. 25. 

Johan Hedberg will be in goal tonight against the Buffalo Sabres with Jeff 

Frazee as backup. Martin Brodeur remains on injured reserve with a sore 

back. 

Kostopoulos skated at right wing with Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta. It 

appears Krys Barch will be a scratch. 

On defense, coach Pete DeBoer seems ready to sit Mark Fayne and Adam 

Larsson. That would mean both Anton Volchenkov and Peter Harrold would 

play. 

Lines: 

Alexei Ponikarovsky- Travis Zajac-lya Kovalchuk 

Patrik Elias-Adam Henrique-David Clarkson 

Stefan Matteau-Andrei Loktionov-Steve Bernier 

Ryan Carter-Stephen Gionta-Tom Kostopoulos 

Defense: 

Bryce Salvador-Anton Volchenkov 

Henrik Tallinder-Marek Zidlicky 

Andy Greene-Peter Harrold 

Adam Larsson-Mark Fayne 

Rich Chere 



Did Devils know beforehand Henrik Tallinder might not be able to play? 



Did the Devils suspect that defenseman Henrik Tallinder might not be able 

to play last night before he stepped onto the Prudential Center ice for the 

pregame warmup? 

Coach Pete DeBoer said no. 

“He hurt himself in warmup,” DeBoer said. 

No inkling that perhaps Tallinder was ailing beforehand? 

“No, we called (Mark) Fayne kind of last minute and got him out there. He 

was here at the rink,” DeBoer said. 

If that was the case, Fayne did a Clark Kent type quick-change in order to 

join the Devils well before the end of the warmup. 

That left Tallinder and Adam Larsson as the two scratches on defense. 

* 

Martin Brodeur, who remains on injured reserve with a sore back, will not 

play tomorrow night in Raleigh, N.C., or Sunday night at home against the 

Winnipeg Jets. That means he’ll miss at least eight games because of injury 

and a total of nine since he last played Feb. 21 in Washington. 

DeBoer was asked if he thought the Devils began to press when Brodeur 

hurt his back. 

“I don’t know (about the term) press. When Marty went down I think there 

was a real confidence level. Everyone has confidence in Johan Hedberg. 

His track record here merits that,” DeBoer said. 

“I think it was a perfect storm. We went through a week or 10 days where 

we didn’t get rewarded for some of our work. We didn’t get some bounces. 

We didn’t help ourselves in certain situations and it snowballed on us. 

Hopefully that’s the end of it and we can move this thing in a positive 

direction now.” 

* 

Hedberg said he got some breaks in this game and one of them came when 

Sabres captain Jason Pominville hit the left post with 51.3 seconds 


“It didn’t feel like it was in,” Hedberg said. “It was right up in the curve of the 

post and crossbar and it bounced right back to me. I needed that break.” 

DeBoer said of Hedberg’s performance: “Solid. That’s the Hedberg we 

know. I think our group helped him out tonight, too, and gave a little better 

performance in front of him.” 

* 

Patrik Elias leads the team in scoring with 24 points in 24 games (the 

halfway mark of the season), but DeBoer wasn’t ready to call him the 

team’s best player this season. 

“I’m not one for mid-season awards and things like that,” DeBoer said. 

“Patrik is Patrik. He’s a world class player and a key part of our team. But 

we’ll hold the rewards until the end of the year.” 

* 

Peter Harrold, who’d played just one game all season, was imptessive. 

“I thought he was great,” DeBoer said. “It reminded me last year of when we 

stuck him in late in the season he made it awful hard for us to take him out 

the way he skated and moved the puck.” 

* 

Travis Zajac, certainly not known as a fighter, exchanged punches during a 

scrum in front of the Devils' net with 29.5 seconds left in overtime. 

"It was nothing. Just a battle in front," Zajac said. "He threw a punch and I 

went back at him." 

* 

Tom Kostopoulos, picked up off waivers Wednesday, made his Devils 

debut skating on a line with Ryan Carter and Stephen Gionta. 

"It felt pretty good. All the guys talked to me and the coaches walked me 

through the system," Kostopoulos said. "Their goalie had a helluva game, 

but the guys kept getting pucks at him. The team didn't give up when we 

got down." 



Devils end losing streak with 3-2 shootout win over Sabres 



It’s been 27 years since the Devils last had a seven-game losing streak. 

Chico Resch and Ken Daneyko were teammates on the ice rather than in 

the broadcast booth and GM Lou Lamoriello was more than a year away 

from joining the organization. 

hey weren’t ready for another skid like the one they endured during the 

1985-86 season between Jan. 24 and Feb. 8. 

So despite finding themselves down by two goals with just over six minutes 

to play, the Devils simply willed themselves a comeback that eventually 

resulted in a 3-2 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres tonight at 

Prudential Center. 

Patrik Elias scored the tying goal with 1:06 remaining in the third period and 

then scored the team’s second goal in the shootout to give the Devils their 

first win since Feb. 21 in Washington. 

“We needed it. A little bit of relief,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “I think our 

guys deserved two points. It’s been a while coming. It’s been a battle, but 

what I liked tonight was when we got in the 2-0 hole we kept our game. We 

didn’t open it up and give them the third goal. We hung around and found a 

way to tie it up at the end.” 

It was also the Devils’ first victory since Martin Brodeur was sidelined with a 

sore back that landed him on injured reserve. Hedberg, like the team, had 

gone 0-6-1, with the one point of a possible 12 coming in a shootout against 

the Sabres on Saturday. 

“That felt good,” Hedberg said. “Tonight I got some breaks, let’s put it that 

way. They hit some posts, we got a couple of goals and sometimes that’s 

the difference.” 

Goals from Thomas Vanek and Brian Flynn had given the Sabres a 2-0 

lead, but Buffalo defenseman Christian Ehrhoff took a holding penalty at 

12:36 of the third period. 

Adam Henrique’s first shot was blocked, but he picked up his own rebound 

a fired a shot inside the far right post at 13:30 to give the Devils some life. 

Hedberg was pulled for an extra skater and the Devils tied it with 1:06 

remaining. Enroth made the initial save on David Clarkson's long shot, but 

he gave up a big rebound and Elias scored into the open right side of the 

net for his seventh goal and team-leading 24th point in 24 games. 

“Finally. Nice,” Hedberg said he was thinking. “I just got to the bench, we 

threw the sixth guy in there and I saw him putting it in. It was very nice to 

see that.” 

A perfectly timed bit of strategy. 

“You hope during the course of a year you get a handful of those go your 

way,” DeBoer said. “I think we were due for a bounce. We’ve been working 

here for a week or two and we’d played pretty good hockey and hadn’t 

gotten it. We got one tonight.” 

Enroth was hurt trying to dive back across on the play and he was replaced 

by Ryan Miller, whom the Devils faced in the shootout. 

Miller stopped Ilya Kovalchuk and Hedberg answered by denying Vanek. 

DeBoer then used more strategy by putting Clarkson on as the Devils’ 

second shooter. 

“Clarkie has been good. I don’t think he’s a guy a lot of teams key in on in 

their scouting reports,” DeBoer explained. “If you’re looking at our group, he 

probably filters in fifth or sixth on the (shootout) list. So I was hoping maybe 

they maybe didn’t pay a little attention to him. He made a good move.” 

Sabres captain Jason Pominville, who had almost won the game in 

overtime when he hit the left post with 51.3 seconds left, missed his shot. 

That gave Elias a chance to end it, which he did by beating Miller. 

“I tried to adjust a little but from my last shootout against these guys where 

they threw a little off-speed (strategy),” Hedberg revealed. “They started 

fast and put on the air brakes. It threw me off in that game, I think. I tried to 

be a little more patient.” 

The losing streak was over. 

“We did a good job of finding a way to win,” Travis Zajac said. 

They did a good job of not putting their names in the record book next to a 

Devils team that lost 21 more games than it won almost three decades ago. 



Devils notes: Tom Kostopoulos excited to make debut 

The Record 

Kostopoulos excited 

Tom Kostopoulos said he was "very excited" to make his Devils’ debut 

Thursday night after being claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh on 

Wednesday. 

The 34-year-old right wing previously played in the league for Pittsburgh, 

Los Angeles, Montreal, Carolina and, most recently, with Calgary last 

season. 

"It’s a different situation not knowing where your career is going and to get 

another shot at it," said Kostopoulos, who played 10:33 on Thursday, didn’t 

have a shot on goal and blocked two shots. "I’m very excited to be here and 

very grateful." 

Kostopoulos signed a 25-game tryout contract with Pittsburgh’s AHL team 

in Wilkes Barre-Scranton after the NHL lockout and then signed a two-way 

NHL contract with the Penguins on Tuesday. The Penguins placed him on 

waivers so he could continue to play in the AHL until they needed him on 

the NHL roster. 

"I wasn’t sure what to expect going through waivers," Kostopoulos said. 

"So, I was kind of surprised to get picked up. I’m definitely happy to be 

here." 

Tallinder sits 

Defenseman Henrik Tallinder was a late scratch with a lower-body injury 

that coach Pete DeBoer said occurred "in warm-up." Mark Fayne, who was 

slated to be a healthy scratch, played in Tallinder’s place. 

DeBoer had planned to change up his defense with Anton Volchenkov and 

Peter Harrold playing in place of Adam Larsson and Fayne. Volchenkov 

had been a healthy scratch for four consecutive games. Harrold played in 

only one other game this season. 

Right wing Stefan Matteau also returned after being a healthy scratch 

Tuesday. Krys Barch was the odd man out at forward. 

"We’re in tough stretches and we’re going to use our entire bench," DeBoer 

said. 

— Tom Gulitti 

Bergen Record LOADED: 03.08.2013


Devils snap six-game skid, beat Sabres, 3-2, in shootout 

By TOM GULITTI 

STAFF WRITER 

NEWARK — The Devils were definitely staring down a dark hole Thursday 

night, trailing the Buffalo Sabres by two goals and being less than 10 

minutes away from their first seven-game losing streak in more than 27 

years. 

If there was a time for the “character” general manager Lou Lamoriello and 

coach Pete DeBoer had talked about to come through, this was it. 

A power-play goal from Adam Henrique with 6:30 to play and a rebound 

goal from Patrik Elias with 1:06 remaining got them even. Then David 

Clarkson and Elias scored in the shootout to give the Devils a desperately 

needed, 3-2 victory at Prudential Center. 

“We needed it. A little relief,” DeBoer said of his feelings after Elias finished 

off the shootout by beating Ryan Miller with a backhand-forehand move. “I 

think our guys deserved two points. It’s been a while coming.” 

The Devils felt they definitely were due after going 0-5-1 in their previous six 

games, including a 4-3 shootout loss at Buffalo on Saturday. 

“Huge obviously,” Elias called the victory. “You lose six games in a row and 

we felt like maybe three or four games we could have maybe won out of 

those games and didn’t find a way. So, it doesn’t matter how. We’re happy 

with the two points [Thursday] and, hopefully, that’s going to turn it around 

for us a little bit.” 

The Devils were as happy for themselves as they were for goaltender 

Johan Hedberg, who rebounded from being pulled in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to 

Tampa Bay with a solid, 23-save performance and then did not allow a goal 

in the shootout. 

“That felt good. I won’t lie to you,” Hedberg said. “[Thursday] I got some 

breaks. Let’s put it that way. They hit some posts. We got a couple of goals. 

Sometimes that’s the difference. It’s a game of margins sometimes and I 

think we deserved to win. We’ve been playing as hard as we can for the last 

eight to 10 days and we haven’t got the results.” 

Hedberg was much-maligned during the losing streak with Martin Brodeur 

out with a back injury. He had given up 21 goals on 130 shots (.838 save 

percentage) in the previous six games, but his teammates repeatedly had 

professed faith in him and talked about wanting to win for him. 

“[Hedberg] is the heart and soul of this team,” Clarkson said. “He’s a guy 

that every year is one of the hardest working and he’s a leader in this room 

whether he’s playing or not. So, we’ve got to turn this thing around for this 

team, but for him as well. He deserves it.” 

Hedberg definitely got some breaks, including Jason Pominville’s shot off 

the left post with another right-circle shot with 51.3 seconds remaining in 

overtime. 

It didn’t seem things were going to go the Devils’ way after Elias blocked 

Andrej Sekera’s right-point shot and the puck dropped directly to Brian 

Flynn in for a quick right-circle shot that beat Hedberg between the pads 

and made it 2-0 at 9:56 of the third period. 

That was gut-check time for the Devils. They have been outshooting the 

Sabres and controlling much of the play, but couldn’t get the puck past 

goaltender Jhonas Enroth, who was making his first start since Feb. 5. 

The Devils finally were rewarded after Elias drew a holding penalty against 

defenseman Christian Ehrhoff with 7:24 to play in regulation. Henrique 

scored on the resulting power play. His initial shot from the left circle was 

blocked by defenseman Mike Weber, but the puck bounced right back to 

Henrique and he fired it past Enroth’s glove for his seventh of the season. 

Elias tied it only eight seconds after Hedberg raced to the bench so the 

Devils could get a sixth attacker on the ice. Clarkson took a shot from just 

inside blue line that Enroth stopped with his left pad, but left a big rebound 

in the right circle that Elias put home for his seventh of the season. 

Enroth injured his right leg on the goal and had to be helped off. That 

brought Miller in off the bench cold for the rest of regulation, overtime and 

the shootout. 



NHL Players Association gives consent to league's proposed realignment 

which puts NY Rangers, NY Islanders and NJ Devils in new eight-team 

division 

The NHL will be reorganized from six divisions into four, or two per 

conference. Each team will play all of the other 29 teams at least twice in an 

annual home-and-home, meaning more trips out West for the Rangers. 

By Pat Leonard / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 

Friday, March 8, 2013, 1:27 AM 

The NHL Players’ Association gave its consent Thursday to the league’s 

proposed realignment plan for its 30 teams to take effect next fall and be 

reevaluated following the 2014-15 season. 

The proposal now will go to the Board of Governors for approval, though 

that is considered a formality since the union did not alter any details. 

The league’s realignment proposal slots the Rangers, Islanders and Devils 

in a new eight-team division that includes current Atlantic Division members 

Penguins and Flyers but adds the Capitals, Hurricanes and Blue Jackets. 

RELATED: NASH, GABORIK POWER RANGERS OVER ISLES IN OT 




The playoff system will change, forcing teams to play postseason series 

within their own divisions before advancing. But there also will be two 

playoff wild-cards per conference, meaning the top three seeds from each 

division will get in, plus the two with top records regardless of division, to 

make eight per conference. 

The Eastern Conference will have 16 teams, more than the 14 in the West, 

because three teams will be switching conferences: the Winnipeg Jets will 

move from the East to the West, while the Detroit Red Wings and Blue 

Jackets will slide from West to East. 

New York Daily News LOADED: 03.08.2013


Devils end six-game skid 

By DAVID SATRIANO 

Last Updated: 4:12 AM, March 8, 2013 

Posted: 12:54 AM, March 8, 2013 

The Devils were 66 seconds away from losing their seventh straight game. 

But Patrik Elias, determined to get his team back on the winning track, 

scored the game-tying goal and the eventual shootout winner in the Devils’ 

3-2 win last night over the Sabres at the Prudential Center in Newark. 

“We had two or three unbelievable opportunities there and [Sabres goalie 

Jhonas Enroth] made great saves,” Elias said. “I’m glad we stuck with it and 

got the two big goals at the end there.” 

Trailing 2-0, with 6:30 left in the contest, Adam Henrique got the Devils on 

the board with a power-play goal, just as he did late in the third period of 

Tuesday’s loss to the Lightning. The difference this time was his team 

completed the comeback, as Elias scored the tying goal seconds after 

goaltender Johan Hedberg was pulled for an extra attacker. 

“It’s a nice one to get,” Henrique said. “[Hedberg] played great for us again. 

He was great in the shootout. Made some big saves at key times. Now we’ll 

keep moving forward from here.” 

David Clarkson agreed, saying Hedberg received unfair criticism after the 

Devils had lost their previous six games with him in the net in place of the 

injured Martin Brodeur. 

“[Hedberg] is the heart and soul of this team,” Clarkson said. “He is a guy in 

my opinion that every year is one of the hardest working and he is a leader 

in this room. We’ve got to turn this thing around for this team, but for him as 

well. He deserves it.” 

Hedberg looked much sharper last night after being pulled in the second 

period of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It was his first win since Feb. 

10. 

“Tonight, I got some breaks. We got a couple of posts, and sometimes 

that’s the difference. I think we deserved to win,” Hedberg said. “We’ve 

been playing as hard as we can and the last 8-10 days haven’t gotten the 

results.” 

The Sabres scored first on a Thomas Vanek power-play goal in the second 

period — the eighth consecutive game the Devils’ opponent scored first. It 

looked like another Devils’ defeat when Brian Flynn scored his first goal of 

his NHL career to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead and Enroth playing 

outstanding. 

Enroth had lost each of his previous 13 starts and was in line for the win 

last night before allowing the two late third-period goals. After Elias’ goal, 

Enroth left the game with cramps and Ryan Miller, who was supposed to 

get the night off, had to replace him. 

Miler stopped Ilya Kovalchuk before Clarkson and Elias each beat him in 

the shootout. 

New York Post LOADED: 03.08.2013


5 Questions with Dave Maloney 

By JUSTIN TERRANOVA 



Former Rangers defenseman and MSG Network analyst Dave Maloney 

talks about the Rangers’ uneven start to the season, his early impressions 

of Rick Nash and the Blackhawks with The Post’s Justin Terranova. 

Q: Were you surprised by the up-and-down start by the Rangers? 

A: There was a lot of optimism coming into the season, but I had always 

been a little bit suspect of the bodies that were turned over for a team that 

was so close to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now you have a roster that looks a 

lot different than it did. Right now with a chance to digest everything they 

are probably about where they should be. 

Dave Maloney 

Q: They went on a four-game losing streak when Rick Nash was hurt. Are 

they too top-heavy with the trade? 

A: No, I think better is still ahead for this group. J.T. Miller, Taylor Pyatt, 

Darroll Powe have been nice fill-ins. They had 3 1/2 years under (John) 

Tortorella with basically the same group evolving. I don’t think you can 

underestimate how important the trust is that had grown between the 

players and coach. That takes time to build. 

Q: What has impressed you about Nash since he joined the team? 

A: He’s unbelievably effective in an unorthodox way. He’ll put his body in 

positions and yet maintain control enough to make a play. He uses his body 

and his length somewhat like Jaromir Jagr, perhaps not as powerfully as 

Jagr. But he protects the puck and has that sense of vision with the play 

and what he can do. 

Q: Were the expectations too high for Chris Kreider? 

A: The adjustment to the NHL is more than on the ice. He didn’t have to 

grind it out and deal with adversity last spring. But there are still reasons to 

think he’ll be a factor this season. But at the end of the day, it’s never a bad 

thing for a kid to spend the start of his career in the minor leagues and get 

used to the NHL life. 

Q: What do you attribute to the Blackhawks’ amazing start? 

A: They are deep, they are skilled. It’s a story that includes many parts. You 

cannot underestimate a team being healthy. This is by and large a team 

that won a Cup two years ago with the same coach. Their best players are 

in the right part of their career. 



Devils nip Sabres in shootout to snap six-game skid 

By DAVID SATRIANO 


Posted: 10:09 PM, March 7, 2013 

The Devils were 66 seconds away from losing their seventh straight game. 

But Patrik Elias, determined to get his team back on the winning track, 

scored the game-tying goal and the eventual shootout winner in the Devils’ 

3-2 win Thursday night over the Sabres at the Prudential Center. 

“We had two or three unbelievable opportunities there and [Sabres goalie 

Jhonas Enroth] made great saves,” Elias said. “I’m glad we stuck with it and 

got the two big goals at the end there.” 

Trailing 2-0, with 6:30 left in the contest, Adam Henrique got the Devils on 

the board with a power-play goal, just as he did late in the third period of 

Tuesday’s loss to the Lightning. The difference this time was his team 

completed the comeback, as Elias scored the tying goal seconds after 

goaltender Johan Hedberg was pulled for an extra attacker. 

“It’s a nice one to get,” Henrique said. “[Hedberg] played great for us again. 

He was great in the shootout. Made some big saves at key times. Now we’ll 

keep moving forward from here.” 

David Clarkson agreed, saying Hedberg received unfair criticism after the 

Devils had lost their previous six games with him in the net in place of the 

injured Martin Brodeur. 

“[Hedberg] is the heart and soul of this team,” Clarkson said. “He is a guy in 

my opinion that every year is one of the hardest working and he is a leader 

in this room. We’ve got to turn this thing around for this team, but for him as 

well. He deserves it.” 

Hedberg looked much sharper last night after being pulled in the second 

period of Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It was his first win since Feb. 

10. 

“Tonight, I got some breaks. We got a couple of posts, and sometimes 

that’s the difference. I think we deserved to win,” Hedberg said. “We’ve 

been playing as hard as we can and the last 8-10 days haven’t gotten the 

results.” 

The Sabres scored first on a Thomas Vanek power-play goal in the second 

period — the eighth consecutive game the Devils’ opponent scored first. It 

looked like another Devils’ defeat when Brian Flynn scored his first goal of 

his NHL career to give the Sabres a 2-0 lead and Enroth playing 

outstanding. 

Enroth had lost each of his previous 13 starts and was in line for the win 

last night before allowing the two late third-period goals. After Elias’ goal, 

Enroth left the game with cramps and Ryan Miller, who was supposed to 

get the night off, had to replace him. 

Miler stopped Ilya Kovalchuk before Clarkson and Elias each beat him in 

the shootout. 


662062 New York Islanders 

Rick Nash ties game with another third period goal, Marian Gaborik wins it 

as NY Rangers top NY Islanders, 2-1, in OT 


John Tortorella has unleashed Rick Nash, and he can’t be stopped, but in 

Thursday night’s 2-1 comeback overtime win over the Islanders at Nassau 

Coliseum, the Rangers’ coach received an exciting reminder: 

There are two game-breakers on this roster. 

Marian Gaborik, a three-time 40-goal scorer who had fallen out of the topsix 

rotation before Brad Richards injured his neck and back on Sunday, 

blasted a slap shot through Ryan Callahan’s screen on the power play 42 

seconds into OT to complete a dramatic comeback in the Rangers’ fourth 

straight victory. 

“We knew he had it in him,” said center Derek Stepan (two assists), who 

played a huge chunk of last season with Gaborik when the Slovakian 

winger carried this team’s offense. “He got good wood on the first (attempt 

that was blocked), and he gets the puck back, he’s not discouraged, cranks 

it up and scores a big goal for us.” 

“I haven’t scored in a while,” said Gaborik, who tallied for the first time in 

nine games, “and to get a goal of this much importance feels great.” 

The Rangers (12-8-2, 26) were in a position to pick up two points because 

Nash had deflected a Stepan point shot past stingy Islanders goalie Evgeni 

Nabokov (35 saves) with 5:23 remaining in the third period. It was Nash’s 

eighth goal of the season — tied with Gaborik for the team lead — but 

Nash’s eight are unique: he has scored all eight in the third period of 

games. Since returning from a presumed concussion, Nash has five goals 

in four games, all Ranger wins. 

“At this stage in his career, as I said when we got (Nash), I think it’s perfect 

timing for the Rangers and for him to join us in this type of situation,” 

Tortorella said. “And I think he has a mind-set that he accepts the 


Nash also fed a pass to the net in overtime to Michael Del Zotto that led to 

a hooking penalty by Michael Grabner (one goal), sending the Rangers on 

the power play, where Nash then got the primary assist on Gaborik’s gamewinner. 

In the third period, Tortorella rolled two lines: Stepan, Nash and Carl 

Hagelin for eight minutes and the second group of Gaborik, rookie J.T. 

Miller and Callahan for about seven. The Rangers held a 15-9 shot 

advantage in those final 20 minutes in topping the Isles (10-11-3, 23 

points), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. 

Underscoring the late heroics, defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan 

Girardi reunited to shut down John Tavares’ top line in the absence of the 

injured Marc Staal (eye) – who remains out indefinitely – backed by a 

strong performance from Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves), including a huge 

second-period stop on Matt Martin’s shorthanded breakaway. 

Veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik played a serviceable 15:48 after 

being claimed off waivers Wednesday from the Washington Capitals, and 

Richards delivered good news in the morning that he is dealing with shortterm 

neck and back issues but not concussion symptoms and hopes to play 

in the near future. 





division 










RELATED: NASH, GABORIK POWER RANGERS OVER ISLES IN OT 















Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT lifts Rangers over Islanders 

By ARTHUR STAPLE arthur.staple at newsday.com 

The Islanders were five minutes and change away from the sort of grind-itout 

win that could have left them feeling primed for the second half of the 

season. 

But it's hard to grind anything out against the Rangers and Rick Nash. 

Nash's neat deflection of Derek Stepan's shot tied the score at 1 with 5:23 

to play before the Rangers got the break they needed with a quick power 

play in overtime. 

Marian Gaborik delivered the power-play winner at 42 seconds of OT, 

giving the Rangers a 2-1 victory at sold-out Nassau Coliseum. 

It was the Rangers' fourth victory in a row, solidifying their hold on a topeight 

Eastern Conference spot, and left the Islanders as dejected as they've 

been all season. 

"I thought we were playing well and we just needed to keep playing our 

game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said of his team's push for the tying 

goal. 

He rode two lines for much of the third period and rode Nash in particular 

until he broke through, not with one of his bull rushes to the net but by flying 

through a shooting lane to tip Stepan's point shot down and past Evgeni 

Nabokov, who made 35 saves and otherwise stood out. 

"The third period has been his period," Tortorella said of Nash, who has 

scored all eight of his goals this season in the third. "He has a mind-set that 

he accepts the responsibility. He doesn't say [anything], just goes out and 

plays." 

The Islanders were livid after Michael Grabner was whistled for hooking 

down Michael Del Zotto as the Rangers defenseman drove to the net 21 

seconds into overtime, perhaps not so much for that call but for the fact that 

a hard-hitting, hard-fought game brought the Islanders no power plays. 

"Maybe we're wrong, maybe they played a real clean game," Matt Martin 

said. "We're in one of the toughest divisions in the league, and they're pretty 

far from a soft team. It's very frustrating." 

"It's probably the toughest one this year," said Nabokov, who stoned Nash's 

other six shots and had one of his stronger games this season. "We had the 

game in our hands. That's exactly how the playoffs are. It was a great 

atmosphere; I wish we could have that atmosphere every night here." 

The Islanders attempted to make Grabner's first-period goal stand up and 

tried to win for the first time this season (0-10-0) when scoring fewer than 

three goals. 

Despite being outshot, the Islanders were able to control the front of their 

own net and generate chances off the counterattack. Martin had a 

shorthanded breakaway late in the second that Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves) 

denied and Matt Moulson and Grabner each had break-in chances that 

missed. 

"We get one of those and it's 2-0, it's a different game," Jack Capuano said. 

"I feel bad for the guys. They deserved a couple power plays, but [the 

Rangers] got the break in OT and they took advantage." 

"We've just got to try and put this one behind us, tough as it is," said John 

Tavares, who was held off the scoresheet. "We have to keep building off 

what we've done the past few games." 

The Islanders finish their seven-game homestand Saturday against the 

Caps with another chance to reach .500. The Rangers return to the Garden 

Friday night to face the Senators with a chance to keep climbing up the 

East ladder. They are six points back of the Atlantic Division-leading 

Penguins with two games in hand. 

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ex-Islander Micheal Haley returns with Rangers 


Micheal Haley became a fast fan favorite when he fought his way -- 

sometimes quite literally -- up from the East Coast League to the Islanders' 

lineup in the course of the previous three seasons, posting 151 penalty 

minutes in 43 games. 

The Islanders weren't interested in giving Haley, now 26, a one-way 

contract, so the Rangers snapped him up to add him as a potential enforcer 

call-up. Haley was back at the Coliseum with the Rangers Thursday night. 

"I'm just trying to show the Rangers' management that this is where I want 

to be," Haley said Thursday afternoon. "Sure, there's going to be some 

emotions, but there's no ill feelings towards anybody here. Every first I ever 

had came here. They gave me my break." 

Haley's most memorable night at the Coliseum was the crazy game with the 

Penguins on Feb. 11, 2011. In addition to the 342 penalty minutes that were 

handed out, Haley not only challenged Penguins goaltender Brent Johnson 

to a fight but scored one of his two NHL goals. 

Boulton in 

With Haley and Stu Bickel dressed for the Rangers, Jack Capuano decided 

to beef up his own roster by dressing Eric Boulton and sitting David 

Ullstrom. Boulton skated on a line with Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin. 

Lubomir Visnovsky is due to return to the U.S. and the Islanders Friday. 

Katie Beers drops puck 

Katie Beers, who was abducted and chained in a basement for two weeks 

as a 10-year-old in Bay Shore in 1992, was on hand to drop a ceremonial 

first puck in honor of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 

Night. The center is supported by Islanders owner Charles Wang. 


662066 New York Rangers 

Rick Nash ties game with another third period goal, Marian Gaborik wins it 

as NY Rangers top NY Islanders, 2-1, in OT 


Thursday, March 7, 2013, 10:04 PM 

John Tortorella has unleashed Rick Nash, and he can’t be stopped, but in 

Thursday night’s 2-1 comeback overtime win over the Islanders at Nassau 

Coliseum, the Rangers’ coach received an exciting reminder: 

There are two game-breakers on this roster. 

Marian Gaborik, a three-time 40-goal scorer who had fallen out of the topsix 

rotation before Brad Richards injured his neck and back on Sunday, 

blasted a slap shot through Ryan Callahan’s screen on the power play 42 

seconds into OT to complete a dramatic comeback in the Rangers’ fourth 

straight victory. 

“We knew he had it in him,” said center Derek Stepan (two assists), who 

played a huge chunk of last season with Gaborik when the Slovakian 

winger carried this team’s offense. “He got good wood on the first (attempt 

that was blocked), and he gets the puck back, he’s not discouraged, cranks 

it up and scores a big goal for us.” 

“I haven’t scored in a while,” said Gaborik, who tallied for the first time in 

nine games, “and to get a goal of this much importance feels great.” 

The Rangers (12-8-2, 26) were in a position to pick up two points because 

Nash had deflected a Stepan point shot past stingy Islanders goalie Evgeni 

Nabokov (35 saves) with 5:23 remaining in the third period. It was Nash’s 

eighth goal of the season — tied with Gaborik for the team lead — but 

Nash’s eight are unique: he has scored all eight in the third period of 

games. Since returning from a presumed concussion, Nash has five goals 

in four games, all Ranger wins. 

“At this stage in his career, as I said when we got (Nash), I think it’s perfect 

timing for the Rangers and for him to join us in this type of situation,” 

Tortorella said. “And I think he has a mind-set that he accepts the 


Nash also fed a pass to the net in overtime to Michael Del Zotto that led to 

a hooking penalty by Michael Grabner (one goal), sending the Rangers on 

the power play, where Nash then got the primary assist on Gaborik’s gamewinner. 

In the third period, Tortorella rolled two lines: Stepan, Nash and Carl 

Hagelin for eight minutes and the second group of Gaborik, rookie J.T. 

Miller and Callahan for about seven. The Rangers held a 15-9 shot 

advantage in those final 20 minutes in topping the Isles (10-11-3, 23 

points), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. 

Underscoring the late heroics, defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Dan 

Girardi reunited to shut down John Tavares’ top line in the absence of the 

injured Marc Staal (eye) – who remains out indefinitely – backed by a 

strong performance from Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves), including a huge 

second-period stop on Matt Martin’s shorthanded breakaway. 

Veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik played a serviceable 15:48 after 

being claimed off waivers Wednesday from the Washington Capitals, and 

Richards delivered good news in the morning that he is dealing with shortterm 

neck and back issues but not concussion symptoms and hopes to play 

in the near future. 



Quirk in the N.H.L. Visor Debate: Fighters Get Penalized 

By DHIREN MAHIBAN 

Toronto's Frazer McLaren says the N.H.L.'s visor rule is good for 

fighters.Mark Blinch/Reuters Toronto’s Frazer McLaren says the N.H.L.’s 

visor rule is good for fighters. 

Rangers defenseman Marc Staal’s recent eye injury has again highlighted 

the hot-button issue of visors. The N.H.L. has expressed its desire to make 

them mandatory, but right now, it actually has a rule penalizing those who 

do wear them. 

Rule 46.6 in the N.H.L. rule book states: “If a player penalized as an 

instigator of an altercation is wearing a face shield (including a goalkeeper), 

he shall be assessed an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.” 

While the league says it wants to promote player safety by having all 

players wear visors, but players say they’re reluctant to wear a visor if 

they’re likely to fight because they don’t want to further penalize their team. 

“That’s probably my biggest reason,” said Maple Leafs defenseman Mark 

Fraser of removing his visor, because fighting “is part of my role on this 

team and it just prevents me from any larger penalties and also sort of the 

unwritten rule that if you’re going to fight with a visor you’d have to take 

your helmet off completely.” 

Fraser said the league is sitting on the fence when it comes to player safety 

with the rule. 

“It does seem a little contradictory perhaps, because obviously a lot of guys 

that do (take the visor off), that might be part of their justification,” said 

Fraser, who has 18 N.H.L. fights in his career, according to 

hockeyfights.com. “I’d rather keep my helmet on with no visor than take it 

off completely because part of player safety as well is concussions and 

falling down and hitting your head or whatever else.” 

Fraser’s teammate, Frazer McLaren, also believes the rule prompts fighters 

to keep the visor off. 

“From a fighter’s perspective it’s not really that ridiculous because if 

someone instigates a fight with you who’s got a visor on, it’s tough for the 

guy without the visor because the other guy’s face is protected. In that 

sense it’s a good rule for some of the fighters,” said McLaren, who has 26 

career fights, including the Wednesday night knockout blow he delivered to 

Ottawa’s Dave Dziurzynski. 

“At the same sense I understand the angle you’re coming from where it kind 

of probably deters some players from wearing visors, who might have 

originally worn them. “ 

Then there’s Senators tough guy Chris Neil, who appears to be in denial 

about visors preventing eye injuries. 

Neil was struck in the eye in January 2011 by the stick of Montreal’s Max 

Pacioretty. He wasn’t wearing a visor then and still doesn’t. 

“I think that situation is a fluke accident, but as far as sticks coming up, 

that’s the scary thing,” Neil said, referring to Staal’s injury. “I think if 

everyone’s wearing no visor guys would be more respectful around the 

league with their sticks.” 

Despite players such as Tye McGinn of the Flyers, who has three fights this 

season, and Kings forward Colin Fraser now wearing visors, Neil had this to 

say regarding Rule 46.6: “I don’t really look at that either because, you 

know, usually guys aren’t fighting if they’re wearing visors.” 

Chris Phillips, who is the Senators’ union rep who sustained an eye injury in 

1998, admits the rule does raise some red flags. 

“That’s what makes it a good debate, you don’t want to see guys get hurt,” 

Phillips said. “I’ve seen guys take their helmets off in sort of respect to each 

other … you don’t want to see a guy get a concussion cause he’s fallen 

down in a fight and hit his head. There’s always a trickle-down effect from 

doing certain things that makes it a good debate. At the end of the day you 

don’t want to see guys get hurt.” 



Brad Richards resting neck and back but is not dealing with concussion 

symptoms; Roman Hamrlik joins NY Rangers 

By Pat Leonard 

Brad Richards did not skate at Nassau Coliseum Thursday morning and will 

miss his second straight game when the Rangers take on the Islanders at 7 

p.m., but Richards did deliver the good news that he is not dealing with a 

concussion from the Patrick Kaleta hit Sunday night. 

“It’s not a long-term thing,” Richards said in a hallway outside the Rangers’ 

locker room. “I went in (to the boards) pretty hard. I’ve just got to let the 

body regroup a little bit here … Obviously, the neck and back are a little 

locked up.” 

Richards was asked how relieved he feels that he is not experiencing 

concussion symptoms, which forced him to miss games with the Dallas 

Stars during the 2010-11 season. 

“Yeah, I don’t know where you want to start on how bad it could have 

been,” Richards said. “Overall, I’m standing here talking about trying to play 

right now, and that’s a few days after (the hit), so I’m pretty fortunate I 

think.” 

Richards tested himself on the ice at Tuesday morning’s skate in 

Greenburgh but that day said “sometimes you just think if I get going, I’ll get 

moving, but that morning it went the other way. 

“It’s getting better as the week goes,” he continued. “Each day I wake up 

and hope I can get out and do something, but there’s no sense in making it 

go backwards and not being able to help the team.” 

Richards also had some pointed words for Kaleta, who drove the Rangers 

center head first into the boards in Sunday’s third period between the 

Rangers and Sabres at the Garden. The context of the question was 

whether Richards thought Kaleta’s five-game suspension from the NHL was 

appropriate: 

“I don’t know what’s appropriate,” Richards said. “I just hope that someone 

doesn’t have a broken neck and get carried off in a stretcher for that to sink 

in that it’s just a crazy play. You learn that in pee-wee that you see 

someone’s numbers, you just don’t do that. So hopefully something worse 

doesn’t have to happen. We have to make a point on that.” 

THE HAMR DROPS 

The Rangers welcomed veteran defenseman Roman Hamrlik to their locker 

room Thursday morning, though on this day that meant the visitors’ locker 

room at Nassau Coliseum, where Hamrlik was an Islander from 2000-01 

through 2003-04. 

The Blueshirts (11-8-2, 24 points) and Islanders (10-11-2, 22 points) are 

prepared to tangle for the third time this season, and Hamrlik will start on 

the third pairing with Steve Eminger. Hamrlik said he is glad the Rangers 

are giving him a chance by claiming him off waivers on Wednesday. 

“Happy, excited, anxious to play,” Hamrlik said. “This is a really good team, 

with one of the best goaltenders in the league. They have some great 

defensemen who can skate and move the puck, lots of speed in the front. I 

think this team is a Stanley Cup contender and they have a chance to go 

far. 

“From my experience we played them last year in the playoffs and it was a 

huge, big series and unfortunate for the Capitals, but now I’m happy to be 

here and hopefully I get a chance to play hockey.” 

Hamrlik, 38, had been scratched all but four games this season by Capitals 

first-year coach Adam Oates, a fact he obviously wished he could change, 

though it’s now not his concern. 

“I played with Mike Green (in the playoffs) and we did pretty good, but 

there’s been lots of changes over the summer with the coaching staff with 

Washington and I think I can’t make the (lineup) decision,” Hamrlik. “But I 

wish they could’ve given me a little bit more of a chance to play hockey. But 

that’s in the past.” 

Rangers center Jeff Halpern played with Hamrlik both in Montreal and 

Washington and said the team is getting a defenseman who can fit the 

team’s system. 

“He’s a real steady, smart player, he plays big, he can play on the boards, 

blocks a lot of shots and just makes a lot of smart decisions,” Halpern said. 

LINES AND PAIRS 

Here is the Rangers’ starting lineup for Thursday night: 

F: Hagelin-Stepan-Nash, Gaborik-Miller-Callahan, Pyatt-Boyle-Powe, 

Haley-Halpern-Bickel 

D: McDonagh-Girardi, Del Zotto-Stralman, Hamrlik-Eminger 

G: Lundqvist 

Healthy scratch: Gilroy 

Injured: Richards (neck, back; day-to-day), Asham (back; IR), Staal 

(eye/face; out indefinitely). 

ISLES FACE HUGE TEST 

Here are a couple morning quotes from Islanders head coach Jack 

Capuano and center John Tavares: 

Capuano, asked how to play against a player like Rick Nash:“When you 

have elite players in this league – he’s big, he’s strong, he’s got a 

tremendous reach – you try to contain him. You know they’re gonna get 

their opportunities at some point during a game. That’s the way these guys 

are. We just have to make sure that we know when he’s on the ice, clock 

management, puck management.” 

Capuano, on the challenge the Rangers pose: “The Rangers are a strong 

team. I mean you guys all picked them to win the division, and even some 

guys picked them to win the Stanley Cup. So we know what we’re up 

against. We know they’re a top team in the division, we know they’re a solid 

team, they’ve got great goaltending. Special teams is going well for them 

right now, so it’s a great test for our team.” 

Tavares on whether he wants to prove himself as a top player when 

another top player such as Nash is on the opposing team: “Not so much. I 

think the game is too much of a team sport to worry about that. You can’t 

really control all the things he does or how things are going with maybe 

guys he’s playing with and stuff like that. So I think mostly when you’re out 

there, you try to win the battles against whomever you’re playing against as 

a line and as a five-, six-man unit.” 

Tavares on whether this game means more at this juncture of season for 

Isles than maybe in years past: “This game at this point in the season, 

compared to the midway point of my first few years, it’s a pretty big game in 

terms of the standings. So that makes it that much more important, and 

since there’s only so many games left, it makes it even more important 

knowing how many points are available and how many times we’re playing 

against everybody in our conference. It juts emphasizes things a little bit 

more. I think you’re going to see a physical game, a fast game, obviously 

the motions are going to be there.” 



Crushed Ice: J.T. Miller mans center vs. Flyers in Brad Richards' absence, 

penalty kill struggles but power play scores again 


I never got a chance on Wednesday to rehash the details of the Rangers’ 4- 

2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night, so here are some 

tidbits: 

With Brad Richards out, rookie J.T. Miller switched back to center, a 

position both he and coach John Tortorella have admitted he is not ready to 

play at the NHL level. But Miller has continued to learn in his 13 games, and 

immediately on Tuesday he demonstrated better awareness in his own 

zone. 

Miller dropped low to the back boards to support defenseman Dan Girardi, 

received a pass and led the charge out of the zone with an outlet that led 

eventually to a three-on-two Rangers rush and a Marian Gaborik shot on 

goal. 

“When I make a good play in the defensive zone, I have to get something 

out of it, because it’s just as important as making a good play in the 

offensive zone,” Miller said after the game, acknowledging a positive 

opening defensive shift helped him get into the flow. 

Miller centered Gaborik on the left wing and Ryan Callahan on the right, 

while Tortorella moved Derek Stepan up with Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash 

and relied on a checking line of Taylor Pyatt, Brian Boyle and Darroll Powe 

while on the fourth line, Micheal Haley played to the left of Jeff Halpern and 

Stu Bickel took the right wing. 

Miller humorously said after the game that he was “atrocious in the faceoff 

circle” early in the game, going 0-for-6 in the first period 0-for his first seven. 

But he said once he got more comfortable in the circle, he felt better about 

his effort. Miller went 8-for-9 the rest of the way to finish 8-of-16 on the 

night. 

MORE NOTES 

The Rangers’ penalty kill, which had gone 11-for-11 the past three games, 

was a disappointing 1-for-3 in Tuesday’s first period. On the flip side, the 

Blueshirts now have scored a power play in three straight games for the 

first time all season after Callahan scored in the first period. 

“We have been strong on the penalty kill, (but) I think we gave them a few 

too many chances around the net,” said defensenman Ryan McDonagh, 

who assisted on Callahan’s second goal on even strength later in the first. 

“For the most part when we can throw pucks in the offensive zone and run 

down to catch the line change on that second goal and get the momentum 

back, that was a huge turning point.” 

NASHTY 

Rick Nash has seven goals this season, tied with Callahan, Hagelin and 

Gaborik for the team lead. The unique part about Nash’s goals, though, is 

that he’s scored all of them in the third period. 

HANK THE TANK 

Henrik Lundqvist made 11 of his 23 saves in Tuesday’s third period and 

now has won three straight games, improving to 10-7-1 overall and 8-4-0 at 

home. Lundqvist has held opponents to two goals or less in 11 of his last 15 

games, posting a record of 9-5-1 with a 1.98 goals against average and a 

.927 save percentage in those 15 games. 

THE SKED 

New York’s five games-in-eight-days marathon continues with a road-home 

back-to-back beginning Thursday night against the Islanders at Nassau 

Coliseum (7 p.m.). Friday night, the Rangers will host the Ottawa Senators 

(7 p.m.) at the Garden. 

The fifth game in the eight-day stretch, Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in 

Washington, D.C., begins the Blueshirts’ longest road trip of the season. 

New York will visit the capital and then Buffalo (Tuesday), Winnipeg (next 

Thursday) and Pittsburgh (next Saturday). 





division 





Friday, March 8, 2013, 1:27 AM 























5 Questions with Dave Maloney 

By JUSTIN TERRANOVA 



Former Rangers defenseman and MSG Network analyst Dave Maloney 

talks about the Rangers’ uneven start to the season, his early impressions 

of Rick Nash and the Blackhawks with The Post’s Justin Terranova. 

Q: Were you surprised by the up-and-down start by the Rangers? 

A: There was a lot of optimism coming into the season, but I had always 

been a little bit suspect of the bodies that were turned over for a team that 

was so close to the Stanley Cup Finals. Now you have a roster that looks a 

lot different than it did. Right now with a chance to digest everything they 

are probably about where they should be. 

Q: They went on a four-game losing streak when Rick Nash was hurt. Are 

they too top-heavy with the trade? 

A: No, I think better is still ahead for this group. J.T. Miller, Taylor Pyatt, 

Darroll Powe have been nice fill-ins. They had 3 1/2 years under (John) 

Tortorella with basically the same group evolving. I don’t think you can 

underestimate how important the trust is that had grown between the 

players and coach. That takes time to build. 

Q: What has impressed you about Nash since he joined the team? 

A: He’s unbelievably effective in an unorthodox way. He’ll put his body in 

positions and yet maintain control enough to make a play. He uses his body 

and his length somewhat like Jaromir Jagr, perhaps not as powerfully as 

Jagr. But he protects the puck and has that sense of vision with the play 

and what he can do. 

Q: Were the expectations too high for Chris Kreider? 

A: The adjustment to the NHL is more than on the ice. He didn’t have to 

grind it out and deal with adversity last spring. But there are still reasons to 

think he’ll be a factor this season. But at the end of the day, it’s never a bad 

thing for a kid to spend the start of his career in the minor leagues and get 

used to the NHL life. 

Q: What do you attribute to the Blackhawks’ amazing start? 

A: They are deep, they are skilled. It’s a story that includes many parts. You 

cannot underestimate a team being healthy. This is by and large a team 

that won a Cup two years ago with the same coach. Their best players are 

in the right part of their career. 



Momentum continues in fourth straight win 

By LARRY BROOKS 


A Terrific hockey game took place at the Coliseum last night, a throwback 

installment of the Battle of New York between the Rangers and Islanders, a 

physical match played with pace and passion from start to finish in a 

Coliseum that rocked in unison with the athletes. 

“Fun game,” Henrik Lundqvist said after the Blueshirts recorded their fourth 

straight victory, this 2-1 in overtime. “The crowd was great, the play was 

intense. 

“It felt good to be a part of.” 

For the first time this year, it feels as if the Rangers are on a roll, building 

from one game to the next, establishing a foundation off which to 

springboard from the margins of the playoffs to the upper-echelon of the 

East. 

“It’s coming,” said Derek Stepan, who was strong on his skates and the 

puck all night. “It’s coming.” 

It is, of course, no coincidence that this winning streak has coincided with 

Rick Nash’s return after a four-game absence during which the club could 

not win a game, going 0-3-1. 

And it was The Big Easy whose deflection of Stepan’s long one finally beat 

Evgeni Nabokov at 14:37 of the third to tie the game after the Rangers had 

trailed since 11:51 of the first. 

“Rick being the player he is just stepped up again,” Stepan said. “He has so 

many special attributes, it’s amazing.” 

Nash tied it and then Marian Gaborik, one of the NHL’s most accomplished 

finishers, perhaps you had forgotten, finished it by driving a 40-footer from 

the top through both a Ryan Callahan screen and Nabokov on the power 

play just 42 second into OT. 

If you had forgotten about the scoring prowess of Gaborik, sixth in the NHL 

in goals since his arrival on Broadway for the 2009-10 season, you’re 

excused. Fact is, The Great Gabby hadn’t scored in eight straight and had 

two goals in his last 16 while scoring in just four of the Blueshirts’ first 21 

games. 

“It’s been a little bit frustrating, but I’ve tried to stay positive,” Gaborik said. 

“But it definitely helps to score a goal.” 

Gaborik has been shifted both to left wing after a career on the right side 

and around the lineup even more than usual by coach John Tortorella, who 

doesn’t necessarily seem to believe No. 10 has a place among his top six 

forwards when the club is healthy. 

Gaborik has skated on a second unit with J.T. Miller the last two games 

while Brad Richards recuperates from his trip into the boards last Sunday, 

but the winger had opened the previous pair on a third line centered by 

Brian Boyle. 

“It is what it is, but I’m not complaining,” Gaborik told The Post. “It’s a little 

bit different for me, but whatever it takes for us to win and to balance out 

the lines, I’ll do whatever I can to be at my best.” 

The Rangers matched the Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi pair against the 

John Tavares-Matt Moulson-Brad Boyes combination as much as possible. 

Tortorella ponied up on the Nash-Stepan-Carl Hagelin and Gaborik-Miller- 

Callahan units in the third, rolling those two lines for 15 of the period’s 19 

shifts into the tying goal. 

“We were in their faces all game and I think that made the difference in the 

third,” McDonagh said. “When you’re playing against a player as good as 

Tavares, you want to force him and his line to play in their own zone as 

much as possible.” 

The Islanders put up a noble effort. It wasn’t quite good enough. It doesn’t 

mean they’re going away even if this victory on top of Tuesday’s triumph 

over the Flyers leads you to believe the Rangers finally have it going. 

“We have a long way to go and we have to stay on an even keel,” 

McDonagh said. “But we’re getting a real good feeling about ourselves.” 



Gaborik, Nash lead Rangers as Isles blame officiating 

By BRETT CYRGALIS 

Brooks on The Rangers were not given anything last night, no matter how 

many dirty looks and slanted words the Islanders had for the referees 

afterward. 

Once Marian Gaborik blasted home a slap shot 42 seconds into overtime, 

giving the Rangers a 2-1 win, it was the fact Michael Grabner sat in the 

home team’s penalty box at the Coliseum that seemed to irk those storming 

off more than anything. 

“If that’s the way [the referee] wants to call the game, that’s the way he calls 

the game,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said, his team not getting one 

chance on the man-advantage the whole game compared to the Rangers’ 

three. “I feel bad for our guys because they worked hard tonight and they 

deserved at least one or two power plays. So it [stinks], but there’s nothing 

you can do about it.” 

In going off the ice after Gaborik scored, the Islanders (10-11-3) got two 

game misconducts, one on forward Kyle Okposo and one on the “team 

staff” aimed at assistant coach Brent Thompson, both of whom vehemently 

let their point of views known to the men in stripes. 

“You can’t dwell on the referees,” Capuano said, clearly still steamed as his 

team’s two-game winning streak is no more. “You can’t dwell on only 

getting one point instead of two.” 

The Rangers (12-8-2), who host the Senators tonight, have won four in a 

row, not at all coincidental with the return of superstar winger Rick Nash. 

With just over five minutes remaining in the game, the Islanders up 1-0 after 

a first-period Grabner goal, Nash settled into position on the left circle and 

deflected in a Derek Stepan point shot. 

“He doesn’t speak,” Rangers’ coach John Tortorella said about Nash. “He 

just goes out and plays.” 

All of Nash’s eight goals this season have come in the third period, and he 

now has five goals and three assists in four games since returning from his 

four-game absence. 

“It’s a pretty easy mindset — you get a chance to pass it over to Rick Nash, 

you get it over to Rick Nash,” Stepan said. “He just seems to break guys 

down one-on-one, make great passes. He just gets the job done.” 

The passing is what led to the game winner, as Nash came streaking up the 

right side in overtime and tossed one toward a streaking Michael Del Zotto. 

Grabner hooked him down — whether the Islanders believe it or not — and 

on the ensuing 4-on-3 power play, Gaborik slammed one over the glove of 

Evgeni Nabokov (35 saves) for his first goal in eight games. 

“He scores a big goal,” Tortorella said of Gaboirk. “I’m sure it’s going to help 

his confidence.” 

Although it was low-scoring, both teams played well throughout with few 

turnovers and sparkling goaltending. Nabokov seemed destined for his 

second shutout of the season before Nash ruined it, and Henrik Lundqvist 

stood tall when he needed to in making 28 saves. 

Whether the call on Grabner was warranted or not — and whether the 

Islanders deserved at least one power play they didn’t get — are regardless 

of the fact that in a tight game, sometimes the smallest things can make a 

difference. 

“I thought we were playing well throughout the game and we just needed to 

stay with it,” Tortorella said. “Just play our game, and that’s what we did.” 



Hamrlik sees action, but defenseman ‘not in shape’ 

By BRETT CYRGALIS 


Brooks on The Rangers didn’t waste any time in getting the new guy into 

the mix. 

In their 2-1 overtime win over the Islanders Thursday night at the Coliseum, 

coach John Tortorella immediately inserted veteran defenseman Roman 

Hamrlik into the lineup just one day after claiming him off waivers from the 

Capitals. 

“He’s not in shape, there’s no question,” Tortorella said after he played the 

38-year-old Hamrlik 15:48 in a pairing with Steve Eminger. “But a guy like 

that, who has played so long, can get things done because of the savvy. So 

good for him. He joins us and he was part of it tonight.” 

Hamrlik was scratched for 16 out of the Capitals’ first 20 games — and 16 

of 17 — before the team put him on waivers Tuesday. He was riding a 

stationary bike after last night’s game, and was not delusional about what 

he needs to do to continue being the lineup. 

“I can feel better,” Hamrlik said, smiling. “It’s not easy when you’re 38 years 

old and you haven’t played in a month.” 

The main reason the Rangers needed to put a claim in for him was the loss 

of alternate captain Marc Staal. The 26-year-old defenseman sustained a 

right-eye injury in the third period of Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Flyers when 

he took a deflected slap shot directly in the face. Staal is out indefinitely, but 

two doctors said Wednesday the injury isn’t career threatening. 

“Forget about the game, just for the person you’re happy about that,” said 

Tortorella, who kept Matt Gilroy a scratch for the fourth straight game to 

make room for Hamrlik. “That’s a situation where what you’re thinking about 

first and foremost is the person.” 

Rookie center J.T. Miller continued to log big minutes, getting 17:56 while 

on a second line with Marian Gaborik and Ryan Callahan. Tortorella was 

pleased with the 19-year-old’s play, but was not about to fully concede. 

“He’s still a dummy sometimes,” Tortorella said. “But he continues to try and 

make a difference. That’s something I always look for in young kids.” 

Former Islander Micheal Haley suited up for his second straight game with 

the Rangers, and the pugilistic forward played 5:33. To counter, the 

Islanders replaced David Ullstrom with tough-guy and former Devil Eric 

Boulton, who played 8:30. 

The closest thing there was to a fight came when Joe Finley and Stu Bickel 

dropped the gloves after the whistle, 11:07 into the second period, but 

before either could throw a punch, they were put in the box for 

unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Rangers forward Arron Asham missed his seventh game in a row with what 

he described as back spasms. 



Rangers notes: Brad Richards "fortunate" 

Friday, March 8, 2013 

The Record 

Richards ‘fortunate’ 

C Brad Richards missed his second straight game Thursday night after 

being cross checked from behind by Patrick Kaleta in Sunday’s 3-2 

shootout win over the Sabres, which earned Kaleta a five-game 

suspension. 

Richards said he is not dealing with a concussion or long-term absence, 

though he does not have a timetable for a return. His neck and back are "a 

little locked up" but, having missed 10 games because of a concussion with 

the Stars in 2010-11, Richards is obviously relieved. 

"I don’t know where you want to start, how bad it could have been," 

Richards said. "Overall, I’m standing here talking about trying to play right 

now and that’s a few days after so I’m pretty fortunate." 

Richards was also asked whether a five-game suspension was appropriate. 

"I don’t know what’s appropriate," Richards said. "I just hope that someone 

doesn’t have to have a broken neck and get carried off on a stretch for that 

to sink in. We learn in Pee Wee if you see somebody’s number, you just 

don’t do that." 

Sadly, Richards’ comments came the same day it was reported that Swiss 

League player Ronny Keller sustained permanent spinal paralysis after 

being cross-checked into the boards from behind on Tuesday. 

Another chance 

Veteran D Roman Hamrlik logged 15:48 in his Rangers’ debut after being 

claimed off waivers from the Capitals on Wednesday. He was a healthy 

scratch in all but four of Washington’s first 21 games and hadn’t played 

since Feb. 7. 

Coach John Tortorella said Hamrlik’s conditioning needs to improve and 

Hamrlik agreed. 

"I can definitely feel better," Hamrlik said. "It’s not easy when you’re 38 

years old, and I haven’t played for one month. It’s going to take a couple of 

games." 

— Andrew Gross 



Brad Richards improving after cross-check but sits against Islanders 

By STEVE ZIPAY steve.zipay at newsday.com 

Brad Richards missed his second straight game Thursday night with neck 

and back issues after taking a cross-check from behind Sunday by Buffalo's 

Patrick Kaleta, who was suspended five games. 

Richards is improving but remains irate. "I just hope that someone doesn't 

have to have a broken neck and get carried off on a stretcher for that to sink 

in that it's just a crazy play," said Richards, who added that his neck and 

back were "locked up" but that he did not suffer a concussion. "We learn 

that in Pee Wee: If you see somebody's numbers [on the back of a jersey], 

you just don't do that. Hopefully, something worse doesn't have to happen 

where we have to make a point on that." 

The veteran center, who is 2-11-13 in 20 games, did not skate earlier in the 

day at Nassau Coliseum. He said he feels better but is being cautious. 

"Each day I wake up hoping I can get out and do something," Richards 

said, "but there's no sense in making it go backwards or not helping the 

team." 

On Tuesday, he began the morning skate in Westchester but left early. 

"When you wake up sometimes you just think, 'If I get going, get moving . . . 

,' " he said. "But that morning, it went the other way, so I just got off and 

started over." 

Being sidelined is "not a long-term thing," Richards said. "I went in pretty 

hard. I just need to let the body regroup a little bit. Overall, I'm standing here 

talking about trying to play right now, and that's a few days after, so I'm 

pretty fortunate." 



Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT lifts Rangers over Islanders 


The Islanders were five minutes and change away from the sort of grind-itout 

win that could have left them feeling primed for the second half of the 

season. 

But it's hard to grind anything out against the Rangers and Rick Nash. 

Nash's neat deflection of Derek Stepan's shot tied the score at 1 with 5:23 

to play before the Rangers got the break they needed with a quick power 

play in overtime. 

Marian Gaborik delivered the power-play winner at 42 seconds of OT, 

giving the Rangers a 2-1 victory at sold-out Nassau Coliseum. 

It was the Rangers' fourth victory in a row, solidifying their hold on a topeight 

Eastern Conference spot, and left the Islanders as dejected as they've 

been all season. 

"I thought we were playing well and we just needed to keep playing our 

game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said of his team's push for the tying 

goal. 

He rode two lines for much of the third period and rode Nash in particular 

until he broke through, not with one of his bull rushes to the net but by flying 

through a shooting lane to tip Stepan's point shot down and past Evgeni 

Nabokov, who made 35 saves and otherwise stood out. 

"The third period has been his period," Tortorella said of Nash, who has 

scored all eight of his goals this season in the third. "He has a mind-set that 

he accepts the responsibility. He doesn't say [anything], just goes out and 

plays." 

The Islanders were livid after Michael Grabner was whistled for hooking 

down Michael Del Zotto as the Rangers defenseman drove to the net 21 

seconds into overtime, perhaps not so much for that call but for the fact that 

a hard-hitting, hard-fought game brought the Islanders no power plays. 

"Maybe we're wrong, maybe they played a real clean game," Matt Martin 

said. "We're in one of the toughest divisions in the league, and they're pretty 

far from a soft team. It's very frustrating." 

"It's probably the toughest one this year," said Nabokov, who stoned Nash's 

other six shots and had one of his stronger games this season. "We had the 

game in our hands. That's exactly how the playoffs are. It was a great 

atmosphere; I wish we could have that atmosphere every night here." 

The Islanders attempted to make Grabner's first-period goal stand up and 

tried to win for the first time this season (0-10-0) when scoring fewer than 

three goals. 

Despite being outshot, the Islanders were able to control the front of their 

own net and generate chances off the counterattack. Martin had a 

shorthanded breakaway late in the second that Henrik Lundqvist (27 saves) 

denied and Matt Moulson and Grabner each had break-in chances that 

missed. 

"We get one of those and it's 2-0, it's a different game," Jack Capuano said. 

"I feel bad for the guys. They deserved a couple power plays, but [the 

Rangers] got the break in OT and they took advantage." 

"We've just got to try and put this one behind us, tough as it is," said John 

Tavares, who was held off the scoresheet. "We have to keep building off 

what we've done the past few games." 

The Islanders finish their seven-game homestand Saturday against the 

Caps with another chance to reach .500. The Rangers return to the Garden 

Friday night to face the Senators with a chance to keep climbing up the 

East ladder. They are six points back of the Atlantic Division-leading 

Penguins with two games in hand. 



Marian Gaborik's power-play goal in OT gives Rangers a 2-1 win over 

Islanders 

By STEVE ZIPAY steve.zipay at newsday.com 

Rick Nash of the New York Rangers celebrates 

As a three-time 40-goal scorer, Marian Gaborik was feeling the weight of 

drawing a blank in eight straight games. 

He showed signs of emerging with three assists in two games going into 

Thursday night, and his power-play goal in overtime against the Islanders 

not only broke the drought but was a game-winner. 

"I'm sure that's going to help his confidence," coach John Tortorella said 

after Gaborik, in the high slot during a four-on-three, blasted the puck past 

Evgeni Nabokov 42 seconds into OT for a 2-1 win. 

It was the fourth straight victory for the Rangers (12-8-2), who host the 

Senators Friday night. 

"I had a one-timer first and didn't get good wood on it," Gaborik said of his 

initial shot on the shift with Michael Grabner in the box. "I exchanged 

passes with [Rick] Nash, and [Ryan Callahan] was in front and did a really 

good job of screening." 

Said Derek Stepan, "He almost scores on the first one and he gets the puck 

back and he cranks it up again. Two shots in 20 seconds; with a goal-scorer 

like him, something good's going to happen." 

Stepan assisted on both goals. His slap shot was tipped in by Nash at 

14:37 of the third to tie it at 1 and give life to the Rangers, who are 13-3-3 in 

their last 19 against the Islanders. 

Timing is everything. The Rangers, hovering near last in the NHL on the 

power play, had a single shot on the two previous man advantages. But in 

the end, it was their fourth straight game with at least one power-play goal, 

and they are 5-for-15 with the man advantage. 

Of course, if not for Nash, the Rangers might have been shut out for the 

third time, as Nabokov stopped the first 31 shots. 

Nash is tied with Gaborik for the team lead in goals, and all of Nash's have 

come in the third period. Nash, who has 20 points in 18 games, goals in 

four straight and eight points in that span, seems to make the most of his 

late chances. 

"His third periods are his best periods. That's a good sign for his 

conditioning," Tortorella said. "He has a mind-set . . . he accepts the 

responsibility." 

Heading into overtime, Henrik Lundqvist said, "It was a good feeling. We 

worked so hard the entire game to get there. They had a feeling he 

[Nabokov] was going to shut the door, and it felt like it wasn't our night, 

really. We had our chances, but we stayed patient, which was key." 

With Marc Staal (eye) out and defensemen Dan Girardi and Ryan 

McDonagh matched up against John Tavares, other pairs had to contribute. 

One surprise was Roman Hamrlik, 38, claimed off waivers from Washington 

on Wednesday, who played 15:48. "You can see he has some puck skills," 

Tortorella said. "He's not in shape, but a guy like him who's played so long, 

he was a part of it tonight." 



Rangers at Islanders. 

Ya boys have won three in a row as they start the road-heavy portion of 

their schedule at MSG East. They will play 17 of the final 27 on the road. 

After Ottawa at home tomorrow, they go on a four-game trip. 

Roman Hamrlik will likely make his Rangers debut against his former team, 

and Micheal Haley will also play against his former team, which will employ 

Officer Joe Boulton, who was quite active in the slashing/fighting festivities 

in Rangers-Devils last season. 

Brad Richards (back/neck) will not play. Marc Staal (eye) is out indefinitely. 

Reminders: 

Hopefully we have the Three Stars poll up and running tonight. Sorry for the 

glitch during the Flyers-Rangers game. Also, please follow me on Twitter: 

at RangersReport. 

Still have plenty of room for volunteer Three Stars selectors. Email me at 

rcarpini at lohud.com if you’re interested. 

Also, hoping to have at least one Live Chat during the road trip next week. 

Rockland Journal News: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Rangers-Islanders in review 

Posted by: Carp - Posted in Hockey, Lockout, New York Rangers, NHL, 

Rangers Report on Mar 08, 2013 

Thoughts: 

1) That’s at least five OT goals by Gaborik the last two seasons—including 

the triple-OT winner—and three of those on the 4-on-3 PP. He has eight 

goals, same as Rick Nash. He has four game-winners this season, FWIW. I 

know some of you don’t want to hear it—because if he doesn’t score a goal 

every single game he’s a bum to the haters—but not all of his scoreless 

games lately have been bad. I said it was coming along vs. Philly the other 

night, and he was good again on the Isle. 

2) How about the Rangers taking advantage of an icing for the tying goal by 

Rick Nash? Even though skinny Jack Capuano called timeout, his guys 

were out there a while. And, seriously, does Capuano have any legit beef 

(no pun intended) about the call on Michael Del Zotto being taken down in 

OT? 

3) I honestly think this Rick Nash stat, all his goals in the third period, is 

somewhat coincidence. I mean, he’s had a lot of chances in first and 

second periods, too. But it’s pretty cool that all eight goals are in the third. 

And that the Rangers are 12-5-1 when he plays. 

4) Not putting blame, but the Islanders goal, I thought, was all on Nash and 

Derek Stepan. So they really atoned and, with Carl Hagelin, had another 

strong game. Stepan’s been fabulous. 

5) The stand-around and wait for somebody to do something power play 

was back in regulation. And almost gave up another SHG because of a 

forward at the point. 

6) Wait, there was a delayed penalty and Stu Bickel and Micheal Haley 

don’t go for a change immediately? 

7) I will wait before drawing this conclusion conclusively: Roman 

Hamrlik=Bryan McCabe 2.0? He’s not going to be able to play Marc Staal’s 

minutes, and I certainly am not expecting to see Staal again any time soon. 

Hamrlik isn’t, and shouldn’t be expected to be in game shape (scratched for 

16 of the last 17) and can’t have much left if Washington is scratching him 

night after night. Can he? 

8) This I don’t get: Fighting is allowed in hockey. Yet the linesmen break up 

legit fight—when Stu Bickel and Finley wanted to have at it—but night after 

night the linesmen let staged fights go. 

9) What a waste it is to have two talented guys like Kenny Albert and Dave 

Maloney working the radio broadcast and just a few miles from New York 

City you can’t hear them because the Knicks are playing on their channel. 

10) Good thing about the lockout: Only 48 games of the same commercials 

over and over, instead of 82. Though I finally figured out who that guy is in 

the tow truck trying to hook the Quatro in the snow. He’s the H&H Bagel 

guy from the Festivus episode! 

11) Really liked the Anton Stralman-Del Zotto pair in this game; Del Zotto in 

both ends. 

12) And of course, Block Ness Girardi and Ryan McMonster did a great 

good job on John Tavares. 

13) Thought the Rangers actually played a pretty decent game, but that the 

decision to play Henrik Lundqvist really paid off, because there were a few 

major breakdowns and Lundqvist bailed them out. 

14) I imagine Martin Biron gets the start tonight against Ottawa. 

15) Some of the Rangers’ bottom six are having a nice little run during this 

win streak: Darroll Powe and Jeff Halpern among them. 

16) And it seems impossible for the Rangers to win and not mention Ryan 

Callahan … though I don’t know what else to say about him. 

17) Man, for pure fun and entertainment, is there anything better right now 

that Philly-Pittsburgh? 

18) Realignment. I still think it’s a ridiculous plan to play fewer games with 

playoff implications. But … a topic for another day. 

************************************** 

My Three Rangers Stars: 

1. Henrik Lundqvist. 

2. Marian Gaborik. 

3. Rick Nash. 

************************************** 

RangerJHW’s Three Rangers Stars: 

1. Henrik Lundqvist-kept us in there 

2. Rick Nash-knows how to finish 

3. Derek Stepan-solid, solid effort 

HM-Gabby-loves those Isles 

************************************** 

NYR1979’s Three Rangers Stars: 

1. Henrik Lundqvist. 

2. Rick Nash. 

3. Marian Gaborik. 

************************************** 

Your poll vote for Three Rangers Stars: 

1. Rick Nash (29.66 %). 

2. Henrik Lundqvist (24.33 %). 

3. Marian Gaborik (18.25 %). 



Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (OT): Post-game notes 

Posted by: Carp - Posted in Hockey, Lockout, New York Rangers, NHL, 

Rangers Report on Mar 07, 2013 

from the Rangers: 

NEW YORK RANGERS POST-GAME NOTES 

March 7, 2013 (Game 22, Away Game 8) 

Nassau Coliseum – Uniondale, NY 

Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (OT) 

Team Notes: 

The Rangers defeated the New York Islanders, 2-1, in overtime tonight at 

Nassau Coliseum, to extend their winning streak to four games. 

The Blueshirts improved to 12-8-2 (26 pts) overall, including a 3-4-1 mark 

on the road this season. 

The Rangers have registered at least one point in 16 of their last 19 games 

against the Islanders, posting a record of 13-3-3 over the span. 

The Blueshirts tallied one goal in three power play attempts (4:21) in the 

contest, and have now recorded a power play goal in seven of the last 10 

games (8-34, 23.5% over the span). 

The Rangers did not surrender a power play opportunity against in the 

contest. The last time the Rangers did not have to kill a penalty in a game 

was January 10, 2012, in a 2-1 shootout win against Phoenix at MSG. New 

York is now 7-3-1 in games when not allowing a power play goal this 

season. 

The Blueshirts out-shot the Islanders, 37-28, including a 17-9 advantage in 

the third period and overtime. 

Player Notes: 

Rick Nash notched the game-tying goal with 5:23 remaining in regulation, 

tallied the primary assist on the power play, game-winning goal in overtime, 

and registered seven shots on goal in 22:51 of ice time. He has now tallied 

a point in each of his last eight games (six goals, seven assists over the 

span). All eight of Nash’s goals this season have been tallied in the third 

period, which marks the first time in franchise history a player recorded their 

first eight goals of the season in the third period. 

Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves to extend his winning streak to four games 

and improve to 11-7-1 overall, including a 3-3-1 mark on the road this 

season. He has held opponents to two goals or less in 12 of his last 16 

games, posting a record of 10-5-1 with a 1.92 goals against average and 

.929 save percentage over the span. 

Marian Gaborik tallied the game-winning goal, while on the power play, 42 

seconds into overtime to extend his goal streak against the Islanders to 

seven games. He has now registered five points (one goal, four assists) in 

the last five games. 

Derek Stepan recorded two assists, including the primary assist on Nash’s 

game-tying goal and an assist on Gaborik’s power play, game-winning goal 

in overtime, registered four shots on goal and led all forwards with 23:10 of 

ice time. He extended his point streak to four games (two goals, four assists 

during the streak), and has tallied a point in eight of the last 11 games (four 

goals, six assists over the span). 

Carl Hagelin tallied an assist on Nash’s game-tying goal in the third period, 

and registered five shots on goal in 20:59 of ice time. The assist was his 

50th career NHL point. 

Roman Hamrlik logged 15:48 of ice time while making his Rangers debut, 

after being claimed off waivers yesterday from Washington. He is the 13th 

player to make their Rangers regular season debut this season. 

Steve Eminger led the team with five hits and four blocked shots, and 

logged 15:04 of ice time in the contest. 

Team Schedule: 

The Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Ottawa 

Senators tomorrow, Mar. 8, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m. – TV: 

MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), to complete their back-to-back set. 

Please note there is no morning skate scheduled prior to tomorrow’s 

contest. Rangers Head Coach John Tortorella will be available to the media 

at 5:45 p.m. in the Press Conference area, located in the Media Center on 

the fifth floor of Madison Square Garden. 


662082 NHL 

N.H.L. Realignment Plan Gains Union’s Approval 

By JEFF Z. KLEIN 

Published: March 7, 2013 

The N.H.L. Players’ Association announced Thursday its approval of the 

league’s realignment proposal, which would begin next season pending a 

vote next week by the Board of Governors. 

The plan would eliminate the two-conference, six-division setup that has 

been in place since 1998-99 and replace it with a two-conference, fourdivision 

setup, with teams more geographically aligned. 

The reshuffling was spurred by complaints from Western Conference teams 

about heavy travel. 

Under the plan, the Eastern Conference would have 16 teams, the Western 

Conference 14. 

Columbus and Detroit, two teams in the Eastern time zone but currently in 

the Western Conference, would join the clubs in the Eastern time zone. 

Vancouver, Minnesota and other teams in the West will have their travel 

burdens significantly eased by the new setup. 

In the Eastern Conference, a division tentatively labeled the Atlantic would 

include the Rangers, the Islanders, the Devils, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, 

Columbus, Carolina and Washington. 

A Northeast division would group Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, 

Buffalo, Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay. The Panthers and the Lightning 

would benefit from the substantial number of Canadians and Northerners 

living in Florida who attend games when their hometown teams are visiting. 

In the Western Conference, a Central division would contain Chicago, 

Nashville, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Colorado and Dallas. The Jets 

are currently in the Southeast Division, an inconvenience caused by the 

Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg before the start of last season. 

A Pacific division would have Phoenix, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, 

Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton. 

The realignment plan leaves room for adjustments should a team like the 

Coyotes move from Phoenix to one of two new rinks being built in Seattle 

and Quebec City. 

“The N.H.L.P.A. has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated 

following the 2014-15 season,” Donald Fehr, the executive director of the 

union, said in a statement. 

The plan also leaves room for expansion. The N.H.L.’s last expansion took 

place in 2000, when Minnesota and Columbus joined the league. 

The league will continue to include 16 teams in the postseason. 

It is believed that starting next season the top three teams from each 

division would earn automatic playoff berths. The remaining two spots in 

each conference would go to the teams with the best record on a wild-card 

basis. 

Last month, Mike Gillis, the Vancouver general manager, said the Canucks 

were looking forward to realignment. 

“We like it because we would play more games in our time zone,” he said in 

an interview in The Vancouver Sun. “We wouldn’t have to travel to places 

like Columbus and Nashville as much.” 

The union blocked a similar realignment plan announced in December 2011 

because, it said, it had not been consulted about various travel and 

competition issues. 

The plan approved by the union Thursday had been under discussion with 

the league for more than a month. 


662083 NHL 

Stompin’ Tom Connors, Canadian Singer, Dies at 77 

By DOUGLAS MARTIN 

Published: March 7, 2013 

Stompin’ Tom Connors, a Canadian country-folk singer whose odes to the 

vast country he had roamed as a hitchhiking troubadour — not least his 

paean to its national obsession in “The Hockey Song” — earned him 

renown from the Maritime Provinces to British Columbia, died on 

Wednesday at his home in Halton Hills, Ontario. He was 77. 

His Web site announced the death, citing natural causes. 

Mr. Connors wrote more than 300 songs and sold nearly four million 

albums. His work was shaped by his love and knowledge of Canada, 

garnered from youthful wanderings in which he worked as everything from 

dredge-boat sailor to tobacco-picker to short-order cook to gravedigger. His 

songs told of a potato-truck driver from Prince Edward Island, a polkaplaying 

musician from the Yukon, and Red River Jane, who left him high 

and dry in Winnipeg before becoming the subject of a sad song. 

He was known for his big black cowboy hat, and he got his nickname from 

the emphatic way he kept time with his left foot. Unlike most successful 

Canadian entertainers, he shunned the American music world, confining his 

touring and recording to Canada. 

In 1978, he denounced Canadians who sought American success as 

“border jumpers” and retired for more than a decade in protest of what he 

saw as the Americanization of his industry. A particular gripe was Canadian 

songwriters who rhapsodized about places like Alabama and Tennessee. 

He returned only after a new generation of Canadian punk performers 

discovered his music. 

Three-quarters of Canadians live within 100 miles of the United States 

border, and many Canadians strive to demonstrate cultural differences in 

the face of the flood of American media. Mr. Connors seemed eager to lead 

the fight. In a letter he asked be published after his death, he said all his 

work was inspired by “Canada, the greatest country in the world.” 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed Mr. Connors as “a true Canadian 

original.” 

“The Hockey Song” first appeared on Mr. Connors’s 1973 album, “Stompin’ 

Tom and the Hockey Song,” but reached wide popularity only after it began 

to be played at National Hockey League games in the mid-1990s, which it 

still is on both sides of the border. In 2004, when “Late Night With Conan 

O’Brien” taped a week of shows in Canada, Mr. Connors was a guest and 

sang the song. After his death was announced at a Toronto Maple Leafs 

game Wednesday night, many fans took to their feet when the song was 

played. 

“Oh, the good old hockey game/Is the best game you can name,” the lyrics 

go. “And the best game you can name/Is the good old hockey game.” 

Thomas Charles Connors was born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on Feb. 

9, 1936, to an unwed teenager who left town with him when he was 3. The 

two begged and stole in order to eat. When his mother was in jail for theft, 

he was sent to an orphanage and from there to foster parents who treated 

him badly. In his autobiography, “Stompin’ Tom: Before the Fame” (1995), 

he wrote that he started hitchhiking around the country at 12, bought his 

first guitar at 14 and survived by doing odd jobs and literally singing for his 

supper. In the coldest part of winter, he welcomed vagrancy arrests in order 

to have a warm place to sleep. 

In the early 1960s, he wrote, this never-ending grind and his apparent lack 

of a future left him feeling so forsaken that he thought of deliberately 

freezing to death in a snow bank in Quebec. 

Legend, well burnished by Mr. Connors, has it that his big break came in 

1964 at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ontario, when he was 28. He was 

a nickel short of a beer, and the bartender agreed to give him a drink if he 

would play a few songs. That led to a 14-month engagement at the hotel 

and the chance to make records at the local radio station. 

His first was “Bud the Spud,” his paean to the truckdriver, in 1970. He 

ultimately recorded 61 albums for seven labels, 10 of which have yet to be 

released. 

Mr. Connors said his heroes were “average Joes” whose struggles in the 

uncountable nooks and crannies of Canada he claimed to know like his own 

palm. His “Sudbury Saturday Night” depicts the city of Sudbury in northern 

Ontario, the location of one of the world’s biggest nickel mines, long owned 

by the International Nickel Company, or Inco. “The girls are out to bingo and 

the boys are getting stinko,” it goes, “And we’ll think no more of Inco on a 

Sudbury Saturday night.” 

In 1973, Mr. Connors married Lena Welsh on “The Elwood Glover Show,” a 

talk show on CBC television. She survives him, as do two sons, two 

daughters and several grandchildren. 

In a 1995 interview, Mr. Connors offered the opinion that nobody should die 

happy. “I think people should die without their dreams being fulfilled,” he 

said, “so maybe they can have an excuse for coming around again.” 


662084 NHL 

NHLPA gives consent to NHL's proposed realignment with review post- 

2014-15, now only Board of Governors must approve 


The NHL players’ association gave its consent Thursday to the league’s 

proposed realignment plan for its 30 teams to take effect next fall and be reevaluated 

following the 2014-15 season. 

The proposal now will go before the NHL’s Board of Governors for 

approval, though that is considered a formality since the union did not alter 

any details. 


in a new eight-team division that includes the current fellow Atlantic Division 

members the Penguins and Flyers but adds the Washington Capitals, 

Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. 

NHL REALIGNMENT PLAN IMPROVES SOME TEAMS' SITUATIONS, 

COMPLICATES OTHERS 


conference. Every team will play all of the other 29 teams at least twice in 

an annual home-and-home, meaning more trips out West for the Rangers. 











662085 NHL 

Jets fly west, Wings and Jackets move east as NHLPA agrees to 

realignment 

ERIC DUHATSCHEK 

The Globe and Mail 

The NHL Players’ Association signed off on a bold realignment plan 

Thursday under which, among other moves, shifts the Winnipeg Jets to the 

Western Conference and play in a more time-zone friendly Midwest Division 

starting next year. 

In the other significant shift, the Detroit Red Wings and the Columbus Blue 

Jackets will both move from West to East, leaving an imbalance in the 

league, with 16 teams in the Eastern Conference and just 14 in the West. 

The NHLPA scuttled a major realignment plan l ast season, but gave its 

thumbs-up to the latest NHL initiative. In a statement, NHLPA executive 

director Donald Fehr said that after discussions with the union’s executive 

board, it had given its “consent to realignment,” but with the proviso that it 

be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season. 

The move also requires approval from the NHL board of governors, but that 

is viewed as a formality and could be accomplished within a week, if they 

vote by phone or fax. 

Until now, the NHLPA had objected to the NHL’s realignment proposal for 

two main reasons – travel issues and the inequities involved in the playoff 

format. Under the new format, which will go into effect for the start of the 

2013-14 season, the travel will be improved for a number of teams, 

including the Dallas Stars, who now shift out of the Pacific Division, where 

they’d been playing against four teams two time zones away. 

However, the playoff picture is still uneven. Eight of 16 teams will make the 

playoffs in the revised Eastern Conference, leaving them with a 50-50 

chance of qualifying, while eight of 14 make it in the West, for a 57.1-percent 

chance of qualifying. 

So the lucky 14 that make up the Midwest Division, which includes 

Winnipeg, Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville and St. Louis 

and the Pacific Division, which includes Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, 

Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver, will – until further notice – see their 

playoff hopes enhanced. 

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference will be divided into an Atlantic Division 

that includes Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, the 

New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, plus a 

Central Division featuring Boston, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa 

Bay and Toronto – four teams from the Original six, plus two teams in the 

state of Florida that will rely on snowbirds to increase attendance. 

The top three teams in each division will qualify automatically for the 

playoffs, while the remaining two spots will go to the two wild-card teams 

with the best records. It means that five teams could potentially qualify out 

of one division and if that happens, one will need to cross over into the 

other division and play its playoff games there. 

The NHL had previously wanted to put the new realignment plan in place 

until after the 2015-16 season, according to a memo it circulated to its 

member teams eight days ago. Now, it’ll just be for two years before it is reevaluated, 

which gives the league time to ponder expansion options and 

the future of unsettled franchises, such as the still-for-sale Phoenix 

Coyotes. 

For scheduling purposes, every team will play an unbalanced schedule that 

will feature one game, home and away, against every other team in the 

league. 

Teams in the seven-team divisions (Pacific and Midwest) will play 32 out-ofconference 

games, 21 games against teams in the other division within 

their own conference, plus 29 games against teams within their own 

divisions. 

Teams in the eight-team divisions (Atlantic and Central) will play 28 out-ofconference 

games, 24 games against teams in the other division within 

their own conference, plus 30 games against teams within their own 

divisions. 


662086 NHL 

Players today understand the risks involved when they engage in a fight 

ERIC DUHATSCHEK 


Strange as it may seem nowadays, there was a prevailing school of thought 

some 30 years ago that suggested NHL players didn’t or wouldn’t get hurt 

in a fight. The theory went something like this – two heavily padded men 

exchanging blows, on skates, couldn’t get the sort of leverage out of their 

legs that, say boxers did when they threw punches – and all of the power 

behind the punches comes from the legs, firmly planted, on the canvas. 

That was the thinking and it permitted the NHL to fool itself into treating 

spontaneous and/or staged fighting as part of the game – an entertaining 

sideline that would lure the boxing crowd through the turnstiles. It gave the 

NHL a chance to impose a laughably nominal penalty for fighting – five 

minutes per combatant – that really penalized no one at all. If a fighter 

wasn’t sitting in the penalty box, he was usually parked at the end of the 

bench anyway. So really what’s the difference where he’s sitting when he’s 

not playing? 

Of course, few believe that thinly reasoned argument anymore. Nowadays, 

players get hurt all the time in fights. Across the board, they are bigger, 

stronger and fitter than their contemporaries from a generation or two ago. 

But more importantly, NHL players – whose primary role is to fight – also 

train for their specialty in the same way in which scorers learn to score and 

defenders learn to defend. They are experts at their craft and they can inflict 

real damage, even balanced on skates. 

The latest example of a staged fight gone awry occurred early in Toronto 

Maple Leafs-Ottawa Senators game Wednesday night, when the Leafs’ 

Frazier McLaren laid a beating on the Sens’ Dave Dziurzynski. It was not 

pretty. McLaren, at 6-5, 230 pounds, had a slight physical advantage over 

Dziurzynski at 6-3, 214, and pounded his opponent into the ice. 

It had little to do with hockey, it left Dziurzynski concussed and it reemphasized 

a point that needs to be made again and again presumably, as 

long as the NHL tacitly condones fighting by not ejecting players who fight 

from the game. 

If the NHL truly cares about limiting the effects of concussions in the game, 

the first and easiest step to keep the numbers down would be to ban 

fighting from the game. 

Last night’s fight reminded me of one I saw early in my writing career 

between Stu Grimson, then a member of the Calgary Flames, and Dave 

Brown, then with the Edmonton Oilers. Grimson was new to the league 

then, Brown one of its most feared enforcers. It was still the heyday of the 

Battle of Alberta and Grimson fought Brown once and did OK – that is to 

say, he survived without getting hurt. The fight was mostly a draw, but 

Grimson received a lot of plaudits for doing as well as he did. 

The second time they fought it was a different story, a mismatch of the first 

order. Brown pounded the living daylights out of Grimson, who suffered a 

fractured orbital bone on the play. It was a terrible thing to watch and I 

remember wondering at the time if that would be last we ever saw of 

Grimson aka The Grim Reaper. It wasn’t, of course. 

He recovered and went on to play 14 seasons in the NHL for eight teams. 

He amassed 2,113 penalty minutes in the 729 games he played. He was 

one of the smartest players I’ve ever run across. I sat beside him once on a 

flight and he was studying a law text. He was thoughtful and well-read and 

knew exactly what he was doing – realizing his dream of playing in the NHL 

the only way he could, by acting as an enforcer for a team. Grimson’s 

cognitive faculties survived his NHL career and he eventually passed the 

bar, practiced law for a time (he calls himself a “recovering lawyer” on 

Twitter @asgrimson) and now is back in the business, doing some radio 

work in Nashville. 

Back in September, Grimson posted his view of the pros and cons of 

fighting, based on a rule change in the Ontario Hockey League in which a 

player would receive a two-game suspension once he had accumulated 10 

fights or more in a season. Grimson framed his argument from the 

perspective of someone who fought his way up through the ranks and then 

had his NHL career end because of a concussion sustained in a fight. Even 

after all that, Grimson believes fighting should stay in the game. 

Grimson began by noting “on the front end that there are reasonable 

arguments on both sides of this issue. First, those that favor eliminating 

fighting from the game would cite player safety as the reason. No argument 

here. Ban fighting and you abolish one area where concussions occur on a 

fairly frequent basis. After all, reducing blows to the head is the primary 

justification for implementing a rule change in this area. The studies show, 

however, that concussions occur more frequently during the normal course 

of play rather than during a fight.” 

But he also believes that: “There are valid reasons to leave this aspect of 

the game as is. First, the presence of an enforcer keeps the other team 

honest. The opposition doesn’t take liberties with your team when you have 

an enforcer in the lineup. And if the ultimate goal is to reduce trauma to the 

head, this is one tool in a basket of tools that the NHL has at its disposal. 

The enforcer acts as a deterrent. 

“My experience has taught me that if you don’t have an enforcer in your 

lineup the other team will play you differently. And by “differently” I mean 

they may try to run you out of the building. 

“Second, the fighter drops his gloves with his eyes wide open. Today, more 

than ever, players understand the risks involved when they engage another 

player in a fight. In the law, players are said to have assumed the risk. And 

let’s face it; we live in a society where we are free to make our own choices 

– even when those choices pose a risk to our health. If we eliminate fighting 

for that reason, we are starting down a path to abolish any sport/activity 

where a risk of injury exists.” 

It is an argument in defence of fighting that I’ve heard within the last two 

weeks from both Ian Laperriere (now retired, after multiple concussions) 

and just yesterday, from the Phoenix Coyotes’ Twitter king, Paul Bissonette. 

Paraphrasing a little here, but both said that there are risks inherent in the 

sport that the players who play them are willing to assume to reap the 

benefits of being a professional athlete. I get that. Bissonette is in the NHL 

because of his willingness to scrap. Laperriere mentioned that he’d had 25 

fights in his final year and they were all for the right reasons, namely 

coming to a teammate’s defence. None of these guys are lunkheads by the 

way. They’ve come to their conclusions by coolly weighing risk against 

reward. 

It makes you realize that there will always be another willing combatant to 

step up if Dziurzynski can’t or won’t fight again. Asking fighters to determine 

the future of fighting is not the way to go – because if we leave it up to the 

individual, there will always another player, ready and willing to fight his way 

into the NHL. Instead of waffling, NHL leadership needs to show a 

willingness to finally take a stand, penalize fighting by ejecting combatants 

from the game, and by doing so, better protecting the players from 

themselves. 

In this day and age, it shouldn’t be that hard a call. 


662087 NHL 

Stanley Cup of women’s hockey finds a home at Hockey Hall of Fame 

RACHEL BRADY 


Adrienne Clarkson stood before a glass case at the Hockey Hall of Fame 

on Thursday, smiling for a long while, proudly admiring the trophy she 

created in a crusade for female hockey players. 

The Clarkson Cup, awarded each year to the team that wins the Canadian 

Women’s Hockey League championship, and widely recognized as the 

Stanley Cup of women’s hockey, was given a permanent home at the Hall 

of Fame, placed among the collection of other major hockey cups and 

trophies. 

Clarkson, the former Governor-General of Canada, had the Cup made five 

years ago, some time after having been laughed at for suggesting women 

should compete for the Stanley Cup while men were sitting out during the 

2004 NHL lockout. She stood among women’s hockey supporters Thursday 

to see her trophy enshrined, signalling another small step for the CWHL 

and the women’s game. 

“This is important because it acknowledges what women are doing in this 

sport, and not just as cheerleaders and fans, but the women who care 

about hockey and are the best in the sport,” Clarkson said. “Winning isn’t 

everything, but it means a lot, and this is a big win for women’s hockey.” 

The Clarkson Cup had been kept at the homes of CWHL organizers since 

its inception five years ago. Now it has a permanent home. 

“Hockey is played in some 75 countries around the world, and there are so 

many trophies out there,” said Phil Pritchard, the well-recognized whitegloved 

Hall curator who travels with the Stanley Cup. “We do get so many 

requests from people offering artifacts and we only have so much space, 

but we thought it was very important to have the Clarkson Cup here.” 

There have been a few breakthroughs for the five-team CWHL this season. 

After years of approaching the NHL to discuss possible partnerships, this 

season the CWHL finally got funding and marketing help for its Toronto and 

Calgary teams from the Maple Leafs and Flames, respectively. The 

women’s pro league, which has struggled to put fans in the stands, has 

seen a small boost in attendance this year – especially by holding some 

signature games in NHL venues. It has brought some new sponsors on 

board, too. The league still battles toward someday being able to pay its 

players. 

“This is only one step in our process toward building our league, but it’s a 

big one,” said CWHL commissioner Brenda Andress. “It recognizes the 

worth of what we’re doing, legitimizes it and says we’re arriving.” 

The trophy will be awarded for the fifth time later this month at the CWHL’s 

championship tournament in Markham. 


662088 NHL 

No one really gets hurt in hockey fights, right? 

SEAN GORDON 

Montreal — The Globe and Mail 

Scripted? How about inevitable. 

The Ottawa Senators’ Zack Smith said after Wednesday’s game with the 

Toronto Maple Leafs that everyone on the ice knew what was going to 

happen on the game’s first shift. 

Dave Dziurzynski of the Senators and Fraser McLaren of the Leafs went all 

pound-y on each other 26 seconds into Wednesday’s game, with nauseainducing 

results. 

You don’t have to be an Ottawa fan to be horrified by the sight of 

Dziurzynski lying face down, unconscious, on the ice (McLaren appeared 

ashen-faced). 

For those familiar with the rivalry between the teams, it was throwback night 

in the Battle of Ontario. 

But hey, no one really gets hurt in hockey fights, right? 

Dziurzynski got his brains scrambled by McLaren, a waiver pick-up who in 

addition to being quite a large man and a good boxer is a solidly mediocre 

hockey player. 

Add him to a list of players who have been injured in punch-ups this year – 

New York’s Ryan Callahan, Montreal’s Rene Bourque (probably), 

Toronto/Edmonton’s Mike Brown, Philly’s Tye McGinn, Boston’s Shawn 

Thornton. This list is not exhaustive. 

But hey, at least fights fire up the crowd right? 

From the Toronto Star’s Dave Feschuk at Air Canada Centre on 

Wednesday, via Twitter: So much for the theory that fights energize a 

building. Few minutes after McLaren KO’s Dziurzynski, ACC crowd is, as 

usual, out cold. 

But hey, at least fights swing momentum, right? 

That must be why the Leafs put the screws to Ottawa and immediately 

scored. If by immediately you mean six minutes later, and if by “put the 

screws” you mean “were handily outshot.” 

“If anything a fight like that deflates both teams . . . it’s scary, man,” Smith 

told reporters after the game. 

Yes, the Leafs did score on a whiff-and-deflection about 90 seconds after 

Chris Neil and Colton Orr dropped the gloves, but there was no discernible 

advantage for either team after McLaren felled Dziurzynski, who has fought 

six times in the minors but was in his first NHL scrap. 

None of which will change anyone’s attitude toward fighting, and that’s a 

problem. 

Toronto coach Randy Carlyle is a fan of tough guys – imagine how good 

the Leafs could be if they had actual hockey players among their bottom six 

forwards – and steadfastly insists fighting is part of the game. 

In this, he is absolutely correct. 

It is part of the game, what isn’t clear is that incidents like Wednesday’s 

serve any purpose, other than providing a livelihood to marginal players and 

indulging the meathead element in the stands. 

Statistics compiled by hockeyfights.com suggest fisticuffs are way up this 

year relative to the past two seasons, nearly 41 per cent of games this 

season has featured at least one fight. 

I’ve asked several players over the past couple of weeks why that is, and 

they mostly answer the same thing: shorter schedule means more intensity, 

more intensity means more scraps. 

Except two hulking guys going after each other basically from the opening 

faceoff has nothing to do with intensity, it has to do with intimidation, 

specifically wanting to create some. 

It bears mentioning at this point only half of the top fighting 10 teams find 

themselves in a playoff position – the Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets are 

runaway leaders in the fight stakes. 

Is that really the company Toronto wants to keep? 

Hockey has always been a violent game, and when emotions boil over in 

other sports – rugby, football, baseball – punches are often thrown. 

But in other sports such things are sanctioned with more than five minutes 

in the box. 

In a day and age where owners are investing so much money in players – 

and where so much attention is being paid to head injuries – it makes no 

sense to risk catastrophic injury because of things like refusing to wear a 

visor or hopping over the boards with a boxer’s intent. 

Sometimes tough men need to be protected from themselves, it would be 

nice if the league and its owners felt that way. 


662089 Ottawa Senators 

Sens can afford to smile a little as they hit mid-season 

Despite injuries, bad luck, the Ottawa Senators still have a lot going for 

them entering the second half of this shortened NHL season. 

by Wayne Scanlan 

NEW YORK — So, your Ottawa Senators have officially reached the 

midway point of this wild and crazy 48-game schedule. 

Now the question, Sens Fan: Is your cup half full or half empty where this 

hockey club is concerned? 

On the bright side of the ledger — despite being hit hard by injuries, the 

Senators are in a playoff position, alone in sixth place in the Eastern 

Conference with 28 points off a 12-8-4 record. 

Considering a final total of about 52 points will likely crack the top eight in 

the East, if Ottawa can maintain a point per game pace in the second half, it 

should be in the playoffs. 

Here’s a breakdown of how the Senators have fared in the first half. 

Note the huge variances in particular segments while the club treads water, 

overall. 

We rate each category as a plus (+), a minus (-) or an even. 

OFFENCE (Minus-) 

Erik Karlsson, with six, still leads the team in goals scored. That says it all 

for the lowest scoring team in the East, producing 2.21 goals per game on 

average (shootout goals excluded). Karlsson played just 14 games and has 

been out of the lineup since Feb. 13. 

Kyle Turris is in a horrific slump. Zack Smith is finally on the board, Jason 

Spezza is on the mend. Things could be looking up. 

DEFENCE (Even) 

While allowing more shots on goal (33.1 per game) than every team except 

Buffalo and Edmonton, the Senators would likely be a minus in this 

category if their goalies didn’t bail them out pretty consistently. 

Considering the losses of premier D-men Karlsson and Jared Cowen, a tip 

of the cap goes to Andre Benoit, Patrick Wiercioch and Eric Gryba, who 

have helped fill the void by playing big minutes and in all situations. 

Veterans Chris Phillips, Marc Methot and Sergei Gonchar have been 

steady. At minus-6, Gryba’s inexperience is evident at times. 

GOALTENDING (Plus+) 

The men in the blue paint have saved the day, though cracks are showing. 

When Ben Bishop allowed five goals on 28 Toronto shots Wednesday, it 

was one of the few times a goaltender hasn’t ridden to Ottawa’s rescue. 

Craig Anderson, who was the NHL’s best when he was injured against the 

New York Rangers on Feb. 21, has been missed. 

Bishop has a 4-4-0 record and Robin Lehner is 0-0-2, heading into a start in 

New York Friday, possibly against his Swedish hero, Henrik Lundqvist. 

Anderson could be back in a week or so, although his ankle is not yet 100 

per cent. 

POWER OUTAGE (Minus-) 

In the early weeks, when their stars were healthy, the Senators had one of 

the league’s top power plays. Lately it has slipped to 16.2 per cent, 18th 

best in the NHL. Karlsson cannot swoop in and fix it, but Spezza’s return in 

two to three weeks will be a huge boost. 

KILLERS (Plus+) 

On the flip side of the power play, Ottawa’s penalty killing reflects the club’s 

blue-collar mentality. It doesn’t seem to matter who head coach Paul 

MacLean uses to kill penalties, they get the job done, to the point that the 

Senators have climbed into the top three of the league, third overall with an 

88.9 per cent efficiency rate. 

HOME DEPOT (Even): They’re the biggest homers in hockey. As the old 

joke went about Lindy Ruff as a player, the Senators are “Ruff” at home, 

Lindy on the road, 9-1-2 at the friendly confines of Scotiabank Place, 3-7-2 

as visitors. 

Good thing they still have 12 home games remaining, but it would make life 

easier to scratch out a few more wins away, starting with Friday at Madison 

Square Garden, a rink the Senators have owned in recent years. 

MASH UNIT (Minus-) 

In their worst nightmares, the Senators didn’t foresee losing arguably their 

two best defenceman, the starting goaltender and two forwards off the top 

line — tumbling like toy soldiers in a span of a few weeks. But while the two 

defencemen, Karlsson and Cowen, are not expected to return this season, 

the others will be back, setting up the possibility of a strong finish. 

OVERALL (Plus+) 

Give marks where they’re due. Most hockey people wrote off the Senators 

when Spezza and Karlsson went down, figuring it was all about next year. 

Instead, the club has given itself a shot at reaching the playoffs, possibly 

giving several rookies even more experience than they’ve already gained 

filling in for the wounded and lame. To Senators management, this has 

been a valuable audition. 

“By the fall, some of our questions will be answered,” said general manager 

Bryan Murray about the performance of his Binghamton callups. 

Murray is proud of how his team has hung in there, led by the old guard of 

Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil, to remain competitive. 

He’s pleased with the sudden depth at goaltender. 

And resolve? Even when they fall behind by three goals against the Maple 

Leafs, the Senators push teams to the buzzer. 

“Am I pleased? I’m satisfied,” said Murray. “We’re hoping the second half 

will be better -— getting some stability in our lineup would really help. Every 

night there seems to be another guy getting hurt but we hope we get some 

of these veterans back.” 

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.08.2013


A welcome return: Spezza could be back in 2-3 weeks 

Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray says star centre Jason 

Spezza could return to the lineup before the end of the month. 

by Wayne Scanlan 

NEW YORK — Centre Jason Spezza could be back in the Senators lineup 

before the end of the month. 

“I’m optimistic,” said Senators general manager Bryan Murray. 

“Two to three weeks seems like a fair time frame to at least project to.” 

In turn, Murray hopes Spezza can return a sense of order to the team’s 

lineup hierarchy. 

Spezza “puts everybody somewhat back in the right role,” Murray told 

reporters prior to the team’s optional practice at Chelsea Piers in advance 

of Friday’s game against the Rangers. 

“We’ve had expectations of a couple of young guys that now fill the No. 1 

centre spot — Kyle Turris, Zach Smith, at times, (Mika) Zibanejad — and 

it’s really unfair to them because that is not the role they’re here for.” 

Spezza has been out of Ottawa’s lineup since Jan. 27 and had surgery on 

his back Feb. 1. 

He visited a doctor in Toronto recently to ensure that the back discomfort 

involved muscles, and was not related to his injury or the surgery. Now, 

he’s cleared for a heavier training workload. 

“It’s just a matter of getting himself in condition,” Murray said. 

“He has to do the strength work to protect it.” 

The plan is for Spezza to skate and train on his own for a few days, and 

then rejoin the group at practice. 

DZIURZYNSKI ON MEND 

In his first NHL fight, rookie Dave Dziurzynski was knocked out cold, and 

yet the rookie winger not only accompanied the team on the flight to New 

York, he was out eating breakfast at a local diner Thursday morning. How 

long he is out of action is not clear, but his early concussion symptoms are 

not severe. 

Either Jim O’Brien or Kaspars Daugavins will step in for Dziurzynski. 

Murray was disappointed that Dziurzynski was matched up with a 

heavyweight fighter in Frazer McLaren of the Maple Leafs, in the first 

minute of play at the Air Canada Centre. 

“I believe there is a place in hockey for fighting, or protecting star players in 

some form, the one thing I hate is a staged fighting,” Murray said. 

“And of course (Wednesday) night was a staged fight. David didn’t 

understand. He’s a young guy, he accepted a challenge, he didn’t have to 

accept it. 

“I’m disappointed for the young kid that he didn’t understand who the 

opponent was, and that he didn’t have to do that for us or for his 

teammates.” 

Interestingly, head coach Paul MacLean used a different word to describe 

the fight. He called it “premeditated.” 

MacLean feels Dziurzynski was a target for Toronto’s tough guy. 

“That was not a staged fight, it was premeditated by McLaren, that’s what 

he was supposed to do,” MacLean said. 

“Dave Dziurzynski played very well in the previous two games against the 

Leafs, he had 10 or some body checks on the ice . . . there was nothing 

staged about that.” 

If Dziurzynski was not aware of the risks of taking on McLaren, “shame on 

us, if he didn’t know,” MacLean said. 

Bottom line, the Senators believe Dziurzynski has enough skill and size to 

play the game and be physical without fighting above his weight class. 

LEHNER PRIMED 

When he was a boy growing up in Sweden, goaltender Robin Lehner knew 

Henrik Lundqvist as the great Swedish netminder that Lehner’s father, 

Michael, worked with as a goalie coach. Young Robin would go to the 

practices to watch, and Lundqvist gave him pointers. 

“When I could barely stop a puck, he would go on the ice and help me out,” 

Lehner said. 

Friday, they could be facing each other at Madison Square Garden. 

“I don’t know if he’s playing or not, but if he is, it’s pretty cool,” Lehner said. 

“I’m quite excited actually, it’s surreal. 

“I’ve got lots of respect for him. He’s a great, great guy and a huge 

goaltender – one of the best if not the best in the world, for a few years 

now. 

MEHOT HITS 300 

Defenceman Marc Methot will be playing in his 300th NHL game on Friday. 

If it had to come on the road, historic Madison Square Garden is a perfect 

venue for the occasion. 

“An injury last season kind of put me on the back burner for reaching that 

milestone,” Methot said. 

“But yeah, it’s exciting. Now that you mention it, it’s a big step for me.” 

All but 25 of those games were with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 

Ottawa native was drafted in the sixth round by Columbus in 2003. 

ROOM TO ADD 

Murray says the Senators have room to take on salary, if they decide to 

make an addition at the trade deadline. Of course, there is always the 

chance the club could shed some salary, as well. 

“We’re a $50-million team,” Murray said. 

“We won’t use all this space, but have the opportunity if we want to add a 

player.” 

FOR SALE 

In a Chelsea Piers sports store: an Alexi Yashin New York Islanders jersey, 

only $200. Apparently, the same jersey could have been had for $130 last 

week, but he popped in and signed it, so the price went up. No takers yet in 

NYC. 

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray not a fan of staged fights 

By Bruce Garrioch, Ottawa Sun 

NEW YORK — Fighting was all the rage Thursday. 

As the Senators prepared to face the New York Rangers at Madison 

Square Garden -- an arena that has held some of the most famous boxing 

matches in the history of the sport -- all anybody wanted to talk about was 

the issue of fighting. 

It came to the forefront again after Senators rookie winger David 

Dziurzynski mistakenly took on Frazer McLaren of the Toronto Maple Leafs 

Wednesday. Dziurzynski suffered a concussion after getting knocked out. 

There is now another call to ban staged fighting. 

"The one thing I hate is staged fighting. (That) was a staged fight," said 

Senators GM Bryan Murray. "David didn't understand. He's a young guy. 

He got challenged and he accepted it. He didn't have to accept it. 

"Usually a staged fight is two willing combatants who want to do it because 

that is the role they play. I'm disappointed for the kid, I'm disappointed 

(Dziurzynsky) didn't understand who the opponent was and he didn't have 

to do that for us or his teammates. It served no purpose." 

Coach Paul MacLean said he didn't believe the fight was "staged" as much 

as it was "premeditated" by McLaren. 

"To me it was a premeditated thing that (the Leafs) did. That was fine. 

That's part of the game," said MacLean. "There was nothing staged about 

that. 

"It was premeditated by McLaren because that's what he was supposed to 

do. Dziurzynski has played very well in two games against the Leafs. He 

had 10 bodychecks in two games. There was nothing staged about that." 

Former Rangers tough guy Nick Kypreos called Murray and offered to 

speak to Dziurzynski to let him know it's okay to get beat and that he'll 

bounce back. Murray thought that was a nice gesture. 

MacLean said if Dziurzynski, who was feeling better Thursday and made 

the trip to New York, wasn't aware of McLaren's abilities, the club has to do 

a better job to make sure he does. 

"Shame on us if he didn't know," said MacLean. 

OFF THE GLASS 

Murray said he's happy with where the club is at the halfway point and is 

hopeful with the return of injured players such as Craig Anderson and 

Jason Spezza they'll have enough to get to the playoffs. "The leadership, 

the coaching staff, and the players have really helped to define the group," 

said Murray. "I'm pleased. I'm satisfied. We've put ourselves in a spot -- if 

we can run properly in the second half -- that we can be a playoff team." ... 

This will be a milestone night for D Marc Methot as he suits up for his 300th 

game. "I didn't realize," he said. "It's exciting. It's a big step for me." 

AROUND THE BOARDS 

The Senators have just one win in their last 10 road games and would like 

to avoid getting swept on this five-game trip with a victory on Broadway. 

"We need to find a way to win," said MacLean. "We've had some history in 

this building of playing well and we know we're playing a difficult opponent." 

MacLean said some of the young players are learning what it's like to play 

on some of the NHL's biggest stages. "First time in New York, first time in 

Boston, first time in Montreal, there a lot of guys with first times," said 

MacLean. "That probably has a little bit to do with, but for the most part we 

don't seem to play with the same composure on the road as we do at 

home." ... As a result of the NHLPA's approval of realignment, the Senators 

will be in a division that includes Buffalo, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, 

Tampa Bay and Florida. 

AT THE BUZZER 

Spezza (back) will ramp up his workout schedule and could resume 

practice soon. "What I would like to see happen after this trip is him have a 

couple of days on his own, working out and then see if we can get him into 

the group. I'm optimistic. Two to three weeks seems like a fair time frame to 

project," said Murray ... Getting Spezza back would relieve some offensive 

pressure. "It puts everybody somewhat back in right role," he said. "We've 

had expectations of a couple of young guys to fill the No. 1 centre spot -- 

Kyle Turris, Mika Zibanejad and Zack Smith at times. It's really unfair to 

them." 

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.08.2013


By the numbers: Ottawa Senators take on New York Rangers 

Ottawa Senators (12-8-4) @ New York Rangers (12-8-2) 

Friday, 7 p.m., Madison Square Garden 

TV: TSN. Radio: Team 1200 

SPECIAL TEAMS 

OTT: PP 16.5% (17th) PK 89.8% (2nd) 

NYR: PP 14.7% (24th) PK 83.3% (10th) 

LAST FIVE 

Ottawa 

(1-2-2) 

TOR 5, OTT 4 

NYI 3, OTT 2 (SO) 

PHI 2, OTT 1 

BOS 2, OTT 1 (OT) 

OTT 2, MTL 1 (SO) 

New York 

(4-1) 

NYR 2, NYI 1 

NYR 4, PHI 2 

NYR 3, BUF 2 

NYR 4, TBL 1 

WPG 4, NYR 3 

SIZING UP THE SIDES 

FORWARDS: NYR 

Rangers have no shortage of firepower 

DEFENCE: NYR 

Losing Staal is going to hurt 

GOALTENDING: NYR 

Lundqvist one of the NHL's best 

POWER PLAY: OTT 

An area Senators have to succeed 

PENALTY KILLING: OTT 

Senators ranked No. 2 in NHL 

COACHING: OTT 

NHL types wondering about Tortorella 

OVERALL: NYR 

A playoff rematch and Rangers need win 

ROSTERS 

Ottawa 

Forwards 

Milan Michalek-Kyle Turris-Daniel Alfredsson 

Jim O'Brien-Mika Zibanejad-Erik Condra 

Colin Greening-Zack Smith-Chris Neil 

Mark Stone-Peter Regin-Jakob Silfverberg 

Defence 

Marc Methot-Eric Gryba 

Patrick Wiercioch-Sergei Gonchar 

Chris Phillips-Andre Benoit 

Goalies 

Robin Lehner 

Ben Bishop 

New York 

Carl Hagelin-Derek Stepan-Rick Nash 

Marian Gaborik-J.T. Miller-Ryan Callahan 

Taylor Pyatt-Brian Boyle-Darrell Powe 

Michael Haley-Jeff Halpern-Stu Bickel 

Defence 

Ryan McDonagh-Dan Girardi 

Michael Del Zotto-Anton Stralman 

Roman Hamrlik-Steve Eminger 

Goalies 

Henrik Lundqvist 

Martin Biron 

PLUS: The Senators were 3-1-0 vs. the Rangers last season -- including 

two victories at Madison Square Garden. Ottawa outscored the Rangers 

14-8 in four games. This is the second time the two teams have played this 

year. The Senators scored a 3-2 shootout win on Feb. 21 at home. Kaspars 

Daugavins scored the winner in the shootout for Ottawa while Jakob 

Silfverberb also beat Henrik Lundqvist ... If you look at the Senators being 

ranked No. 2 on the penalty kill, it is somewhat remarkable. Last season, 

the Senators finished tied for No. 20 at 81.6% by killing off 253-of-310 

attempts. At the mid-season point, Ottawa has killed off 80-of-90 attempts. 

MINUS: The Senators lost G Craig Anderson in the victory over the 

Rangers to an ankle injury. That was when he was accidentally run over by 

Rangers F Chris Kreider when he got tied up with D Marc Methot going to 

the net ... The four goals the Senators had in a losing cause to the Maple 

Leafs Wednesday night was only the sixth time this season the club has 

scored four goals or more .... The Senators are 2-for-16 on the power play 

in their last six games .... G Robin Lehner has never faced the Rangers, but 

G Ben Bishop has a 2-0-0 lifetime record with a 2.17 GAA and . 923 savepercentage. 

INJURIES 

SENS: G Craig Anderson (ankle); D Jared Cowen (hip); F David 

Dziurzynski (concussion); D Erik Karlsson (Achilles); RW Guillaume 

Latendresse (neck); D Mike Lundin (concussion); C Jason Spezza (back). 

RANGERS: RW Arron Asham (back) C Brad Richards (undisclosed); D 

Marc Staal (eye). 



Bruce Garrioch rates Ottawa Senators mid-term performance 


NEW YORK -- The Senators will officially pass the halfway point of the NHL 

season Friday with a playoff rematch against the New York Rangers at 

Madison Square Garden. 

The question remains: Can the Senators get back to the dance this spring? 

Despite the loss of injured stars Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Milan 

Michalek and Craig Anderson for extended periods, the Senators have 

managed to keep their heads above water and are sitting in sixth place in 

the Eastern Conference. 

The race to the playoffs now begins in earnest. 

FORWARDS: Grade: C 

The loss of C Spezza (back), LW Guillaume Latendresse (neck) and LW 

Milan (knee) hurt the club's depth, big time. The Senators haven't been able 

to score goals and they've tried to keep games tight-checking and lowscoring. 

Coach Paul MacLean has worked hard to make sure forwards 

keep going to get the dirty goals. Captain Daniel Alfredsson has tried to 

lead the charge with a strong effort. There is no way Jim O'Brien and Mika 

Zibanejad should be leading this club in goals. If this group doesn't improve, 

it hurts their chances of making the playoffs. If Spezza is able to return by 

early April, it will help depth and give the Senators a much-needed scoring 

threat. 

DEFENCE: Grade: B+ 

The Senators have to be pleased with what they've gotten from their 

blueline. It was the biggest question mark going into the season and then 

was decimated with the loss of Karlsson. Newcomer Marc Methot might be 

the biggest surprise, but that's only because nobody from Ottawa had seen 

him in Columbus. The Senators scouts knew what they were getting when 

they dealt F Nick Foligno and it's been a great move. Methot has been a 

strong contributor and his play hasn't fallen off since the club lost Karlsson. 

Veteran Sergei Gonchar hasn't always been the most consistent and has to 

do more on the power play. The play of veteran Chris Phillips has been 

steady and workmanlike. 

GOALTENDING: Grade: A+ 

The Senators can't complain about what's happened in the net. They 

haven't been able to make the most of the performances they're getting. It 

doesn't matter if it's Anderson, Ben Bishop or Robin Lehner, all three have 

given the Senators a chance to win. They've made big saves and are the 

reason the Senators are ranked No. 2 in the NHL in penalty killing. The loss 

of Anderson was supposed to be devastating to the club's chances. It hasn't 

been at all. The Senators have to find a way to give more scoring support to 

the goalies. 

HE HAS HART: The Senators wouldn't be in any position to make the 

playoffs if it weren't for Anderson. He may be about to miss his seventh 

straight game as Ottawa faces the Rangers Friday but his numbers before 

he went down were great. With an 8-4-2 record in 15 games this season, 

Anderson leads the league with a .952 save-percentage and a 1.49 goalsagainst 

average. The Senators can't get him back fast enough from his 

ankle injury, but the club will have to give him more scoring support when 

Anderson does return. 

HAS TO BE BETTER: Injuries are supposed to give players opportunities 

and Kyle Turris hasn't take advantage of his chance to be a No. 1 centre. 

The last time Turris scored a goal was on Jan. 25 against the Tamp Bay 

Lightning, a stretch of 20 games. Turris hasn't been able to handle all the 

attention he's been getting since he took over the role and playing with 

captain Alfredsson. The Senators can't continue to go without production 

from Turris. Sooner or later, he has to start contributing consistently. If that 

doesn't happen, it could make a for tough second half. 

SCHEDULE AHEAD: Starting with the visit to Madison Square Garden, the 

Senators will play 12 games on the road and 12 at home with before the 

season wraps on April 27. The Senators have to improve their road record 

to make the post-season. The 3-7-2 mark they posted in the first half just 

isn't good enough. Yes, they are 9-1-2 at home, but you have to think a few 

wins as the visitor would be a boost to their confidence. The big test: A 12day, 

six-game marathon starting April 2 in Boston that will determine 

whether or not this team makes the playoffs. 

HEADLINE GRABBERS 

Jan. 31: The Senators confirm Spezza has a back injury that requires 

surgery. GM Bryan Murray says the time frame for Spezza's return is early 

April, which means the club's top centre is put on the shelf. Instead of 

rushing out to make a trade, Murray is determined to go with what the club 

has instead of giving up assets. "It was really bad," admitted Spezza. "It just 

got to the point where there was no way I was going to be able to play. It 

makes it frustrating, but there wasn't really much of an option once we got 

down to it." 

Feb. 13: Karlsson, on his way to a second Norris Trophy with 10 points in 

14 games, is pinned into the boards by Pittsburgh's Matt Cooke and has his 

Achilles tendon severed. After surgery is done to repair a 70% cut, the 

Senators confirm Karlsson's season is over. Owner Eugene Melnyk tells the 

Sun first he wonders why the Penguins employ a "goon" like Cooke. "This 

guy should be kicked ... He doesn't belong in the league. He belongs 

somewhere where the goons play," said Melnyk. "Get him in the Central 

league. He can be a $60,000-a-year guy playing pick-up hockey there." 

By THE NUMBERS 

105 — That's the total number of man-games the Senators have lost to 

injury. They are moving closer to getting bodies back, though. Anderson 

(ankle) and Latendresse (neck) shouldn't be out much longer, while Spezza 

(back) is two to three weeks away. 

79.3% — Even with four straight losses going into the visit to NYC, that's 

what sportsclubstats.com says the Senators' chances are of making the 

playoffs this spring. The Flyers are currently ranked No. 9 with 23 points 

and have a 24% chance of being in the post-season. Interesting to watch. 

3-2 — The Senators' record in the shootout this season. The club finished 

with a 6-4 record last season. Jakob Silfverberg hasn't scored a lot of goals 

in regulation, but he is 3-for-4 in the shootout. These could all be valuable 

points. 

THE BIG QUESTION 

Alfredsson's name has been mentioned in rumours with the trade deadline 

set for April 3. If the Senators fall out of the race, Alfredsson would have to 

go to Murray to indicate he wants to be dealt to a contender for a chance to 

win a Stanley Cup. Otherwise, it's not reality. 

DEADLINE HUNTING 

Murray has never been afraid to make moves. The Senators may need 

another top-six forward who can contribute. If the Minnesota Wild decide to 

deal Matt Cullen, don't be surprised if the Senators show interest. He had 

eight points in 21 games down the stretch in 2010. The dreamers will want 

them to get Anaheim's Corey Perry. Not happening. 



Ottawa Senators goalie Robin Lehner could battle mentor 


NEW YORK -- It could be a dream come true for Robin Lehner. 

The Senators' 21-year-old goalie will make the start against the New York 

Rangers Friday night at Madison Square Garden and he's hoping Swedish 

star Henrik Lundqvist is in the net for back-to-back games. The Rangers 

faced the New York Islanders Thursday night. 

Lehner's father Michael helped coach Lundqvist back in Sweden and the 

two have stayed in touch during off-seasons. Lehner has attended 

Lundqvist's goalie camps. 

"I'm really excited," said Lehner. "It's almost surreal. I have lots of respect 

for (Lundqvist). He's a great guy, a good goaltender. He's one of the best, if 

not the best in the world, so it's going to be cool." 

Lehner said Lundqvist has been an influence. 

"He helped me out when I was young and I could barely save a puck," said 

Lehner, who will make his third start of the season. "It's really nice to get 

this chance." 


662095 Philadelphia Flyers 

Flyer Chris Pronger battles depression while injured 

Sam Carchidi, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER 

Posted: Thursday, March 7, 2013, 4:22 PM 

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger insisted he has not given up hope that he 

can return to the NHL, but his words did not mesh with the news release 

handed out by the team on Thursday afternoon. 

In a wide-ranging, candid news conference at the Skate Zone in Voorhees, 

Pronger, sidelined with post-concussion syndrome for nearly the last 16 

months, talked about battling depression, updated his physical status and 

revealed how he misses "going to war every night." 

At the same time Pronger was saying his goal was to try to get healthy 

enough to return to the team, the Flyers gave reporters a release from a 

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center concussion expert, Michael Collins, 

who said the defenseman had "significant vulnerabilities" and that he had 

advised him to no longer play hockey. 

In essence, Pronger, 38, cannot retire because if he did, his cap hit would 

be absorbed by the Flyers. As it stands, the Flyers have him on the longterm 

injured list, giving them $4.9 million of cap relief each season until his 

contract runs out at the end of 2016-17. 

Sporting a reddish-brown beard and wearing a charcoal gray suit, orange 

tie and eye glasses, Pronger answered questions for almost 40 minutes. 

Pronger said he has made improvements but still has concussion 

symptoms. He added that loud noises and bright lights bother him, "but not 

at the level it was." 

"My eye is still troubling. It's not working properly. I don't have peripheral 

vision," he said. "I don't have a lot of the things that have worked well for 

me in the past. . . . I keep having to get stronger and stronger glasses." 

Pronger's last game was Nov. 19, 2011, when he was bothered by the 

lights and crowd noise in Winnipeg. On Oct. 24 of that year, he was hit in 

the right eye by the stick of Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski. 

"There's nothing different I would have done on that play," he said before 

making a joke out of it. "Maybe I could have slashed him over the head 

first." 

Added Pronger: "Things happen for a reason. You sit there and you're 

depressed and you can wallow and do the why-me routine, and I'm sure I 

did for a few months when I didn't really do anything. But eventually you 

have to kind of turn the page and start trying to get better and start working 

out and doing the right thing to make sure you're there for your kids and 

your wife and your family." 

The leader of the Flyers' team that made an improbable run to the Stanley 

Cup Finals in 2010, Pronger said he still gets headaches and that he visits 

an eye doctor twice a week. 

Big part is depression 

Flyers winger Scott Hartnell called Pronger "one of the best defensemen to 

ever play the game. His presence on and off the ice and in the dressing 

room [is invaluable], leading by example and leading by his words. You 

can't put a price on it." 

Addressing the local media for the first time in about 15 months, Pronger 

said the "biggest part is the depression. How you feel about yourself. How 

you feel about the injury and how dark you go down." 

He later said there was "some pretty dark days when the doctor was a little 

worried" about his emotional state. 

Since he suffered the concussion, Pronger said he has "leaned" on his wife 

and children - who are 4, 8 and 10 years old - for support. 

"You try to make positives out of a tough situation and being able to be 

home and around them and watch them kind of grow up," said Pronger, 

who moved from Haddonfield to St. Louis last May. 

Pronger, who was at the Wells Fargo Center to watch Thursday night's 

game against the Penguins, said he has also been helped by long talks with 

his agent, Pat Morris, and Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. 

But he said the injury has played with his emotions. 

"You get agitated very quickly," said Pronger, who didn't rule out being a 

broadcaster down the road. "When the symptoms start piling up and you 

start getting a headache and it's loud in the house . . . There's bright lights, 

kids running around screaming, all that stuff. You are on edge as it is. 

You're [mad] that you are not playing the game you love, that you can't go 

do what you want to do every day. You are even more [mad] because 

you've got a headache and it's getting worse and worse . . . and your kid 

comes over and you snap. 

"You're not being the father you want to be," Pronger added. "It changes 

your personality a little bit. I've gotten a little better with it. But I still get a 

grrr on from time to time and got to catch myself, take myself out of the 

room and make sure I'm a little better." 

Pronger said he feels disoriented on occasion. "I can lose my train of 

thought. My cognitive skills are a little suspect at times," he said. "It comes 

and goes on certain days." 

He said he misses the "routine" of going to the rink every day. "You miss 

the camaraderie, going to war every night and knowing that you 

accomplished something each and every night, the blood, sweat and tears. 

You miss playing hockey games and . . . that rush of adrenalin." 

Pronger is able to do light workouts with weights, and was on the ice with 

his children last month, "pushing pucks around. But I've gotten [concussion] 

symptoms, and it didn't go very well." 

Returning to the NHL "will be difficult, but the good things in life are never 

easy," he said. "You have to set goals and try to push yourself to attain 

them and reach them. This is no different. I have to keep working at getting 

healthy and working to get myself back to as close to 100 percent as I can 

get, and we'll kind of re-evaluate after that." 

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.08.2013


Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger says he is not retiring 

Deanna Vasso, Philly.com Staff 


Former Flyers captain and defenseman, Chris Pronger was in Voorhees, 

NJ on Thursday at the Flyers Skate Zone and addressed the media about 

his career-threatening concussion and eye injury. 

Pronger was hit over the head by Mikhail Grabovski's stick in a game 

against the Maple Leafs on October 24, 2011. On November 19 of that 

year, Pronger complained that he was bothered by the lights and crowd 

noise in Winnipeg. 

Pronger, who hasn't played in over a year and still suffers symptoms, said 

that he is not ready to retire and will "continue to work towards playing 

again." 

All signs point to Pronger's career being over, and it is likely that his 

decision not to retire has more to do with the implications it would have on 

the Flyers' salary cap. If he does retire, the team will not get the same kind 

of cap relief they would if he was to remain on long-term injured reserve. 

Here is some of what he said about his injury: 

"I kind of went dark there for a while, but now I'm back." 

"I need to continue to get healthy, to rehab, to go to my eye appointments, 

doctor appointments...once I continue to get healthy we'll see where we're 

at. It may or may not go away." 

"If I’ve done a lot I’ll wake up with a headache. I lose my train of thought 

and still have cognitive problems. I’ll stop talking and people will ask “what’s 

wrong with him?” but then I’ll get back on to it." 

"You get a little depressed, you can’t work out, you try to work out but you 

get nauseous, you get a headache and you have to go lay down. The 

biggest thing is the depression, how dark you get, and how you go down." 

On visors: "I would be for visors, but it’s a slippery slope by allowing the 

league to mandate that. I don’t think the players won’t do it, but it’s a 

slippery slope." 

On making one of his sons wear a visor if he were drafted into the NHL: "If 

he’s over eighteen, he can do what he wants. You can advise, but he’s 

going to do what he wants." 

"The eye is intertwined with the concussion to cause the dizziness and 

would give me headaches, you get disorientated." 

"I don’t think “full-time" wouldn't be the right word. I watch games and give 

them feedback and tell them what to work on. I help out." 

"Everyone who plays a professional sport wants to go out on their own 

terms. Everyone wants a Stanley Cup. I don’t think it’s my time yet." 

"I’m just trying to get healthy and live a normal live. I need to get better for 

my family." 

"I never said my vision won't get better, I said my direct vision won’t get 

better. There’s glasses, contacts. I’ve never heard of anyone's eyes getting 

better with glasses. Direct vision is not as much of an issue as peripheral 

vision. It was good before, now I don’t really have one. You know where 

everyone is on the ice so you don’t get hit, so it’s troublesome." 

"The difference with my injury to guys like Primeau, Crosby, it was eyerelated, 

not strictly head-related." 

"You try to make positives out of a tough situation. If you get out of that 

[depression]... talks with my agent, Homer, that helped." 

"I can see you [laughs at reporter]. I think I have pretty good sight." 

"You get agitated quickly when the symptons add up, loud noises, kids 

running around in the house, you get pissed off because you have a 

headache and it gets worse and worse. Your kid comes over and you snap 

and you’re not being the father you want to be. I have to catch myself and 

leave the room." 

"I don’t think I would have done anything different in that play, maybe I’d 

slash him over the head first [laughs]. Eventually you have to turn the page 

and try to get better. Hockey has been a part of my life for the past 19-20 

years." 

"I have glasses on and I can drive." 

"I can’t run, anything where I want to move my body fast. If my heart rate 

gets up too high, I get a headache. I’ve been on the ice with my kids, but I 

can’t say I’ve been doing more than pushing pucks around. I've been on the 

ice and I’ve got headaches. I've tried to do things to help it, but it hasn't 

worked." 

On if he works out: "I watch what I eat [laughs]. Did you know that 90 

percent of your body is diet? I lift a little bit." 

"It will be difficult, the good things in life are never easy, you have to set 

goals and push yourself to attain them." 

"You miss the routine, that's the biggest thing that put me in the hole, you 

don’t have a routine. I had a set schedule since I was 15, since I starting 

playing junior hockey, so it’s difficult to not have one anymore. I have a little 

routine now. I go to therapy appointments, I try to work out and go to the 

carpool line to pick up my kids." 

"You miss going to war every night, the blood, sweat and tears of playing a 

hockey game." 

On the Flyers biggest issues: "Consistency. You look at our team, we’re a 

young team, and when you're young you make mistakes. The biggest thing 

is it’s not always the same guy making the mistakes, it’s different guys. One 

guy might correct it, but then it's the next guy and the next guy. It's tough, 

you're trying to find your identity and who you are." 

"You try to see where you are as the day goes by. When you have 

symptons, you have to back off. My eyes get more tired, I seem to fall 

asleep a lot earlier than I used to. I’m a little better, the lockout probably 

helped, not having it for that period, you're able to get better. You don’t miss 

it as much when it’s gone. Feeling like you should be there, and it gets 

tough at times." 

"There was some pretty dark days, my doctor was worried, there were 

some pretty dark days." 

On returning to the Flyers: "Not in the near future. I don’t think we’re there 

yet." 

"I have no regrets, I played to the best of my ability, I played to win and was 

fortunate enough to win a Stanley Cup and played on a few good teams 

that got there. I don’t have any regrets. I’m not going to look back and say 

'Geez, I wish I did this and that.' I have nothing to prove." 



Pronger talks of 'dark days' 

Sam Carchidi, Inquirer Staff Writer 

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, whose career is probably over because 

of post-concussion symptoms, talked about battling depression and his 

"dark days" during a news conference Thursday at the Skate Zone in 

Voorhees. 

The Flyers handed out a news release in which a concussion expert 

advised Pronger to no longer play hockey. 

Pronger said he is not retiring, but that is probably because if he calls it 

quits, the Flyers won't get cap relief. 

Pronger's last game was Nov. 19, 2011, when he was bothered by the 

lights and crowd noise in Winnipeg. On Oct. 24 of that year, he was hit by 

the stick of Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski. 

Flyers winger Scott Hartnell called Pronger "one of the best defensemen to 

ever play the game. His presence on and off the ice and in the dressing 

room (is invaluable), leading by example and leading by his words. You 

can't put a price on it." 

Pronger said he still gets headaches and his eyesight has been affected. 

"You get agitated very quickly," he said. "When the symptoms start piling 

up, and you start getting a headache and it's loud in the house. There's 

bright lights, kids running around screaming, all that stuff. You are on edge 

as it is. You’re pissed off that you are not playing the game you love, that 

you can’t go do what you want to do every day. You are even more pissed 

off because you got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse...and 

you’re light-headed and dizzy, and your kid comes over and you snap. 

"You’re not being the father you want to be. It changes your personality a 

little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it. But I still get a grr on from time to 

time and gotta catch myself, take myself out of the room and make sure I’m 

a little better." 

(more coming) 

Read playing? It APPEARS Matt Read will be in the lineup tonight against 

Pittsburgh because Mike Knuble stayed on the ice with the extras during 

the morning skate. Either that, or the Flyers will dress seven defensemen. 

Nick Grossmann took part in the morning skate and is likely to play. He 

suffered an apparent hip injury in New York Tuesday. Kurtis Foster, battling 

the aftereffects of the flu, might also dress. 

Numbers. The Flyers and Penguins have averaged a combined eight goals 

in their last 15 meetings. 



Ex-Flyers recall unbeaten streak as Blackhawks close in on the mark 


Posted: Friday, March 8, 2013, 2:09 AM 

As the Chicago Blackhawks try to surpass a record unbeaten streak set by 

the 1979-80 Flyers, Bob Clarke wishes them no ill will. 

"Not at all," Clarke, the onetime Flyers star who is now the organization's 

senior vice president, said the other day. "The way I feel, I hope the young 

people do more than what the athletes in my generation did." 

Clarke, then 30 and in his first year as a playing assistant coach, was one 

of the leaders as the Flyers put together an NHL record, 35-game unbeaten 

streak more than three decades ago. Chicago has points in 30 straight 

regular-season games, including the first 24 this season (21-0-3), and has a 

difficult game Friday in Colorado. 

The Flyers' unbeaten streak, which was established before overtime and 

shootouts were part of the rules, is the longest in any of the major North 

American sports. The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers won 33 straight in 1971- 

72. 

Clarke said the streak "has meaning because no one in professional sports 

has ever done it. But, to me, it's a long way down on the list of what we 

accomplished. Winning the Cups and winning your [division] is much 

higher." 

Clarke and many members of that record-setting team say they are rooting 

for Chicago. Kenny Linseman said they may be fibbing. 

"I don't think anyone on that team wants them to beat the record," said 

Linseman, who led the 1979-80 Flyers with 79 points. "It's pretty cool to say 

we have the longest record in professional sports." 

The Flyers, captained by Mel Bridgman, went 25-0-10 during their run. 

"It just sort of happened," said soft-spoken Flyers general manager Paul 

Holmgren, who was a winger on that team and had the best season of his 

career with 30 goals and 65 points. "We never really talked about it until it 

got close to 28 games," which was the streak record, set by Montreal (22-0- 

6) in 1977-78. 

"We had to beat Boston in Boston to beat the previous record, and it kind of 

snowballed." 

Beneficial for the game 

Holmgren, who along with Behn Wilson were the Flyers' most physical 

players, remembered "lots of close calls" during the streak. Thirteen times, 

the Flyers came from behind to win or tie a game during the 35-game run. 

"We had contributions from a lot of different people," Holmgren said. "We 

didn't rely on one line or one defenseman or one goalie. Everybody had a 

hand in it." 

Some say the Blackhawks' streak is tainted because they don't have to play 

Eastern Conference teams in the lockout-shortened schedule. Holmgren 

isn't one of them. 

"I think the parity in the league is so much better now, so it's probably more 

difficult for the Blackhawks in that respect," Holmgren said. 

Like Clarke and Holmgren, Bill Barber is not rooting against the 

Blackhawks. 

"I always look at what's beneficial for the game," said Barber, who scored 

40 goals in 1979-80. "I think all records are meant to be broken. If it 

happens, it's great for hockey and brings more people into the audience." 

The 1979-80 Flyers had a handful of players from one or both of their 1974 

and 1975 Stanley Cup champions - Clarke, Barber, Rick MacLeish, Jimmy 

Watson, Reggie Leach, Bob Kelly, and Andre Dupont - but several of the 

big, physical players from the Broad Street Bullies had been replaced by 

quicker players such as Tom Gorence, Linseman, and hotshot rookie Brian 

Propp. 

"I was a small part of it as an 11th or 12th forward, but that doesn't take 

away the excitement from it," said John Paddock, a former winger who is 

now a Flyers assistant coach. "We had a lot of new players on the team, 

myself included, and we had a lot of guys who had played on the 

championship teams we had in Maine [of the AHL] the previous two years." 

Paddock was referring to young players such as Mike Busniuk, Norm 

Barnes, Frank Bathe, Al Hill, Gorence, and Pete Peeters. 

"We were excited just to be there," Paddock said of the jump to the NHL. 

"We had a good mix of players," said Bathe, a defenseman who had seven 

points and 111 penalty minutes that season. "You know how you have 14 

clubs in the golf bag? I was the 15th, and every once in a while they'd put 

me in. With the Bobby Clarkes and Billy Barbers and the other stars there, I 

felt like the 15th club." 

The Flyers were a team in transition, and they had a patchwork defense 

and a rookie goalie, Peeters, who divided time with veteran Phil Myre. 

The 1979-80 season began innocently enough as the Flyers opened with a 

5-2 win over the visiting New York Islanders before dropping a 9-2 decision 

to the Flames in Atlanta on Oct. 13. 

They would not lose again until nearly three months later, when they were 

trounced by the North Stars in Minnesota, 7-1, on Jan. 7. 

In between, the Pat Quinn-coached team received outstanding goaltending 

from Peeters (14-0-4 during the streak) and Myre (11-0-6). 

Chicago has also used two goalies during its streak, including former Flyer 

Ray Emery, who has made an eye-opening recovery from surgery to repair 

avascular necrosis of the hip, the same bone disorder that curtailed Bo 

Jackson's athletic career. On Wednesday, when Chicago rallied for a 

dramatic 3-2 win over Colorado, Emery became the first goalie in NHL 

history to start a season 10-0. He has a 2.02 goals-against average and 

.925 save percentage. 

"When you look at where he was - from a condition that completely took him 

out of lineup to having major surgery and then rehabilitation - to be playing 

at this level is amazing," Paddock said. 

More media 

Paddock said that when the Flyers went on their record streak, the media 

coverage wasn't in the same stratosphere as today. There was no Internet. 

No Twitter. No 24-hour news cycle. 

"Technology is different today," he said, adding there wasn't much of a 

"buzz" about the streak until the Flyers approached the Canadiens' NHL 

record. "And we started embracing it and said, 'What the heck.' It became 

more like a playoff gear." 

The Flyers finished the season tops in the NHL with 116 points and a 48- 

12-20 record. They reached the Stanley Cup Finals, but lost to the 

Islanders, four games to two. In the Game 6 overtime loss, a missed call by 

Leon Stickle - he overlooked an Islanders offside on one of their goals - still 

has left Barber a "little bitter." 

Barber points out that the Blackhawks streak is being done in two portions, 

including the last six regular-season games (4-0-2) of 2011-12. 

"We did it all in one year without interruptions," he said. "And they're playing 

a shortened season, where we played a full 80-game season, and it was a 

big challenge to know you still had a full season ahead." 

Barber said players are faster, bigger, and stronger today, but he also said 

the Flyers had a more difficult schedule in 1979-80 because they played 

teams from both conferences. 

"I'm not putting them down," he said of the Blackhawks. "I'm just laying out 

the facts." 

Linseman, who has a plaque hanging on one of his New Hampshire home's 

walls that pays tribute to the streak, says it was exhilarating and "more 

exhausting than a regular season" to try to avoid losing. 

"One of the biggest reasons for the streak was Pat Quinn's system," he 

said. "He had a defenseman jump in on the offensive play all the time. That 

didn't happen around the league, and it was kind of mandated, and it had a 

huge effect." 



Penguins climb out of 3-goal hole to beat Flyers 

FRANK SERAVALLI, Daily News Staff Writer seravaf@phillynews.com 


MAYBE, JUST maybe, lounging on the laurels of a three-goal lead after one 

period would have worked against other teams - those prone-to-losing 

franchises. 

Not the Penguins. Not against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. 

Certainly not in the NHL's fiercest rivalry, where the only score that matters 

is the final one. 

"We just went to sleep," Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. "We talked 

about the second period, that Pittsburgh's game would elevate and ours 

would need to stay elevated. It didn't. You could sense it on the bench." 

Kimmo Timonen had been saying it for weeks, that his Flyers have lacked a 

"killer instinct," and the ability to take over close games. The Flyers lacked 

any semblance of instinct, killer or otherwise, by allowing four unanswered 

goals in a span of 14:48. 

Penguins 5, Flyers 4. 

It was as if the Flyers believed the Penguins already had boarded their 

charter flight home after only the first period. 

"We were all up, we were all confident and excited to go for the second 

period," Zac Rinaldo said of the Flyers' locker-room atmosphere during the 

first intermission, when they led 4-1. 

Up for an implosion, apparently. 

Thursday marked the Flyers' first regulation loss in more than 20 years 

(Feb. 17, 1993, against Detroit) in which they held a three-goal edge in a 

regular-season game. The Penguins did it to the Flyers in Game 6 of their 

2009 first-round playoff series, but apparently that wasn't recent enough for 

this team to remember. 

Now, the Flyers are a Saturday loss in Beantown away from going winless 

in "rivalry week," which some have dubbed as the most important of the 

season. 

And after blowing two points that should have been in-hand, the Flyers sit 

only four points from 15th place in the East after starting the week in a 

playoff position. 

"That should be the game right there," Timonen said. "When we have a 4-1 

lead, the game is in your hands, big-time. Every time when we take a big 

lead, we seem to sit back and wait for the game to end. We're not a team 

that can sit back and wait. When we do that, we seem to stand still and give 

up a lot of easy goals. 

"When we went back on the ice, we were not there for some reason." 

Neither Laviolette nor any player could put their finger on the second 

period's start, which is especially puzzling since both players and coaches 

talked about it. 

"It was a big letdown," Scott Hartnell said. "I don't know why we stopped 

playing from the way we were in the first period. The Pittsburgh Penguins 

aren't going to sit back and hand over two points, they're going to come 

hard. Before you know, it's 4-4; we just can't do that. We let another two 

points slip away. It's not [Laviolette's] fault. It's not his fault, it's not anyone's 

fault." 

Laviolette said the Flyers "stopped working" in the second period. 

Even after the Flyers' horrific second period, they still entered the third tied 

4-4, with a real chance to redeem themselves. It took Chris Kunitz only 18 

seconds to find the back of the net. Timonen gambled and lost on a pinch 

when Crosby fell down in the neutral zone. 

The Flyers are 0-5 in games in which they've entered the third period tied 

this season, also losing Tuesday in New York after entering the third in a 2- 

2 deadlock. 

"We played a great 20 minutes, but 20 minutes doesn't get you anything 

these days," Hartnell said. "Then we just sat back, and when you do that, 

Malkin and Crosby, these guys are snipers and make plays. Play like that 

and it will be a long summer." 

Slap shots 

Ilya Bryzgalov refused to comment after being pulled from the game in the 

second period, having allowed four goals on 16 shots. Neither starting 

goaltender finished the game, as Marc-Andre Fleury was also yanked after 

allowing four goals . . . Thursday was the third time in 13 months that 

Bryzgalov had been pulled against Pittsburgh . . . Zac Rinaldo's first career 

multipoint game was wasted . . . Matt Read returned to the lineup for the 

first time since tearing muscles in his rib cage on Feb. 20 against the 

Penguins. He was originally projected to miss 6 weeks . . . Nick Grossmann 

was also back after missing the second and third periods in New York on 

Tuesday with a reported groin injury . . . Defenseman Andrej Meszaros 

remains "day-to-day" and could face the Bruins on Saturday. 



Pronger won't be an ad-visor 

Sam Donnellon, Daily News Sports Columnist 


IF BRAYDON Coburn had just a little more time to settle in when he was 

traded to the Flyers in February 2007, he might still be able to feel the area 

above his left eye and across the length of his skull to the back of his head. 

If Scott Hartnell had not spent 2 weeks in bed when he was 19 so his retina 

could cease bleeding and begin to repair, he might still be scrapping in front 

of opponents' nets without a visor covering his eyes. 

Both men play with visors these days, the result of eye injuries that 

threatened to end their respective careers before their 25th birthdays. Both 

have difficulty understanding the resistance by some teammates to donning 

them too, particularly after Tuesday's gruesome injury to Rangers 

defenseman Marc Staal in New York, or the slew of ugly incidents that 

short-circuited the careers of teammates Ian Laperriere and Chris Pronger. 

Pronger was in town to catch a game and catch up Flyers ownership on his 

status, 16 months after an inadvertent stick to his right eye left him with 

vision loss and severe concussion symptoms - and psychological damage 

as well. 

"You get headaches, you're not wanting to do anything, you sit around, you 

can't work out, you get depressed," he was saying during a rambling news 

conference Thursday afternoon at Skate Zone. "You try to work out and you 

get nauseous, a headache, you want to lay down. It's an awkward feeling, 

and it's something that when you haven't experienced it before you really 

don't understand what it is that these guys are talking about. 

"I guess the biggest part is the depression and how you feel about yourself 

and how you feel about the injury. How dark you go down." 

Those dark days are gone, he said, thankfully, but the symptoms still hound 

his daily life. He has no peripheral vision and has been given no 

assurances by the physicians treating him at the University of Pittsburgh 

Medical Center that he will ever regain it. He cannot run or do even 

minimally taxing physical activity, he said. Prolonged activity of any kind - 

even Thursday's news conference - triggers pulsating headaches that last 

all day. 

Pronger even handed out a news release from UPMC with the headline 

"UPMC Concussion Expert Advises Decorated NHL Defenseman Chris 

Pronger to Stop Playing," seemingly a subtle way of telling Philadelphia 

once and for all that he is done. Yet because of the NHL's bizarre rules 

involving injuries and the salary cap, Pronger redirected all retirement 

questions like he once cleared pucks, speaking in nebulous terms about 

regaining his overall health, not necessarily returning to play. 

"I've made some good improvements from where I was," he said early on 

during a 28-minute televised session that was followed by another 10 

minutes off-air. "But I still have a lot of work ahead of me." 

Later, after several go-rounds on the topic of possibly playing again, he 

said, "It will be difficult. But the good things in life are never easy." 

It was pure coincidence that he was in town just 2 days after Kimmo 

Timonen's deflected slap shot triggered Staal's blood-curdling screams and 

spilled blood on the Madison Square Garden ice, deadening, temporarily at 

least, the playoff-fever pitch of both the crowd and the two teams. Since 

then, there has been considerable debate over mandating visors for all NHL 

players, Hartnell and Coburn weighing in before Pronger's news 

conference. Coburn wore a visor through juniors and his early years as a 

pro, discarding it after the Flyers helmet he was issued on his first day here 

did not have one attached. 

"I thought, 'This is kind of nice,' " Coburn said. "And I kept it off. You just 

feel more comfortable. Sweat gets on it. It's one of those things when you 

have it off it feels great. But I think the detriment outweighs that." 

Coburn's outlook changed when a deflected puck during the 2008 playoffs 

caught him above his left eye and created the numbness along the length of 

his skull he still has today. 

For Hartnell, it was a teammate's accidental stick. "I could never go back to 

not wearing one," he said. "It made me sick with Staal the other night. He 

was screaming, holding his eye, you could see all that blood. And then you 

see the replay after the game, it all makes you cringe. 

"It's too important, your eyes," he said. "You see guys lose their careers 

because of it." 

A Pronger visor endorsement would have made Thursday a little more 

meaningful, a little less sad. Instead his answer made as little sense as any 

suggestion he will wear an NHL uniform again. He said something about a 

"slippery slope" that would allow the league to "start implementing their own 

rules. What are they going to change next?" 

The answer, of course, is their unenviable legacy of gruesome eye injuries 

and shortened careers. Visors are for protection. And if a puck or two is lost 

for a moment or two along the way? Listening to Pronger, and Hartnell and 

Coburn, it sure seems like a small price to pay. 



Flyers' Hartnell: 'We just sat back' 

POSTED: Thursday, March 7, 2013, 11:37 PM 


This is not a recording: The Flyers failed to play three good periods 

Thursday night and it cost them a win. 

For the umpteenth time this season, the Flyers followed a great period with 

a clunker. The result: They blew a 4-1 lead and lost to the Pittsburgh 

Penguins, 5-4, at the Wells Fargo Center. 

There are no excuses for lacking a killer instinct against their arch-rivals. 

The Flyers were home. They should have been a more desperate team 

because of the standings, and they should have had extra incentive 

because they were coming off a poor third period in a 4-2 loss to the 

Rangers on Tuesday. 

Yet, after firing 18 shots in the first 20 minutes, they managed only seven 

shots in the next 27 minutes. 

“It was a big letdown,” winger Scott Hartnell said. “I don’t know why we 

stopped playing from the way we were in the first period. We were fast, 

quick, hitting, getting into the extra-curricular activities after the whistle and 

we were playing Flyer hockey. Then we just sat back, and when you do that 

against (Evgeni) Malkin and (Sidney) Crosby, these guys are snipers and 

make plays. 

“If we play like that, it will be a long summer.” 

In the first period, the WFC was alive. After that, the crowd mimicked the 

team’s play on the ice. They were quiet. Very, very quiet. 

The Flyers (11-13-1) blew a three-goal lead and lost in regulation for the 

first time since 1993, and they are now 0-5 this season in games that are 

tied heading into the final period. They fell two games under .500 and 

dropped into a tie for 10th in the Eastern Conference. 

Normally, it wouldn’t be time panic after 25 games. But with just 23 games 

left in this shortened season, GM Paul Holmgren has to seriously consider 

a move. 

Does he trade a high draft pick for a player (Jarome Iginla? Mark Streit?) 

who could become a free agent? 

Stay tuned. 



Penguins roar back and beat Flyers 

Sam Carchidi, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER 


There's something about games between the Flyers and Pittsburgh 

Penguins that makes it look as if both teams have beer-league defenses. 

It happened in last year's wild playoffs, and it happened in last month's 11goal 

game in Pittsburgh. 

It happened again Thursday night as the Flyers scored four first-period 

goals - two on the power play by the blistering Jake Voracek - but watched 

the Penguins answer with three unanswered tallies in the second period. 

By the time it ended, both starting goalies had been yanked, and the 

Penguins emerged with a 5-4 comeback victory before a stunned sellout 

crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. 

Eighteen seconds into the third period, Chris Kunitz, on a two-on-one, 

easily beat Brian Boucher to give Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead. A turnover by 

Kimmo Timonen set up the goal. 

The Flyers lost a three-goal lead and lost in regulation for the first time 

since 1993, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. 

The Penguins overcame an early 4-1 deficit as they won their third straight 

and sent the Flyers (11-13-1) two games under .500. 

"We need to put a whole game together," said winger Zac Rinaldo, who had 

a goal and an assist in the first period. "We got the start we wanted, and 

then we got too comfortable with our lead." 

Many of the Flyers seemed miffed that they couldn't give a solid 60-minute 

effort against their fiercest rivals. 

"After the first period, we talked about [how] the Pittsburgh Penguins aren't 

going to sit back and just hand over two points," winger Scott Hartnell said. 

"They're going to come out hard, and, lo and behold, before you know it, it's 

4-4. We just can't do that. It's embarrassing to the fans, it's embarrassing to 

one another, and we let another two points slip away." 

Hartnell called the second period a "big letdown. I don't know why we would 

have stopped playing the way we were. . . . 

"If we play like that, it'll be a long summer. We have to figure it out fast." 

Kunitz had two goals, and Sidney Crosby had three assists to pace the 

Penguins (16-8), who are 10-4 on the road. 

With 12 minutes, 53 seconds remaining, the Flyers thought they tied it at 5 

when Hartnell tipped in Timonen's shot, but the goal was waved off. The 

war room reviewed it and said it was knocked in with a high stick. 

Voracek, who had his first career hat trick in a 6-5 win over Pittsburgh last 

month, has nine goals and 19 points in his last 10 games. 

The Flyers and Penguins combined for a ridiculous 56 goals in last year's 

six-game playoff series, and the teams had combined to average eight 

goals per game in their last 15 meetings before Thursday. 

The Flyers outshot the Penguins in the opening period, 18-4, but Pittsburgh 

dominated the second. 

Pittsburgh got goals that were credited to Pascal Dupuis and James Neal 

(Neal's pass deflected off defenseman Braydon Coburn's right skate and 

into the net) within 2:43 of each other, cutting the deficit to 4-3. 

That caused Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to call a timeout with 11:47 to go 

in the second stanza. It didn't help. 

The Penguins tied it with 4:13 left in the second period as Tyler Kennedy's 

drive went past Ilya Bryzgalov, who was screened by Brandon Sutter. 

Laviolette replaced Bryzgalov with Boucher, saying he wanted to change 

the momentum. 

"We couldn't seem to get it back," he said. 

Both of Voracek's first-period goals deflected off Penguins defenseman 

Paul Martin and through Fleury's legs. Hey, when you're hot, you're hot. 

Fleury, who allowed an awful goal on a long shot by Timonen (three points), 

was pulled after the first period and replaced by Tomas Vokoun. 

Vokoun had little work in the second period as the Penguins outshot the 

Flyers, 12-3. The Flyers had 18 shots in the first 20 minutes, then had just 

four shots over the next 27 minutes. 

Breakaways. Winger Matt Read (ribs) returned to the lineup a month ahead 

of schedule and played on a line with Sean Couturier and Simon Gagne. 

Defenseman Nick Grossmann, injured in the first period against the 

Rangers on Tuesday, also returned to the Flyers' lineup. 



Flyers let big lead, big game get away 

by Wayne Fish 

PHILADELPHIA -- Teams that build big leads and then can’t put away 

opponents are in, says Scott Hartnell, “for a long summer.’’ 

The Flyers raced to a fat 4-1 lead over Pittsburgh on Thursday night, then 

got happy and lazy. 

Philadelphia gave up three unanswered goals in the second period, then a 

tiebreaking score in the third and lost a brutal 5-4 decision at the Wells 

Fargo Center. 

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time the Flyers had a threegoal 

lead and lost the game in regulation was Jan. 17, 1993 in a 7-3 loss to 

Detroit. 

Do the Flyers lack a killer instinct? They’ve been tied at the end of two 

periods five times this season and are 0-5 in those games. 

“You see it all the time,’’ said Brian Boucher, who had to relieve starting 

goalie Ilya Bryzgalov midway through the contest. “A team gets up 4-1, the 

team on the other side is a pretty good team and if you take your foot off the 

gas just a little bit, things change in a hurry. 

“We talked about it between periods. I don’t know why things changed in 

the second. You can’t give up leads like that, if you want to make your way 

up the standings.’’ 

Considering the two teams had combined for an average of eight goals a 

game in their previous 15 meetings, it came as no surprise that they totaled 

eight in the first two periods. 

After rallying from their three-goal deficit in the second period, the Penguins 

needed just 18 seconds in the third period to break a 4-4 tie on a goal by 

Chris Kunitz (his second of the game) to take control. 

“We had the game in our hands and the second period we came out flat,’’ 

Claude Giroux said. “Cost us another two points.’’ 

Giroux was asked if this was the worst loss of the season. 

“Yeah,’’ he responded. “When you’re ahead 4-1, you have to find a way to 

close the game up.’’ 

For weeks, the Flyers have been talking about the possibility of not making 

the playoffs for only the second time since 1995. With each passing loss, 

the prospect comes closer to reality. 

“We talked about it after the first period,’’ Hartnell said. “The Penguins 

aren’t going to sit back and sign over two points. Before you know it, it’s 4- 

4. You just can’t do that. It’s embarrassing to fans, it’s embarrassing to one 

another. 

“I don’t know why we would have stopped playing in the second period. We 

were fast, we were quick, we were hitting. We were playing Flyers hockey 

and then we just sat back. If we play like that, it will be a long summer.’’ 

Just over halfway through the game, both starting goalies -- Ilya Bryzalov 

for the Flyers and Marc-Andre Fleury for Pittsburgh -- were gone. 

The Flyers jumped on top with the help of two Jake Voracek goals, and 

single markers from Zac Rinaldo and Kimmo Timonen. 

Voracek opened the scoring at 11:18 on a power play when his shot 

deflected off defenseman Paul Martin and through Fleury’s pads. 

But Pittsburgh fired back with a power-play goal of its own by Kunitz at 

12:05. Sidney Crosby picked up an assist on the play, ending a two-game 

point drought at the WFC. 

Then came three straight goals by Rinaldo (15:08, off a fat rebound), 

Timonen (18:17 on a long shot through a Derek Engelland screen) and 

Voracek at 19:52. Fleury was yanked at the start of the second in favor of 

Tomas Vokoun. 

The Penguins got goals from Pascal Dupuis at 5:30, James Neal at 8:13 

(on a shot that deflected off Brayden Coburn) and Tyler Kennedy at 15:47 

to tie the score. That was all for Bryzaglov, who was pulled in favor of Brian 

Boucher. 

Hartnell tipped a shot into the net seven minutes into the third period but 

that goal was waved off due to a high stick. 

So now the Flyers, who have fallen to 10th in the East, face another mustwin 

game in Boston on Saturday. They can’t afford another game like this 

one. 

“We talked about it before we went out there for the second period that 

Pittsburgh’s game would elevate and ours would need to stay elevated,’’ 

coach Peter Laviolette said. “It didn’t. 

“Being able to finish off games, I think we need to do a better job than what 

we’ve done this year. We’ve had a lot of tie games and a lot of situations to 

win games and they’ve slipped away. Certainly it’s not where we want to 

be.’’ 

Wayne Fish: 215-345-3070; e-mail: wfish@phillyburbs.com; twitter: 

@waynefish1 

Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


Read returns 'just a bit early' 

by Wayne Fish 

PHILADELPHIA – Matt Read was supposed to be out of the Flyers lineup 

for about six weeks with a ribcage muscle injury. 

But Thursday night, just two weeks after going on the injury list, Read 

returned to action for a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

At the morning skate, Read said the only time he really feels pain is when 

he takes a slap shot or the occasional off-balance wrist shot. 

“Why wouldn’t I want to come back?’’ Read said. “It’s my job, I love doing it. 

Not being out there, it’s frustrating. I’m going to do the most I can to get 

back in the lineup.’’ 

At the morning skate in Voorhees, Mike Knuble stayed on the ice late at the 

morning skate, leading to speculation that Read wouldl play. 

Meanwhile, Nick Grossmann, who left Tuesday night’s game at the New 

York Rangers with a left hip flexor injury, was also in the lineup. 

Pronger reaction: Scott Hartnell spotted Chris Pronger in the hallways on 

Thursday and said he had only fond memories of their playing time 

together. 

“He’s definitely one of the best defensemen ever to play the game,’’ Hartnell 

said. “His presence on and off the ice, leading by example, leading by his 

words, you can’t replace that. 

“I’m sure he watches every game. I’ve gotten a few text messages since I 

got back (from a broken foot). He definitely cares, it’s killing him that he 

can’t play. 

“Any time you see him it brings back some memories, like in 2010 we went 

all the way (to the Stanley Cup finals). Just seeing him – he’s Chris 

Pronger, I hated playing against him, you really didn’t want to go in front of 

the net when he was on the ice. 

“To have him on your team and be buddies with him, it was an honor. It 

definitely hurts him not being here.’’ 

Feasterville cancer survivor honored: Nina Phillip, a cancer survivor from 

Feasterville, was honored by the Flyers on Thursday night as the Virtua 

Community Teammate during the game. 

Phillip was recognized for her fight against cancer as well as her support of 

others. 

Nina was first diagnosed with cancer in the late ‘80s and has been battling 

the disease for over 25 years. Along with a group of two dozen other cancer 

survivors, Nina has hiked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and raised almost 

$5,000 to raise awareness for cancer research. 

The expedition was supported by two non-profit cancer organizations - 

Radiating Hope and Above and Beyond Cancer who provide uplifting 

experiences to cancer patients while raising money for research and 

updated radiation equipment. 

Through the spirits of the climbers, the help of Radiating Hope and Above 

and Beyond Cancer as well dozens of sponsors, Nina and her group of 

climbers have helped raise just over $1 million for cancer research. 

Flyers Saturday 

What: Flyers at Boston Bruins. 

When: 1:05. 

Where: TD Garden. 

TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM. 

Season series: First meeting. 

What to watch: Boston having a strong first half, challenging Montreal for 

Northeast Division lead. . .Bruins are tied for the fewest home power-play 

goals in the NHL with only nine. On the flip side, the Flyers’ power play is 

sixth overall in the league. 



Pronger opens up about life after injury 

by Wayne Fish 

VOORHEES — Known for never giving up the battle on the ice, Chris 

Pronger vows to maintain that philosophy in the biggest fight of his life away 

from the rink. 

Although he’s been sidelined by vision and concussion problems since 

November 2011, the standout defenseman says he hasn’t completely ruled 

out the possibility of returning to the Flyers some day. 

It would take a miracle, given the scope of his health woes. But if there’s a 

guy who could pull off such a feat, it would have to be the towering 

defenseman. 

Pronger chose Thursday to speak with the media for the first time since 

Dec. 1, 2011, just over a month after he was hit in the right eye by a high 

stick from Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski on Oct. 24, 2011. 

During a 40-minute press conference at the Skate Zone, Pronger covered a 

wide range of topics, from the possibility of coming back in the future to the 

depression he has experienced to where things stand with day to day living. 

Some of the high points: 

Why open up now 

“I didn’t think the time was right (before). The focus needs to be on the team 

and those guys that were playing.’’ 

Has he considered retirement 

“This doesn’t look like that sort of (press) conference, so no. I’m presently 

trying to get healthy and work toward getting healthy. That’s where it’s at.’’ 

What are the most problematic symptoms 

“I’ve made improvements. I still have symptoms. I still get symptoms with 

loud noises, bright lights and a lot of moving parts and things like that. It’s 

not as bad as it was but I still do get them. There are a lot of things that 

have gotten better. My eye is still troubling. It’s not working properly. I don’t 

have peripheral vision and a lot of things that have worked well for me in 

the past. I keep having to get stronger and stronger glasses.” 

Your chief doctor, Michael Collins (University of Pittsburgh) has advised you 

not to play. Why hold out hope 

“I have some vulnerabilities that he’s very worried about, (ones) that may or 

may not go away. No matter how long it takes, I have to get healthy. That’s 

my main focus and goal.” 

Would you be in favor of the NHL making visors mandatory 

“I would be for it, but the problem is you go down a slippery slope of 

allowing the league to start implementing their own rules and what are they 

going to change next?’’ 

Is the concussion the major issue or your eyes 

“It’s both. The concussion was to my vestibular system and obviously my 

ocular system took a drastic blow when I got hit in the eye. They’re kind of 

correlated together. The eye is kind of intertwined with the concussion to 

create all the dizziness and lightheadedness as I move my head and make 

different motions. It just poses a problem. You get disoriented. I guess 

that’s the easiest way to say it.” 

In reality, Pronger wouldn’t be inclined to retire right now because it would 

cost his team about $4.9 million per year against the salary cap. So, 

another official announcement won’t be coming for about four more years, 

which is the term of his contract. 

So he passes the time doing some video scouting for the Flyers and trying 

to be a good father and husband at home, although at times that can be 

challenging. 

“You get agitated very quickly,’’ Pronger said. “When the symptoms start 

piling up, start getting a headache and loud in the house, there’s bright 

lights, kids running around screaming, all that stuff, you are on edge as it is. 

“You’re ticked off that you are not playing the game you love, that you can’t 

go do what you want to do every day. Then you are even more ticked off 

because you’ve got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse and your 

eyes and you’re light-headed and dizzy and your kid comes over and you 

snap. You’re not being the father you want to be. 

“It changes your personality a little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it. But I 

still get a ‘g-r-r-r’ on from time to time and have to catch myself, take myself 

out of the room and make sure I’m a little better.’’ 

Pronger has two sons (ages 10 and 8) and sometimes it’s difficult for them 

to understand what’s going on. 

“It’s tough,’’ he said. “Sometimes they do (understand) and sometimes they 

don’t. As a kid, you have a pretty short memory and you forget. It is what it 

is. They’re kids. They are going to be rambunctious and crazy at times. 

Sometimes that can really get you on edge.’’ 

There’s probably a better chance of Pronger winning the lottery and getting 

hit by lightning the same day than ever playing hockey again. If that’s the 

case, is he comfortable leaving the game, even if it’s not on his terms? 

“I had no regrets,’’ Pronger said. “I played to the best of my ability. Played 

to win and was fortunate enough to have won a Stanley Cup and a couple 

gold medals and played on some really good teams. I can say I left the 

game with nothing to prove.’’ 



Read returns 'just a bit early' 

by Wayne Fish 

PHILADELPHIA – Matt Read was supposed to be out of the Flyers lineup 

for about six weeks with a ribcage muscle injury. 

But Thursday night, just two weeks after going on the injury list, Read 

returned to action for a home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

At the morning skate, Read said the only time he really feels pain is when 

he takes a slap shot or the occasional off-balance wrist shot. 

“Why wouldn’t I want to come back?’’ Read said. “It’s my job, I love doing it. 

Not being out there, it’s frustrating. I’m going to do the most I can to get 

back in the lineup.’’ 

At the morning skate in Voorhees, Mike Knuble stayed on the ice late at the 

morning skate, leading to speculation that Read wouldl play. 

Meanwhile, Nick Grossmann, who left Tuesday night’s game at the New 

York Rangers with a left hip flexor injury, was also in the lineup. 

Pronger reaction: Scott Hartnell spotted Chris Pronger in the hallways on 

Thursday and said he had only fond memories of their playing time 

together. 

“He’s definitely one of the best defensemen ever to play the game,’’ Hartnell 

said. “His presence on and off the ice, leading by example, leading by his 

words, you can’t replace that. 

“I’m sure he watches every game. I’ve gotten a few text messages since I 

got back (from a broken foot). He definitely cares, it’s killing him that he 

can’t play. 

“Any time you see him it brings back some memories, like in 2010 we went 

all the way (to the Stanley Cup finals). Just seeing him – he’s Chris 

Pronger, I hated playing against him, you really didn’t want to go in front of 

the net when he was on the ice. 

“To have him on your team and be buddies with him, it was an honor. It 

definitely hurts him not being here.’’ 

Flyers Saturday 

What: Flyers at Boston Bruins. 

When: 1:05. 

Where: TD Garden. 

TV/Radio: CSN/97.5-FM. 

Season series: First meeting. 

What to watch: Boston having a strong first half, challenging Montreal for 

Northeast Division lead. . .Bruins are tied for the fewest home power-play 

goals in the NHL with only nine. On the flip side, the Flyers’ power play is 

sixth overall in the league. 


@waynefish1 



Pronger opens up about life after injury 

by Wayne Fish 

VOORHEES – Known for never giving up the battle on the ice, Chris 

Pronger vows to maintain that philosophy in the biggest fight of his life away 

from the rink. 

Although he’s been sidelined by vision and concussion problems since 

November, 2011, the standout defenseman says he hasn’t completely ruled 

out the possibility of returning to the Flyers some day. 

It would take a miracle, given the scope of his health woes. But if there’s a 

guy who could pull off such a feat, it would have to be the towering 

defenseman. 

Pronger chose Thursday to speak with the media for the first time since 

Dec. 1, 2011, just over a month after he was hit in the right eye by a high 

stick from Toronto’s Mikhail Grabovski on Oct. 24, 2011. 

During a 40-minute press conference at the Skate Zone, Pronger covered a 

wide range of topics, from the possibility of coming back in the future to the 

depression he has experienced to where things stand with day to day living. 

Some of the high points: 

Why open up now?*“I didn’t think the time was right (before). The focus 

needs to be on the team and those guys that were playing.’’ 

Has he considered retirement?*“This doesn’t look like that sort of (press) 

conference, so no. I'm presently trying to get healthy and work toward 

getting healthy. That’s where it’s at.’’ 

What are the most problematic symptoms?*“I’ve made improvements. I still 

have symptoms. I still get symptoms with loud noises, bright lights and a lot 

of moving parts and things like that. It’s not as bad as it was but I still do get 

them. There are a lot of things that have gotten better. My eye is still 

troubling. It’s not working properly. I don’t have peripheral vision and a lot of 

things that have worked well for me in the past. I keep having to get 

stronger and stronger glasses.” 

Your chief doctor, Michael Collins (University of Pittsburgh) has advised you 

not to play. Why hold out hope? “I have some vulnerabilities that he’s very 

worried about, (ones) that may or may not go away. No matter how long it 

takes, I have to get healthy that’s my main focus and goal.” 

Would you be in favor of the NHL making visors mandatory? “I would be for 

it, but the problem is you go down a slippery slope of allowing the league to 

start implementing their own rules and what are they going to change 

next?’’ 

Is the concussion the major issue or your eyes? "It's both. The concussion 

was to my vestibular system and obviously my ocular system took a drastic 

blow when I got hit in the eye. They're kind of correlated together. The eye 

is kind of intertwined with the concussion to create all the dizziness and 

lightheadedness as I move my head and make different motions. It just 

poses a problem. You get disoriented. I guess that's the easiest way to say 

it." 

In reality, Pronger wouldn’t be inclined to retire right now because it would 

cost his team about $4.9 million per year against the salary cap. So, 

another official announcement won’t be coming for about four more years, 

which is the term of his contract. 

So he passes the time doing some video scouting for the Flyers and trying 

to be a good father and husband at home, although at times that can be 

challenging. 

“You get agitated very quickly,’’ Pronger said. “When the symptoms start 



“You’re ticked off that you are not playing the game you love, that you can’t 

go do what you want to do every day. Then you are even more ticked off 

because you’ve got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse and your 


snap. You’re not being the father you want to be. 

“It changes your personality a little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it. But I 

still get a ‘G-r-r-r’’ on from time to time and have to catch myself, take 

myself out of the room and make sure I’m a little better.’’ 

Pronger has two sons (ages 10 and 8) and sometimes it’s difficult for them 

to understand what’s going on. 

“It’s tough,’’ he said. “Sometimes they do (understand) and sometimes they 

don’t. As a kid, you have a pretty short memory and you forget. It is what it 

is. They’re kids. They are going to be rambunctious and crazy at times. 

Sometimes that can really get you on edge.’’ 

There’s probably a better chance of Pronger winning the lottery and getting 

hit by lightning the same day than ever playing hockey again. If that’s the 

case, is he comfortable leaving the game, even if it’s not on his terms? 

“I had no regrets,’’ Pronger said. “I played to the best of my ability. Played 

to win and was fortunate enough to have won a Stanley Cup and a couple 

gold medals and played on some really good teams.’’ 

“I can say I left the game with nothing to prove.’’ 



Grossmann questionable for Pens game 

by Wayne Fish 

Flyers defenseman Nick Grossmann, who suffered a hip flexor injury in 

Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Rangers in New York, did not skate 

Wednesday (the team was off) and is listed as “day to day.’’ 

His status for Thursday night’s home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins 

is uncertain. 

A group of four players, including injured defenseman Andrej Meszaros 

(shoulder, day to day), did skate. 

General manager Paul Holmgren left the Skate Zone early due to illness 

and was not available for comment. 

Also defenseman Kurtis Foster, who missed Tuesday’s morning skate in 

New York due to illness, did not skate Wednesday. 

However, Holmgren did say before leaving that if Grossmann can’t play, 

Foster will be his replacement. 

Malkin back 

Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin recently was forced to miss four games due to 

injury but he returned with a bang the other night against Tampa (two 

assists) and will be in the lineup Thursday night. 

The Flyers will attempt to keep Sidney Crosby off the Wells Fargo Center 

scoreboard for a third straight game. That’s never happened before. In fact, 

Crosby had never gone more than one game without a point here until the 

Flyers stopped him opening night. 

For his career, Crosby has 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 20 games at 

WFC. The Penguins are 12-6-2 in those games. 

The hottest player on the Penguins right now is Chris Kunitz, who come into 

the game with 12 goals and 28 points. But the number that stands out? 

Plus-17. 

Rinaldo on the rise 

No doubt the lockout helped Zac Rinaldo a bit during his few months with 

the Adirondack Phantoms. He’s making much better decisions this year and 

is not so much a defensive liability on the ice. 

“I worked on a lot of things,’’ he said. “I realized (in Glens Falls) that I don’t 

have to kill guys every time I hit them. Sometimes I ease up and they throw 

the puck away. That’s probably the biggest thing I brought from the AHL to 

here.’’ 

“Rhino’’ is also a popular figure in the locker room and that’s something else 

he has going for him. 

Part of that popularity stems from personal accountability on the ice. With 

Jody Shelley gone for the season, it’s up to Rinaldo to maintain some law 

and order. 

“I’m not going out chirpin’ all game, backin’ down from fights and being a 

rat,’’ he said. “I’m just hitting ... playing hard-nosed hockey, getting under 

guys’ skin and that’s probably the best way I know.’’ 

Braydon Coburn appreciates the fact that Rinaldo continues to work on all 

aspects of the game. 

“Every year you’re in this league you find out a little bit more,’’ Coburn said. 

“With ‘Rhino,’ you come in and they tell you to hit right away. You feel like 

you’re a little bit all over the place. 

“But I think he starting to find his game. It’s good for him that he’s found a 

role on that checking line (generally with players like Ruslan Fedotenko, 

Max Talbot or Harry Zolnierczyk).’’ 


@waynefish1 



Pronger talks at Flyers' morning skate 

VOORHEES, N.J. - Chris Pronger's sudden appearance at the Skate Zone 

today followed a two-part televised interview on Canadian cable outlet 

Sportsnet. That interview was conducted by reporter Dan Murphy, who also 

happened to be the co-author of a book written last year by Chris' older 

brother Sean Pronger. 

But in his first interview with the Philadelphia media since a conference call 

Dec. 1, 2011, Chris Pronger didn't offer anything by way of promoting the 

book other than agree it's a good read. 

"Did you read it?" he said with a bellow. 

This was the end to a press conference that stretched nearly 40 minutes, 

and in that time Pronger was equal parts honest and sarcastic, jovial and 

sadly serious. In short, he was typical Chris Pronger. 

Some excerpts: 

Considering his appearance was accompanied by a press release in which 

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center concussion specialist Michael 

Collins makes it clear he's advised Pronger to never play hockey again, 

Pronger was asked if this was a retirement press conference: 

"This doesn't look like that type of conference, so no," he said. "I'm 

presently trying to get healthy and work toward getting healthy. That’s 

where it's at." 

On what he's dealing with symptom-wise: 

"I've made improvements. I still have symptoms, I still get symptoms with 

loud noises and a lot of moving parts, bright lights, things like that. It's not to 

the level it was, but I still do get them. There's a lot of things that have 

gotten better. My eye is still troubling. It's not working properly. I don't have 

peripheral vision. I don't have a lot of the things I have that have worked 

well for me in the past. ... I keep having to get stronger and stronger 

glasses. I just got another new prescription." 

More on symptoms: 

"It's an awkward feeling. It's something where if you haven't experienced it 

before you don't understand what (the doctor) is talking about. But it can be 

debilitating. I guess the biggest part is the depression. How you feel about 

yourself. How you feel about the injury and how dark you go down." 

On how his family has dealt with him during this time: 

“You get agitated very quickly. When the symptoms start piling up, you start 

getting a headache and it's loud in the house, there’s bright lights. Kids are 

running around screaming, all that stuff, you are on edge as it is. You’re 

pissed off that you are not playing the game you love, that you can’t go do 

what you want to do every day. Then you are even more pissed off because 

you got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse and your eyes and 

you’re lightheaded and dizzy and your kid comes over and you snap. 


little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it. But I still get a 'grrr' on from time to 

time, and I've got to catch myself, take myself out of the room and make 

sure I’m a little better." 

Look for more on Pronger in the Friday print edition of the Daily Times. 

As for other things from today's morning skate, the Flyers may have to 

dress seven defensemen due to health reasons. 

All currently injured players - Matt Read, Andrej Meszaros, Nick Grossmann 

and Tye McGinn - all practiced with the club. Grossmann would not talk 

about his injury, which means he was told by management not to do so. He 

is believed to have a groin strain, but may try to play on it tonight. 

The Flyers will have a sixth defenseman to spell time with Grossmann in 

seldom used Kurtis Foster. Unfortunately for him, he's been waiting for this 

after a bevy of healthy scratches - yet he's dealing with flu symptoms. 

Perhaps between the two of them, they can take minutes away from the 

healthy defenders. 

Meszaros (shoulder) apparently will not play. He stayed out on the ice long 

after the regular guys left the ice. McGinn (orbital surgery) stayed out there 

with him. And so was Mike Knuble, which would indicate that he'd be a 

healthy scratch. 

But if no one else was called up today, that only happens if Read would 

play. 

As for Read, he's obviously close to returning early from his muscle tear, 

but says he is still getting pain when he shoots the puck. So why consider 

rushing back in to play? 

"Why wouldn't I come back?" Read said. "This is my job. I love doing it. I'm 

not going to sit 

on the sidelines watch my teammates go through battles and I can't be out 

there. It's frustrating. So I'm going to do the most I can to get back into the 

lineup." 

Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


Flyers' early lead blows up in their faces in 5-4 loss to Pens 

By ROB PARENT 

PHILADELPHIA — Scott Hartnell knew that the perfect time for a rallying 

cry was right here, right now, in a quiet Wells Fargo Center locker room 

mere minutes after a season-worst, 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The atmosphere in the room was appropriate, the direct result of the Flyers, 

for the first time in 20 years, blowing a three-goal lead and losing in 

regulation. The timing was also right because the Flyers had just blown a 

second straight game to a division rival, and at 11-13-1 have blown past the 

halfway mark of the season with their gear shifts locked in reverse and their 

brains farting at will. 

“It was a big letdown,” Hartnell said. “I don’t know why we would’ve stopped 

playing the way we were in the first period. We were fast, we were quick, 

we were hitting, we were getting into the extracurricular activities after the 

whistles. ... We were playing Flyers hockey.” 

Now stop that tape right there. 

It was “extracurricular activity” that Hartnell engaged in with Pittsburgh 

hothead James Neal immediately after the Flyers had scored on the power 

play to make it 1-0 11:18 into the game. Neal, who had casually tossed an 

elbow Claude Giroux’s way, was tossed in the box, ultimately costing his 

team the game’s opening goal. Rather than let that go, Hartnell decided to 

get in Neal’s face. As it turned out, Hartnell got tagged with an extra minor 

for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

So Hartnell had to watch from the box as the Penguins promptly tied the 

game on a Chris Kunitz power-play goal. Now, that small misfortune 

ultimately had little to do with the outcome. But it could have underscored 

the way the Flyers played, leading with their egos rather than their heads. It 

was the first time they gave up a three-goal lead and lost in regulation since 

Jan. 17, 1993 in a 7-3 loss to Detroit. 

Much worse than what happened with Hartnell and Neal was the way the 

Flyers first recovered from that Kunitz tying goal to post a 4-1 lead, then 

casually cast caution to the wind amid the thrill of offense. As a result, they 

made a series of defensive mistakes that led to Pittsburgh goals, which led 

to a comeback victory for the Penguins that won’t and can’t be forgotten. 

“We have to learn from this,” Giroux mustered. But first, they should look at 

the standings and realize they’ve dropped into a tie for 10th place in the 

Eastern Conference. 

“We had to know the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t going to just sit back and 

hand over two points,” Hartnell said. “They were going to come hard. ... Lo 

and behold, before you know it, it’s 4-4. We just can’t do that. It’s 

embarrassing for our fans, it’s embarrassing for one another. We let 

another two points slip away. 

“Play like that,” Hartnell added, “and it’ll be a long summer.” 

In the past 16 meetings of Pennsylvania’s hockey finest, including playoffs, 

they have combined for 129 goals. That would be an average of just over 

eight goals per game. That would be terrible, if still making for terribly 

exciting games. 

This time it would be two goals for Kunitz, including the game-winner in the 

third period off a Kimmo Timonen turnover, along with three Sidney Crosby 

assists that would beat the Flyers. But it would be the way they treated their 

lead over the Penguins that really defeated them. 

Former captain Chris Pronger, standing for most of the game in the Flyers’ 

management box overlooking the ice, couldn’t have liked to see his words 

go unheeded. Asked during a wide-ranging press session earlier in the day 

about the state of the Flyers’ defense, Pronger said, “When you try to get 

too cute and always make the perfect play, it’s not always there. It’s OK to 

throw it off the glass once in a while. The whole purpose of playing defense 

is to not let the other team score. ... I think if we just adhere to the KISS 

theory, I think we’ll be good.” 

Keep It Simple Stupid? 

Kiss that advice goodbye. 

Instead of paying attention to keeping their defensive zone clear, the Flyers 

went about making those “cute” passes, took too many offensive chances 

and slowed up on their skating game, for them a fatal trifecta. 

So Pascal Dupuis scored 5:30 into the second period, then a cooled down 

Neal (8:13) and Tyler Kennedy (15:47) scored to tie it up. 

That sent Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to the bench, something that made 

him want to keep silent after the game. Backup goalie Brian Boucher kept it 

tied, for a while. But only 18 seconds into the third, Kunitz scored his 

second goal of the night with the help of Crosby, and the Penguins had the 

lead they needed. 

It almost wasn’t enough, as Hartnell appeared to tip-in a tying goal with 

12:53 left in regulation, but after a review Hartnell’s stick was said to be 

above the crossbar, wiping out the goal. For the Flyers, that seemed to 

wipe them out. 

“You can’t give leads like that if you want to keep making your way up in the 

standings,” Boucher said. “It’s taking your foot off the gas. In this league, if 

you just let up a little bit, you can get embarrassed.” 

TWO THUMBS UP 

Sidney Crosby had the setups ... 

Chris Kunitz had the finishing touches. 

TWO THUMBS DOWN 



Flyers Watch Blog: Pronger re-introduces himself to Philadelphia 

By ROB PARENT 

VOORHEES, N.J. - Chris Pronger's sudden appearance at the Skate Zone 

today followed a two-part televised interview on Canadian cable outlet 

Sportsnet. That interview was conducted by reporter Dan Murphy, who also 

happened to be the co-author of a book written last year by Chris' older 

brother Sean Pronger. 

But in his first interview with the Philadelphia media since a conference call 

Dec. 1, 2011, Chris Pronger didn't offer anything by way of promoting the 

book other than agree it's a good read. 

"Did you read it?" he said with a bellow. 

This was the end to a press conference that stretched nearly 40 minutes, 

and in that time Pronger was equal parts honest and sarcastic, jovial and 

sadly serious. In short, he was typical Chris Pronger. 

Some excerpts: 

Considering his appearance was accompanied by a press release in which 

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center concussion specialist Michael 

Collins makes it clear he's advised Pronger to never play hockey again, 

Pronger was asked if this was a retirement press conference: 

"This doesn't look like that type of conference, so no," he said. "I'm 

presently trying to get healthy and work toward getting healthy. That’s 

where it's at." 

On what he's dealing with symptom-wise: 

"I've made improvements. I still have symptoms, I still get symptoms with 

loud noises and a lot of moving parts, bright lights, things like that. It's not to 

the level it was, but I still do get them. There's a lot of things that have 

gotten better. My eye is still troubling. It's not working properly. I don't have 

peripheral vision. I don't have a lot of the things I have that have worked 

well for me in the past. ... I keep having to get stronger and stronger 

glasses. I just got another new prescription." 

More on symptoms: 

"It's an awkward feeling. It's something where if you haven't experienced it 

before you don't understand what (the doctor) is talking about. But it can be 

debilitating. I guess the biggest part is the depression. How you feel about 

yourself. How you feel about the injury and how dark you go down." 

On how his family has dealt with him during this time: 

“You get agitated very quickly. When the symptoms start piling up, you start 

getting a headache and it's loud in the house, there’s bright lights. Kids are 

running around screaming, all that stuff, you are on edge as it is. You’re 

pissed off that you are not playing the game you love, that you can’t go do 

what you want to do every day. Then you are even more pissed off because 

you got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse and your eyes and 

you’re lightheaded and dizzy and your kid comes over and you snap. 



time, and I've got to catch myself, take myself out of the room and make 

sure I’m a little better." 

Look for more on Pronger in the Friday print edition of the Daily Times. 

As for other things from today's morning skate, the Flyers may have to 

dress seven defensemen due to health reasons. 

All currently injured players - Matt Read, Andrej Meszaros, Nick Grossmann 

and Tye McGinn - all practiced with the club. Grossmann would not talk 

about his injury, which means he was told by management not to do so. He 

is believed to have a groin strain, but may try to play on it tonight. 

The Flyers will have a sixth defenseman to spell time with Grossmann in 

seldom used Kurtis Foster. Unfortunately for him, he's been waiting for this 

after a bevy of healthy scratches - yet he's dealing with flu symptoms. 

Perhaps between the two of them, they can take minutes away from the 

healthy defenders. 

Meszaros (shoulder) apparently will not play. He stayed out on the ice long 

after the regular guys left the ice. McGinn (orbital surgery) stayed out there 

with him. And so was Mike Knuble, which would indicate that he'd be a 

healthy scratch. 

But if no one else was called up today, that only happens if Read would 

play. 

As for Read, he's obviously close to returning early from his muscle tear, 

but says he is still getting pain when he shoots the puck. Will he be rushed 

back in? We'll see. 



Flyers' Chris Pronger describes dark days battling concussion symptoms 

By ROB PARENT 

VOORHEES, N.J. — He was smart and a little snarky. Enlightening and 

somewhat frightening. With 15 months of bottled up emotions behind him, 

what Chris Pronger mostly brought with him to a Skate Zone microphone 

Thursday afternoon was a somewhat surprising willingness to lay himself 

bare. 

“It’s an awkward feeling,” Pronger said about life with concussion symptoms 

that won’t go away. “It’s something where if you haven’t experienced it 

before, you don’t understand what (the doctor) is talking about. But it can be 

debilitating. I guess the biggest part is the depression — how you feel about 

yourself, how you feel about the injury and how dark you go down.” 

Since the after-effects of a couple of unfortunate on-ice collisions early in 

the 2011-12 season, Pronger, the erstwhile captain of the Flyers, has been 

forced to learn all about symptoms that too many athletes find themselves 

battling. 

Dizziness. Fatigue. Chronic headaches. Blurred vision. Irritability. Lack of 

sleep. He’s had it all and then some. 

Nothing compares to the deep depression that has resulted. The state of 

mind that moved Pronger’s wife, Lauren, to tear up during an interview at 

the 2012 Flyers Wives Carnival when talking about how her husband’s 

behavior had been altered, and not for the better. 

All because of the blanketing sense of melancholy that Chris Pronger says 

he’s still battling. 

“Things happen for a reason,” Pronger said. “You sit there and you’re 

depressed and you can wallow and do the why-me. ... I’m sure I did for a 

few months when I didn’t really do anything. ... But eventually you have to 

kind of turn the page and start trying to get better and start working out and 

doing the right thing to make sure you’re there for your kids and your wife.” 

Pronger has sons, ages 10 and 8, and a 4-year-old daughter. His daily 

routine, he’s happy to say, includes “carpooling them around.” But dealing 

with his kids, he admits, has turned out to be one of the most difficult things 

for him. 

“You get agitated very quickly,” Pronger said. “When the symptoms start 

piling up, you start getting a headache and it’s loud in the house; there’s 

bright lights. Kids are running around screaming, all that stuff, you are on 

edge as it is. You’re pissed off that you are not playing the game you love, 

that you can’t go do what you want to do every day. Then you are even 

more pissed off because you’ve got a headache and it’s getting worse and 

worse and you’re lightheaded and dizzy and your kid comes over and you 

snap. 

“You’re not being the father you want to be,” Pronger added. “It changes 

your personality a little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it. But I still get a 

‘grrr’ on from time to time, and I’ve got to catch myself, take myself out of 

the room and make sure I’m a little better.” 

Pronger’s problems are essentially two-fold. He traces the bulk of his 

symptoms to when he was hit in the eye in Toronto by the stick of the Maple 

Leafs’ Mikhail Grabovski, who was following through with a shot in a game 

Oct. 24, 2011. Pronger missed six games after that and returned to play five 

more. But he got banged into the boards Nov. 17 in Phoenix, and after 

playing one more game went out of the lineup with what the Flyers first 

termed a virus but what was subsequently revealed as concussion 

symptoms. 

After that, he said, “I sat around for five or sixth months doing nothing.” 

Progress since then has come, but very slowly. He said he misses the 

camaraderie of a locker room, the daily routine of hockey season, which is 

all he’d known for nearly 20 years. 

“I’ve made improvements,” Pronger said. “I still get symptoms with loud 

noises and a lot of moving parts, bright lights, things like that. Not to the 

level it was. 

“There’s a lot of things that have gotten better. My eye is still troubling. It’s 

not working properly. I don’t have peripheral vision, I don’t have a lot of the 

things that have worked well for me in the past.” 

What he has, however, is the love and support of his family, and along with 

carpooling chauffeur, he has another job of sorts. 

He “helps out” in a player development role for old friend Paul Holmgren 

and coach Peter Laviolette. Maybe as the symptoms continue to slowly 

clear, that role could be expanded. 

“I watch some of our games and just give (Holmgren) some feedback on 

things he might want to work on,” Pronger said. “Or help players out. See 

little things on the ice that might help them out. That’s pretty much what I’m 

doing right now.” 

Pronger has been placed on the long-term injured reserve list, which 

enables the Flyers to hack nearly $5 million off their salary cap. All Pronger 

can’t do is retire. He’s under contract through the 2015-16 season. 

Yet he says he wouldn’t retire, anyway. His unplanned press conference 

Thursday came complete with a press release in which University of 

Pittsburgh Medical Center concussion specialist Michael Collins not only 

called Pronger a model patient, he also said Chris Pronger should never 

consider playing hockey again. 

“I have some vulnerabilities that (Collins is) very worried about,” Pronger 

said. “That may or may not go away. No matter how long it takes, I have to 

get healthy. That’s my main focus and goal. 

“It will be difficult, but the good things in life are never easy. You have to set 

goals and try to push yourself to attain them and reach them. This is no 

different. I have to keep working at getting healthy and working to get 

myself back to as close to 100 percent as I can get, and we’ll kind of reevaluate 

after that.” 

It’s all Chris Pronger can do. That, and keep working on his patience skills. 



Read, Grossmann could play vs. Penguins 

March 7, 2013, 3:00 pm 

Could Matt Read, who has a rib cage injury, return to the Flyers lineup 

tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins -- four weeks ahead of schedule? 

It certainly appears that way. 

Read left the morning skate today with the other regulars who will play 

tonight while Mike Knuble took extra practice. 

That would imply Read is playing just two weeks after the Flyers estimated 

he would need six weeks to recover from the injury suffered against the 

Penguins on Feb. 20 in Pittsburgh, when he was hit by Evgeni Malkin and 

then Chris Kunitz in the first period. 

Can he play? 

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Read said, adding that the decision would be 

up to general manager Paul Holmgren and coach Peter Laviolette. 

Read admitted he still has significant pain in his ribs when shooting slap 

shots or even a wrist shot. 

So why come back? How can a player who has pain shooting the puck help 

his team? 

“I don’t know if I am coming back yet,” Read replied. “Just practicing with 

team today at the morning skate and go from there. 

“Why wouldn’t I want to come back? It’s my job and I love doing it. Not sit 

on the sidelines and watch my teammates go through battles and I can’t be 

out there. It’s frustrating.” 

Adding to this intrigue is that defenseman Nick Grossmann (groin) skated, 

but would not commit to playing. 

At the same time, Kurtis Foster, who has been a healthy scratch for the 

past nine games, came off the ice with the regulars rather than take extra 

practice. 

It’s possible the Flyers dress seven defensemen tonight in the event 

Grossmann starts the game, but can’t finish. 



Pronger updates health; still suffering symptoms 

March 7, 2013, 12:30 pm 

VOORHEES, N.J. -- Lauren Pronger once said that post-concussion 

syndrome changed her husband, and “not in a good way.” 

Chris said it threw him into depression with her and his three children. 

“You get agitated very quickly,” he recalled. “When the symptoms start 



“You’re pissed off that you are not playing the game you love, that you can’t 

go do what you want to do every day. Then you are even more pissed off 

because you got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse and your 


snap. 

“You’re not being the father you want to be. It changes your personality a 


time and I gotta catch myself, take myself out of the room and make sure 

I’m a little better. 

“It can be debilitating. I guess the biggest part is the depression. How you 

feel about yourself. How you feel about the injury and how dark you go 

down.” 

Pronger met with the media for 40 minutes on Thursday at Skate Zone 

where he reiterated he won’t retire. He sat down fielded questions for 28 

minutes before meeting with reporters for another 12, and said he still 

hopes to someday play again. He was accompanied by his agent, Pat 

Morris. 

Though he says he wants to play again, Pronger admits to having severely 

diminished vision and can’t even run without feeling ill. 

He has been under the care of noted neurologist Micky Collins at the 

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for the past 15 months. 

Collins, in a release, said Pronger has suffered “severe injury across 

multiple systems,” particularly, the vestibular system which integrates 

balance, vision and spatial recognition. 

“I’m just trying to get healthy and live a normal life and get better for myself 

and my family,” the Flyers defenseman said. “The rest will take care of 

itself.” 

Pronger took a stick to the right eye from Mikael Grabovski of Toronto on 

Oct. 24, 2011 and then incurred light and noise sensitivity on Nov. 19 at 

Winnipeg. In between, he took a couple hits in games that left him 

concussed, though no one knows for sure where and when. 

He has not played since the game in Winnipeg and is not expected to ever 

play again. However, because of salary cap rules, Pronger can’t announce 

his retirement without the Flyers incurring a $4.9 million cap hit. His contract 

ends after the 2016-17 season. 

At present, he is on the long-term injured reserve, which allows the Flyers 

to use his cap money to help themselves in signing other players. 

When asked about the ridiculousness of not allowing a player such as 

himself who is clearly injured and should retire without salary cap 

consequences, Pronger laughed and said it was a better question for the 

NHL. 

Pronger explained his eye and head injuries are all part of post-concussion 

syndrome. 

“The concussion was to my vestibular system and obviously my ocular 

system took a drastic blow when I got hit in the eye,” he said. “They're kind 

of correlated together. 

“The eye is kind of intertwined with the concussion to create all the 

dizziness and lightheadedness as I move my head and make different 

motions. It just poses a problem. You get disoriented. I guess that's the 

easiest way to say it.” 

He no longer has peripheral vision and he regularly needs to replace his 

eye glasses for stronger magnification. He also lost his “sixth sense” of 

people around him which would make it dangerous on the ice. 

“At times I can be disoriented,” he said. “I can lose my train of thought. My 

cognitive skills are a little suspect at times. It comes and goes on certain 

days. 

“I can be sitting here and you might say what’s wrong with him and I’ll figure 

out what I was saying and start going again.” 

Pronger admitted to having diminished energy and can easily fall asleep. 

He has to avoid strenuous activity. 

“Anything where I have to move my body fast,” he said. “If I ride a bike 

where my heart rate gets up to high, I get symptoms. Pretty much anything 

where there’s a lot going on [I can't do].” 

Collins has already told him never to play again. So what gives Pronger the 

hope that he might? 

“It will be difficult, but the good things in life are never easy,” he replied. 

“You have to set goals and try to push yourself to attain them and reach 

them. This is no different. I have to keep working at it.” 

Lauren Pronger said over a year ago, all she wants is him safe at home 

with his family and his safety can never be assured again on the ice. 

“Obviously hockey has been a big part of my life for the last 19 or 20 years, 

and who knows where it goes from here, but you want to make sure you’re 

around for them, too,” Pronger said. 

He has found some hobbies: fishing and golfing. He sees an eye specialist 

twice a week. Though he reads, his eyes get tired. 

As for his level of depression right now, it’s “nowhere near where I was at.” 

And if he never plays again? 

“I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “I don’t say I wish I could have done this 

or that. I can say I left the game with nothing to prove.’’er to lead a normal 

life. 



Flyers-Penguins: What you need to know 

March 7, 2013, 11:45 am 

Flyers vs. Penguins – 7 p.m., CSN 

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia 

Records 

Flyers: 11-12-1 (Fourth in Atlantic Division, ninth in Eastern Conference) 

Penguins: 15-8-0 (First in Atlantic Division, second in Eastern Conference) 

Last meeting 

The last time these two bitter division rivals met, the Flyers came away with 

a wild 6-5 victory over the Penguins at CONSOL Energy Center on Feb. 20. 

Jakub Voracek scored his first career NHL hat trick and Wayne Simmonds 

potted two of his own – along with an assist – to help the Flyers to their 

second straight win over an Atlantic Division opponent. 

Thursday will mark the third of four meetings between the Flyers and Pens 

in 2013. The two teams have split the first two contests this season. 

Previous games 

The Flyers wasted a strong first period in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to the New 

York Rangers. Goals by Voracek and Simmonds helped the Orange and 

Black jump out to a 2-1 lead in the first frame, but Ryan Callahan ruined 

that momentum by beating Ilya Bryzgalov in the final minute of the period. 

Callahan finished the game with two markers and a helper. 

Pittsburgh last played on Monday, beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3. 

Evgeni Malkin registered a goal and an assist in his first game back after 

suffering a concussion on Feb. 22 against the Florida Panthers. Penguins 

captain Sidney Crosby also had a goal and an assist to bring his leagueleaing 

point total to 36. 

Who's hot 

Voracek has been stuffing the scoresheets over his past 10 games. During 

that span, the 23-year-old forward has seven goals and 10 assists. He is 

also leading the Flyers in scoring this year with 27 points in 24 contests. 

Simmonds has also had a hot hand for the Flyers as of late. The 24-yearold 

has four goals – three game-winners – and two assists in his past five 

games. He has also fired 16 shots on net during that span. 

For the Penguins, Crosby enters Thursday’s matchup with a five-game 

point-scoring streak. He has tallied four goals and seven assists in those 

games. 

Also hot for Pittsburgh is winger Chris Kunitz. The 33-year-old has recorded 

six markers and three helpers during his current six-game point-scoring 

streak. He is second on the Pens in scoring with 28 points (12 goals, 16 

assists) in 23 games this season. 

Keep an eye on ... 

The Flyers’ defensive play hasn’t been particularly strong lately, as the 

team has allowed four or more goals in three of the last six games – all 

losses – and six of the last 10 overall. The Penguins are averaging 3.5 

goals per game, one of the top marks in the league, so the Flyers will need 

to buckle down and take care of their own end if they want to come away 

with a W. 

Malkin has absolutely lit up the Flyers in his career. In 38 regular-season 

games against the Flyers, he has recorded 21 goals and 34 assists. Look 

for Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette to match up defensive-minded center 

Sean Couturier as often as he can against Malkin. 

It’s no secret that the Flyers are looking to be a more disciplined team. They 

enter Thursday as the most penalized team in the entire NHL. However, 

they are also one of the best teams in the league at drawling penalties and 

have capitalized while on the man advantage. Over the past six games, the 

Flyers have recorded eight power-play goals on 25 chances. 

Did you know? 

The Flyers are 10-5 in their last 15 games – including playoffs – against the 

Pens, even though Pittsburgh has scored first in 10 of those meetings. 

Injuries 

Flyers: Nicklas Grossmann (lower-body), Matt Read (torn ligaments in rib 

cage) and Andrej Meszaros (shoulder) are all listed as day-to-day, 

according the Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. 

If Grossmann is unable to play against the Pens, Kurtis Foster is expected 

to take his place on the Flyers’ blue line, provided he is fully recovered from 

the flu. 

Jody Shelley (left hip surgery) and Tye McGinn (right orbital surgery) are on 

injured reserve and remain out. 

Penguins: Paul Martin, who hasn’t played since Feb. 28, is listed as day-today 

with a lower-body injury and could return to Pittsburgh’s lineup on 

Thursday against the Flyers. 

Sound off 

The Flyers have completed 50 percent of their schedule and are just 11-12- 

1. How much does that concern you and do you think they will make the 

playoffs? 



Home ice a disadvantage in Flyers-Penguins rivalry 

March 7, 2013, 9:45 am 

There’s a lot of strangeness to the current Penguins-Flyers series. 

The playoffs last season were bizarre, to say the least, and so was the last 

regular season meeting two weeks ago in the ‘Burgh where the Flyers 

came from behind to win, 6-5. 

Tonight is yet another crucial game between the two, moreso for the Flyers, 

who remain 9th in the Eastern Conference with 23 points –- seven behind 

second-place Pittsburgh. 

Here’s the really odd part: In the last 23 games played between these two 

clubs, the road team has done better, with a 17-5-1 record. 

Under coach Dan Bylsma, Pittsburgh has a stunning 8-2-1 record against 

the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. 

The Penguins are looking to better that tonight and the recent loss to Peter 

Laviolette’s club on home ice still stings them. 

“We're a little bitter about that game, to be honest,” defenseman Matt 

Niskanen told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. 

“We battled back, then they get a crazy one to win it. We're anxious as 

always to play them. We want to beat them.” 

Added winger Pascal DuPuis, “It's always nice to see the orange jersey, to 

see them on our schedule. We know what they're going to try to do. We just 

have to do a better job.” 

The Flyers need points, especially against teams like the Penguins, who 

have games in hand on them. 

“We’re slowly climbing,” Danny Briere said earlier this week. “We put 

ourselves in such a deep hole early on. We knew it wasn’t going to happen 

overnight. It was something that you have to chip away slowly. 

“We’re climbing up a little bit at a time. Obviously, I’ve heard that we’ve got 

a lot of teams that are right around us, teams that are ahead of us, that’s 

going to be our chance to make up some ground.’’ 



Three keys to Flyers vs. Penguins 

March 7, 2013, 9:00 am 

The Flyers lost the opening game of their season to the Penguins on Jan. 

19, 3-1. (AP) 

Last month when these two teams met, The Flyers went to Pittsburgh and 

got a chaotic, but much-needed 6-5 win. This time, the Flyers will have the 

home-ice advantage. Here are three keys to the game: 

1. Put Rangers loss in rear view 

Flyers have to focus on getting back to 500. 

2. Limit turnovers 

Sidney Crosby has points in five straight games. He will do his best to force 

the Flyers to turn the puck over. 

3. Stay disciplined 

The Penguins’ power play is third in the league with a 25.6 percent success 

rate. 

Notes 

• Flyers defenseman Nik Grossmann is day to day after leaving Tuesday's 

game in the first period. 

• Matt Read is nearing a return and is listed as day to day with a rib injury 

• Andrej Meszaros is still feeling discomfort in his shoulder and is also listed 

as day to day. 

• Tye McGinn skated for first time Wednesday since surgery near his eye -- 

no timetable for his return. 

• Penguins Defenseman Paul Martin is listed as day to day 



Flyers show inconsistency in 2nd period vs. Pens 

March 7, 2013, 11:45 pm 

With a 4-1 lead and all the momentum in the world, the Flyers had 

Thursday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their hands after 

the first period, said captain Claude Giroux. 

But then the second period began. 

“We came out flat,” Giroux said. “And it cost us another two points.” 

The Flyers, who were feeling good and confident after their effort during the 

first 20 minutes against the Pens, should have hit the ice for the second 

period with the same energy and killer instinct they had in the stanza that 

preceded it. But instead, they sat back, allowing their rivals to swiftly chip 

away at their lead and tie up the game. The Penguins went on to win, 5-4 

(see game recap). 

“The second period was not a good period,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “It 

was the opposite of the first period. In the first period, we were skating, we 

were physical, we put the puck behind them and looked to establish our 

game. And in the second period, they picked up their game, we stopped 

working. The second period went to them.” 

After their promising start, the Flyers surrendered second-period goals to 

Pascal Dupuis, James Neal and Tyler Kennedy. They stopped working, 

allowing the Penguins to send 12 shots in on Ilya Bryzgalov compared to 

the mere three they had on Tomas Vokoun. It was the first time since 1987 

against the New York Islanders that the Flyers allowed an opponent to 

erase a three-goal lead in the span of a single period. 

But why? 

“I don’t know,” Giroux said. 

Thursday night was yet another example -- albeit magnified -- of the Flyers’ 

inability to put in complete, 60-minute efforts. They were guilty of it just two 

days ago in New York, in a game against the Rangers in which a 2-2 thirdperiod 

tie devolved into a 4-2 Flyers' loss. They’ve talked about the issue all 

season, and they had certainly talked about it heading into the Penguins 

affair. 

But to Kimmo Timonen, it’s not a matter of poor defense or weak 

goaltending or a struggling forecheck, though there were instances of all 

three in Thursday’s second period. It’s something else, something 

unfortunately much harder to correct. 

“When you have a 4-1 lead, the game is in your hands, big time,” Timonen 

said. “The crowd’s just into it. But what happened in the second period, we 

go on the ice, we’re not there for some reason. And that’s the mental issue 

to me.” 

That belief -- that the Flyers’ issue in the second period was more mental 

than anything else -- is a big part of why Laviolette elected to pull Bryzgalov 

from the game after Kennedy’s game-tying marker. 

Yes, Bryzgalov was part of the problem, but he wasn’t removed solely 

because he struggled to make the 12 saves he did put in. Laviolette needed 

to do something to wake up the skaters in front of Bryzgalov. He needed to 

do something to attempt to recapture the game’s momentum. 

“It was a big letdown,” Scott Hartnell said. “I don’t know why we would have 

stopped playing the way we were in the first period, we were fast, we were 

quick, we were hitting, we were getting into the extra-curricular activities 

after the whistles, and playing Flyers hockey. 

“And then we just sat back. When you do that, you got [Evgeni] Malkin and 

[Sidney] Crosby and these guys that are snipers that make plays, and if we 

play like that it’ll be a long summer.” 

The Penguins do deserve credit for not rolling over and giving away an 

easy two points. But unlike the Flyers, who seem able to identify their 

problems but unable to fix them, the Penguins regrouped during the first 

intermission and set themselves straight on the ice in the period that 

followed. 

“I don’t think we could have got much worse after the first period, so I think 

we could only go up from there,” said Neal, the Penguins’ left wing. “But a 

few guys said a few things, and we just knew we needed to be better. … 

We wanted to come back out and do what we need to do.” 

With the loss, the Flyers slipped into 11th place in the Eastern Conference. 

And in a big way, the difference between Thursday’s first period and second 

period perfectly exemplifies the highs and lows of this messy, disappointing 

2013 season as a whole. 

It’s easy to point fingers at Laviolette, to suggest his message is getting 

stale and that this -- not the players on the ice -- is the real reason behind 

the team's struggles. But even after Thursday’s frustrating second period 

and ugly loss, Hartnell held firm that the coach is not to blame for what 

happened. 

But if he isn’t, who is? 

“The whole team,” Zac Rinaldo said. “The whole team has to come together 

and give a 60-minute effort. It’s not one person, it’s not two people. It’s the 

whole team. The whole team has to be prepared for 60 minutes.” 

Tags: 

Philadelphia Flyers, NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Scott Hartnell, Claude 

Giroux, peter Laviolette, zac rinaldo, James Neal, Ilya Bryzgalov, Kimmo 

Timonen 

E-mail Sarah Baicker 



Is it time to be worried about the Flyers? 

March 7, 2013, 11:15 pm 

Maybe it wasn’t their worst effort of the season. It was their worst loss. 

There have been some ugly results for the Flyers this year. They fell to 

Florida in a shootout at home. They dropped a game early to Tampa on the 

road. They got upended by Toronto -- twice. All of those were bad. But this? 

As beatings go, this beat them all. 

The Flyers were up three goals. They were at home. They were facing their 

cross-state rival midway through a truncated season. It was a game the 

coach and the players all agreed they needed to win. 

They didn’t win. Penguins 5, Flyers 4 (see game recap). 

So, was it the worst loss of the year? 

“Yeah,” Claude Giroux allowed. “I mean, when you’re up 4-1, you have to 

find a way to close a game up. We know they’re a good team offensively. If 

we give them power plays, they’re going to put it back in our net and that’s 

what happened.” 

The Flyers needed a win on Thursday. They knew it and you knew it. There 

is no denying the importance or the leftover disappointment after a game 

like that. Because they had it. It was there for them. Then they gave it away. 

There were five goals in the first period alone. The Flyers scored four of 

them. Jake Voracek registered two by himself, at least one of which was a 

gross victimization of Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. It was an 

embarrassing start for Fleury, who looked like he wanted to slink out the 

side door and bury his head in all the snow that never came this week. In 

what can only be described as a mercy move by Penguins head coach Dan 

Bylsma, Fleury was yanked to start the second period -- probably so he 

could lick his wounds and stitch together what was left of his pride. 

It was a great first period. But, as Peter Laviolette later lamented, “the 

second period was, really, the opposite of the first period.” 

The Penguins scored. Then they scored again. Then they tied the game. 

The Flyers looked like someone had come along and sucker punched them 

in the gut. Except it wasn’t a sucker punch. They saw it coming and they 

still couldn’t stop it. 

“Before you know it, it’s 4-4,” Scott Hartnell said. “We just can’t do that. It’s 

embarrassing to the fans, it’s embarrassing to one another, and we let two 

points slip away.” 

By the third period, Ilya Bryzgalov was out and Brian Boucher was in. It 

didn’t matter. Penguins winger Chris Kunitz scored 18 seconds into the final 

frame and that was that. Another game. Another upside-down result for the 

flailing Flyers. 

Boucher said they took their “foot off the gas just a little bit,” but it was more 

like they stomped on the breaks while going full speed and then everyone 

went flying through the windshield. It was a grotesque crash. 

“It was a big letdown,” Scott Hartnell said. Then he added, “If we play like 

that, it will be a long summer.” 

Hartnell was hinting at what you already know: The season just began -- 

and yet it’s almost over. They are running out of time. 

The Flyers (11-13-1) only have 23 games remaining. They are currently on 

the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, their smudged noses 

pressed against the glass looking in at all the other teams ahead of them. 

Beating Pittsburgh could have acted as a catalyst to propel them through 

the rest of the year. Instead, you wonder if it will slow their progress. 

As only Bryzgalov could put it, over the first half of the season, the Flyers 

were “not good” (see video). Win one. Lose win. Suffer an injury. Repeat. 

As treading water goes, the Flyers managed to keep their heads right 

around surface level despite the skates and pads and heavy expectations 

weighing them down. They can’t keep that up forever. Either they find a way 

to buoy themselves or they will be dragged under before long. 

That’s where the Flyers are at the moment. Despite the harsh reality, Zac 

Rinaldo tried to play it cool in the locker room after the game. 

“We’re not worried,” Zac Rinaldo insisted. 

Then he said it again. 

“We’re not worried,” Rinaldo repeated. 

Given the circumstances, that is hard to believe. If they aren’t worried, they 

ought to be. 

Tags: 

Philadelphia Flyers, NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins, Claude Giroux, peter 

Laviolette, Scott Hartnell, Ilya Bryzgalov, Brian Boucher, zac rinaldo 

E-mail John Gonzalez 



Flyers allow big lead to slip away in loss to Pens 

They outdid Pittsburgh in everything at the start. 

They even scored first. 

They had a three-goal lead after one period. 

And still, the Flyers lost Thursday night to the Penguins because … well, 

because they stopped playing Flyer hockey and never got themselves 

going again in a 5-4 loss. 

Essentially, the Flyers kissed away two points they absolutely, positively 

had to earn. 

“We talked about it after the first period that the Pittsburgh Penguins weren’t 

going to sit back and hand over two points,” Scott Hartnell said. “They were 

going to come hard. 

“Low and behold, before you know it, it’s 4-4. We just can’t do that. It’s 

embarrassing to the fans, embarrassing to one another, and we let another 

two points slip away … It was a big letdown. I don’t know why we would 

have stopped playing.” 

That’s 18 times now in the past 24 matchups between these two that the 

road team won. 

Peter Laviolette’s club came into the week in eighth place. This latest loss 

drops them to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Worse, the games this week against the “Big Three” so far have been a 

disaster. 

The Flyers needed to get four of six points from their games against the 

Rangers, Penguins and Bruins before meeting Buffalo on Sunday. All they 

can get now is two on Saturday in Boston. 

“When you have a 4-1 lead, the game is in your hands big time,” Kimmo 

Timonen said. “What happens in the second period, we go on the ice and 

we’re not there for some reason. 

“That’s the mental issue to me. Somebody might [have] a different opinion. 

You have to be mentally prepared to go in there and do you job, [even] if it’s 

4-1 or 1-4. 

“Never change your game. That seems to be an issue for us, either way 

with the score.” 

It really puts the pressure on for a win in Beantown. 

“Go into Boston with a do-or-die attitude,” Hartnell said. “We’ve been saying 

it but now it’s time to get out there and back up our words and get a 

decisive win. 

“We played a great 20, but 20 doesn’t get you anything these days.” 

Ironically, the game-winner came off a turnover. 

Eighteen seconds into the third period, Timonen tried to contain a puck at 

center ice and instead it came back the other way with Chris Kunitz scoring 

his second goal of the night, breaking the 4-4 tie. 

“I tried to keep in,” Timonen said. “[Sidney] Crosby fell down and there’s a 

loose puck. I try to get it by the guy and he was close to me. That’s my 

mistake. I should have played it safe.” 

Hartnell appeared to retie it with 12:53 left but the official ruled “no goal,” 

saying his stick was higher than the crossbar. 

Laviolette felt the third period lacked “jam,” as well. 

“Even going out for the third period and the score is 4-4,” Laviolette said. 

“Being able to finish off games. 

“We have to do a better job than what we’ve done this year. We’ve had a lot 

of tie games and situations to win games and they’ve slipped away.” 

Though the Flyers started out strong with a 6-1 shot advantage, all the real 

action came into the final 9:45 of the first period. It was 4-1, thanks largely 

to James Neal taking three penalties. 

Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury seemed to have trouble the entire period 

with his catching glove, while Zac Rinaldo needed just a fight to get a 

Gordie Howe hat trick. 

Tomas Vokoun started the second period for Fleury and finished the game. 

Jakub Voracek began and ended the opening period with a power-play 

goal. 

Neal’s early elbow to Claude Giroux caused Hartnell to say something to 

him after Voracek’s first goal and then the two tried to fight, with Hartnell 

picking up an extra minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. 

The Pens' lone goal that period came off the resulting power play as 

Kunitz's first goal. He’s on a tear with six goals over his last five games. 

Rinaldo gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead at 15:06, rebounding Nick Grossmann’s 

point shot just as a Flyer power play expired. 

The Flyers scored twice in the final 1:43 with Timonen beating Fleury 

shortside, and then Voracek picking up his 19th point in 10 games with a 

shot off Paul Martin’s skate at 19:52, making it 4-1. 

In retrospect, Neal seemingly took the Penguins out of the game. His slash 

on Flyer goalie Ilya Bryzgalov after a puck had been whistled dead was 

totally unnecessary. 

Still, Pittsburgh came roaring back with two goals less than three minutes 

apart and then tied it by the end of the middle stanza. 

“The effort is there but we need to execute out there,” Giroux said. “We 

have to find a way to close a game up. We knew they were a good team 

offensively …” 

The second period began with Pascal Dupuis scoring at 5:30. 

Mental mistakes plagued the Flyers against the Rangers on Tuesday and 

here, as well, with Braydon Coburn leaving Evgeni Malkin alone in the slot 

to take a Neal pass across the goal line from the corner. 

As Coburn raced over too late, the puck caught his skate into the net. Just 

like that, it was a one-goal game. 

Tyler Kennedy’s long-distance shot at 15:47 tied it, chasing Bryzgalov for 

Brian Boucher. 

“You go from a real strong first period to an inconsistent second period that 

ends up costing you a [game],” Laviolette said. “Certainly, it’s not where we 

want to be.” 

And yet, it’s exactly where the Flyers have been all season. 

Tags: 

Philadelphia Flyers, NHL, Pittsburgh Penguins 

E-mail Tim Panaccio 



Personality returns, vision hasn't for Pronger 

Written by Randy Miller 

VOORHEES — Chris Pronger walked into a second-floor conference room 

at the Skate Zone a couple minutes past noon Thursday wearing a gray 

suit, Flyers’ orange tie, a reddish-brown beard that matches his hair, 

eyeglasses and a big, fat smile. 

Finally ready to share the sad story of his new life as a 6-foot-6 giant who 

used to be an NHL great, Pronger plopped down in the one chair behind a 

table for his first interview with the Philadelphia media in more than 15 

months. 

Looking and sounding healthy, Pronger willingly and openly discussed living 

with post-concussion syndrome in 28 minutes of probing from a room 

packed with reporters. Afterward, Pronger hung around to do a television 

interview, then talked another 10 minutes with Flyers beat writers. 

Along the way, there was a lot of his usual friendly banter with the media, 

plenty of sarcasm and a bunch of one-liners. 

Nothing seemed different from when the five-time All-Star defenseman and 

former league MVP was throwing his body around, blocking shots and 

directing the Flyers power play from 2009-10 to the early portion of last 

season. 

The big guy who captained the Flyers in 2011-12 appeared to be having a 

good day. 

He wasn’t. 

“I got a headache right now and you wouldn’t know it,” Pronger said. “It’s 

just pounding. Back of the head. That’s the thing. You get used to it. I could 

sit and talk to people all day long, and you wouldn’t know if I have a 

headache or feel like crap because I’m just going to talk to you. When I 

really feel bad is when I have to move.” 

His life still isn’t the same and, according to his doctors, may never be. 

Doctors are telling him to take up fishing, saying throwing out lines would be 

good for him, and they’re encouraging him to play golf because it’ll make 

him concentrate. 

Pronger can work out, but he can’t run. He’s done some light skating during 

his 10-year-old and 8-year-old sons’ hockey practices, but when testing 

himself there, concussion symptoms returned. 

At 38, Pronger won’t retire — he has a contract through 2016-17 and 

quitting would force the Flyers to count his $4.9 million cap hit — but it’s 

clear that playing again would take a miracle. 

“I have some vulnerabilities that (my doctors) are very worried about,” 

Pronger said. “That may or may not go away. No matter how long it takes, I 

have to get healthy. That’s my main focus and goal.” 

Nowadays, his routine is driving his kids to and from school, daily workouts 

and visiting his eye doctor twice a week. 

Pronger says he’s “made improvements,” but he’s nowhere near 100 

percent healthy. 

“I still get symptoms with loud noises and a lot of moving parts, bright lights, 

things like that,” he said. “Not to the level it was, but I still do get them. My 

eye is still troubling. It’s not working properly. I don’t have peripheral vision. 

My eyesight ... I keep having to get stronger and stronger glasses. 

“At times I can be disoriented. I can lose my train of thought. My cognitive 

skills are a little suspect at times. It comes and goes on certain days. I can 

be sitting here and you might say what’s wrong with him, and I’ll figure out 

what I was saying and start going again.” 

Pronger is enjoying watching his children grow up — he also has a 4-yearold 

daughter — but they sometimes don’t understand his condition. 

“I get asked all the time, ‘Can you come on the trampoline?’” he said. “I’m 

like, ‘No, I’m not going on the trampoline. I’ll watch you.’ They’re kids. They 

forget.” 

Talking about his worst of times, Pronger admitted losing patience with his 

children. 

“You get agitated very quickly,” he said. “You’re (angry) that you are not 

playing the game you love, then you are even more (upset) because you’ve 

got a headache and it’s getting worse and worse. You’re light-headed and 

dizzy, and your kid comes over and you snap. 

“You’re not being the father you want to be. It changes your personality a 

little bit. I’ve gotten a little better with it, but I still get a ‘grrrr’ from time to 

time and gotta catch myself, take myself out of the room and make sure I’m 

a little better.” 

Pronger still traces his health issues to being struck in the right eye on the 

follow-through of a shot by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski 

in an Oct. 24, 2011 game at Wells Fargo Center. 

Pronger returned after missing just six games, but fell face-first into the 

boards when hit cleanly by Phoenix Coyotes forward Martin Hanzal in his 

fifth game back. Then he was bothered by noise and lighting his next game, 

Nov. 19, in Winnipeg. He hasn’t played since. 

“I didn’t do anything for six months,” said Pronger, who relocated from his 

in-season home in Haddonfield to his permanent home in St. Louis last 

May. 

Then Pronger was bedridden with terrible headaches and he had trouble 

seeing. Emotionally, he was a mess. 

“There were some pretty dark days when the doctor was a little worried,” 

Pronger said. “I don’t know if he was that worried. He may tell you he was. I 

don’t think I ever got that far down, but there were some pretty dark days.” 

Pronger isn’t sure about his future. 

Staying in hockey is a possibility. Since last spring, he’s made like a scout 

watching Flyers games from his home and then passing along suggestions 

to general manager Paul Holmgren. He says he may some day be 

interested in becoming a part-time scout. 

He’s also not ruling out getting into broadcasting. 

“I learned a long time ago, never say never,” Pronger said. “Having said 

that, not in the near future.” 

Right now, Pronger just wants to get healthy, even if that means never 

playing hockey again. 

“Everybody that has ever played a professional sport would like to go out on 

their terms and very few get to,” Pronger said. “You want to be the guy to 

carry the Stanley Cup around and leave the game on a high note. As we all 

know, that rarely happens. I don’t know if this is the end or not. I guess time 

will tell and we’ll see how that goes.” 

Courier-Post LOADED: 03.08.2013


Flyers not worried despite blowing three-goal lead 


PHILADELPHIA — When 20 minutes of hockey that was total domination 

for the Flyers and absolute humiliation for the Pittsburgh Penguins was 

over, Peter Laviolette returned to the home dressing room at Wells Fargo 

Center to warn his team about a letdown. 

Flyers players talked about it among themselves, too. 

Then they went back out for the second period and blew everything they’d 

worked for, and eventually what seemed would be an easy and satisfying 

victory turned into a terrible 5-4 loss. 

“We play like that, it’ll be a long summer,” Flyers winger Scott Hartnell said 

after his team blew a 4-1 lead and lost in regulation for the first time since 

doing so in a 7-3 loss in Detroit on Jan. 17, 1993. 

This loss left the Flyers starting their second half of the season just as they 

did the first, with a home loss to their hated rival. 

Afterward, Claude Giroux called it the worst loss in what’s been a 

disappointing season. 

“Yeah, when you’re up 4-1, you gotta find a way to close the game up,” the 

Flyers captain said. 

The Flyers built their big lead in a first period in which they outshot 

Pittsburgh 18-4, and in the process Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury 

sure looked rattled letting in a terrible goal before getting yanked. 

“We talked after the first period that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going 

to sit back and just hand over two points,” Hartnell said. “They were going 

to come back, and lo and behold, before we know it, it’s 4-4. 

“We just can’t do that. It’s embarrassing to the fans. It’s embarrassing to 

one another and we let another two points slip away.” 

The Flyers reached .500 for the first time last Saturday, but now are 11-13- 

1 and tied with Winnipeg for 10th in the Eastern Conference after dropping 

the first two games of a killer week that includes another tough game 

Saturday afternoon in Boston. 

“We’re not worried,” Flyers winger Zac Rinaldo said after his first two-point 

game in the NHL. 

Chris Kunitz gave Pittsburgh its first lead just 18 seconds into the third with 

his second goal of the night off a pass from Sidney Crosby, who had three 

assists to pad his league-leading point total to 39 in 24 games. 

Kunitz whisked a one-timer from the right circle past Flyers goalie Brian 

Boucher, who took over in goal for Ilya Bryzgalov late in the second after 

the Penguins had tied the game. 

The Flyers thought they’d tied the game at 5-5 into the third when Hartnell 

redirected a Kimmo Timonen shot from the point past Penguins goalie 

Tomas Vokoun 6:07 into the third, but the goal was waved off right away. 

A official review confirmed the referee’s call: Hartnell’s stick made contact 

with the puck above the goal, a no-no. 

“I took a look at it on the ice there,” Hartnell said. “It’s hard to tell. You think 

maybe at home you’d get the benefit of the doubt (from the referee), but if 

the video says it was too high, then it’s no goal.” 

The Flyers had another chance midway through the third period when 

Pascal Dupuis took a penalty, but a lot of pressure didn’t lead to a tying 

goal and the Penguins wound up holding on. 

“I don’t think we lack a killer instinct,” Rinaldo said. “I just think we need to 

put a whole game together. The first period ... we got the start we wanted 

and I think we got too comfortable with our lead. Every period, no matter 

what the score is, we gotta keep going.” 

The Flyers’ loss left them beginning the second half the same way they 

began the season, with a home defeat to the Penguins, who won 3-1 in 

Philly on Jan. 19. 

This one seemed like a Flyers’ night early, as they scored three goals in the 

final 4:56 of a first for a 4-1 lead with hotter than hot winger Jakub Voracek 

scoring twice. 

The game seemed all but over, but wasn’t. 

“It was a big letdown,” Hartnell said. “I don’t know why we would have 

stopped playing the way we were in the first period. We were fast. We were 

quick. We were hitting. We were getting into the extracurricular activities 

after the whistles playing Flyers hockey, then we sat back.” 

Empty netters 

A month ahead of schedule, Flyers forward Matt Read returned from torn 

rib-cage muscles and played for the first time in two weeks. Read was 

scoreless with one shot and was a minus-2 in 16:37 of ice time. ... 

Defenseman Nick Grossmann played 18:53 and had a game-high five 

blocked shots after missing the final two periods of Tuesday night’s loss in 

New York with a lower-body injury. ... Mike Knuble and defenseman Kurtis 

Foster were healthy scratches for the Flyers, while forward Harry 

Zolnierczyk served the second game of his four-game suspension. 



Flyers squander lead in 'embarrassing' loss to Penguins 


Courier-Post Staff 

PHILADELPHIA — When 20 minutes of hockey that was total domination 

for the Flyers and absolute humiliation for the Pittsburgh Penguins was 

over, Peter Laviolette returned to the home dressing room at Wells Fargo 

Center to warn his team about a letdown. 

Flyers players talked about it amongst themselves, too. 

Then they went back out for the second period and blew everything they'd 

worked for, and eventually what seemed would be an easy and satisfying 

victory turned into a disgusting 5-4 loss. 

"We play like that, it'll be a long summer," Flyers winger Scott Hartnell said 

after his team blew a 4-1 lead and lost in regulation for the first time since 

doing so in a 7-3 loss in Detroit on Jan. 17, 1993. 

This loss left the Flyers starting their second half of the season just as they 

did the first, with a home loss to their hated rival. 

Afterward, Claude Giroux called it the worst loss in what's been a 

disappointing season. 

"Yeah, when you're up 4-1, you gotta find a way to close the game up," the 

Flyers captain said. 

The Flyers built their big lead in a first period in which they outshot 

Pittsburgh 18-4, and in the process Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury 

sure looked rattled letting in a terrible goal before getting yanked. 

"We talked after the first period that the Pittsburgh Penguins are going to sit 

back and just hand over two points," Hartnell said. "They were going to 

come back, and lo and behold, before we know it, it's 4-4. 

"We just can't do that. It's embarrassing to the fans. It's embarrassing to 

one another and we let another two points slip away." 

The Flyers reached .500 for the first time last Saturday, but now are 11-13- 

1 and tied with Winnipeg for 10th in the Eastern Conference after dropping 

the first two games of a killer week that includes another tough game 

Saturday afternoon in Boston. 

"We're not worried," Flyers winger Zac Rinaldo said after his first two-point 

game in the NHL. 

Chris Kunitz gave Pittsburgh its first lead just 18 seconds into the third with 

his second goal of the night off a pass from Sidney Crosby, who had three 

assists to pad his league-leading point total to 39 in 24 games. 

Kunitz whisked a one-timer from the right circle past Flyers goalie Brian 

Boucher, who took over in goal for Ilya Bryzgalov late in the second after 

the Penguins had tied the game. 

The Flyers thought they'd tied the game at 5-5 into the third when Hartnell 

redirected a Kimmo Timonen shot from the point past Penguins goalie 

Tomas Vokoun 6:07 into the third, but the goal was waved off right away. 

A official review confirmed the referee's call: Hartnell's stick made contact 

with the puck above the goal, a no-no. 

"I took a look at it on the ice there," Hartnell said. "It's hard to tell. You think 

maybe at home you'd get the benefit of the doubt (from the referee), but if 

the video says it was too high, then it's no goal." 

The Flyers had another chance midway through the third period when 

Pascal Dupois took a penalty, but a lot of pressure didn't lead to a tying 

goal and the Penguins wound up holding on. 

"I don't think we lack a killer instinct," Rinaldo said. "I just think we need to 

put a whole game together. The first period ... we got the start we wanted 

and I think we got too comfortable with our lead. Every period, no matter 

what the score is, we gotta keep going." 

The Flyers' loss left them beginning the second half the same way they 

began the season, with a home defeat to the Penguins, who won 3-1 in 

Philly on Jan. 19. 

This one seemed like a Flyers night early, as they scored three goals in the 

final 4:56 of a first for a 4-1 lead with hotter than hot winger Jakub Voracek 

scoring twice. 

The game seemed all but over, but wasn't. 

"It was a big letdown," Hartnell said. "I don't know why we would have 

stopped playing the way we were in the first period. We were fast. We were 

quick. We were hitting. We were getting into the extracurricular activities 

after the whistles playing Flyers hockey, then we sat back." 

EMPTY NETTERS 

A month ahead of schedule, Flyers forward Matt Read returned from torn 

rib-cage muscles and played for the first time in two weeks. Read was 

scoreless with one shot and was a minus-2 in 16:37 of ice time.. 

Defenseman Nick Grossmann played 18:53 and had a game-high five 

blocked shots after missing the final two periods of Tuesday night's loss in 

New York with a lower-body injury. ... Mike Knuble and defenseman Kurtis 

Foster for healthy scratches for the Flyers, while forward Harry Zolnierczyk 

served the second game of his four-game suspension. 


662124 Phoenix Coyotes 

Game Day: Blues at Coyotes 

Blues (11-9-2) at Coyotes (11-9-3) 

Puck drop: 7 p.m. 

TV/Radio: FSAZ/KGME-AM (910). 

Projected Coyotes lines: 

Boedker-Hanzal-Sullivan 

Chipchura-Lombardi-Doan 

Korpikoski-Vermette-Moss 

Torres-Gordon-Johnson 

Ekman-Larsson-Michalek 

Yandle-Stone 

Klesla-Morris 

Smith 

Possible scratches: Rundblad and Bissonnette. 

Injury update: Winger Radim Vrbata is still on injured reserve with a lowerbody 

injury. He saw a doctor Thursday morning, but Tippett was unsure of 

his updated status. 

Projected Blues lines: 

Schwartz-Backes-Oshie 

Perron-Berglund-Stewart 

Porter-Sobotka-D’Agostini 

Cracknell-Nichol-Reaves 

Jackman-Pietrangelo 

Redden-Shattenkirk 

Russell-Polak 

Allen 

Likely scratches: Murray and Cole. 

Injury update: Tarasenko (concussion), Steen (upper-body) and McDonald 

(knee). 

On the team’s performance Wednesday in Anaheim: 

“The chances on both sides were miniscule last night,” coach Dave Tippett 

said. “Not an entertaining game from the chance point of view, but I think 

after the two games you saw here there were lots of goals scored. They 

went with a real mindset to clamp it down. I thought we had less chances in 

the game than we had the two games before, so obviously they clamped 

down a little bit. But from our standpoint, our execution was really poor, 

really poor. We did get a few chances. We hit a crossbar, hit a post. It’s a 1- 

0 game. One of those goes in for you you’re in the game, (and) it probably 

has a different look to it. We didn’t give up much, but we didn’t get much 

and that was the issue for us.” 

Other notes and news: 

The Coyotes are 22-20-4 in the second game of back-to-backs since the 

start of the 2009-10 season. 

The Coyotes are 7-2 when center Antoine Vermette records a point. 

Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson is a team-best plus-9. 

Winger Steve Sullivan has 23 goals and 51 points in his career against the 

Blues — his highest career scoring total against an NHL opponent. 

The Blues have given up two or fewer goals to the Coyotes in four of their 

last five games. 

In their past seven meetings, the Blues have allowed one power play goal 

in 26 chances to the Coyotes. 

Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.08.2013


Phoenix Coyotes’ Dave Tippett impressed with Jason LaBarbera 

By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Thu Mar 7, 2013 11:03 PM 

It’s not often this season the Coyotes have turned to backup goalie Jason 

LaBarbera but after the performance he delivered Wednesday in a 2-0 loss 

in Anaheim to the Ducks, perhaps that changes in the second-half of the 

schedule. 

“Barbs was solid,” coach Dave Tippett said about the goalie’s 22-save 

outing in which LaBarbera allowed only one goal. The other was an emptynetter. 

“Stopped a penalty shot, stopped another breakaway. He gave us 

the saves we need, but really in the game there was no sustained pressure 

from either team. 

“He gave us a solid game. It’s too bad we couldn’t get a goal for him.” 

Before the night off, No. 1 Mike Smith made 15 consecutive starts — the 

longest run of his career (outside of last year’s 16-game playoff run). His 

lengthiest stretch of work last year during the regular season was 11 

games. 

“I feel good physically,” Smith said. “I think mentally it’s kind of been a 

challenge, but I’m working on that and trying to stay upbeat. Early in the 

season, I felt physically it was more of a challenge but as the season’s gone 

on and you’re playing every other day, it’s more of a mental stress than 

anything else.” 

Smith was back between the pipes Thursday at home against the St. Louis 

Blues, and it’s likely he carries the workload for the immediate future. 

Smith missed four games earlier this season with a groin injury, but the 

Coyotes continue to evaluate both their goalies’ statuses on a daily basis. 

Games are too valuable to use a consistent rotation of Smith and 

LaBarbera but if LaBarbera can be as strong as he was against the Ducks, 

it makes it easier for the team to call on him. 

“(Goaltending coach Sean Burke) and I talk about it every day, where we 

are with Barbs and Smitty and where we think it should be rest versus keep 

going,” Tippett said. “We had talked about this week with four games in six 

days it was going to be hard for Smitty to take all those, so we thought the 

third game — especially getting four points early — you look for Barbs to go 

in there and steal one and he played well enough to do that. He didn’t get 

the offensive support he needed.” 

Set in stone 

The Coyotes have, finally, seemed to settle into a defensive rotation while 

David Schlemko recovers from a shoulder injury. 

Michael Stone made his seventh straight appearance against the Blues 

after previously splitting time with David Rundblad and Chris Summers 

before Summers was reassigned to the American Hockey League. 

“For me, I just try to take care of the ‘D’ zone,” Stone said. “I know I have 

the capability of being offensive, so I don’t have to go out of my comfort 

zone there. Lately I’ve been trying to be more aggressive and shut things 

down quicker, and the less time I have to play in my own zone the better.” 

Tippett called Stone’s game against the Ducks on Monday probably his 

best so far this season. Aside from scoring the game-tying goal in the third 

period, Stone was a plus-2 and had three hits. He also has earned powerplay 

time as a point man. 

“He moves the puck pretty well, shoots the puck very well, but he’s gotta 

get into the battles,” Tippett said. “He’s gotta be a hard defending guy. I 

don’t think he’s ever going to be a punishing player, but he’s gotta be a guy 

that’s engaged in those battles to defend.” 

Realignment reality 

The NHL Players Association approved a plan for realignment that would 

change the landscape of both conferences for the next two seasons. 

The proposal will now go before the NHL Board of Governors for its 

authorization. The new setup would be reviewed after the 2014-15 season. 

The proposed changes would have the Coyotes in the Pacific Division 

along with Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose and 

Vancouver. 

The Western Conference would feature two divisions, each carrying seven 

teams. The Eastern Conference would also have two divisions, but each 

one would have eight teams. Detroit and Columbus would move from the 

Western Conference to the East, while Winnipeg moves from the East to 

the West. 

The top three teams in each division would grab a playoff berth, and four 

wild-card spots would be given to the two next-best teams in each 

conference. 

“I think it makes a lot of sense for the league,” Tippett said. “I think it makes 

a lot of sense marketing- wise, TV-wise. There are a lot of factors that I 

think push it in the right direction.” 

Injury update 

Wing Radim Vrbata missed his ninth straight game with a lower-body injury. 

Vrbata saw a doctor Thursday morning, but Tippett hadn’t received a report 

on Vrbata’s status when he met with reporters before Thursday’s game. 

Meanwhile, Schlemko continues to improve. 

“I would say he’s within days not weeks now,” Tippett said. “We’ll l just see 

where that goes probably after the weekend.” 



Phoenix Coyotes fall big at home to the St. Louis Blues 

By Sarah McLellan azcentral sports Thu Mar 7, 2013 10:40 PM 

GLENDALE -- The narrative in this abbreviated season rarely has stayed 

the same for the Coyotes, making this already bizarre trek to the playoffs 

even stranger. 

The principles of last season’s remarkable jaunt to the Western Conference 

finals have been there, surely, but only sporadically. 

The urgency, it would seem, to soak up points every game has trumped the 

defensive shell the Coyotes need to rely on, and strategy evolves into 

survival. 

And when that happens, as it did again in Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the St. 

Louis Blues in front of 11,482 at Jobing.com Arena, it really is a toss-up if 

the Coyotes are effective. 

“We’re a team when we play our game, we can control the game,” captain 

Shane Doan said. “We can control possession of the puck. We can play in 

their zone. We can limit their chances and when we don’t play our game, 

we give up easy ones. 

“Right now we’ve got to find a way to eliminate that. We know what our 

game is, and we’ve got to do that more consistently. The identity of our 

team hasn’t changed. We’re still the same. We’ve just got to do it on a more 

consistent basis.” 

Earlier in the week, the Coyotes overcame third-period deficits to the 

Anaheim Ducks to secure shootout wins, masquerading as a team with no 

shortage of offensive options. Their ranking as the third highest-scoring 

team in the Western Conference — before this game — undoubtedly gave 

that act credibility. 

But they were shut out Wednesday in Anaheim and let a lead disappear in 

this one against the Blues. 

They reach the halfway point of this 48-game schedule with a mediocre 

showing (11-10-3), yet have enough points (25) to stay relevant in the 

Western Conference playoff race. 

“If we’re going to be successful in the second half, we have to recognize 

who we are,” coach Dave Tippett said. “There are going to be games you 

have to step out of your comfort zone to win, whether you have to score a 

few more goals, but right now we’re giving up too many chances.” 

The Coyotes fell behind at 13:07 of the first period when goalie Mike Smith 

kicked a rebound right to Blues wing Chris Stewart, who one-timed a shot 

past Smith. 

But the Coyotes, cashing in on their first shorthanded goal of the season, 

tied it after wing David Moss’ shot on a breakaway trickled through on Blues 

goalie Jake Allen with 1:06 left in the first. 

That turned into a 2-1 lead when Doan pounced on a loose puck in the slot 

41 seconds into the second, but the Blues recovered for three goals in the 

period to take a 4-2 lead. 

“Playing back-to-back, you’ve got to find a way to be a lot tighter 

defensively, especially when you’re up a goal and when you’re in back-toback 

games,” Moss said. “You might not have the legs, but you’ve got to 

find a way to be solid defensively.” 

The first happened when center Patrik Berglund gobbled up another Smith 

rebound at 5:47. Then Berglund used a spin move around defenseman 

Derek Morris to backhand a shot over Smith at 7:59. 

Finally, the Blues forced a turnover along the boards to set up Scott Nichol, 

who was left alone in front of the net at 10:23. 

“Some of the turnovers are really concerning because they’re the same 

people doing them in the same place,” Tippett said. “We’ll continue to 

address this but if it doesn’t get cleaned up, we’re going to have to try 

different options.” 

A give-and-go from Stewart to center Vladimir Sobotka at 6:53 of the third 

and a shot from defenseman Alex Pietrangelo at the top of the crease at 

15:04 capped off five consecutive goals for the Blues before defenseman 

Keith Yandle scored a power play goal with 25 seconds left. 

The defensive lapses have become a trend, and Smith, who totaled 23 

saves, has yet to reclaim his MVP-type status from last year. 

“We’re giving up too many chances, and right through our lineup – that 

goes from the goaltender on out we don’t have anybody we would say, ‘OK, 

this guy’s at the top of his game,’” Tippett said. “So that has to turn for more 

people and if that turns, we’ll be fine as a group.” 

Report 

Key player: Blues winger David Perron recorded four assists. 

Key moment: Only 2:12 after scoring the tying goal, center Patrik Berglund 

coupled a flashy spin move with a quick backhand shot to give the Blues a 

3-2 lead. 

Key number: 4 Goals allowed by the Coyotes in each of their past four 

home games. 

Why the Coyotes lost: When the Coyotes aren’t at their best defensively, 

they need goalie Mike Smith to be unbeatable. When that doesn’t happen, 

as was the case against the Blues, the Coyotes struggle. Too many 

rebounds wound up on the sticks of Blues players, and the offense couldn’t 

offer a momentum swing. 

View from the press box: Smith recently played the longest stretch of 

games (15) in his regular-season career. Perhaps the workload is part of 

the reason why Smith has been inconsistent, but the Coyotes can’t afford to 

not have him in the net most nights. Eventually, Smith has to become this 

team’s best player again for it to keep pace in the standings but the 

turnovers along the boards aren’t exactly putting him in a position to 

succeed, either. 



Smith's struggles continue in Coyotes' loss 

Craig Morgan 

GLENDALE, Ariz. – Mike Smith didn't address reporters after the Coyotes' 

6-3 loss Thursday night to the Blues at Jobing.com Arena, so it's hard to 

gauge whether he was more upset with his own play or the play of the team 

in front of him. 

Either one was fair game after the Coyotes reached the midpoint of the 

season with one of their poorest performances all year. 

"That wasn't our team right there," coach Dave Tippett said. 

And Mike Smith wasn't the same goalie who lifted this franchise to its best 

season in the Valley one year ago. 

When you analyze the six goals St. Louis scored Thursday, there's not a 

single one you could fairly characterize as a bad goal. Two came on 

rebounds of hard shots – one that defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson had 

a chance to clear. One deflected in off defenseman Derek Morris' stick, No. 

4 was a bang-bang play after a bad turnover by forward Kyle Chipchura in 

the defensive zone, No. 5 was a bang-bang play on which no Blues were 

covered, least of all goal scorer Vladimir Sobotka, and No. 6 pinballed off 

several players before settling onto Alex Pietrangelo's stick in the slot. 

"They're scoring goals when there's red jerseys around. They're just not 

doing much," Tippett said. "That's concerning." 

There is no question the Coyotes' defensive zone coverage and puck 

management are worse than last season. Opponents are generating too 

many quality scoring chances. For a team once known for keeping shots to 

the perimeter, the slot has become an open highway for opponents. 

Still, you can feel that something's not right with Smith. It's not that he's 

allowing a glut of bad goals; it's that he isn't stealing goals from the 

opposition like he did with regularity last season. He isn't tracking the puck 

as well, he isn't managing his rebounds as well and he isn't giving his team 

that boost of confidence because he hasn't had a lengthy stretch of 

consistency. 

"I don't know what it is," Tippett said. "I know some of the chances we're 

giving up are better chances than we would normally give up last year. That 

being said, Mike would tell you he wants his save percentage to be a lot 

better than it is." 

General manager Don Maloney told FOX Sports Arizona recently that the 

club would not be negotiating a new contract with the free agent-to-be 

during the season because the club's ongoing ownership saga prevents it. 

But at this point, it also looks like a prudent move. 

In his last four games, Smith has allowed 18 goals on 114 shots. His 3.09 

goals-against average ranks 39th in the NHL, and his .894 save percentage 

ranks 34th. Smith's financial bargaining power is quickly evaporating in 

what has to be characterized, thus far, as a disappointing second season in 

Phoenix. 

Is fatigue a factor? Maybe. Here's what he told Dave Vest of 

phoenixcoyotes.com recently. 

"Early in the season, I felt physically it was more of a challenge, but as the 

season has gone on and you're playing every other day, it seems more of a 

mental stress than anything else." 

If that's the case, why haven't the Coyotes played backup Jason LaBarbera 

a little more? LaBarbera's start in Anaheim on Tuesday was his first since 

Jan. 26 against Los Angeles. 

Tippett said before Thursday's game that he talks with goalie Sean Burke 

every day about the mental and physical state of his goalies, adding that 

the games are so important in this lockout-shortened season that they felt it 

best to ride Smith as much as possible. 

But it's been a bumpy ride at best. Is it time to alter that thinking, or is it just 

a matter of getting the rest of the Coyotes to play like that bunch that left the 

ice last May? 

"Last year for Smitty was his best year he's had in the league," Tippett said. 

"We have to try to get him back to the best year he's had." 

foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 03.08.2013

662128 Pittsburgh Penguins 

Pens’ Orpik considering wearing protective visor 

Brooks Orpik is among the team leaders in blocked shots for the Penguins. 

Chaz Palla | Tribune-Review 

By Josh Yohe 

Updated 8 minutes ago 

PHILADELPHIA — Many of the Penguins play without wearing a protective 

visor. 

One of their biggest names is thinking about making a change. 

Defenseman Brooks Orpik, who wore a visor only when it was required 

during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, has reconsidered since 

seeing Rangers defenseman Marc Staal sustain a possibly serious eye 

injury Tuesday night. 

“I guess there really isn't a valid excuse to not wear one anymore,” Orpik 

said. 

Many players prefer playing without a visor because they say it obscures 

their vision. 

“Some of the guys say that can't see as well,” Orpik said. “Well, I look 

around and see Sid (Sidney Crosby), Geno (Evgeni Malkin) and (Tampa 

Bay star Steven) Stamkos wearing visors out there. They're the best 

players in the game, and they have plenty of vision even though they use 

visors. There's probably no excuse anymore.” 

Staal's injury has reverberated through hockey. The defenseman was hit in 

the right eye by a slap shot during a game Tuesday against the Flyers. 

Staal will make a full recovery, according to the Rangers, but is out 

indefinitely. 

Orpik nearly endured a similar injury last season. 

“(Boston defenseman Zdeno) Chara sent a one-timer right by my face,” 

Orpik said. “You literally have no time to react.” 

Since Staal's injury, Orpik sounds like a changed man. 

“I think (a visor is) probably in my near future,” he said. “During the lockout, 

my college coach was all over me about it. You look around, coaches are 

all preaching so much stick on puck right now. That means more shots are 

deflected toward your face, and ice is so bad right now, a lot of those shots 

are on edge. It is more dangerous. You see it a lot.” 

Other Penguins are not adopting Orpik's stance. 

Forwards Craig Adams, Tanner Glass and defenseman Mark Eaton choose 

to play without visors. Staal's injury won't change that. 

Eaton's 8-year-old daughter pleaded with him to wear a visor after seeing 

the Staal injury. 

“She said, ‘Daddy, you need to put a visor on,' ” Eaton said. “That's the only 

thing that might sway me. But even that — it just is such a nuisance with 

the fog and water.” 

Adams, the team's player union representative, is hopeful that wearing a 

visor never becomes mandatory. 

“I think it should be up to the player to decide,” Adams said. 

Glass isn't interested in a visor. 

“Not one bit,” he said. “I got my eyeball hurt last year. We know the risks. 

It's something I deal with. I feel like I'm more in the game, not sitting behind 

the glass like a spectator.” 

Orpik, it seems, is OK with that. 

“It's something that would take getting used to,” he said. “But visors are a lot 

better now than they used to be. There's just no excuse.” 

Josh Yohe 

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.08.2013


Penguins rally from 4-1 deficit to down Flyers 

By Josh Yohe 

PHILADELPHIA — Maybe the first 20 minutes Thursday served as the 

Penguins' final learning tool regarding the Flyers. 

From that point, they didn't hit back, didn't take foolish penalties and were 

wise with the puck. 

The sudden composure resulted in a 5-4 victory and was another blow to 

the struggling Flyers. Philadelphia trails the Penguins, who have a game in 

hand, by nine points. 

“This was big for us tonight,” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “We needed 

this one.” 

Down, 4-1, through one period, the Penguins dominated the final 40 

minutes. Chris Kunitz scored twice, including the game-winner 18 seconds 

into the third period, and now has 14 goals. 

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby took a four-point lead in the NHL scoring 

race, producing three assists for his eighth three-point game since Feb. 2. 

Right wings James Neal, Tyler Kennedy and Pascal Dupuis also scored. 

But what most satisfied the Penguins wasn't the comeback, but the way 

they shut down the Flyers during the final 19:42. 

Philadelphia recorded 18 shots in the first period for the Penguins but only 

14 during the remainder of the game. 

“It couldn't have gotten worse,” Neal said of the first period. “We could only 

go up from there. Some guys said a few things. Vouky (goalie Tomas 

Vokoun) said a few big words to get us going.” 

Vokoun replaced goalie Marc-Andre Fleury after the first period and didn't 

allow a goal. Of course, he wasn't asked to make many spectacular saves, 

as the Penguins picked up their defensive coverage and decision-making 

with the puck during the final 40 minutes. 

“We did a good job of not giving up too many tough ones,” Crosby said. 

“But he did a good job coming in.” 

The first period was a surreal reminder of what happens to the Penguins 

when they play by the Flyers' rules. 

Philadelphia piled up four goals on Fleury, two of which came on the power 

play. Another came one second after a penalty expired, essentially giving 

the Flyers three goals with a man advantage. 

Neal was in the center of the Penguins' problems, taking three penalties in 

the first period. When he exited the penalty box following Philadelphia's first 

goal, Neal was confronted by Flyers left wing Scott Hartnell, which triggered 

the first of many first-period altercations. 

“I think that's happened a couple of times in this building,” Neal said. “He's 

doing what he's got to do, I guess.” 

The Penguins did what they had to do the rest of the evening and are 16-8- 

0 at the season's halfway mark — five points clear of the New Jersey Devils 

for the Atlantic Division lead. 

“This was a big step,” Niskanen said. “We did a good job of staying 

focused. We kept the third period calm, which is what we needed to do. We 

were pretty ticked with how the first period went, obviously. But no one hit 

the panic button. We knew it was time to compete harder and that things 

would turn around.” 

The Penguins were guilty of five penalties in the first period and only one 

the rest of the way. 

“I like how we came out and played,” Bylsma said, referring to the final two 

periods. “We stuck with it. Our guys stayed focused. We limited their 

opportunities. We played the right way. Maybe our best (period) with the 

lead in the third.” 

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.08.2013


Players OK NHL plan that puts Penguins in 8-team division next season 

By Dave Molinari / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

PHILADELPHIA -- The NHL Players' Association has approved the league's 

realignment plan, which means the Penguins will shift to an eight-team 

division next season. 

They will be with Philadelphia, the New York Rangers, the New York 

Islanders, New Jersey, Columbus, Carolina and Washington in one of two 

Eastern Conference divisions. 

There will be 16 teams in the Eastern Conference, 14 in the West. Eight 

teams from each will qualify for the playoffs, with some of those being wild 

cards. 

The plan still must be approved by the NHL Board of Governors, but that is 

expected to be little more than a rubber-stamp vote. 

NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said the realignment plan will be reevaluated 

after the 2014-15 season. 

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.08.2013


Martin to play for Penguins tonight vs. Flyers 

March 7, 2013 1:08 pm 


PHILADELPHIA -- Defenseman Paul Martin says he plans to be in the 

Penguins' lineup when they face Philadelphia tonight at 7:08 at the Wells 

Fargo Center. 

Martin has not appeared in a game since suffering an unspecified injury 

during the Penguins' 4-1 loss at Carolina a week ago. 

Coach Dan Bylsma said everything pertaining to the Penguins' lineup will 

be "game-time decisions." 



Kunitz, Crosby spark comeback as Penguins shoot down Flyers, 5-4 

March 8, 2013 12:19 am 


PHILADELPHIA -- Nobody turned over a table in the Penguins' dressing 

room during the first intermission at the Wells Fargo Center Thursday night. 

Nobody launched into a high-decibel rant about his teammates' costly 

lapses in discipline or focus, either. 

Or even shattered a stick by smacking it off a wall. 

"That never happens in our dressing room," defenseman Kris Letang said. 

"Never." 

Doesn't mean they didn't have a reason to, though. 

By that point, they had spotted Philadelphia a three-goal lead and little had 

happened to suggest they'd be able to claw back into the game. 

Or prevent the Flyers from winning by double figures, for that matter. 

Surely, there was absolutely no reason to believe they would end up with a 

5-4 victory that would allow them to close out the first half of their season 

with an 16-8 record that's good for first place in the Atlantic Division and 

second place in the Eastern Conference. 

Not after they had been so badly outshot (18-4), outworked and out-battled 

during the first period. 

"We didn't play with enough emotion," center Sidney Crosby said. "We 

really weren't in the game at all. We had a lot of room to improve." 

They did just that. 

Quickly and emphatically. 

They began to consistently win the individual battles they had lost during 

the first period. To establish an effective forecheck. To launch pucks at 

Philadelphia goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who had been little more than an 

interested onlooker during the opening period. 

"The first and second periods were completely different games," Penguins 

left winger Chris Kunitz said. 

And it showed on the scoreboard. 

James Neal had taken a couple of needless penalties during the first, and 

the Flyers converted both into goals by Jakub Voracek. 

Zac Rinaldo and Kimmo Timonen also beat Penguins goalie Marc-Andre 

Fleury at even-strength, and the man-advantage goal Kunitz scored during 

the Penguins' first power play of the game didn't figure to do much more 

than spoil Bryzgalov's chances for a shutout. 

Penguins coach Dan Bylsma changed goalies during the first intermission, 

replacing Fleury with Tomas Vokoun, and his players changed their 

approach at the same time. 

"We knew we didn't play the way we wanted," Letang said. "We just refocused 

and went to work." 

The adjustment took, and it didn't take long. 

Pascal Dupuis cut the Flyers' advantage to two at 5:30 of the second, as he 

got a pass from Crosby behind the net and beat Bryzgalov from between 

the left circle and the crease for his first goal in the past eight games. Neal 

got the Penguins to within one at 8:13, when his centering feed from the 

right side hit Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn in front and got past 

Bryzgalov. 

The Penguins' surge continued at 15:47, as Tyler Kennedy scored on a 

slap shot from the right side of the slot for his first goal in the past seven 

games. 

That tied the score and prompted Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to replace 

Bryzgalov with Brian Boucher. 

Which meant that Boucher ended up being tagged with the loss when 

Kunitz scored the winner to cap a 2-on-1 break with Crosby 18 seconds into 

the final period. 

That was Kunitz's second of the evening, 14th of the season and seventh in 

five games. Might be time for some of that talk about the need to get a 

winger who can score to play with Crosby to die down a bit. 

"He's just really, really focused," Crosby said. "It just seems like there aren't 

too many pucks where he's not getting a great shot away. He's ready to 

shoot it, and he's been putting it where he wants to." 

Penguins defenseman Paul Martin returned to the lineup after missing two 

games because of an unspecified injury. He logged 23 minutes and 54 

seconds of ice time and, aside from having a couple of Flyers goals deflect 

off him on their way past Fleury, had a generally satisfying return. 

"I feel bad for [Fleury]," Martin said. "But I felt good." 

He wasn't the only one feeling good in the Penguins locker room after the 

game. 

Exasperating as the first period had been for them, the comeback they 

pulled off -- on the road, against their arch-rivals -- made this arguably their 

most satisfying victory of the season to date. 

"You need those challenges, those tests," Crosby said. "I think the guys 

responded the right way." 

With no furniture harmed in the making of their comeback. 



Robert Morris hockey will not overlook first-round foe 

March 8, 2013 12:14 am 

By Jenn Menendez / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 

Fifth-seeded Robert Morris will open the Atlantic Hockey Association 

playoffs tonight against No. 12 seed Sacred Heart, a team the Colonials 

beat by a combined score of 13-7 a month ago in back-to-back games. 

The Pioneers (2-28-4) were mired in a season-long slump, but have come 

alive to go 2-2-2 in the past six games. 

The best-of-three series begins at 7:05 p.m. at 84 Lumber Arena, continues 

Saturday at the same time and concludes at 7:05 p.m. Sunday, if 

necessary. 

"We talked about respecting the playoffs," said Robert Morris coach Derek 

Schooley. "The playoffs are a new season. The effort you have to put in to 

advance and end somebody's season is tremendous. 

"[The Pioneers are] playing their best hockey of the year. They've got some 

very dangerous forwards that had a large number of points against us in 

those games. Up until the third period, those were close hockey games." 

Schooley said the Sacred Heart top line is a talented one led by wings Brian 

Sheehan, Ben Ketchum and center Eric Delong, who has two goals and five 

assists in the past six games. 

Game film, he said, shows a better team. 

"It just seems to be a different hockey team that's playing with a lot more 

confidence," said Schooley. "That's great for our guys. Great they're playing 

their best hockey of the year, because we know we've got to play our 

game." 

The Colonials (18-12-4) went to three games with No. 11 seed American 

International last year before finally advancing with a 4-3 win in overtime. 

This season, Robert Morris has played well down the stretch, going 4-2-2 to 

close the regular season after an 8-1 loss to Mercyhurst Feb. 5 that marked 

the worst loss in program history. 

"We're healthy, we are what we are and I think we're playing the best 

hockey of the year," said Schooley. "We're confident we're doing what we 

need to do to be successful." 

The Colonials are led by goalie Eric Levine, who has a 2.59 goals-against 

average and .930 save percentage, and in scoring by Adam Brace (13 

goals, 22 assists). 



Penguins Notebook: Orpik sounds like he's ready to wear visor at last 

March 8, 2013 12:05 am 


PHILADELPHIA -- There probably is a perfectly reasonable explanation for 

why Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik doesn't wear a visor. 

He just doesn't know what it is anymore. 

"I don't have a good excuse or a good answer," Orpik said after the 

Penguins' game-day skate Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center. "So I'm not 

even going to try to make one up." 

Orpik said he fully anticipates having one attached to his helmet before 

much longer -- "It will probably be on there by the end of the year, I can tell 

you that much," he said -- but he appeared in his 609th NHL game 

Thursday night against the Flyers and, for the 609th time, his eyes were 

unprotected. 

The controversy over whether visors should be mandatory in the NHL flared 

again this week after New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal was 

struck near the right eye by a deflected puck. 

The Rangers subsequently announced that Staal is expected to make a full 

recovery, but several players have had their careers disrupted, if not ended, 

by eye injuries in recent seasons. 

Nearly three-quarters of players in the NHL now wear a visor, according to 

NHL Players' Association research. That includes a majority of the 

Penguins, including some guys who haven't always. 

"I didn't wear one for the first three or four years of my career," right winger 

Pascal Dupuis said. "Then, during the lockout in '04, I went to Switzerland, 

and I had to wear it over there. I put it on and kept it on." 

Dupuis suggested that visors be required for players entering the league, 

but that current players be given the option of not wearing one. 

He also noted there are some gray areas, like the one created by a rule that 

mandates an extra minor penalty for a visor-wearing player who instigates a 

fight and doesn't remove it before punches are thrown. 

"The enforcers, I wouldn't want them to take their helmets off to fight, if they 

have a visor on," Dupuis said. "At the same time, it's pretty scary stuff when 

there's something close to the eyes." 

And that, as Orpik noted, is something that is a constant threat. 

"There's such an emphasis on players defending, going stick-on-puck," he 

said. "And, with the way the ice conditions are ... you couple a lot of those 

factors together, and it's probably a lot more dangerous now." 

Realignment nearly done deal 

The players union has signed off on the league's realignment proposal, 

which means the Penguins will be in a new division next season. 

They will join Philadelphia, Washington, Carolina, the New York Rangers, 

New York Islanders, New Jersey and Columbus in one of two eight-team 

divisions in the Eastern Conference. 

There will be 14 teams in the Western Conference, split evenly between 

two divisions. 

The top three finishers in each division will qualify for the playoffs, along 

with two wild-cards from each conference. 

The plan still must be approved by the NHL Board of Governors, but that 

looks to be little more than a formality since the proposal came from the 

owners. 

Kunitz turns into force 

Penguins left winger Chris Kunitz has a career-high seven-game points 

streak after scoring in the first period Thursday against the Flyers, and also 

has a personal-best goal-scoring streak of five games. 

He has meshed well with center Sidney Crosby -- "He's pretty easy to 

read," Crosby said. "He's up and down the wing and goes really hard to the 

net." -- and has been enough of an offensive force that opponents dare not 

focus solely on Crosby when their line is on the ice. 

"You'd better not just have two or three guys on Sidney Crosby and not be 

paying attention to [Kunitz]," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said, "because 

he's been a big weapon for us." 

Kunitz was the Penguins' No. 2 scorer before facing Philadelphia, and now 

he has 14 goals and 17 assists in 24 games. 

"Chris does a lot of little things well, to be a good complementary guy to 

play with," Bylsma said. "He goes hard to the net, he forces turnovers, he's 

a physical guy. 

"And, maybe more so this year than others, he's moved into that slot area 

and been a weapon with his shot and being open in that area. He's done 

that really well." 

Bryzgalov has big workload 

Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov made his 23rd appearance in Philadelphia's 

first 25 games this season Thursday night. 

He has held up pretty well under that workload -- Bryzgalov started the 

game with a 2.68 goals-against average and .903 save percentage -- but it 

remains to be seen whether that will continue to be the case. 

Regardless, Bylsma made it clear after the game-day skate that the 

Penguins would not be inclined to make such demands of their No. 1 

goaltender. 

"That's not how much we would want Marc-Andre Fleury to play," he said. 

Fleury has appeared in 17 of the Penguins' first 24 games. 

Bylsma added that "Bryzgalov was brought in here to be the main goalie 

and the big guy, and ... he certainly has been that this year." 



Penguins rebound from three-goal deficit to beat Flyers, 5-4 

March 7, 2013 9:48 pm 


PHILADELPHIA -- The Penguins rebounded from a three-goal deficit to 

defeat Philadelphia, 5-4, at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. 

The Atlantic Division-leading Penguins finished the first half of their season 

with a 16-8 record. 

Chris Kunitz gave the Penguins their first lead of the evening -- and the only 

one they would need -- 18 seconds into the third period, as he took a feed 

from Sidney Crosby and beat Flyers goalie Brian Boucher from inside the 

right dot for his 14th goal of the season and seventh in five games. 

Penguins defenseman Paul Martin returned to the lineup after missing two 

games because of an unspecified injury. Dustin Jeffrey replaced Joe Vitale, 

a healthy scratch, at center on the fourth line. 

Jakub Voracek gave the Flyers a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 11:18 

of the first period, when his shot from inside the right circle caromed off 

Martin and eluded goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. 

That marked the first time in the past eight regular-season meetings that 

Philadelphia scored first. 

Flyers winger Scott Hartnell went straight at James Neal, who had been 

sent off for elbowing Philadelphia's Claude Giroux at 10:45, as he came out 

of the penalty box and picked up an extra minor penalty during the scuffle 

that ensued. 

The Penguins used that power play to tie the game, as Kunitz beat Flyers 

goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from close range at 12:05 for his 13th of the season. 

Assists went to Kris Letang and Crosby, the latter of whom had been shut 

out in his previous two games in Philadelphia. 

The Flyers reclaimed the lead at 13:06, when Zac Rinaldo punched a 

Nicklas Grossmann rebound past Fleury, and Philadelphia defenseman 

Kimmo Timonen put a shot off Fleury and into the net from the left-wing 

boards at 18:17 to make it 3-1. 

A bad period got a whole lot worse for the Penguins when Neal was 

penalized for slashing Bryzgalov with 15.2 seconds to go before the 

intermission, and the Flyers needed just 7.6 seconds to run their lead to 

three. 

Voracek got the goal, as his shot deflected off Martin before going between 

Fleury's legs. 

Tomas Vokoun replaced Fleury, who had allowed four goals on 18 shots, 

for the start of the second period. 

The Penguins seemed to regain their composure and focus during the 

intermission, and Pascal Dupuis cut the Flyers' advantage to two at 5:30 of 

the second. 

Dupuis took a feed from Crosby behind the net and beat Bryzgalov from 

between the left circle and the crease for his eighth of the season and first 

in eight games. 

Neal got the Penguins to within one at 8:13, as his centering feed from the 

right side hit Flyers defenseman Braydon Coburn in front and got past 

Bryzgalov. 

The Penguins' surge continued at 15:47, as Tyler Kennedy scored on a 

slap shot from the right side of the slot for his first in seven games. 

That tied the game and prompted Flyers coach Peter Laviolette to replace 

Bryzgalov with Boucher, who ended up getting the loss because of the 

Kunitz goal early in the third. 

The Penguins are off until Saturday, when they will visit Toronto at 7:08 

p.m. 


662136 San Jose Sharks 

Sharks lose to Flames, 4-1 

Associated Press 

Calgary, Alberta -- Former Shark Miikka Kiprusoff made 32 saves in his 

return from a knee injury to lead the Calgary Flames to a 4-1 victory over 

the Sharks on Wednesday night. 

Blake Comeau scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period. Jarome 

Iginla, Roman Cervenka and Curtis Glencross (into an empty net) also 

scored for Calgary, which improved to 4-1-1 in its last six games. 

Joe Thornton had the only goal for the Sharks, who are 2-6-1 in their last 

nine. 

Slumped in his locker well after the game, Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle 

was searching for answers. 

"It happens. You go through streaks where you're not scoring and I 

understand that, but ...," Boyle said, shaking his head and trailing off. 

Thornton's goal was only his second since Jan. 27. 

"We're disappointed," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "We had an 

opportunity to win a game going into the third period and we didn't play very 

well. I thought the Comeau goal was a bit of a backbreaker." 

Calgary took a 2-1 lead at 2:57 of the third when Comeau burst down the 

right wing and snapped a shot inside the far post, past San Jose goalie 

Thomas Greiss. 

It was Comeau's first goal this season and just his second in the last 41 

games, dating to last season. 

Less than 2 minutes later, Iginla scored his sixth goal in the last five games 

by ripping a shot past Greiss from the slot after being set up by Jiri Hudler. 

Kiprusoff returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with a sprained 

knee. The 36-year-old goalie was injured in the second period of Calgary's 

4-1 win over the Red Wings on Feb. 5. Calgary went 6-5-2 during his 

absence. 

"We played a really strong game," said Kiprusoff, who began his NHL 

career with the Sharks 12 years ago. "You know with a team like that, at 

some point they're going to get shots, but we were able to play smart. We 

knew they were going to open up and we were going to get some chances." 

Kiprusoff was busiest in the third as the Sharks had the period's only two 

power plays and outshot Calgary 17-6. But they couldn't beat him. 

Greiss was making his first start for the Sharks in 10 games. Antti Niemi 

was given the night off after beating the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday 

night. 

Greiss finished with 22 saves on 25 shots. 

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.08.2013

662137 San Jose Sharks 

Streaker hops glass during Sharks game Wednesday 

Staff 

You wouldn't have caught it on the Sharks-Flames broadcast, but those 

inside the Scotiabank Saddledome Wednesday night were in for a bare 

surprise. 

A streaker -- donning just a pair of shorts -- made it onto the ice to the 

crowd's cheers before security escorted him away. 

Flames fans are no strangers to streakers. In 2002, a streaker wearing only 

red socks infamously knocked himself out when he landed on the ice. 


662138 St Louis Blues 

Blues updates: Allen has been playing plenty lately 

By Jeremy Rutherford 

PHOENIX - How badly are the Blues looking for quality goaltending? 

Consider that when Jake Allen takes the net tonight against the Coyotes, it 

will be his fourth start in six nights. 

Before his call-up from the Peoria Rivemen late Tuesday night, Allen played 

Friday at Rockford, at home against Grand Rapids Saturday and at Lake 

Erie Tuesday. In the three starts with the Rivermen, Allen stopped 73 of a 

combined 80 shots on goal. 

A 22-year-old rookie who's used to playing many games in a row, Allen said 

that he's not worried about fatigue being a factor tonight. 

"I don't mind it," Allen said. "You want to get into the net, you don't want to 

leave the net. I didn't even know it was four games in six nights to be 

honest. I get another chance and I'm just going to make the most of it. I 

didn't know if I'd get another opportunity this year and fortunately I did." 

After going 3-1 with the Blues with a .906 save-percentage, Allen returned 

to Peoria on Feb. 21. With the Rivermen, he went 1-3 with a 2.26 goalsagainst 

average, but in two of those four starts, the team's offense was 

shutout. 

"We've been struggling as a team, we're fighting for our lives at the bottom 

of the pack," said Allen, who says it's not that difficult to make the overnight 

adjustment to the NHL level. "I've been here ... I was up in playoffs last year 

and I've been here a couple of weeks this year. It's nothing new. You know 

what you're getting yourself into. You've got to be ready for it, and I feel like 

I am." 

I mentioned in today's article that Allen was prepared to go on Peoria's 12day 

road trip, taking warm clothes with him for a journey that will go through 

Canada. Now he's in Phoenix, where he doesn't need the warm clothes. 

As it turns out, Allen only has one suit with him, which will have to last for 

the remaining 4 1/2 days of the Blues' road trip. 

"I'll have to keep it as clean as possible," he joked. 

Some readers have tweeted or asked a question in my chat recently about 

Blues' optional practices: What makes a player decide if he practices and 

shouldn't the entire team practice when things aren't going well on the ice? 

After Tuesday's embarrassing 6-4 loss to Los Angeles, the Blues' had an 

optional practice Wednesday in Phoenix and there were approximately 15 

of the 25 players (including Andy McDonald and Jason Arnott) in 

attendance. 

Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was one of the players on the ice 

Wednesday. 

"For me, a day like yesterday since we're traveling and sitting around all 

day, I like to just go out (on the ice) and move around a little bit," 

Shattenkirk said. "I think a lot depends on how much you play. Someone 

like me or Alex (Pietrangelo), if you're going to play over 22, 23 minutes, 

maybe you take the option and rest up for the day. But for me personally, 

it's an everyday thing, wake up and see how you feel...there's even some 

days when coaches talk you out of it." 

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said that no one should read into who's on the 

ice for optional practice and who's not. 

"You have to be really careful when you evaluate (whether players should 

or shouldn't be on the ice)," Hitchcock said. "An optional is exactly that, and 

sometimes we ask people to take off and then somebody sees he's not on 

the ice and they don't really know what goes on behind the scenes. I think 

you're better off not evaluating them from our side and theirs." 

But with some observers, it doesn't sit well when players take an optional 

off following a loss like Tuesday's against the Kings. 

"A day off when you're not winning ...then you should probably be working 

on some stuff," Blues forward T.J. Oshie said. "But with this season, it's so 

much different than any other year. The more rest we can get the better and 

the more fresh we'll be for the game." 

I will have more on this in Friday's Post-Dispatch. 

FATIGUE FACTOR 

The Coyotes are coming off a 2-0 loss to Anaheim Wednesday night. The 

team returned home around 1 a.m. after the flight from Anaheim. 

It will mark the third in the Blues' last four games they will face a team 

playing on the second night of back-to-back games. They are 1-1 in those 

situations recently, with a win over Edmonton and a loss to L.A. 

"I think we can (take advantage)," Shattenkirk said. "In a way you have to 

approach it like they played last night and know that there's a fatigue limit, 

where it's going to set into their game. Obviously the quicker we can get it 

to that point, the better off we'll be." 

PRONGER SPEAKS 

Former Blue Chris Pronger held a press conference in Philadelphia today 

that was fairly revealing about his condition. Still under contract with the 

Flyers, Pronger never play again because of concussion symptoms and 

vision problems. 

Here's the story from the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

A week ago, Pronger was in St. Louis and visited the Blues' practice facility. 

He was even on hand for a pregame ceremony prior to the Blues- 

Blackhawks game, honoring defenseman Barret Jackman. 

Jackman had a chance to catch up with Pronger briefly and said he wished 

him well. 

"Hockey players have a lot of pride and you don't really talk about injuries a 

whole lot, but you ask how you're doing and just wish him well," Jackman 

said today. "You definitely feel for him and you hope that the day-to-day 

functions, being able to be with your family and live a normal life, is 

something he's able to do." 

ODDS & ENDS 

- The Blues have won two straight games and earned six of eight points at 

Jobing.com Arena dating back to 2008-09. 

- Tonight is Game No. 200 for Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. 

- The Blues recently signed prospects Joel Edmundson and Yannick 

Veilleux. for more on them. 

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.08.2013


Round Two: Blues a real contender in Western Conference? 

By DON REED 

TODAY'S QUESTION: 

After watching the Blues against the Kings this week and the Blackhawks 

this season, does anyone think they have any chance to beat either of 

those two teams in a playoff series this year? 

JOE STRAUSS: 

After breathlessly hyping Blues prior to the season, have we now spun 180 

degrees and characterized them as frauds? Seems a bit severe. Were we 

wrong then or now? 

There is need for help on the back line. Injuries have complicated the 

equation. Last season's run under Hitch was remarkable. It may also have 

been a bit of a mirage. The Kings game was inexcusable but this team 

appears somewhat exposed when confined to the Western Conference and 

Big Boy puck. Ownership needs to find the means to allow Armstrong a 

meaningful transaction. 

The happy talk narrative has come to an end and those who once 

espoused it are looking for pelts. I'm Cup Crazy but not crazy. Import a 

defenseman, recognize this isn't Elliott's year and get healthy. This team 

isn't as good as we may have liked but it's not a toxic waste dump. A midcourse 

correction seems like a legit compromise. 

JEREMY RUTHERFORD: 

The Blues have the potential to be contenders, but as they sit today, they 

are not a real threat in the West. They're 2-4-1 in their last seven games 

and their two wins came over No. 13 Edmonton and No. 15 Columbus. 

The Blues show their potential (see their first two periods in Los Angeles), 

but they're not a team that can compete for 60 minutes against clubs like 

Chicago and L.A. 

The Blues have several holes, most notably their goaltending, and when the 

position lets the team down, as it has many times this season, the players 

haven't proved to be mentally tough enough to overcome it. 

Unless the goaltending suddenly improves, and the Blues get some help in 

other areas, they are not real contenders and they might not even be a 

playoff team if they continue down the same path. 

JEFF GORDON: 

A healthy Blues team playing well could win the Stanley Cup. Trouble is, 

the team isn't healthy now and it isn't playing well. If the Blues continue their 

current course for a few more weeks, they could miss the playoffs entirely. 

The margin between winning and losing in the NHL is very small. The 

Blackhawks get points in every game, yet that team is not vastly better than 

the Blues. Chicago is playing extremely well and prevailing in mostly close 

games. The Blues are not. 

DAN O'NEILL: 

If the playoffs started tomorrow, no. The good news is, the playoffs don't 

start tomorrow and the Blues have time to get it going. You only need to go 

back to last season and the Los Angeles run to see what can happen. The 

Kings made a couple of tweaks and trades and they took off. 

The way things stand now, the Blues may have to make some tweaks, as 

well. But, as disappointing as their recent performance is, it's a little early to 

write them off. 

DAVE LUECKING (moundcitysports.com): 

Not the way they're playing now. Early, they looked like world beaters in a 

6-1 January, but the the wheels came off with that 0-4-1 skid to start 

February. They recovered with the 3-0 road stint backstopped by Jake 

Allen, but since the nightmare travel day from Vancouver, they're listing with 

a 2-4-1 mark in the past seven games. Goaltending has been a problem 

with Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak, but the team has done them no favors, 

playing poorly at times in front of them. The Kings game was a microcosm 

of the season: The Blues looked great in building the 4-1 lead, then looked 

awful in allowing five straight goals. Coach Ken Hitchcock was correct in 

saying the Blues probably weren't as good as their 6-1 start (or 3-0 trip) and 

not as bad as that 0-4-1 stretch. They're just about where they should be, 

on the bubble of being a playoff team. 

STEVE OVERBEY (Freelance sports writer): 

As of right now, the answer is no. But once the injured players come back 

and the goalies return to their early-season form, this group could be as 

deadly as any. Remember, the Blues won six of their first seven to start the 

year losing only to Chicago on a tough call. The Kings came from out of 

nowhere to win the Stanley Cup as the No. 8 seed last season. With a 

healthy McDonald, Steen and Tarasenko, the Blues can roll four pretty 

effective lines, which is what it takes for playoff success. 

For now, let's just hope The Note can tread water. Then look for a late 

regular-season push that could take them anywhere. 



NHL realignment moves one step closer 


PHOENIX • Hello Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota and Winnipeg. Good-bye 

Detroit and Columbus. 

The NHL’s realignment plan took a step toward becoming official on 

Thursday, when the players’ union gave its consent to the league. 

The NHL is expected to present the plan to its Board of Governors within a 

week and if ratified, the Western and Eastern conferences will be shuffled 

beginning in the 2013-14 season. 

“We will update the status of the process as future developments warrant,” 

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. 

Under the proposed plan, the Western and Eastern conferences will remain 

but would house two divisions within each. 

The Blues’ division would feature Chicago, Nashville, Colorado, Dallas, 

Minnesota and Winnipeg. The team would lose longtime rival Detroit and 

also Columbus, which are headed to the East. 

The Blues still would face the Red Wings twice a season, as clubs would 

play a home-and-home series against every team in the league. But that’s 

down from the current six meetings a season, and eight just a couple of 

years ago. 

“It gives a different look,” Blues defenseman Barret Jackman said. 

“Unfortunately, you lose a big rival in Detroit. It’s going to be a tough one for 

the fans of both teams, but we’re going to get some other rivalries going 

with the new teams in the division.” 

The realignment plan creates an uneven number of teams in each 

conference. While each now has 15 clubs, the trading of teams will put 14 

in the West and 16 in the East. As they are formatted now, the playoffs will 

consist of 16 teams, with eight from each conference. But what could be 

new next season is a wild-card system in which the top three teams in each 

division make the playoffs, with the remaining two spots in each conference 

going to the remaining teams with the most points. 

The plan has one specific concern, regarding the fairness of eight of 14 

teams qualifying for the postseason in the West and eight of 16 in the East. 

“They obviously looked at it and geographically you have to do something 

so teams aren’t hindered by travel,” Jackman said. “You get 14 teams in our 

division, so you might have a better chance of making it, but you still have 

to be a top-eight team to move onto the playoffs, so it’s going to be tough 

on both sides.” 

The realignment proposal is a three-year deal. The union said that following 

the 2014-15 season it will be re-evaluated. 

Optional practices 

After Tuesday’s embarrassing 6-4 loss to Los Angeles, Blues coach Ken 

Hitchcock held an optional practice Wednesday in Phoenix. 

The schedule on non-game days has been lightened because of the 

condensed regular season this year. Still, some fans are questioning why 

certain players are electing not to practice, even it the workout is labeled 

“optional.” 

“You have to be really careful when you evaluate (whether players should 

or shouldn’t be on the ice),” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “An optional is 

exactly that, and sometimes we ask people to take off and then somebody 

sees he’s not on the ice and they don’t really know what goes on behind the 

scenes.” 

Blues defensman Kevin Shattenkirk was one of the players who did 

participate. 

“A lot depends on how much you play (in games),” Shattenkirk said. 

“Someone like me or Alex (Pietrangelo), if you’re going to play over 22, 23 

minutes, maybe you take the option and rest up for the day. But for me 

personally, it’s an everyday thing, wake up and see how you feel ... there’s 

even some days when coaches talk you out of it.” 

Added forward T.J. Oshie: “A day off when you’re not winning ... then you 

should probably be working on some stuff. But with this season, it’s so 

much different than any other year. The more rest we can get the better and 

the more fresh we’ll be for the game.” 

Bluenotes 

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo played in his 200th career NHL game 

Thursday. ... Healthy scratches were defenseman Ian Cole, forward Andrew 

Murray and goalie Brian Elliott. 



Berglund lifts Blues to 6-3 victory 


GLENDALE, Ariz. • Ahead two goals heading into the third period, the Blues 

had Thursday’s game against Phoenix in the bag, right? 

That’s probably what fans thought Tuesday night when they were dozing off 

in the final period with the same exact score vs. Los Angeles. The Blues 

dozed off, too, and wound up losing by two goals. 

On Thursday in the desert, two days after learning a stinging lesson, the 

Blues stayed the course and even turned it up a level in a 6-3 victory over 

Phoenix at Jobing.com Arena. 

“We talked about that ... we needed guys to step up,” Blues forward David 

Perron said. “We can all say the right things and say the right words, but at 

one point we have got to do it.” 

The Blues ended a two-game losing streak, picking up their first victory on a 

season-long five-game trip, which continues with back-to-back games 

against San Jose and Anaheim over the weekend. 

Perron and his new linemates were the table-setters for the Blues’ put-upor-shut-up 

attitude Thursday. 

Patrik Berglund scored two goals, Chris Stewart netted one goal and three 

assists and Perron added three assists for a nine-point night for the line. 

The trio has been together for just four games, and has combined for 14 

points in the last two. 

“They’re playing really well,” Blues coach Ken Hitchcock said. “They’ve 

really got some chemistry going. Hopefully they can keep it up.” 

Meanwhile, upon returning from Peoria to help stabilize the goaltending 

position, Jake Allen made 23 saves to pick up his fourth win in five starts 

this season. 

Allen made a couple of terrific saves early in the third period when the 

Blues, tempting fate, held the same 4-2 lead going into the third period that 

they had against Los Angeles in similar circumstances earlier this week. 

But after allowing the Kings four third-period goals Tuesday, the Blues got 

the first two goals of the final frame against the Coyotes on Thursday, 

building a 6-2 lead. Keith Yandle added a late power-play goal for the final 

score. 

“We came out in the third and played a solid 20 minutes,” Berglund said. 

“We obviously learned from it and we were saying in the locker room to 

keep playing. We even got another goal and another goal. We were strong.” 

The night got started by Stewart, who netted his ninth of the season to open 

the scoring. He banged in a rebound after a shot by Alex Pietrangelo. The 

goal gave the Blues a 1-0 lead with 6 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first 

period. 

The lead looked safe going into the first intermission when the Blues went 

on the power play with 2:49 to play in the period. But Pietrangelo had 

trouble with a pass from Perron on the man-advantage, and David Moss, on 

a breakaway, made the Blues pay with a shorthanded goal. 

Allen appeared to make the stop, but the puck trickled past him for a 1-1 

score with 1:06 remaining in the frame. 

“I had it all the way, too,” Allen said. “I knew he was going glove. I moved 

my body and everything into it. I have no sweet clue how it went through 

me, to be honest. I didn’t even see it go in the net, and I saw on the replay it 

barely went over the goal-line. It had eyes I guess. ... You move on.” 

But another Blues’ turnover at the start of the second period gave Phoenix 

the lead. 

Behind his own net, Blues defenseman Barret Jackman flipped the puck up 

the middle, and – perhaps surprised a bit – David Backes was strongarmed 

by a Phoenix player for the puck. It floated to captain Shane Doan, 

who buried it for a 2-1 Coyotes’ lead. 

Two turnovers, two goals. Here we go again, fans must have figured. 

Instead, Berglund and the Blues got going. 

Berglund put a shot on net and got his own rebound, pumping it past 

Phoenix goalie Mike Smith. His 10th goal of the year pulled the Blues into a 

2-2 tie just 5:47 into the second period. 

Berglund wasn’t done and neither were his linemates. Eight minutes into 

the second period, a pass from Stewart to Perron to Berglund landed on 

Berglund’s skate. He gather the puck, backed toward the net and 

backhanded his 11th past Smith for a 3-2 lead. 

“Perry and Stewy, they’re really hot,” Berglund said. “I’m just tagging along.” 

The Blues tagged on another goal before the end of the period. 

Scott Nichol registered his first point of the season midway through the 

second period. Nichol’s first goal in 39 games gave the Blues a 4-2 lead 

after two periods – the same lead they had against L.A. after 40 minutes. 

The Blues had not scored a third-period goal in their past two games, but 

found two on Thursday. 

Vladimir Sobotka, assisted by Stewart and Perron, scored his fourth of the 

season for a 5-2 lead. Pietrangelo netted his fifth of the year for a 6-2 

advantage. 

“We were opportunistic offensively,” Hitchcock said. “I thought on the third 

goal, we really started to dial it up on the checking side of things. It’s a good 

feeling. We still have a ways to go, but it’s a good feeling to get in and get 

rewarded for the work we’ve been putting in.” 


662142 Tampa Bay Lightning 

Tampa Bay Lightning notes: Malone returns from injury 

By ERIK ERLENDSSON 

By now LW Ryan Malone is used to the drill, sitting out games due to injury, 

trying not to push himself too fast to get back in the lineup. 

So after being pushed hard on the ice the past few days, Malone is set to 

return to the Tampa Bay Lightning lineup tonight against Winnipeg after 

missing 13 games with an unspecified lower body injury. 

"It feels good (to get back),'' Malone said. "I think we just kind of took our 

time going about the rehab properly, I think (medical trainers) Mike (Poirier) 

and Mully (Tom Mulligan) did a great job with everybody, so it feels good 

and I'm excited to get back and play every game.'' 

Malone was injured during a pregame soccer warm-up prior to the Feb. 10 

game at the New York Rangers. It's something Malone has become 

accustomed to, never playing more than 70 games in a full season since 

coming to Tampa Bay prior to 2008-09. He has missed time with a myriad 

of injuries. 

"Yeah, I'm kind of used to it, but that's just the way it goes, but I think we did 

everything properly to get back to where I am now to feel good,'' Malone 

said. "You don't want to come back too early for any reason, so it's the 

playoff push already? The last 25 games." 

Lightning head coach Guy Boucher said they will welcome Malone back 

with open arms but may reel in some of his ice time in a lesser role for the 

time being. 

"He hasn't played in a long time so I have to make sure I'm smart and give 

him the minutes he can manage,'' Boucher said. "It's not about giving him 

tons of minutes hoping he can do the job, it's about giving him the minutes 

he can manage. Obviously, he's a power play and penalty kill guy, plays on 

the top two lines, but I'll have to hold it back a little bit so he can look good 

when he is on the ice.'' 

Garon improving 

Injured G Mathieu Garon has yet to skate since suffering an unspecified 

lower body injury during the second period at Pittsburgh on Monday. 

"He's still day-to-day, but I can't tell you anymore because I don't know any 

more,'' Boucher said. " 

General manager Steve Yzerman said he would be speaking to the team's 

medical trainers later today to determine when Garon would be back, which 

could be as soon as Friday. 

Nuts and Bolts 

Terry Crisp, the first head coach in Lightning history, will be on hand for 

tonight's game as part of the team's 20th anniversary celebration. Crisp, 

who serves as the television analyst for Nashville Predators broadcasts, 

spent time today talking with Tampa Bay G Anders Lindback who spent his 

first two years in the NHL with Nashville. … With Malone's pending return, 

Adam Hall is expected to be a healthy scratch. … The Lightning are 

scheduled to practice at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon at 11:30 a.m. 

Friday. … RW Marty St. Louis carries a four-game scoring streak, 

registering two goals and four assists in that span. … Boucher said C Vinny 

Lecavalier has been nursing a foot injury, sustained when he was struck by 

a Sami Salo shot late in the game against the Rangers on Feb. 2, but is 

beginning to feel better. Lecavalier, who has two goals and nine points 

since the injury after starting the season with four goals and 11 points in the 

first seven games, had his first multipoint game since Feb. 1 on Tuesday. 

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 03.08.2013


Tampa Bay Lightning rookies have been big contributors 


The Syracuse-to-Tampa pipeline is flowing just fine these days, funneling 

Lightning prospects up from the minors and seamlessly integrating them 

into the Tampa Bay lineup. 

The Lightning will dress at least three rookies, and possibly a fourth, tonight 

when Tampa Bay hosts Winnipeg (7:30 p.m., Sun Sports). All have 

contributed on the ice. 

It sounds like a simple plan: develop players and plug them in slowly to 

build depth and establish organizational culture. It was part of the five-year 

plan general manager Steve Yzerman put in place when he was hired in 

2010. 

Though it also was the plan during previous regimes, it was never executed 

as successfully as it is now. 

Since the lockout ended and the NHL season began, every player the 

Lightning have summoned from the minor leagues has stepped right into 

the lineup and looked like a perfect fit. 

"Every waterfall starts with one drop of water,'' Lightning coach Guy 

Boucher said. "And every drop that you bring in, that makes a big difference 

because once you brought one and then two and then three, all of a sudden 

you have a line. And then you have a pair of defensemen that fit within your 

culture and eventually you have your waterfall. 

"So, right now, we have tons of drops, so we're trying to make a waterfall.'' 

Tampa Bay has used four rookie forwards with no previous NHL 

experience: Cory Conacher, Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Richard Panik. 

They have combined for 12 goals and 31 points. They also have scored five 

game-winning goals, accounting for half of Tampa Bay's 10 victories this 

season. 

Even 26-year-old Pierre-Cedric Labrie, who appeared in 14 games with the 

Lightning last season and is listed as a rookie, looks more confident on the 

ice this season. 

One thing all five players have in common — they all played two months 

last season for head coach Jon Cooper as Tampa Bay's affiliate in the 

American Hockey League captured the Calder Cup championship. Winning 

breeds confidence, and having success in a system similar to the 

Lightning's aids in the transition to the NHL level. 

"They are learning good habits playing for Coop in the American Hockey 

League, that's No. 1,'' Yzerman said. "They're learning how to play 

responsible defense, so they are good all-around players, as well. So, they 

come in and they fit in." 

Conacher, the MVP in the AHL last season, is a legitimate Calder Trophy 

candidate and leads NHL rookies with 20 points and 13 assists. Killorn is 

tied for seventh among rookies with four goals and tied for 10th with eight 

points despite not being called up until Feb. 10. Both have been key 

contributors on the top two lines. 

Panik, who has since been sent back to Syracuse, looked electric at times 

and showed flashes of the player he can be once he becomes an NHL 

regular. Palat, who had assists in each of his first two games, came as 

advertised, a reliable two-way player capable of making plays. 

Cooper feels like a proud father. 

"It's unreal watching them come in wet behind the ears, buy into what we 

are preaching and become players,'' Cooper said. "All of us, players 

included, are fired up for the guys.'' 

Not all have been Yzerman finds. Killorn was a 2007 draft pick under former 

general manager Jay Feaster, while Panik was a second-round pick by 

former general manager Brian Lawton. 

Conacher was a college free agent signed last season, and Palat was a 

seventh-round pick in 2011. And others currently in Syracuse are expected 

to see NHL action in the near future, including forwards Tyler Johnson, J.T. 

Brown, Brett Connolly and Vladislav Namestnikov, plus defensemen Mark 

Barberio and Radko Gudas. All but Barberio were acquired by Yzerman. 

Developing young players capable of making their way to the parent club is 

a vital part of Yzerman's vision for long-term success, particularly under the 

restraints of a salary cap. 

"You can't keep going out every summer and spending money on 

unrestricted free agents; the cost financially is high," Yzerman said. "So, 

you need young guys coming into the organization and these guys have 

been with us for a couple of years and know what we are trying to do.'' 

And they are going out and doing it. 

JETS AT LIGHTNING 

WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 p.m. 

WHERE: The Forum, Tampa 

TV/RADIO: Sun Sports/970 AM 

INJURIES: Lightning — D Mattias Ohlund (knee), LW Benoit Pouliot (right 

arm), out; LW G Mathieu Garon (lower body), doubtful; Ryan Malone (lower 

body), questionable. Jets — D Tobias Enstrom (shoulder), D Zach 

Redmond (leg), RW Anthony Peluso (hand), out. 

All-TIME SERIES: Lightning are 40-25-10, including 1-0 this season 

NEED TO KNOW: This is the second of five meetings. …Tampa Bay is 26- 

8-4 all-time at home against Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise. …The Jets have 

been outscored 30-19 in the third period this season. …G Ondrej Pavelec 

has started 10 consecutive games for Winnipeg and head coach Claude 

Noel hinted Al Montoya might start tonight. Montoya is 3-2 with a 2.70 

goals-against average and .909 save percentage in six career games 

against Tampa Bay. …The Jets are 1-for-32 on the power play in the past 

13 games. …C Steven Stamkos has 21 goals and 38 points in 25 career 

games against Winnipeg. …Since winning five of six, Winnipeg been 

outscored 7-1 in consecutive losses. 



Ryan Malone ready to return to Tampa Bay Lightning's lineup 

Damian Cristodero 

Ryan Malone was hurt before the Feb. 10 game at the Rangers during the 

team’s usual soccer ball kick-around. 

The Lightning should get a boost tonight against the Jets when left wing 

Ryan Malone returns to the lineup after missing 13 games with a lowerbody 

injury. 

“It feels good,” Malone said. “I think we just took our time with it and went 

through the rehab properly. So, it feels good, and I’m excited to get back for 

a big game.” 

Malone, 33, was hurt before the Feb. 10 game at the Rangers during the 

team’s usual soccer ball kick-around. Malone said he aggravated an 

existing condition when he tried to kick the ball. 

It took so Malone so long to get back, he said, because the team wanted 

him completely healed before he got back on the ice. A good plan as 

Malone has been injury prone. He has not played more than 70 games in 

any of his four previous Tampa Bay seasons, and in 20010-11 played only 

54. 

“We didn’t want to come back too early for any reason,” Malone said. “You 

want to do everything you can to help the team, but you want to make sure 

you do everything you can not to get injured again.” 

“Nothing is like a game,” Malone added, “but as much body contact as I 

could get in practice, we did. I’m fully healed and ready.” 

Expect Malone, who has four goals and five points in 10 games, to take his 

usual turns on the power play and penalty kill, though coach Guy Boucher 

said he will monitor Malone’s minutes. 

“He hasn’t played in a long timer, so I have to be smart and give him the 

minutes he can manager,” Boucher said. “I’m going to have to hold it back a 

little bit so he can look good on the ice.” 

Other stuff from the morning skate: With Malone back in the lineup, sounds 

as if forward Adam Hall will be scratched. … Center Steven Stamkos, with a 

league-best 17 goals, did not skate but is expected to play. Boucher said 

Stamkos simply deserved a rest. … Defensemen Marc-Ander Bergeron and 

Brendan Mikkelson also will be scratched. … As expected, Anders 

Lindback will be in net against Winnipeg. … Goaltender Mathieu Garon on 

Wednesday had an MRI exam on the lower body injury that forced him out 

of Monday’s game at Pittsburgh. He said the exam came back all clear and 

he will skate Friday and then re-evaluate. … Captain Vinny Lecavalier’s 

production has fallen off recently, but it coincides with his left foot injury, 

sustained Feb. 2, when he took a slap shot from teammate Sami Salo flush 

off the left foot. Lecavalier has two goals and nine points in 15 games since 

then. Before the injury he had four goals and 11 points in eight games. “It’s 

been tough for him,” Boucher said. “It affects his push-off, it affects his 

timing. Eventually, it’s his confidence. He was just trying to survive out 

there.” But Lecavalier has shown signs of a rebound with three assists in 

his past two games. His two-point effort Tuesday at New Jersey was his 

best overall since his injury. “I definitely feel stronger now,” he said. “It feels 

better every day.” Asked if a game or two off would have helped, Lecavalier 

said sitting out was never seriously considered, especially with the team 

struggling. “You want to be part of it,” he said. “You want to keep pushing 

through as a player. You ask any guys in this room. If the same thing 

happened, they would do the same thing. They want to keep playing and 

want to keep going.” … Rookie Cory Conacher said the head shot he took 

Tuesday from New Jersey’s Cam Janssen “hurt a little” but “I tried to get up 

as fast as I could to show no pain.” Janssen left his feet and used his 

shoulder to hit Conacher. Janssen got a charging penalty. There was no 

supplementary discipline from the league. “It was my fault for not guarding 

myself a little better and expecting the hit,” Conacher said, and added about 

teammate Victor Hedman confronting Janssen, “It’s the type of teammate 

you want. It’s important to have guys like that on your team. It shows a lot of 

character. You have to appreciate him doing that for me. … Terry Crisp, the 

Lightning’s first coach and now a television analyst for the Predators, will be 

honored at tonight’s game as part of Tampa Bay’s 20th anniversary 

celebration. 



Lightning can't build on win, lose to Jets 


TAMPA Same old story, same old song and dance. 

Tampa Bay returned home only to lose momentum in a game they almost 

had to have, dropping a 2-1 decision to division rival Winnipeg. 

Tampa Bay failed to build off a victory in New Jersey on Tuesday to close 

out a four-game road trip. The league's second-ranked home power play 

failed to give Tampa Bay any life against the league's worst-ranked penalty 

kill, going 0-for-4 on the night. 

The teams went back and forth in an entertaining opening period, looking 

like two teams battling for position in the division, coming into the game tied 

for second place in the Southeast. 

It was Winnipeg that struck first when Eric Tangradi came off the left-side 

boards, took two strides toward the net and snapped a wrist shot that beat 

Lindback shortside high 10:05 into the game. The goal was the first for 

Tangradi, acquired in a trade from Pittsburgh last month, since Oct. 15, 

2010 against the New York Rangers, a span of 50 games. 

The Lightning then went to work against the league's worst ranked penalty 

kill unit, a team Tampa Bay scored three power play goals against in the 

first meeting of the season. But the Lightning power play, which has 

struggled since that outburst against Winnipeg on Feb. 1, failed to convert 

on numerous chances, the first coming in the opening period on Evander 

Kane's high sticking penalty. 

Then Olli Jokinen took a goaltender interference penalty 3:05 into the 

second period that failed to result in a tying goal. The clincher in power play 

futility on Thursday, however, came at 7:57 when Mark Postma was called 

for interference and Mark Stuart was whistled for high sticking giving the 

Lightning a full two minutes of a 5-on-3 power play. But after four shots on 

goal, and a bit of overpassing with five forwards on the ice for the full length 

of the man advantage, Tampa Bay came away empty and started at a onegoal 

deficit entering the final period. 

That's when the highest-scoring, third-period team in the league went to 

work when Stamkos notched the tying goal 6:57 into the period. Ryan 

Malone, back in the lineup after missing 13 games, raced to a puck deep in 

the Jets' zone along the left endboards and was able to push a puck over to 

Marty St. Louis in the opposite corner. St. Louis then quickly put a pass on 

the stick of Stamkos at the top of the Winnipeg crease for a tap-in to tie the 

game. 

But just moments after rookie Ondrej Palat hit the post off a perfect set up 

in from Cory Conacher, Bryan Little came off the left side boards low to 

power past Marty St. Louis to regain the lead for Winnipeg with 4:08 left in 

regulation. 



Lightning has dug tough hole 

Tom Jones 

TAMPA — The first half of the Lightning season didn't go exactly as 

planned. 

Well, I'm assuming when general manager Steve Yzerman put together the 

roster and coach Guy Boucher drew up the blueprints, the plan didn't 

include a five-game losing streak and then another five-game losing streak. 

I'm also assuming the plan did not include new goalie Anders Lindback 

taking this long to find his sea legs, or Ryan Malone getting hurt again, or 

seeing just how many back-breaking turnovers the defense could cough up 

on a given night. 

And, most of all, the plan wasn't to be treading and gulping water while the 

rest of the Eastern Conference swims toward the playoffs after Thursday 

night's 2-1 clunker to the Jets. 

Just imagine how dire things would be if the Lightning hadn't won six of its 

first seven games. 

Despite all the well-intentioned plans that have gone array, Yzerman says 

no major changes are coming. 

Boucher isn't going anywhere. Neither is captain Vinny Lecavalier or any of 

the Lightning's other major pieces. Don't look for the Lightning to go in 

search of another goalie or, for that matter, make any significant additions. 

What you see is pretty much what the Lightning is going to stick with for the 

second half, which, believe it or not, is already here. 

So here's what needs to happen in the second half if the Lightning is to 

salvage this season and make a playoff push. 

Stamkos has to keep being Stamkos 

Boucher bragged Thursday about how the Lightning has had 19 different 

goal scorers and was tied for the league lead in goals heading into the 

game against Winnipeg. 

"Scoring is not an issue," Boucher said. 

Well, that's not entirely true. The Lightning tends to pile on the goals in 

victories. It is 7-2 in games decided by three goals or more, but after 

Thursday's loss to the Jets, is 1-8-1 in one-goal games. 

The larger issue is many of its top players go into prolonged slumps. 

Lecavalier hasn't scored in nine games. Teddy Purcell has gone 10 games 

without a goal. Marty St. Louis had a 10-game drought earlier this season. 

Fortunately for the Lightning, Steven Stamkos, who scored Tampa Bay's 

lone goal Thursday for his league-leading 18th, is immune to such slumps. 

His longest stretch without a goal has been five games. 

Certainly the Lightning needs goals from everybody, but this team has little 

chance of making second-half noise if Stamkos doesn't stay red hot. 

The goalie has to steal a game here and there 

No team, well except for the Blackhawks, can bring its A-game every night. 

So every now and then, a team has to win a game that it has absolutely no 

business winning. 

The only way to do that is to have the goalie steal a game — you know, the 

type of game where you're outshot 40-15 and you end up winning 2-1 

because your goalie makes saves so good that even ESPN is forced to 

show the highlights. 

Right now, Lindback doesn't seem capable of producing those type of 

games, but the Lightning will need him or Mathieu Garon to stumble onto a 

couple. 

The Lightning must tighten up 

While it's true that Lindback has given up his fair share of soft goals — and 

you could make a strong case that both were on the shaky side in 

Thursday's game — it's also true that the Lightning has been way too 

careless with the puck. 

If you're going to get below-average goaltending, you have to play aboveaverage 

defense. 

It needs to win on the road 

Even if the Lightning plays fairly well at home down the stretch, it will need, 

perhaps, 14 or so points in the final 12 road games. 

That doesn't seem too much to ask until you realize in its first 12 road 

games, the Lightning went 4-8 for only eight points. That won't work in the 

second half. 

Final analysis 

Based on the Lightning's first half, a second-half comeback seems like an 

awful lot to ask. It's already five points out of the eighth and final playoff 

spot in the Eastern Conference. It's already six points behind the leader in 

the Southeast Division. That's a sizeable gap with only 24 games left. 

Stamkos said after the game that the Lightning might need to win 17 of its 

final 24 games to make the playoffs. That sounds about right. 

Is it impossible? Is the Lightning season over? Should it just start looking 

forward to next season? 

Well, no, no, and no. 

But does a second-half comeback appear likely? That, too, would be a no. 

Put it this way: I wouldn't plan on it. 

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


Jets' late goal sinks Lightning 


TAMPA — Center Steven Stamkos figures it will take 16 victories in the 

Lightning's final 24 games to make the playoffs — maybe 15, maybe 17. 

Whatever, "We have to think there are a number of points that it's going to 

take to be in the playoffs," he said, "or we're going to be out quick." 

Such talk, unthinkable during a 6-1-0 start, took on a dour sense of urgency 

after Thursday night's 2-1 loss to the Jets in front of a grumbly sellout crowd 

of 19,204 at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. 

It was the seventh loss in nine games for the Lightning (10-13-1), which at 

the halfway mark of the lockout-shortened 48-game season is six points 

behind the first-place Hurricanes in the Southeast Division and five behind 

the Ran-gers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. 

Worse, Carolina has a game in hand on Tampa Bay, New York has two, 

and the Lightning is two points from the bottom of the conference. 

It also fell to 1-8-1 in one-goal games. 

So much for building momentum off Tuesday's 5-2 win at New Jersey. 

But that's what happens when you can't put away prime scoring chances, 

Anders Lindback allows two soft goals and Marty St. Louis loses a puck 

battle that leads to Bryan Little's goal with 4:08 left in the third that breaks a 

1-1 tie. 

"Yup, it's a tall order," coach Guy Boucher said of a playoff spot. "But we're 

in the business of doing the impossible, and that's what it's going to have to 

be." 

Stamkos got his league-best 18th goal to tie the score 6:57 into the third. 

But for the second straight 2-1 loss at home (Feb. 26 to the Sabres), the 

Lightning could not convert its chances. 

Al Montoya made 28 saves, but the Lightning was 0-for-5 on the power 

play, including a second-period, two-minute five-on-three, Montoya diving to 

glove Vinny Lecavalier's point-blank shot. 

Matt Carle and Ondrej Palat hit posts in the third period. 

"We missed incredible, quality scoring chances, and it's biting us," Boucher 

said. "When you get 15 scoring chances to nine, you're supposed to win the 

game." 

That is if your defense and goaltending are sound. 

The Lightning had a season-high 14 giveaways, Lindback gave too much 

shortside room on Alex Tangradi's first-period goal and Little's goal squirted 

under him. 

"A quick, good shot on the first one. I just couldn't get over there," Lindback 

said. "The other, I gave too much space. I tried to stay compact, and it went 

in. It's unfortunate." 

So was St. Louis' defense on Little in a defensive zone corner — "I gave the 

outer corner, and it goes in the net," he said — and Brian Lee and Nate 

Thompson could have done a better job against Kyle Wellwood, whose 

hard work along the boards led to Tangradi's goal. 

Cleary, not what a playoff push is supposed to look like. 

"It didn't turn out the way I expected," St. Louis said of the season. "No, not 

at all." 

There's still time to turn things around — but not much. 

Jets 1 0 1 2 

Lightning 0 0 1 1 

Jets 1 0 1 2 

Lightning 0 0 1 1 

First Period—1, Winnipeg, Tangradi 1, 10:05. Penalties—Kane, Wpg (highsticking), 

11:45. 

Second Period—None. Penalties—Stuart, Wpg, major (fighting), :19; 

Crombeen, TB, major (fighting), :19; Jokinen, Wpg (goaltender 

interference), 3:05; Stuart, Wpg (high-sticking), 7:57; Postma, Wpg 

(interference), 7:57; Hedman, TB (tripping), 16:30; Brewer, TB (hooking), 

17:40. 

Third Period—2, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 18 (St. Louis, Malone), 6:57. 3, 

Winnipeg, Little 4 (Ladd), 15:52. Penalties—Winnipeg bench, served by 

Jokinen (too many men), :55. Shots on Goal—Winnipeg 13-7-8—28. 

Tampa Bay 12-6-11—29. Power-play opportunities—Winnipeg 0 of 2; 

Tampa Bay 0 of 5. Goalies—Winnipeg, Montoya 3-0-0 (29 shots-28 saves). 

Tampa Bay, Lindback 8-6-1 (28-26). A—19,204 (19,204). 



Bruised foot hobbles Lecavalier 


TAMPA — Captain Vinny Lecavalier conceded that his bruised left foot has 

been hindering him the past month, something that was obvious on the stat 

sheet. 

In eight games before the center took a slap shot from teammate Sami Salo 

flush off the foot Feb. 2 against the Rangers, the center had four goals and 

11 points. In 14 games since, he has two goals and nine points. 

"It was tough for him," coach Guy Boucher said Thursday. "It affects his 

push-off, his timing. He was just trying to survive out there." 

Boucher said he considered sitting Lecavalier for a few games to let him 

heal. But Lecavalier, 32, said that discussion did not go far. 

"You want to be part of it," he said. "You want to keep pushing through as a 

player. Ask any guy in this room. If the same thing happened, they would do 

the same thing. They'd want to keep playing and want to keep going." 

There are signs Lecavalier is mending. He has three assists over his 

previous three games, and his two-assist effort Tuesday against the Devils 

was his best all-around game since he was hurt. 

Against the Jets on Thursday, he had 22:01 of ice time, four shots on goal 

and won 13 of 18 faceoffs. 

"When Vinny is at his best, it makes a difference," Boucher said. 

"It's getting stronger," Lecavalier said. "It's getting better every day, for 

sure." 

MALONE PLAYS: LW Ryan Malone played after missing 13 games with a 

lower-body injury. 

"It feels good," he said before the game. "We just took our time and went 

about the rehab properly. So it feels good, and I'm excited to be back." 

Malone, 33, was hurt prior to the Feb. 10 game at the Ran-gers when 

during pregame soccer warmups he aggravated an existing condition. It 

took longer than expected to return, Malone said, because the team wanted 

him completely healed. 

Since coming to Tampa Bay in 2008-09, Malone has not played more than 

70 games in a season. 

"You want to do everything you can to help the team," he said. "But you 

want to do everything you can to make sure you don't get injured again." 

Malone, with four goals and six points in 11 games, showed no ill effects 

with 19:26 of ice time Thursday and winning a race for the puck to get a 

secondary assist on Steven Stamkos' goal. 

INJURY REPORT: Mathieu Garon's MRI exam on the lower-body injury that 

knocked him out of Monday's game with the Penguins was clear, the goalie 

said. He is on injured reserve retroactive to Monday. The first game for 

which he potentially is available is Tuesday at Florida. 

BONDING: LW Cory Conacher had nothing bad to say about the head shot 

he took Tuesday from New Jersey's Cam Janssen. In fact, the rookie said 

of the hit that caused no damage: "It was my fault for not guarding myself 

better and expecting the hit." 

Janssen got two minutes for charging, and there was no supplementary 

discipline by the league. He was, however, confronted after the hit by 

Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman. 

"I thought it was dirty," Hedman said. "So obviously, I want to step in there 

and prove a point that he's not doing that to one of our skill guys." 

"You have to appreciate him doing that," Conacher said. "It's the type of 

teammate you want." 

NICE SENTIMENT: Terry Crisp, the Lightning first coach and now a 

television analyst for the Predators, was honored as part of Tampa Bay's 

20th anniversary celebration, and he reveled in the spotlight. 

"I coached for 20-plus years. And I've been called a lot of things, and some 

of them I deserved," Crisp said. "But the nicest thing they call me is I'm an 

original Lightning, and that sticks pretty nice, I'll tell you." 

ODDS AND ENDS: The Lightning won 61 percent of faceoffs against the 

Jets. … C Adam Hall and defensemen Brendan Mikkelson and Marc-Andre 

Bergeron were scratched. 


662149 Toronto Maple Leafs 

NHLPA gives its approval for realignment 

The union has agreed to the league’s idea of four divisions rather than six, 

with two eight-team divisions in the East and two seven-team divisions in 

the West. 

By: Kevin McGran Sports reporter, Published on Thu Mar 07 2013 

While the players of the NHL appear to have some reservations, 

realignment for next season seems all but done. 

The NHLPA issued a statement saying the union has given its approval to 

the league’s idea of four divisions rather than six, with two eight-team 

divisions in the East and two-seven team divisions in the West. 

“After discussions with the executive board, the NHLPA has given consent 



The agreement with the players will see the league realign for a minimum of 

three years, but the issue will be revisited. 

The players had been concerned that unbalanced conferences would mean 

it would make it easier for players in the West to make the playoffs. 

The league needed the association’s approval before it takes is plan to the 

board of governors. 


to a revised plan for realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season,” NHL 


bring the proposed plan for realignment to the NHL board of governors for 

its consideration.” 

Nothing is carved in stone yet, but the latest chatter about realignment 

would see the Maple Leafs play in the Central Division with the Montreal 

Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red 

Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. 

The Atlantic Division would include: Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, N.Y. 

Islanders, N.Y. Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington. 

In the Western Conference, the Pacific Division would have: Anaheim, 


And the Mid-West Division would hold: Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, 

Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg. 

The top three teams in each division would make the playoffs, along with 

the four wild-card teams, which would be the best two non-division winners 

in each conference. 

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.08.2013


Vincent Damphousse and ex-wife come to truce 

Former Maple Leaf settles looming assault charges with ex-wife 

By: The Canadian Press Published on Thu Mar 07 2013 

MONTREAL - There may be a truce in a legal scrap between a former NHL 

star and his ex-wife in which both parties had filed assault charges against 

each other. 

Vincent Damphousse and his ex-wife Allana Henderson each filed assault 

charges in 2011. 

The Crown in the case told a court Thursday that it had proposed a 

settlement to both defendants. 

Damphousse and Henderson will study the proposals and are due back in 

court at the end of April. 

Damphousse, a former Montreal Canadiens captain and long-time NHLer, 

faces six counts of assaulting Henderson between 2008 and 2011. 

Henderson, his ex-wife, faces one charge of assault with a weapon and of 

theft of a briefcase in March 2011. 

Both Damphousse and Henderson have pleaded not guilty to their charges. 

Following his arrest, Damphousse's lawyer suggested the charges against 

his client stemmed from acrimonious divorce proceedings. 

The case has continued to work its way through the legal system but both 

sides have kept talking in the hope of having the criminal charges dropped. 

Damphousse was drafted sixth overall by Toronto in 1986 and started his 

career in that city before stops in Edmonton, Montreal and San Jose during 

an 18-year NHL career that ended following the 2003-2004 season. 

He won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Habs and served as the team's 

captain from 1996 to 1999. 

In 1,378 NHL games, he scored 432 goals and amassed 1,205 points. 

Damphousse is seen regularly on French-language TV as a hockey analyst. 



Maple Leafs tough guy act has the Boston Bruins talking 

Bruins coach complimentary as Maple Leafs, Bruins set to clash 

By: Kevin McGran Sports reporter, Published on Thu Mar 07 2013 

The Boston Bruins don't need to see Frazer McLaren's knockout punch to 

know the Maple Leafs are a different team this year, a tougher one to play 

against. 

Bruins coach Claude Julien went so far as to call the Maple Leafs legitimate 

contenders. 

“They've done a great job with that team, the coaching staff,” Julien said 

prior to the Leafs-Bruins game Thursday night. “They are playing really well 

defensively. They've tightened up their game. Offensively, they're still a 

skilled team, but they're doing the grunt work. 

“They come at you hard. I'm one of those guys who believe they're a legit 

contender. No doubt about it. They play like one.” 

McLaren's knockout punch on Ottawa's David Dziurzynski on Wednesday 

night reverberated through the Bruins room. 

“Everyone saw that fight,” said Bruins forward Milan Lucic. “Both guys were 

willing to go. I don't have a problem with staged fighting at all. I never have 

and I never will. It's one of those things where a punch gets through. 

“A guy with that kind of power hits another guy. It's a physical sport, 

sometimes guys get hurt. It's the nature of the game.” 

The Leafs took the morning off, declining a chance for a morning skate prior 

to facing an old nemesis: the Boston Bruins, a team they haven't beaten in 

seven tries and nearly two years. 

The Maple Leafs find themselves rubbing elbows with the NHL's elite after 

they hit the the halfway point of the season. 

At 15-9-0, the Leafs sit comfortably in a playoff spot and closer to first place 

in the Eastern Conference (just two points shy of Montreal) than they are 

from ninth. 

With 30 points, they have the sixth-most points in the entire NHL and are 

looking more and more like a playoff team. 

“You never want to get too far ahead of yourself,” said Leafs goalie James 

Reimer after a 5-4 win over Ottawa. “We weren't as sharp as we should 

have been and we have to learn from that, but we have a good team, we 

have confidence in each other, that we can find ways to win. 



Bruins' Lucic a fan of Maple Leafs' fighter 

By Rob Longley, Toronto Sun 

Rugged Bruins winger Milan Lucic wasn’t shy about joining in the debate 

over the staged fight between the Leafs’ Frazer McLaren and Ottawa’s 

Dave Dziurzynski on Wednesday night. 

While Lucic felt bad for the Sens rookie, who suffered a concussion, he has 

the utmost respect for McLaren, who he tussled with as a junior in the 

Western Hockey League. 

“I had three fights with him over the two years we played against each 

other,” Lucic said following the Bruins morning skate on Friday. “He was 

definitely a tough guy who knew how to take care of himself. He’s shown 

that with what he’s done so far this year. 

“He’s got size, he’s got long arms. He can brawl. He can play any way you 

want.” 

OTHER KESSEL ON FIRE 

Leafs sniper Phil Kessel didn’t light it up as a goal scorer during the first half 

of the NHL season, but another family member hasn’t had such problems. 

Kessel’s sister, Amanda Kessel — a junior at the University of Minnesota — 

has been named as one of three finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Memorial 

Award honouring the best player in NCAA women’s hockey. 

Kessel has been on fire this season, a big reason her team is undefeated 

with a 36-0 record. In 32 games, she has 43 goals and 51 assists for 94 

points. Included in that run are 28 multiple-point games and 11 with at least 

four points. Minnesota teammates Megan Bozek and Noora Raty, a 

Finnish-born goalie, are on the ballot, too. 

VISOR ADVICE 

Claude Julien says he was an early advocate for helmets to be mandated 

for new players coming into the NHL. Now, with the frightful Marc Staal 

injury with a puck to the eye once again highlighting the dangers, Julien is 

making the same plea for visors to be adopted by all. 

“Whoever comes up from this year forward has to wear a visor,” the Boston 

coach suggested on Thursday morning. “If you’ve been brought up with a 

visor and you’re used to it, then why not wear it (in the NHL)? 

“There was a time when visors first came out that gave you a certain 

(cowardly) reputation. That’s gone, that no longer exists. Now a visor is 

about protection and if you’re used to it you should wear it. That’s an 

opinion of a coach. But there ar logistics as far as the NHLPA goes (in 

terms of personal choice).” 

BEAR FACTS ON LOSING 

It’s fair to say two straight losses has not been that big of a deal for the 

Leafs in years past when such streaks have gone on much longer. 

But this year is different with the Leafs not yet exceeding consecutive 

losses. But two losses for the highly rated Bruins was more unsettling, 

especially letting games slip away in the latter stages. The past couple of 

days had seen a lot of soul searching. 

“Our game has slipped a little bit, we’re not going to deny that,” Julien said 

at the morning skate. “We have to pick up our game. There are ups and 

down in a season. I’m not saying we’re down, but we certainly have to be 

better to get back where we want to me. 

“When you struggle, you don’t struggle in just one area.” 

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.08.2013


Leafs' setback no reason to panic 


BOSTON - Claude Julien is no fool, so when he called the Leafs “legit 

contenders” on Thursday morning, it may have just been a bit of coachspeak 

and little more. 

What did the Bruins coach have to lose, after all, given that his team had 

won seven in a row against their division rivals, a team Julien figured might 

be dog-tired later that night? 

The result may have been predictable then, a 4-2 Bruins win, but by no 

means was the final score the story of the game. While a win would have 

been a significant step forward for the Leafs, a loss is certainly no cause for 

panic. 

This loss, in fact, may have been cause for the opposite. 

They didn’t play like a tired team, they didn’t back down from any physical 

battled and, unlike most of the eight previous losses they now have against 

the Bruins, they didn’t wither away when trailing. 

“That was a hard-fought hockey game, that was a man’s game,” Leafs 

captain Dion Phaneuf said. “There was everything in it. 

“When we play our system, we feel and we know that we can be 

competitive with every team. When we play the style of play that we have to 

do to be effective, it gives us a chance to win every night.” 

Not on this night, though one or two fewer defensive errors and a good 

bounce here or there and the slide against the Bruins could have ended. 

Arguably, the Leafs played tougher and cleaner than in the win against the 

Senators the previous night and perhaps proved something in the process. 

“We played hard,” centre Jay McClement said. “I know the guys wanted to 

come out in a different way that they played the Bruins last year. It’s a good 

measuring stick for us. We’re right there with them. It was gutsy for us to 

come in here and play like that.” 

GAME ON 

It was only a half-hearted rendition compared to the one we heard last year, 

but when Tyler Seguin scored his sixth of the season, the TD Garden 

responded with the “Thank you, Kessel” chant. Seguin has struggled this 

season but, with his two goals (including an empty netter), he now has 15 

points in 14 career games versus the Leafs ... The Bruins were in full grindit-out 

mode in the third period and the Leafs’ inability to create traffic in front 

of the net made it even more difficult. When they finally got some traction, 

McClement got a tip-in goal to pull the Leafs to within one and make for an 

interesting final five minutes ... Defensively it was a mixed effort for the 

Leafs, who had held the Bruins to just 16 shots on goal through 46 minutes 

and 25 overall. That good work was neutralized by sloppy defensive play on 

two of the Bruins goals ... It’s now 716 days and counting since the Leafs 

last won in Boston ... Julien on Seguin and his three-point night: “He’s 

picked his play up the last couple of weeks. There’s no hesitation in his 

game.” ... The B’s eight-game winning streak over the Leafs is the longest 

in club history. 

HOW’S THAT, AGAIN? 

In case you missed it, here’s what Julien said about the Leafs: “I’m one of 

those guys that believes they are a legit contender, no doubt about it,” the 

coach said following Thursday’s morning skate. “They play like one. 

They’ve done a great job with that team, the coaching staff. They’ve really 

tightened up their game.” ... Not surprisingly, given the direction Carlyle 

gives his troops, James van Riemsdyk wasn’t buying it. “I think we are 

definitely heading in the right direction, but this is no time to be content. 

This is a time to step forward.” ... Nazem Kadri, you are not alone. The TD 

Garden PA man mangled Ben Scrivens’ name during player introductions ... 

Is it just me or does Scrivens make former Leaf Jonas Gustavsson look like 

a deft puckhandler? ... Julien’s comments caught the attention of Twitter, 

and the hashtag #legitleafs had some momentum throughout the night. 

Best response? We’ll go with “Claude was talking about the Blue Jays.” ... 

Carlyle on starting Scrivens: “We thought he gave us the best chance to win 

tonight.” 

QUICK HITS 

Plenty of talk around the Garden about Frazer McLaren’s KO punch of 

Ottawa’s Dave Dziurzynski. Boston’s Shawn Thornton knew what was 

coming when the Bruins dressing room opened following the morning skate 

and he wasn’t about to go there. As reporters approached Thornton he 

said: “Oh (bleep), here we go.” Then came the lone question from the 

scrum: Are you ready for Frazer McLaren and Colton Orr?” Thornton: “Oh 

(bleep), I’m out of here, I’m not talking about fighting.” ... There were plenty 

of big hits from both sides and one spirited first-period scrap between Mark 

Fraser and Adam McQuaid ... The Bruins had clearly been taking note of 

Kadri’s success and came out with a plan — to hit him and get under his 

skin. Andrew Ference dished out the biggest hit in the first, flattening him by 

the Bruins bench, which led to an extended chirping session with the Bruins 

players ... Don’t be surprised if we see more players try to rattle Kadri as he 

becomes a focus defensively down the stretch. How he handles it will be 

the next major test for the Leafs’ leading scorer, who now has 11 points in 

his past seven games ... We’ve seen how scrapping has helped the Leafs 

this season. Well, it doesn’t hurt the Bruins either. The B’s are now 8-3-1 

this season in games in which they’ve had at least one fight and 38-15-2 

over the past two seasons. 



In today's NHL, you can just say no to fights 

By Mike Zeisberger, Toronto Sun 

The sickening sight of Senators forward Dave Dziurzynski lying face-first on 

the ice at the Air Canada Centre courtesy of Frazer McLaren’s lethal right 

fist will be for a long time embedded in the minds of all of us who were in 

the building to witness it. 

And in the aftermath, before the fighting vs. anti-fighting fraternities use this 

ugly incident as a stage to voice their own opinions, the most important 

thing, as former NHLer Nick Kypreos pointed out Thursday afternoon, is 

that “the kid is OK and has a full recovery.” 

We can all agree on that point, can’t we, people? 

After that, this issue gets as polarizing and as politically incorrect as 

possible, especially when Kypreos suggests that, as unpopular as the 

notion may seem, Dziurzynski could have avoided all of this. 

All the Sens rookie had to do when McLaren asked him if he wanted “to go” 

just 26 seconds into the game was to “just say no.” 

“In this league, you have the right to wear or not wear a visor,” Kypreos 

said. “And you also have the right not to fight, even if someone asks you to. 

“Twenty years ago, if you turned down a fight, you would be ridiculed in 

your own dressing room. You would be called a ‘chicken-bleep’ by your 

teammates. There was peer pressure to drop the gloves even if you didn’t 

want to. 

“It’s not that way anymore. Now you can turn down a fight without any 

repercussions. Heck, you’ve got guys now who get high-fived by their own 

teammates for turtling! If you would have tried that crap 20 years ago, you 

would have got beaten up worse in your own dressing room.” 

Like it or not, Dziurzynski could have rejected McLaren’s offer to scrap. 

That’s what had Sens general manager Bryan Murray scratching his head 

after the game. Why did the kid agree to drop the gloves with such a 

renowned heavyweight in the first place? 

Is it fair to make this a simple case of “Just say no?” Maybe not. At the 

same time, it is the players themselves, as Kypreos mentioned, who would 

rather have the right to make their own decisions rather than have their 

options legislated by the league, whether it comes to making face shields 

mandatory or taking fighting out of the game, staged or unstaged. 

The Marc Staal example underscores the point. A day after the Rangers 

defenceman was horrifically smacked in the eye by a deflected puck, 

NHLPA head Donald Fehr said Wednesday that, while his constituents 

have been strongly advised to wear visors, the mandate of the union is to 

give players freedom of choice. 

As long as the players association sticks to those guns, how do you get 

fisticuffs, staged or not, out of the game, especially when it does not appear 

many past and present players want it to leave? 

Perhaps you adopt an Ontario Hockey League system where you are 

suspended after a certain number of fights. But that still does not 

differentiate between staged fights and those policing-type bouts that some 

of us still feel are needed to offset the number of cheapshots in the game 

from escalating. 

Kypreos, for one, has every reason to want fighting banned after his career 

ended because of a September 1997 pre-season scrap against Ryan 

VandenBussche, an incident eerily similar to the McLaren-Dziurzynski one. 

But he doesn’t. 

“It looked like mine in ’97,” Kypreos said. “I fell face first. I was embarrassed 

by it. My life changed because of it. And I can live with that. Guys get hurt. 

Careers end. It’s no different than someone who rips open their knee. It’s 

not a game for the faint of heart. 

“I’d just say to the kid: ‘It’s humbling, so take your time, make sure you get 

healthy and get over it and start again.’ ” 

Kypreos believes even staged bouts serve as motivation. 

“You can’t deny the Leafs have a new feel they haven’t had for a long time, 

thanks in part to the McLarens, the (Colton) Orrs, the (Mark) Frasers,” he 

said. “They feel taller.” 

As for VandenBussche, he told Sportsnet The Fan 590 Wednesday that the 

Kypreos incident left him a more timid pugilist. 

“After that, I was a little more scared to fight,” he said. “You fear the 

consequences. You ask yourself, ‘Could that happen to me?’ ” 

For Dave Dziurzynski on Wednesday night, it did. And the one aspect the 

fighting and anti-fighting debaters agree on is that he gets well soon. 

Other than that, the fact that a player like Kypreos, whose career ended in a 

similar incident, still believes there is a place for fisticuffs in the game will 

only fuel the arguments for both sides. 



Maple Leafs a 'legit contender' for playoffs: Bruins coach Claude Julien 


BOSTON - Randy Carlyle doesn’t want to talk playoffs for his Maple Leafs 

just yet, but the coach he will face tonight isn’t shy about making the leap 

for his latest opponent. 

Bruins coach Claude Julien called the Leafs “a legit contender” and a team 

that is dramatically tougher to play against than the one Boston dominated 

with six straight wins last season. 

“You just have to look at the game last night (a 5-4 win over Ottawa),” 

Julien said following his team’s morning skate in advance of tonight’s 

contest at the TD Garden. “They’ve done a good job with that team. 

They’ve definitely tightened up their game. I’m one of those guys who 

believe they are a legit contender.” 

Julien was no doubt engaging in some gamesmanship, but there’s no doubt 

teams and players around the league are taking notice of a Leafs team that 

has won its last three and could move ahead of the Bruins in the Northeast 

Division standings. 

The Leafs didn’t have a morning skate here after a late-night charter 

following the home win against the Sens. The Bruins, losers of their last 

two, had the night off and most players watched the game against Ottawa. 

“Different coach, different management, it looks like they have a whole new 

mentality over there,” Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. “It looks like they 

have a lot of confidence right now. 

“They’re a tough team because they definitely work hard and are very 

physical. They are buying into their system.” 

The Bruins will certainly be a stout test tonight as they look to get back on 

the winning track and build on thrie 14-3-3 record, their best 20-game start 

since 1979. Their current seven-game winning streak vs. the Leafs is the 

longest in the history of the Original Six rivals. 

There was much talk Thursday morning of the big knockout punch the 

Leafs Fraser McLaren knocked out Ottawa’s Dave Dziurzynski with on 

Wednesday. 

“Are you kidding, everyone saw it,” rugged Bruins winger Milan Lucic said. 

“I don’t have a problem with staged fighting at all. I never have and I don’t 

think I ever will. 

“It’s just one of those things where a punch gets through. A guy of his 

stature with that kind of power hits another guy ... it’s a physical sport.” 

Julien had a different view because of the harshness of the knockout. 

“Whether or not you are a fan of fights or not, it’s not something you want to 

see,” Julien said. “It didn’t feel good seeing that. It wasn’t pretty to watch.” 



Bruins show Leafs what's in store for them in loss 

By Lance Hornby, Toronto Sun 

BOSTON - The Maple Leafs made it past the foothills in the first half of their 

season, but their final 24 games will be a more arduous trip up the playoff 

mountain. 

With their element of surprise fading with each new game, Nazem Kadri 

getting more harsh treatment and divisional foes such as the Bruins still 

prominent on the schedule, there will be no free rides. The Bruins had a 

couple of days to read the glowing reports from Toronto’s opening half, with 

time to reflect on losing two third-period leads that knocked them from first 

in the conference. So they were ready to pounce when the Leafs dropped 

by Thursday after playing at home the night before against Ottawa. 

“We play teams like (Boston), you have to cut down on your mistakes,” said 

winger Jay McClement, whose late goal gave Toronto hope of an upset 

before a 4-2 loss. “We have to sustain what we’ve done, but we’re in a spot 

we like (15-10). We’re where we want to be and it’s easier than playing 

catch-up.” 

After lamenting his team “got out of its safe structure” with poor backchecking, 

coach Randy Carlyle would not criticize their work ethic under the 

schedule’s circumstances. 

“If we commit to that effort night in and night out, we’ll win our share of 

games,” said Carlyle. 

Boston did go with little-used backup goalie Anton Khudobin, who made 25 

saves, while Ben Scrivens allowed three on 24 shots with a Tyler Seguin 

empty netter tossed in. 

Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf had a rough night, minus two and an early 

third-period penalty. But he too has high hopes of the Leafs progressing, 

not regressing, in the second half. 

“Anytime you get to the halfway point, everything is ramped up,” Phaneuf 

said. “That will be even more evident in a year like this, a shortened season 

with games more condensed. Every game keeps getting bigger and bigger. 

You’ll see the intensity of each game increase down the stretch. We feel 

good about the way we’ve played and feel we’re in every game. But we 

know we can be better.” 

Leading scorer Kadri took his licks from the B’s, but had another goal. 

During four-on-four play in the second period after Phaneuf and Brad 

Marchand became entangled near the Leafs bench, Kadri broke away with 

the rejuvenated Clarke MacArthur and made it a 1-1 game. The latter 

lugged the puck after Carl Gunnarsson stole it at the Leafs line, with 

MacArthur threading it through two Bruins to Kadri. 

The young centre extended his points streak to seven games on the play, 

one shy of Phil Kessel’s team high last year and broke a Boston shutout 

streak of 149:19 versus Toronto going back to last season. He has 25 

points in 25 games. But Carlyle did not let him or linemates Leo Komarov 

and MacArthur off the hook for being lax on coverage on the winning goal 

by David Krejci. 

Kessel, meanwhile, was blanked for the seventh time in his past eight 

games against his former team and has been held to nine points in 20 

games overall. After Seguin finished off a 2-on-1 to make it 2-1, following 

Phaneuf losing his man, the “Thank You Kessel” chants fired up, in case 

anyone forgot Seguin was the pick Boston received in the trade. 

Boston is now 8-0-1 against the Leafs in the past nine meetings, including 

4-0 at home where they’ve out-scored Toronto 21-5. The Leafs now have 

two home games against Pittsburgh sandwiched between a trip to Winnipeg 

between now and Thursday. 

With anticipation of a fight or two breaking out, a first-period bout indeed 

occurred. Adam McQuaid and Mark Fraser went at it after Fraser caught a 

Bruin turning the wrong way and slammed him into the boards. 

“This year, the new personnel, we know we can compete physically with 

any team in the league,” said MacArthur. “You know we have a lot of guys 

who can answer the bell and stick up for teammates.” 

Right after a wild flurry that included Chris Kelly hitting the post, the Garden 

organist broke into Benny and the Jets for Scrivens’ sake. But the Bruins 

then created an odd-man rush for their opening goal. Seguin got off a shot 

as Phaneuf gave chase, but Patrice Bergeron beat James van Riemsdyk to 

the rebound. Seguin, Bergeron and Marchand all figured in the first two 

goals, while a nice rush orchestrated by Milan Lucic freed up Krejci alone in 

front of Scrivens late in the second. 

“Making the playoffs is our goal, but there’s a lot between here and there,” 

MacArthur said. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILT! 

Usually Dion Phaneuf would not be so enthusiastic to wish any Boston 

Bruin a happy birthday. 

But the Toronto captain did so for Milt Schmidt on Thursday night when the 

team legend was honoured for his 95th before the game. Phaneuf and 

Boston captain Zdeno Chara skated over to a gate near the Boston bench 

where Schmidt dropped the puck. He and Phaneuf had a quick greeting. 

“He looks good for 95. That’s unbelievable,” Phaneuf said. 

The Kitchener-born, Toronto-raised Schmidt has seen so much in his 

lifetime, playing in three different decades up to the mid 1950s, part of the 

famous Kraut Line, winning two Cups, having his number 15 retired and 

scouting Bobby Orr. He was also coaching the Bruins when Willie O’Ree 

caused a stir as the first black player in the NHL. 

“He isn’t black, he’s a Bruin,” was Schmidt’s famous quote. 

“I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world,” Schmidt told the Kitchener paper 

this week. “Many times, I think of Lou Gehrig and how he said he was one 

of the luckiest men in the world when he was sick and wasn’t expected to 

live too long. I put myself in his place, I can honestly say.” 



Marc Staal eye injury should be another wake-up call for NHL 

Cam Cole 

Marc Staal is 26, young enough that he never should have been in this 

position. The puck’s trajectory makes it so obvious that it would have struck 

a visor and bounced away. 

Each time another puck or stick strikes another National Hockey League 

player in or about the eye, and crimson splatters the ice, and teammates 

and opponents alike wave to the medics to get out there — hurry! — two 

emotions always shove all others aside. 

Watch Marc Staal take a puck to the face during Rangers vs. Flyers 

The first is sadness. 

The second is anger. 

It was like that the night Marian Hossa’s follow-through of a clearing attempt 

sliced into Bryan Berard’s eye, instantly turning the former No. 1 overall 

draft pick’s future into a series of surgeries and finally a career muted by 

20/400 vision in one eye. 

It was like that the night a routine-looking deflected pass sailed upward into 

the face of Manny Malhotra, the puck catching him flush on the eyeball, for 

all intents and purposes reducing a splendid third-line centre, even after 

several procedures, into a defensive-zone faceoff specialist whose 

peripheral vision was so limited, eventually he had to be told for his own 

good that he couldn’t play any more. 

It was like that the night Mikhail Grabovski’s stick, on the follow-through of a 

shot at net, effectively ended the career of Philly’s Chris Pronger, a 

towering force of nature who always had seemed to play the game at a 

level, literally, above most of his fellow defencemen. 

And it was like that Tuesday night, when Flyers defenceman Kimmo 

Timonen’s point shot deflected off teammate Jakub Voracek’s stick and 

thudded against the right eyebrow of New York Rangers’ Marc Staal, 

sending the young defenceman to the ice clutching his face, screaming in 

pain, thrashing his legs — Images that, when his brother Eric saw them 

after his own game, made him, in his words “sick to my stomach.” 

“It’s scary to see,” said the Carolina forward, whose other NHL-playing 

brother, Jordan, is his Hurricanes teammate. “It’s an awful feeling … seeing 

him in that pain with his legs kicking.” 

And here’s where anger comes in. None of the Staal brothers wear visors. 

They are among the 27% of NHLers (recent data, figures may vary, check 

dealer for details) who, for reasons of their own, eschew eye protection. 

Maybe it’s a Thunder Bay manly-man thing, or a point of honor among 

brothers, maybe they just don’t like the feel of them, and couldn’t wait to be 

finished with junior hockey so they could take them off. 

That’s the explanation most often heard, and the one endorsed by the NHL 

Players Association: that it’s a personal choice, and ought to remain so. 

You can rip the NHLPA, if you like, for its cavalier attitude toward the health 

of its own members but the PA is only the players’ mouthpiece. This is the 

rank-and-file’s position. This is what they believe: that no one should be 

able to tell them they have to wear visors. 

Alan Eagleson aside, it almost makes you pine for the old days, when the 

league established the rules of engagement, when the NHLPA took the 

orders on safety issues, when the league simply said: “From now on, 

players must wear helmets.” Period. And the PA went along with it. 

Helmetless players already in the league were grandfathered, but everyone 

else had no choice. 

It took a death, Bill Masterson’s, from a massive head injury to get the NHL 

to act, but when it did, there was no forum for debate. There should be no 

forum for debate with visors, either. But then, we say that each time another 

player goes down, and then in a week or so, tops, we move on to other 

issues and this one slowly dies off. 

More than merely the players’ own myopia, though, is the really maddening 

aspect of what ought to be a simple, common-sense decision: 

The NHL, which goes to such great lengths to create and propagandize a 

department of player safety, and professes its deep caring for the welfare of 

the labour force, somehow never quite gets around to making visors a, um, 

hill it will die on in collective bargaining. 

The league will grind the players mercilessly over maximum contract length 

and salary cap and escrow and a thousand other points having to do with 

dollars — has lost a season-and-a-half in the last eight in order to draw its 

economic lines in the sand — but won’t go to the wall on eyes lost, multimillion-dollar 

assets wasted, lives ruined. 

If it simply said, “Visors mandatory, not negotiable. Now let’s move on to 

other points,” there would be some give-and-take on money issues, and the 

players would shrug and say: “Oh, OK. At least we got our dough.” 

If guys are not doing it someone else has to make the choice for them. 

Guys are wearing shot-blockers for their skates, they are wearing 

everything but a visor 

Don’t kid yourselves. That’s how it would be. If 73% of all NHLers already 

wear visors, and the number is up from 59% at the time of Malhotra’s injury, 

then the resistance movement is already pretty feeble and growing more so 

all the time. 

So why not just do it? 

“They have to,” Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said Wednesday. 

“If guys are not doing it someone else has to make the choice for them. 

Guys are wearing shot-blockers for their skates, they are wearing 

everything but a visor. It’s not good…I feel bad for Staal, and we all saw 

what happened here to Manny a few years back.” 

Marc Staal is 26, young enough that he never should have been in this 

position. The puck’s trajectory makes it so obvious that it would have struck 

a visor and bounced away, maybe leaving a momentary buzzing in the 

head, like a goalie hit in the mask, and nothing more. 

Instead … well, we don’t know yet. The Rangers don’t, Staal’s parents 

don’t, his brothers don’t. His high school sweetheart, Lindsay, who married 

the big defenceman in 2011, doesn’t. 

Maybe the eyebrow took the brunt of it, and there’s nothing broken that 

can’t heal, nothing lost forever. Maybe. 

They’re waiting for the swelling to go down. 

Sad to say (and angrily), it sounds all too familiar. 

National Post LOADED: 03.08.2013


Here is the Leafs midseason report card 

Michael Traikos | 13/03/07 2:59 PM ET 

The halfway mark might be irrelevant to the head coach, but it does not 

mean we cannot evaluate the individual performances of the Leafs. 

Following the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 win against the Ottawa Senators on 

Wednesday night, head coach Randy Carlyle was asked what he thought of 

the team’s record at the halfway point of the season. 

As usual, Carlyle downplayed the significance. 

“Fifteen wins, that’s what it is. Thirty points, that what we have,” he said. “To 

me, it’s all irrelevant right now. We’re halfway through a season. We have a 

lot of work ahead of us, we’re going to meet some real good hockey clubs 

here and it’s going to start [Thursday] night in Boston.” 

The halfway mark might be irrelevant to the head coach, but it does not 

mean we cannot evaluate the individual performances of the Leafs. Here is 

our midseason report card (with more positive grades than we are used to 

handing out): 

A+ 

Nazem Kadri 

GP 24 G 10 P 24 

The 22-year-old, who spent the last two years in the minors, is finally 

putting it all together. Despite receiving third-line minutes, Kadri is a point 

per game player ranked in the top-15 in scoring and leads Toronto forwards 

with a plus-13 rating. 

A 

James van Riemsdyk 

GP 24 G 13 A 6 P 19 

A change of scenery and an opportunity to play on the top line has 

apparently done wonders for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NHL Entry 

Draft. His team-leading 13 goals are already more than the 11 he scored 

last season. 

Mark Fraser 

GP 21 G 0 A 4 P 4 

It is difficult to determine what is more surprising: that the stay-at-home 

defenceman is among the league leaders with a plus-16 rating? Or that 

Fraser, who played just four games in the NHL last year, even made the 

team? 

B+ 

Phil Kessel 

GP 24 G 6 P 14 P 20 

Kessel, who went 10 games before scoring his first goal, is not finding the 

back of the net with his usual ease. But he is still finding ways to produce. 

He is tied for the team lead in assists and has eight power play points. 

Matt Frattin 

GP 10 G 7 A 3 P 10 

Started the year in the minors, but then scored 10 points in 10 games — 

including three game-winning goals — before being sidelined with a knee 

injury. 

James Reimer 

REC 9-3-0 GAA 2.57 SV% .921 

A knee injury sidelined Reimer for eight games, but the 25-year-old’s save 

percentage is ranked in the top 10 and he is back playing like the goalie 

who claimed the starting job two years ago. 

B 

Ben Scrivens 

REC 6-6-0 GAA 2.41 SV% .923 

Scrivens, who was the opening night starter and handled the No. 1 duties 

while Reimer was injured, is also ranked in the top 10 in save percentage 

and has given the Leafs depth in net. 

B- 

Tyler Bozak 

GP 24 G 6 A 8 P 14 

If this were an 82-game season, Bozak would be on pace for 47 points. 

They are not numbers indicative of a top-line centre. Still, his 54.7% faceoff 

success rate is among the NHL leaders. 

Dion Phaneuf 

GP 24 G 4 P 8 P 12 

The captain’s minus-7 rating is the worst on the team, but that is likely 

because Phaneuf is averaging more than 26 minutes per game and plays 

against the other teams’ top lines. Still, the Leafs would like more offence 

out of him. 

Cody Franson 

GP 21 G 1 A 14 P 15 

A healthy scratch for parts of last season, Franson has become the 

triggerman on the power play, where he has five of his defence-leading 15 

points. 

Jay McClement 

GP 24 G 4 A 5 P 9 

The short-handed specialist is part of the reason for the improved penalty 

kill and has become a versatile two-way forward. 

Carl Gunnarsson 

GP 16 G 1 A 6 P 7 

A hip injury kept Gunnarsson out of some games, but he is back playing top 

minutes on the backend. 

C+ 

Mike Kostka 

GP 24 G 0 A 7 P 7 

The journeyman AHLer made his NHL debut this season and has 

surprisingly been one of the team leaders in minutes played. 

Frazer McLaren 

GP 16 G 2 A 1 P 3 

The other Bash Brother, who made Mike Brown obsolete, is tied for fourth 

in the NHL with six fighting majors and has surprisingly chipped in with two 

goals. 

Colton Orr 

GP 21 G 1 A 2 P 3 

Resurrected his career under head coach Randy Carlyle, who has at times 

given the enforcer third-line minutes alongside Nazem Kadri. 

C 

Korbinian Holzer 

GP 17 G 2 A 0 P 2 

The rookie defenceman has not looked out of place playing alongside 

Phaneuf on Toronto’s top defensive pairing. 

Mikhail Grabovski 

GP 24 G 6 A 4 P 10 

The second-line centre is not producing like a top player on a team should 

be, but Grabovski has also been placed in a shutdown role this season. 

Nikolai Kulemin

GP 24 G 2 A 11 P 13 

More and more it looks like the 30 goals that Kulemin scored in 2010-11 

were an anomaly. But as a two-way player and regular penalty killer, he has 

value. 

Clarke MacArthur 

GP 21 G 6 A 6 P 12 

With Frattin out with an injury, MacArthur has found chemistry alongside 

Kadri, having scored four goals and nine points in the last nine games. 

C- 

Leo Komarov 

GP 24 G 1 A 4 P 5 

A self-described pest, Komarov is ranked third in the NHL with 98 hits, but 

has had difficulty producing offensively. 

D 

David Steckel 

GP 12 G 0 A 1 P 1 

Usually the odd-man out amongst forwards, Steckel’s role as a faceoff 

specialist has been taken over by McClement. 

F 

Mike Komisarek 

GP 4 G 0 A 0 P 0 

The Leafs have completely given up on Komisarek, who has been a healthy 

scratch for 20 games. Expect him to be traded or bought out at the end of 

the season. 

John-Michael Liles 

GP 15 G 1 A 5 P 6 

The puck-moving defenceman has spent the last nine games in the press 

box and like Komisarek there does not appear to be an end in sight. 

INCOMPLETE 

Joffrey Lupul 

GP 3 G 0 A 0 P 0 

A slap shot from Dion Phaneuf fractured Lupul’s forearm in the third game 

of the season. 

Jake Gardiner 

GP 2 G 0 A 0 P 0 

A logjam on the blueline has the member of last year’s All-Rookie Team 

playing in the minors. 

National Post LOADED: 03.08.2013

662159 Vancouver Canucks 

Canucks continue to struggle, lose in overtime to lowly Blue Jackets 

By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun March 7, 2013 

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Maybe the Vancouver Canucks aren't what they think 

they are. 

They fancy themselves among the elite of the National Hockey League but 

maybe they are nothing more than a .500 team, especially playing with only 

two experienced centres and one true right-side defenceman as long as 

Kevin Bieksa remains out. 

The Canucks looked anything but a contender here Thursday as they were 

beaten 2-1 in overtime by the Columbus Blue Jackets, who entered the 

night last overall in the NHL standings. Matt Calvert netted the winner on 

Cory Schneider at 4:03 of the extra period as Vancouver’s defensive-zone 

coverage evaporated and Calvert was able to walk into the slot and beat 

Schneider. 

The loss was Vancouver’s third straight and its fifth in the last six games (1- 

3-2). It seems only a matter of time until someone in the Northwest Division 

rises up and knocks the Canucks out of the division lead. Since their sixgame 

winning streak, they have won three of 11 games. 

In 23 games, they have won 11 times. In nine games that have gone 

beyond regulation, they have won three times. What is elite about this? 

“You’d like to think this is just one time in the season where things aren’t 

going right for you,” suggested Canuck winger Chris Higgins, grasping at 

straws. “One goal is not going to win on too many nights. We expect to 

score more than one with the talent we have on this team. It’s frustrating. 

Our last 10 games before this, we were 3-4-3 and that’s unacceptable and 

not where we expect to be at this point.” 

After a flat 40 minutes in which there was little emotion or hitting, the 

Canucks conjured up an early third-period goal by Henrik Sedin to pull even 

at 1-1. 

The Canucks had just seven hits through two periods and were unable to 

draw a single penalty to even test their slumbering power play. Henrik 

finally drew one midway through the third period — holding by Fedor Tyutin 

— but the extra-man attack came up empty, extending its drought to 16 

straight. 

The power play also had three opportunities Tuesday to produce a goahead 

goal against San Jose. It failed then, too. Canuck head coach Alain 

Vigneault likes to call them pressure moments and, when the pressure has 

been on lately, it’s been the opponent coming through with the clutch goal 

or large save, not the Canucks. 

“Well, we were down by a goal and we tied it,” Vigneault said, trying to find 

a silver lining. “But, at the end of the day, I’m looking at tonight’s game, and 

the last three that we played and, in my opinion, we played good enough to 

win but we didn’t. So, obviously, that’s not good enough. The game is about 

finding ways to win and getting that extra you need in these key moments 

where a player can make a difference.” 

Jannik Hansen, the hottest Canuck of late, had a chance to be the 

difference-maker Thursday on a clear-cut short-handed breakaway with 

4:49 left in regulation time but couldn’t beat Columbus netminder Sergei 

Bobrovsky. He admitted post-game he never released the shot he wanted. 

“I missed it completely,” he sighed. “I was trying to put it up under the bar 

but I put it in the middle of the net in his glove. You’re not going to score a 

lot of goals that way.” 

Henrik Sedin again blamed the power play, which he quarterbacks, for the 

lack of recent results. The Canucks were 0-for-1 Thursday. 

“We’re losing points because our power play isn’t good enough and that’s 

tough to take,” lamented the captain. “A lot of these games we have lost 

lately, we had the game on our sticks. We get a power play late, we get a 

chance to get a win a game late or in overtime and we haven’t done it.” 

Henrik said he understood if the team’s fan base was upset the Canucks 

were unable to subdue hockey’s bottom-feeders. It’s the usual response 

after an unexpected loss. 

“Yeah, that’s fair,” he nodded. “It’s a hockey market and people are going to 

talk. That’s fine. I think people maybe don’t give credit to other teams. The 

whole league has shown there is a lot of parity and it’s tough to get wins. 

We knew it was going to be this way. Teams at .500 are right in it. It’s going 

to be a tight race until the end.” 

The Canucks fell behind 1-0 midway through the opening period as onetime 

Canuck draft pick R.J. Umberger banged home a Nick Foligno 

wraparound attempt that hit the iron and bounced directly to him. 

Bobrovsky finished with 34 saves for the Blue Jackets, none bigger than the 

one on Hansen. Columbus has won three straight. Schneider stopped 25 of 

the 27 shots he faced. His personal record slipped to 6-4-3. 

The Jackets played most of the game with 11 forwards as feisty winger 

Derek Dorsett was injured on his first shift – it was later announced as a 

broken clavicle – on a hit by Andrew Alberts. Dorsett played just 18 

seconds. 

ICE CHIPS: The Canucks are scheduled to practise Friday in Columbus 

and then travel Saturday to Minnesota for Sunday’s date with the Wild ... 

Vancouver again lost the faceoff battle at 47 per cent (29-for-62). Henrik 

Sedin was 9-for-22, Mason Raymond 4-for-10 and Jordan Schroeder 3-for- 

9. Max Lapierre topped the Canucks at 11-for-19 ... Artem Anisimov and 

Derek MacKenzie were a combined 19-for-27 in the dot for Columbus. 

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Ex-Canuck Adrian Aucoin hasn’t Mess-ed much with shoot-first philosophy 

Former Vancouver blueliner embraces leadership role with young Blue 

Jackets 


COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s a story straight from Vancouver Canuck folklore, 

featuring a young defenceman named Adrian Aucoin and the team’s 

captain, a guy named Mark Messier. Mike Keenan is in it, too. 

It was the 1997-98 season and Aucoin was just getting his feet wet in the 

National Hockey League. Messier, by this time, had already won six Stanley 

Cups and Keenan had just arrived to replace Tom Renney as coach. 

Aucoin had a booming shot from the point and was being encouraged by 

Keenan to use it at all times. Perhaps encouraged isn’t the correct word. 

Keenan demanded that Aucoin shoot, shoot and shoot some more. 

“I remember trying to pass a couple of times and Mike was going: ‘No, no, 

that’s not what you’re doing, just make sure you pound it,’ ” Aucoin recalled 

Thursday. “So we’re in practice one day and I take a one-timer and I hit 

Messier. I break his shin pad and clearly it hurt him a little bit. So he comes 

up to me and I am like ‘oh, boy.’ I didn’t know what to think. 

“Then he says: ‘OK, great. That’s the only way you’re going to get better. 

Keep shooting it.’ And I was, like: ‘OK, Mess.’ ” 

Aucoin did keep shooting and the following season he scored 23 times, 

setting a Canucks’ club record for goals by a defenceman that still stands 

today. He didn’t stay a Canuck forever and was dealt to the Tampa Bay 

Lightning in 2001 for netminder Dan Cloutier. He has since played for the 

New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames and Phoenix 

Coyotes and is now, at age 39, in his first year as a member of the 

Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Despite the many moves, he hasn’t lost his desire to play. He has hauled 

his five kids, ranging in ages from three to 12, around North America. He 

and wife Caroline are both from Ottawa but they own homes in Chicago and 

Scottsdale, Ariz. They are all on board, he says, and loving the ride. Aucoin 

is making $2.25 million on a one-year contract. 

“What drives me? Just showing up at the rink every day is awesome,” he 

said before the Jackets and Canucks met at Nationwide Arena. “Clearly the 

one thing you want as you get older and your role diminishes is to still be 

able to contribute and whatnot at some level. I would love it if I could play 

high 20 minutes and be a power-play guy but that’s not my role anymore. 

“It’s a different gig. We’re a team that is kind of in transition so I am needed 

for a leadership role. Columbus called me right away on July 1 and we 

talked about all their young defencemen and how they didn’t have many 

older guys so it was just a really good fit. Like I said, just coming to the rink 

today is still as much fun as it was when I was a kid and you can’t knock me 

for that.” 

Nobody is knocking Aucoin, who was drafted 117th overall by the Canucks 

in 1992. Vancouver’s first pick that June was the immortal Libor Polasek, 

followed by Mike Peca in the second round. Aucoin has outlasted many 

other Canuck picks as well and appeared Thursday in his 1,090th regularseason 

game. He’s in his 17th season. 

He also has the distinction of scoring a goal on his first NHL shot, May 3, 

1995, in San Jose against Arturs Irbe. He then scored on his first shot in the 

’95 playoffs and on his first shot in his one and only all-star game in 2003- 

04. 

“That’s my claim to fame,” he noted, laughing. 

Aucoin realizes this season could be it for him but he isn’t yet ready to 

declare that he’ll be hanging ’em up. 

“You know what? It’s literally where I’m at, at the time,” he said. “I have 

some days where I think I’m completely done and I have some days where I 

think I could play for another 20 years. So I think it will just be how the 

season here goes and how the summer goes. Even though I wish I could 

plan ahead, and my wife wishes I could plan ahead, it’s always tough to 

do.” 



Should the Canucks pull the goaltender in overtime? (No.) 

Harrison Mooney, on March 7, 2013 – 

The fact that the NHL doesn’t consider shootout wins when breaking ties in 

the standings is hilarious to me. 46 ties have been settled already this NHL 

season by way of the shootout, meaning 46 points in the standings have 

been awarded through it, but when it comes settling ties in the standings, 

it’s no good. If the NHL really wanted to be consistent, they’d settle ties in 

the standings with an emergency shootout. Or, if it’s too difficult to get the 

two gridlocked teams together, a coin toss. 

Yes, the shootout is silly and random. As multiple people have pointed out, 

it’s a total crapshoot. But when the Canucks are bad at it, as they are so far 

this season, it invariably leads to all sorts of equally silly, random 

suggestions on how to improve their fortune. Try this guy. Try that guy. Go 

in fast. Go in slow. Deke. Shoot. Swap goalies. 

Or, in my new favourite innovation, courtesy Jonathan McDonald of The 

Province, pull goalies. Not during the shotoout, of course. But in advance of 

it. Let’s all pause to examine this head-scratcher: 

The Canucks are now 2-5 in the shootout this season with, at this pace, 

another five to six shootout losses coming in the next seven weeks. 

Incredibly, they were 8-7 in the shootout last season. But let’s just say, for 

argument’s sake, that they’re not particularly good at this part of the game. 

And let’s just say, anecdotally at least, that you give them better odds of 

winning the overtime. You know, the Sedins and all that. So wouldn’t you do 

anything to win the overtime? Let’s just throw it out there. Just as the 

Canucks once revolutionized the power play with that fabulous drop pass 

that no longer exists, they could revolutionize overtime. When Scott Gomez 

got that goalie-interference penalty in overtime, the Canucks spent two 

minutes playing 4-on-3. What if they’d pulled Schneider? What if they’d had 

the balls to take that risk? It is a risk, of course. Few people know that, 

according to NHL rule 84.2, you can pull your goalie for an extra attacker in 

overtime, but if the other team scores you forfeit the point you automatically 

get, just for getting to overtime. It might be ballsy, even foolish, but I’d 

applaud that move, even just one time. That power play was intense; 

imagine if they’d had another guy out there. Don’t laugh at the idea; it might 

just work. 

Or… we could laugh at the idea. Sure, it could pay off, since sometimes 

really stupid gambles work out, such as betting on Katniss to win The 

Hunger Games. But why would anyone take this particular risk? 

Just to review: since a shootout loss is all but a foregone conclusion, 

according to McDonald, the Canucks should show some balls and pull the 

goalie for the extra attacker if you happen to get a powerplay in overtime. 

Nevermind that you lose the charity point if the other team scores on you, 

which is now much, much easier to do, because you might score on them. 

Here’s rule 84.2, which I’m guessing the NHL didn’t think would ever come 

into play, but wrote into the rulebook just in case: 

84.2 Overtime – Regular-season – Extra Attacker - A team shall be allowed 

to pull its goalkeeper in favor of an additional skater in the overtime period. 

However, should that team lose the game during the time in which the 

goalkeeper has been removed, it would forfeit the automatic point gained in 

the tie at the end of regulation play, except if the goalkeeper has been 

removed at the call of a delayed penalty against the other team. 

In effect, rather than banking the point, a necessity, especially in the 

gridlocked Western Conference where only 4 points separate 3rd from 11th, 

then trying to win another point in what is essentially a 50/50 draw, give 

back the point you just won in the hopes that you double down. 

Listen. The Canucks aren’t as bad in the shootout as we think. Yes, they’re 

an unfortunate 2-for-7 right now, their shooters are shooting 21.7 percent 

(or about 15% below the league average) and their goaltenders have a 

pretty crummy .565 save percentage (10% below league average). But, 

again, a great deal of the shootout is luck. Those are some bad luck stats. 

But last season, the Canucks had good luck. They won 8 of 15 shootouts, 

making them one of the league’s top 10 teams in the skills competition. 

Only 7 teams had more wins, and they were one of only 11 teams with 

more wins than losses. 

The year before featured just 10 teams with more wins than losses. This 

time, the Canucks were not one of them. In fact, only three teams have 

been above .500 in the shootout two years in a row: Pittsburgh, Colorado, 

and New Jersey. And before you think these teams are magical outliers, 

New Jersey is winless in three shootouts this year. 

For the most part, the shootout is random. Some years you get good luck. 

Some years you don’t. It’s rare to get good luck two years in a row. The 

personnel on this team really hasn’t changed. The Canucks are no better or 

worse than they were at the shootout last season. They’re just not getting 

as fortunate. 

And hell, even if they were as bad as some believe, pulling the goalie still 

wouldn’t be the sensible thing to do. One of my favourite lines from Cam 

Charron spells this out nicely: “Even if they’re a good offensive team, the 

weird thing about hockey is that in any given moment, with any given player 

on any given spot on the ice, there’s no spot where a player is expected to 

score more than 50% of the time.” 

But if that’s a little too nebulous, consider that, over the last two years, in 

27:07 of 5-on-3 time, the Canucks have scored 6 goals, or one every 4:31. 

In other words, in two or fewer minutes on a 5-on-3, their chances of 

scoring are below 50%. Plus the Vancouver net is empty, so there’s that to 

worry about. 

In effect, rather than banking the first point and trying your luck with, say, a 

sub-50% shot at the second (because in this hypothetical, they’re worse 

than average, remember), pulling the goalie means your odds of getting the 

two points drop below 50% anyway, and your odds of getting no points 

skyrocket up from 0%. 

Why would anyone ever do that? 



Game Day: Columbus coach still wary of Canucks despite recent 

Vancouver swoon 


COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets may sit last overall in the 

NHL standings but they are hotter than the sinking Vancouver Canucks, the 

team they will entertain today at Nationwide Arena (4 p.m., Sportsnet 

Pacific, Team 1040). 

The Jackets haven't lost in regulation in their last four games (2-0-2) while 

the Canucks have three regulation defeats and a shootout loss in their last 

five (1-3-1). The Blue Jackets are better on the penalty kill - seventh to the 

Canucks 19th - and better in the faceoff circle - 16th to the Canucks 22nd. 

Nevertheless, Jackets coach Todd Richards is fearful of what his skaters 

will face today. 

"I think they're one of the elite teams in the league," Richards said following 

CBJ's morning skate. "Numbers-wise, standings-wise, to me it doesn't 

matter. I look at their history, what they've been able to do over the past 4-5 

years, the personnel they have and the coaching they have. There is a lot 

of consistency in how they play and the things that they do. That's the 

reason why I consider them one of the elite teams." 

Richards is a big fan of Daniel and Henrik Sedin and wonders if his defence 

will be up for the challenge. 

"The uniqueness with the Sedins, the chemistry they have, their ability to 

make plays in the offensive zone when you think there are no plays to be 

made, they find ways to make plays and create," Richards said. "Our young 

defencemen, who have played really good hockey for us, this is going to 

pose something different for them, I think." 

The Canucks, who have won just five of 14 games outside the Northwest 

Division (5-5-4), are expecting to have their hands full with the Jackets, 

especially since their own power play hasn't scored in six full games. 

"I've watched five of their last six games and they come to play," head 

coach Alain Vigneault said of the Jackets. "They play a high percentage 

game, they work extremely hard, they finish all their checks and they're a 

team that, right now, doesn't seem to be turning the puck over very many 

times. So it's going to be another very tough game in a very tough 

conference." 

The goaltending matchup will feature Cory Schneider (6-4-2) versus Sergei 

Bobrovsky (5-6-3). One player to watch on the Jackets is Port Moody's 

Ryan Johansen, who will centre a line with R.J. Umberger and Nick Foligno. 

Johansen, 20, was the fourth overall pick in the 2010 entry draft. 

He played during the lockout for the American League's Springfield Falcons 

and was sent back down for two weeks in February. Consistency was the 

issue, he explained. Johansen has one goal, four points and is a ghastly 

minus-10 in 15 games this season. 

"I wasn't doing what I needed to do to stay in this league, I guess," he said. 

"So it was kind of a wakeup call, you could say, for me going down knowing 

I needed to bring it every night. Since I've been back up, I've been playing 

better and more consistently and I just have to keep that up." 

The Canucks will have one lineup change as Andrew Alberts returns on 

defence to replace the injured Keith Ballard (charley horse). Ballard is on 

the trip but did not skate today. Kevin Bieksa (groin) went for a twirl at the 

conclusion of the Canucks skate. 

ICE CHIPS: Referees for tonight's game are Steve Kozari and Justin St. 

Pierre... Vinny Prospal leads the Blue Jackets in scoring with 14 points... 

Columbus is 1-5-1 when scoring first. The Canucks are 8-2-4... The Jackets 

are 2-3-1 versus the Northwest Division while the Canucks are 2-1-2 

against Central Division teams. 

INJURIES: The Canucks will be without C Ryan Kesler (foot), D Kevin 

Bieksa (groin) and D Keith Ballard (charley horse)... The Blue Jackets will 

be missing D James Wisniewski (foot), C Brandon Dubinsky (knee) and D 

John Moore (shoulder). D Fedor Tyutin (overall body soreness) will be a 

game-time decision. 



Ex-Canuck Adrian Aucoin and a tale worth telling 

Elliott pap 

It’s a story straight from Canuck folklore, featuring a young defenceman 

named Adrian Aucoin and the team’s captain, guy named Mark Messier. 

Mike Keenan is in it, too. 

It was the 1997-98 season and Aucoin was just getting his feet wet in the 

NHL. Messier, by this time, had already won six Stanley Cups and Keenan 

had just arrived to replace Tom Renney as coach. 

Aucoin had a booming shot from the point and was being encouraged by 

Keenan to use it at all times. Perhaps encouraged isn’t the correct word. 

Keenan demanded that Aucoin shoot, shoot and shoot some more. 

“I remember trying to pass a couple of times and Mike was going: ‘No, no, 

that’s not what you’re doing, just make sure you pound it,’ ” Aucoin, now a 

member of the Columbus Blue Jackets recalled Thursday. “So we’re in 

practice one day and I take a one-timer and I hit Messier. I break his shin 

pad and clearly it hurt him a little bit. So he comes up to me and I am like 

‘oh, boy.’ I didn’t know what to think. 

“Then he says: ‘Okay, great. That’s the only way you’re going to get better. 

Keep shooting it.’ And I was, like: ‘Okay, Mess.’” 

Aucoin did keep shooting and, the following season he scored 23 times, 

setting a Canucks’ club record for goals by a defenceman that still stands 

today. 



Van Provies, Kadri edition 

Jason Botchford 

BEST FACT I 

The Toronto Maple Leafs never offered Nazem Kadri for Roberto Luongo in 

any trade proposal. 

BEST FACT II 

The Canucks never asked for Nazem Kadri at the June draft. They may 

have asked for Kadri and Tyler Bozak months later, but it was not a thing at 

the draft. 

Later the Canucks were centring a deal around Bozak, who is on an 

expiring contract and was slotted for their third line. They were looking for 

more than Bozak and asked for Kadri to sweeten the pot. TO said no dice. 

BEST FACT III 

Roberto Luongo refused to waive his no-trade clause at the draft to go to 

Toronto. Negotiations with the Leafs did not last long at the draft. 

And because obvious is obvious, the Canucks could not have made a deal 

with Toronto then, and didn’t turn down a deal in June because they got 

greedy and were holding out for more. 

BEST HIT 

Andrew Alberts crushed Derek Dorsett, breaking his clavicle. Dorsett is out 

for the season. Players don’t cheer injuries, but doubt there will be much 

sympathy for the Jackets aggravator. 

BEST REALITY 

“As a group, Roberto, Rollie and myself, we expect two or fewer goals 

every night.” 

— Cory Schneider. The problem is the goalies have kept it to two or under 

only four times in 11 games. Without sensational goaltending, the Canucks 

struggle to win. 

BEST COMPLIMENT 

“I’m looking at Zack’s game and David Booth and they are doing everything 

they can possibly do to help us on the scoresheet. They’re not getting any 

breaks right now.” 

— Alain Vigneault on Kassian and Booth, neither of whom have scored 

since January. At least they have one fan during this slump. 

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.08.2013


Tanev’s worth a shot on Canucks’ ailing power play 

Jim Jamieson 

They tried everybody but the janitor before Alex Burrows got a turn with the 

Sedins, so maybe it’s time to try something equally outside the box with the 

Canucks’ power play. 

Like, say, Chris Tanev on the point? 

OK, now that I’ve got your attention, stay with me here. 

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault gets credit for putting Burrows – who was at 

the time considered just an agitating checker — alongside the Swedish 

telepaths. Yes, it was an instant hit – Burrows scored a goal in that third 

period in St. Louis on Feb. 10, 2009 so didn’t get yanked back to the 

checking line the next game. He also scored another 15 goals and 26 

points over the remaining 29 regular season games of that season and has 

averaged close to 30 goals a season (real or prorated) ever since. 

Props to AV for making a canny move, but let’s not forget that Burrows was 

the seventh player to skate on a line with the Sedins that season. 

Sometimes counter-intuitive moves lead to great discoveries. 

Which bring us to the Canucks’ power play, a special teams unit that used 

to be feared in the NHL. You remember those days? From the 2009-10 

season through to 2011-12, the power play was ranked no lower than fifth. 

Need a key goal or get a power play in overtime? It was money. 

But now – and really since mid-way through last season – there hasn’t been 

anything like that dynamic. Minute-long possession shifts by the Sedins 

seem like a distant memory. Intimidating blasts from the point? Christian 

Ehrhoff and Sami Salo are gone, Alex Edler is still trying to find consistency 

and newcomer Jason Garrison is trying to fit in. 

The Canucks’ power play – which clicked 24.3 per cent of the time when it 

led the NHL in 2010-11 – is at a poor 15. 9 per cent so far in this wacky 

short season and has a dreadful 20th ranking. They are 0-for-15 over the 

last six games. 

You know it’s costing the Canucks points. In a 3-2 shootout loss to San 

Jose on Tuesday, the Sharks took a penalty in overtime but the Canucks 

could barely muster a scoring chance in the ensuing four on three. 

Yes, there are extenuating circumstances. Certainly, the Canucks miss 

Ryan Kesler, who was in integral part of the first-unit power play’s success 

when it dominated. 

The Canucks have tried a few new wrinkles this season. They had Daniel 

Sedin at the left point – but it’s clear he’s more dangerous down low – 

although he has just two power play goals this season. The last two games 

rookie forward Jordan Schroeder has been on the first-unit point, but 

everyone in the building knows he’s not going to shoot. 

So now we get to Tanev, a 23-year-old who has just one goal and seven 

points in 76 career NHL games but has already established himself as a 

top-four D-man based on air-tight defensive play. 

No, Tanev is not going to intimidate anybody with his shot, but after the 

Sedins he sees the ice as well – or better – than anyone else on the 

Canucks and is the team’s best passer from the back end. He may be the 

guy who can tee it up for Edler. Certainly, there’s only one way to find out. 

Tanev also has some common traits with Burrows. Like Burrows was, 

Tanev has been under-estimated through much of his hockey career. Both 

have proved the doubters wrong. 

Maybe it’s time to see if the similarities go any further. 



Bieksa and Ballard out. Alberts and Barker in. And they’re together 

Jason Botchford 

The Canucks blueline made it through the first five weeks of the season 

without an injury. 

Those were the days. 

Both Kevin Bieksa, out with a groin, and Keith Ballard, out with a Charley 

horse, will miss tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Bieksa was at the rink and took a twirl on the ice, but is not healed after 

coming back Saturday against the LA Kings only to suffer a setback. 

Ballard did not skate, but may test things out at the team’s practice on 

Friday. 

You see now why the Canucks feel they always have to carry eight 

defencemen? 

Both Cam Barker and Andrew Alberts will play, and Vigneault said they’ll be 

on the same pairing too. That should be fun. 

Alberts sat out the first 17 games of the season, and Barker the first 18. 

The much-maligned Barker felt he improved during Tuesday’s game 

against San Jose, and he was trusted late for a huge penalty kill against the 

Sharks in a 2-2. Eat your heart out, Ballard. 

In fact, it was Barker who made the save of the game, stopping a Ryane 

Clowe wrist shot with his “junk.” 

“I’m feeling good and as we go along here, I’m feeling like I’m getting back 

into the groove,” Barker said. “I’m definitely feeling that way. 

“It was tough sitting out that long. I just had to be patient. I knew my chance 

would come and I just had to be ready for it. 

“I’m happy to be in and I’m going to keep building on my game.” 



They don’t shoot, they don’t score: Power play paralysis is costing Canucks 

points 

By Jason Botchford, The Province March 7, 2013 11:03 PM 

COLUMBUS — The Canucks only had one power play last night, but it was 

late and it provided them a chance to win. 

The Canucks not only didn’t score, they didn’t get a shot on net. 

If you’re looking for crises surrounding the Vancouver Canucks — and who 

isn’t? — there’s no better place than the power play. 

Sure, the Canucks have only one top-line centre, a third line that hasn’t 

scored since January and an Andrew Alberts-Cam Barker pairing. Those 

problems are easy to comprehend. 

What’s not is a power play that, even with the Sedins and Alex Edler, is on 

a miserable 0-for-16 run. 

What’s more troubling is the Canucks sit 29th in the NHL on the season in 

shots-per-power play minute. Generally, no shots means no goals. That 

suggests this is more than a slump. It just may be a trend. 

“If our power play steps up once every game, or once every second game, 

maybe we would have had six or seven wins in the past 11,” Henrik Sedin 

said. “That’s been the problem. 

“I think in a season, you go through ups and downs. But this is a short 

season and people are going to notice more.” 

How can you not notice? 

The first power play unit, which was once loaded, now looks desperate. 

The team has cycled through Jason Garrison, and Jordan Schroeder on the 

point. That hasn’t worked yet. 

Some are even calling for Chris Tanev to be on it. Is it really that bad? 

Alex Burrows hasn’t flourished in front of the net. In fact, he may never work 

out there. He has just 19 power play points in his career. 

Other than having a burst when Ryan Kesler came back, the Canucks 

power play has dipped below mediocre and hovered right over disaster. 

Even the Sedins admitted it became far too predictable, which is a nice way 

of saying opponents have figured them out. 

“I think early in the season, we were trying too many set plays,” Henrik said. 

“It was too easy to read. Because of that, we really couldn’t find the right 

movement with each other. It left us guessing. 

“But the last two or three power plays against San Jose were extremely 

good. And even [last night] I thought we had more movement. It’s starting to 

feel a lot better with Burr now. 

“Burr should have had one. I think it’s on the right track. But we are losing 

points right now because our power play isn’t good enough.” 

He’s right. They are losing points because of it. And Burrows did have one 

glorious chance on the man-advantage where he easily could have scored. 

But Burrows’ shot re-directed off of a stick and drifted wide of the net. 

That wasn’t the problem. The problem was it was the only chance the 

Canucks had. 

Jannik Hansen missed the net twice. Daniel Sedin missed it once. Then, 

Edler turned the puck over, and another power play slipped through the 

Canucks’ fingers. 

What was once the great equalizer, a dangerous unit which made teams 

pay if they took liberties, has drifted down to 20th in the NHL in power play 

goals. 

This, after finishing fourth last year and first the year before. It’s hard to 

believe that Sami Salo and Ryan Kesler could have made this much of a 

difference. 

“You can say all you want about other parts of the game, but that’s been the 

difference, the power play has to step up,” Daniel Sedin said. 

“It’s a fine line between being a great power play and being average. You’re 

moving the puck faster, and the passes are sharper. 

“That’s what we have to get back to.” 

Of course, what’s not helping the Canucks is their lack of opportunities. Just 

once in the past seven games have they had more than two power plays. 

They got one against Columbus on Thursday and no one was complaining. 

There were no borderline calls the officials missed. 

Bluntly, this team is just not drawing penalties. 

“It was a great game called by refs,” Henrik acknowledged. “It was one of 

those games where the [Jackets] were always on the right side of the play. 

“When you play teams that want to trade chances, they have to hook you 

and hold you. But these guys, they are always between you and their net.” 



Van Provies Nightly Awards: Blue Jackets 2, Canucks 1 OT 

By Jason Botchford, The Province March 7, 2013 

BEST FACT I 

The Toronto Maple Leafs never offered Nazem Kadri for Roberto Luongo in 

any trade proposal. 

BEST FACT II 

The Canucks never asked for Nazem Kadri at the June draft. They may 

have asked for Kadri and Tyler Bozak months later, but not at the draft. It 

may have come up later when the Canucks were centring a deal around 

Bozak, who is on an expiring contract and was slotted for third line. 

BEST FACT III 

Roberto Luongo refused to waive his no-trade clause at the draft to go to 

Toronto, and negotiations with the Leafs did not last long. The Canucks 

could not have made a deal with Toronto, and didn’t turn down any deal 

because they got greedy and were holding out for more. 

BEST HIT 

Andrew Alberts crushed Derek Dorsett, breaking his clavicle. Dorsett is out 

for the season. Players don’t cheer injuries, but doubt there will be much 

sympathy for the Jackets aggravator. 

BEST REALITY 

“As a group, Roberto, Rollie and myself, we expect two or fewer goals 

every night.” — Cory Schneider. The problem is the goalies have kept it to 

two or under only four times in 11 games. 

BEST COMPLIMENT 

“I’m looking at Zack’s game and David Booth and they are doing everything 

they can possibly do to help us on the scoresheet. They’re not getting any 

breaks right now.” — Alain Vigneault on Kassian and Booth, neither of 

whom have scored since January. 



Vancouver, this is your wakeup call: Lifeless Canucks limp to OT loss 

against lowly Columbus 


COLUMBUS — If losing to the Blue Jackets didn’t get the Canucks' 

attention, maybe the fact they’ve won just three of 11 will. 

A Canucks team which too often appears to live by the motto “we’re fine” 

may finally have had enough after a 2-1 overtime loss to the Western 

Conference’s worst team. 

Because it doesn’t matter how much puck possession they’ve had, or how 

many shots they’ve fired in the direction of the net, three wins in three 

weeks isn’t good enough. 

“We talked about this before the game, ‘respect the opponent,’” Daniel 

Sedin said. “We are a better team than we are showing right now. We are a 

better team than the results we are getting. 

“Maybe we’ve been playing all right, but it’s not good enough. We have to 

step it up and put a few wins together.” 

Yes, this qualifies as adversity. Even if the Canucks still sit third in the 

West. They are a team that looks like it’s soaking in a bathtub filled with 

average. All that’s missing is a Kyle Wellwood-shaped rubber duckie. 

The Canucks now have 11 wins in 23 games on the season, and are 5-5-5 

against teams outside the comfy Northwest. These are not championship 

numbers. 

“This is not where we want to be and it’s only going to get worse if we don’t 

turn it around because the negativity outside this room is going to grow,” 

Chris Higgins said. 

Oh, it’s growing. 

The Canucks did manage to get up for Saturday’s game against the L.A. 

Kings. But they have faded since. You may be feeling some deja vu. It’s 

eerily similar to what happened last year after their euphoric January win 

against the Boston Bruins. 

You would have thought the Jackets would be exactly what the spiralling 

Canucks needed Thursday. They were a cupcake opponent with enough 

sprinkles on top to make them an honourary member of the Northwest 

Division. 

The Canucks owned the Jackets. They had run up a 10-0-1 record in their 

past 11 games. But nothing is a gimme for Vancouver these days. 

Columbus scored first, after Mason Raymond gave up on Nick Foligno 

behind the net. The Jackets then barricaded their zone like a fortress before 

ending the game in the most ridiculous of ways. 

Henrik Sedin had scored 1:05 into the third to tie the game at one. Jannik 

Hansen had a chance to win it with a shorthanded breakaway late, but 

couldn’t score. 

That set up Matt Calvert, who had 13 career goals, to play overtime here. 

He essentially went end-to-end and scored with 56 seconds left. Calvert 

managed despite looking like he didn’t want to shoot. Really, the Canucks 

left him with no choice. 

Calvert shook Henrik Sedin with a spin move near centre ice, then stick 

handled his way around a flopping Alex Edler who ended up on his belly. 

As Calvert hung onto the puck, he glided toward the net. The Canucks 

backed off, presenting him with the slot like it was an offering to a pagan 

god. Calvert had no choice but to snipe one past Cory Schneider. 

“I saw a guy going backdoor and I went that way,” Tanev said. “Maybe I 

should have just slid and tried to block a shot.” 

The Canucks miss Kevin Bieksa, who was out with a groin injury. But Edler 

going pylon has been a far bigger problem. 

The Canucks have one legitimate top-line centre. But the power play 

dipping well below mediocre has cost them more. 

Against the Blue Jackets, the Canucks could only draw one penalty. There 

was no blaming the refs, either. The officials called a good game. 

Instead, the problem was Vancouver’s lack of speed and aggressiveness, 

which also suggests a lack of interest. 

“This is a tough position for us,” said David Booth, who hasn’t scored a goal 

this year but got rave reviews from head coach Alain Vigneault after the 

game. 

“I know teams go through it during the year, but it being a shortened 

season, it has a little bit more weight to it. We have to stop making excuses 

and get two points.” 

Columbus showcased their defensive mindset off the start, icing the puck 

three times in the first five minutes. Good times. If they were trying to suck 

the energy out of a half-full building, it worked. 

The Canucks did get a good chance early when Booth flew around Fedor 

Tyutin, dipped below the goal line and then drove to the net, in front of 

Sergei Bobrovsky. But he couldn’t jam it in. What else is new? He’s goalless 

on the year. 

But Booth’s was one of the Canucks' few power moves of the night. Mason 

Raymond had a similar chance when Vancouver had its best flurry in the 

second. 

There wasn’t much else, save for a Alex Burrows chance on their third 

period power play which ended up deflecting off Calvert’s stick. 

“I don’t think we had too many opportunities off the rush,” Higgins said. 

“They had two, three guys around the puck and won too many battles below 

the goal line. 

“We need to be better.” 

They sure do. 



Canucks Gameday: Columbus ‘another tough game’ against hard-working 

opponent, says Vigneault 


COLUMBUS — The Blue Jackets have got points in four straight games 

and all anyone wants to talk about is the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Go figure. 

The Blue Jackets are in fact riding a two-game win streak, and it’s their 

longest of the season. Maybe they can ride it to a win against the 

Vancouver Canucks. 

They are due. 

The Canucks are a gaudy 10-0-1 against the Jackets, and have outscored 

them 42-23 over that stretch. And you thought the Canucks had it easy just 

in the Northwest division. 

But the Canucks aren’t exactly brimming with overconfidence, as head 

coach Alain Vigneault pointed out. 

“Most of our games against Columbus have been the same, hard and 

demanding,” Vigneault said. “On some nights we’ve been able to capitalize 

a little bit quicker on some of their mistakes. 

“I must have watched five of their last six games and they come to play a 

high-percentage game. They work extremely hard and they finish all their 

checks. They are a team that, right now anyway, doesn’t seem to be turning 

the puck over very many times. 

“It will be another tough game.” 

Normally you might scoff at Vigneault for his caution, but this game will be 

made tougher by the fact the Canucks will be without Kevin Bieksa and 

Keith Ballard. Both are injured, Bieksa with a strained groin and Ballard with 

a charley horse. Without them, both Cam Barker and Andrew Alberts will 

play, and Vigneault said they’ll play on the same pairing. 

That could be concerning. But the bigger problem is the power play. It has 

gone 0-for-15, ranks 20th in goals and 29th in shots on net. That last 

ranking is unreal. Only Winnipeg is worse. How can a team with the Sedins 

and Alex Edler be 29th in the NHL in power-play shots on net? 

It is alarming even without Ryan Kesler, and has to have the team secondguessing 

its decision to let Sami Salo walk in free agency. 

“I think teams are very aggressive against us,” Vigneault said. “They are not 

giving our guys a lot of time. We haven’t really been able to get on a 

momentum or a roll. The last five or six games we’ve got one or two power 

plays a game. It’s tough to get some rhythm. 

“It’s probably the area we spend the most amount of time in practice 

working on. Hopefully it’s going to pay off.” 

Cory Schneider will get the start, his second consecutive. That has not 

happened often this year. 

“I’m always wanting to play, the more you can play in a row, the better you 

feel,” Schneider said. “What I’m hoping to find right now is a good rhythm. 

Because we are going to have a real busy schedule after this trip, so I think 

we’re both going to have to be sharp. 

“I felt better over the course of the San Jose game. I was a little busier in 

the third. It’s fun playing those games. Anyone can play when it’s 3-0 or it’s 

4-1, but those 2-2 games or 1-1 games, the ones where the game is on the 

line, those are the games you have to really show up and make those 

saves.” 

Does this mean Roberto Luongo will finally get a start in the Xcel Energy 

Center? The Canucks play there Sunday and Luongo, who has an abymsal 

record in Minny, hasn’t started their since 2010. 

Asked about it, Vigneault provide nothing more than a goofy grin. 

We’ll see. 



Tanev’s worth a shot on Canucks’ ailing power play 

Posted by: Jim Jamieson 

They tried everybody but the janitor before Alex Burrows got a turn with the 

Sedins, so maybe it’s time to try something equally outside the box with the 

Canucks’ power play. 

Like, say, Chris Tanev on the point? 

OK, now that I’ve got your attention, stay with me here. 

Canucks coach Alain Vigneault gets credit for putting Burrows – who was at 

the time considered just an agitating checker — alongside the Swedish 

telepaths. Yes, it was an instant hit – Burrows scored a goal in that third 

period in St. Louis on Feb. 10, 2009 so didn’t get yanked back to the 

checking line the next game. He also scored another 15 goals and 26 

points over the remaining 29 regular season games of that season and has 

averaged close to 30 goals a season (real or prorated) ever since. 

Props to AV for making a canny move, but let’s not forget that Burrows was 

the seventh player to skate on a line with the Sedins that season. 

Sometimes counter-intuitive moves lead to great discoveries. 

Which bring us to the Canucks’ power play, a special teams unit that used 

to be feared in the NHL. You remember those days? From the 2009-10 

season through to 2011-12, the power play was ranked no lower than fifth. 

Need a key goal or get a power play in overtime? It was money. 

But now – and really since mid-way through last season – there hasn’t been 

anything like that dynamic. Minute-long possession shifts by the Sedins 

seem like a distant memory. Intimidating blasts from the point? Christian 

Ehrhoff and Sami Salo are gone, Alex Edler is still trying to find consistency 

and newcomer Jason Garrison is trying to fit in. 

The Canucks’ power play – which clicked 24.3 per cent of the time when it 

led the NHL in 2010-11 – is at a poor 15. 9 per cent so far in this wacky 

short season and has a dreadful 20th ranking. They are 0-for-15 over the 

last six games. 

You know it’s costing the Canucks points. In a 3-2 shootout loss to San 

Jose on Tuesday, the Sharks took a penalty in overtime but the Canucks 

could barely muster a scoring chance in the ensuing four on three. 

Yes, there are extenuating circumstances. Certainly, the Canucks miss 

Ryan Kesler, who was in integral part of the first-unit power play’s success 

when it dominated. 

The Canucks have tried a few new wrinkles this season. They had Daniel 

Sedin at the left point – but it’s clear he’s more dangerous down low – 

although he has just two power play goals this season. The last two games 

rookie forward Jordan Schroeder has been on the first-unit point, but 

everyone in the building knows he’s not going to shoot. 

So now we get to Tanev, a 23-year-old who has just one goal and seven 

points in 76 career NHL games but has already established himself as a 

top-four D-man based on air-tight defensive play. 

No, Tanev is not going to intimidate anybody with his shot, but after the 

Sedins he sees the ice as well – or better – than anyone else on the 

Canucks and is the team’s best passer from the back end. He may be the 

guy who can tee it up for Edler. Certainly, there’s only one way to find out. 

Tanev also has some common traits with Burrows. Like Burrows was, 

Tanev has been under-estimated through much of his hockey career. Both 

have proved the doubters wrong. 

Maybe it’s time to see if the similarities go any further. 


662172 Washington Capitals 

Open thread: Capitals vs. Panthers 

Posted by Katie Carrera 

The Capitals host the Panthers tonight in a quest to not be the last place 

team in the Eastern Conference. Speaking of conferences, the NHLPA has 

approved realignment and the new plan has quite a few changes in store 

for Washington so be sure to check out all the details. 

Braden Holtby makes his 11th consecutive start after going 7-3-0 with a 

2.24 goals-against average and .934 save percentage in the previous 10. 

He’ll be opposed by Florida rookie netminder Jacob Markstrom, who is 1-2- 

0 with a 2.36 GAA and .931 save percentage. For more on how Holtby is 

handling his heavy workload and why Philipp Grubauer is backing him up 

again, check out this post from earlier in the day. 

Discuss the game in the comment section below and based on warmups 

here’s what the lineup should look like: 

Forwards 

Hendricks-Ribeiro-Ovechkin 

Fehr-Backstrom-Brouwer 

Chimera-Beagle-Ward 

Wolski-Perreault-Crabb 

Defense 

Alzner-Kundratek 

Erskine-Carlson 

Schultz-Oleksy 

Goal: Holtby, Grubauer. 

Scratches: Tom Poti, Michal Neuvirth (ill) and Aaron Volpatti. 

IR: Mike Green (groin), Marcus Johansson (concussion), Jack Hillen and 

Brooks Laich (groin, non-roster). 

Washington Post LOADED: 03.08.2013


NHLPA approves realignment 


NHL realignment is officially a go. The NHL Players’ Association issued a 

statement Thursday evening that it has signed off on the league’s 

realignment plan, with the stipulation it be re-evaluated following the 2014- 

15 season. 

Pending the approval of the NHL Board of Governors, which is believed to 

be a formality, the Capitals will be in an eight-team division along with 

Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New 

Jersey, Carolina and Columbus beginning with the 2013-14 season. 

Realignment will reunite the Capitals with many of their old Patrick Division 

rivals; it will also force them to vie for a playoff berth against teams that 

have often occupied the top of the Eastern Conference in recent years. 

Under the new plan, the NHL will have divisional playoffs rather than 

current conference playoffs. The top three teams in each division will qualify 

for the playoffs and the final two postseason berths will go to the teams with 

the most points remaining in each conference and they will represent the 

No. 4 seeds. That could allow for five teams to reach the playoffs from one 

division and three from the other. 

Within one conference, the division winner with the most points will face the 

wild-card team with the fewest even if it requires playing in the opposite 

division. From there, No. 1 plays No. 4 and No. 2 plays No. 3. The winners 

of those series would play each other for a divisional championship; then 

the winners of the Atlantic and Central face off in Eastern Conference finals 

and the winners of the Mid-West and Pacific meet in the Western 

Conference finals. The champions from the Eastern and Western 

Conference will then meet for the Stanley Cup final. 

One of the major complaints from the players about this and the league’s 

previous proposal are the unbalanced divisions — the two Eastern divisions 

both have eight teams while the two Western divisions each have seven, 

thus making it slightly easier to reach the postseason in the West. 

In the regular season, teams in the Atlantic will play 30 games against its 

own division – facing two teams five times and five teams four times; 24 

games against the other division in the Eastern Conference – three games 

against every team, rotating which club has the extra home game each 

season; and 28 games against the Western Conference teams – once 

home and away. 

Here’s how the divisions will shake out: 

Atlantic: Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, 

New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Carolina 

Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Central: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Florida 

Panthers, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning and 

Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Mid-West: Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, 

Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Lous Blues and Winnipeg Jets. 

Pacific: Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles 

Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. 



Capitals weigh in on visor debate after Marc Staal injury 


When a deflected shot struck New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal 

on the face near his right eye Tuesday night, it reignited the discussion 

about whether visors should be mandatory in the NHL. 

Staal is out indefinitely, but the Rangers released a statement that two 

different doctors believe that he will make a full recovery. He’s far from the 

first player to suffer a scary injury from a puck or errant stick to the face. In 

fact, they seem to occur annually, sparking debate as to whether NHL 

players should be forced to wear visors for additional protection. 

Visors have been mandatory in the American Hockey League since 2006, 

and they’re required in many European leagues and tournaments as well. 

NHL players have always preserved their choice to wear, or not wear, 

visors. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d see them grandfather in some kind of visor rule 

and make it mandatory for everyone to wear a visor,” Jason Chimera said. 

“It’s a personal choice. I’ve always had the personal choice to do it. ” 

Chimera is one of only five Capitals players who don’t wear a visor; Matt 

Hendricks, John Erskine, Brooks Laich and Aaron Volpatti are the others. 

Defenseman Tom Poti took a puck to his eye in the 2010 playoffs and has 

worn a visor ever since. 

Chimera, 33, has gone so long without wearing a visor that when he does, it 

“messes up your sightlines,” but said he’s definitely considered adding one 

to his helmet. 

Jason Chimera is one of five Capitals who don't wear visors. (Jonathan 

Newton/The Washington Post) 

Jason Chimera is one of just five Capitals players who don’t wear visors. 

(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post) 

“I’ve worn one in world championships and stuff and that kind of thing,” 

Chimera said. “I’ve thought about it, for sure. Your mom’s always pressing 

you, your wife’s always pressing you. But it’s one of those things that 

maybe a little stubbornness comes in. When you see stuff like [Staal’s 

injury], though, it certainly makes me think twice about it.” 

Karl Alzner toyed with the idea of playing without a visor during training 

camp in 2011-12 but ultimately opted to continue wearing one. He prefers 

to have the additional protection but believes that players should be able to 

decide for themselves whether to wear one. 

“It’s not worth it to me. I remember the first couple of years I’d get a new 

visor every two or three games because I kept getting hit in the face 

[against] the visor, so I think if I wasn’t wearing a visor I’d look a lot different 

right now,” Alzner said. “I still think guys should have the choice. If they’re 

willing to take the risk then they’ve got to deal with it if they do get hurt.” 

Mike Ribeiro, 33, said he’s worn a visor throughout most of his career. He 

can see a point coming in the future where the NHL will eventually adopt a 

rule that forces all new players to use a visor, while allowing those who 

were already in the league by a certain season to have the choice – much 

like it did with helmets. 

Capitals Coach Adam Oates never considered wearing a visor during his 

playing days. He would if he were playing now, though, because he 

believes that additional equipment like helmets and visors have caused 

players to become more reckless on the ice. 

“When we came in the league, the helmets were grandfathered. And you 

never want to see anybody hurt, but I think part of the concussion problem, 

and part of the high sticks, is from the helmets,” Oates said. “There were no 

issues back then because guys respected each other differently. I 

remember when the first college guys came out, I remember [Wayne] 

Gretzky got cut in his ear and he blamed the college game. And in a sense, 

he’s right. Because the college kids wear masks their whole lives and they 

play with their sticks up way more.” 

To be clear, Oates didn’t say that Staal’s injury was a result of reckless 

play. But he believes that players aren’t as careful because they’re all 

skating around with more protection. According to NHLPA-gathered data, 

more than 70 percent players wear visors. 

“So to me that means there’s a lot more recklessness because of it,” said 

Oates, who believes it should be a choice. “There’s some guys that don’t 

want it. You should have that right.” 



Capitals ‘fighting against ourselves’ to move up the standings 


Following a come-from-behind, 4-3 overtime victory against the Boston 

Bruins, the Capitals are preparing for an opponent of a different sort 

Thursday night in the Florida Panthers. 

Florida is the only team in the Eastern Conference with a worse record than 

the Capitals, which means whoever wins the tilt at Verizon Center will have 

the privilege of not occupying last place in the East. It’s two points 

Washington can’t afford to let slip away. 

“I think we have to get up more for this one,” goalie Braden Holtby said. 

“Every game we win, the next one means more because we’re giving 

ourselves a better chance every time we get two points. Tonight means the 

same. Every game, it doesn’t matter who it’s against. We’re fighting against 

ourselves so we’re trying to prepare the exact same way and bring good 

effort.” 

Despite winning seven of their last 10 heading into the matchup with 

Florida, the Capitals have remained lodged in the conference basement. It’s 

particularly difficult to make up ground in this shortened season because 

with only in-conference play, some team in front of them is gaining points 

on any given night. 

It means that the Capitals have precious little room for error as they try to 

climb up the standings. 

“It’s frustrating. I always look at it and I keep thinking to myself, ‘Did they 

forget to update those standings?’ because I feel like we should be getting 

closer and closer, but we just aren’t,” Karl Alzner said. “But you can’t let that 

get you down. Our record has been a lot better in the last 10 games or so 

and it’s got to continue to be like that. 

“We always have to see our last ten games being around a 7-3 or 8-2 if we 

want any chance,” Alzner said. “We put ourselves so far behind that I guess 

we should expect to see ourselves down towards the bottom for a while, but 

there’s nothing else we can do right now besides play hard and win.” 

Based on the morning skate, Tom Poti and Aaron Volpatti will be the 

healthy scratches tonight against the Panthers. Wojtek Wolski, who scored 

his first goal in a month against Boston, will be on the fourth line while Jeff 

Schultz will play alongside Steve Oleksy after sitting out as a healthy 

scratch against the Bruins. 

Coach Adam Oates has made it clear that he wants Wolski to solidly within 

the system first and foremost rather than focusing on point totals. 

“He has to play the game. If you play the game correct, he’s got the skillset, 

he’ll get some points,” Oates said. “For me, I need him to play solid, and if 

he does, gets rewarded with a goal tonight, great. That’s a bonus.” 

Based on the morning skate here’s what the lineup should look like tonight 

against Florida: 

Forwards 

Hendricks-Ribeiro-Ovechkin 

Fehr-Backstrom-Brouwer 

Chimera-Beagle-Ward 

Wolski-Perreault-Crabb 

Defense 

Alzner-Kundratek 

Erskine-Carlson 

Schultz-Oleksy 

Goal: Holtby, Grubauer. 

On the injury front, Marcus Johansson (concussion) and Jack Hillen (upperbody) 

both took part in the workout. Mike Green did not skate and will miss 

a sixth game this season with a groin injury. 

And Brooks Laich, who has yet to make his season debut because of a 

lingering groin problem, still hasn’t skated with the team since Feb. 16. The 

utility forward was on the ice in shorts and sneakers this morning, though, 

doing some stick work with General Manager George McPhee’s son, 

Graham. 



Michal Neuvirth sick, Capitals recall Philipp Grubauer (updated) 


The Capitals recalled goaltender Philipp Grubauer from the American 

Hockey League’s Hershey Bears Thursday morning because Michal 

Neuvirth is sick once again. 

Grubauer, 21, is expected to back up Braden Holtby, who is slated to make 

his 11th straight start tonight when the Capitals host the Florida Panthers at 

Verizon Center. This is the second time in eight days that Grubauer has 

been recalled because Neuvirth has fallen ill. 

Nicklas Backstrom and Troy Brouwer have also recently been sick, but 

Coach Adam Oates is optimistic it won’t continue to spread through the 

team. 

“I hope it’s isolated; I hope it’s just because of wear and tear,” Oates said. 

“Immune systems are not what they should be because of conditioning 

problems from the beginning.” 

Grubauer made his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 27, 

stopping all of the 14 shots he faced in a 33-minute relief effort in 

Washington’s 4-1 loss. He has not yet arrived in Washington, though, so 

video coach Brett Leonhardt is serving as the second goaltender during the 

morning skate in Arlington. 

Neuvirth, 24, hasn’t played since Feb. 7 at Pittsburgh, when he was pulled 

after allowing two goals on 11 shots. Since Neuvirth last made an 

appearance, Holtby has become the Capitals unquestioned option in net, 

going 7-3-0 with a 2.24 goals-against average and .934 save percentage 

(286 of 307) in his past 10 starts. 

At this stage it’s unclear if Neuvirth would be healthy enough to start either 

of Washington’s back-to-back games this weekend. Oates said he still 

wants to split the starts at the Islanders Saturday and against the Rangers 

Sunday between Holtby and whichever other goaltender is healthy. 

“I’d still like to split them, whether it’s Grubauer or Neuvy,” Oates said, 

adding that he’s not overly concerned about Holtby being mentally fatigued. 

“I’m not so worried about it but it’s a lot of hockey for him.” 

Holtby himself isn’t concerned about physical fatigue at all as he prepares 

to make his 11th straight start but he acknowledged that over the course of 

a season fending off mental fatigue requires a different type of effort on his 

part. 

“That’s always the first thing to go. It always is. I think as a goaltender you 

notice it more because it’s more demanding as a goaltender, obviously 

everyone knows that,” Holtby said. “When you’re tired from flying back and 

forth, travel and whatnot it’s never really your body. You know the right 

things to do to make sure your body is feeling fine, it’s always your mental 

fatigue that some games you don’t want to play, you’re tired and you have 

to find a way to battle through that and make sure you can bring that focus 

to the table and that’s part of being a professional.” 

Holtby said the mental fatigue usually creeps in during warmup or early in 

the first period, before he’s fully immersed in a game. He’s learned mental 

tricks over the course of his career to help hone his focus and fight off any 

doldrums. 

As for his current workload, Holtby is happy to play every game if the 

Capitals ask him to. 

“My mindset has always been I want to play every game and I shouldn’t get 

tired,” Holtby said. “If I played a whole season straight I believe I can play 

like the rest of the guys in here and keep my body in shape and mentally 

strong.” 



Caps’ confidence is up after win against Bruins 

Posted by Andrew Simon 

The Capitals believe that Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime win against the Bruins 

will provide them with more than a desperately-needed two points in the 

standings. 

For one thing, Washington is now 7-3-0 in its past 10 games and is coming 

off a shutout of Winnipeg and a comeback victory over Boston, which has 

the second-most points in the Eastern Conference. That puts confidence at 

a high entering Thursday’s home contest against the Panthers, the only 

team below the Capitals in the conference. 

“We know this week and last week are very crucial to putting us in a spot to 

make the playoffs,” forward Troy Brouwer said at Wednesday’s optional 

skate at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. “If we lose any more ground, it’s going to 

be kind of hopeless going forward. 

“Big win a couple days ago against Winnipeg, huge win last night, and 

Florida had a good win last night as well. The guys’ confidence is up right 

now, and we need points and going forward, another big divisional game 

tomorrow night. Guys are excited right now, real excited to be at the rink.” 

While the Capitals are languishing near the bottom of the standings, they 

are within five points of the eighth playoff seed. Thursday’s game is the first 

of three in a four-day span. 

“The schedule doesn’t let up, so you’ve got to try to win every way you can 

and keep playing well,” Capitals Coach Adam Oates said. “We’ve got a 

tough schedule now, that’s why [today’s practice] was an optional. Guys 

need rest, guys are banged up. Every team’s going through it, and you’ve 

just to stay the course.” 

The surge from Tuesday’s win could help offset any fatigue. 

The Capitals trailed 3-0 after one period, pulled within a goal in the second 

and tied it up on Wojtek Wolski’s shot at 13:55 of the third. Eric Fehr’s 

sprawling goal 37 seconds into overtime gave Washington a win that 

defenseman Tom Poti said it could use “as a stepping stone.” 

“It’s huge for our confidence to come back against a team like the Bruins, 

who are one of the top teams in the East,” Poti said. “And down 3-0 with 

two periods left to play, to come back, I think it was a big emotional win for 

us, and I think it can lift our spirits and get our swagger back a little bit by 

saying, ‘We’re down 3-0, big deal, it doesn’t matter.’” 

Now it’s on the Capitals to carry that into Thursday night. 

“You’ve got to turn the page,” Oates said. “It’s a new game tomorrow, and 

we’re right back at it.” 



Tyson Strachan may face suspension for hit on Jason Chimera 


Jason Chimera had just made a backhand pass in the neutral zone when 

Florida Panthers defenseman Tyson Strachan delivered a blindside hit to 

the veteran forward’s head. 

Chimera, 33, crumpled to the ice with 8 minutes, 57 seconds gone in the 

second period of the Capitals’ 7-1 win over Florida on Thursday night and 

immediately went to the dressing room. Strachan led with his left shoulder 

and elbow; Chimera was defenseless. 

“I did not see it during the game. I saw the replay, and it’s one of those 

things. A guy’s not looking at you and it really didn’t have any effect on the 

play,” defenseman Steve Oleksy said. “It’s tough as a player, but you’ve got 

to try to find a way to get out of the way on that play. You know a guy’s 

vulnerable when you’re coming across there and you’ve got to try to make 

an effort to get out of the way.” 

After missing roughly five minutes to be tended to by Washington’s medical 

staff, Chimera returned to the game and skated another nine shifts. 

Chimera wasn’t made available to reporters after the game, but Coach 

Adam Oates said the forward escaped significant harm. 

“I think it’s a little late. I do,” Oates said of the hit. “I’m glad Chimer’s OK, 

[that’s] the most important thing.” 

Strachan received a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game 

misconduct. Given that it was a blindside hit with the head as the principle 

point of contact, it’s likely Strachan will face a suspension for the hit. 

“To me it looked like it was an elbow, once I saw the replay,” Matt 

Hendricks said. “It looked like Jason was looking up ice to see where the 

puck went, and Strachan came through with what looked like could have 

been a clean hit, but I think he got his elbow up high.” 



Capitals’ 7 goals swamp Florida 

By By Katie Carrera, 

Eight minutes, 10 seconds. That’s all the time it took for the Washington 

Capitals to set the red goal light ablaze and take control of their game 

Thursday night against the Florida Panthers at Verizon Center. 

The Capitals scored four goals in that opening 8:10 — the second-fastest 

span to four goals to open a game in franchise history — and the start 

paved the way for a thorough 7-1 drubbing of an injury-ravaged Florida 

squad. 

“Of course everybody happy, but we don’t jumping around,” said Alex 

Ovechkin, who was one of three players to record three points. “In that kind 

of game it was kind of easy.” 

The Capitals improved to 10-11-1 with the win; their 21 points have them in 

12th place, five points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference and six 

behind Southeast-Division leading Carolina with a game in hand. 

Seven players recorded a goal while 11 each recorded a point in a rout that 

was unlike any other Washington win, but one in which the result wasn’t 

exactly a surprise. 

The Panthers, who now sit last in the NHL, entered as the only team in the 

conference with a worse record than Washington and missing seven 

regulars because of injury, including two top-line forwards and two of their 

top defensemen. Heading into the game, though, the Capitals didn’t want to 

focus on all the reason that they should beat Florida. 

They can’t afford any semblance of complacency, not with every point 

crucial in their effort to move up the standings. When the pucks started 

flooding the back of the net in the first period, the message was to stay the 

course and focus on the system rather than let up, which can be so easy to 

do after racking up a significant lead. 

“Our concentration is there, our desire’s there,” said Troy Brouwer, who 

recorded a pair of assists. “Guys know that we need to get points here no 

matter what the situation is.” 

The rout began when defenseman John Erskine teed up a slap shot as he 

crossed the offensive blue line. It should have been a harmless, routine 

shot but it trickled underneath the arm of Florida starter Jacob Markstrom to 

make it 1-0 just 1:58 into the contest. Wojek Wolski scored on a wraparound 

72 seconds later for a sudden 2-0 lead on the Capitals’ first two 

shots of the game. 

The second goal prompted Florida Coach Kevin Dineen to yank the rookie 

goaltender in favor of backup Scott Clemmensen. He didn’t fare much 

better, giving up two goals on the first six shots he faced. John Carlson’s 

slapper off a faceoff win made it 3-0 only 5:38 into the game and then Alex 

Ovechkin made a smart feed from behind the net to Mike Ribeiro for 

Washington’s fourth goal at 8:10. 

“Four goals is obviously a lot in the league. Really, right after that, you’re 

concerned that we’re going to be a little flat. Because the intensity drops 

really fast. You didn’t really earn the goals,” Coach Adam Oates said. “It’s a 

good luxury but after that you’re really concerned that we’re going to lose 

our intensity and blow this, kind of thing.” 

Oates said he didn’t feel comfortable with the advantage until the Capitals 

added a fifth goal, but that marker wouldn’t come until after they had a 

scare of their own in less than nine minutes into the second period. Florida 

defenseman Tyson Strachan blindsided Jason Chimera with a hit to the 

head. 

“I saw the replay, and it’s one of those things. A guy’s not looking at you 

and it really didn’t have any effect on the play,” said rookie Steve Oleksy, 

who recorded two assists. “You know a guy’s vulnerable when you’re 

coming across there and you’ve got to try to make an effort to get out of the 

way.” 

The veteran forward went to the dressing room but returned after roughly 

five minutes and finished the game, taking nine more shifts after the hit. 

Strachan received a five-minute major for interference and a gamemisconduct 

for the hit, which may draw supplemental discipline from the 

NHL department of player safety. Chimera was not made available to 

reporters after the game. 

Twenty seconds into the power play from Strachan’s hit, Ovechkin made it 

5-0 with a shot from the left circle. Eric Fehr and Mathieu Perreault added 

goals in the third period, separated by one from Florida’s Jack Skille that 

ended a shutout bid for Braden Holtby (29 saves) 

The shellacking allowed the Capitals to extend their current momentum, a 

wave that has seen them go 8-3-0 in their past 11 games — progress that 

they don’t take lightly after starting the year 2-8-1. The players know it’s 

important to win any way they can now, but don’t want to get carried away 

with one lopsided triumph. 

“The mood’s always a lot better when you win a close, tight game, hardchecking 

game,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “Whenever you win a game 

like this there’s not quite as much excitement but guys are really happy. 

We’ve got a lot of confidence right now.” 



Capitals notes: Wojtek Wolski stays in lineup vs. Panthers 

By Stephen Whyno 

Wojtek Wolski broke his 11-game goal drought Tuesday, scoring at a 

crucial time in the Washington Capitals‘ victory over the Boston Bruins. But 

it was his all-around performance that kept the forward in the lineup for 

Thursday night’s game against the Florida Panthers. 

“He has to play the game,” coach Adam Oates said. “If you play the game 

correct, he’s got the skill set, he’ll get some points. For me, I need him to 

play solid.” 

Oates said goal-scoring from Wolski is a “bonus,” but that’s one of the 

primary reasons the 27-year-old forward is here. Signed to a one-year, 

$600,000 contract in the offseason, he has just three goals in 20 games. 

Wolski’s game suffered during his month without a goal, Oates said, adding 

that it affected some of his decision-making. 

“I had a game in Philly where I could’ve been better on the boards, I think, 

and a couple games before that I struggled a little bit,” Wolski said. “I think [I 

need to be] executing and making sure I’m good with the puck coming out 

of our zone.” 

Wolski was a healthy scratch Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets, and he could 

be back in the press box if his play slips back to that level soon. 

“Everybody’s got a leash,” Oates said. “So much of the game today is being 

able to get the puck out over your own blue line, chip it in, put it in the right 

spot in their end so we can forecheck and get territory and wear them out. 

… The scoring will come if you do that. The more we’re in their end, the 

more we’ll score. The more we whiff it in our own end, the more we’re in 

trouble.” 

Recently acquired tough guy Aaron Volpatti was made a healthy scratch as 

right wing Troy Brouwer returned from a one-game absence because of an 

illness. 

Neuvirth sick, Grubauer recalled 

For the second time in eight days, the Caps recalled goaltender Philipp 

Grubauer from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League to serve 

as Braden Holtby’s backup because Michal Neuvirth was sick. 

Neuvirth hasn’t played a game since Feb. 7, when he allowed two goals on 

11 shots at the Pittsburgh Penguins and was pulled. He would have started 

Feb. 27 at the Philadelphia Flyers had he not been sick. 

“There’s some things you can’t control,” Oates said. “I feel bad for him.” 

With the Caps set to visit the New York Islanders and host the New York 

Rangers on back-to-back afternoons Saturday and Sunday, Oates had 

planned on giving Neuvirth one of those starts to spell Holtby. 

“I’d still like to split ‘em, whether it’s Grubauer or Neuvy,” Oates said. “It’s a 

lot of hockey for [Holtby], back-to-backs especially. And you’ve got to get 

your other guy a game here and there.” 

Grubauer, who was not on the ice for Thursday’s morning skate, made his 

NHL debut in relief at Philadelphia, stopping all 14 shots he faced. 

NHL realignment set for approval 

NHL realignment is good to go with the consent of the NHL Players’ 

Association, executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement released 

Thursday afternoon. 

Pending approval of the Board of Governors, the NHL will realign into four 

divisions beginning with the 2013-14 season. The Caps will play in the 

Atlantic Division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New 

York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes 

and Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Under the new playoff format, the top three teams from each division make 

the playoffs, and the two remaining teams in each conference with the most 

points qualify as wild cards. 

Laich on ice, without skates 

Brooks Laich has not skated since Feb. 16 as he battles a lingering groin 

injury. But the forward did make a cameo on the ice Thursday at the team’s 

practice facility. 

Laich did not even wear skates. He wore sneakers and shorts as he lofted 

pucks down the ice toward Graham McPhee, son of general manager 

George McPhee, who was practicing after the Caps were done with their 

morning skate. 

Washington Times LOADED: 03.08.2013


NHL players divided on visor use even after latest gruesome injury 


As he watched the replay of Marc Staal getting hit in the face with a puck 

Tuesday night, Washington Capitals forward Matt Hendricks reacted like 

most who saw it. “Ouch,” he said. “Hopefully it’s not too bad.” 

But as he knocked on a wooden bench in the Caps’ locker room, Hendricks, 

who like the New York Rangers defenseman does not wear a visor, said 

accidents happen. 

“Obviously you think about it,” Hendricks said. “[But] it would be hard for me 

to put one on.” 

He’s not alone. 

After Ottawa Senators defenseman Erik Karlsson suffered a torn left 

Achilles tendon when he was cut by a skate blade last month, players 

around the league at least tried cut-resistant Kevlar socks. Caps general 

manager George McPhee even left a note for his players with a box of 

socks suggesting they make the switch. 

But even as Staal’s injury knocked him out indefinitely and heated up the 

debate, players aren’t rushing to attach visors to their helmets. 

“I still think guys should have the choice,” said Caps defenseman Karl 

Alzner, who wears a visor. “If they’re willing to take the risk, then they’ve got 

to deal with it if they do get hurt. But it’s a thing that’s been around for so 

long, not even wearing helmets at one point, you’ve got to let guys have a 

little bit of freedom.” 

Freedom is what the NHL Players' Association wants, even as visors have 

become much more prominent in the past decade. According to the 

NHLPA, 73 percent of players are wearing a visor this season, up from 69 

percent last season. The Hockey News reported just 28 percent of players 

wore a visor in 2001-02. 

Ex-NHL defenseman Mathieu Schneider, now special assistant to NHLPA 

executive director Donald Fehr, said the organization supports choice while 

educating players on the benefits of wearing visors. That appears to be how 

most players think. 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if I’d see them grandfather in some kind of visor rule 

and make it mandatory for everyone to wear a visor,” said Caps NHLPA 

representative Jason Chimera, who doesn’t wear a visor in the NHL but has 

in Europe and in international play. “It’s a personal choice; I’ve always had 

the personal choice to do it.” 

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the NHL has “consistently” held the 

belief that there should be a rule mandating visor use. 

“The number of players using visors in the league has increased 

dramatically in recent years,” Daly said in an email Thursday. “It’s an 

ongoing dialogue with the players, the PA, our general managers and the 

NHL/NHLPA competition committee, and I suspect the dialogue will 

continue.” 

The dialogue was rampant in October 2011 when Philadelphia Flyers 

defenseman Chris Pronger took a stick to the face from Toronto Maple 

Leafs forward Mikhail Grabovski. While he tried to come back, the eye 

injury and concussion problems prevented Pronger from continuing his NHL 

career. 

Now Pronger, whose symptoms have left him agitated and often snapping 

at his children, said he wouldn’t mind visors becoming mandatory. 

“I think guys can do it. I don’t think it would be an issue,” Pronger told 

reporters in Philadelphia, as quoted by the Courier Post in Camden, N.J. “I 

just think you go down a slippery slope if you start allowing wholesale 

changes to stuff that players have had the ability to do on their own.” 

Adam Oates played 19 seasons and never considered wearing a visor. 

That would be different if he were playing today. 

“I would now, yeah,” the Caps’ coach said. “Seventy-five percent of the 

guys are doing it now. So to me, that means there’s a lot more recklessness 

because of it.” 

While Oates pointed to helmets and visors as one reason why players are 

more reckless with their sticks, he pointed out that Staal’s injury was just a 

freak accident. Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen let a shot fly that came 

up and struck Staal above his right eye. 

The same can be said for Pronger, or Caps defenseman Tom Poti, who 

took a puck to the right eye in the 2010 playoffs that required surgery. Or 

Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra, who resumed his career after 

an eye injury in March 2011 before being placed on injured reserve last 

month. 

“That’s a thing with one of those unguarded moments. It just happens,” said 

Chimera, who is good friends with Malhotra. “I think you know the risk it can 

happen out there. Every time you see something like that, it certainly makes 

me think twice about it.” 

Plenty of players think twice but don’t make the switch, though only five 

Caps players don’t wear a visor: Hendricks, Chimera, defenseman John 

Erskine, left wing Aaron Volpatti and forward Brooks Laich. Alzner briefly 

toyed with the idea of playing without a visor before the 2011-12 season but 

ultimately decided against it. 

“It’s not worth it to me,” the 24-year-old said. “I remember the first couple of 

years I’d get a new visor every two or three games because I kept getting 

hit in the face [against] the visor. So I think if I wasn’t wearing a visor I’d 

look a lot different right now.” 

Unlike Kevlar socks, which require moderate adjustment, a visor changes 

the way a hockey player sees the ice. 

“I’ve always liked not having one on,” Chimera said. “You go for so long 

wearing not one that when you wear one it messes up your sight lines and 

stuff.” 

Still, Chimera, like many other players, deals with plenty of outside 

influence. His agent, Allan Walsh, posted on Twitter that while he 

encourages his clients to wear visors, he believes it’s a choice they should 

have. 

“I’ve thought about it, for sure,” Chimera said. “Your mom’s always pressing 

you, your wife’s always pressing you. But it’s one of those things that 

maybe a little stubbornness comes in.” 

Having visors grandfathered in so that current players have the choice while 

those entering the league must wear one seems to be the most logical 

answer. That would solve the “stubbornness” but also ensure, like with 

helmets, a generation from now every NHL player has that protection. 

“When you haven’t played with a visor for 12 or 15 years, it’s tough to put 

one on,” Alzner said. “It’s not a big difference, but it is a bit of a difference 

so I think that guys should still have the choice. Just make the right choice.” 



Capitals take care of business by drubbing Panthers 


The goal horn started to sound like a broken record. The red light twirled 

behind two different Florida Panthers goaltenders. Washington Capitals 

fans at Verizon Center chanted “We want wings” less than nine minutes into 

the first period. 

There was no drama necessary. The Caps simply took care of business by 

shellacking a wounded and woeful Florida team 7-1 on Thursday night. 

House of Pain's “Jump Around” played in the victorious locker room, but 

players didn't celebrate the drubbing. 

“Of course everybody happy, but we don’t jumping around,” captain Alex 

Ovechkin said. “In that kind of game it was kind of easy.” 

It was the kind of blowout that was impressive but should have been 

expected against the Panthers, who were playing without seven regulars, 

including two first-liners, one of their top defensemen and their starting 

goaltender. 

“It feels nice,” defenseman Karl Alzner said. “We felt like we had a pretty 

good chance with their injuries and stuff. We thought that would help us out 

a lot. … But yeah, that’s a game we needed to win, and we’re happy we got 

it.” 

The Caps did everything they needed to pounce on their opportunities and 

extend their winning streak to three. In the process, they kept from falling 

into last place in the Eastern Conference and made up ground on the 

Southeast Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. They finished the night 

12th in the East. 

“For the standings it’s real big,” right wing Troy Brouwer said. “We had a 

couple nice bounces as far as our luck goes, and we were able to take it 

from there.” 

For a Caps team looking for a good start, it doesn't get much better than 

obliterating the Panthers with four goals in the first 8:10. It was the secondfastest 

to four goals in team history; the only better came Jan. 21, 1986, 

with four in 6:49. 

“In this league or in any league everybody's so good that usually – you don't 

want to say easy night – but there's not usually a night where you score 

goals in eight minutes and have a 4-0 lead,” said defenseman Steve 

Oleksy, who led the Caps in ice time. 

By the time the night was over, seven different players scored a goal and 

11 registered at least a point. Ovechkin, Mike Ribeiro and Wojtek Wolski 

each had three on a goal and two assists. And the Caps scored five-plus 

goals against the Panthers for the third time in as many meetings. 

It was a beat-down in the purest form of the term. 

“I think the goalie was really struggling,” Ovechkin said of Florida's Jacob 

Markstrom, who gave up two goals on two shots. “We had two shots and it 

goes in. Of course it give us lots of belief and we feel unbelievable. Like 

after first two minutes. So it works.” 

Coach Adam Oates called the hot start a “good luxury.” But he was worried. 

“Really, right after that, you're concerned that we're going to be a little flat 

because the intensity drops really fast,” Oates said. “In a game like that, I 

don't want to see one of my guys get hurt because you're not mentally or 

physically engaged in the game. It's a really tough thing.” 

Jason Chimera took a blindside hit from Panthers defenseman Tyson 

Strachan in the second period, but the left wing managed to return. And the 

Caps managed not to let up. 

“We were fresh off a game where we were down 3-0 in the first and we 

came back. I think that probably helped us that we knew it was far from 

over,” said goaltender Braden Holtby, who won his eight game in 11 straight 

starts. “We stuck with it. It's hard to play your game in those last two periods 

when you have a lead, but I think we did a very good job of it.” 

Oleksy said he had never been a part of a game like this. It's rare for a team 

to blow an opponent out of an arena this badly. 

That's why Oates wasn't talking about using this game as a confidencebuilding 

moving forward. 

“Almost like if it happened against us where, like, we've got to throw the 

tape away,” he said. “The league's not that easy. We've got to remove that. 

… Florida had one of those bad nights, and it's over.” 



Capitals score early, often in rout of Panthers 

Brian McNally 

There were still 58 minutes of hockey left to play, and it was only a single 

goal. But when defenseman John Erskine is shooting from just inside the 

blue line and the puck goes in anyway, it figures to be your night. 

So it was for the Capitals on Thursday evening at Verizon Center, where 

they thrashed the Florida Panthers 7-1 in a game that was all but over in 

less than nine minutes. Erskine scored 1:58 into it, a wraparound attempt 

by Wojtek Wolski slipped under the pads of rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom 

a little more than a minute later and the rout was underway. 

Two shots, two goals in 3:10 and Markstrom quickly found himself sitting on 

the bench. But veteran backup goalie Scott Clemmensen didn't fare much 

better. He allowed goals to defenseman John Carlson and then center Mike 

Ribeiro. At the 8:10 mark, after just eight shots, Washington was up 4-0 on 

the shell-shocked Panthers, who were playing without seven regulars. 

Realignment gets OK 

"We talked about [Florida's injuries], but we know they went into Winnipeg 

the other night with injuries, too, and they walked all over Winnipeg," 

Erskine said. "We were ready for them." 

It was the second-fastest four goals scored by the Caps in a game. The 

only time they have done better, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is 

Jan. 21, 1986, when they scored four against the Minnesota North Stars in 

just 6:49. Eleven different Washington players recorded a point. 

The victory kept the Caps (10-11-1, 21 standings points) out of last place in 

the Eastern Conference. It was also their third consecutive win and their 

best performance yet in a stretch of games that has seen them go 8-3 since 

Feb. 9. 

Markstrom helped get things started. Erskine found himself with time to 

shoot as he crossed into the offensive zone and sent a routine shot at the 

net. He couldn't have expected Markstrom wouldn't glove it cleanly and 

have it bounce over his shoulder and into the net instead. The Panthers 

might have shaken that one off, but just 72 seconds later Wolski came 

clean around the net and stuffed a puck through. It was his second goal in 

as many games after a 10-game pointless streak. 

A borderline hit by Florida defenseman Tyson Strachan on Caps forward 

Jason Chimera led to the fifth goal. Alex Ovechkin scored 20 seconds into 

the five-minute major penalty at 9:17 of the second period. Chimera was 

knocked to the ice for a time but returned to the game. Strachan was 

ejected. 

"I don't know if we had the best two first shifts that we wanted, but we were 

able to get that [first] goal," Ribeiro said. "And then we just kept rolling from 

there." 

Washington Examiner LOADED: 03.08.2013


In NHL, freedom to add visor or not to add visor 

Brian McNally 

It is a decision every NHL player is free to make, and the majority of them 

want to keep it that way. According to the NHL Players' Association, a 

majority of its membership is against the idea of making visors on helmets 

mandatory. 

There is no question that visors can prevent catastrophic eye and face 

injuries. Just this week New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, who 

doesn't wear a visor, took a puck to the right eye. He is now out indefinitely. 

And yet despite 73 percent of NHL players wearing visors, players prefer to 

have the option. 

"I've thought about it, for sure," said Capitals forward Jason Chimera, one of 

only four players on the team who doesn't wear a visor. "Your mom's 

always pressing you. Your wife's always pressing you. But it's one of those 

things that maybe a little stubbornness comes in. When you see stuff like 

that, though, it certainly makes me think twice about it." 

And that's because visors can affect players' sight lines. They have to 

weigh the benefits of that with the very real risk of serious injury. Staal's 

recent scare again pushed the issue to the forefront. Another case Chimera 

knows well is his good friend Manny Malhotra, who plays for Vancouver. He 

suffered a serious left eye injury March 16, 2011, in a game against 

Columbus. 

For a time doctors thought Malhotra's sight was in jeopardy. But he returned 

later that season to play in the Stanley Cup finals with the Canucks. 

Ultimately, however, even after playing all last season, Malhotra's vision on 

the ice had been compromised. He appeared in nine games this year 

before Vancouver placed him on injured reserve. It is unclear whether he 

will play again. 

"I still think guys should have the choice. If they're willing to take the risk, 

then they've got to deal with it if they do get hurt," said Washington 

defenseman Karl Alzner, who toyed with dropping the visor before last 

season but ultimately decided to keep it. "You've got to let guys have a little 

bit of freedom." 

Washington Examiner LOADED: 03.08.2013

662185 Winnipeg Jets 

Byfuglien man of few words on personal life; ready to face Lightning 

By: Gary Lawless 

TAMPA -- Dustin Byfuglien broke his silence on Thursday after the Jets' 

morning skate and, in keeping with the private nature of the man, had little 

to say about his family matters. 

Byfuglien did not travel to south Florida with the Jets on Sunday and arrived 

just over an hour prior to the team’s 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on 

Tuesday. 

The Jets (10-11-1) meet the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight (6:30 p.m., 

TSNJets, TSN 1290 and Byfuglien spoke with the media following the Jets 

morning skate. 

Byfuglien travelled to Roseau, Minn. to attend his grandfather’s funeral. 

Byfuglien is known around the Jets organization for having a big sense of 

humour and a bigger heart. But he’s private when it comes to talking with 

the media and is disciplined in his approach. He speaks on his schedule 

and not that of anyone else. 

"I had a thing with the family and I don’t want to talk about it but I had to go 

home for a bit," said Byfuglien. 

The Jets arranged for Byfuglien to fly from Winnipeg to Toronto and then 

Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday in an attempt to skirt a storm that hammered 

the U.S. midwest. 

"I was in economy. Just like you guys. It was chaos and a long day. It was 

different. I put the headphones on and went to sleep," chuckled Byfuglien, 

who normally has a business-class style seat on the Jets private plane. 

"It was different. You don’t have as much time to think and prepare 

especially when you haven’t been around. I had some things to get done to 

be ready." 

Arriving just prior to game time and in a different emotional headspace 

didn’t prevent Byfuglien from playing. 

"Did I think about not playing? No not really. It was something I thought I 

needed to do to clear the head," he said. "At first, I didn’t know what to think 

or how I was going to react. But when it was time to go it was just react and 

don’t think. It was hockey. It was all business." 

Winnipeg will start Al Montoya (2-0-0) in goal and Tampa Bay will counter 

with Anders Lindback (8-5-1). 

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.08.2013


Right approach, right results 


Tampa, Fla. -- Do the right things and a team wins games. Win games and 

good things happen to a team. 

The Winnipeg Jets saw that cause and effect on Thursday night as they 

played the style required for them to be successful and earned a 2-1 win 

over the divisional rival Tampa Bay Lightning. 

The victory resulted in the Jets shooting up from 11th in the Eastern 

Conference standings to ninth. Winnipeg now owns a .500 record at 11-11- 

1 for 23 points, just three back of a playoff spot in the East. 

"That's the way we want to play every night. It was a good battle from both 

teams. We did the right things as a team, which we didn't do the last two 

games and they were losses," said veteran defenceman Mark Stuart. 

First period 

-- Eric Tangradi has been given an opportunity by the Jets, playing in 16 

games since being acquired, but his window of opportunity was in danger of 

being closed after failing to produce any points. A first-period goal showed 

off his size and finish as he beat Lightning goalie Anders Lindback from in 

tight. 

"That felt great. I've been trying to contribute and I think I have with my size, 

but scoring is something I have to do as well," said Tangradi. "Hopefully this 

will give me more opportunity and I can build on this." 

Second period 

-- A key coming into this game for the Jets was staying out of the penalty 

box, as Tampa has one of the league's most dangerous power plays. 

Things went awry for Winnipeg as both Stuart and Paul Postma ended up in 

the box at the same time. Goalie Al Montoya came up with some key saves 

and the Jets escaped the second still leading 1-0. 

"All the guys did a great job on the penalty kill," said Montoya. "They didn't 

let them have many shots and when they did, I was able to see them and 

then our guys cleared pucks away. It was a big win for us." 

Third period 

-- The heat turned up in the third period as Lightning sniper Steven 

Stamkos scored his league-leading 18th of the season. Montoya had no 

chance and the Lightning found themselves even at home with lots of 

mileage left on the clock. 

But the Jets proved resilient and Bryan Little cashed in with a quick shot 

that left Lindberg wanting. 

After the buzzer 

-- Jets head coach Claude Noel pointed to his team's penalty-killing in the 

game and in particular in the second period as the key to the win. 

"The turning point in the game was the 5-on-3 for the full two minutes. We 

lost (Mark) Stuart and were down a defenceman so that's why I called the 

timeout, to keep the people fresh." 



Montoya near-perfect in tough gig, as he must be 


TAMPA, Fla. -- Al Montoya is like an emergency room doctor -- he never 

knows when he's going to get some action or what it will entail. But he'd 

better be near-perfect or the results will be disastrous. 

Montoya got tapped on Thursday with his team in a dangerous tailspin and 

he provided the footing they needed to get stabilized. 

Montoya was strong from beginning to end and gave his team key saves in 

difficult moments. His only sin was getting out of the way of a Steven 

Stamkos heater early in the third period of a 2-1 win for the Jets. 

"That was great. We were embarrassed the last time we came in here for 

whatever reason and we knew we wanted to get that one back," said 

Montoya, referring to an 8-3 loss back on Feb. 1. "We knew this would be a 

tough road game and we had to keep the score down in this building and 

we did that." 

Montoya is the understudy to No. 1 Ondrej Pavelec, who had reeled off 10 

straight starts before coach Claude Noel determined it was time to give his 

starter a break. 

"I've been in this league and done a lot of things. Played a lot of games and 

not played a lot of games. It's a matter of getting in there when you get a 

chance and doing your job," said Montoya. 

One of the issues the Jets dealt with last season was the drop-off in 

goaltending when Pavelec gave way to backup Chris Mason. Montoya has 

been near-perfect when given the chance to play and now owns a 3-0 

record. 

"Montoya was good. He made a few key saves. He looked comfortable and 

like he could see the puck. He was good all night for me," said Noel. "That's 

a really tough task to come in every 10 games or so and do the job he did. 

Our hat goes off to him and his teammates appreciate the job he did." 

There's so little room for error with the Jets now as they try and push for the 

playoffs and Pavelec can't play all the games. But when he's out, there can't 

be a letdown in goaltending. It's simply too important. 

Montoya can't be a liability. He must be an asset, and he was just that on 




Jets-Panthers summary March 7 

By: Staff Writer 

First Period 

1. Winnipeg, Tangradi 1, 10:05 

Penalty -- Kane Wpg (high-sticking) 11:45. 

Second Period 

No Scoring 

Penalties -- Stuart Wpg (fighting, major), Crombeen TB (fighting, major) 

0:19, Jokinen Wpg (goaltender interference) 3:05, Stuart Wpg (highsticking), 

Postma Wpg (interference) 7:57, Hedman TB (tripping) 16:30, 

Brewer TB (hooking) 17:40. 

Third Period 

2. Tampa Bay, Stamkos 18 (St. Louis, Malone) 6:57 

3. Winnipeg, Little 4 (Ladd) 15:52 

Penalties -- Winnipeg bench (too many men, served by Jokinen) 0:55. 

Referees -- Brad Watson, Tom Kowal. Linesmen -- Brian Mach, Jonny 

Murray. 

Attendance -- 19,204 (19,204). 

"ï"ï FOURTH LINERS: 

The Jets have used a combination of 10 players to fill out the bottom six 

spots of their forward group for a total of 132 man games. The group, which 

includes Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky, Jim Slater, Chris Thorburn, 

Jamie Wright, Anthony Peluso, Kyle Wellwood, Antti Miettinen, Eric 

Tangradi and Mark Scheifele, combined for just seven goals and 12 assists. 

"ï"ï YZERMAN'S VISOR: 

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman discussed his view on visors Thursday night 

in the wake of Rangers' Marc Staal's season-ending eye injury: "It took me 

20 years but I wore one in my last year. I had an eye injury and put one on. 

It took a little getting used to but not that much. I would encourage everyone 

to wear one." 

"ï"ï UP NEXT: 

Winnipeg plays Florida tonight in Sunrise, Fla., before finishing its current 

road trip with a Sunday game in New Jersey. 



march 8 game lineup Jets vs Panthers 

By: Staff Writer 

"ï"ï ABOUT THE PANTHERS 

DEBUTS: Right-winger Jon Rheault was the fifth player this season to 

make his NHL debut for the Panthers. He did it Tuesday against the Jets. 

Others making thier NHL debut for Florida this season include Jonathan 

Huberdeau, Drew Shore, Quinton Howden and Mike Caruso. 

FARMHANDS: The Panthers are using nine players who have seen action 

in at least one game with their AHL affiliate in San Antonio this season. 

Drew Shore, Colby Robak, Nolan Yonkman, Tyson Strachan, Mike 

Santorelli, Erik Gudbranson, Mike Caruso, Jon Rheault and goalie Jacob 

Markstrom all have Rampage games under their belt this season. 

OUT OF THE BOX: For just the fifth time in Panthers history, the team went 

an entire game without being penalized Tuesday night against Winnipeg. 

The last time that occurred was Oct. 11, 2010 at Vancouver. 

WINNIPEG JETS 

31 Ondrej Pavelec 

35 Al Montoya 

4 Paul Postma 

5 Mark Stuart 

6 Ron Hainsey 

8 Alexander Burmistrov 

9 Evander Kane 

12 Olli Jokinen 

13 Kyle Wellwood 

14 Anthony Peluso 

16 Andrew Ladd 

17 James Wright 

18 Bryan Little 

19 Jim Slater 

22 Chris Thorburn 

24 Grant Clitsome 

25 Zach Redmond 

26 Blake Wheeler 

27 Eric Tangradi 

33 Dustin Byfuglien 

39 Tobias Enstrom 

44 Zach Bogosian 

80 Nik Antropov 

FLORIDA 

PANTHERS 

30 Scott Clemmensen 

35 Jacob Markstrom 

7 Dmitry Kulikov 

9 Stephen Weiss 

11 Jonathan Huberdeau 

12 Jack Skille 

13 Mike Santorelli 

14 Tomas Fleischmann 

15 Drew Shore 

17 Filip Kuba 

18 Shawn Matthias 

22 George Parros 

23 Tyson Strachan 

25 Jerred Smithson 

27 Alex Kovalev 

43 Mike Weaver 

44 Erik Gudbranson 

47 Colby Robak 

51 Brian Campbell 

57 Marcel Goc 

82 Tomas Kopecky 

88 Peter Mueller 

(Lineups subject to change) 

-- Lawless 



Buff breaks his silence 


TAMPA, Fla. -- There are two Dustin Byfugliens. The one who former 

teammmates seek out after games and greet with bear hugs. Then there is 

the man who prefers his privacy where the media is concerned and isn't 

afraid to defend it. 

Byfuglien speaks when Byfuglien wants to speak. Good luck trying to 

convince him to do otherwise. 

Byfuglien broke his silence on Thursday after the Jets' morning skate and, 

as is the nature of the man, had little to say about his family matters. 

Byfuglien did not travel to South Florida with the Jets on Sunday and 

arrived just over an hour prior to the team's 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers 

on Tuesday. 

Byfuglien travelled to Roseau, Minn., to attend his grandfather's funeral. 

Byfuglien is known around the Jets organization for having a big sense of 

humour and a bigger heart. 

"I had a thing with the family and I don't want to talk about it but I had to go 

home for a bit," said Byfuglien. 

The Jets arranged for Byfuglien to fly from Winnipeg to Toronto and then 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Tuesday in an attempt to skirt a storm that was 

hammering the U.S. midwest. 

"I was in economy. Just like you guys. It was chaos and a long day. It was 

different. I put the headphones on and went to sleep," chuckled Byfuglien, 

who normally has his own business class-style seat on the Jets' private 

charter. "It was different. You don't have as much time to think and prepare, 

especially when you haven't been around. I had some things to get done to 

be ready." 

Arriving just prior to game time and an in different emotional headspace 

didn't prevent Byfuglien from playing. 

"Did I think about not playing? No, not really. It was something I thought I 

needed to do to clear the head," he said. "At first, I didn't know what to think 

or how I was going to react. But when it was time to go it was just react and 

don't think. It was hockey. It was all business." 

Byfuglien had an ordinary game on Tuesday according to his coach, Claude 

Noel. 

"I thought he was fine," said Noel. "It wasn't his best game but he wasn't an 

issue. I thought he should play and he wanted to play. It was good for him." 



Dustin Byfuglien's return to hockey helped him deal with grandfather’s 

death 

By Ted Wyman 

TAMPA, FLA. - Hockey has been therapeutic this week for an emotional 

Dustin Byfuglien. 

Byfuglien still didn’t want to talk about the family matter which drew him 

away from the Winnipeg Jets on Monday and forced him to arrive in 

Sunrise, Fla., just 80 minutes before a game against the Florida Panthers. 

“I just had a thing with the family,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about it, but I 

had to go home for a bit.” 

Byfuglien was actually attending his grandfather’s funeral Monday, and said 

he was dealing with a lot of emotions. 

“At first, I didn’t really know what to think or how I was going to react (when 

he got on the ice) but when it was time to go, it was time to play and once 

you get on the ice it was all hockey, all business.” 

On Tuesday he had to deal with flight delays and cancellations and it took 

him a long time to get to South Florida. 

“It was just like any other travel, just like you guys trying to get down here,” 

he said. “It was chaos, it was a long day. It wasn’t easy but it was 

something I had to do.” 

In a rare situation for a millionaire hockey player, Byfuglien had to sit in 

economy seats on the flights. 

“It was different … it was all right,” he laughed. “Just put the headphones on 

and go to sleep.” 

Byfuglien arrived at the BB&T Center at 6:10 p.m. and was on the ice at 7 

p.m., for the warmups. 

“It was definitely a little different,” he said. “Especially when you haven’t 

been around, you don’t have as much time to sit and think and prepare. It 

was just a matter of having to do what you’ve got to do.” 

Byfuglien, who has three goals and 10 points this season in 17 games and 

is averaging a team-high 24:33 in ice time, was asked if he considered not 

playing on Tuesday night. 

“No, not really. It was something that I needed to do. Just clear the head 

and go play.” 

Like the rest of his teammates, Byfuglien was angry about the listless 

performance in Florida and had a sour taste in his mouth all day 

Wednesday. 

“We definitely weren’t happy after the game but it’s something you’ve got to 

let go, you’ve got to move on,” he said. 

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.08.2013


No quit this night 

By Ted Wyman 

TAMPA, Fla. -- It was exactly the type of response Winnipeg Jets coach 

Claude Noel wanted to see from his players. 

Humbled two nights earlier in an uninspired loss to the Florida Panthers, the 

Jets bounced back and played an excellent road game Thursday night, 

getting a late goal from Bryan Little to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 at 

the Tampa Bay Times Forum. 

From backup goaltender Al Montoya, to a group of penalty killers who killed 

off five Lightning power plays, including a two-minute, two-man advantage, 

to a fourth-liner who scored his first goal of the season the Jets put in a 

complete effort. 

"You are just looking for a response and the response really has to be in the 

players' play and I thought we got that," Noel said after the Jets improved 

their record to 11-11-1 on the season. "The bench was alive, our guys were 

into the game and I thought we were good. 

"We were all disappointed and asked ourselves questions and we knew we 

had to win the game in order for us to move forward because otherwise it 

just gets more negative. It was good, I'm pretty happy." 

Right from the opening faceoff the Jets came out with more intensity and 

energy than they showed at any point in Florida and it paid off when Eric 

Tangradi scored his first goal as a Jet and second of his 56-game NHL 

career midway through the first. 

The Jets held the lead for almost 40 minutes but NHL goal-scoring leader 

Steven Stamkos finally tied the game 6:57 into the third and the Jets had to 

hold off a flurry of Lightning chances before Little scored the winner with 

4:08 left in the game. 

"It was a pretty ugly game in Florida and everyone knows our effort wasn't 

good enough," Little said. "Tonight our effort was a lot better, we worked a 

lot harder and everything was more consistent about our game. It was a 

division game and it was a big two points. 

"No one likes to hear that they are getting outworked, so I thought we did a 

great job tonight of responding and I thought we deserved to win." 

Montoya and penalty killers like Ron Hainsey, Zach Bogosian, James 

Wright and Jim Slater deserve a lot of credit for the victory. 

Montoya, who had not played in 10 games, was stellar in picking up his 

third win of the season, taking away angles with his great positioning and 

makes some key saves off some of the best shooters in the NHL. 

"Coming in here tied with them in the standings, this was a big game for us 

and you've got to keep the score down in this building," Montoya said. "We 

did that tonight. 

"It's not easy when you go in there every couple of weeks, but at the same 

time I'm not going to make an excuse about it and just be prepared." 

To a man, the Jets and Noel pointed to the job of the penalty killers as the 

biggest key. Blue-liners Mark Stuart and Paul Postma both went off at 7:57 

of the second period but the Lightning couldn't capitalize. 

"They did an awesome job," Montoya said. "(The Lightning) had a tough 

time entering the zone and when they did we were pouncing all over loose 

pucks in the zone. I had to make one or two saves but I knew where the 

puck was going and once I made the saves the fellas did a great job of 

batting the puck out of the zone." 

One of the best signs from the Jets was the number of players who talked 

about the fact that this win means very little if they can't come up with a 

similar performance back in Florida Friday night. 

"This is huge but you have to realize, you enjoy tonight, cause it's a quick 

turnaround and we're going to have to get right back in there," Montoya 

said. 

The injury-ravaged Panthers lost 7-1 at Washington Thursday night, but 

have been a tough opponent for the Jets every time the teams have faced 

off this season. 

"We're gonna want to get back into Florida and put our best foot forward," 

Noel said. 

The success or failure of this road trip hinges on it. 



Tangradi nets his first 

By Ted Wyman 

TAMPA, Fla. -- If he keeps shooting the puck like that, it won't be long 

before Eric Tangradi scores his second goal as a Winnipeg Jet. 

Tangradi got his first goal since joining the team 11 games ago Thursday 

night in a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

He roofed a shot to the short side on Lightning goalie Anders Lindback to 

give the Jets a 1-0 lead midway through the first period. 

"It felt great "¦ it's been a while since my last one," Tangradi said. The last 

one came in the 2010-11 season when he was with the Pittsburgh 

Penguins. 

"It's a big lift off my shoulders to finally get that first one. It's tough when you 

are playing but not contributing so this is a nice feeling." 

Just getting a goal from a fourth-liner is big for the Jets, who get precious 

little offensive contribution from that area. 

- Wyman 



A win and is he back in? 

By Kirk Penton 

Why not throw Al Montoya back between the pipes? 

He was superb on Thursday night in Winnipeg's 2-1 win over the Tampa 

Bay Lightning, and the Jets just seems to play better in front of him. 

Ondrej Pavelec played on Tuesday night in the 4-1 loss to the Florida 

Panthers, and he wasn't the sharpest. It's time for head coach Claude Noel 

to start giving more ice time to the Jets who play well, and Montoya played 

great on Thursday night. 

So give him the start in the rematch against the Panthers on Friday night, 

and then you can go back to Ondrej Pavelec on Sunday in New Jersey. 

AROUND THE GLASS 

It was evident in the first few minutes of the game that the Jets felt bad 

about their showing in Florida, which was arguably their ugliest of the 

season. When you think about it, they should have had plenty of energy 

early on because they didn't waste any of it on Tuesday. 

You can bet Ron Hainsey enjoyed Wednesday's day off, even though he 

and the Jets didn't deserve it after Tuesday's pitiful performance. Hainsey 

spent his winter in hotel conference rooms battling the NHL for whatever 

the NHL Players Association could get in the new CBA, and one of those 

was four days off a month. Wednesday was one of those days, and there 

was nothing Noel could do about it to get his team on the ice. 

Hainsey looked like he was still on the beach in the first period, however, 

turning the puck over in his own end for about the millionth time this 

season. 

Kyle Wellwood has been one of the best Jets on this road trip, and his work 

on Eric Tangradi's game-opening goal was a thing of beauty. He kept the 

puck away from a couple of Lightning players, and then the puck ended up 

on the stick of Tangradi. 

Despite that, Wellwood ended up getting only 6:05 of ice time, and Tangradi 

had even less with 4:48. So much for rewarding good play with more ice 

time. 

It sure didn't hurt that Jim Slater slashed the stick out of Cory Conacher's 

hands just before Tangradi scored. It was a savvy, veteran move by Slater 

and went unnoticed by the two referees on the ice. 

Only three teams in the Eastern Conference have more road wins than 

Winnipeg's seven: Pittsburgh, Boston and Toronto. 

No teams in the Eastern Conference have fewer home wins than 

Winnipeg's four. 

Paging Nik Antropov, who has just one goal and has won only 42.9% of his 

face-offs this season. 

The last time the Jets played in Tampa they gave up three power-play goals 

in the first period, so it was quite the opposite situation when they killed off 

a two-man disadvantage in the second period. Montoya made a great save 

on Vincent Lecavalier during the penalty kill, and he, too, showed some 

veteran savvy when his helmet "accidentally" fell off during the Lightning's 

strike. Noel told reporters after the game that it was the biggest moment of 

the contest for his team. 

Believe it or not, the Jets are no longer the worst penalty killers in the 

league. That dubious distinction now belongs to the Florida Panthers. 

Dustin Byfuglien made a curious decision on a second-period power play 

when he passed the puck back to Montoya, who looked surprised when the 

disc came his way. Why is Byfuglien passing to a goalie who rarely plays? 

It's not Montoya's job to handle the puck. 

As good as the night was for the Jets, Hainsey and Zach Bogosian both 

went into the corner to chase the puck in the third period, leaving Steven 

Stamkos all alone in front of the net. Blake Wheeler tried desperately to 

cover for his two teammates, but it was too late and Stamkos buried his 

league-leading 18th of the season. 

There's no way to prove this without asking him, but it looked like Evander 

Kane thought twice about making a pass late in the third period. He was in 

the corner of the offensive zone with the puck, facing the boards, and it 

looked for about half a second that he was going to try a no-look pass into 

the slot before deciding at the last minute to keep the puck and go behind 

the net. It was a smart decision that allowed the Jets to keep possession 

and not potentially cause an odd-man rush going the other way. 

The Jets have scored three goals in their last three games against three 

sub-.500 teams. That's still a reason to be concerned. 

The bottom line for the Jets in the victory is they've simply continued their 

inconsistent play. They had an awful game on Tuesday, and they had a 

solid game on Thursday. They are a .500 team when it comes to points 

percentage, and they moved back into ninth place in the Eastern 

Conference. The journey continues. 


662195 Websites 

ESPN / Midseason picks for awards 

By Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun 

Hart Trophy (MVP) 

Crosby 

Burnside's pick: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins 

Interesting race shaping up for the NHL scoring title, as Sidney Crosby and 

Steven Stamkos are going toe to toe, while Stamkos also is setting the 

pace in his pursuit of another Rocket Richard Trophy as the leader in goals 

scored. But Crosby's Penguins are a threat to win the Cup and they have 

been without Evgeni Malkin, at least for a short while, which means Crosby 

has once again shouldered a significant offensive burden for a team that 

ranks second in the league in goals per game and third on the power play. 

Meanwhile, Stamkos' Lightning have been in a weekslong slide and don't 

bear much of a resemblance to a playoff squad. Patrick Kane warrants 

serious Hart Trophy consideration, too, with his renaissance with the 

streaking Blackhawks. Ottawa netminder Craig Anderson's injury has 

hampered his Hart stock, and Pekka Rinne lurks on the outskirts of the 

MVP discussion, but it's hard to give this award to anyone but the Penguins' 

captain right now. 

Kane 

LeBrun's pick: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks 

To me, it came down to Kane, Crosby and Stamkos, and the latter is hurt in 

this voting by his team struggling. Flip a coin between Kane and Crosby. It's 

awfully nice to see No. 87 healthy and back to the top of his game in 

Pittsburgh after what he went through. And my guess is he will win the Hart 

Trophy once the real voting begins at the end of the season. But for my 

midseason pick, I'll go with Kane. A tip of the hat to the Blackhawks star 

who has refocused himself on his craft and has been spectacular, night in 

and night out, in leading the NHL's best team to first place. 

Honorable mention: Steven Stamkos, Tampa; Craig Anderson, Ottawa; Eric 

Staal, Carolina; Thomas Vanek, Buffalo; John Tavares, N.Y. Islanders; 

Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit; Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit; Jonathan Toews, 

Chicago; Pekka Rinne, Nashville. 

Norris Trophy (defensive player) 

Letang 

Burnside's pick: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins 

Definite changing of the guard at least at the midpoint of the season when it 

comes to evaluating the game's best defenseman. Kris Letang has 

emerged as a workhorse along a Penguins blue line that has its fair share 

of up-and-down moments. Still, Letang is a plus player who logs more ice 

time than any other defenseman in the Eastern Conference outside of Dion 

Phaneuf of Toronto (we don't count the injured Erik Karlsson). Letang also 

leads all defensemen in point production. Letang, who observers believe 

hasn't hit his full stride yet, plays a much different game than Niklas 

Kronwall of Detroit, who might be Letang's main competition for the Norris 

at this point of the season given the evolution of Kronwall's offensive game. 

Not to be forgotten is the underappreciated Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the 

Phoenix Coyotes, who might be one of the game's smartest defenders. 

Slowly but surely, Ryan Suter is rounding into form in Minnesota, and the 

Wild have crept up the standings to challenge for the Northwest Division 

lead as he has played better (he leads the NHL in average ice time per 

game). Still, at the halfway point, Letang would edge out his competition in 

our books. 

Kronwall 

LeBrun's pick: Niklas Kronwall, Detroit Red Wings 

Kind of amazing when you have a list that doesn't include Shea Weber or 

Drew Doughty, but I think it's only a matter of time over the last half of the 

season that those guys will find their way into the conversation. Both 

players are playing much better since early-season struggles. For me, it 

came down to Kronwall and Letang for the midseason award. I chose the 

Red Wings veteran because, on a blue line that lost Nicklas Lidstrom and 

Brad Stuart and is trying to survive committee-style, Kronwall has had to do 

even more and has elevated his game in doing so. He is playing 24 minutes 

a game and is among the defenseman scoring leaders, and everyone 

knows about his physical play. I think he deserves the nod right now. 

Honorable mention: Zdeno Chara, Boston; Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Phoenix; 

Ryan Suter, Minnesota; Andrei Markov, Montreal; Alex Pietrangelo, St. 

Louis; Duncan Keith, Chicago; Marc Staal, N.Y. Rangers; Francois 

Beauchemin, Anaheim; Victor Hedman, Tampa; Kevin Shattenkirk, St. 

Louis. 

Vezina Trophy (goaltender) 

Niemi 

Burnside's pick: Antti Niemi, San Jose Sharks 

Lots of factors to consider with this one, most notably the injury to Craig 

Anderson, who still leads the NHL with a .952 save percentage and is 

second with a 1.49 goals-against average but hasn't played since Feb. 21 

with an ankle injury. Corey Crawford, likewise, has battled injury and split 

time with Ray Emery for the league's best team, the Chicago Blackhawks. 

While his numbers are sparkling, the shared workload likely will hurt him in 

terms of Vezina consideration. Pekka Rinne, a Vezina Trophy finalist the 

previous two seasons, has been the main reason the goal-starved 

Predators are still in the playoff mix. But for me, the Vezina buck stops with 

San Jose's Antti Niemi. Niemi has been the catalyst to a Sharks resurgence 

after a horrible stretch of play. His 10 wins are one off the league lead, and 

his 1.83 GAA and .935 save percentage are impressive while he ranks 

seventh in the league in ice time. And in 13 of his 18 games this season, 

Niemi has allowed two or fewer goals. 

Anderson 

LeBrun's pick: Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators 

I know Anderson has been hurt the past few weeks, but at least for a 

midseason nod, how can you not reward the guy with a league-leading 1.49 

GAA and .952 save percentage? I mean, come on. I think Tuukka Rask and 

Niemi also deserve strong consideration. Not too many people have noticed 

what Niemi is doing this season, but, as Sharks center Logan Couture said 

to me recently, "He's been our MVP." Rask has been rock solid, taking over 

as No. 1 from Tim Thomas and not blinking once. 

Honorable mention: Corey Crawford, Chicago; Carey Price, Montreal; 

Tuukka Rask, Boston; Viktor Fasth, Anaheim; Pekka Rinne, Nashville; Kari 

Lehtonen, Dallas; Henrik Lundqvist, N.Y. Rangers; Jimmy Howard, Detroit. 

Calder Trophy (rookie) 

Huberdeau 

Burnside's pick: Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers 

This is a tough one because the range of candidates covers forward and 

defense, good teams and bad, those who started fast and faded, and those 

who have come on as the season has progressed. At the midpoint, there 

are two defensemen, Justin Schultz in Edmonton and Dougie Hamilton in 

Boston, who are on the Calder radar. The forwards short list includes 

Jonathan Huberdeau, who leads all rookies in goals; Cory Conacher, who 

leads in points; and Brendan Gallagher, who has of late been the most 

dynamic of first-year players for the red-hot Montreal Canadiens. But I'm 

going to go with perhaps the best player on the worst team in the NHL, and 

that means Huberdeau gets the nod. With the Panthers ravaged by injury 

and sinking in the standings, his play has been a beacon of light in an 

otherwise dark void. 

Huberdeau 

LeBrun's pick: Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers 

Huberdeau is so much fun to watch. He's electric. A scout told me he can't 

believe the kid's awareness all around him, that most rookie forwards need 

more time to develop that kind of vision. I think his biggest challenge will 

come from Hamilton, who has impressed in Boston in his first NHL season, 

and everyone knows how much harder it is to crack this league as a 

blueliner. 

Honorable mention: Cory Conacher, Tampa; Brendan Gallagher, Montreal; 

Justin Schultz, Edmonton; Nail Yakupov, Edmonton; Dougie Hamilton, 

Boston; Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal. 

Jack Adams Award (coach) 

Boudreau

Burnside's pick: Bruce Boudreau, Anaheim Ducks 

Tough, tough category. It's hard not to examine the work Joel Quenneville 

has done with the peerless Blackhawks and just give him the award right 

now, especially given the rumblings that perhaps Quenneville's position in 

Chicago wasn't all that secure at the start of the season. And of course 

there's Paul MacLean, a finalist last season who has done yeoman's work 

in Ottawa where the Sens are without Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza and 

Craig Anderson. But the Ducks are off to a franchise-best start after a 

tumultuous 2011-12 season that saw Randy Carlyle dispatched. Boudreau 

has shown a deft hand in integrating Swedish sensation Viktor Fasth in 

goal, and has gotten maximum production from guys such as Kyle Palmieri, 

Nick Bonino, Daniel Winnik and Andrew Cogliano. He also has managed to 

keep his big guns firing in spite of the potential distraction Corey Perry's and 

Ryan Getzlaf's contract situations continue to represent. 

MacLean 

LeBrun's pick: Paul MacLean, Ottawa Senators 

Not sure the Senators can keep hanging in there all the way through, but 

it's amazing what they accomplished in the first half given the injury losses 

headlined by Erik Karlsson and Jason Spezza. Truly an incredible coaching 

job by MacLean. There are a number of others who truly deserve the nod. 

Mike Babcock has had to coach his butt off through all the injuries in 

Detroit, especially given his blue line. Michel Therrien and Carlyle have 

similarly changed the culture in their respective Original Six towns, both the 

Habs and Leafs surprising stories in their own right. Boudreau's work in 

Anaheim is sensational; the Ducks were 13th in the West last season and 

now are second in the conference. Alain Vigneault has had to deal with his 

well-documented goalie drama in Vancouver. And what of Quenneville? 

The guy hasn't lost a game in regulation in the first half of the season! All 

worthy of a midseason Jack Adams. 

Honorable mention: Michel Therrien, Montreal; Claude Julien, Boston; Joel 

Quenneville, Chicago; Randy Carlyle, Toronto; Alain Vigneault, Vancouver; 

Mike Babcock, Detroit. 

GM Of The Year 

Bowman 

Burnside's pick: Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks 

Hard trophy to assign a winner to because the nature of the job is to keep 

one eye on the present and one eye on the future. But Stan Bowman has 

done a masterful job of retooling the Blackhawks after a couple of turbulent 

seasons following their 2010 Stanley Cup win. The acquisition of 

defensemen Nick Leddy and Johnny Oduya has given the Blackhawks 

unprecedented depth along the blue line, and taken some of the pressure 

off Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. The team stood behind star Patrick 

Kane when there were rumors it had had enough of his partying ways, and 

he responded with an inspired season. Then there are the contributions of 

youngsters such as Brandon Saad and Andrew Shaw, who have helped 

replenish the depth that was lost in the wake of the Cup win. And let's not 

forget the team's decision not to throw out the goaltending tandem of Corey 

Crawford and Ray Emery after last spring's disappointing turn against the 

Phoenix Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs. While Peter Chiarelli and 

Marc Bergevin in the East and Bob Murray in the West have shown to be 

astute judges of talent and the needs of their teams, I have to give the nod 

to Bowman. 

Chiarelli 

LeBrun's pick: Peter Chiarelli, Boston Bruins 

It just impresses me how Chiarelli has always managed his salary cap. The 

Bruins won the Cup in 2011 and have not lost any player of significance 

since. The core is mostly signed for years to come. And by moving Tim 

Thomas' cap hit to the Islanders, Chiarelli freed up $5 million more in cap 

space, pretty amazing. He's my pick at the midseason for GM of the year. 

Honorable mention: Marc Bergevin, Montreal; Ray Shero, Pittsburgh; Jim 

Rutherford, Carolina; Ken Holland, Detroit; Dean Lombardi, L.A.; Bob 

Murray, Anaheim. 

ESPN LOADED: 03.08.2013


ESPN / Five players who need to step up 

By Scott Burnside 

Carle 

1. Matt Carle, Tampa Bay Lightning 

When Carle signed a whopping six-year deal worth $33 million with the 

Lightning this past summer, the expectation was that he would help with the 

power play and the transition game, thus alleviating some of the defensive 

problems that plagued the Bolts last season. After a 6-1 start, the Lightning 

have gone 4-11-1 and fallen below the playoff bubble in the Eastern 

Conference. Carle has gone eight straight games without a point and has 

just one goal in his past 13 games. A postseason berth isn't out of the 

question, but Tampa Bay -- 26th in goals allowed per game -- is going to 

have to be a lot better on the defensive side of the puck if that's going to 

happen. 

Havlat 

2. Martin Havlat, San Jose Sharks 

The same issues dog the talented Sharks winger: durability and lack of 

timely production. So far, Havlat has delivered neither this season. After 

starting the season with a four-game point streak, he has just two points in 

his past 16 games. He left a game against Nashville this past weekend with 

an injury and did not play Tuesday. The team defense and goaltending 

have kept the team afloat in recent weeks, but Havlat is going to need to do 

more to ensure another postseason berth for San Jose. 

Weber 

3. Shea Weber, Nashville Predators 

Weber has slowly started to come around offensively, but it's not enough if 

the Predators are going to join the playoff fray for the eighth time in the past 

nine playoff seasons. And a playoff berth is unlikely unless their offense -- 

30th in the league in goals per game -- gets going. And the offense won't 

get going until the power play -- 26th in the league -- gets going. A season 

ago, Weber led the team with 10 power-play goals, the most among NHL 

defensemen. This season, he has no goals and just three power-play 

assists through the Preds' first 23 games, highlighting just how much he 

and the Preds miss Weber's longtime partner Ryan Suter. 

Richards 

4. Brad Richards, New York Rangers 

The Rangers' top center has gone 11 games without a goal, and the 

Rangers are hanging on to the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. 

A season ago, Richards scored 25 times, seven on the power play. This 

season, he has just two goals in total, none with the man advantage. On top 

of that, he was recently filled in by another Patrick Kaleta cheap shot that 

saw him miss Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Never mind 

the Stanley Cup many observers predicted New York was destined to win, 

the Blueshirts need more Brad Richards than they've seen in the first half if 

they want to assure themselves a ticket to the playoff dance. 

Pominville 

5. Jason Pominville, Buffalo Sabres 

A season ago, Pominville was the Sabres' only 30-goal scorer. And 

although the Buffalo captain got off to a good start in January, his 

production has gone south as the Sabres fell to the very bottom of the 

Eastern Conference. Pominville has managed to score in just two of 

Buffalo's past 14 games (three goals) and has just one power-play goal on 

the season. Given that the Sabres own the worst power play in the league 

by a country mile, you don't have to look very hard to see what Pominville 

and the Sabres need to do in the second half if they're going to crawl back 

into the postseason hunt. 



ESPN / Rumblings: Fighting, Pronger and more 

By Pierre LeBrun 

The debate on "staged fighting" carried on Thursday in the wake of the 

scary knockout from the previous night’s game in Toronto. 

Only 26 seconds into the latest installment of the Battle of Ontario, 

Toronto's Frazer McLaren decked Dave Dziurzynski when he caught the 

Ottawa forward flush with a right to the chin, sending him face down to the 

ice. Dziurzynski needed help getting off the ice and the Senators 

announced he has a concussion. 

For now, though, I wouldn’t expect a knee-jerk reaction from the NHL. 

Colin Campbell, the NHL’s senior vice president and director of hockey 

operations, told ESPN.com Thursday that, unless a general manager wants 

to add it as an agenda item, the subject is not currently scheduled to be 

discussed March 20 when the 30 GMs gather in Toronto. 

That can change, however, if this topic once again heats up and gathers 

more momentum. 

Let’s remember that Campbell and the 30 GMs agreed to bring in a new 

rule after their March 2009 meetings that would see two players get 10minute 

misconducts on top of their five-minute fighting majors for bouts right 

off a faceoff. 

But the new penalty was blocked by the NHL Players’ Association in June 

that year via the Competition Committee -- NHL tough guys voicing their 

displeasure with the rule. 

Many hockey people don’t like staged fights because they feel they don’t 

have a meaningful place in a game. Fights that come from the heat of the 

moment, from teammates avenging another, etc. are considered part of the 

game by most hockey people. But the staged fights annoy many GMs, 

which is why they attempted to bring in that rule four years ago. 

"They’re just plain stupid," one NHL GM told ESPN.com Thursday, referring 

to staged fights. "But what are you going to do about it?" 

Either way, Campbell said Thursday that the league has continued to 

monitor/discuss the topic of staged fights internally since 2009, but there’s 

nothing in the works to do anything about them at this point. 

According to research done by my other employer, TSN in Canada, 39 of 

185 fights this season -- prior to Thursday’s games -- were directly off 

faceoffs, aka staged fights. 

That’s more than 1 in 5 for those counting at home. 

One league did take action this season. The Ontario Hockey League, which 

features some of the world’s most talented junior-aged players, 

implemented a new rule that sees players suspended two games for each 

fighting major they receive once they’ve surpassed the 10-fight threshold for 

the year. The league was targeting serial fighters with the rule. 

The result? Fighting is down 27 percent in the OHL this season. 

"We feel that the new fighting standards, new fighting rules, have had a 

positive impact in terms of, first of all, reducing the one-dimensional player 

in terms of his frequency of fights -- which is what we initially set out to 

target -- and secondly, the overall decrease of 27 percent has certainly, in 

our view, been a very positive by-product of the new rule as well," OHL 

commissioner David Branch told ESPN.com Thursday. "Right now we’re 

very pleased with the adjustment to our game. 

"What we really look at, too, is attracting the best, young skilled players to 

our league. That’s what we really want to be about. We’re the No. 1 

development league in the world for the National Hockey League. We want 

to make sure the Connor McDavid’s of the world want to come and play in 

our league and we’re mindful for their well-being." 

It’s a rule that the NHL has kept an eye on this season, but I don’t suspect 

it’s something that will see the light of day in the big league. 

For starters, NHL teams could get around the rule by demoting/promoting 

tough guys once there’s danger of a player getting close to the threshold. 

The NHL has a wider pool of players to choose from in that regard. 

So the answer, if there is one at all, is not clear for the NHL. 

But I suspect the debate will continue. 

Pronger GM material? 

Chris Pronger hasn’t retired yet, but it’s a given at some point in time. 

He’s not going to play again, but for salary cap and CBA reasons he won’t 

officially retire while there’s still four more years after this season remaining 

on his seven-year, $34.55 million contract. Because the contract took affect 

after Pronger turned 35, the Flyers would still take that cap hit if he retired, 

but do not take the cap hit while he is on long-term injured reserve. 

Once that’s resolved, you wonder what’s in store in his post-playing future? 

How about NHL management? 

People close to Pronger told ESPN.com Thursday that he’s got GM 

material written all over him. As it is, he’s already been helping Flyers GM 

Paul Holmgren this year, scouting players on video for Philadelphia and 

watching the odd junior game. 

Just like Steve Yzerman went from Hall of Fame playing career to learning 

the management side for a few years under Ken Holland and Jim Nill in 

Detroit, there are some who feel Pronger would do the same with the 

Flyers, or elsewhere. 

Blues' goalies 

Jake Allen got the start in goal Thursday night in Phoenix and, if he gets on 

a roll, it could be his job for a bit. 

It’s officially about the hot hand now in St. Louis. Whoever is making saves 

will stay in goal. 

The Blues entered Thursday with the worst save percentage in the NHL 

(.870) after posting the No. 1 save percentage in the league last season 

(.929). 

Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott have struggled, and the defensive coverage 

in front of them hasn’t been ideal, either. 

For whatever reason, the Blues seemed to play some of their best hockey 

in front of Allen during his earlier call-up this season, so he gets another 

shot now with the team in desperate need of some saves and some wins. 

Speaking of the Blues, sources around the league say GM Doug Armstrong 

is on the lookout for a left-handed, top-four type blueliner, a guy who can 

play with either Alex Pietrangelo or Kevin Shattenkirk on either of the top 

two pairings. 

Easier said than done at midseason, and it might have to be something 

Armstrong waits until the summer to get. 



ESPN / Fighting realignment too risky for NHLPA 


I’m not surprised that, in the end, the NHL Players’ Association gave its 

consent to the NHL’s realignment plan. 

While there were still reservations among player membership regarding the 

unbalanced 16/14 split in conferences, it wasn’t worth the fight it would 

have become. 

Had the NHLPA pushed, the league could have had the matter resolved 

through a systems arbitrator whose decision would have been binding. A 

source told ESPN.com that had the league turned to an arbitrator to decide 

realignment and the ruling came in the league's favor, the union would have 

had to play under that system for as long as the NHL wanted. By agreeing 

on the matter, the players get to re-evaluate the four-division system after 

two seasons, and have only consented to play in the system for three 

seasons. 

Secondly, NHL owners still haven’t consented to participating in the Sochi 

Olympics next February. Perhaps not worth poking the bear on realignment 

if your players desperately want to go to Sochi. 

The league delivered its proposed realignment plan to owners nine days 

ago, but the union waited until Thursday to give its response. 

There’s a tremendous time pressure element, because the NHL’s schedule 

maker has usually finished next season's schedule matrix by this time of 

year. 

But, the NHLPA needed more time to gather the proper feedback from its 

membership. 

All 30 player reps -- which constitute the executive board -- were fully 

debriefed on calls and in face-to-face meetings in some cases. But the reps 

were also seeking feedback from their own teammates. 

So the process took a while, with every team playing nearly every second 

night in a compressed schedule. 

Now all that remains is an ownership vote and realignment is a go. That 

vote should materialize within the next week. What remains to be decided if 

is the owners want to meet in person to do it, or execute it via fax vote. 



ESPN / NHLPA OK with realignment plan 


While there were still reservations within the NHLPA regarding the 

unbalanced 16/14 split in a new realignment, it wasn't worth the fight it 

would have become, Pierre LeBrun writes. 

After much thought, the NHL Players' Association has given a thumbs-up to 

the league's proposed realignment plan. 

"After discussions with the Executive Board, the NHLPA has given consent 

to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,'' NHLPA 

executive director Donald Fehr said in a statement Thursday night. 

Both sides confirmed to ESPN.com that the NHLPA gave its consent to play 

in the proposed four-division system for three seasons -- through the 2015- 

16 season -- but they will begin to re-evaluate the system after two 

seasons. Therefore, no changes would be made to the system before the 

2016-17 season. 

New-Look NHL 

The NHL has proposed a new realignment plan that would feature playoff 

wild-card spots and four divisions. The four-division alignment would look 

like this: 

Pacific Division Mid-West Division 

Anaheim Chicago 

Calgary Colorado 

Edmonton Dallas 

Los Angeles Minnesota 

Phoenix Nashville 

San Jose St. Louis 

Vancouver Winnipeg 

Central Division Atlantic Division 

Boston Carolina 

Buffalo Columbus 

Detroit New Jersey 

Florida New York Islanders 

Montreal New York Rangers 

Ottawa Philadelphia 

Tampa Bay Pittsburgh 

Toronto Washington 

All that remains now is for the NHL's 30 owners to vote on the plan in order 

for it to go into effect for the 2013-14 season. A source told ESPN.com on 

Thursday evening that the NHL hopes to hold the board of governors vote 

within the next week. 



deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a statement. "Our next step will be to 




The NHL sent details of its realignment plan to owners Feb. 26 after 

discussing it for more than three weeks with the NHLPA. 

The league had hoped to get consent last week, but had to wait because 

the NHLPA needed more time to get feedback from its membership. All 30 

team player reps held calls or had face-to-face meetings with union officials 

to discuss the realignment plan, and some players had reservations about 

unbalanced conferences, a source told ESPN.com. 

The NHL's realignment plan calls for 16 teams in the Eastern Conference 

next season. Columbus and Detroit would move there from the Western 

Conference, which would be left with 14 teams. The plan also calls for the 

league to go from its current six-division format to four. 

The realignment plan also introduces wild-card playoff spots within the 

conferences. 



ESPN / Need to know: It was a sickening night 


Today’s Need to Know blog should focus on Chicago’s remarkable, historic 

point streak continuing with a rallying victory over Colorado on Wednesday 

night. But I can’t bring myself to ignore what transpired in Toronto. 

The sight of Ottawa Senators forward Dave Dziurzynski lying on the ice, 

knocked out, after getting pounded into submission by Toronto Maple Leafs 

heavyweight Frazer McLaren sickened me to no end. 

Oh, wait, no one ever gets hurt in a hockey fight, right? 

What a crock. 

Dziurzynski has a concussion and I’m happy it’s not worse. 

I’m not here to suggest a fight can’t swing the momentum of a game. 

Jarome Iginla and Vincent Lecavalier swinging fists in the 2004 Stanley Cup 

finals was a thrilling moment and I was there to cover it. Those are 

emotional bouts that are part of the fabric of the game. 

But this? Can you say "staged fight?" Battle of Ontario and these two guys 

drop the gloves 26 seconds into the game? 

There’s no heat-of-the-moment here. This is a predetermined affair that had 

zero consequence on the outcome of the game. 

Just plain old stupid is all it was, with an unfortunate consequence. 

There’s no easy answer here. I’m not calling for all-out ban on fighting 

because like many, I’m not sure what the NHL game would be like either if 

the rats got to run around with their sticks up without fear of retribution. 

But what I am saying is that I’m sick and tired of seeing these senseless 

types of fights in our game. And that was a senseless fight. 

My fear is that one day a player isn’t going to recover from one of these 

punches. This is a fear I can tell you that the higher-ups at the NHL’s head 

office also share deep down. 

It just seems to me that today’s NHL tough guy hits harder than ever before. 

Which only stands to reason, because today’s NHL player is also bigger 

and faster and shoots harder than ever before. The game continues to 

evolve in that direction. 

Mind you, a former NHL tough guy -- via text message Wednesday night -- 

disagreed with my notion that tough guys hit harder today, referring me to 

watch any of Joey Kocur’s fights from back in his day. 

Point taken. My source dropped the gloves in the NHL, I did not, so his 

insight here would have more value than mine. 

Either way, even if they’re not hitting harder, we are certainly more aware 

now about head injuries and the long-term health risks involved. That in 

itself should be enough to get everyone thinking more about this. 

And, from a society standpoint, we’ve become less tolerant of these kinds 

of violent acts. Our appetite for this kind of thing has changed. 

I mean, I could barely bring myself to watch rest of that Senators-Leafs 

game Wednesday night, I was so sickened by that fight. 

The only solution I’ve heard about that has any kind of merit is to introduce 

a sliding scale, or a threshold if you will, that after a certain number of 

fighting majors the player faces a suspension. 

The Ontario Hockey League introduced something like that this season, 

suspending players for two games after they’ve passed the 10-fight 

threshold on the season. The point is to minimize the impact of serial 

fighters and while I don’t have the exact statistics, multiple media reports 

during the OHL season pointed to fighting being down this season in the 

league. 

It’s a rule that I can tell you the NHL has watched very closely. In fact, Colin 

Campbell, the NHL’s senior vice president and director of hockey 

operations, told me back in September when the OHL announced this rule 

change that he had been in contact with the junior league on this. 

"They talk to us when they make rule changes like this," Campbell told 

ESPN.com back in September. "We’ve discussed the aspect of fighting 

over the years. We had a couple of initial discussions about this last spring. 

They were thinking about implementing some sort of quota. I mentioned to 

him we had debated that internally in hockey operations at the NHL level." 

I’m not sure the NHL would ever get the mandate to introduce something 

similar, but if my vote counted, it would be a hearty yes. 

How can you not feel that way after Wednesday night? 



FOXSports.com / Terry Crisp reminisces about Lightning's start 

Andrew Astleford 

TAMPA, Fla. — He has witnessed many firsts, so memories of a Tampa 

Bay original brought a smile to his face once more. 

On Thursday night, Terry Crisp stood deep inside Tampa Bay Times Forum 

and marked a vision's growth. Twenty years ago, in the 1992-93 season, 

the Parry Sound, Ontario, native coached the Tampa Bay Lightning during 

their inaugural campaign. 

There were a number of unknowns then: Could hockey survive in Florida? 

How long would a game of ice last in a state of beach sand and sun? But 

watching an uncertainty become sustainable, then a contender over time, 

then a Stanley Cup champion made those early doubts disappear. 

"When you first started thinking, 'Oh, Florida, nice. We're a part of it,' you 

got the feeling, 'Let's enjoy it while we can,'" said Crisp, who coached the 

Lightning in parts of six seasons from 1992-97. 

"It kept dodging the bullet and getting better. Suddenly, you reach the top of 

the mountain in (the 2003-04 season), and you win a Stanley Cup. I mean, 

how many franchises in the NHL would love to say they won the Stanley 

Cup in that short of span, in that given time?" 

Crisp returned to watch that success story on Thursday, during Tampa 

Bay's 2-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He recalled a simpler time for the 

NHL's Florida experiment, one that's celebrating its 20th anniversary. 

There was the initial season at Expo Hall — capacity 11,000 — on the 

Florida State Fairgrounds. The Lightning's first victory happened at the 

humble building, on Oct. 7, 1992, when Chris Kontos scored four goals in a 

7-3 triumph over the Chicago Blackhawks that stands as one of the region's 

signature hockey moments. 

Then there were the years at Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg, Fla., 

nicknamed the "Thunderdome," before the franchise found a home across 

the bay. All are memories that formed a foundation. 

Time changes, though. So do perspectives. As Crisp received a glimpse of 

the 50-foot, $5 million high-definition video board at Tampa Bay Times 

Forum, the passing of years was evident. The NHL's Florida experiment 

had grown up. 

"The scoreboard is probably worth more than most of our whole team's 

salary that first year here," Crisp said with a laugh. 

The Lightning developed an identity in time, of course, with help from a man 

who knew about beginnings. Before joining Tampa Bay, Crisp played as a 

center for the inaugural St. Louis Blues team in the 1967-68 season. Later, 

he became a center for the inaugural New York Islanders team in the 1972- 

73 season. 

After leaving Tampa Bay with a 142-204-45 record, he was fired 11 games 

into the 1997-98 season, Crisp became an analyst for the Nashville 

Predators — marking another franchise he saw rise from its start. He's in 

his 15th season calling hockey in the Music City. 

"I was fortunate enough that when I was out of coaching, I went right into 

TV," said Crisp, who also coached the Calgary Flames from 1987 to 1990. 

"And you've got to admit, there's nothing better than being an athlete. The 

athlete is the greatest you can possibly be for participation. The next-best is 

a coach — for the action, for being part of it. And then the third, to me, is 

being a TV or a radio announcer. 

"When training camp rolled around, the juices started to flow again. You 

want to get back. You want to do it. When the playoffs rolled around, you 

really wanted back in." 

For a moment Thursday, he was back with a beginning, back with hockey's 

start in the Tampa Bay region. Before the national anthem, a spotlight 

focused on him as he stood near the glass in a corner of the darkened rink. 

His name was announced over the public-address system. A crowd of more 

than 19,200 roared. He raised his right palm in thanks. 

Twenty years later, the NHL's Florida experiment has become more than a 

vision. Twenty years later, after all the memories, its first leader holds close 

an original. 

FOXSports.com LOADED: 03.08.2013


FOXSports.com / Colorado rocky? Columnist suggests feud between 

O’Reilly, Duchene 

Mike Halford 

Is there animosity within the Avalanche dressing room? 

According to the Denver Post, it sure feels that way. 

The are reportedly hard feelings between centers Matt Duchene and Ryan 

O’Reilly, once the closest of buddies. 

The two broke in together as 18-year-old rookies in 2009-10, but their 

relationship appears fractured after O’Reilly held out before the Avs 

matched a two-year, $10 million offer sheet he signed with Calgary. 

Duchene, meanwhile, re-upped with Colorado on a modest two-year, $7 

million deal in June. 

Here’s more, from Mike Chambers of the Post: 

I’m not sure they even speak to each other now. After the Avs regained 

O’Reilly’s services by matching the Calgary Flames’ offer sheet for the 

restricted free agent and holdout a week ago, Duchene used only quick, 

politically correct answers to sum up his feelings about O’Reilly’s pending 

arrival. 

On multiple occasions, he said “each player has his brand” and O’Reilly is 

“a good player.” 

Tuesday in Detroit, Duchene opened up to an ESPN reporter as I pulled out 

the video camera for some blog material. By Wednesday the video was 

being played across North America, and people undoubtedly began to 

notice why Duchene has a beef with O’Reilly. 

Here’s the video in question: 

The ‘money’ quote from Duchene, so to speak… 

“For me, I don’t care about any of that. I just want to play hockey. If I did 

look at it that way, maybe I would have done what he did. 

“But I signed in June and I love being an Av, everything about it. I love 

cheering for this team and that’s all that matters for me.” 

It’s easy to see why Duchene would be frustrated with how the situation 

played out. Aside from affecting the Avs on the ice — O’Reilly missed the 

first 19 games of the year — it also caused havoc off it. 

The Calgary offer sheet fiasco put the Avs (and Flames) in the spotlight for 

all the wrong reasons, with media folk chiding both organizations for how 

poorly the situation was handled. 

Prior to the offer sheet being signed, O’Reilly’s father wrote a scathing 

email to the Denver Post, blasting the Avs organization and how it handled 

contract negotiations. 

Earlier, defenseman Shane O’Brien said the situation had “gotten ugly.” 

What’s not helping things is that the Avs are losing. They have just one win 

in their last seven and only scored four goals in their last three, which only 

adds to the frustration level. 

FOXSports.com LOADED: 03.08.2013


NBCSports.com / Report: Dallas boasts NHL-best attendance increase 

Mike Halford 

The Stars have to be pleased that, approaching the midway mark, they’re 

currently sitting eight overall in the Western Conference. 

They’re probably equally pleased with how many fans have shown up to 

watch them play. 

Here’s more, from the Morning News: 

The improvement is a positive sign for a franchise that is currently boasts a 

mediocre 11-9 record and often plays fourth fiddle when it comes to 

professional teams in the metroplex. 

Last season, the Stars struggled mightily at the gates and finished only 

ahead of the Phoenix Coyotes with an average of 14,227. 

A series of factors likely played into the increase. 

Stars owner Tom Gaglardi spent large in the offseason, bringing in Jaromir 

Jagr and Ray Whitney as free agents before acquiring Derek Roy from 

Buffalo via trade. The club also dropped $26.25 million to secure its lone 

All-Star from last year, Jamie Benn. 

The Dallas sports scene is also experiencing something of a lull right now. 

The Mavericks sit 11th in the NBA’s Western Conference with a 27-33 

mark, the Cowboys failed to make the playoffs for the third straight year 

(granted, the NHL and NFL didn’t overlap this season) and the Rangers lost 

the services of 2010 AL MVP Josh Hamilton. 

As for other NHL clubs? Unsurprisingly, the Chicago Blackhawks lead all 

teams with an average of 21,580 fans per game. 

It’s a perfect storm right now for huge attendance numbers — Chicago is 

currently in the midst of a historic undefeated streak and plays at one of the 

league’s largest arenas (with standing room, numbers can get upward of 

22,000). 

Overall, the NHL teams are averaging 17,668 fans per game, up two 

percent from 2011-12. 

NBCSports.com / LOADED: 03.08.2013


NBCSports.com / NHLPA approves realignment 

Jason Brough 

NHL players are officially on board with the league’s plan for realignment. 


to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,” said the 

union’s executive director, Don Fehr, in a statement released Thursday 

evening. 

In December of 2011, the NHL announced a “radical” realignment plan that 

split the league into four “conferences” as opposed to its current structure of 

two conferences with three divisions in each. 

However, the NHLPA eventually scuttled the plan, citing concerns over 

travel as well as the fairness of the proposed playoff qualification system. 

The league’s last reported proposal was back to two conferences — 

Western and Eastern — with four divisions. 

Eastern Conference 


Carolina 

Columbus 

New Jersey 




Pittsburgh 

Washington 


Boston 

Buffalo 

Detroit 

Florida 

Montreal 

Ottawa 

Tampa Bay 

Toronto 

Western Conference 


Chicago 

Colorado 

Dallas 

Minnesota 

Nashville 

St. Louis 

Winnipeg 


Anaheim 

Calgary 

Edmonton 

Los Angeles 

Phoenix 

San Jose 

Vancouver 

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly released the following statement 

following the union’s announcement: 


to a revised plan for realignment, effective for the 2013-14 season. Our next 

step will be to bring the proposed plan for realignment to the NHL Board of 

Governors for its consideration. We will update the status of the process as 

future developments warrant.” 



NBCSports.com / Frenzy or flop? Lombardi talks about the trade market 

Jason Brough 

Will it be a busy NHL trade deadline? Or, like the past couple of hyped-up 

affairs, will it fall flat? 

Granted, there’s still almost a month before April 3, and a lot of stuff can 

happen in that time (like trades!), but Kings general manager Dean 

Lombardi doesn’t provide a ton of hope for fans (and blogs) who love the 

wheeling and dealing. 

According to Lombardi, non-playoff teams have become loathe to trade 

away pending unrestricted free agents. 

“Even mid-range players, many teams are now deciding to keep them and 

try to sign them versus giving them away for a second- or third-round pick,” 

Lombardi ESPN.com recently. “That’s something that’s changed in this 

business since I got in it; very different. Some teams are looking at that No. 

4 or No. 5 defenseman and saying, ‘I’m not replacing him this summer, I 

need to keep him and sign him.’” 

We saw this last year with players like Tim Gleason re-signing in Carolina 

and Francois Beauchemin re-upping with the Ducks. 

Add to the equation the tight standings as a result of the shortened season 

and there may be fewer teams in full-on selling mode than is typical at the 

deadline. 

But don’t worry, we’ll still hype it up. 



NBCSports.com / Daly: NHL wants mandatory visors 

Jason Brough 

The day after Rangers defenseman Marc Staal took a puck in the eye, once 

again igniting the debate over visors and whether they should be 

mandatory, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has weighed in on the 

issue, putting the onus squarely on the players for their own health and 

safety. 

“The league continues to support a rule that would make visors mandatory 

in NHL games,” Daly told the New York Times in an e-mail. “As you know, it 

has been the consistent position of the Players’ Association that they are 

opposed to mandating visor use, that it should be a matter of ‘player 

choice,’ and that increased visor use by players should be achieved through 

continued education and sensitization to the dangers associated with nonuse. 

I believe that continues to be the Players’ Association’s position, 

although I cannot speak for them.” 

Even after watching Staal’s injury, Rangers forward Rick Nash was still 

supportive of a player’s choice to go without a visor. 

“I’ve never played a game without one,” Nash told the New York Post. “That 

being said, I’m not in favor of making visors mandatory. 

“I believe it should be your option. Maybe I’m older-school, but we’re 

playing the highest level of hockey in the world and I just think we should be 

allowed to make that decision ourselves.” 

An update on Staal’s condition is expected sometime today. 



USA TODAY / Billy Beane compares 'Moneyball' streak to Heat, 

Blackhawks 

Bob Nightengale and Erik Brady, 

Beane says of win streaks: 'When you're in the middle of it, you don't 

understand the magnitude.' 

Dual current streaks by Chicago Blackhawks and Miami Heat catching the 

eyes of even casual fanss 

Once Oakland's win streak reached 20 games in 2002, Beane says 'we 

were exhausted.' 

The Oakland Athletics won an American League record 20 consecutive 

games in 2002. General manager Billy Beane will never forget the bottomof-the-ninth, 

pinch-hit homer that won the last one. 

"Heck, you make movies out of that,'' Beane says, a sly reference to 

Moneyball. 

All of this comes up now because the Miami Heat and Chicago Blackhawks 

are on historic streaks of their own. If they keep going, Hollywood just might 

have to make movies about them, too. 

A double feature would be nice. 

Beane makes a surprising admission about that screenwriter's dream of a 

streak. 

"I didn't really enjoy it while it was going on," he says. "When you're in the 

middle of it, you don't understand the magnitude. You don't appreciate it 

until late." 

STREAKING: Heat, Blackhawks root for each other 

Beane points out the Anaheim Angels paced the Athletics nearly win for win 

during that stretch. 

"What people forget is that we had to win," he says. "The Angels won 16 of 

19, and we had to keep winning to stay in first. It was necessary for us to 

stay that strong. Looking back, it's hard to believe we could be in that 

groove for that amount of time. 

"We had a lot of exciting endings in that streak. You have to have the talent, 

but you also have to have the bounces and some luck involved.'' 

Beane had a feeling that the 20th win would be the end of the line. 

"When Hatty (Scott Hatteberg) hit that homer for our 20th, we had a 

Thursday off-day, and we almost knew that was it," Beane says. "We were 

exhausted. We had so many comebacks. We were going to Minnesota 

where it was a tough place to play. We were aware it was about to end." 

The mounting wins meant mounting pressure. 

"It starts to become a little bit of a burden, too," Beane says. "It interrupts 

the ebbs and flow of the season. You have all of the media attention, and 

we had the Angels breathing down our neck, and they didn't deal with any 

distractions.'' 

The Miami Dolphins, who have the NFL's only perfect season, famously 

celebrate when the last NFL team loses each season. 

Does Beane root against any American League team that might eclipse the 

Athletics' streak? 

"No, not at all," he says. "It never entered my mind. In football, you see 

teams approach the '72 Dolphins. There's not that many teams that 

approach it in baseball. Maybe if someone comes close, I'll have to check 

myself again.'' 

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.08.2013


USA TODAY / Heat, Blackhawks pull for each other as streaks roll on 

Erik Brady, Kevin Allen, Jeff Zillgitt, 

When a team goes on a streak, it's always the loss to end it that people 

remember. But for the Heat and Blackhawks, it's enjoy the ride as long as 

possible — and cheer for each other. 

Blackhawks GM Stan Brown says two streaks at once like "looking up and 

seeing two Halley's Comets" 

Jakie Sandefer has a message for the Miami Heat and the Chicago 

Blackhawks: Enjoy your streaks now, because when they're over, you'll 

always think more about the loss that ended them than you will all those 

wins. 

Sandefer, 76, is a retired oilman who was a halfback on the Oklahoma 

Sooners football teams that won 47 consecutive games straddling five 

seasons in the 1950s. He'll tell you it was a great ride, but ask what he 

remembers most and he'll tell about a bitter 7-0 loss to Notre Dame. 

"Just remember that the only ones that never lose are the ones that never 

play," he recalls coach Bud Wilkinson telling the vanquished Sooners. 

"I have thought about that through the years," Sandefer says. "If you don't 

want to lose, don't compete, because you are going to lose at some point." 

So true, and yet it seems an ethereal, faraway truth to teams in the midst of 

mind-bending, odds-defying win streaks — or, in hockey's case, point 

streaks — of the kind that somehow seem as if they might never end, when 

a team of surpassing talent is hotter than heat, such as the Heat. 

Miami has won 16 consecutive games, nearly halfway to the NBA record of 

33. It's the talk of the league, and much of the land, but not of their locker 

room. Just as a baseball team never speaks in the dugout of a no-hitter in 

progress, Heat players don't talk about The Streak among themselves, 

though they'll offer comment to the media, when asked. 

For all of that, LeBron James will freely speak of others' streaks. He scored 

on a driving left-handed layup in the closing seconds of Wednesday night's 

97-96 squeaker against the Orlando Magic. Afterward, James 

(@KingJames) and Blackhawks star Patrick Kane (@88PKane) tweeted at 

each other. 

@kingjames Back at you LeBron. Keep rolling 

— Patrick Kane (@88PKane) March 7, 2013 

The Blackhawks also won in nail-biting fashion Wednesday, coming from 

behind to beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. They are 21-0-3, with all three 

overtime losses coming in shootouts. 

They are riding a point streak of 24 consecutive games since opening day, 

halfway to the 48 games of this lockout-shortened NHL season. Is it really 

possible the Blackhawks could go through an entire regular season, even a 

truncated one, without a regulation loss? 

Bentley University math professor Richard J. Cleary figures that at one 

chance in 1,000. He thinks the Heat have a much better chance of winning 

their remaining regular season games, which he figures at around one 

chance in 170 (when viewing each game as an independent event) or 

closer to one in 200 when factoring in tough road games. 

What are the chances both streaks could make it to their respective 

season's end? Cleary pegs that at one in 250,000. "Better than the chances 

of winning the lottery," he says, "but not very likely." 

HEAT: Shane Battier just shoots threes all day 

BLACKHAWKS: Kane goes from basement to stardom 

The Blackhawks' point streak is now at 30 games, going back to last 

season, approaching the record 35-game point streak set by the 

Philadelphia Flyers in 1979-80. 

"In the dressing room, we don't talk about the streak that much," 

Blackhawks center Dave Bolland says, "but we have it in the back of our 

heads." 

During their title-winning heyday, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the Patriots 

set the NFL record with 21 consecutive wins overall from 2003 to 2004, 

including a Super Bowl XXVIII victory over the Panthers. The streak ended 

midway through the 2004 season, but New England went on to win its 

second straight Super Bowl. 

In perhaps a microcosm of his entire career, Peyton Manning led the Colts 

to an NFL-record 23 consecutive regular-season wins from 2008 to 2009. 

Indianapolis lost in the wildcard playoffs following the 2008 season. 

Jerry West and the Lakers won an NBA-record 33 consecutive games 

during the 1971-72 season that saw Los Angeles win a then-record 69 

games and its first championship since moving from Minneapolis. 

During a run of 10 national titles in 12 years (an impressive streak of its 

own), legendary coach John Wooden, center, and the UCLA men's 

basketball team won 88 consecutive games from 1971 to 1974. The streak 

ended here with a 71-70 loss at Notre Dame on Jan. 19, 1974, a date star 

center Bill Walton (32) says is seared in his memory. 

Maya Moore and the Connecticut women's basketball team set the NCAA 

mark with 90 consecutive wins from 2008 to 2010, claiming two national 

titles during the run. UConn's streak ended with a 71-59 loss to Stanford. 

During his final season in the majors, Hall of Fame pitcher Christy 

Mathewson helped the New York Giants amass an MLB-record 27-game 

unbeaten streak in 1916. The Giants' run included 26 wins and one tie. 

Phil Cavarretta and the Cubs set the National League record with 21 

consecutive wins at the end of the 1935 season. The streak helped Chicago 

clinch the best record in the majors that year, but the Cubs lost the World 

Series to the Detroit Tigers. 

The Moneyball-era A's set the American League record with 20 consecutive 

wins in August and September of 2002. Oakland got win No. 20 in dramatic 

fashion when Scott Hatteberg hit a walk-off homer here in the bottom of the 

ninth to beat the Royals 12-11. 

Bobby Clarke (16) and the Flyers ran off an NHL-record 35 consecutive 

games with at least a point early in the 1979-80 season. Philadelphia went 

25-0-10 during the streak that propelled the team to the best record in the 

league and a Stanley Cup Final appearance. 

The Penguins hold the NHL record for most consecutive victories, ripping 

off 17 wins in a row at the end of the 1992-93 season. Coming off back-toback 

Stanley Cup titles, though, coach Scotty Bowman and Pittsburgh lost 

in the second round of the playoffs. 

The Blackhawks are currently on an NHL-record streak of 24 consecutive 

games with a point to begin a season. Chicago is 21-0-3, with all three 

overtime losses coming in shootouts. 

Led by Hall of Fame coach Bud Wilkinson, Oklahoma set the NCAA 

Division I football record for consecutive wins with 47 straight from 1953 to 

1957. The streak, which ended with a 7-0 loss to Notre Dame on Nov. 16, 

1957, included three consecutive undefeated seasons and back-to-back 

national championships. 

Division III Mount Union owns the two longest win streaks in NCAA football 

history. Coach Larry Kehres guided the Purple Raiders to 54 straight wins 

and three national titles from 1996 to 1999. Mount Union quickly started a 

new streak and won 55 straight and three more championships from 2000 

to 2003. 

The Penn State women's volleyball team won 109 consecutive matches, 

including three national titles, from 2007 to 2010. The streak ended early in 

the 2010 season, but the Nittany Lions recovered and went on to win their 

fourth straight NCAA championship. 

Richard Petty, arguably the greatest race car driver ever, holds countless 

NASCAR marks, among them a record 10-race winning streak during the 

1967 season. 

Legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez won the first 87 fights of his 

career, from his debut in 1980 to 1993. He fought Pernell Whitaker to a 

draw, then won his next two fights to run his unbeaten streak to 90 before 

suffering the first loss of his career against Frankie Randall on Jan. 29, 

1994. 

Next Slide 

It's front of mind for many sports fans, and beginning to be even for some 

nonfans. Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman is getting "Holy Cow" 

texts from college pals.

"Sometimes things can transcend the sports world and move into human 

interest stories," Bowman says, "and I think that's what this streak has 

done." 

By now, it almost feels as if the fortunes of the 'Hawks and the Heat are 

intertwined, with each side following the fortunes of the other from afar. 

"It's a hot topic, us and the Blackhawks," says Heat guard Dwyane Wade, a 

Chicago native. 

"I've heard the comments about which streak is better or more impressive," 

Bowman says. 

Anaheim Ducks consultant Brian Burke thinks such comparisons are 

beyond foolish. 

"This is like looking up and seeing two Halley's Comets," he says. "It 

annoys me that people have to turn this into a debate about which streak is 

better. Just enjoy, because you are seeing something you won't see again." 

The Chicago Blackhawks have set an NHL record with points in their first 

24 games (21-0-3), or half the lockout-shortened season. A game-by-game 

look at the streak: 

Game 1: Jan. 19 at Los Angeles. Chicago's top offensive stars all chipped 

in to ruin the Kings' Stanley Cup banner-raising day. Marian Hossa scored 

twice, and Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had a goal and an 

assist. Score: 5-2 Blackhawks 

Game 2: Jan. 20 at Glendale, Ariz. Dave Bolland (36) and Marian Hossa 

each scored twice against the Coyotes. Score: 6-4 Blackhawks 

Game 3: Jan 22 at Chicago. The Blackhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead and 

held off a Blues rally. Goalie Corey Crawford (pictured) made 32 saves. 

Score: 3-2 Blackhawks 

Game 4: Jan. 24 at Dallas. The Stars scored the first two goals, but Patrick 

Sharp and Jonathan Toews forced overtime. Marian Hossa won it on an 

overtime power play. Score: 3-2 Blackhawks (OT) 

Game 5: Jan. 26 at Columbus: The Blue Jackets scored first, but Chicago 

got the next three. Captain Jonathan Toews scored the eventual winner. 


Game 6: Jan. 27 at Chicago. Defensemen provided the offense as Duncan 

Keith scored in the first period and Nick Leddy (left) in overtime to beat the 

Red Wings. Score: 2-1 Blackhawks (OT) 

Game 7: Jan. 30 in St. Paul, Minn. The Blackhawks scored twice to knock 

Josh Harding out of the game. Niklas Backstrom was perfect the rest of the 

way as the Wild won in a shootout. That ended Chicago's six-game winning 

streak, but kept their point streak alive. Score: 3-2 Wild (SO) 

Game 8: Feb. 1 in Vancouver. Roberto Luongo was solid with 27 saves, but 

the Blackhawks tied the game in the third period on a Patrick Kane goal. 

Luongo was perfect in the shootout. Score: 2-1 Canucks (SO) 

Game 9: Feb. 2 in Calgary. Backup goalie Ray Emery made 45 saves and 

Marian Hossa scored with 3.1 seconds left in regulation. Chicago won in the 

shootout. Score: 3-2 Blackhawks (SO) 

Game 10: Feb. 6 at San Jose. The Sharks scored two quick goal, but the 

Blackhawks rallied. Patrick Kane, right, scored the winner in the second 

period. Score: 5-3 Blackhawks 

Game 11: Feb. 8 at Glendale, Ariz. The hype going in was Raffi Torres 

facing Chicago for the first time since his hit on Marian Hossa. Jamal 

Mayers fought him early and the Blackhawks had an offensive explosion 

with Patrick Kane scoring twice in a four-goal period goal. Score: 6-2 

Blackhawks. 

Game 12: Feb. 12 at Nashville. Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford made 

17 saves and Patrick Kane scored from a bad angle to beat the Predators. 


Game 13: Feb. 12 at Chicago. The Blackhawks were going against Ducks 

goalie Viktor Fasth, who had yet to lose in his first year. He kept his streak 

intact, but Chicago got a point by getting to the shootout. Score: 3-2 Ducks 

(SO) 

Game 14: Feb. 15 at Chicago. This game was memorable because of a 

fight between captains Jonathan Toews and Joe Thornton. The Sharks 

center won the fight, but Chicago prevailed. Score: 4-1 Blackhawks 

Game 15: Feb. 17 at Chicago. Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews and 

Patrick Sharp gave the Blackhawks a 3-0 lead by the first minute of the 

second period. Los Angeles scored twice in the third but the Blackhawks 

killed off a late power play to win. Score: 3-2 Blackhawks. 

Game 16: Feb. 19 at Chicago. Marian Hossa had two goals then was 

knocked out of the game when Vancouver's Jannik Hansen hit him in the 

back of the head. Chicago gave up two goals after that, but prevailed in the 

shootout. Score: 4-3 Blackhawks (SO) 

Game 17: Feb. 22 at Chicago. San Jose's Patrick Marleau scored with 15 

seconds left in the first period, but once again, the Blackhawks rallied. 

Viktor Stalberg scored a bad-angle goal in the second and Brandon Saad 

(right) scored a short-handed goal in the third. Score: 2-1 Blackhawks. 

Game 18: Feb. 24 at Chicago. Corey Crawford, returning from an upperbody 

injury, made 28 saves and Andrew Shaw scored the only goal to beat 

Chicago. Score: 1-0 Blackhawks. 

Game 19: Feb 25 at Chicago. The Edmonton Oilers took the lead twice in 

the game, but the Blackhawks battled back to force OT. Marian Hossa (81) 

got the winning goal. Score: 3-2 Blackhawks (OT) 

Game 20: Feb. 28 at St. Louis. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews scored 12 

seconds in and added a second goal in the third period. Goalie Corey 

Crawford left after the first period with an injury and Ray Emery completed 

the shutout. Score: 3-0 Blackhawks 

Game 21: March 1 at Chicago. Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook 

scored in overtime to secure their 18th win of the season. Playing the 

second night in a row, the Blackhawks fell behind the Columbus Blue 

Jackets twice and gave up a tying goal in the final eight minutes. Seabrook 

tapped in a great feed from captain Jonathan Toews. Score: 4-3 

Blackhawks (OT) 

Game 22: March 3 at Detroit. Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane scored a 

power play goal with 2:02 left in their third and then scored the lone 

shootout goal against Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard. Score: 2-1 

Blackhawks (SO) 

Game 23: March 5 at Chicago. Bryan Bickell scored twice in the first period 

against the Minnesota Wild, and Patrick Kane added a big goal in the third 

as the Blackhawks set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive 

victory. Score: 5-3 Blackhawks. 

Game 24: Daniel Carcillo scored his first goal of the season with 49.3 

seconds left for the winner. The Blackhawks trailed the Colorado Avalanche 

2-1 in the third period and were short-handed when captain Jonathan 

Toews tied the game. Chicago played without injured Marian Hossa. 

The intertwining streaks carry sweet echoes of history. Heat President Pat 

Riley played on the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers team that holds that NBA 

record of 33 consecutive wins. And Bowman's father Scotty coached the 

1977-78 Montreal Canadiens, who held the NHL's second-longest point 

streak of 28 games until the Blackhawks passed it. 

Scotty Bowman, a consultant for his son's Blackhawks, thinks Chicago's 

streak is more impressive than Montreal's because of the increased parity 

in the NHL and this season's compressed schedule. 

"To me the most amazing thing of their streak is the schedule," he says. 

Wednesday "was their eighth game in 13 nights," meaning it's much harder 

to take them one game at a time. 

That's a sports cliché for the ages, but check out the way James artfully 

turns it inside-out. 

"We want to keep winning each game by itself," he says. "We don't really 

talk about the streak. We really don't get involved in it. We just go to the 

next game and play it out the way we've been playing the last games." 

Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook calls their streak "one of those 

cool things you never think will happen," but he knows it gives other teams 

a chance at glory, too. 

"We don't have easy nights because every team knows about the streak 

and wants to end it," Seabrook says. "We get every team's best, but I think 

that makes us better." 

The Oakland Athletics won an American League-record 20 consecutive 

games in 2002. General manager Billy Beane will never forget the bottomof-the-ninth, 

pinch-hit homer that won the last one. 

"Heck, you make movies out of that," Beane says, a sly reference to 

Moneyball.

"I didn't really enjoy (the streak) while it was going on," Beane admits. 

"When you're in the middle of it, you don't understand the magnitude. You 

don't appreciate it until late. … It starts to become a little bit of a burden, 

too. It interrupts the ebbs and flow of the season." 

Heat forward Shane Battier played on a Duke team that won 32 

consecutive games and a Houston Rockets team that won 22 in a row. Like 

the 2002 Athletics, neither of those teams won championships. 

"Our ultimate goal is to win another championship," Battier says of the Heat. 

"It's not to win a bunch of games in a row. It's a nice ride to be on, but we 

have bigger goals." 

The variety of ways in which they've won, Battier says, bodes well for the 

playoffs: "We've been able to win shootouts. We've been able to win 

slugfests. We've been able to do it with good defense. We've been able to 

do it with good offense." 

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are on a 16-game 

winning streak, running through their competition. Flip through this gallery to 

see how they stretched it to 16. 

Game 1: Feb. 3 vs. Toronto Raptors. The streak begins with a bang as the 

Heat come out after a loss to the Indiana Pacers and breeze on the 

strength of 58 combined points by LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Score: 

100-85. 

Game 2: Feb. 4 vs. Charlotte Bobcats. LeBron James had 31 points and 

Dwyane Wade, pictured, added 20 and 12 rebounds in a closer-thanexpected 

win against the NBA's worst team. Score: 99-94. 

Game 3: Feb. 6 vs. Houston Rockets. Chris Andersen and the Heat blocked 

Chandler Parsons and the red-hot Rockets for their 20th home win. LeBron 

James and Dwyane Wade combined for 63 points. Score: 114-108. 

Game 4: Feb. 8 vs. Los Angeles Clippers. LeBron James scored 30 points 

on 11 shots, and Dwyane Wade added 20 with seven assists, six rebounds 

and four steals. Score: 111-89. 

Game 5: Feb. 10 vs. Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James bettered Kobe 

Bryant in a matchup of the NBA's most visible stars with 32 points, seven 

rebounds and four assists to Bryant's 28, six and nine. Score: 107-97. 

Game 6: Feb. 12 vs. Portland Trail Blazers. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade 

and Chris Bosh (not pictured) combined for 86 points, 26 rebounds and 16 

assists as James set an NBA record with six consecutive 30-point games 

with 60% shooting. Score: 117-104. 

Game 7: Feb. 14 at Oklahoma City Thunder. This NBA Finals rematch on 

the day before the All-Star break featured Kevin Durant, left, scoring 40 and 

LeBron James, right, 39. But James added 12 rebounds and seven assists, 

and the Heat swept the season series with the Thunder. Score: 110-100. 

Game 8: Feb. 20 at Atlanta Hawks. It was balance all the way for the first 

game after the All-Star break, with LeBron James, left, throwing in 24 points 

and others such as Chris Bosh and Norris Cole chipping in. Shane Battier 

had 17 in making five of eight three-pointers off the bench. Score: 103-90. 

Game 9: Feb. 21 at Chicago Bulls. Chris Bosh and the Heat played 

swarming defense on Joakim Noah and their East rivals while LeBron 

James had 26 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to guide the offense. 

Score: 86-67. 

Game 10: Feb. 23 at Philadelphia 76ers. The winning streak hit doubledigits 

with a triple-double from LeBron James, 33-point outburst by Dwyane 

Wade and this dunk by Chris Bosh. Score: 114-90. 

Game 11: Feb. 24 vs. Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron James faced his former 

team, which put up a fight. James had 28 points but the big contribution 

came from Mario Chalmers, who had 16 and helped defend Cavs point 

guard Kyrie Irving, who had 16 on 6-for-16 shooting. Irving also injured his 

knee in the game. Scote: 109-105. 

Game 12: vs. Sacramento Kings. The Heat's only overtime game in the 

streak proved taxing but ultimately successful. LeBron James and Dwyane 

Wade, right, combined for 79 points, 23 assists, 16 rebounds, five steals 

and three blocks while players such as Norris Cole, left, put in extra minutes 

in the double-overtime showcase. Score: 141-129. 

Game 13: March 1 vs. Memphis Grizzlies. With LeBron James struggling 

from the field, the Heat's role players such as Mario Chalmers provided a 

balanced effort. But James put the Grizzlies away with a late three-pointer 

on a great pass from Dwyane Wade with 24 seconds left, then made five 

free throws to seal it. Score: 98-91. 

Game 14: March 3 at New York Knicks. Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks 

were mere spectators when LeBron James and the Heat decided to take 

over in a 54-34 second half to scrap back from a big halftime deficit. James 

finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Score: 99-93. 

Game 15: March 4 at Minnesota Timberwolves. Tempers ran high at the 

end of another Heat blowout, with T'wolves guard J.J. Barea (11) ejected 

for a flagrant foul on Heat guard Ray Allen, right. Dwyane Wade had 32 

points, 10 assists and seven rebounds for Miami. Score: 97-81. 

Game 16: March 6 vs. Orlando Magic. The Heat gave up a big lead to their 

in-state rivals, allowing Orlando to take the lead for much of the stretch run. 

But LeBron James' layup won it with 3.2 seconds remaining. James had 26 

points and Dwyane Wade added 24. Score: 97-96. 

Big names win big games. The Heat have James and Wade. The 

Blackhawks have Kane and Jonathan Toews. 

Sunday, Kane scored with 2:02 left in regulation and then scored the gamewinner 

in a shootout to give Chicago a come-from-behind 2-1 win at the 

Detroit Red Wings. 

"Patrick is a pressure player," Bowman says. "He had to make a perfect 

shot, and the puck was rolling. A lot of other guys would have fumbled it or 

shot it over the net." 

Streaks are built on plays like that. Take Wednesday, when the Blackhawks 

were trailing 2-1 to Colorado until Toews scored a pretty shorthanded goal 

to tie and Daniel Carcillo scored his first goal of the season with 49.3 

seconds left to give Chicago a 3-2 victory, their 13th one-goal win this 

season. 

"When it comes down a critical moment in the game, that's when we have 

had the composure and the calm to be able to execute," Bowman says. "All 

NHL players are talented, but when the pressure cranks up, the people who 

can manage that and let their talents take over are the ones who will 

execute." 

Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, author of 

Confidence: How Winning Streaks and Losing Streaks Begin and End, 

agrees that talent is not the most important attribute of winning teams, 

whether in business or in sports. 

"It's not the talent alone, it's the talent in the team," she says, "people who 

either play above their level of talent, or below their level of talent, 

depending on who is surrounding them," and on the culture, and chemistry, 

of the team. 

Battier fondly recalls the 2008 Houston streak. "It was mostly a collection of 

non-All-Stars doing it. Obviously in Miami, we have LeBron, Dwyane and 

Chris (Bosh)," he says. 

"Once you win, it's easier to keep winning," Kanter says. "Momentum builds 

and even athletes don't think of it as being on a winning streak until there is 

an accumulation of some games. But then it motivates the team to work 

harder and … people will put in extra effort at those moments when it could 

fall apart. 

"No one wins forever. Even those who ultimately win the game are behind 

or they stumble, but it's the ability to recover from fumbles, mistakes, 

setbacks, and that's where confidence matters. When you start winning, 

confidence increases." 

Jerry West, who played on that Lakers team that won 33 consecutive 

games, thinks that is exactly the point. "Winning breeds winning," he says. 

"And winning breeds confidence. Teams like that expect to win. They 

believe in what they're doing." 

The Lakers' average margin of victory during their win streak was 17 points. 

"Oh, my gosh," West says. "We were murdering teams." 

And then came a 120-104 loss in Milwaukee that still stings. The Sooners' 

Sandefer is right. West doesn't think much about the 33 wins. He thinks 

often about how badly the Lakers shot in Milwaukee that day. 

"Like a death in the family," West says. "We didn't think we were going to 

lose, period." 



USA TODAY / NHLPA approves NHL realignment proposal 

Mike Brehm, 

The NHL's first major realignment since 1998-99 took one step closer to 

reality when the NHL Players' Association gave its blessing. 

That is key because 14 months ago, a slightly different realignment setup 

fell through when the union didn't sign off by the league's deadline. 

As with the old plan, the league will go from the current six-division 

alignment to four and the Winnipeg Jets would move to the Western 

Conference. The difference this time is that the Detroit Red Wings and the 

Columbus Blue Jackets would move to the Eastern Conference. 

"Our next step will be to bring the proposed plan for realignment to the NHL 

board of governors for its consideration," deputy commissioner Bill Daly 

said. "We will update the status of the process as future developments 

warrant." 

Realignment became necessary when the Atlanta Thrashers moved to 

Winnipeg in 2011. The Jets have been playing in the Southeast Division 

this season and last. 

How the new plan would work: 

In the Eastern Conference Detroit would join the Boston Bruins, Buffalo 

Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, 

Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators in the Central Division. 

Columbus would join the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, 

Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, New York 

Rangers and New York Islanders in the Atlantic. 

In the Western Conference, Winnipeg would join the Chicago Blackhawks, 

Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators and 

St. Louis Blues in the Midwest. 

That leaves the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, San 

Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks in 

the Pacific. 

Under the playoff format, the top three teams from each division would 

make the playoffs. So would the next best two teams from each conference. 

Under the rejected format, the top four teams from each division made the 

playoffs. 

Even with the new format, there is an uneven chance of making the playoffs 

because the Eastern Conference has 16 teams and the West has 14. That 

was a concern of the NHLPA in 2012. 

But NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr said that the new alignment 

would be re-examined after the 2014-15 season, giving everyone two 

seasons to see how it works. 

The move of the Red Wings and Blue Jackets is a selling point to those 

teams because they had some of the worst travel and road TV times as the 

lone Eastern Time Zone teams in the Western Conference. The Red Wings 

can also renew their rivalry with Original Six teams Montreal, Toronto and 

Boston, though they would play the Chicago Blackhawks fewer times. 

The Stars also benefit because they move into a division with other Central 

Time teams. 



Wall Street Journal / How the Blackhawks Became Unbeatable 

By MIKE SIELSKI 

Dan Carcillo celebrates his game-winning goal on Wednesday night. 

Chicago 

Through their first 24 games of this truncated NHL season—a stretch during 

which they have not lost in regulation—the Chicago Blackhawks have 

shown they can win a game in just about any manner they want. 

No team in the National Hockey League gives up fewer goals per game, 

and only three have scored more often. When hockey people talk about 

Chicago, their voices take on a quiet, tremulous tone—as if they're 

describing a voodoo hex. 

But the black magic of the Blackhawks' streak lies not merely in what 

they've accomplished but in how they've accomplished it. Through the 

makeup of their roster and their style of play, they've thumbed their nose at 

the trendiest idea in the NHL: that a team's success is based primarily on its 

toughness—on its players' willingness to block shots and deliver bonerattling 

body checks. By comparison, the Blackhawks might as well play 

their games in sequins with a panel of fur-clad judges looking on and 

Tchaikovsky blasting in the background. 

Among the league's 30 teams, Chicago ranks 27th in hits and 24th in 

penalty minutes per game, and the average weight of a Blackhawks forward 

or defenseman is just 200.9 pounds. Only eight teams are lighter, and when 

it comes to building a winning roster, the inclination league-wide is that 

bigger is better. The Los Angeles Kings (210.4 pounds), last year's Stanley 

Cup champions, are the NHL's heaviest team, and the Anaheim Ducks 

(207.2), who this season have the second-best record in the Western 

Conference, are third. 

As Bill Clement, who analyzes the league for Comcast SportsNet, put it, the 

Blackhawks "can't play the Incredible Hulk." What they can do, though, is 

use their collective speed and stickhandling ability to gain, regain and retain 

control of the puck, effectively turning a hockey game into a 60-minute 

round of Keep Away. 

Patrick Kane eludes a defender. 

"When you have the puck a little bit more, it's tough to hit somebody," 

defenseman Johnny Oduya said, "unless you want to hit your teammate." 

In the aftermath of its 2004-05 lockout, the league implemented a host of 

rules changes intended to open up the flow of play and cultivate more 

offense. But after a season-long spike in goal-scoring, teams figured out 

that if they dropped their skaters back on defense quickly, making the 

middle of the ice as crowded as a Times Square subway platform, they 

could keep opposing players on the perimeter of the rink. To penetrate that 

defensive shell, most teams sacrifice the puck, firing it into the zone in order 

to win it back amid the thicket of bodies near the net. 

The Blackhawks have rejected that philosophy. Stan Bowman, their general 

manager, had enjoyed watching the Detroit Red Wings teams of the late 

1990s and early 2000s that his father, Scotty, coached to three Stanley 

Cups. During that period, Scotty Bowman created "the Russian Five," a unit 

comprised entirely of Russian players who controlled the puck with such 

grace and synchronicity that the Blackhawks sought to emulate it 

themselves. 

"It was an unusual style," said Stan Bowman, who at 39 is the youngest GM 

in the NHL. "It equates to the Harlem Globetrotters." 

A dormant decade for the franchise—from 1998 to 2008, the Blackhawks 

made the playoffs once—allowed Bowman; his predecessor, Dale Tallon; 

and the team's player-personnel department to accumulate enough high 

draft picks to manifest their vision. The Blackhawks' four most talented and 

important players are all homegrown: forwards Patrick Kane (the No. 1overall 

pick in 2007) and Jonathan Toews (No. 3 overall in 2006) and 

defensemen Duncan Keith (a second-round selection in 2002) and Brent 

Seabrook (No. 14 overall in 2003). Through a series of trades and signings, 

Tallon and Bowman then added other players who fit the team's approach, 

and in 2008, the organization hired a head coach who preferred a high- 

tempo style, Joel Quenneville. The changes helped the Blackhawks win the 

Stanley Cup in 2010—the franchise's first championship since 1961. 

"They're totally unique," said Ray Ferraro, who analyzes the NHL for the 

Sports Network in Canada. "It's what you have available to play, the 

personnel you have. You can't turn singers into dancers." 

Quenneville's system demands that his forwards chase down the puckcarrier 

to disrupt an opponent's offensive thrust, and the Blackhawks' 

superior stickhandling skills have helped them create 249 takeaways this 

season, by far the most in the NHL. Once the Blackhawks do force a 

turnover, their forwards slingshot themselves back up the ice to attack an 

opposing defense at full speed. 

If the other team has recovered in time, the forwards won't dump the puck 

in; they'll double back and try to find another soft target. "Sometimes, it's all 

instinct," Kane said. "I've noticed I've had the most success when you can 

make a move and be by that first guy." 

To maintain such a fast pace, Quenneville divvies out playing time more 

equitably than most coaches do. No Chicago player averages more than 24 

minutes of ice time per game. "Later in games," Quenneville said, "we're 

fresher and doing the right things." And the team's success, according to 

Clement, affords Quenneville the confidence to stick with his role players 

even at a game's tensest moments. 

In the latest example, the Blackhawks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on 

Wednesday night on Dan Carcillo's goal with 50 seconds left in regulation. 

A fourth-line left wing, Carcillo had not scored since Nov. 13, 2011—a span 

of 479 days. 

"We have four lines that can play pretty much against any line, no matter 

when they're out there," Kane said. "It's cool." 

Wall Street Journal LOADED: 03.08.2013


YAHOO SPORTS / NHL realignment plan an improvement, not perfect 

Nicholas J. Cotsonika 

One day, the NHL might have 32 teams. It might be split evenly into two 16team 

conferences and four eight-team divisions. The top four teams in each 

division might make the playoffs and face each other in the first two rounds. 

The Florida Panthers aren't too happy with the NHL's new realignment plan. 

One day. But not next season, and not the season after that. For now, it's 

just a vague vision. An NHL source insisted Thursday night that expansion 

is not in the works and won't happen for four or five years, if ever, despite 

all the talk about Seattle and suburban Toronto and Quebec City. The 

league has too many things to iron out before it can grow. 

And so, in the meantime, we're going to have to live with a realignment plan 

that is an improvement, but not perfect. The NHL Players' Association has 

decided to give its consent, but only after heavy internal debate, only for the 

short term and only because this is the lesser of a few evils. The NHL board 

of governors is expected to approve the plan soon, but not without some 

dissension. 

The NHL currently has two 15-team conferences and six five-team 

divisions. Under the plan, there will be two conferences and four divisions – 

two eight-team divisions in the East, two seven-team divisions in the West. 

The top three teams in each division will make the playoffs. The last two 

playoff spots in each conference will be wild cards, going to the teams with 

the next-best point totals. 

The schedule matrix will change. Every team will play in every arena at 

least once. 

The NHLPA gave its consent with the stipulation that the realignment will be 

re-evaluated after the 2014-15 season – or if the NHL relocates a franchise 

or expands at any point. The future of the Phoenix Coyotes remains in 

question. 

Under the collective bargaining agreement, the NHLPA had to give its 

consent, but it could not withhold its consent unreasonably. Had the players 

withheld their consent, the league would have kept the status quo or tried to 

implement the plan anyway, perhaps going to arbitration. 

The players did not consent after the board of governors approved the 

league's original realignment plan in December 2011. Two stated reasons: 

The odds of making the playoffs were imbalanced, and the league did not 

provide enough mock schedule and travel information. One unstated 

reason: The league simply did not consult with the players enough first, 

right before labor negotiations. 

Originally, the NHL proposed four conferences based on time zones – two 

with eight teams, two with seven teams – with the top four teams in each 

conference making the playoffs and facing each other in the first round. The 

players didn't like that 50 percent of the teams in two conferences would 

make the playoffs, while 57 percent of the teams in the other two 

conferences would. 

Under the NHL's new realignment plan, the Blackhawks could face tough 

travel in the playoffs. (AP)The new plan has the same imbalance. In one 

conference, 50 percent of the teams will make it. In the other, 57 percent 

will make it. Another flaw: The wild card could cause travel problems in the 

West. For example, the Chicago Blackhawks could finish first and have to 

face the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, while division rivals like the St. 

Louis Blues and Nashville Predators are matched up and have better travel 

despite lesser seeds. 

So why did the NHLPA give its consent this time? 

Well, it was no rubber stamp. Union leadership worked with the league for 

weeks, and it spent more time than the league wanted consulting with 

players – on conference calls, in large groups, in small groups – before the 

executive board made the decision. There were many different viewpoints 

and ideas. 

But the players appreciated that the league came to them first this time. 

They asked for mock schedules for three teams, and the league provided 

them. They didn't want to leave the Winnipeg Jets – formerly the Atlanta 

Thrashers – in the Southeast Division for a third season since their 

relocation. This is considered a temporary Band-Aid that will allow them to 

see how they like it. 

And frankly, it just wasn't worth going to war over this after a bitter lockout 

that cost almost half of this season. There really was no better option, 

because the NHL simply has more teams in the East and so many 

competing interests market to market. In the end, no matter what you do, 

not everyone is going to be happy. 

Realignment is like real estate. It's all about location, location, location. 

The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning don't like the plan, because 

they have to travel to Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Ottawa, Montreal and 

Toronto for division games. (The idea is that they will sell tickets to 

snowbirds when those teams come to visit.) The Nashville Predators don't 

like the plan, because they lose the Detroit Red Wings as division rivals. 

But the Red Wings and the Columbus Blue Jackets love the plan, because 

they were Eastern time zone cities playing in the Western Conference. 

Detroit owner Mike Ilitch had been lobbying commissioner Gary Bettman for 

15 years, so his team could have better travel and his fans could have 

better TV start times, and he felt he was owed the move to the East. The 

Wings are an Original Six team that sucked it up and played at a 

disadvantage for a long time. The Blue Jackets needed the move as they 

continue to establish themselves in the league. 

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild love the plan, because they are in a 

division with teams in the Central time zone. They won't be going west like 

they used to. The Jets obviously love the plan because they won't be jetting 

to Carolina, Washington, Tampa and South Florida like they used to, and 

those teams have to be glad they're not going all the way to Winnipeg all 

the time anymore. 

Hey, it could be worse. The NHL could be a 21-team league with 

imbalanced divisions that put 16 teams in the playoffs. Good thing that's 

never happened. 

YAHOO.COM LOADED: 03.08.2013


YAHOO SPORTS / Three Periods: Staged fights have no place in the NHL; 

visor debate; pull up your safety socks 

Nicholas J. Cotsonika 

Nicholas J. Cotsonika's weekly Three Periods column will appear on 

Thursdays. This week's topics include fighting’s place in the NHL; Marc 

Staal’s eye injury and the visor debate; the case for cut-resistant socks; 

Brendan Shanahan and the department of players safety have a perception 

problem; coaching legend Scotty Bowman on the best young defensemen 

in the league. 

FIRST PERIOD: Time to bring down the curtain on staged fights 

Fighting is one thing. Staged fighting is yet another. There is no need or 

excuse for what happened Wednesday night, and if it dredges up the same, 

old tired debates, well, good. It should. 

Senators rookie David Dziurzynski was knocked out cold in his first NHL 

fight. (Reuters)The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Frazer McLaren fought the Ottawa 

Senators’ David Dziurzynski. They squared off, fists up. Then they danced, 

grappled and swung wildly. Finally, McLaren caught Dziurzynski with a 

right, and Dziurzynski dropped to the ice, face first, out cold. He suffered a 

concussion. 

It became the talk of the NHL at a time when the Chicago Blackhawks are 

on a 24-game point streak, the Los Angeles Kings are shaking off their 

Stanley Cup hangover and the playoff races are ultra-tight. 

“Did you see that punch last night?” said legendary coach Scotty Bowman, 

now a senior advisor to the Blackhawks, bringing up the subject in a 

conversation Thursday. “Oh, my god. That was real scary.” 

That was bad enough, if you don’t like any kind of fighting. But the rest of 

the story makes it hard to justify even if you think fighting has a place in the 

game. 

The fight came 26 seconds into the first period, so it didn’t arise from 

something that happened in the course of play. It was only to get a rise out 

of the Leafs and the crowd. 

It was a mismatch. McLaren, 25, is listed at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. 

Dziurzynski, 23, is listed at 6-3, 204. McLaren has had 60 fights in the 

American Hockey League and 21 in the NHL. Dziurzynski has had 15 in the 

AHL. This was his first in the NHL. 

And here is the worst part: McLaren told reporters he challenged 

Dziurzynski and that Dziurzynski declined, only to change his mind. 

Dziurzynski never played major junior and was never drafted into the NHL. 

He signed with the Senators as a free agent winger and spent three 

seasons in the minors. This was his 10th NHL game. 

Speculating here, but maybe he felt obligated to go even though he isn’t an 

enforcer. You don’t back down. You’ve got to show you’re tough. When 

you’ve fought so hard to make it figuratively, you’ll fight literally. 

The culture has not changed, at least not enough. 

The NHL has not taken steps to curb fighting, even after the deaths of 

Wade Belak, Derek Boogaard and Rick Rypien in 2011. To be clear, the 

deaths of those enforcers could not be linked definitively to fighting, and 

each case was different. Still, the issues raised were legitimate – from the 

unique pressures of the role, to the effects head trauma might have. 

Why no action? The NHL thinks fans like fighting, that it acts as a 

thermostat and deters other types of violence, and that the players are 

willing combatants. 

Detroit's Jordin Tootoo fought off the opening faceoff twice earlier this 

season. (USA Today)At least there, the league has an argument. There is 

no question arenas roar when players drop the gloves. There is no doubt 

that fights release tension and keep players honest. And even though the 

science is still evolving, the players know more than ever before what they 

could be doing to their brains. It is informed consent, or close. 

“Obviously,” said the Detroit Red Wings’ Jordin Tootoo, “you’re putting 

yourself at risk.” 

But staged fights aren’t a reaction to the actual game. They’re only about 

show business or energy or intimidation or toughness. That’s it. 

“I think the biggest thing is creating emotion out there,” said Tootoo, who 

fought twice off the opening faceoff earlier this season. “I think it’s just a 

spontaneous decision. Obviously you want to get off to a good start. The 

first five minutes of every game is huge. Setting the tone right off the bat 

could be the key to a big win.” 

“Most of my fights are in the first period,” said the Edmonton Oilers’ Mike 

Brown, among the league leaders with five fights. “Just whenever 

necessary in my head. For me, I like to get energy in the game, whether it’s 

the start of the game or the start of a shift.” 

It would be difficult to draw a distinction between fights and staged fights in 

the rule book. As one NHL executive pointed out, say you add an extra 

penalty for a fight in the first 30 seconds of a game. What if someone takes 

a cheap shot in the first 30 seconds and a fight erupts as a result? Was that 

a staged fight? Where do you draw the line? How do you make that 

judgment, practically speaking, night after night? 

The NHL has debated ways of curbing fighting in general, such as 

establishing quotas that lead to automatic suspensions, as in the Ontario 

Hockey League. But the league obviously has not implemented anything 

like that yet, and it needs to take another look. A quota system should cut 

down on staged fights even more dramatically than overall fights. You 

wouldn't want to waste one of your fights on something silly, right? 

Fighting is supposed to be declining naturally, because the league is so 

competitive and teams can’t afford to carry players who can’t, you know, 

play. But while fighting has been trending downward and there are few pure 

enforcers left, fighting ebbs and flows. It is back up this season over last. 

Look at the Northeast Division, where the Buffalo Sabres added Steve Ott 

and John Scott because they failed to stand up to the Boston Bruins’ Milan 

Lucic after he ran their goaltender last season. Randy Carlyle loved his 

fighters when he won a Stanley Cup as coach of the Anaheim Ducks, and 

he loves them now as coach of the Leafs, who lead the league with 24 

fighting majors. 

“There's people that want it out of the game, but I don't think it's going to as 

quickly as some people would think, some people would like,” Carlyle said 

earlier this season. “I just think it's a fact of life in the NHL.” 

The truth hurts. 

SECOND PERIOD: Visors aren’t invincible, but every NHLer should wear 

one 

Should NHL players wear visors? Yes. 

An NHL equipment manager said Marc Staal's eye injury might've been 

worse if he was wearing a visor. (Reuters)But would a visor have saved the 

New York Rangers’ Marc Staal on Tuesday night? Maybe not. And it might 

have even made his injury worse. 

A veteran NHL equipment manager, who requested anonymity, said that in 

his professional opinion the shot that hit Staal in the face would have 

broken a visor and the pieces might have impaled his eye. 

The equipment manager watched the replay at real speed and in slow 

motion. He watched the Philadelphia Flyers’ Kimmo Timonen fire a shot. He 

watched the puck deflect off the stick blade of the Flyers’ Jakub Voracek 

and strike Staal in the face. He saw Staal’s horrific reaction and the blood 

on the ice. 

He said every player should wear a visor. But he also said that visors are 

designed to protect players from things like errant high sticks. They are not 

designed to stop slapshots fired from high-tech sticks at high speed, 

especially when the puck hits a player straight on. They break, and when 

they break, they have sharp edges. 

This issue comes up every time a player suffers a serious injury, and this 

time it’s particularly pertinent. The Flyers’ Chris Pronger and the Vancouver 

Canucks’ Manny Malhotra are suffering from eye problems and likely won’t 

play again. 

The NHL favors mandatory visors. The NHL Players’ Association leadership 

encourages visors. And 73 percent of NHL players wear visors, an all-time 

high. But the NHL cannot make visors mandatory without the consent of the 

union, and the union represents the wishes of the players, and the majority 

of the players still favor personal choice.

It is understandable that players want personal choice. But the players need 

to understand that their personal choice affects other people – the fans, 

who pay to see players on the ice, not in the infirmary; their fellow union 

members, who pay higher escrow rates when more players are injured; 

their teammates, whose chances to win suffer because of injuries; and their 

teams, who pay them millions to play, not to sit out. 

The issue is so frustrating because the answer is so simple: Make players 

entering the NHL wear visors. They had to wear them at lower levels, so 

they won’t know any different and won’t need to adjust. Grandfather current 

NHL players into the rule, so they can keep their personal choice. It worked 

for helmets years ago. It would work for this. 

Just know that even if everyone wears a visor, not every injury will be 

prevented. 

THIRD PERIOD: Pull up your (cut-resistant) socks and get out there 

Another simple safety solution: Make cut-resistant socks part of the NHL 

uniform. 

Cut-resistant socks might've prevented Erik Karlsson's season-ending 

injury. (AP))It should have been done by now, and had it, the Senators’ Erik 

Karlsson might be contending for his second straight Norris Trophy as the 

NHL’s best defenseman instead of recovering from surgery to repair a 

sliced Achilles. 

Since Karlsson’s injury, the focus has been on cut-resistant socks worn 

underneath the uniform. They are highly effective. Some players wear them 

voluntarily, but they are not required. Karlsson wasn’t wearing them when 

the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Matt Cooke clipped him with a skate blade. 

But the uniform socks can be made of cut-resistant material, too. (Note: Not 

all are made of Kevlar.) At least one NHL team tested them last season. 

The equipment manager – the same one mentioned above – asked a 

couple of players to try some new socks in a couple of games. He didn’t tell 

them anything else, so he wouldn’t color their thoughts. He said he reported 

his results to the manufacturer in an email: “Nobody noticed a damn thing. 

Get them. I want them.” 

He doesn’t have them. 

“Where are they?” he asked. 

Good question. Had Karlsson been wearing them, there is a good chance 

he wouldn’t have been cut, at least not that badly. Other players might have 

avoided cuts to their legs, too, like the Wings’ Ian White. 

“They need one more layer of protection,” the equipment manager said. 

“They just need that one more layer.” 

OVERTIME: Perception problems with NHL’s punishment process 

Forget for a moment whether the Sabres’ Patrick Kaleta should have 

received a five-game suspension for boarding Brad Richards. The debate 

over the number of games is old now. Focus instead on the process. 

Patrick Kaleta's hit on Brad Richards. (Getty)This showed two problems for 

the department of player safety (DPS): 

One, a player has the right to an in-person hearing if he is going to be 

suspended for six games or more, according to the collective bargaining 

agreement. So when the news broke that Kaleta was having only a phone 

hearing, everyone knew he would receive no more than five games. 

Disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan and the DPS were being judged before 

they had even made a final judgment. 

Two, a player now has the right to appeal a suspension of six games or 

more to an independent arbitrator instead of commissioner Gary Bettman. 

This was a win for the NHLPA in labor negotiations. But this creates a 

significant divide between five games and six games, and in situations like 

this, it can look like the DPS is backing off to avoid an appeal. We have yet 

to see a test case. 

Shanahan should consider bringing in players for in-person hearings if they 

are even in the five- or six-game neighborhood. There is nothing to stop him 

from making a player come to New York and then giving him five, four or 

three games. It might make for more direct communication, more teachable 

moments and less noise on the outside. 

As for appeals, the DPS insists they are not a factor. The DPS does what it 

thinks is right, shows its work for everyone to see and stands behind it. But 

the perception problem actually could work the other way if the DPS starts 

issuing longer suspensions. Players would appeal via the NHLPA. Then, 

suddenly, it would be the union, not the league, taking heat. 

SHOOTOUT: Last shots from around the NHL 

– The lockout-shortened season has been blamed for the rash of injuries. 

But listen to Bowman: “I don’t think it’s all the schedule. I think it’s the 

nature of the game – players blocking shots, players playing with speed. 

The league is trying to make it as safe as it can, but accidents happen. You 

can clean it up all you want, but it’s still a body-contact sport.” 

– Bowman has been impressed with two young defensemen: the Phoenix 

Coyotes’ Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the Minnesota Wild’s Jonas Brodin. 

Mark these words: “You’ll see in a couple years. You’ll be talking about 

these guys among the top half-dozen defensemen in the league. That’s 

how good they are.” He loves their skating, skill and hockey sense – how 

passes are always tape-to-tape. 

– Ryan Suter has already faced the Predators since leaving as a free agent, 

but he did that at home in Minnesota. He will make his first trip to Nashville 

on Saturday night. It will be uncomfortable, but at least he seems much 

more comfortable now with the Wild. He has six points in his past five 

games. 

– Never saw this coming: the St. Louis Blues going with Jake Allen in goal, 

even though both Brian Elliott and Jaroslav Halak are healthy now. Elliott 

and Halak won the Jennings Trophy last season as the goals-against 

leaders. Now both are struggling and the Blues need a minor-leaguer to 

stop the puck. 

– The Wings’ Niklas Kronwall entered Thursday night second among 

defensemen in scoring with 18 points. But he scoffs at the idea he is a 

Norris candidate. “Stats only say so much, I think,” he said. “I know I need 

to be better.” He singled out one stat – his minus-3 – and said he needs to 

be more consistent in his own end and needs to make better decisions with 

the puck. “I have a few more levels to reach before I’m really satisfied,” he 

said. 

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