SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF

NHL 11/29/2011

Anaheim Ducks
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Detroit Red Wings

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Boston Bruins
For line, work in progress Bruins prepare for home-and-home series against Toronto Bruins show patience with Krejci

Buffalo Sabres
Miller says it's time to practice with team Sabres' Ehrhoff is picking up the pace Miller targeting return to practice this week Amerks surprise Finley gets NHL deal from Sabres Miller targeting return to practice on Wednesday as Sabres are getting healthier Roll call, lines at Sabres practice Loss to Sabres is last straw as Caps whack Boudreau, hire Dale Hunter

Edmonton Oilers
Oilers lose Hall for two to four weeks Predators rally to hand Oilers loss New Capitals head coach Hunter 'will be great with Ovechkin' - Gagner Hartikainen also suffers shoulder injury Oilers awaiting results of Hall's MRI Gagner looks to raise game Hall out two to four weeks

Calgary Flames
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Carolina Hurricanes
Canes introduce Kirk Muller as new coach Can Muller make short-term impact on PP, Staal? Muller named as Canes' new head coach Canes fall to Senators, 4-3 Muller takes Canes' helm, looks to elevate play

Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Scott Clemmensen no longer on watch list Scott Clemmensen Back with Florida Panthers ... And Other Stuff Former Florida Center Kirk Muller New Coach of Carolina Hurricanes ... Debut Tuesday vs. Panthers and Former W Florida Panthers to Reward South Florida Students, Teachers Canada's Team Panthers: Three on Canadian WJHC Tryout Roster Panthers Monday Update: Scott Clemmensen, Mark Cullen Return; Michal Repik, Jacob Markstrom Back to AHL Southeast Division Shakeup: Bruce Boudreau, Paul Maurice Fired ... Dale Hunter to Coach Caps, Kirk Muller in w Panthers' Dineen sympathizes with fired coaches but is focused on task ahead Preview: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. Tuesday Panthers know competition has returned now that NBA lockout has ended

Chicago Blackhawks
After long trip, Hawks to get steady diet of home cooking Kane happy Bulls will be back in business soon Coyotes at Blackhawks Hawks hope to seize on home-ice advantage Jonathan Toews is gratified that Bulls are back First-place Blackhawks still searching for an identity Defensively, Blackhawks still a work in progress Carcillo expected back soon for Hawks

Colorado Avalanche
Elliott gets assist in second game for Avs Former Av Raycroft helps stop listless Colorado, 3-1 Avs fire 36 shots but lose at home again

Los Angeles Kings

591118 591119 591120 591121 591122 591123 591124 591125 591126 591127 591128 591129 591130 Jonathan Quick saves Kings again in 2-0 win over Sharks The Capitals and Hurricanes seek new directions Change is good for Kings, who beat San Jose 2-0 Murray postgame quotes (Nov. 28) Moreau postgame quotes (Nov. 28) Quick postgame quotes (Nov. 28)

Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets: Sanfords fortunes change in a hurry Blue Jackets notebook: Mason ready when needed Jackets-Canucks preview

Dallas Stars
Stars' Raycroft soothes the doubters with solid win Former Star Kirk Muller named Hurricanes' coach Stars' rash of injuries puts burden on veterans Raycroft, Ryder lead Stars past Avalanche, 3-1 Stars starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen out at least three weeks Goalie breaks losing streak as Dallas Stars top Colorado

Minnesota Wild
Game recap: Wild 3, Tampa Bay 1 Backstrom steadies Wild in 3-1 win over Lightning Wild goes back to basics and ends two-game skid Two called up to add 'little bit of life' to Wild Niklas Backstrom bounces back from subpar outing to lead Wild past Lightning Wild 3, Lightning 1: Minnesota halts two-game skid Wild rookie David McIntyre makes some noise in his NHL debut

Montreal Canadiens
591131 NHL: Canadiens' Pacioretty gets three-game suspension for

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head shot Montreal Canadiens call up Louis Leblanc Red Fisher: Pacioretty hit was reckless, but so was Letang's return Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty deserves suspension Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty suspended for 3 games Habs recall Leblanc from Hamilton 'Canes gamble on inexperienced Muller No point complaining Pacioretty gets three-game ban

Phoenix Coyotes
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Pittsburgh Penguins
Civic Arena site's destiny on table New NHL coaches will face surging Penguins Coach Bylsma, Penguins play numbers game Chipped Ice Letang hit costs Montreal player three games Montreal's Pacioretty gets suspended 3 games for hit on Penguins' Letang Talbot, Rupp get '24/7' curtain call Montreal forward suspended for hit against Letang Pens' Letang questionable against Rangers after broken nose Crosby named NHL 'First Star' in first week back

Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators beat Edmonton Oilers Nashville Predators lose Blake Geoffrion 'for a while' Carolina Hurricanes hire Predators' AHL coach Kirk Muller Game preview: Predators at Calgary Flames Nashville Predators beat Edmonton Oilers Nashville Predators lose AHL coach to Carolina Hurricanes

San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks lose to Los Angeles Kings 2-0 Sharks' Antti Niemi outdueled by Jonathan Quick

New Jersey Devils

Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood will attend Team Canada world juniors camp Devils coach Pete DeBoer tells Zach Parise not to be frustrated after disallowed goal Kirk Muller hired to replace Paul Maurice as Hurricanes' head coach Devils' Travis Zajac skates on own again; Alex Urbom recalled Slumping Zach Parise not a happy camper

St Louis Blues
Despite wins, Blues need to get second line going Matchup box: Blues at Washington Homework pays off for Blues as Elliott does well in goal Coaching change may make Capitals a tough foe for Blues Backes gives Blues a sweet win

Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts can't make chances count against Wild Lightning notes: Tyrell gets 2-year contract extension Tampa Bay Lightning loses 3-1 to Minnesota Wild GM Steve Yzerman tries to get past Tampa Bay Lightning's controversy on Versus TV telecasts Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher calls Dana Tyrell, who has a new contract, "a beast"

New York Islanders

Wang has faith in Snow, Capuano

New York Rangers

With Crosby in Form, Rangers Face Tough Task NY Rangers Brandon Dubinsky calls Flyers Jody Shelley a 'terrible hockey player' as Winter Classic trash talk Rangers ready for red-hot Crosby Up next: Penguins at Rangers Rangers focused on corralling Penguins' Crosby Rangers psyched by Crosby's visit

Toronto Maple Leafs

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NHL
Boudreau Is Fired, Replaced By Hunter, a Former Capital NHL coaches on the hot seat Gretzky's daughter closes Twitter account, did daddy disapprove? Cox: Dale Hunter faces enormous hurdles in Washington NHL: Pluses and minuses around the league Bruce Boudreau fired: 10 moments to remember

Vancouver Canucks
Raymond ready for debut Johansen knows a bit about 'wings' Canucks' Mason Raymond 'ready to roll' Canucks' Schneider to get sixth straight start, but Luongo 'is our No. 1 goaltender' Canucks' Cory Schneider NHL's second star of week, gets next start vs. Columbus Raymond ready to return after "long summer" of recovery In-form Schneider shuts out Luongo Luongo most expensive bench warmer as Schneider starts Tuesday Canucks road trip a confidence-builder

Ottawa Senators
Scanlan: Crosby under Sens' collective skin Filatov gets another audition on Sens' top line Sens GM: Cone of silence on Crosby Happy Jets memories for Senators coach

Philadelphia Flyers
Pronger to have knee surgery, miss 4 weeks Flyers' Pronger to miss four weeks with knee injury Pronger undergoing knee surgery; Schenn recalled, Nodl placed on waivers Pronger to have knee surgery; Trade coming? Season by the numbers Pronger to undergo knee surgery, out 4 weeks Pronger to have knee surgery, out four weeks Winter Classic alumni rosters talent-laden Health woes continue for Flyers captain Pronger Flyers' Pronger going under knife for knee, out 4 weeks What does Pronger's loss mean for Flyers? Pronger to miss 4 weeks following knee surgery

Washington Capitals
Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau, name Dale Hunter as new head coach New coach Dale Hunter brings no-nonsense approach to the Washington Capitals Dale Hunter will mold the Capitals in his own image On Hockey: For Capitals, staying the course is no longer an option Bruce Boudreau became the something that had to be done Dale Hunters former teammates praise Capitals new head coach

Capitals Continued

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Alex Ovechkin on Bruce Boudreau: I have good relationship with him What should new Capitals coach Dale Hunter do first? (Updated) Ted Leonsis on Bruce Boudreau: Its never easy to let a coach go Dale Hunter makes jump from junior hockey to NHL Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau; Dale Hunter named new head coach (Updated) Too early to worry about Roman Hamrlik and Dennis Wideman? Boudreaus last days with Caps marked by failure to communicate Two-way was only way Hunter knew how to play Hunter brings a hard-nosed approach to his job behind Capitals bench High expectations for Hunter Boudreau out, Hunter in as Capitals coach Capitals fire Boudreau, hire Hunter as coach Hunter's ready to join the fight for the Capitals Boudreau's dream (job) is over From haunted to Hunter for Caps

No question about Getzlaf's captaincy

By ERIC STEPHENS

ANAHEIM The collapse of his team has Ducks coach Randy Carlyle looking high and low for a solution to their problems, but one thing that is not under consideration is stripping Ryan Getzlaf of his captaincy. Getzlaf has come under some fire for his subpar play, which Carlyle noted Sunday night after the Ducks' 5-2 home loss to Toronto. But as far as discussion as to removing the 'C' from the center's sweater, there hasn't been one. Nor will there be one. "I think those moves are something that is better served through the course of a couple of years versus making a decision because we're playing poorly," Carlyle said Monday after practice. "We understand that. We're not winning. On Sunday, Carlyle said he wants his captain to "focus on playing hockey" and leave the other responsibilities of the role to the coaching staff. Getzlaf said he doesn't believe the captaincy is weighing on him and that "there's nothing to change about me other than talking to you guys more when we lose." "That's aside from the point," he said. "There's nothing else that is really going on. Our organization is based on hockey right now and that's all I'm worried about. All this group's been worried about is getting back in the win column." Getzlaf said that he has felt the need to put a lot of team's current troubles on himself "probably more than I should." "My nature is I expect high things of myself," he continued. "If I'm going to expect my teammates to play at that level, I need to play at that level every night. I haven't felt that I've done everything I can do every night. And that's my responsibility. "It's nothing to do with wearing a letter. It's got to do with the fact of who I am and what I want to bring to the table. I don't think you can put that type of emphasis on one individual, especially in our situation." Getzlaf has averaged 75 points in his last five full NHL seasons, but he has just four goals and 12 assists in 23 games and is on a pace for just 14 goals and 57 points. MCMILLAN RE-ASSIGNED Brandon McMillan was assigned to the Syracuse Crunch, the Ducks' affiliate in the AHL after two months of being able to display the form that impressed the club as a rookie. McMillan, 20, was a valuable performer for the Ducks a year ago as he had 11 goals and 10 assists in 60 games. This season he has not scored while compiling just three assists. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591051 Boston Bruins

Websites
CNN/Sports Illustrated / INSIDE THE NHL Change keeps coming to Southeast Division benches ESPN / A new chapter for Carolina with Kirk Muller ESPN / With Bruce Boudreau out, how will Alex Ovechkin respond? ESPN / Dale Hunter's task not new, but it is difficult NBCSports.com / Next up on the hot seat: Randy Carlyle in Anaheim NBCSports.com / Bruce Boudreau probably wont be out of work very long NBCSports.com / Hurricanes fire Paul Maurice; Kirk Muller named new head coach NBCSports.com / For Dale Hunter to succeed, he needs to do it old school NBCSports.com / Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau, name Dale Hunter new head coach NBCSports.com / Tonight on Versus: First place Wild look to get right against Lightning NBCSports.com / Crosby calls Ottawa GMs comments ridiculous NBCSports.com / PHTs Three Duds of the Week: Coachkilling captains NBCSports.com / Lehtonen out three weeks with groin injury NBCSports.com / Make it six: Schneider to start for Vancouveragain NBCSports.com / Pronger to miss a month following knee surgery NBCSports.com / Kirk Muller is more familiar with Carolina than youd think NBCSports.com / In the wake of Washingtons Hunter hire, here are some other junior-to-pro coaching leaps NBCSports.com / The Big Question: Is the East just as good as the West now? Sportsnet.ca / Filling up the tank Sportsnet.ca / What about Ron? Sportsnet.ca / Carousel in the crease YAHOO SPORTS / Hunter inherits Capitals combustible mix of egos

For line, work in progress Krejci trio trying, just not scoring

Winnipeg Jets
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Noel has no good news on injury front Jets Report Jets like to work from home Scheifele, locals chosen for junior camp Hockey Canada invites 41 to junior selection camp, awaits decisions from NHL Jets' plug-and-play defence
Anaheim Ducks

By Fluto Shinzawa

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129

WILMINGTON - The Jets were changing lines. The puck was bouncing toward the Winnipeg goal. All of a sudden, Bruins Milan Lucic, David Krejci, and Nathan Horton found themselves scurrying for a three-on-one rush against Zach Bogosian in the second period of Saturday nights 4-2 win over the Jets.

Naturally, given how all three forwards have been without their collective net-tracking GPS devices, the line - Horton fumbled an exchange from Krejci, then couldnt get a good shot on goal - flubbed the opportunity. The puck was rolling the whole time, Krejci said. I finally settled it down. If he would have had it on his tape, I think it would have been an easy goal. But I put the pass a little bit closer to his body. It was tougher for him. Krejci hasnt scored in the last nine games. Lucic has gone eight straight without a goal. Horton is without a goal in the last four games. If circumstances were different, all those zeros would be troubling the coaching staff. But there are three reasons why worry isnt settling in. The Bruins have gone 12 straight games without a regulation loss. The other threesomes - Chris Kelly scored two of the Bruins four goals against Winnipeg - are picking up the slack. Most important, the Krechmates are producing chances. As early as the start of 2011-12, Krejci and Co. didnt resemble top-flight forwards. They werent heavy on the puck. They didnt forecheck consistently. They spent too much time at the wrong end of the ice. They were liabilities in all three zones. Such shortcomings havent saddled their game lately. Horton landed five shots on Jhonas Enroth in last Wednesdays 4-3 shootout win over the Sabres. Horton also scored in the shootout Friday against Detroit. Lucic stabilized his reputation as one of the leagues toughest fighters when he delivered a beatdown to the Sabres Paul Gaustad. Against the Jets, Horton and Lucic combined for five of the clubs 10 missed shots. No finish, but they had their opportunities. If they were playing badly, spending most of their time in our own end, or being lazy and not having anything happening, it would be a different situation, coach Claude Julien said. But I think theyre getting their chances. Look at Horton the other night. If he had it on his stick, he would have an open net. It slipped off his stick. A lot of good things are happening. Right now, whether its a little snakebitten or lacking a little bit of confidence in that area, I like their work ethic. With time, Im sure its going to turn around. For most of last Fridays game against the Red Wings, Detroit coach Mike Babcock rolled out his No. 1 line of Todd Bertuzzi, Pavel Datsyuk, and Johan Franzen against Krejcis trio. Babcock tried to match Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericssonagainst Krejcis line as well. It showed that despite the lines dip in production, opposing coaches continue to consider it a scoring threat. Weve seen him catch fire and he keeps producing and producing, Julien said of Krejci (3-7-10 in 19 games). The one thing David wants to get better at, and wed like to see him do the same, is consistency. Streaky can be good when youre on a good streak. Consistency is even better. Thats something I know hed like to be better at. Thats something hes got to keep working on. Chara producing After going without a point in the seasons first six games, Zdeno Chara has been contributing regularly on the scoresheet. During the unbeaten streak, Chara has been a point-per-game player (3-9-12). Three of Charas four goals this year have been on the power play, where hes been serving more as a triggerman. Zs in a position now where were setting him up for a lot of shots, Julien said. Hes taking those and putting himself in a position where hes got to shoot. Thats gotten better and thats certainly helped. On the power play, Chara has been marking the right point alongside Dennis Seidenberg. The Bruins have not used him as a net-front man on the man-advantage this year. Chara had some down-low shifts during last seasons postseason when the power play was scuffling. Ference stays off ice Defenseman Andrew Ference didnt practice yesterday. Julien termed it a maintenance day. Ference went through an off-ice workout instead. He will practice today, said Julien . . . The Bruins enter tomorrows game against Toronto at the Air Canada Centre one point behind the division-leading Maple Leafs. They will host Toronto at TD Garden Saturday. Right now, were playing yo-yo with these guys, Julien said. One game were ahead of them. The next game were behind them. This is an opportunity here in these next two games, if we want to spread that gap a little bit, its up to us to go in and do the job. . . . Julien, having gone through two in-season

sackings (New Jersey and Montreal), understands what Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice went through yesterday. Boudreau was replaced by Dale Hunter with the Capitals. Kirk Muller took over Maurices job in Carolina. Its not a fun thing for those guys, Julien said. Its a tough job. When you see the situation, sometimes you understand its probably the easiest thing to do. But not necessarily the main reason for the issues. Those two are just like anybody else. They have families. They have responsibilities. Sometimes theyre easy targets. You feel for them. The one thing I know is theyre both pretty good coaches. I dont doubt well see them back in the league soon. . . . Prospects Dougie Hamilton (No. 9 overall in 2011) and Ryan Spooner (No. 45 in 2010) were named to Team Canadas selection camp roster for the 2012 World Junior Championship. The selection camp starts Dec. 10. If they make the final roster, it would be the first time either player would participate in the tournament. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Boston Bruins

Bruins prepare for home-and-home series against Toronto

November 28, 2011|Fluto Shinzawa, Globe Staff

WILMINGTON Good morning from Ristuccia Arena, where the Bruins have started practice. Andrew Ference is the only player not practicing. The Bruins will play two games this week against Toronto. They will visit the Air Canada Centre on Wednesday. They will host the Maple Leafs on Saturday. Toronto is one point ahead of the Bruins. "Right now, we're playing yo-yo with these guys," Claude Julien said. "One game we're ahead of them. The next game we're behind them. This is an opportunity here in these next two games, if we want to spread that gap a little bit, it's up to us to go in and do the job." Todays lineup: Milan Lucic-David Krejci-Nathan Horton Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Tyler Seguin Benoit Pouliot/Jordan Caron-Chris Kelly-Rich Peverley Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton Zdeno Chara-Johnny Boychuk Dennis Seidenberg-Joe Corvo Steven Kampfer-Adam McQuaid Tim Thomas Tuukka Rask UPDATE; Maintenance day for Ference. He will practice tomorrow, said Claude Julien. Boston Globe LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Boston Bruins

Bruins show patience with Krejci

By Steve Conroy | Tuesday, November 29, 2011 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Boston Bruins

David Krejcis numbers are nowhere near where theyre expected to be, and he knows that. But the talented Bruins center says his game, and the games of linemates Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton, are starting to come.

Krejci has no goals in his last nine games. Lucic hasnt scored in his last eight games, and Horton hasnt scored in his last four. There was a play Saturday night indicative of the way things are going for the unit. In the 4-2 win against Winnipeg, the trio broke in on a 3-on-1, and Krejci, skating down the middle, sent a pass to Horton on the right. When things are going well, Horton gets an easy goal out of it, but the puck on this night just hopped over his stick. Krejci doesnt like the numbers, but is not beating himself up for the cold steak. I feel like Ive been making some plays lately, so hopefully I can keep doing it and create some more chances, and once we get hot, my line, hopefully well start putting the puck in the net, Krejci said. I feel good. I think were getting there. We really want to get back to what were used to, and I think the last few games it started with the game in Buffalo (a 4-3 shootout win Nov. 23) we were playing with the puck down low and creating some chances. .?.?. Weve got to stay positive, keep doing the things were doing, and Im sure well be putting the puck in the net more. Claude Julien would like to see Krejci be more consistent, but the coach is not overly concerned with how the center is playing right now. Hes probably not getting the points on the board the way everybody would like it to be, and when I say everybody, thats including ourselves. That line is certainly capable of scoring and putting some points on the board, but that hasnt been happening much lately, Julien said. But through the course of the season, you have those highs and lows. And sometimes you have to be a little bit patient. If they were playing badly and spending most of their time in our end or being lazy and not having anything happening, that would be a different situation. But I think theyre getting chances. .?.?. Right now, whether its being snakebitten or lacking a little bit of confidence in that area or not, I like their work ethic. And with time Im sure its going to turn around. Krejci has lived through scoring droughts, and, at least for now, the teams winning ways make it easier for him to work his way out of it. Weve been there before, and its a long season, Krejci said. There are ups and downs, and I feel like were getting up now. Hopefully, we can get there soon and stay there as long as we can. Bruins notes With Benoit Pouliot playing well, just when Jordan Caron gets back in the lineup is anyones guess. But Caron said hell be ready when called. I still have stuff to work on my hands and my shot and my skating, all those things. I just have to keep improving. Theres nothing I can do about (not playing), said Caron, who had been playing pretty well, too. I remember last year (Adam McQuaid) had to sit for a while at the start of the season and everybody saw what he did during the playoffs. He was a big part of the team. As a young guy I have to go through that and get better every day. .?.?. It was Lily Higgins lucky day yesterday well, sort of. The 11-year-old native of Ireland, who now lives in Wellesley, was standing near the Ristuccia Arena boards when a Tyler Seguin shot shattered the glass, with some shards landing in her hair. She wasnt hurt. For her trouble, however, she got some Bs autographs, and Seguin gave her one of his sticks. Judging from her smile, it was a trade-off shed make any day of the week. .?.?. Andrew Ference did not skate yesterday. Julien said it was simply a maintenance day, and hes expected to be back at practice today. .?.?. Bruins prospects defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Ryan Spooner were invited to the Canadian world junior championship team selection camp Dec. 10-14 in Edmonton. The tournament is Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Boston Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011

By Mike Harrington

Ryan Miller was back in net taking a few shots prior to the Buffalo Sabres' practice Monday morning and is close to rejoining his team for workouts. Miller said he expects to take today's morning skate as a third goalie and would like to fully return to practice Wednesday. "I think that's realistic," said coach Lindy Ruff. "In his situation, it's really how he feels. If he'd like to practice, I'll get a practice plan together so that he can face some shots." Miller has done rides on an exercise bike and said he is symptom free from the hit he took Nov. 12 from Boston's Milan Lucic. The Sabres said that resulted in a concussion and Miller also had plenty of neck troubles in the aftermath of the play. "I aggravated a disc in my neck pretty good," Miller said. "We had an MRI and CT-scan showing that kind of backed that up and was the source of a lot of the tension and a lot of the discomfort. It definitely was limiting my range of motion. "Talking to the doctors, they felt it was important to let it settle down. We've let it settle down and I'm trying to improve some strength in that area." Miller was one of nine players who missed Saturday's 5-1 win over Washington but said he was impressed with the way the Sabres filled their gaps with callups from Rochester. "We've had some pretty devastating injuries pile up here," Miller said. "I think we've had good reaction out of the guys coming up and guys filling in different roles. ... It's good to see new guys coming up can step in, know what's going on and make contributions." Patrick Kaleta (groin), Drew Stafford (groin) and Robyn Regehr (arm/shoulder) all returned to practice Monday after missing Saturday's game and could be ready to play tonight. Forwards Corey Tropp and Paul Szczechura and defenseman T.J. Brennan were returned to Rochester. * Tyler Ennis' high ankle sprain is rapidly getting better but he said he will not play tonight. Still, Ennis is hopeful some good practices could put him in position to play either Friday against Detroit or Saturday in Nashville. "I think I'm pretty close. Today felt like my best day on the ankle," Ennis said. "I felt like I was skating well and tested out pretty good. I depend on my agility and being quick side to side and laterally. So I need it to be pretty much 100 percent because if I can't be quick and darting around I'm not going to be as effective." * When Washington's Bruce Boudreau and Carolina's Paul Maurice were fired Monday, that pushed the number of coaching changes to 166 since Ruff joined the Sabres in July, 1997. "I feel fortunate to have my job as long as I've had," Ruff said. "When you see two fellow coaches lose their job, you don't feel good about it. It sums up how tight this league is and the pressure to win. It's tough. Both teams have struggled. When you look at it, sometimes that's the route they go." Dale Hunter, a former Sabres antagonist during the 1980s with the Quebec Nordiques, was named to replace Boudreau and Ruff had several dustups with Hunter back in the day. "That dirty dog knocked me out with a hit," said a smiling Ruff. "That would have been a suspension now. I woke up snoring." * The Sabres announced Monday that they have signed Rochester defenseman Joe Finley to a multi-year NHL contract. The 6-foot-8 Finley was playing in the AHL on a minor-league deal after getting a tryout during training camp. Terms were not disclosed but the contract is believed to be a two-way, three-year deal with an NHL salary of $525,000 per season if Finley makes it to Buffalo. Finley, 24, was Washington's No. 1 pick in 2005. After playing just 50 games the last two seasons due to injuries, Finley has been an earlyseason revelation in Rochester with a team-high plus-10 rating.

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Buffalo Sabres

Miller says it's time to practice with team

Finley has one goal and one assist and leads the Amerks with 57 penalty minutes in 18 games. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

But Ehrhoff wasn't interested in signing with a rebuilding organization after coming so close to winning the Cup, so the Islanders traded his rights to Buffalo for a fourth-round pick. "It wasn't realistic I'd sign with them," he said. "I was looking for another opportunity to have a shot at the Cup. I just didn't see it with them so it wasn't really an option." Ehrhoff said his adjustment period here is starting to settle down nicely.

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Buffalo Sabres

Sabres' Ehrhoff is picking up the pace Sabres' blue-liner has filled larger role in recent games

"I feel pretty comfortable now," he said. "The last few games have been more consistent and able to find a rhythm here to be more consistent than I was the first 20 games. At times it's tough but the coaching staff and the guys here have really helped me a lot and made it pretty smooth." Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

By Mike Harrington

The numbers don't lie. Christian Ehrhoff is the NHL's highest-paid defenseman this season and hardly played like it in October. The Buffalo Sabres needed a lot more from him in recent games, especially with a rash of injuries on the blueline. Slowly but surely, Ehrhoff is starting to deliver. He played a season-high 27 minutes, 32 seconds and had a pair of assists in Saturday's win over Washington. And in the last four games, Ehrhoff has averaged 26 1/2 minutes and collected 15 shots on goal. He's probably going to keep getting that kind of heavy ice time tonight against the New York Islanders in First Niagara Center. "There's pressure there for me but I can tell you this: I put a lot of pressure on myself too," Ehrhoff said after practice Monday downtown. "I don't think there's more pressure on me than what I put on myself. I'm a pretty competitive guy and I want to play good hockey for this team." After an up-and-down start, Ehrhoff has been doing that lately. He's cut back on his defensive mistakes, both in positioning and passing, and is finding ways to get more shots to the net. It's hard to live up to the $10 million he's making this season in the first year of his 10-year, $40 million deal. But at least Ehrhoff is looking far more like the player owner Terry Pegula coveted last year while Ehrhoff was playing in Vancouver and getting to Game Seven of the Stanley Cup final. "Nobody says it's easy going from one team to another. It takes time and you're going to make mistakes," said coach Lindy Ruff. "You could make those same mistakes with the team you're just with and not get noticed as much because you're not the new guy on the block. "In Christian's case, I really like the way he's skated in the last four or five [games]. I think he's been involved a little bit more on the offensive thrust for us and that's what his game is about." Ehrhoff averaged 14 goals, 47 points and a rating of plus-27.5 the last two years in Vancouver. He's not going to get near those numbers this season as he has only two goals, 13 points and a minus-4 rating in 23 games. Ehrhoff was minus-6 in October and his only goal was an empty netter Oct. 18 in Montreal. He's plus-2 in November and his ice time has picked up appreciably, especially in the wake of the injury to Tyler Myers. He's formed a solid pair with Marc-Andre Gragnani, who played a careerhigh 24:17 alongside Ehrhoff Saturday. They were both plus-2. "It always helps the confidence to get more ice time and to get in the game more," Gragnani said. "I thought Christian and I had a solid game, played well defensively, moved the puck, had a couple chances. "He's always felt at ease. I never thought he felt nervous or anything," Gragnani said. "He's very professional, comes to the rink every day to get better. He takes the same approach and that's such a big thing in our game." Ehrhoff has been impressed by Gragnani's abilities too. "Very talented, very skilled and makes good decisions," Ehrhoff said. "He's very good with the puck. The toughest thing as a young player is to find a way to be ready every night and he's been doing that." Tonight's game, technically, is against one of Ehrhoff's former teams. Ehrhoff, remember, was property of the Islanders for a few hours in June after they acquired his rights in a trade from Vancouver on the eve of free agency.

591056

Buffalo Sabres

Miller targeting return to practice this week

By Mike Harrington News Sports Reporter Updated: November 28, 2011, 6:12 PM

Medical updates are front and center these days around the Sabres and Monday was a good day at First Niagara Center. The biggest news was the brief pre-practice appearance by goaltender Ryan Miller, who took a few shots and then called it a day on the ice at least. Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

591057

Buffalo Sabres

Amerks surprise Finley gets NHL deal from Sabres

Fans are happy to see the Sabres getting bigger by developing players such as Zack Kassian and Brayden McNabb to the organization and they signed another one to a deal Monday night by giving 6-foot-8 Rochester Amerks defenseman Joe Finley an multi-year NHL contract. Finley was on a one-year AHL deal after making the Amerks lineup via a training camp tryout. The Sheehy Hockey agency tweeted the deal earlier today and the Sabres confirmed it around 9:50 Monday night. It's a three-year deal believed to hold the NHL minimum salary of $525,000 per season if Finley is in Buffalo. A former No. 1 draft pick of the Washington Capitals, the 24-year-old Finley has been dogged by injuries in his first two pro seasons but has become a revelation in Rochester. He has one goal, one assist, 57 penalty minutes and a team-high plus-10 rating in 18 games and has pushed his way onto Rochester's shutdown pairing with veteran and former Sabre Shaone Morrisonn. ---Mike Harrington Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

591058

Buffalo Sabres

Miller targeting return to practice on Wednesday as Sabres are getting healthier

Medical updates are front and center these days around the Sabres and Monday was a good day at First Niagara Center. The biggest news was the

brief pre-practice appearance by goaltender Ryan Miller, who took a few shots and then called it a day on the ice at least. Miller said he expects to take part as an extra goalie at Tuesday's morning skate and hopes to practice fully on Wednesday. And while there's no timetable yet on him seeing game action, rejoining practice is a huge first step. Miller also said he's no longer sure if he suffered a concussion from the Nov. 12 hit by Boston's Milan Lucic, but that disc problems in his neck were a bigger issue. (It should be noted, however, the Sabres pointed out later in the day that Miller was, in fact, diagnosed with a concussion) "I feel good symptom wise," Miller said. "It was more neck and something where I aggravated a disc in my neck pretty good and we had an MRI and CT-scan showing that which kind of backed that up and was the source of a lot of the tension and a lot of the discomfort. It definitely was limiting my range of motion." Coach Lindy Ruff said he thinks it's realistic Miller could practice Wednesday but added: "In his situation, it's really how he feels. If he'd like to practice, I'll get a practice plan together so that he can face some shots." Ruff was encouraged by Miller and several other players. Robyn Regehr, Patrick Kaleta and Drew Stafford might all play Tuesday against the New York Islanders. Tyler Ennis (high ankle sprain) told me he won't play in that game but it's possible he could be ready by this weekend. Click below for audio from Miller and Ruff, with the coach's wide-ranging interview touching on the injuries, the play of Thomas Vanek, Christian Ehrhoff and Jochen Hecht, and his reaction to the firings of Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice. Ryan Miller Lindy Ruff ---Mike Harrington Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

Loss to Sabres is last straw as Caps whack Boudreau, hire Dale Hunter

Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau looked beaten here Saturday morning and sounded befuddled Saturday night when he said of his struggling team, "It's got to come from within I've got to believe. Because if I've got to teach them how to be tough, then I don't know quite how to do that." The coach-killing Caps completely went through the motions during their 51 loss to the injury-riddled Sabres and they apparently got their wish Monday morning: Boudreau was fired and replaced by London Knights coach and longtime Sabres antagonist Dale Hunter. Hunter, 51, is one of four Caps to have his number retired by the team and appeared in 872 games with them from 1987-1999, including the 1998 Stanley Cup final team that beat the Sabres in the Eastern Conference finals. Hunter, of course, is best remembered in Buffalo as the chief pest of the old Quebec Nordiques during those classic 1980s battles in the regular season and playoffs. Since starting the season 7-0, the Capitals are just 5-9-1. Alexander Ovechkin is a shell of his former self and has openly battled with Boudreau over ice time. Alexander Semin has been a healthy scratch. The Caps lack any semblance of passion and, of course, have the mental issues involved with two straight early playoff flameouts when a lot of people thought they were the best team in the East. Hunter takes over tomorrow night against St. Louis, which has been surging the last two weeks since hiring Ken HItchcock. Mark Hunter, Dale's younger brother and a former NHLer himself, will take over in London. As for Boudreau? He just wore out his welcome in DC but he'll certainly get another job at some point. And if he doesn't, he'll always be famous for that great F-bomb rant in the dressing room last year on HBO's 24/7. Next coach on the hot seat? It's still pretty warm for Paul Maurice in Carolina but I'm betting Randy Carlyle is in his final days in Anaheim, where the Ducks lost their seventh straight last night and are quickly falling out of the Western Conference race. They are 14th and have won once in their last 14 games. Ouch. 10:15 a.m. update: Two Southeast Division coaches down today as the Hurricanes just fired Maurice and will replace him with former NHL player and assistant coach Kirk Muller, who had been the head man with Milwaukee of the AHL. If I'm Carlyle, I stay away from the phone today. 10:20 a.m. update: Caps owner Ted Leonsis has blogged a thank-you to Boudreau. ---Mike Harrington Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

591059

Buffalo Sabres

Roll call, lines at Sabres practice

With all the injuries, this is going to take a while. The Sabres have just opened stretching at First Niagara Center and here's what I can tell you so far. ---Ryan Miller took a few shots before practice and then left the ice before the regular session began. You would think that's a good first step for him. ---The injured Robyn Regehr, Drew Stafford and Patrick Kaleta are all back and appear to be taking part in practice fully. The same goes for Tyler Ennis, who is clearly getting close to returning from his high ankle sprain. ---Mike Weber remains skating in a non-contact role. Cody McCormick skated some before practice and left. Tyler Myers not skating yet. Brad Boyes remains out longterm. ---T.J. Brennan, Paul Szczechura and Corey Tropp are not here so it can be inferred they've been sent back to Rochester. Three minutes after I write that update: The Sabres confirm those three have been returned to the AHL Line combos appear to be: Vanek-Hecht-Pominville Gerbe-Roy-Kassian Leino-Adam-Stafford (with Ennis taking turns) Ellis-Gaustad-Kaleta Defense pairs aren't as set but seem to be: Regehr-McNabb, EhrhoffGragnani and Leopold-Sekera. ---Mike Harrington Buffalo News LOADED: 11.29.2011

591061

Calgary Flames

Reinhart finally reaps just reward

By Vicki Hall

Throughout Calgary Flames training camp, Max Reinhart stuck to the politically correct script every time the conversation turned to the missing invitation to the Team Canada junior summer development camp in Edmonton. Following the example set by his father (former Flames defenceman Paul Reinhart), Max took the high road in spite of a torrid playoff run that saw him score 15 goals and 27 points in 19 playoff games with the Kootenay Ice. On Monday, justice was served with Team Canada officially inviting the soft-spoken centre to the junior selection camp Dec. 10 to 14 in Calgary. I wouldnt say I was expecting this, Reinhart said from Cranbrook. But I knew that I had given myself a pretty good chance. Obviously, I felt like I

591060

Buffalo Sabres

had done my part. Its one of those things that isnt completely under your control. I hoped that I had shown them enough. Im just thankful that I did. Coming off a strong showing for the Flames at the rookie tournament in Penticton, Reinhart leads the Ice in goals (12), assists (19) and points (31.) The slick centre proved his case on a recent road Western road swing with stops in Vancouver and Kelowna. Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay just happens to serve as the head coach for Team Canada. Kelowna Rockets bench boss Ryan Huska is an assistant to Hay. Reinhart, 19, saw both outings as auditions that had to be aced. I just had to have a good road trip, said Reinhart, a third-round (64th overall) pick of the Flames in 2010. And I did. I had two of my best games of the year when we were playing their teams. I guess that couldnt have done anything but help my chances. Performance on demand is Reinharts calling card. Reinhart, in the playoffs last year, they beat two of the top teams in junior hockey in Portland and Saskatoon, said Team Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast. I thought he was a big factor in going to the Memorial Cup. He appears to be one of those kids who seems to raise his game when the pressure is on him and competes very hard. Michael Ferland, drafted in the fifth round of the 2010 by the Flames, also received the magical Team Canada invitation on Sunday night during a Grey Cup party with his teammates on the Brandon Wheat Kings. The prototypical power forward sits sixth in the entire Western Hockey League in points (42) and is tied for seventh in goals (17.) Not bad for a kid who graduated from house league at age 15. Im honoured and very excited to get over there and start skating, said the six-foot-two, 208-pounder. This is just sick. For the over-35 crowd, he means sick as in cool or awesome. Ferland is a big, strong body, Prendergast said. We felt looking at our forward situation that we felt we were going to be young in our top-six players. We needed some guy with size and grit, guys who would create some banging for us. Hes done an outstanding job of that in Brandon this year. Ferlands potential role with Team Canada is clear, but Reinhart might have to adjust a little from life as a first-line centre on his junior team. I want to be a good faceoff guy, Reinhart said. A guy who plays with a lot of speed and is a responsible two-way forward. Obviously, theyve seen something they liked. C-NOTES: RW Patrick Holland, a seventh-round pick of the Flames in 2010, attended Team Canada summer camp in August but did not receive an invitation to selection camp. In 25 games with the Tri-City Americans, Holland has five goals and 26 points. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591062 Calgary Flames

C.Glencross O.Jokinen J.Iginla B.Comeau M.Backlund L.Stempniak A.Tanguay R.Horak R.Bourque T.Kostopoulos M.Stajan T.Jackman The Pairings C.Butler J.Bouwmeester M.Giordano S.Hannan D.Smith T.J. Brodie The Goalies M.Kiprusoff H.Karlsson The Injuries D Brett Carson (back), D Anton Babchuk (hand), RW David Moss (foot) Predators player to watch Jordin Tootoo: Ranks high on the annoying factor. Loves to muck it up. Good for a couple solid jolts every night. The Lines C.Wilson D.Legwand P.Hornqvist M. Erat M.Fisher S.Kostitsyn J.Tootoo C. Smith N.Spaling *M. Halischuk J. Smithson The Pairings R.Suter S.Weber F.Bouillon K.Klein J.Hillen J.Blum *R.Josi The Goalies P.Rinne A.Lindback The Injuries D Teemu Laakso (cyst removed) Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591063

Calgary Flames

Flames' Brodie up-and-down on the road

By Scott Cruickshank Game Day: Nashville at Calgary CALGARY On the surface, this appears to have been a straightforward road trip for T.J. Brodie. By Vicki Hall The Calgary Flames rookie defenceman, in his 85 shifts, earned an even plus-minus rating. So four games quietly contested? No. Not even close. Lots happened. A few ugly moments. But even more shiny ones. Not too bad, Brodie says of his eventful week. Im just trying to get better every game. Trying to learn what I can and cant do out there. Its one of those things every shift is different. Some shifts, you go out there and

Nashville Predators (11-8-4) vs. Calgary Flames (9-12-1) 7:30 p.m., Scotiabank Saddledome, Radio: SN 960, TV: TSN Flames player to watch: LW Blake Comeau: Playing his first home game as a Calgary Flame, the Islander castoff hopes to make a solid first impression at the Dome in front of family and friends. The Lines

everything will click. And then youll have a shift where you take one second too long to make a pass and its right back (in your own end). To sum up: Game 1 at Columbus Kid gives Blue Jackets winger Vinny Prospal a shot in the tuque, for which he gets a check-to-head minor (but no further punishment). But on a night when the Flames go into a full fade, Brodie starts rushing the puck, starts taking chances, and looks very good doing it. Game 2 at Detroit In front of friends and family Brodie is from nearby Chatham, Ont the freshman is excellent against his (former) favourite team. He makes a fantastic read on a third-period power play, freezing netminder Jimmy Howard and skipping the puck over to Olli Jokinen, who drains an easy goal. Coach Brent Sutter singles out No. 7 as the Flames best player. Game 3 at St. Louis Grimly forgettable. Not only does Brodie allow himself to be wallpapered by Blues brawler Ryan Reaves, he is victimized on the power play. David Backes, all speed and power, barges past Brodie at the right point and rumbles away on a breakaway. Backes scores and the first-period shortie stands as the winning goal. Learning experience? Yeah, definitely, says Brodie, 21. It felt like one of those off-games where nothing really could go right. Youve got to find a way to make those work. Sometimes, less is better in those kinds of games. Game 4 at Minnesota Shrugging off St. Louiss sag, hes full of vigour. In the first period, he neatly defuses a Wild rush, stripping Colton Gillies of the puck. Soon after, Brodie jumps in from the right point, takes a feed from Matt Stajan, and coolly funnels a backhander through the wickets of goalie Niklas Backstrom. To be as poised as he was when he picked it up and to take it to the net, Sutter says, its a great play. As it turns out, Brodies honest aim had been to feed a pass to a lurking Tim Jackman. But no matter, it ends up being the winning goal not to mention his first-ever goal (in his 11th NHL appearance).

(Offence) has always been part of my game, says Brodie. And I feel more confident defensively, especially. Just using my stick better, trying to break up stuff, reading stuff better. I just feel more comfortable out there. I play a better game when Im relaxed. Calgary Herald Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591064

Calgary Flames

Flames prospects called to Hockey Canada's junior team selection camp

By Kristen Odland

Calgary Flames prospects Max Reinhart and Michael Ferland were among the 41 players invited to Hockey Canada's junior team selection camp announced on Monday. The roster also includes three returning players including Jaden Schwartz, a likely candidate to wear the 'C' for Canada, Quinton Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors, and goaltender Mark Visentin of the Niagara IceDogs who was between the pipes when the Russians beat Canada for gold last winter in Buffalo, N.Y. As well, 36 of the named players are 2010 or 2011 NHL draft picks Hockey Canada can still add additional players prior to the opening of selection camp. Locals Ty Rattie, an Airdrie native from the Portland Winterhawks forward who attended Hockey Canada's summer development camp, and Calgarian Matt Dumba, a Red Deer Rebels defenceman, also received invites. Medicine Hat Tigers goalie Tyler Bunz of St. Albert, Alta., will also be competing for a spot between the pipes along with Louis Domingue (Quebec) and Scott Wedgewood (Plymouth). Brandon Wheat Kings captain Mark Stone, who is in a race for the WHL's scoring title with 24 goals and 34 assists in 28 games, was among 16 players named to the camp from the WHL. Ontario Hockey League snipers Tyler Toffoli (Ottawa 67's) and Tanner Pearson (Barrie Colts) were also given invites. Hockey Canada's selection camp begins Dec. 10 and runs through Dec. 14 in Calgary. There will be two Red-White intrasquad games on Dec. 11 and Dec. 12 and one game against the CIS all-stars made up of players from the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge. Canada begins round robin play on Dec. 26 against Finland at Edmonton's Rexall Place. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Im not really too concerned about that stuff, says Brodie. But I guess it gets in everyones heads, eventually. So (its nice) to get that out of the way and just be able to play my game. Ive never really been a big goal scorer more of a passer, playmaker. Sutter, understandably, adores the lad, who offers something in high demand in these parts a puck-rushing blue-liner. Hes playing with a lot of confidence, says the skipper. Hes a good young player. He knows how to handle the puck, hes smart with it. But Brodies pro career, like his week, has had its moments. A 2008 fourth-round pick, he deservedly cracked last seasons opening-day roster. But three dates later, he was demoted to the AHLs Abbotsford Heat. He never returned. Once the (NHL) season started, I started gripping the stick a little too tight, Brodie recalls. It started to kick in that it was actually real. It sort of hit me and I started to put pressure on. Pressure proved to be tough to shake. Because this years camp was so-so, at best. I over-thought everything, explains Brodie. I was trying to concentrate on defence. I stopped playing the game that I always played. Now, suddenly, hes rediscovered his mojo.

591065

Calgary Flames

Brodie on the board

By STEVE MACFARLANE, QMI Agency

CALGARY - Back at his childhood home in southwestern Ontario, theres a room full of T.J. Brodies hockey accomplishments. None of the souvenirs, though, hold a candle to the one that will be heading to Brodies parents home in Chatham in the near future. Scoring his first NHL goal Sunday in St. Paul the game-winner for his Calgary Flames in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild Brodie figures hell take whatever the team creates as a memento after scooping the puck off the ice and ship it home to add to the collection.

Well see what they do, Brodie said after the game in Minnesota. Probably just send it back to the parents and let them have it. Ive got stuff all the way through minor hockey still. Im sure theyll just plop her in there. Plopping the puck through Niklas Backstroms legs in the first period of a 22 contest, Brodie admitted he was attempting a backhand pass to Tim Jackman and it just happened to get past the goalie. But the goal wasnt even the most impressive part of his game, and thats why Flames fans have every reason to be excited about the prospect picked in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Fending off Colton Gillies in a one-on-one showdown in his own end and showing intelligence and confidence in his opportunities to handle the puck or join the rush, Brodie bounced back from a tough outing in St. Louis. Against the Blues, he struggled at times. He was the victim of a big hit from a much less fleet-of-foot Ryan Reaves, and was outmatched by David Backes at the blueline as the Blues star pushed the puck around the 21-year-old and then brushed by him on his way to a shorthanded goal. Yeah. It felt like one of those games where nothing could go right in St. Louis. Sometimes, less is better in those kind of games, said Brodie, whose biggest fault at the NHL level may be his enthusiastic attempts to do too much. I have to be aware on the ice who the other team has out there and keep my head on a swivel. Arguably the most positive thing to come out of the 1-3 road trip, Brodies improvement has been noted by head coach Brent Sutter, who has dressed the rookie for all eight games since Brodie was called up from the AHL Abbotsford Heat Nov. 10. Hes playing with lots of confidence, said Sutter. Hes a good, young player. He knows how to handle the puck and hes smart with it. Last year, Brodie made his NHL debut with the Flames, starting the regular season with the big club. He suited up for three games before coaches realized he wasnt ready to make the jump straight from the junior ranks. After an equally rocky start in Abbotsford, where he was given the toughlove treatment by then-head coach Jim Playfair, he began to find the balance between offence and defence at the pro level. Finishing with five goals and 34 points in 68 games with the Heat, Brodie became an AHL all-star. Hes translating his experience into a solid start in the NHL now. I feel more confident, defensively especially. Im using my stick better, trying to break up stuff, read stuff better, he said. I just feel more comfortable out there. Last year, I think once the season started I started gripping the stick a little bit too tight. It started to kick in that it was actually real. I didnt really start thinking about it until the season started, then it started to hit me. I started to put pressure on. I play a better game when Im relaxed. The comfort factor is big this year. He feels like he belongs. And now he has the souvenir puck to prove it. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Muller, 45, was introduced Monday as the new head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes by general manager Jim Rutherford. Muller replaces Paul Maurice, who was fired after almost three years as head coach. "It's an exciting moment for myself and my family," Muller said Monday in a press conference at the RBC Center. "I want to thank Jimmy (Rutherford) for having the confidence in hiring me. It's a special day for me." As for his first game, Tuesday against the Florida Panthers at the RBC Center, Muller said, "I'm excited. It's good. You need to have those butterflies. It's a game but it's fun. It's all about the competition." Muller was head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL -- his first head-coaching position in professional hockey. The Admirals, who hired Muller in June, played in Charlotte Saturday and Sunday, losing twice to the Checkers, but Muller had the opportunity to meet with Rutherford. Muller returned to Milwaukee with the team and talked with his family. He said Rutherford called late Sunday night to officially offer the job. He will take over a Hurricanes team that is 8-13-4 after three straight losses and 14th in the NHL's Eastern Conference. "It's all about the players and hopefully I can come in and get them to feel good, and get them to play at the level they're capable of and let them have some fun," he said. "And we'll go from there." Muller will meet his players Tuesday morning, before the morning skate at the RBC Center. "We'll get things rolling because it happens quick," he said. As an NHL player, Muller won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens. He later served as an assistant coach with the Canadiens before being named head coach by the Admirals. Rutherford said Muller's contract calls for him to be paid for the remainder of this season and the next three seasons. "Even going back to junior hockey, Kirk has always had great character and leadership qualities," Rutherford said. "He had a good playing career and has had a good coaching career. He's a proven leader and motivator and has tremendous communication skills." Rutherford said assistant coaches Dave Lewis, Tom Barrasso and Rod Brind'Amour would be retained. "It's unfortunate," Rutherford said of Maurice's firing. "We need to see if we can get back into it with a new coach, or if we need to change some players." Rutherford said the Canes are looking to trade for a forward, adding that has been an ongoing search for three or four weeks. "No one has been available who makes sense for us," Rutherford said. "We will continue to look." Noting the Canes' surplus of defenseman, Rutherford said, "Ideally we can move a defenseman for a forward." The Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, played in Charlotte this past weekend against the Charlotte Checkers, the Canes' AHL affiliate. The Checkers won 3-2 and 5-1, with Rutherford in attendance. Muller was not the only person considered for the job, Rutherford said, although he did not name any other potential candidates. Rutherford said he did a thorough search, lasting more than a month, anticipating that a coaching change might be needed. "I've talked to Kirk for 7-10 days," Rutherford said. "After going through that process of all the possibilities, clearly Kirk was our No. 1 choice." Rutherford said turning over the team to a new coach, "Doesn't work like magic." "We may win our first game or first three games, but what I'm really looking for are new ideas," he said. "What I also will look for is a consistent work ethic." Rutherford called the Canes' lackluster 4-0 loss in Montreal on Nov. 16 "unacceptable" and said the Canes did not play well for much of the 3-1 loss Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. "We have to get that consistent work ethic," he said. "It will take some time to get (Muller's) ideas and system in place. Then, we can get the confidence back and hopefully then the wins will come."

591066

Carolina Hurricanes

Canes introduce Kirk Muller as new coach

By Chip Alexander

RALEIGH -- Kirk Muller played more than a thousand games in the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup, and was an assistant coach in the league for five years. But Tuesday night, he will experience something new and different: For the first time, he will go behind the bench as an NHL head coach.

Muller spent 19 seasons in the NHL, playing in more than 1,450 regularseason and playoff games. In talking about his preferred style of play as a coach, Muller said he wanted a team that was strong defensively but also an aggressive forechecking team, with hardworking forwards. Maurice twice served as coach coach of the Canes and has an overall NHL record of 460-457-167. He coached 920 games for the Canes organization and was 384-391-145. Maurice's second stint as Canes coach began in December 2008, when he was named to replace the fired Peter Laviolette. Maurice led the Canes to the Eastern Conference finals in 2009, but Carolina missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Rutherford said he talked with Maurice in the summer about a possible move to the front office, but the decision was made to stay as coach. "Paul has done a lot of good things for this organization," Rutherford said. "We appreciate the work he has done for us, It's unfortunate his leaving comes under these circumstances." Muller was the second overall pick of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, behind Mario Lemieux. A six-time NHL All-Star, he scored 30 or more goals five times and had seven 70-point seasons. News Observer LOADED: 11.29.2011 591067 Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have hired Kirk Muller as head coach to replace Paul Maurice, general manager Jim Rutherford announced today. Kirk Muller, 45, was the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. A former NHL player who won a Stanley Cup in 1993 with the Montreal Canadiens, he later served as an assistant coach with the Canadiens before being named by the Admirals in June. Rutherford said Muller's contract calls for him to be paid for the remainder of this season and the next three seasons. "Even going back to junior hockey, Kirk has always had great character and leadership qualities," Rutherford said. "He had a good playing career and has had a good coaching career. He's a proven leader and motivator and has tremendous communication skills." Maurice was fired Monday morning, a day after the Canes' 4-3 loss to Ottawa dropped Carolina to 8-13-4. Rutherford said assistant coaches Dave Lewis, Tom Barrasso and Rod Brind'Amour would be retained. "It's unfortunate," Rutherford said of Maurice's firing. "We need to see if we can get back into it with a new coach, or if we need to change some players." Rutherford said the Canes are looking to trade for a forward, adding that has been an ongoing search for three or four weeks. "No one has been available who makes sense for us," Rutherford said. "We will continue to look." Noting the Canes' surplus of defenseman, Rutherford said, "Ideally we can move a defenseman for a forward."

Can Muller make short-term impact on PP, Staal?

The Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators, played in Charlotte this past weekend against the Charlotte Checkers, the Canes' AHL affiliate. The Checkers won 3-2 and 5-1, with Rutherford in attendance. Muller was not the only person considered for the job, Rutherford said, although he did not name any other potential candidates. Rutherford said he did a thorough search, lasting more than a month, anticipating that a coaching change might be needed. Rutherford said turning over the team to a new coach, "Doesn't work like magic." "We may win our first game or first three games, but what I'm really looking for are new ideas," he said. "What I also will look for is a consistent work ethic." Rutherford called the Canes' lackluster 4-0 loss in Montreal on Nov. 16 "unacceptable" and said the Canes did not play well for much of the 3-2 loss Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. "We have to get that consistent work ethic," he said. "It will take some time to get (Muller's) ideas and system in place. Then, we can get the confidence back and hopefully then the wins will come." Muller spent 19 seasons in the NHL, playing in more than 1,450 regularseason and playoff games. The Admirals job was his first head-coaching position in professional hockey. In talking about his preferred style of play, Muller said he wanted a team that was strong defensively but also an aggressive forechecking team, with hardworking forwards. In an interview with the CBC last year, while an assistant with the Canadiens, he talked about one strength as a coach: communicating with players. "It's about energy, pushing guys, managing people and just getting them to buy into your X's and O's system," he told the CBC. Maurice twice served as coach coach of the Canes and has an overall NHL record of 460-457-167. He coached 920 games for the Canes organization and was 384-391-145. Maurice's second stint as Canes coach began in December 2008, when he was named to replace the fired Peter Laviolette. Maurice led the Canes to the Eastern Conference finals in 2009, but Carolina missed the playoffs the past two seasons. "Paul has done a lot of good things for this organization," Rutherford said. "We appreciate the work he has done for us, It's unfortunate his leaving comes under these circumstances."

By Luke DeCock

We're less than an hour away from the press conference introducing Kirk Muller as the Hurricanes' new head coach, and with a game tomorrow against the Florida Panthers -- one of his former teams -- he won't have much time to get his feet on the ground. In the short term, though, there are two areas where he may be able to have a major, immediate impact on the Hurricanes: the power play, and Eric Staal. In five seasons as an assistant coach in Montreal, under three different head coaches, Muller was popular with players and established himself as a solid Xs and Os coach and power-play innovator, but one who could never become head coach because he didnt speak French -- an unofficial but critical consideration in that market. (Just as being friends with Peter Karmanos and Jim Rutherford is an unofficial but critical consideration in this market.) Given his work on the power play there -- Montreal was seventh in the NHL last year and second two years ago -- it will be interesting to see what Muller does with the raw material on Carolinas miserable power play, among the worst in the NHL. A combination of Staal, Jeff Skinner, Jussi Jokinen, Joni Pitkanen and, yes, Tomas Kaberle should give him something to work with there. Perhaps more important will be his relationship with Staal, who is enduring the most difficult season of his career. The Canes need more production and more leadership from their captain, and they need it soon. Muller scored 357 NHL goals in his 19-season career. He was the No. 2 pick in the draft. He won a Stanley Cup. He twice served as captain. If anyone knows what Staal is going through, its Muller. News Observer LOADED: 11.29.2011 591068 Carolina Hurricanes

Muller named as Canes' new head coach

By Chip Alexander

Muller was the second overall pick of the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, behind Mario Lemieux. News Observer LOADED: 11.29.2011 591069 Carolina Hurricanes

Ponikarovsky cut the lead to one again with a power-play goal 16 minutes, 49 seconds into the third. The Senators killed a high-sticking penalty to Smith in the final minutes. "I was in that situation last year where I was sitting in the box and we were up one goal," Smith said. "I took a penalty with a minute and a half to go as well and they ended up scoring, so I was hoping it wasn't deja vu but I had lots of faith in the guys. They, along with Andy, did a great job of killing (penalties) tonight." Senators 4, Hurricanes 3

Canes fall to Senators, 4-3

Staff

Carolina

OTTAWA -- Jason Spezza was overdue for a goal outburst and he timed it just right to record a milestone in the midst of the Ottawa Senators' only stop at Scotiabank Place in a span of 10 games. Spezza scored twice, including his 200th regular-season goal, to lead Ottawa to a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday night. The center, 28, reached the milestone with his second goal of the game on a power play late in the first period. His first tally, a highlight-reel effort 55 seconds in, ended a personal 11-game goal drought. "It's been a while since I scored so they usually come in bunches for me," Spezza said. "It was nice to get my 200th out of the way. It's obviously a big accomplishment and something to be proud of, so hopefully there's more to come." Erik Karlsson and Sergei Gonchar assisted on both goals. David Rundblad got his first NHL goal, Zack Smith also scored and Craig Anderson made 34 saves for the Senators, who are on a 4-1-1 run. Ottawa, which closed out a six-game trip Friday with a 6-3 loss in Pittsburgh, begins a three-game trip Tuesday in Winnipeg. Eric Staal and Alexei Ponikarovsky scored in the third as Carolina twice closed to within one in the final period. Patrick Dwyer also scored for the Hurricanes, who are on a 0-2-1 skid. "Other than that first minute in the first period, I thought we took it to them and overall played a pretty sound game," said Cam Ward, who made 21 saves. "It's frustrating when wins aren't coming easy and you feel like you played a good game and didn't get rewarded for it." Carolina, which went 1 for 8 on the power play, has won just three of its last 13 (3-9-1). "We played a good game," coach Paul Maurice said. "We didn't get a handle on enough pucks around their net on the power play." Held without a goal since Oct. 29, Spezza quickly ended his drought with a sensational individual effort in the game's opening minute. The Ottawa center drove past Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason and cut across the goalmouth to stuff the puck past Ward's left pad and into the right side of the net for his first goal in 12 games. Dwyer drew Carolina even with four minutes, 57 seconds to go in the first, beating Anderson over the left shoulder with a tight-angle shot from the right side for his third goal. Spezza's 200th goal, his second of the period and eighth of the season, came off a fine setup by Sergei Gonchar. Spezza took the veteran defenseman's pass and fired into an open side before skating to the boards to pound his fist against the glass. "I was just excited to score," Spezza said. "I actually didn't even think about it at the time that it was 200 until after somebody mentioned it. I thought about it a few games ago and it's been so long since I've scored that you lose track of that kind of stuff." Anderson made a lunging glove save to deny Jeff Skinner and protect Ottawa's 2-1 lead midway through the second. Rundblad got his first goal in 14 games when he beat Ward with a shot from the point with 14 seconds left in the second to make it 3-1. Milan Michalek put a shot off the post on an Ottawa power play in the third. Staal drew the Hurricanes within 3-2 moments later with his fifth goal. Smith put Ottawa up 4-2 with his fourth goal six minutes later.

--

3 Ottawa

--

4 First--1, Ottawa, Spezza 7 (Gonchar, Karlsson), :55. 2, Carolina, Dwyer 3 (Bre.Sutter, Gleason), 15:03. 3, Ottawa, Spezza 8 (Gonchar, Karlsson), 18:03 (pp). Penalties--Condra, Ott (interference), 3:20; Cowen, Ott (hooking), 12:27; Joslin, Car, major (fighting), 17:14; Greening, Ott, major (fighting), 17:14; Bra.Sutter, Car (boarding), 17:21; Skinner, Car (slashing), 19:36. Second--4, Ottawa, Rundblad 1 (Butler, Konopka), 19:46. Penalties-Foligno, Ott (interference), 1:39; Gleason, Car (roughing), 5:57; Winchester, Ott (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:57; Spezza, Ott (high-sticking), 14:10; Bre.Sutter, Car (holding), 17:46. Third--5, Carolina, E.Staal 5 (Pitkanen, Ruutu), 6:46. 6, Ottawa, Smith 4 (Daugavins, Kuba), 12:35. 7, Carolina, Ponikarovsky 6 (LaRose), 16:49 (pp). Penalties--Spezza, Ott (hooking), :36; E.Staal, Car (tripping), 4:17; Filatov, Ott (hooking), 14:56; Smith, Ott (high-sticking), 18:16. Shots on Goal--Carolina 14-12-11--37. Ottawa 6-12-7--25. Power-play opportunities--Carolina 1 of 8; Ottawa 1 of 4. Goalies--Carolina, Ward 8-103 (25 shots-21 saves). Ottawa, Anderson 10-7-1 (37-34). A--19,656 (19,153). T--2:26. News Observer LOADED: 11.29.2011 591070 Carolina Hurricanes

Muller takes Canes' helm, looks to elevate play

By CHIP ALEXANDER

Rutherford said he talked with Daniels but decided it was best not to disrupt Daniels' work in developing the Canes' top prospects. "I think he understands," Rutherford said. "I have a lot of respect for Jeff. He's done everything he can to position himself to be a head coach and believe he will be a head coach at some point. "At the end of the process, I really wanted to bring somebody in who had some ideas from another organization. ... Kirk will bring some new, fresh ideas to the team." Daniels, contacted Monday, said, "Obviously at some point I'd like to get up to the NHL. My time is not right now. I'll do what I've been doing in Charlotte, working with the young guys, and hopefully one day it will happen." Canes fan Jordan Brooks of Raleigh was one who applauded the decision to go outside the organization for a hire. "Not going with Daniels or Rod Brind'Amour tells me they're doing a 180, which is probably a good move," Brooks said. "I still think they should have gone with a name, someone who has been a head (NHL) coach." Muller was a six-time NHL All-Star in his 19 seasons in the NHL and a member of the 1993 Canadiens Stanley Cup champs. The Kingston, Ont., native served as captain of the New Jersey Devils and Canadiens and closed his career with 357 goals and 602 assists in 1,349 career games. Rutherford said he wanted to see a "consistent work ethic" and restored confidence in the players. He also said he would try to trade for another forward, possibly trading a defenseman. Muller faces several challenges. Canes captain Eric Staal has had a slow start in terms of point production. Goals have been hard to come by for this Canes team, and the power play has been punchless. There have been defensive lapses. "I'm anxious to get to work," Muller said. News Observer LOADED: 11.29.2011 591071 Chicago Blackhawks

RALEIGH -- Kirk Muller has won a Stanley Cup, is a former NHL All-Star and was an assistant coach for five seasons for the Montreal Canadiens after retiring as a player. "It's been a fun path so far," Muller said. But tonight, Muller embarks on a new path. Named Monday as the Carolina Hurricanes' replacement for fired head coach Paul Maurice, Muller will go behind the bench for the first time to direct an NHL team. "I'm excited, but that's good," Muller said at his introductory news conference Monday. "You need to have those butterflies. It's a game, but it's fun." Muller, 45, will take over a Hurricanes team that is 8-13-4, that has lost its past three games and 10 of its past 13. Carolina is currently 14th in the NHL's Eastern Conference, ahead of only the New York Islanders. "It's all about the players, and hopefully I can come in and get them to feel good, and get them to play at the level they're capable of, and let them have some fun," Muller said. "And we'll go from there." Muller will meet the Hurricanes players today at the RBC Center. He will take them through the morning skate, then coach them this evening against the Florida Panthers, the surprise leaders of the Southeast Division. In his five seasons as an assistant in Montreal, Muller drew praise for being able to relate and communicate with the players. But he had not been a head coach on the professional level until June, when he agreed to become head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Nashville Predators. The Admirals played Saturday and Sunday in Charlotte against the Checkers, the Canes' AHL affiliate. Muller met Sunday with Hurricanes president and general manager Jim Rutherford, returned to Milwaukee, then talked again with Rutherford late Sunday night when the offer officially was extended. Rutherford said Muller's contract would pay him through the end of this season, then three more seasons. The financial details were not disclosed. Assistants retained Maurice's assistant coaches - Dave Lewis, Tom Barrasso and Rod Brind'Amour - were retained. Lewis, who handles the Canes' defensemen, was Muller's teammate and roommate when they played for the New Jersey Devils. "He exudes confidence and character," Lewis said. Maurice coached 920 games with the franchise. He led the Hurricanes to the 2002 Stanley Cup final, was fired in December 2003, then rehired in December 2008 when Peter Laviolette was fired. The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2009 and then missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Rutherford said he talked with Maurice - who had one year remaining on his contract - in the summer about a move to the front office, but the decision was made for him to stay as coach. Speculation about Maurice's job mounted the past few weeks as the Canes lost games and dropped in the standings. But Rutherford said the move made Monday was more about the team than economics or ticket sales. "My focus has to be on what's right for the team," Rutherford said. "I don't blame the fans. I'm the same as they are, as frustrated and concerned about where the team is going. But if the team is going in the right direction the economics take care of themselves." One Canes fan, C.J. Butler of Cary, said the Canes waited too long to make a change. "This guy would have to be Captain (James T.) Kirk ... to get us in the playoffs now," Butler said of Muller. Other fans questioned why Rutherford didn't hire Jeff Daniels, the Checkers' head coach. A former Canes player, Daniels was an assistant coach on Carolina's 2006 Stanley Cup champions and has become a successful AHL coach in the Canes' organization. Outside ideas

After long trip, Hawks to get steady diet of home cooking

By K.C. Johnson,

The circus is gone and the Kanye West/Jay-Z concert isn't until Wednesday. So the Blackhawks will sneak into the United Center to play the Coyotes on Tuesday, their first home game in 16 days. Just don't tell the players that. "We're going to make it like a road game," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. No Western Conference team has played more than the Hawks' 14 road games. And with 10 of their next 14 and 18 of their next 25 at the United Center, the Hawks plan to not think about their stellar 7-1-2 home mark. "We want to simplify the approach," Quenneville said. "(The first home game back) is a dangerous game, whether it's jet lag or your legs and you don't have the energy you had. Sometimes you're at home and you get comfortable or think you need to try to put on a show." Instead, Quenneville and players sang in chorus the need to focus on the little plays that produced that home success. The Hawks still sit atop the conference standings, no small feat given that their defensive play has lacked at times. Quenneville praised goaltender Corey Crawford following Monday's practice at Johnny's IceHouse West, which places the burden of allowing 74 goals tied for fifth-most in the league mostly on the defense. "We always want to be better defensively," Patrick Kane said. "We're still figuring ourselves out a little bit." Defense, of course, extends beyond the blueliners. Everybody on the ice has to be in position and accountable.

"The goals we give up is still an area we have to get better at," Quenneville said. "They flare up occasionally. We played a good game in Anaheim (a 65 victory), but some of those goals were defendable. The goaltender is supposed to stop the ones that are defendable. But when they're putting them in an empty net, that's more system-wise." This schedule-friendly stretch is a good time to correct those flaws. "We can be any kind of team we want to be," Jonathan Toews said. "We're a skilled, fast-skating team. We can be physical. We have guys who can do it all. We've got all the tools we need on the ice and the personality and character in the locker room. It's up to us to make sure every guy is ready to play." Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591072 Chicago Blackhawks

Probable goaltenders: Hawks, Corey Crawford, 11-6-2, 2.77 goals-against average; Coyotes, Mike Smith, 11-4-3, 2.19. Team comparison COYOTES (12-7-3)//CATEGORY//HAWKS (14-7-3) 2.73 (17)//Goals for//3.21 (3) 2.46 (12)//Goals against//3.00 (20) 12.3 (28)//Power-play pct.//17.0 (15) 88.9 (4)//Penalty-kill pct.//74.0 (30) Statistics through Sunday (NHL rank). Storyline: Phoenix has played well of late and is 6-3-1 away from home, the second-best road record in the Western Conference. The Hawks are playing their first home game since Nov. 13. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591074 Chicago Blackhawks

Kane happy Bulls will be back in business soon

By K.C. Johnson, Hawks hope to seize on home-ice advantage Several times a season, Patrick Kane can be spotted sitting courtside at Bulls games. So count Kane, as well as some of the Bulls' other co-tenants at the United Center, among those pleased that the NBA is poised to settle its labor woes and begin a 66-game season on Christmas Day. "I'm sure fans are eager to see the MVP return home," Jonathan Toews said of Derrick Rose. Growing up in Buffalo without a home team to support, Kane said he became a big fan of former Kings guard Jason Williams and former Duke and Bulls guard Jay Williams. "I always liked the skill players, and basketball was the big sport I played besides hockey," Kane said. "It's always nice going to Bulls games." Familiar face: Kane said he planned to send a congratulatory text to Dale Hunter, who landed the Capitals' job on Monday when Bruce Boudreau was fired. Hunter coached Kane in juniors for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. "He's an awesome coach to play for, definitely a players' coach," Kane said. "He loves playing his top players so I'm sure guys like (Alex) Ovechkin and (Nicklas) Backstrom and (Alexander) Semin will love playing for him." One-timers: Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook skipped Monday's practice for what coach Joel Quenneville termed "maintenance." Quenneville said both are expected to play Tuesday. ... Corey Crawford will start in goal Tuesday night against the Coyotes. ... Quenneville said he expects Daniel Carcillo, who was a healthy scratch for the first time this season on Saturday against the Kings, back in the lineup soon. "We want him a little more consistent in his game," Quenneville said. "I'm not criticizing his game because he's been very effective for us." ... First-round picks Mark McNeill and Philip Danault were invited to Canada's World Junior Championship selection camp in 2012. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591073 Chicago Blackhawks

By K.C. Johnson

The Chicago Blackhawks practiced in town Monday for the first time since returning from their annual circus trip, in which they rallied to finish in strong fashion at 3-3. Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook were given the day off for what Joel Quenneville termed "maintenance," and the Blackhawks coach said both are expected to play Tuesday night against Phoenix. Corey Crawford, who played spectacularly to close out the trip, will start in goal. "We want to make sure we prioritize our home games and don't want to be fancy," Quenneville said. "I thought we improved defensively in two of our last three games, even though we did some good things in Anaheim. Our team game had some real good stretches on this trip but we also had some get-your-attention type games." The Hawks are 7-1-2 at the United Center, where they play 10 of their next 14 games. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591075 Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews is gratified that Bulls are back

By Ben Meyer-Abbott

The Blackhawks will spend a lot more time at their practice facility now that they will share the United Center with Derrick Rose and the Bulls, but Jonathan Toews doesnt mind. Im sure the fans around Chicago are eager to see the MVP return home, Toews said Monday at Johnnys Ice House West about the end to the NBAs labor strife. Toews was glad fans will have the Bulls back in action after the NBA and its players agreed in principle to end their lockout. The Hawks captain said that it was interesting to watch how the labor relations in the NBA and NFL unfolded this year. Theres been a lot going on in pro sports lately, and its a reality in every sport, including hockey coming up, Toews said, referring to the NHLs collective-bargaining agreement that ends Sept. 15, 2012. You think about it and you talk about it with players and you kind of learn the differences between your game and other sports. Its all interesting how it contrasts. Patrick Sharp said neither the NHLs players nor owners are interested in a repeat of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

Coyotes at Blackhawks

Staff

TV/radio: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; CSN, WGN-AM 720. Series: Hawks lead 1-0. Last meeting: Dave Bolland's short-handed goal swung momentum in a 5-2 road triumph Oct. 18.

Its never fun to look at [what the NFL and NBA] went through and, of course, weve been through that in our league, said Sharp, who was in the minors during the labor stoppage. The union and the league have a good relationship and will take the right steps to get that done. Notes Hawks 2011 first-round draft picks Phillip Danault and Mark McNeill were invited to Canadas 2012 world junior championship selection camp. ? Dave Bolland and Brent Seabrook did not practice Monday. Both are expected to be in the lineup Tuesday against the Phoenix Coyotes. ? Corey Crawford is expected to get the start in goal. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591076 Chicago Blackhawks

Defensively, Blackhawks still a work in progress

By Tim Sassone

They are numbers that normally dont go hand in hand. The Blackhawks have allowed 74 goals in 24 games, sixth most in the NHL through the weekend, yet they returned from their circus road trip in first place in the Western Conference standings. Related articles Blackhawks game day Carcillo expected back soon for Hawks The defensive side of the puck remains one area where the Hawks feel they still need to show improvement if they are to remain one of hockeys elite clubs. The Hawks have scored 79 goals, more than anyone in the West and second most in the league, but its a consistent defensive effort that still is escaping them on a nightly basis. Coach Joel Quenneville saw an improvement in team defense over the final three stops on the road trip, particularly in the 1-0 loss at San Jose and in Saturdays 2-1 win at Los Angeles. Those games followed what was surely the low point of the season so far the 9-2 embarrassment at Edmonton that came the night after a 5-2 loss in Calgary. I think the goals that we give up is still an area we have to get better at, Quenneville said Monday. They still flare up occasionally. I thought we played a good game at Anaheim (a 6-5 win Friday), but some of those goals were defendable. Weve talked about this more than once, these type of goals, open-side goals. We should be adapting to it, where we should be a little more predictable, or at least dependable. It has to be etched in stone that were going to get that job done, and when we get better in that area its going to help our whole team game defensively. Its evident well past a quarter of the way into the season that scoring goals is not going to be a problem for these Hawks. Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp each have 22 points or more, which made the Hawks the only team in the NHL with four players with 20 or more points going into Mondays games. Its defensively that likely will define the Hawks in the end. Weve obviously heard Joel say offensive production is not the problem in our locker room, Sharp said. Weve got plenty of goals. Its keeping the puck out of our net thats going to keep us successful. That last week in California was a big week for us. I thought we took a big step in the right direction, and hopefully we can build off that. Wed like to limit the goals against because we have scoring throughout our lineup, and plus our power play hasnt clicked like we hoped it would. When we play that check-first, defense-first team game, were usually successful. Quenneville has no issues with his goaltending despite save percentages of .902 for Corey Crawford and just .874 for Ray Emery. Crawford scuffled on the road trip in spots but was at his best in the last week and was the difference in the win over the Kings. He gives us a chance every time hes in the net, Quenneville said. Crows been fine. I thought he had a real good start and hes been playing here well. You look 24 games into the season and our goaltending, weve been very pleased with it. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591078 Chicago Blackhawks

First-place Blackhawks still searching for an identity

By Ben Meyer-Abbott

If the Blackhawks are trying to figure out exactly who they are, it might be in their best interest to continue their existential crisis. Patrick Kane said after practice Monday the Hawks were still searching for their identity. But the center was encouraged that the team has been able to hold on to its place at the top of the Western Conference while looking. Were still figuring ourselves out a little bit, so thats always a concern, Kane said. Its going to be like that for a little bit, especially with a new team. Youre always trying to figure out your best lineup. Despite working through some very painful kinks including an alarming 9-2 loss to the Edmonton Oilers the Hawks salvaged a schizophrenic road trip with back-to-back wins in Southern California and returned to find themselves exactly where they were when they departed: atop the West. We got ourselves out of that hole and turned around with two big wins, Kane said. A lot of us can play better, and thats a good thing going forward if you end up 3-3 on a road trip like that and can still play better. That said, Jonathan Toews held to his belief that being a .500 team for any stretch isnt what the team envisions, and he saw the trip as a study in what happens given the Hawks effort on a nightly basis. We saw what happened when we didnt play so well, when we didnt prepare the right way it wasnt pretty, Toews said. But we proved to ourselves if were ready to have the right priorities as a team and as individuals and we play the right way things are going to go our way. We have a lot of talent, we have a lot of skill, so its about putting our team game together and making things happen. There are concerns, of course. Only the Toronto Maple Leafs have allowed more goals, and every team in the West entered Monday with games in hand on the Hawks. But it bodes well that the team found a way to right the ship and grind out two wins after three consecutive road losses and has 19 of its next 26 games at the United Center, where it is 7-1-2. And even though some of the players say the Hawks are still trying to find an identity, youd be hard-pressed to find anyone whod trade places with last years team, which underwent a similar search while on the outside looking in. I dont think [a teams identity] stops changing until the end of the year, Toews said. We know what kind of team we want to be. Were a skilled, fast-skating team, we can be physical. Theres guys in this locker room that can do it all. Weve got the guys we need, all the tools that we need on the ice and the personality and the character in the locker room. So its just up to us to stick together as a team and make sure every single guy is ready to go out there and play. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591077 Chicago Blackhawks

Carcillo expected back soon for Hawks

By Tim Sassone

Johnson was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 21, and needs to sit out one more game before being eligible to play. Varlamov better. Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov probably could be faulted for Dallas' first goal, a juicy rebound that Eric Nystrom converted in the first period. But overall, Varlamov played well for a third straight start, stopping 32-of-34 shots. "He gave us a chance to win again, which is all you can ask," Avs coach Joe Sacco said. In his previous two starts, Varlamov stopped 57-of-61 shots (.934 saves percentage), with a 2.00 GAA. Footnotes. The Avs put 36 shots on Stars goalie Andrew Raycroft. Coming into the game, the Avs had been averaging 34.8 shots a game in November. . . . Matt Hunwick, Brandon Yip and Joakim Lindstrom were healthy scratches for the Avs. . . . Stars goalie Kari Lehtonen could be out three to four weeks with a knee injury. Denver Post: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591080 Colorado Avalanche

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville doesnt expect Daniel Carcillo to be out of the lineup long. In fact, Carcillo could even be back Tuesday night against Phoenix at the United Center. It was a so-so road trip for Carcillo, and it ended Saturday night with him being a healthy scratch at Los Angeles when Quenneville decided he wanted to play John Scott at forward. Carcillo didnt have a point on the trip in five games and was minus-3. However, he was skating with Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa at practice Monday. He played outstanding to begin the season and he was ordinary there the last couple games, and I wanted to play John Scott (on Saturday), Quenneville said. Sometimes you make those kind of decisions based on needs, but we expect to get Danny back in the lineup. Whether hes playing with Kaner and Hossa or Sharp, or on the energy line, I think he gives you a lot of options as far as where you use him and how much you use him. Some of the plays reflected that we want him a little more consistent in his game, but Im not criticizing his game because hes been very effective for us. Home sweet home: The Hawks play 10 of their next 14 games at the United Center, but they arent taking anything for granted. Playing a number of games at the United Center should help us and we want to take advantage of it, Patrick Sharp said. I thought we had a real good start to our season at home and we want to get back to that, Joel Quenneville said. The first home game after an extended trip is historically a dangerous game, and the Hawks understand that. Whether its jet lag or your legs or you dont have the energy that you had, or you get a little comfortable at home, the trend and history is definitely accurate, Quenneville said. Its tough and challenging, and we want to make sure we simplify the approach and make it like a road game. Tip-ins: Brent Seabrook and Dave Bolland didnt practice Monday but will play Tuesday, according to Joel Quenneville. Centers Mark McNeill and Phillip Danault, the Hawks two first-round draft picks from last June, were invited Monday to Team Canadas tryout camp for the world junior championships. The Hawks penalty-killing still ranks last in the NHL at 74 percent. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591079 Colorado Avalanche

Former Av Raycroft helps stop listless Colorado, 3-1

By Adrian Dater

Stars right wing Krys Barch puts a hit on young Avalanche defenseman Stefan Elliott during the first period of their game at the Pepsi Center on Monday. The Avs lost 3-1 to drop to 4-9-0 at home and 2-3 on their current eight-game homestand. ( AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post ) The numbers coming in for former Avalanche goalie Andrew Raycroft on Monday night were zero wins, five losses, .899 saves percentage. So it made perfect sense that Raycroft was unbeatable in his Dallas Stars' 3-1 victory over the lifeless Avs at the Pepsi Center. Seeing their home record fall to 4- 9 and 2-3 on a critical eight-game homestand, the Avs made it easy on their former mate with a sloppy, uninspired offensive showing. The Avs got a late goal from Kevin Porter, with 3:36 left, but that was it. Avs coach Joe Sacco gave a postgame summary like so many others. "You look at our scoring chances, and we're not getting them in the areas closer to the net. We're too much on the perimeter," Sacco said. "You need production from your best players, and we're still just not getting it enough." The Avs' top line of Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk just didn't do enough, nor did the other three lines. Stastny went without a point for the third time in four games, and Hejduk has gone seven straight games without a goal. "We're squeezing the sticks. It's very frustrating," Hejduk said. "We weren't good enough. We aren't scoring goals. We got good enough goaltending to win again, but we let him down." Eric Nystrom scored the first goal of the game for Dallas, at 15:56 of the first. He was first to the rebound allowed by Avs goalie Semyon Varlamov. The Avs put 16 shots on goal in the second period, but they continue to struggle to find truly dangerous offensive chances. "Goaltenders are too good in this league if you give them too much time to see the puck," Sacco said. "We put a good number of shots on (Raycroft), but he had too much time and space to see the shots. We didn't have enough traffic. Guys have to push harder to the net." Other Avs players have fallen off the map with their scoring, including TJ Galiardi, who has gotten plenty of chances to get it going from coach Joe Sacco. But Avalanche right wing Chuck Kobasew defends Stars defenseman Stephane Robidas closely during Monday's loss. ( AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post )

Elliott gets assist in second game for Avs

Adrian Dater,

Rookie defenseman Stefan Elliott put another point on his stat sheet, assisting on the Avalanche's only goal in Monday's 3-1 loss to Dallas. In two games, Elliott has a goal and assist, though he did finish a minus-1 in his second career contest. The Avs are closer to having to make a difficult personnel decision regarding their defense, as Erik Johnson (groin) skated for a second consecutive day Monday and could return to action Friday against the St. Louis Blues at home.

Galiardi has not scored in 18 consecutive games and has one goal in 21 games. Cody McLeod, currently playing left wing on a line with Galiardi and David Jones, has not scored all season. Third-liners such as Gabriel Landeskog and Daniel Winnik also are not scoring much lately. After a hot start, Jones has cooled off considerably as well. He has two goals in his last 16 games. The lone player to get on the score sheet in this one was fourth-liner Kevin Porter, who scored his first goal of the season with 3:36 left to make it a 2-1 game. But Michael Ryder's empty-net goal, his second of the period, sealed the verdict, and a quiet crowd of 12,015 filed out. It was the smallest home crowd of the season for the Avs. "We just didn't do enough to win," Jones said. "It's disappointing to follow a win like we had (Saturday) with this kind of loss." Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com Avs Recap The Post's three stars 1. Andrew Raycroft. Former Avs goalie got his first victory of the season for Stars. 2. Michael Ryder. Scored twice for Dallas, including the game-winner. 3. Loui Eriksson. Had two assists for Stars. What you might have missed Paul Stastny's 15:49 of ice time was his third-lowest amount of the season. Up next New Jersey, Wednesday at 7 p.m. Denver Post: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591081 Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche entered with the NHL's second-best power play, but went 0 for 3. Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves. "There just was not enough quality chances, and that was the biggest problem," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. "We have to do a better job of driving more to the inside, getting in front of the goaltender more, making their job more difficult." The Avalanche had a 11-8 shots advantage in the first period, but Dallas led 1-0 at the intermission on Nystrom's rebound goal. Vernon Fiddler sent a slap shot from the slot after an Avalanche turnover. Varlamov made a stick save, but Nystrom crashed the net for the loose puck and easily scored at 15:56. Daniel Winnik nearly scored the first short-handed goal against Dallas this season. Winnik broke in on Raycroft, but was slashed by defenseman Sheldon Souray before he was got off a shot at 3:49. Raycroft was tested in the second period. He survived a flurry midway through when Paul Stastny missed an open net. Moments later he stopped a shot from in close by Ryan O'Reilly, who swiped at the puck from his knees. "Any of those shots could have changed the game," Raycroft said. "We were up 1-0, so you want to keep that lead for as long as possible." Ryder, who played on a gimpy leg, beat Varlamov glove side at 14:36 of the third period. Porter scored at 16:24, but Ryder sealed it with an empty-net goal with 27.7 seconds left. "It was kind of a broken play," Porter said. "They had a turnover, and (David) Jones made a nice play. I got a shot on net and just went hard to the net." Raycroft said he hardly recognized the Avalanche team that he played with in the 2008-09 season. "I remember David Jones, Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk," Raycroft said. "Different coach, different GM, different everything." NOTES: Dallas has not lost in regulation when leading after two periods. ... Dallas' top prospect Jamie Oleksiak was selected to Canada's National Junior team. ... The Stars played the second of a seven of nine stretch on the road. ... Dallas' power play is 0 for 20 in the past eight games. ... Stefan Elliott earned his first career assist for Colorado. ... The Avalanche haven't won consecutive home games this season. Colorado Springs Gazette: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Avs fire 36 shots but lose at home again

The Associated Press

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Columbus Blue Jackets

DENVER This win was well worth the wait for Dallas Stars goalie Andrew Raycroft. Raycroft stopped 35 shots for his first win in nearly a year as the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday night. "It would have been nice to get one earlier," said the 10-year veteran, who signed with the Stars for this season. "That's the way it goes, but I played well enough to get one." Not only did it lift Raycroft's spirits, but those of his teammates, too. They will be relying on him while Kari Lehtonen is sidelined by a knee injury. "Raycroft was huge for us. Nice for our guys to have some confidence in him," Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said. "It's good for his confidence moving forward because we are going without Kari Lehtonen for a while." Raycroft (1-5) hadn't won since beating Minnesota on Jan. 9. He made his first start since taking over for Lehtonen, who was placed on the injured list on Sunday after he hurt his right knee against Phoenix. "Things have changed for me, and now I'm going to get some starts here and carry some load," Raycroft said. "I've done it before and am confident in my ability." Michael Ryder scored two goals, and Eric Nystrom added his eighth of the season for the Stars. Kevin Porter spoiled Raycroft's shutout bid with his first this season with 3:36 left, but Colorado fell to 4-9 at home.

Blue Jackets: Sanfords fortunes change in a hurry

By Aaron Portzline

VANCOUVER, British Columbia As the horn sounds at the end of each period, Blue Jackets goaltender Curtis Sanford settles into an almost trance-like state in his crease. His head bowed, as if in prayer, Sanford clangs his stick against the right post and taps his glove against the left for a brief interlude before heading to the dressing room. Its something Ive done since junior (league), Sanford said. For me, it symbolizes closing out a period and refocusing for the beginning of the next one. Theres no certain amount of times I tap the post. I just do it until I feel comfortable to move on. No secret science about it. Odd, yes. But the Blue Jackets arent questioning anything Sanford does these days. The 32-year-old, who once was resigned to a career in the minor leagues and once had fleeting thoughts of quitting because of a slew of injuries, has dragged the once-aimless Jackets toward respectability by playing the best hockey of his career. I had a couple good streaks in the minors, he said, but Ive never had anything like this in the NHL.

Sanford, signed as a free agent in the summer with the idea that he would spend the season with Springfield of the American Hockey League, will make his seventh consecutive start for the Blue Jackets tonight when they play the Vancouver Canucks in Rogers Arena. Hes not all over the place, Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. Hes compact. He faces the shooter and prepares himself for the next rebound and that next chance. Hes not a guy who expends a ton of energy by flying all over the place. Sanford is 3-1-2 with a 1.38 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, ranking second in the NHL in both statistical categories. It is a mystery why the Blue Jackets have played so much better in front of Sanford than they have when Steve Mason is in goal even Sanford has marveled at this but, like the post-period ritual, nobody wants to dig too deep. They just want it to continue. Its really hard to explain, the zone that people talk about, Sanford said. There are so many things that have to happen to get you into that state. You have to get bailed out by your posts. Other teams have to miss open nets, like they have the past couple of games. It gets to a point where you just expect things to go well, youre that confident. There are definitely games where you feel like youre as big as a house in the net, and youre seeing every puck, and it doesnt matter how many bodies are in front of you. Its amazing how far Sanford has come. He admitted he has been so frustrated by injuries the past few seasons shoulder, larynx, groin that thoughts of enough, thats it went through his head, even as recently as last month when he suffered a pulled groin. Now, hes the go-to guy for an NHL club. Now, his wife, Linda, and three boys Landon, 8; Kenrik, 4; and Barron, 2 are watching on TV each night at the familys home in Owen Sound, Ontario. I have to admit, its been pretty cool, Sanford said. My wife is the hardest worker in the family, and this makes it all seem worth it. And my 8-year-old is into it, too. Hes asking to stay up and watch the games now. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.29.2011

One of those shots that get up on you so quick, Mason said. I didnt even have time to react with my hands. It happens. Obviously, he didnt mean to do it. The thing is, you get hit in the head all the time. Its just a matter of how it catches you, where it catches you, if youre prepared for it Asked jokingly if Nash had made it up to him, Mason played along. Yeah, he did, Mason said. I needed an autographed stick for an auction back home, and he hooked me up. He sent me a text message after practice, actually, so that got him off the hook. Back in B.C. While the rest of the Blue Jackets boarded buses to get back to the team hotel after practice yesterday, rookie Ryan Johansen willingly stepped back into his childhood. His mom picked him up on the curb outside the rink and raced to the family home in Port Moody, about 25 minutes from Vancouver. Im going to see my little brother play his bantam game, Johansen said. Itll be good. I dont get to see the little guy very often. Lucas Johansen, 14, will return the favor tonight one of a couple of hundred fans who will be on hand to watch his older brother, who lived in Vancouver proper until he was 11. A few of them have said theyre rooting for me to score a goal, but they want the Canucks to win, Ryan said. Slap shots Canucks goaltender Cory Schneider has wrested away the No.?1 job from Roberto Luongo for now. Hell make his sixth straight start tonight. Firstline right winger Alex Burrows (finger) might not play tonight for Vancouver. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Columbus Blue Jackets

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Columbus Blue Jackets

Jackets-Canucks preview Staff Report

Blue Jackets notebook: Mason ready when needed Headaches have cleared, but goalie will be backup to Sanford again

Blue Jackets at Canucks 10 TONIGHT TV: Fox Sports Net; Radio: WWCD-FM (102.5)

By Aaron Portzline

Columbus Blue Jackets at a glance ?Past 10 games: 4-4-2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia Blue Jackets goaltender Steve Mason barely recalls the shot that rattled his mask and sent him flopping forward during a morning skate last week. But he vividly remembers the strange sensation that followed. I couldnt get back up, Mason said. Its hard to explain. You just lose all of your motor skills. You dont know what youre doing. Mason missed three games, but he was cleared to return to action on Sunday and served as Curtis Sanfords backup in a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. He will back up Sanford again tonight in Vancouver against the Canucks. Im not sure if it was a concussion, Mason said, but we dealt with it as if it was. I just had headaches for a couple of days afterward, but Im fine now. We did the concussion test, and things are good. Mason said he had a mild concussion while playing in junior league, and it was kind of similar to this. As for the fateful shot, it was fired by team captain Rick Nash. Mason saw it coming only an instant before it rang his bell.

?Power play: 14.1 percent (24th in NHL) ?Penalty kill: 74.7 percent (29th) ?Injury update: D Radek Martinek (concussion), LW Kristian Huselius (torn pectoral), G Mark Dekanich (groin) out Vancouver Canucks at a glance ?Past 10 games: 7-3-0 ?Power play: 25.3 percent (first in NHL) ?Penalty kill: 87.0 pecent (sixth) ?Injury update: LW Mason Raymond (back) probable; C Andrew Ebbett (foot), RW Byron Bitz (groin) out Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Dallas Stars

Stars' Raycroft soothes the doubters with solid win

By MIKE HEIKA

He was in his first season coaching the Nashville Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee after spending five seasons on the Montreal Canadiens' staff. He played 19 seasons in the NHL, including his last four in Dallas (19992003), made six All-Star teams and led the Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup. It's very simple: you've got to get guys to believe in the system, Muller said. You've got to get them to believe in being accountable for each other. And if you can come every night and you create that culture, and you give them something, a way to believe in how they play and why you're going to win that night, I think that's what players want. Carolina dropped to 8-13-4 following Sunday night's 4-3 loss at Ottawa, its third in a row. The Hurricanes are 14th in the Eastern Conference but only five points out of the No. 8 spot and play Southeast Division leader Florida on Tuesday night to begin a three-game homestand. You certainly don't give up on the season at this point in time, and as bad as we've been over the last five weeks or six weeks, we're really not far out of being in the thick of things, general manager Jim Rutherford said. A new coach can't come in and just put his new system in in a morning skate and all of a sudden make things better. We may win tomorrow night, we may not, but really what I want to see is on a consistent basis, we have that work ethic, he added. And when we get to that consistent basis, the wins will come and they will come in streaks. Rutherford said he began considering changing coaches roughly a month ago during the team's slow start and reached his decision following the Hurricanes' listless 4-0 loss at Montreal on Nov. 16. Rutherford said he and Muller whom he said was the top name on his short list had been in contact for little over a week, and he discussed the job with Jeff Daniels, coach of the Hurricanes' AHL team in Charlotte but ultimately preferred to go outside the organization. Maurice became the second coach in his division to lose his job Monday. His firing was announced about 90 minutes after the Washington Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Dale Hunter. That means every team in the division except Tampa Bay which hired Guy Boucher in 2010 has changed coaches since last spring. Maurice's assistants Rod Brind'Amour, Dave Lewis and Tom Barrasso were retained and will work for the 45-year-old Muller, a star center picked behind Mario Lemieux in the 1984 NHL draft who went on to score 30 or more goals five times and post seven 70-point seasons. He has been asked to revive a Carolina team that ranks 28th in the league in goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.24, and has one of the worst power-play units in the NHL, scoring on just 12.2 percent of its chances with the man advantage. I'm just honest, straightforward, Muller said. I believe in accountability. I believe that it's a tough league, you've got to work hard, and if everyone's accountable to each other, everyone buys into a system, it's amazing what you can accomplish. There may be more changes ahead for the Hurricanes. Rutherford wants to add a top-six or top-nine forward and could try to deal a defenseman. We're a long ways away from being the team we need to be, Rutherford said. Maurice, who helped shepherd the club's move from Hartford to North Carolina in the late 1990s, returned to the Hurricanes in December 2008 when Peter Laviolette was fired. He guided their run to the 2009 Eastern Conference final, the club's only postseason berth since they won the Cup in 2006. Before that, they hadn't reached the playoffs since Maurice led them to the 2002 Stanley Cup final the highlight of his first stint with the team. He was first fired by Carolina in 2003-04 following an 8-14-8-2 start. Maurice received a three-year contract in 2009 that ran through this season. His combined record with the team was 384-391-145, and his career record of 460-457-167 includes two years with Toronto sandwiched by his stints with Carolina. Maurice did not immediately return a text message left Monday by The Associated Press seeking comment. Maurice holds the Hurricanes' career coaching record with 25 playoff victories. The 2009-10 team set a club record with a 14-game winless

DENVER For one night, the Stars goaltending woes didnt seem so worrisome. With news Monday that No. 1 goalie Kari Lehtonen would be out for at least three weeks with a groin strain, the crease fell to Andrew Raycroft. That shouldnt have been terrible news, seeing as Raycroft is an experienced veteran at age 31. However, his last win was Jan. 9 against Minnesota, and he was 0-5-0 this season, so there was just a little uncertainty there. But Raycroft came up huge, making 35 saves and taking a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Its nice to get a win, Raycroft said. Its just as important to have all the guys believe in me. And belief might have been the biggest victory of the night. In addition to missing Lehtonen, the Stars were without captain Brenden Morrow (back), defensemen Trevor Daley (back) and Alex Goligoski (thumb) and winger Adam Burish (hand). Yet, against those odds, they played a heck of a game and earned the victory. The move pushes the Stars to 14-9-1 and gives them a nice break heading into two home games this week against Ottawa and the New York Islanders. With everything that has happened, its given the team a sense that if we play a certain way we can have success, coach Glen Gulutzan said. In addition to Raycroft playing his best game of the season, the Stars also received gutty performances from Vernon Fiddler and Michael Ryder. Each was battling a leg injury, but each taped up and fought through. Fiddlers line was the Stars most aggressive, and he had the first assist on an allimportant first-period goal. Ryder added two goals in the third period. Those guys who were working hard and grinding, they are a great example for all of us, Raycroft said. Raycroft said he follows a strict preparation plan so that he will be ready no matter what happens. As such, he said the difference between playing a lot and not playing a lot is small. Still Yeah, you definitely like to get in a rhythm, and thats something I do when Im playing regularly, he said. And I think there is a difference in confidence, too. I think there has to be. Raycroft lost the confidence of the Stars coaches last season and didnt make many starts down the stretch. He was on an 0-8-0 run before Mondays victory and was sporting a pudgy 3.50 goals-against average heading into the game. Still, this is a guy who was 9-3-0 before that stretch. Razor is a great goalie, and we all know that, forward Steve Ott said. Especially after Monday night. If we play the kind of game we know we can play, then we can help out the goaltender, Ott said. We believe we can do that every game. That has to be our goal. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591086 Dallas Stars

Former Star Kirk Muller named Hurricanes' coach

Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. The last-place Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice for the second time in less than a decade Monday and replaced him with former Stars forward Kirk Muller. Muller begins his first NHL head coaching job with a slumping team that has made one playoff appearance since 2006 and has lost 10 of 13 games.

streak, last season's group finished one victory shy of making the postseason when it lost the finale on home ice and this season's team has shown virtually no consistency. When you put a group of guys together at the start of each season, you watch to see the team come together and to jell, Rutherford said. Some teams do, and some teams don't. And at this point in time, this team hasn't for whatever reason. From a team-concept point of view, even in years we haven't made the playoffs we've been very fortunate with real character guys that wanted to win at all costs. And at this point in time, this group of guys don't. Haven't. So that's what we'll see here. Can Kirk pull these guys together and get them to step their game up? And if he can, that's good for this group. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591087 Dallas Stars

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Dallas Stars

Raycroft, Ryder lead Stars past Avalanche, 3-1

Associated Press

DENVER This win was well worth the wait for Dallas Stars goalie Andrew Raycroft. Raycroft stopped 35 shots for his first win in nearly a year as the Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday night. "It would have been nice to get one earlier," said the 10-year veteran, who signed with the Stars for this season. "That's the way it goes, but I played well enough to get one." Not only did it lift Raycroft's spirits, but those of his teammates, too. They will be relying on him while Kari Lehtonen is sidelined by a knee injury. "Raycroft was huge for us. Nice for our guys to have some confidence in him," Dallas coach Glen Gulutzan said. "It's good for his confidence moving forward because we are going without Kari Lehtonen for a while." Raycroft (1-5) hadn't won since beating Minnesota on Jan. 9. He made his first start since taking over for Lehtonen, who was placed on the injured list on Sunday after he hurt his right knee against Phoenix. "Things have changed for me, and now I'm going to get some starts here and carry some load," Raycroft said. "I've done it before and am confident in my ability." Michael Ryder scored two goals, and Eric Nystrom added his eighth of the season for the Stars. Kevin Porter spoiled Raycroft's shutout bid with his first this season with 3:36 left, but Colorado fell to 4-9 at home. The Avalanche entered with the NHL's second-best power play, but went 0 for 3. Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves. "There just was not enough quality chances, and that was the biggest problem," Colorado coach Joe Sacco said. "We have to do a better job of driving more to the inside, getting in front of the goaltender more, making their job more difficult." The Avalanche had a 11-8 shots advantage in the first period, but Dallas led 1-0 at the intermission on Nystrom's rebound goal. Vernon Fiddler sent a slap shot from the slot after an Avalanche turnover. Varlamov made a stick save, but Nystrom crashed the net for the loose puck and easily scored at 15:56. Daniel Winnik nearly scored the first short-handed goal against Dallas this season. Winnik broke in on Raycroft, but was slashed by defenseman Sheldon Souray before he was got off a shot at 3:49. Raycroft was tested in the second period. He survived a flurry midway through when Paul Stastny missed an open net. Moments later he stopped a shot from in close by Ryan O'Reilly, who swiped at the puck from his knees. "Any of those shots could have changed the game," Raycroft said. "We were up 1-0, so you want to keep that lead for as long as possible." Ryder, who played on a gimpy leg, beat Varlamov glove side at 14:36 of the third period. Porter scored at 16:24, but Ryder sealed it with an empty-net goal with 27.7 seconds left. "It was kind of a broken play," Porter said. "They had a turnover, and (David) Jones made a nice play. I got a shot on net and just went hard to the net." Raycroft said he hardly recognized the Avalanche team that he played with in the 2008-09 season. "I remember David Jones, Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk," Raycroft said. "Different coach, different GM, different everything." NOTES: Dallas has not lost in regulation when leading after two periods. ... Dallas' top prospect Jamie Oleksiak was selected to Canada's National

Stars' rash of injuries puts burden on veterans

By MIKE HEIKA

DENVER Paging Mike Ribeiro, paging Steve Ott, paging Stephane Robidas, you are needed by the Dallas Stars immediately. With the announcement Monday that goalie Kari Lehtonen is out for at least the next three weeks with a groin strain, the Stars are entering a crucial part of the season. And to navigate this stretch, the Stars are going to need the leadership of their most veteran players. You have to have it, theres no other option, said coach Glen Gulutzan before the Stars defeated Colorado, 3-1, Monday night, with Michael Ryder getting two goals. Your best players have to be your best players at a time like this. They always do anyway, but you really need them to step up now. And there is room for some improved play with that group. Ribeiro had two goals and 13 assists in 23 games going into Mondays game and was plus1. Thats a pace for 53 points from a guy who was hoping for a point-agame season. Ott had four goals among 10 points in just 17 games and was plus-3, so he is contributing. But he still has to reduce his penalties (a team-leading 45 minutes) and find a way to squeeze the most out of his top-six forward minutes. Robidas has been the Stars defensive leader for the last five seasons, but he also can step up his game. We all have an opportunity to play better now, Ott said. Its an opportunity for guys who will step into the lineup, and guys who will step into bigger roles. We have dealt with injuries before, and weve dealt with them in a positive way, so thats what we have to do now. You cant replace a Brenden Morrow or Kari Lehtonen or Alex Goligoski, but you can be better as a team. If you pull together as a team, then I truly think you can overcome anything. Morrow has missed four games with back soreness but could return to play Thursday against Ottawa. That would add another veteran who has the potential to do more. Everyone can work hard, Ribeiro said, whether youre a veteran or just coming up from the A, so we have to do that. We had a nice stretch there before Phoenix, and we just need to play like that. Everyone has confidence in Razor [goaltender Andrew Raycroft], but we can make it easier on any goalie if we just play like we did in those three games and control the puck and control the play. Its a team game, its not just the goalie. If the veterans can play hard and mix that effort with a bunch of hungry kids, maybe the Stars can navigate a significant stretch without the goalie who was team MVP in the first quarter of the season. Theres opportunity here, Gulutzan said. Guys can lay in their beds at night and say, If I could just do this or if I could just do that if I could just get [a chance], Well, youre going to get it now. I think in the next couple of weeks, well get a clearer picture of what our team looks like and what our depth looks like. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.29.2011

Junior team. ... The Stars played the second of a seven of nine stretch on the road. ... Dallas' power play is 0 for 20 in the past eight games. ... Stefan Elliott earned his first career assist for Colorado. ... The Avalanche haven't won consecutive home games this season. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591089 Dallas Stars

save percentage. Listed at 5-10, he has been a scrappy competitor in a world that is favoring taller goalies. ``He's a real competitive guy,'' said Gulutzan, who coached Bachman last year in the AHL. ``He's a cerebral goalie. As a smaller guy, he has to be in good position. He doesn't give up a lot of rebounds and you have to beat him clean to beat him. He reads the game well. He's a quietly competitive guy and he's won everywhere he's been.'' Bachman is 7-6-1 this season (3.13 GAA and .887 save percentage) as the Texas Stars are trying to adjust to a new system under new coach Jeff Pyle, but he said the struggle has been good for him. ``It is a process, and it's all part of becoming mentally tough,'' he said. ``You can take positives out of it.'' As the Stars will have to do now that they have lost Lehtonen for at least three weeks. "Stick with the process. You keep doing the little things," defenseman Stephane Robidas said. "When things get hard, there are two ways to react to it, you can either fold and you try to find excuses or you take up to the challenge. Everybody has to step up their game. It's an opportunity for some guys to show what they can do. You want a chance to show what you can do. It's up to us to do it." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591090 Dallas Stars

Stars starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen out at least three weeks

By MIKE HEIKA

DENVER -- Goalie Kari Lehtonen will miss at least the next three weeks with a strain in his right groin, the Stars announced Monday. Lehtonen was reaching out to stop a hard shot from Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris on Saturday night and came down hard on his right leg in a split position. He crumpled in a heap and had to be helped from the ice. ``Kari is going to be out for at least three weeks, but we got some good news there with the MRI...it's not a high groin pull, it's a low strain or low pull, so those tend to heal a little bit better,'' coach Glen Gulutzan said after the morning skate in Denver. ``We're looking at the three week mark before he can get going again.'' Lehtonen, 28, has a history of groin injuries, as he missed 35 games in 2005-06 when he played with Atlanta, and then missed 16 games in 200708 with the Thrashers with a different groin injury. He also has had some short stints with the Stars where he has rested sore groin. However, after being traded to the Stars in 2009, he has worked on his conditioning and flexibility, and last season he played 69 games, third most in the NHL. This season, he is tied for the NHL lead in wins at 13 with a 134-1 record. He ranks 21st in goals against average at 2.34 and 15th in save percentage at .926 He clearly has been the Stars best player this season, and now the team will have to move forward with veteran backup goalie Andrew Raycroft and prospect Richard Bachman. ``Andrew is our guy, and we have confidence in him, and Bachman with how he played in training camp and the preseason, has has earned the chance to get a good look,'' Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said. Nieuwendyk added that the team as a whole has to pick up its play. ``It is a lot like the quarterback position,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``Nobody wants to see it, but these things happen and you just have to deal with it. I think you make a commitment to team play and to playing even harder in front of the goalie who is there. Funny things happen at a time like this, and while your mind can have the tendency to have bad thoughts because your quarterback has gone out, you have to fight through that and you have to draw together closer as a team.'' Raycroft, 31, is off to a rough start this season with an 0-5-0 record, a 3.50 GAA and an .899 save percentage. However, when called upon last season to start seven games in December while Lehtonen dealt with some nagging injuries, Raycroft went 5-2-0 with a 2.54 GAA and .920 save percentage. ``We're not talking about a guy who hasn't been in pressure situations before. He has a long, successful history in the league,'' Nieuwendyk said. ``Razor has worked hard this year, and he's ready for this.'' Raycroft has had two spectacular seasons as a No. 1 goalie. He won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2003-04 after posting a 29-18-9 record with Boston. He had a 2.05 GAA and .926 save percentage. In 2006-07 with Toronto, he set the franchise record for goaltender wins in a season at 37-25-9. However, since then he has bounced around as a backup, with stints in Colorado, Vancouver and Dallas. Raycroft was actually playing very well last season until he hit a wall and lost the confidence of then-head coach Marc Crawford. His last win was Jan. 9 against Minnesota. He was pulled 1:20 into a loss at Boston Feb. 3 and then received only one more start the remainder of the season (Feb. 19 at Vancouver). Bachman, 24, is the Stars' most NHL-ready goalie prospect. He ranked fourth in the AHL last season with a 28-19-5 record, a 2.20 GAA and a .927

Goalie breaks losing streak as Dallas Stars top Colorado

Staff

DENVER -- Andrew Raycroft stopped 35 shots for his first win in nearly a year, and the Dallas Stars beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Monday night. Raycroft hadn't won since beating Minnesota on Jan. 9. He made his first start since taking over for Kari Lehtonen, who was placed on the injured list on Sunday after he hurt his right knee against Phoenix. Michael Ryder scored two goals, and Eric Nystrom added his eighth of the season for the Stars. Kevin Porter spoiled Raycroft's shutout bid with his first this season, but Colorado fell to 4-9 at home. The Avalanche entered with the NHL's second-best power play, but went 0 for 3. Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves. The Avalanche had a 11-8 shot advantage in the first period, but Dallas led 1-0 at the intermission on Nystrom's rebound goal. Vernon Fiddler sent a slap shot from the slot after an Avalanche turnover. Varlamov made a stick save, but Nystrom crashed the net for the loose puck and easily scored at 15:56. Star-Telegram LOADED: 11.29.2011 591091 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings feel for Patrick Eaves' recovery from broken jaw; Jan Mursak getting closer

By Helene St. James

As one Detroit Red Wing prepared to undergo surgery for a broken jaw this evening, another is emerging from his ordeal after shattering an ankle. Several Wings who have dealt with broken jaws spoke sympathetically about what forward Patrick Eaves will go through the next six to eight weeks, as he recovers from a jaw shattered by a puck Saturday.

"He's got a tough stretch ahead of him," said forward Danny Cleary, who suffered the same injury in February 2008. "He's having his jaw wired shut today. It's terrible." Asked for the hardest part, Cleary said, "when you wake up out of anesthesia, and you're so thirsty. God. Everything about it is bad. For me, they had to pull out a couple of extra teeth so I could get stuff down there, because there was no opening. Just a passage way for liquid or food to get down. "He's going to have a tough time." The Wings called up Fabian Brunnstrom in time for today's practice, but that was more a courtesy than anything else. Brunnstrom's wife has been overdue with their first baby since Friday. She has remained in the Detroit area as Brunnstrom has been sent back and forth to the minors. Letting him practice with the Wings lets him be closer to her. General manager Ken Holland said the Wings won't decide before Wednesday, when they host Tampa Bay, whether there will be any other changes to the roster. Even without Brunnstrom, the Wings have 12 healthy forwards. They should have another within a month, as Jan Mursak has begun skating. He hasn't played all season, after breaking his left ankle during an exhibition, but a small light is appearing at the end of the tunnel. "Today was my third time on the ice," he said. "I've been just kind of cruising around, not really stop-and-starts. Feels pretty good so far. No pain at all. I just need to get comfortable with it. We'll see how the ankle reacts to tight turns and stops and starts. I think, this week, I will try to skate harder." Mursak isn't expected back before mid-to-late December. He estimated he's still a week from full practices. "We don't want to rush things," he said. "The ankle, there's no pain right now, but it's still kind of stiff. I don't have the same flexibility yet." Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591092 Detroit Red Wings

surplus of forwards, he had a hard time cracking the lineup once the season began. The Wings begin this week as the hottest team in the NHL, the only squad on a five-game winning streak. They got two goals in the win over the Predators from Valtteri Filppula, and a goal each from Henrik Zetterberg and Danny Cleary. Zetterberg seems to have bounced back from a poor camp and slow start -he has six points in his last four games -- while Cleary scored his first goal in five games. The first four victories of this streak were aided by the contributions from the first line of Pavel Datsyuk with Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi. Three weeks after halting a six-game stretch during which they averaged just one goal a game, the Wings ranked third in the West in goals-for. "We felt all along we had some people who were not scoring, who weren't on pace," Holland said, "and that it was just a matter of time before they got going." Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591093 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Patrick Eaves told by teammates: Get ready for misery

Ted Kulfan

Detroit Poor Patrick Eaves. He doesn't know what misery awaits. That was the message Red Wings teammates Danny Cleary and Brad Stuart had for the injured player, who took a puck to the face last weekend and had surgery on his broken jaw Monday evening. Cleary and Stuart had similar injuries.

Patrick Eaves only casualty in Red Wings' five-game surge

"He's going to have a tough time," Cleary said of Eaves, who is expected to miss 6-8 weeks. "I don't have any (encouragement) because you're going to be miserable. "Patty's (break) is a little higher than mine, but the bottom line is he'll have his teeth wired shut. It'll be a hard time. He won't be able to speak. It's terrible." Said Stuart: "That's a tough injury; I feel sorry for him. I'd tell him to get the extra milkshake going through the drive-thru because you're going to need the calories. Food in a blender doesn't taste very good." Eating, obviously, is the most difficult part of life with a broken jaw. Or, rather, not eating. "He's got a good wife, so she's going to need some patience," Cleary said. "That's one thing I had, a good, patient wife who kept feeding me." Stuart didn't lose as much weight as Cleary did (about 5-10 pounds), but remembers the frustration of the entire period. "The first two weeks are pretty tough because it hurts and you can't open your mouth," Stuart said. "Finding stuff to eat is the toughest part. You kind of get used to it after a while and adapt. The first 10-14 days are tough." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is thankful Eaves is going to be fine after one of the scariest injuries he's witnessed in recent years. "It was scary," Babcock said. "We know the puck is hard and can be dangerous, especially when it's deflected and that high and close." Injured Mursak skates Jan Mursak (fractured left ankle) skated on his own Monday and hopes to practice within two weeks. "I've been cruising around, not really stops and starts, but it's feeling good with no pain," said Mursak, who was hurt in an exhibition Sept. 25. "I just have to get comfortable with it and we'll see how the ankle reacts as I skate harder this week." Mursak has ditched his walking boot, but his flexibility hasn't returned.

By Helene St. James

After five straight victories, the Red Wings find themselves well ensconced among the leaders of the Western Conference. They're tied for first with 14 victories, are two points out of first place in the conference and the Central Division, and have the best goal differential at plus-16. They beat Miikka Kiprusoff and the Calgary Flames on Thanksgiving Eve, went into Boston on Friday and ended the Bruins' 10-game winning streak, then came home Saturday to best division rival Nashville. The only negative was an injury to forward Patrick Eaves, who suffered a fractured jaw Saturday night when he was hit by a puck. "He needs surgery," general manager Ken Holland said Sunday. "We expect him to be out six to eight weeks." No personnel moves are planned because the Wings don't play again until Wednesday and still have 12 healthy forwards. Fabian Brunnstrom is an option; Gustav Nyquist isn't, unless he's going to play. "We're not going to call Nyquist up to be a healthy scratch," Holland said. "We can go with 12, and if we need somebody, there's Brunnstrom, he's got some experience. "When you go on a trip to western Canada, to California, you like to have a party of 13. We've got a home game, then we're in Buffalo, Denver, St. Louis. Those are places where you can get a guy out to, day of game. We're not planning any moves as of now." Eaves was not a regular in the rotation; Saturday's game was his 10th appearance this season. He started training camp getting a look on the right wing of the top line, but he soon saw himself back on the fourth line. With a

"We don't want to rush things," he said. "There's no pain but it's kind of stiff. We'll see how the ankle reacts. I can do pretty much everything." Detroit News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591094 Detroit Red Wings

In other Wings personnel news, the team promoted Fabian Brunnstrom from Grand Rapids; he's still waiting for the birth of his first child. Detroit News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591096 Detroit Red Wings

NHL coaches stuck in revolving door

Red Wings' Jan Mursak skating by himself, hopes to return in 2-3 weeks

Ted Kulfan/ The Detroit News

By Ansar Khan

A look at new coaches hired since the season began and those looking over their shoulder: Goodbye, hello St. Louis: Fired David Payne, hired Ken Hitchcock -- Hitchcock's influence has righted the ship -- so far. Carolina: Fired Paul Maurice, hired Kirk Muller -- It won't be easy for Mueller. The Hurricanes struggle to score. Washington: Fired Bruce Boudreau, hired Dale Hunter -- Big jump from junior hockey to NHL for Hunter. On the hot seat Scott Arniel, Columbus: It's amazing Arniel has lasted this long, but Blue Jackets are playing better. Jack Capuano, N.Y. Islanders: The Islanders haven't taken the step forward everyone expected. Jacques Martin, Montreal: Considering the injuries, the Canadiens have survived well. But expectations in Montreal are always unrealistic. Brent Sutter, Calgary: Flames have gotten stale, so a new voice might not be a bad idea. Randy Carlyle, Anaheim: Carlyle's contract extension could help keep him from the unemployment line. Detroit News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591095 Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT -- Detroit Red Wings forward Jan Mursak skated by himself before Monday's practice and estimated that he's 2-3 weeks away from returning from his broken ankle (Sept. 25). It was the third time Mursak has skated by himself since the injury. "It felt good to just cruise around and get back into it," Mursak said. "It feels pretty good, no pain, its just that I need to get comfortable with my ankle and all of the moves that you need to do. "I was just doing some circling around, no stops-and-starts. I started doing some tight turns and it felt pretty good, so well start doing more in the next few days and well see how it goes." Mursak doesn't think he'll accompany the team on its three-game trip that starts Friday in Buffalo. He'll stay home and continue skating and hopefully join the team for practice when it returns. "I actually feel pretty good just cruising around, but I need to get back into hockey shape," Mursak said. "Ive been working hard in the gym the whole time that I was injured, but the ankle still needs to get back into hockey shape to be totally ready. Id say that Im probably about 50-60 percent ready." Fabian Brunnstrom was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins and joined the team for practice. He's been sent back and forth several times over the past week. Here are the lines they skated with: Franzen-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi Filppula-Zetterberg-Hudler Cleary-Helm-Abdelkader

Wings' Cleary, Stuart know the discomfort Eaves will feel

Miller-Emmerton-Holmstrom (Brunnstrom) Lidstrom-White

Ted Kulfan/ The Detroit News

Kronwall-Ericsson Kindl-Stuart

Detroit Poor Patrick Eaves; he doesn't know what misery awaits. That was the message Danny Cleary and Brad Stuart had for their injured teammate. Eaves, who took a puck to the face during Saturday's game, was to have surgery on his broken jaw Monday evening. Cleary and Stuart had similar injuries. There's no question life will be different for a while, they said Monday. "He's going to have a tough time," said Cleary, who broke his jaw off a deflection of a Mikael Samuelsson shot several years ago. "I don't have any (encouragement) because you're going to be miserable. "Patty's (break) is a little higher than mine but the bottom line is he'll have his teeth wired shut. It'll be a hard time. He won't be able to speak. It's terrible." Eaves is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, about the same length of time Stuart and Cleary missed. Stuart took a brutal blindside elbow to the face last season by Calgary's Tom Kostopoulos. "That's a tough injury; I feel sorry for him," Stuart said. "I'd tell him to get the extra milkshake going through the drive-thru because you're going to need the calories. "Food in a blender doesn't taste very good."

Commodore Howard Conklin Asked what their plans are for the roster space created by Patrick Eaves' injury (broken jaw, surgery Monday night), coach Mike Babcock said, "I dont know what Im going to do yet. I talked to Kenny (general manager Holland) this morning, he was in Grand Rapids last night, so we talked about their players. Weve got Brunnstrom here and Emmerton, who didnt play the other night, so we have opportunity that way, but well take a look at whats going on and make a decision. Were just basically buying time today." Michigan Live LOADED: 11.29.2011 591097 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Danny Cleary, Brad Stuart can empathize with Patrick Eaves (broken jaw)

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings' Danny Cleary and Brad Stuart can empathize with what Patrick Eaves is going through and his long and tough road to recovery from a broken jaw. Eaves will have surgery tonight and is expected to be out six-to-eight weeks after getting hit in the ear with a shot by Nashville's Roman Josi on Saturday. Cleary and Stuart each has suffered through a broken jaw. Cleary was out a little more than six weeks in 2008 after getting hit by shot from teammate Mikael Samuelsson in Toronto. Stuart missed six weeks last season after hit with a elbow from Calgary's Tom Kostopoulos. "I felt real bad for him," Cleary said. "He's got a tough stretch ahead of him. He's going to have his jaw wired shut today. It's terrible. "When you wake up out of anesthesia, you're so thirsty. Everything about it is bad. For me they had to pull out a couple of extra teeth so I could get stuff down there because there was no opening, just a passageway for food to get down. He's going to have a tough time." Cleary lost 15 pounds. Asked if he had any words of encouragement for Eaves, he said, "I don't have any, because he's going to be miserable. He's got a good wife, so she's going to need some patience. That's one thing I had, good, patient wife who kept feeding me." He said there is "no eating" in the beginning because "everything (you consume) is liquid and purified liquid because if anything has chunks in it, it'll get stuck in these metal things in your teeth. "You're going to lose (weight) no matter what. You just try to get as much nutrients as you can. Just see how long he has to have his jaw wired. If he doesn't have to get plates it won't be as long." Stuart had surgery about a week after his injury. He lost seven pounds. "I was just trying to get as much calories as I can," Stuart said. "I went to Jack in the Box to get the extra large milkshake. It was kind of fun, actually." That was the only fun thing about it. "The first two weeks are pretty tough, because it hurts, you can't open your mouth," Stuart said. "Finding stuff you can eat is the toughest part. You kind of get used to it after a while and you'll adapt. Just the first 10-14 days is tough. "I remember that first time I was able to chew something, it was pretty good. I remember enjoying it a lot. You start to appreciate the things you take for granted when you're healthy." Coach Mike Babcock said ideally Eaves won't have his jaw wired shut for too long and won't lost as much weight. "Hes obviously in for a tough go of it here," Babcock said. "I texted him the other morning and, lets be honest, it was very scary, to say the least. We know that puck is hard, and we know that it can be dangerous." Michigan Live LOADED: 11.29.2011 591098 Detroit Red Wings

Filppula has four goals in his past three games. He is second on the team with seven goals and is tied for second with 19 points. He is on pace to eclipse his career highs in goals (19 in 2007-08) and points (40 in 2008-09). Holland said it has just taken some time for Filppula, who is only 27, to mature as a player. "Everybody wants a 23-, 24-, 25-year-old to be a good player," Holland said. "If youre a really good player in the NHL at 23, 24, 25, youre a star, and not everybody is a star. It takes time to feel comfortable with the league and your responsibilities. "We talked to the team in training camp, said that if we were going to take the next step forward we needed some of our 20-somethings to take a step. "Hes comfortable with the league. As he plays good, he gets more responsibility. Hes more confident hanging onto the puck." Filppula has been stronger on his skates and more assertive with the puck. Hes playing more on the inside. "Trying to go to the net a little more and trying to shoot the puck a little more," Filppula said. "I think thats the main two things that Ive tried to focus on. A lot of goals are scored by getting rebounds, and Im just trying to go to the net and find pucks." He has five multiple-point games. He had seven all of last season. "Hes skating very well," teammate Henrik Zetterberg said. "He can make good plays. Hes fun to play with. Hes easy to play with. Its nice hes getting rewarded with some goals." Throughout all his line shuffling, Babcock has kept Filppula mostly on the wing. Lately, he has been skating with Zetterberg and Danny Cleary, though Jiri Hudler replaced Cleary on that line in Saturdays 4-1 victory against Nashville, Detroits fifth in a row. The Red Wings host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday. "Its a little different and it always takes a little time to get used to," Filppula said of the wing. "Playing in your end is a lot different. Other than that, it hasnt changed too much with how we play. I have to play a little closer to the boards, something that Ive been practicing." Filppula has good chemistry with Zetterberg, who after a slow start is picking up the pace with seven points (two goals, five assists) in six games. "Hes great with the puck, hes great without the puck, and when he has the puck, you just try to get open and hes going to give it to you," Filppula said. "At the same time, when I have the puck, hes working hard to try to get available. So, he makes it easy to get him the puck as well." Michigan Live LOADED: 11.29.2011 591099 Detroit Red Wings

RED WINGS: Busted jaw a bad break for Eaves

By Chuck Pleiness

Red Wings' Valtteri Filppula showing maturity, confidence team has been seeking

DETROIT Danny Cleary lost 15 pounds. Brad Stuart shed seven off his frame. Losing weight is just half of what Patrick Eaves will have to deal with on his road to recovery from a broken jaw. Eaves had surgery Monday night to repair his fractured jaw suffered when he was hit with a puck off the stick of Nashville defenseman Roman Josi with 2:41 left in the third period on Saturday. Hes expected to be out six to eight weeks. I felt real bad for him, Cleary said. He's got a tough stretch ahead of him. If he's going to have his jaw wired shut, it's terrible. When you wake up out of anesthesia, you're so thirsty, Cleary added. Everything about it is bad. For me, they had to pull out a couple of extra teeth so I could get stuff down because there was no opening, just a passageway for food to get down. He's going to have a tough time. Cleary broke his jaw in 2008 when he was hit by a shot from former teammate Mikael Samuelsson. He was out for a little more than six weeks.

Ansar Khan

DETROIT -- Seeing the speed, skill and potential Valtteri Filppula possesses, the Detroit Red Wings continually have challenged him to bring out his best. He has answered the call this season, playing the best hockey of his career. It is the kind of internal improvement the team needs from its supporting players, one that can make a significant difference. "I said to (general manager) Kenny Holland, it might have been as good a stretch as hes had since hes been here," coach Mike Babcock said.

Hes going to be miserable, Cleary said. He's got a good wife, so she's going to need some patience. That's one thing I had, a good, patient wife who kept feeding me. Eaves wont be able to eat solid foods for quite some time. You're going to lose (weight) no matter what, Cleary said. You just try to get as much nutrients as you can. Well see how long he has to have his jaw wired. If he doesn't have to get plates it won't be as long. Stuart broke his jaw last season when he was blindsided by Calgary's Tom Kostopoulos. He missed six weeks. The first two weeks are pretty tough, because it hurts, you can't open your mouth, Stuart said. Finding stuff you can eat is the toughest part. You kind of get used to it after a while and you'll adapt. Just the first 10-14 days is tough. I remember that first time I was able to chew something, it was pretty good, Stuart added. I remember enjoying it a lot. You start to appreciate the things you take for granted when you're healthy. The only fun part Stuart could recall was going to Jack in the Box to get extra large milkshakes. I was just trying to get as many calories as I can, Stuart said. Defenseman Ian White was lucky when he dove in front of a puck to prevent a goal against Dallas on Nov. 12. He suffered a fractured cheek bone and was sidelined only four games. Hes (Eaves) obviously in for a tough go of it here, Wings coach Mike Babcock said. I texted him the other morning and it was scary, lets be honest, very scary to say the least. We know that that puck is hard, and we know that it can be dangerous. We just dont like guys to get hit. When you dont hear a noise you know it didnt hit his helmet, so you know theres something wrong and youre hoping that he hasnt gotten it in the neck, said Babcock, recalling the incident. You dont know exactly where he got it and youre just hoping that hes going to be OK. Obviously once the guys gave us the word you breathe easier, but those situations are scary. Mursak continues to improveJan Mursak skated before practice on his own as he continues to recover from a fractured ankle in suffered in the preseason (Sept. 25). Mursak feels he's two to three weeks away from returning. IIt felt good to just cruise around and get back into it, Mursak said. It feels pretty good, no pain, its just that I need to get comfortable with my ankle and all of the moves that you need to do. Mursaks skate consisted of just circling around. He did no stops-andstarts. I started doing some tight turns and it felt pretty good, so well start doing more in the next few days and well see how it goes, Mursak said. Ive been working hard in the gym the whole time that I was injured, but the ankle still needs to get back into hockey shape to be totally ready. Id say that Im probably about 50-60 percent ready. It was frustrating just because it happened right before the regular season even started, Mursak added. Now it will be hard to come back and play on the level that the other guys are playing. We have a lot of good players here, so Ill have to fight for that spot in the regular lineup. During his extra free time, Mursak has gotten reacquainted with his dog, an American Bulldog and Boxer mix named Zara. In the last few years I didnt really have much time to spend with her, so this is the first year that I actually had her staying with me, Mursak said. Shes a good dog and now I can take her for walks twice a day for an hour. Shes getting closer to me too. Before she was always closer to my girlfriend (Victoria), but now shes getting closer to me too. Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.29.2011 591100 Detroit Red Wings

By Chuck Pleiness

The Wings want to get off this rollercoaster-of-a-ride that has been the first quarter of the 2011-12 season. After opening the year with five straight wins, the Wings went winless in their next six, losing five of those games. They went on to put another fourgame winning streak before dropping their next two, which made it five straight losses on the road. Detroit ended its four-game road trip with two straight wins, which has grown to five straight after a convincing three wins in four nights highlighted by a shootout win over the defending Stanley Cup champs. "I'd rather not think about that one because after that we all know what happened," said Henrik Zetterberg, when asked about what happened the last time the Wings won five straight this season. "We'll live in the moment. We are happy with how we're playing now." It has been a rollercoaster if you look at the five-game segments, Nicklas Lidstrom. We won five, we lost five, then we were 5-1 or 4-1 or something, so we've been kind of up and down." Despite that the Wings sit just two points behind Chicago for the top spot in the Western Conference. However, the eighth, ninth and 10th seeds St. Louis, Edmonton and Los Angeles are just three points behind Detroit in the standings. It has been weird, definitely, Niklas Kronwall said. Not the way we want to be, obviously. Winning and losing every once in a while, that's not what we do in here. We always have more consistency than we've had. I don't think we've played that many really bad games. All in all we've been OK, but not good enough to win on some nights." The Wings rank eighth in goals scored and fifth in goals against. The power play is seventh, but the penalty kill as struggled sitting at 19th in the league. Here are individual grades at the first quarter of the season. Forwards Justin Abdelkader (C+): 2 goals, 3 assists, +1 As interchangeable of a forward the Wings have; can play in the top six, grind things out and throws his body around. Todd Bertuzzi (C): 1 goal, 4 assists, +4 If his line of Franzen and Datsyuk remains intact his offensive numbers will improve as will his time on the power play. Fabian Brunnstrom (Inc.): 0 goals, 1 assist, -2 Wings coach Mike Babcock said he sees him as a top six forward one day. Danny Cleary (C-): 4 goals, 3 assists, -3 After a career-high 26 goals last season the start to this year has been quite disappointing as far as offensive numbers go. Pavel Datsyuk (B): 6 goals, 13 assists, +1 After a slow start to the year he seems to heating up with four goals and five assists in his last six games. Patrick Eaves (C): 0 goals, 1 assist, 0 Could not find his way back in the lineup after missing some time with a bad back; fractured his jaw on Saturday. Cory Emmerton (C-): 1 goal, 1 assist, +4 Has been held pointless after a goal and an assist in the season opener, but has been a reliable center on the fourth line. Johan Franzen (B+): 10 goals, 12 assists, +10 In 12 of the Wings' 14 wins he has 22 points. In the eight other games (0-7-1) he's been held pointless. Valtteri Filppula (A-): 7 goals, 12 assists, +8 He's nearly halfway to his career high in points (40) for a season and we're just a quarter of the way through. Darren Helm (B): 2 goals, 2 assists, +1 Continues to show signs that the Wings have another Kris Draper type player on their hands. Tomas Holmstrom (B): 3 goals, 6 assists, 0 He continues to dazzle us with how he's the best in the league when it comes to net-front-presence. All three of his goals have come on the power play. Jiri Hudler (B-): 2 goals, 10 assists, +4 After a fast start he cooled down, got benched and know he's chipping in every now and then, which is already ahead of last year's numbers.

Red Wings first quarter grades

Drew Miller (C+): 2 goals, 4 assists, +7 No longer in a rotation to get playing time on the fourth line. Gustav Nyquist (Inc.): 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 Showed signs he's for real in the preseason. Henrik Zetterberg (B): 5 goals, 8 assists, +1 Just like his one-time linemate, it's been a slow start to the season, but he's got two goals and four assists in his last four games. Defensemen Mike Commodore (Inc.): 0 goals, 0 assists, 0 A sprained MCL didnt help his bid at winning a job on the blue line; he's played in just three games. Jonathan Ericsson (C): 0 goals, 2 assists, +2 Hasn't been an offensive threat like the Wings had hoped so therefore hasn't seen much if any power-play time. Jakub Kindl (B-): 0 goals, 4 assists, +2 As been as solid as any sixth man on the blue-line's depth chart could be and has shown a nice physical upside. Niklas Kronwall (B): 6 goals, 4 assists, 0 The Wings were smart locking him up with a long-term deal early in the season and making him an alternate captain. Nicklas Lidstrom (A+): 6 goals, 10 assists, +8 He's playing like he's got another year in him. Brendan Smith (Inc.): 0 goals, 2 assists, -1 In his brief time in Detroit showed he's an NHL defenseman; Wings want him to play minutes so that's why he's in Grand Rapids. Brad Stuart (B-): 3 goals, 1 assist, +4 Already a goal behind trying is season high output with the Wings; had a career-high 10 goals his rookie season in San Jose. Ian White (B): 4 goals, 7 assists, +11 Has been everything the Wings were looking for when they needed to replace Brian Rafalski, he's already matched his goal output from a year ago. Goalies Jimmy Howard (A+): 13-5-1, 1.87 GAA, .930 SV% Has been the Wings' best player night after night with 19 starts in 22 games; he leads the league in wins and shutouts. Ty Conklin (D): 1-2-0, 3.33 GAA, .880 SV% After a 29-save shutout in his first game he imploded with seven goals against in his next start and hasnt found his way back into the lineup. Macomb Daily LOADED: 11.29.2011 591101 Edmonton Oilers

"He always seems to bounce back up from hits like that, but I think that was just a really awkward position for him," said centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Last season, Hall had been vying for consideration on the NHL's rookie-ofthe-year ballot,but hobbled off the ice with a season-ending ankle sprain in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 3. He leaves the lineup this time around having churned out seven points in his last five games. The fact that he'd finally generated some traction does hurt. "I felt like I was really starting to get my game around and it's tough when it ends like that," Hall said. "But I'm going to get as strong as possible especially my shoulder - and get ready for a good run." Hall said he will be able to skate during his rehab. The key will be icing the shoulder and strengthening the area with exercise. "It's part of the game. It comes from playing hard," said teammate/roommate Jordan Eberle. "He has to stay positive and get back as soon as possible. "For us, we have to fill that gap." Oilers head coach Tom Renney acknowledged that Hall's aggressive playing style can make him more vulnerable, but he doesn't expect that it will change when the winger returns to the lineup. "He was mad at himself for how he took the play on. He knows this player, he's played against him before and he knows how he plays," said Renney. "(But) I'd rather encourage a guy to tone it down rather than extract something out of him that he doesn't have." "With that hit," said Hall, "I probably just have to be a little closer to the boards so I can make sure I'm not getting hit by him and the boards," Hall said. "But I'm not going to change how I play." OIL DROPS: Defenceman Andy Sutton, who has been out since Nov. 13 with a groin injury, is skating again, pushing him closer to a return. Ben Eager, meanwhile, missed his third straight game with a bad back. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591102

Edmonton Oilers

Predators rally to hand Oilers loss Edmonton starts six-game homestand with uninspired effort

By Jim Matheson Oilers lose Hall for two to four weeks Teammates know they 'have to fill that gap' with sophomore winger out of the lineup EDMONTON - When it comes to half-gainers from a pike position, Jordin Tootoo knows his dives. But Tootoo's got more than acting chops, because after drawing several hoots and a sheepish trip to the penalty box in the second period, he made a dandy reverse twist pass to Nick Spaling for the game-winner on Monday in a 2-1 Nashville Predators victory over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. "He pisses me off," said Oilers coach Tom Renney, "but I'd like him on my team." Tootoo, who can aggravate and infuriate, was the poster boy for the Predators comeback, as the Oilers got an early goal from Jordan Eberle on a shot over backup goalie Anders Lindback's glove, then sat back as if to say, "OK, Khabby, show us what you can do ... get us the shutout." Nikolai Khabibulin was very good - this was the 12th time he has given up two or fewer goals - but he wasn't invincible. The Predators, riding a fourgame losing streak, dug in and kept rolling into the Oilers' end. Shea Weber tied it with a shot that snaked through Khabibulin's legs midway through the second period, and Spaling rifled one off the bar and in after a giveaway by Sam Gagner started a fire drill in the Oilers' end with 7-1/2 minutes left. The only relief after this loss was the medical news that Taylor Hall will only be out two to four weeks, not two to four months after injuring his left

By Joanne Ireland,

EDMONTON - He was in a suit, not in a sling, and surgery is not scheduled for Taylor Hall, but the Edmonton Oilers dynamic winger will be out of the lineup for the next two to four weeks. Hall had an MRI on his left shoulder Monday. "I thought I was going to be out for a shorter period of time," he said, "but two to four weeks isn't bad. It's not like I'm missing a huge chunk of games, where it would take me three to four games to really get back into the swing of things. "I want to get back as quick as I can, obviously. I just have to try and rehab it as quick as possible .. make it as strong as possible." Hall was injured in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. Tattooed into the boards by Colorado Avalanche defenceman Ryan Wilson - a hit that clearly left him in some discomfort - he did return to the ice, only to be hit again by blue-liner Kyle Quincey.

shoulder last Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche when an old junior combatant, Ryan Wilson, drilled him into the boards. He'll be fine by Christmas, but his team has dropped seven of its last 10, and gift-wrapped this one for the Predators with their refusal to shoot at Nashville's little-used No. 2 netminder. "We left the door open and they crashed their way in," said Renney, who got eight shots from Eberle and captain Shawn Horcoff and 10 from everybody else. There was way too much tic-tac-toe, and in the end it cost the Oilers. There were lots of guilty parties in the too-cute category - the most obvious culprit being Ales Hemsky, who has only 17 shots in 13 games this year because he would rather paint a picture with a pass than get the puck to the blue paint with a shot. In the end, the Oilers were full measure for this loss, after beating up on the Predators 6-2 in Nashville a week ago. "This is exactly who the Predators are ... they don't get too far outside their system and (they) wait for you to bend a little bit, then they capitalize," said Ryan Jones, who used to wear the Predators jersey until the Oilers picked him up on waivers a couple of years ago. Jones knocked Blake Geoffrion out of the game early in the second when he caught the Preds forward looking down at the puck behind the Nashville net. Jones got a bogus five-minute major for elbowing, even though it was a shoulder hit. Geoffrion, who didn't return, had his left arm in a sling after the game. "The refs have a tough job and they're going by what they see, but I saw something different. It didn't change the outcome," said Jones. Tootoo and Theo Peckham jousted a bit after the Jones wallop, with Peckham giving Tootoo a shove with his stick before Tootoo went for his pratfall. "That was embarrassing. There's no room for plays like that. But when he's on playing physical, he has the ability to make some plays," said Horcoff. Like on the winning goal. "The puck rolled and the shot got over my arm," said Khabibulin, trying to retrace the Spaling winner. Khabibulin made half-a-dozen 10-bell stops as the Predators outshot the Oilers 31-18. The only one he'd like back was Weber's goal. "That was the last thing I expected him to do, shoot it along the ice. I thought he'd go high or look to pass to the middle. I miscalculated," said Khabibulin. ON THE BENCH: Oilers farmhand Teemu Hartikainen has a suspected separated shoulder after being hurt on the Oklahoma City Barons' threegame road trip where they won in Grand Rapids twice and Rockford, Ill., to move atop the American Hockey League's Western Conference. The Predators didn't dress tough guy Brian McGrattan or Francis Boullion (groin). Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Hunter, who racked up 1,020 career points and 3,565 penalty minutes during 19 NHL seasons, second only to Tiger Williams, replaces Boudreau on a black Monday for NHL coaches. Paul Maurice, fired by the Carolina Hurricanes, was replaced by former NHL all-star Kirk Muller, who also played 19 seasons in the NHL. Muller spent the last 10 years running the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights, the most successful - on the ice and at the bank - junior club in Canada. Hunter takes over a dysfunctional team that's supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender, but is barely hanging onto a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. "He'll be great with Ovechkin," said Edmonton Oilers centre Sam Gagner, who played for Hunter in London on a line with Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane. "He knows how to treat his so-called best players. You look at Corey Perry and others." The betting is that Hunter will put Ovechkin on the ice every second shift. The big Russian is having a miserable season with just 17 points and a minus-7 rating. He'll be a 24-minute-a-game forward, not an average of 18:46 a game, which is what he got playing for Boudreau. Boudreau upset Ovechkin when he sat him on the bench in the last minute of a game against the Anaheim Ducks as they tried to get a tying goal because he felt other guys were playing better. It was the right coaching move at the time, but using the same tactic down the road Probably didn't help him. Hunter is a no-nonsense coach, just as he was as a player. "The transition from junior to the NHL is not always seamless, but he played for such a long time and understands what the pro lifestyle's like. When you played for the London Knights, you were groomed to be a professional. He mentored us to be pros. The transition should be easier for the way he coaches. "He played hard and he coaches the way he thinks he'll be successful. I don't think it matters that it's in Washington (where he played)." Everybody knows Hunter can coach. He'll have to dress differently as an NHL coach, however. "I think he wore one suit for every junior game and he left it in the coach's office," said Gagner, laughing. "My dad (Dave, a former London Knights assistant coach) went as Dale one year at team Halloween party. It wasn't too hard to recreate Dale. He just took his suit. I'm sure Dale will have to do some shopping in Washington," said Gagner. Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, who lost Muller to the Hurricanes after just two months on the job with his American Hockey League affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, goes way back with Hunter. Poile was GM of the Capitals during Hunter's heyday as a player. "One of the most popular players ever to play for the Capitals. If they're looking for some sort of identity there, he certainly has the Capitals logo tattooed on some part of his body," said Poile. Poile said there was no out-clause in Muller's contract to take an NHL job after he signed a two-year contract during the summer to coach the Predators farm team. "Teams have to ask my permission (to talk about a vacant NHL job). I give it or I don't, but philosophically we've never held anybody back in any situation and there is a terrific opportunity for Kirk and well-deserved," said Poile. "He's been a star player in the NHL and he had great credentials coming to our organization, with five years as an assistant coach in Montreal. It was never a question of whether he'd be a head coach in the NHL. it was when. We were hoping for two years of service or one year with us, but that didn't happen." "He's a real bright mind, a really good communicator, which is what you need as a coach these days," said Predators head coach Barry Trotz. "He was the flavour of the summer (in line for lots of NHL head coaching job openings), but the one thing that came back (from interviews) was he didn't

591103

Edmonton Oilers

New Capitals head coach Hunter 'will be great with Ovechkin' - Gagner Oilers centre says ex-NHLer knows how to treat star players, replaces fired Boudreau; Muller takes over from Maurice in Carolina

By Jim Matheson

EDMONTON - Dale Hunter's jersey is hanging from the Verizon Center rafters and now he'll will be behind the Washington Capitals bench after Bruce Boudreau's firing on Monday. We'll see if the gruff Hunter, who could beat you with his skill and his will, can win over Alex Ovechkin, Alex Semin and the rest of the gifted but under-achieving Capitals.

have any head coaching experience," said Trotz. "When I talked to Kirk in the summer, he said he was going to commit himself to two years down there (Milwaukee), but I thought it wouldn't take that long." Ian Herbers, a blast from the past, is replacing Muller in Milwaukee. Herbers played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears, along with the Oilers (22 games in 1993-94). He was assistant to Lane Lambert and Muller in Milwaukee. Former Oilers winger Marty Gelinas, who has been the Predators' pro development coach for the past two seasons, will be there to help out Herbers. "Everybody endorsed Herbie," said Poile. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.29.2011

"He always seems to bounce back up from hits like that but I think that was just a really awkward position for him," said Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. "I saw him this morning. I think he's dealing with it all right." Head coach Tom Renney acknowledged that Hall's reckless playing style does make him more vulnerable but he doesn't expect that it will change. "He was mad at himself for how he took the play on. He knows this player, he's played against him before and he knows how he plays," said Renney. "But don't change that. I'd rather encourage a guy to tone it down rather than extract something (from his game)." Oil drops - Magnus Paajarvi would move up to play in Hall's spot, an option Renney said he was considering . . . Nikolai Khabibulin will start in net for Edmonton . . . Defenceman Andy Sutton, who has been out since Nov. 13 with a groin injury, is skating again. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591104

Edmonton Oilers 591106 Edmonton Oilers

Hartikainen also suffers shoulder injury Gagner looks to raise game from Oilers 1b by Jim Matheson By DEREK VAN DIEST, QMI Agency Teemu Hartikainen, one of the Oilers top five prospects, reportedly suffered a separated shoulder in the farm team's succesful three-game road swing last weekend that saw the Oklahoma City Barons win twice in Grand Rapids and also in Rockford, Ill. There are reports it could be bad. It could be a third-degree separation which would mean months on the shelf but the big Finnish winger, who has eight goals for the AHL club. The Barons would only say he'll be examined by their doctors and he was out for this weekend's games Hartikainen, who has eight goals for the Barons, will be joining Linus Omark (broken ankle), Antti Tyrvainen (busted arm) and Josh Green (ribs) on the injured list. The Barons continue to win, however. They lead the Western Conference with a 15-5-0-1 record, with a 9-2 record on the road. Unsung forward Philippe Cornet now leads the AHL with 15 goals in only 38 shots. He had seven goals in 60 games last season. He's this year's farmhand Colin McDonald, who came out of nowhere to pop 42 for the Barons. He led the AHL in goals, and signed with Pittsburgh Penguins last summer as a freeagent. He's on their farm club in Wilkes-Barre. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.29.2011

EDMONTON - Sam Gagner wants to get back into the conversation, and it's not the one that involves him being traded. The Edmonton centre is starting to find his skating legs after missing most of training camp with an ankle injury. While Gagner was still looking for his first goal heading into Monday's game against the Nashville Predators, he did have six assists on the year and four in his previous three games. "I feel better," Gagner said. "I think sometimes it takes a while at the beginning of the season, especially when you get an injury. I don't think I ever lost confidence in my game, but I wasn't playing the way I know I can. I think in the last few games, I've had a little bit more jump and I've been getting to those danger areas a little more and raising my battle level a little bit." Once the face of a promising future, Gagner has since taken a backseat to the Oilers new generation of talent. Having fully recovered from his ankle injury, Gagner would like to get back to being an offensive threat every night. "I still have a lot to prove to myself, I still want to reach another level," Gagner said. "You want to be a key part of wins and contribute to wins anyway you can. We have a great situation here where if everyone steps up, we're going to win more games than not and it's fun to be a part of that." FIVE MINUTES FOR HITTING SO HARD Ryan Jones had five minutes to try and figure out what exactly he did wrong on Monday. The Oilers winger was given a five-minute elbowing major after blowing up Predators centre Blake Geoffrion with what appeared to be a clean hit.

591105

Edmonton Oilers

Oilers awaiting results of Hall's MRI

from Oilers 1b by Joanne Ireland

Scratch Taylor Hall from the Edmonton Oilers lineup - at least for tonight's game against the Nashville Predators. The dynamic winger was to have an MRI on his left shoulder, after which he will meet with the team's medical staff. "It's part of the game. It comes from playing hard," said teammate/roommate Jordan Eberle. "He has to stay positive and get back as soon as possible. I don't think it's as serious as (everyone) thinks it is. "For us, we have to fill that gap. I think we have the depth to do it." Hall was injured in Saturday's 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He was tattooed into the boards by defenceman Ryan Wilson - a hit that clearly left him in some discomfort. Hall did return to the ice, only to be hit again by Kyle Quincey.

Jones caught Geoffrion with his head down behind the Predators net and laid out the grandson of Bernie 'Boom Boom' Geoffrion with a solid shoulder-to-shoulder hit. Blake Geoffrion had to leave the game after the hit, while Jones skated to the penalty box wondering how the referees could justify giving him an elbowing penalty and a major no less. Interestingly enough, Jones wasn't given a game misconduct which often accompanies a major penalty, similar to the one Ryan Smyth received earlier this season. FEELING STRONG Andy Sutton wasn't sitting around waiting for his groin to heal while the Oilers were away on a four-game road trip.

The veteran defenceman was doing everything possible to work his way back into the lineup. After a good morning skate Monday, Sutton believes he's close to a return. "I feel great, I've put in some good work this week," Sutton said. "(Assistant athletic therapist) Chris Davie and (fitness consultant) Simon Bennett have helped me with a lot of good things to help me heal quicker. "While the team was on the road, I worked out twice a day. I did treatments here at the rink, then went and did a workout at Simon's gym. I was riding the bike like a madman." Sutton was injured during the warmup in the Oilers game against the Ottawa Senators nearly three weeks ago. "I actually tweaked it in the morning skate, I had the flu for two days and I tried to practice through it and I think I was a little dehydrated," Sutton said. "I tweaked it in the morning and then I re-tweaked it pretty good in the warmup. I thought I could make it through, got it wrapped, did everything I could, took a painkiller, then went out through the tunnel, out through the oil derrick, took that first lap and I really yanked it." The Oilers had to play the game with five defencemen due to Sutton's untimely injury. They have since brought up reinforcements from their AHL affiliate. Sutton may be back in the lineup some time this week as the Oilers continue their six-game home stand. "I feel great and it's going to be up to the coaching staff," Sutton said. "I've been ramping up the intensity the last four or five days and I expect they'll make a decision over the next few days." STRONG ENDORSEMENT As a former junior star playing under Dale Hunter, Sam Gagner feels his one-time coach will fare well in his new NHL gig. Hunter was hired by the Washington Capitals Monday, replacing Bruce Boudreau behind the bench. "He coaches like a pro would and he's going to do a great job there, obviously with his track record in junior," said Gagner. "He coached a lot of teams to winning seasons and what he's been able to do there has been very impressive and I'm sure he's going to do well." Gagner played for Hunter as a member of the London Knights, one of the cornerstone franchise in the Ontario Hockey League. "He demands accountability like a pro. He's played the game for such a long time he understands what the pro lifestyle is like," Gagner said. "When you play for the London Knights, you get groomed to be a professional and he does a great job of that. The transition is not always seamless, but I'm sure it's going to be a little easier for him just because of the way he coaches." Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Hall had an MRI on his injured shoulder Monday and, despite some reports suggesting he'd be back in a week to 10 days, is looking at almost a month of rehab. "It's pretty complicated," said Hall, who isn't even sure what the damage is. "For me, all that matters is I'm going to be healthy at some point and it's not going to be too far away." Hall got slammed into the boards Saturday in Denver by defenceman Ryan Wilson, and left the ice in obvious pain with his left arm hanging by his side. He returned later in the period, but the Avs targetted the shoulder again, with Kyle Quincey chasing him from the game for good with a well-aimed crosscheck. It could have been worse, but his teammates say any length of time without the high-flying winger is too long. "It's part of the game," said roommate Jordan Eberle. "I went through it last year and it's not easy but you have to be able to stay positive. It just comes from playing hard. He plays hard and stuff like that is going to happen. He has to stay positive and get back as soon as possible. "He's tough to replace just because of the scoring we had with the two lines, but we're going to have to try and fill it if we want to be successful. We have enough depth in here that we can replace it, or try and fill it anyway." They're at least glad this is something that can be repaired with rest and rehab and won't require surgery. "It's never fun," said Hall, who missed the end of last season after injuring his knee in a fight. "You always want to be there for your guys, especially seeing your team lose. You want to be there to contribute. "I felt like I was really starting to get my game around, it was coming together. It's tough when it kind of ends like that. But I'm going to get it as strong as possible and get ready for a good run and push for the playoffs." Hall's break-neck style leaves him susceptible to the big hit and that's what happened in this instance. "He was mad at himself for how he took the play on," said head coach Tom Renney. "He knows (Wilson), he's played against him before and knows how he plays. He's most upset with himself and how he approached that particular play. "But don't change that. I'd rather encourage a guy to tone it down than try and extract something out of him that he doesn't have." Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591108

Florida Panthers

Florida Panthers Scott Clemmensen no longer on watch list

591107

Edmonton Oilers

By Bill Van Smith

Hall out two to four weeks

Scott Clemmensen has been spending too much time sitting around this season, and it definitely is not to his liking. The Panthers goalie, plagued by a series of injuries for almost the entire season, is finally feeling healthy and is ready to quit watching and start playing. Theres only one catch. Clemmensens family wife Vanessa and daughters 3-year-old Olivia and 3-month-old Julia have very much enjoyed having Daddy around. Now hes leaving to join the team full-time, starting with him getting on a plane Monday afternoon after the Panthers morning workout at their Coral Springs training facility. Its tough to leave them, Clemmensen said. Especially when the 3-yearold gives you a little guilt trip. Clemmensen, working out in goal rather than just skating, had a full practice Monday in preparation for the trip and Tuesday nights game against Carolina. For the first time in a long time, I feel good, Clemmensen said. I feel good about feeling good.

By ROBERT TYCHKOWSKI, QMI Agency

EDMONTON - It was the second big jolt in three days for Taylor Hall. First came the hit that knocked him out of the Edmonton Oilers lineup with a shoulder injury, then came news that he'll be out longer than expected. "I thought I was going to be out a shorter period of time," sighed the sophomore winger, who met with the media after Edmonton's 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. "But two to four weeks isn't bad. It's not like I'm missing a huge chunk of games where it's going to take me three or four games to get back in the swing of things. But I want to get back as quick as I can, obviously."

Panthers coach Kevin Dineen is also feeling good about Clemmensens return. Hes going to play, Dineen said of the upcoming road trip. The question is when. Hes a big part of our mix a big part. Clemmensen, 34, started the season by needing knee surgery during training camp, followed by sitting out five weeks. With rehab over, he came back and played one memorable game. He shut out Dallas 6-0 on Nov. 15. Unfortunately, he unwillingly turned into a one-game wonder. Before he could suit up again, he sustained a groin injury and has not played since. It was frustration after frustration for the 6-2, 201-pounder. Now hes determined to take a hockey stick to that frustration. Its been that kind of year for me, Clemmensen said. Thus far, it has been real stop-and-go, and I want more go. ... The most frustrating part was the excitement generated during the offseason going into this year, he said. A lot of new faces on the team, and we were excited about moving forward. The start that we have so far has been great. Its been frustrating for me to not contribute to that. Ive gotten to know all these guys and want to play with them and contribute to the success that theyve had so far and hopefully will continue to have. Clemmensen was jokingly told he might ruin his 0.00 goals-against average by playing. Ill put it on the line anytime, he fired back quickly with a smile. Any worries about injury recurrence? I took enough time off to let it [the groin] heal properly, so that when I get back I dont have to worry about it or baby it, he said. If I baby it, then Im not ready to be back. ... Hockey in general, especially the goalie position, you cant think at times, youre just going to react. And at some point in the game your ability will take over, and if you have to think about things like an injury, youre dead. I wanted to be sure everything was all set before I returned to the team. The Panthers are in the midst of a brutal stretch of their schedule in which they play seven of eight games on the road. That means Clemmensen will be away from home for a substantial time. However, he knows one thing for sure. When he gets home, there will be a very happy family waiting for him. Particularly one certain 3-year-old. Forward Mikael Samuelsson skated Monday and will make the road trip. Rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Michael Repik were sent down to San Antonio. Joining the Panthers was center Mark Cullen, who is expected to play Tuesday as long as he clears waivers. Forward Tomas Kopecky did not skate at practice Monday, his second day off. Dineen said he was giving Kopecky maintenance days. He will be with the team in Raleigh. Forwards Matt Bradley (upper body) and Marcel Gol (head injury) will not make the trip. They will miss at least three games. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591109 Florida Panthers

starting with him getting on a plane Monday afternoon after the Panthers morning workout at their Coral Springs training facility. Its tough to leave them, Clemmensen said. Especially when the 3-yearold gives you a little guilt trip. Clemmensen, working out in goal rather than just skating, had a full practice Monday in preparation for the trip and tonights game against Carolina. For the first time in a long time, I feel good, Clemmensen said. I feel good about feeling good. Panthers coach Kevin Dineen is also feeling good about Clemmensens return. Hes going to play, Dineen said of the upcoming road trip. The question is when. Hes a big part of our mixa big part. Clemmensen, 34, started the year by needing knee surgery during training camp, followed by sitting out five weeks. With rehab over, he came back and played one game, and a grand game it was. He shut out Dallas 6-0 on Nov. 15. Unfortunately, he unwillingly turned into a one-game wonder. Before he could suit up again, he suffered a groin injury and hasnt played since. It was frustration after frustration for the 6-2, 201-pounder. Now hes determined to take a hockey stick to that frustration. Its been that kind of year for me, Clemmensen said. Thus far, it has been real stop and go and I want more go. The injuries might have taken away Clemmensens mobility, but not his desire particularly the desire to join his teammates in a meaningful way other than watching. The season is a quarter of the way done, so I want to get going, Clemmensen said. The most frustrating part was the excitement generated during the offseason going into this year, he said. A lot of new faces on the team, and we were excited about moving forward. The start that we have so far has been great. Its been frustrating for me to not contribute to that. Ive gotten to know all these guys and want to play with them and contribute to the success that theyve had so far and hopefully will continue to have. Clemmensen was jokingly told he might ruin his 0.00 goals-against-average by playing. Ill put it on the line anytime, he fired back quickly with a smile. Any worries about injury recurrence. I took enough time off to let it [the groin] heal properly so that when I get back I dont have to worry about it or baby it, he said. If I baby it, then Im not ready to be back. It was one of those things that we made sure we took time to let it heal. Hockey in general, especially the goalie position, you cant think at times, youre just going to react. And at some point in the game your ability will take over, and if you have to think about things like an injury, youre dead. I wanted to be sure everything was all set before I returned to the team. The way it has felt the past couple of days, I think we did a good job we meaning me and the training staff. The Panthers are in the midst of a brutal stretch of their schedule in which they play seven of eight games on the road. That means Clemmensen will be away from home for a substantial time. However, he knows one thing for sure. When he gets home, there will be a very happy family waiting for him. Particularly one certain 3-year-old. NOTEBOOK

Scott Clemmensen Back with Florida Panthers ... And Other Stuff

By BILL VAN SMITH

Scott Clemmensen has been spending too much time sitting around this season, and it definitely is not to his liking. The Florida Panthers goalie, plagued by a series of injuries for almost the entire season, is finally feeling healthy and is ready to quit watching and start playing. Theres only one catch. Clemmensens family wife Vanessa and daughters 3-year-old Olivia and 3-month old Julia have very much enjoyed having Daddy around. Now hes leaving to join the team full-time,

--Forward Mikael Samuelsson skated Monday and will make the road trip. --Rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom and forward Michael Repik were sent back down to San Antonio. Joining the team was center Mark Cullen, who is expected to play Tuesday night against Carolina as long as he clears waivers. --Forward Tomas Kopecky did not skate at practice Monday, his second day off. Dineen said he was giving Kopecky maintenance days. He will be with the team in Raleigh.

--Forwards Matt Bradley (upper body) and Marcel Gol (head injury) will not make the trip. They will miss at least three games Posted by George Richards Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591110 Florida Panthers

The series: Hurricanes lead 48-34-11 The game: The Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice Dinnencaneson Monday after a 4-3 loss at Ottawa. The Canes have lost three straight and 10 of their past 13. Kirk Muller was named the new coach on Monday afternoon. Florida lost two straight both to Tampa Bay but have won seven of 12 away from Sunrise. Panthers coach Kevin Dineen played parts of 10 seasons for the Hartford Whalers and moved south with the team when they became the Hurricanes. Dineen spent two seasons in Carolina from 1997-99. The Hurricanes spent those first two seasons in Greensboro and moved to Raleigh in 1999. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591111 Florida Panthers

Former Florida Center Kirk Muller New Coach of Carolina Hurricanes ... Debut Tuesday vs. Panthers and Former WhalerCane Kevin Dineen

Posted by George Richards

Kirk Muller spent parts of three seasons playing for the Florida Panthers. Muller, who played in 19 NHL seasons, came to Florida at the end of the 1996-97 season, scoring a goal with two assists in the Panthers five-game series against the Rangers. Muller is part of the last Florida team to win a postseason game as the Panthers won the opening game against New York but are 0-8 in playoff games since. On Monday, Muller was named the new coach of theCarolina Hurricanes after Paul Maurice was fired for a second time by the organization. Muller2Muller's first game as an NHL coach comes against the Panthers on Tuesday. He'll see some familiar faces on Tuesday as former Panthers teammates Ed Jovanovski, Gord Murphy and Billy Lindsay are all still around in one capacity or another. And I played with Kevin Dineen,'' Muller said during his introductory press conference at RBC Center on Monday evening. He's done a good job down there so far. I played in Florida for a couple years late in my career and they've done a nice job of turning things around. But our focus is here. I'm excited. It's here where we start rolling up our sleeves even tonight and come in tomorrow and start learning everyone. It's exciting. There's no break once it starts. It's going to be fun.'' General manager Jim Rutherford told me that he didn't make the coaching change just because the first-place Panthers are coming to town; no, this has been in the works for a couple weeks. Rutherford has been talking to Muller who spent five seasons as an assistant in Montreal before taking over AHL Milwaukee this summer for at least a week. Muller3Carolina's 4-3 loss at Ottawa wasn't so much a last straw, but a time in which Rutherford felt it was time. Rutherford is very close to Maurice and didn't want to make this move. But with losses in three straight and 10 of the past 13, something had to be done. Especially with everyone talking about this move being made. When things aren't going well,'' Rutherford said, bad things happen. The cloud is hovering over you. The players who haven't played well or those who don't think they got the opportunity they thought they did have a chance to start with a new coach. It's a clean slate. Don't look at the stats and say 'I have a minus-10,' or 'I only have one goal.' It's all new now. This is what we do under the new coach.'' And no offense, but with a ton of games left, Florida's eight point lead over Carolina in the Southeast Division doesn't exactly look all that intimidating. We aren't too far away that we can't catch up,'' Rutherford said. But this isn't a sprint. We don't expect to win the next 10 games and be right back up there. This is going to be a gradual move to get in there by January and February, then fight it out until the end. "We don't want to give up on this season. We want to make a run at the playoffs. That's still our goal. There's still lots of time.'' DinnenTUESDAY: PANTHERS AT HURRICANES When, Where: 7 p.m.; RBC Center, Raleigh, N.C. TV/Radio: FSN; WQAM-560 Florida Panthers to Reward South Florida Students, Teachers

Posted by George Richards

SUNRISE, Fla. Sunrise Sports & Entertainment today announced three schools and education initiatives that will take place across South Florida throughout the 2011-12 NHL season. The Florida Panthers will bring a Healthy Habits assembly show to multiple elementary schools across Broward County, while also supporting a Teacher of the Month initiative and a 3.0 Program for students who succeed in the classroom. In partnership with Publix, the Panthers Healthy Habits shows will educate students on the sport of hockey and the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Students will have a surprise visit from team mascot Stanley C. Panther during the show, as well as the chance to win numerous Florida Panthers prizes in a raffle drawing. Schools can schedule a Healthy Habits show by visiting www.floridapanthers.com/healthyhabits The Panthers and Publix have also launched a Teacher of the Month program a five-month initiative that will recognize educators in the Broward County area for their accomplishments and impact on students. From November through March of 2012, one teacher will be awarded the honor each month with a surprise visit from Stanley C. Panther, a commemorative certificate and a set of tickets to a Panthers home game, where they will be recognized for their contribution to the community. Teachers can be nominated by visiting www.floridapanthers.com/teacherofthemonth All teachers currently employed by a school (kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, vocational, special education) in the South Florida region are eligible to be nominated. College, graduate and student teachers are not eligible for the award. The team has also launched the Florida Panthers 3.0 Program, an initiative to recognize students in the South Florida area for their academic achievements from December until the end of the school year in 2012. Any student that has a grade point average of 3.0 or better (kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, special education) in the South Florida area is eligible to register. Each Panthers 3.0 Program member will be rewarded with a free ticket to a Panthers game on Friday, Feb. 3, Sunday, Feb. 19 or Tuesday, March 13, where they will be recognized for their achievements. The students will also have a chance to win prizes, including playerautographed merchandise. Additionally, the school with the most enrolled students in the 3.0 Program will win the Panthers Cup Trophy. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591112 Florida Panthers

Canada's Team Panthers: Three on Canadian WJHC Tryout Roster

Boudreau, who was hired on Thanksgiving 2007, won 200 games faster than any coach in modern NHL history. But the Caps are struggling this season -- especially one Alex Ovechkin. The Caps hired Dale Hunter as their new coach.

Posted by George Richards

"Bruce came in here and emptied the tank,'' GM George McPhee said according to AP. "He gave it everything he could and did a really good job, but the tank was empty. When that happens, you get a new coach, where the tank is full and see if it makes a difference." From AP: Hunter played for the Capitals from 1987-99, the last five seasons as captain, and is one of four players to have his jersey number retired by the franchise. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591115 Florida Panthers

CanadaThree Florida prosects are expected to be part of Team Canada's entry in the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships. Quinton Howden, who was on last year's team, was invited to the tryout camp as was Jonathan Huberdeau and Alex Petrovic. Erik Gudbranson played on last year's team but is kind of busy with the Panthers these days. Team USA should be announcing its camp roster soon. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591113 Florida Panthers

Panthers' Dineen sympathizes with fired coaches but is focused on task ahead

Panthers Monday Update: Scott Clemmensen, Mark Cullen Return; Michal Repik, Jacob Markstrom Back to AHL

By Harvey Fialkov,

Posted by George Richards

RALEIGH -- I wasn't at practice today, but will be with the team throughout this long road trip that takes us all the way from Carolina to California. Once I get the full story from Bill Van Smith -- who covered the team for me -- will post it here. The Panthers did make some roster moves today, putting Mark Cullen through re-entry waivers so to have him in the lineup tomorrow against Carolina. Cullen practiced with the team today. So, too, did Scott Clemmensen and Mikael Samuelsson. Clemmensen will be with the team on this trip and could play in one of the two California games. With Clemmensen back, Jacob Markstrom was sent back to AHL San Antonio. So, too, was Michal Repik. Miami Herald LOADED: 11.29.2011 591114 Florida Panthers

As "Black Friday" turned into "Black Monday" for two fired NHL coaches, Panthers rookie coach Kevin Dineen suddenly found himself as the secondlongest-tenured coach in the Southeast Division. However, he was clearly saddened to see two of his peers, Paul Maurice and Bruce Boudreau, lose their jobs in Carolina and Washington, especially with the Panthers facing the hopped-up Hurricanes in their first game under coach Kirk Muller on Tuesday night. "I had a chance to play for Paul Maurice for a couple of years in Hartford and Carolina,'' Dineen said. "Any time you hear news like this I guess you can call me a fellow coach now it's always disappointing. "I don't know about [teams playing harder for their new coach] Kirk and I have been past teammates. I know what an incredibly good job he's done in Montreal and had lots of conversations with him this summer about his future and I couldn't be happier for him.'' Defenseman Ed Jovanovski played parts of three seasons with Muller on the Panthers from 1996-99. "I know we're going to face a hungry team and we've got to be just as hungry,'' Jovanovski said of the slumping Hurricanes. "They're going to be coming out hard and we've got to put all that aside and just worry about what we can control on the ice.'' Clemmensen back; Markstrom demoted The Panthers' backup goalie carousel continued to spin Monday with the return of veteran Scott Clemmensen to practice and the expected demotion of rookie Jacob Markstrom to San Antonio of the AHL. Clemmensen, 34, has been nursing a sore groin since notching a shutout over Dallas in his only action of the season on Nov. 15. "For the first time in a long time I feel good,' said Clemmensen, who underwent knee surgery in the preseason. "Thus far, it's been real stopand-go; I want to get more go and go, go, going.'' Markstrom, 21, who's 2-3-1 with a 2.59 GAA, is coming off a 5-1 loss to the Lightning. Management wants him to start in the AHL before becoming a full-time NHLer next season. Cullen returns; Bradley, Goc stay home A familiar face showed up at practice Monday as veteran center Mark Cullen rejoined the Panthers and skated on a line with Evgenii Dadonov and Tim Kennedy. Cullen has to clear re-entry waivers by noon Tuesday to play against Carolina. However, sidelined forwards Matt Bradley (upper body) and Marcel Goc (concussion symptoms) didn't make the trip and will be out for at least another three games.

Southeast Division Shakeup: Bruce Boudreau, Paul Maurice Fired ... Dale Hunter to Coach Caps, Kirk Muller in with Canes

Posted by George Richards

RALEIGH -- Hey, y'all. Just spent a few hours making the scenic drive from Charlotte to Raleigh, so sorry for no updates sooner. Of course, I did relay information through Twitter. If you like up to the minute hockey information and haven't signed up yet, you should. And if you are on the Twit and don't follow us, well, you should do that to. My Twitter handle is @OnFrozenPond Come on by. Anyway, the big news in the division is the firing of Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice on Monday. I hear there is a press conference at RBC Center tonight to introduce former Canadiens assistant Kirk Muller as the new coach of the Canes. Muller was a hot commodity for NHL vacancies last summer but didn't land one and took over at AHL Milwaukee. Didn't last long there, eh? Neither of these moves were surprising as both teams struggle.

Veteran forward Mikael Samuelsson skated with the team in a non-contact jersey, and flew to Raleigh, N.C., in the hope of making his long-awaited Panthers' debut Thursday against the Kings. "All a guy in my position can hope for is an honest chance, an opportunity,'' said Cullen, a free-agent signing in 2010 who missed most of last season in Rochester due to a torn Achilles' tendon. "It's been a long time since I've been in this league and I'm really excited.'' Cullen, 33, the younger brother of Wild center Matt Cullen, has played just 32 NHL games, but none since the 2006-07 season with the Flyers. He has 16 points, all with the Blackhawks in 2005-06. Forward Tomas Kopecky, who missed Friday's loss to the Lightning with back spasms but played Saturday, was given a day off for "maintenance.'' Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.29.2011 591116 Florida Panthers

the many gains of the season's first quarter, one that has many NHL observers pegging the Panthers as the league's surprise team. That's why Dineen was making a hands-on point to Kris Versteeg during Monday's practice about finishing backhanders at the crease. That's also why Dineen met individually and as a group with his team, just to make sure those last two games get purged from their systems as quickly as possible. "We played their game instead of our game," Dineen said. "I think our guys are very aware of that." Such meetings are nothing new with Dineen. He calls them as much as five times a week, after wins just as much as after losses. "It's not reading them the riot act," the first-year NHL coach said. "It's not, 'We're going to rip some tails.' I think blunt honesty is really important. It's a typical balancing act in this profession. Get a little feel and go from there." As for the NBA settlement, it came just a few hours after the in-game entertainment crew at BankAtlantic Center blasted Kurtis Blow's early-rap classic "Basketball" during a break in last Friday's action. That had to be a not-so-subtle tweak at the NBA and its labor problems.

Preview: Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. Tuesday

By Harvey Fialkov,

"I didn't hear it," Panthers forward Jack Skille said with a big smile, "but that's karma right there." The bad news is the Panthers won't have an unobstructed path to the South Florida sports fan's wallet for much longer. The good news is at least they took advantage of these past two months to grab as much attention as they could from a skeptical fan base. "For the time being, people have seen a lot of energy at our games and I think they're excited about it," Skille said. "You can see the crowds getting bigger. That's what you like to see as a player. It causes a lot more energy for us. It makes us want to play even harder." This, Skille said, is a "new team," one that can be trusted to keep churning toward ending that 10-season playoff drought. "There's a lot of winning going on," he said. "A winning atmosphere. A lot of character." Of course, the Heat already has that, along with two of the biggest sports personalities in the world. Dineen's teenage son hasn't picked out a Heat jersey yet, but there's still time with the holidays and the Christmas Day opener at Dallas approaching. Is it possible, as Stephen Weiss recently suggested, the Panthers could actually benefit from ducking back under the radar? If so, Dineen isn't buying it. "No, we're not hiding from anyone," Dineen said. "I want as many people talking about the Florida Panthers as possible in the area. I want us to be on the radar. We want people to know we're an exciting night out." A theme song might help. You think Kurtis Blow ever rapped about hockey? Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.29.2011 591118 Los Angeles Kings

Panthers at Hurricanes When/where: 7 p.m., RBC Center, Raleigh, N.C. TV: FSF (HD). Radio: 560-WQAM and 760-ESPN Scouting report: The first-place Panthers are coming off two losses to the Lightning and have converted just one power-play goal in their past 19 chances. It's the first of six meetings against the Hurricanes, who have gone 3-9-1 over their past 13. They could be energized in their first game under newly hired coach and former Panther Kirk Muller. The Hurricanes are 21-2-2 in their past 25 games against the Panthers at the RBC, including 2-0-1 last year. The Panthers were 2-4 vs. Carolina last season. The Hurricanes lead the league with five shorthanded goals. G Cam Ward is 12-7-1, with a 3.10 GAA vs. Florida, while G Jose Theodore is 1612-3 with a 2.73 GAA vs. Carolina. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.29.2011 591117 Florida Panthers

Panthers know competition has returned now that NBA lockout has ended

Mike Berardino

At long last the NBA lockout has ended, and the Superfriends are already hogging the airwaves. The Marlins are waiting to hear back on roughly $350 million in outstanding free agent bids. The Dolphins are about to reach December with no hope of a winning season, which means speculation on Tony Sparano's successor is about to enter overdrive. Which leaves the first-place Panthers where exactly? Heading back out on the road, in the short term, making a quick stop in Carolina before flying out to California. Shaking their heads as well after suffering back-to-back losses over the weekend to the Tampa Bay Lightning. "A pretty sorry effort," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said Monday, even with two days to digest that second loss, a 5-1 embarrassment. "That's really disappointing for our guys, that they didn't have the energy they usually have." Going 0-for-10 on the power play in a two-game span was no way to combat the Bolts' dreaded 1-3-1 zone. It certainly was no way to build on

Jonathan Quick saves Kings again in 2-0 win over Sharks

Helene Elliott

Terry Murray's shakeup of his top three lines didn't produce a flood of goals, but the Kings scored often enough Monday and got strong enough goaltending from Jonathan Quick to defeat the San Jose Sharks and pass them in the Pacific Division standings. Fourth-line winger Ethan Moreau scored in the first period, Mike Richards scored his team-leading 11th goal in the second period and Quick, playing his 200th game, made 33 saves to lead the Kings to a 2-0 victory at Staples

Center. The Kings, 12-8-4 with 28 points, vaulted ahead of the Sharks, who are 13-7-1 with 27 points. The shutout was Quick's fourth this season and first since Oct. 22, which was the last in his early-season string of three straight shutouts. He was the backbone for another strong penalty-killing effort Monday, as the Kings killed five penalties. They've neutralized their last 18 disadvantages. Quick said he wasn't aware of the 200-game milestone until teammate Matt Greene alerted him before the game. "They go quickly, I'll tell you," Quick said. "Tonight was a big win. Everybody battled hard. A hard-fought game. They battled, too, on their side. It was a huge two points." The Sharks were shut out for the third time this season. They lost back-toback games for the first time since Oct. 15-17. The Kings have scored only nine goals in their last five games but they made two goals stand up Monday. "If we want to be a good team we have to win games like this against quality opponents," Moreau said after scoring his first goal since Oct. 9, 2010. "I thought we played really solid defensively and most of their chances were on the power play." Moreau made a fine play on his goal. He dumped the puck into the zone along the right-wing boards and pursued it deep into the zone. Sharks defenseman Justin Braun played the puck but lost it when he was checked hard by Kings center Colin Fraser. That left the puck free for Moreau, who wristed it home at 8 minutes 37 seconds. The Kings extended their lead to 2-0 at 4:16 of the second period, on a play made possible by the mobility, smarts and creativity of a defenseman and not Drew Doughty. With the teams skating four-on-four, Willie Mitchell took a pass from Simon Gagne and carried the puck into the Sharks' zone on the left side. Mitchell cut, pivoted and passed the puck back to Gagne, who went behind the net while Mitchell got back out to the blue line. Gagne made a quick pass out to Richards, who beat Antti Niemi for his seventh goal in the last seven games. The Kings took four penalties in the second period, including two straight late in the period, but Quick was formidable. He also got help from the post on a shot by Dan Boyle during a San Jose power play. "He's up for a challenge," Moreau said of Quick. "They have some worldclass players that are going to get their opportunities and he was better than them tonight." The Kings' depth took a hit with the news that winger Scott Parse will soon see a hip specialist in Nashville and might face surgery. If he needs a surgical procedure he would be out about four months. The depth of their resolve was what mattered most Monday, and they came through in fine shape even though they lost a potential third goal when video review officials in Toronto overturned the call on the ice and determined Slava Voynov had kicked the puck into the net with a distinct kicking motion. "I thought we created a lot, especially early in the game before the penalties took over the flow of the game," Moreau said. "I thought we did a real good job of keeping everyone involved and everybody was contributing and getting a lot of shots." LA Times: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591119 Los Angeles Kings

Montreal for five seasons before leaving to coach Milwaukee of the American Hockey League. Boudreau won raves when he took over in 2007 and installed a run-andgun style that enabled Alexander Ovechkin to score a league-leading 65 goals. Profane but personable, Boudreau also became a cult figure thanks to last season's HBO "24/7" series. But he never got past the second round of the playoffs and his recent turn toward a more defensive style fell flat. General Manager George McPhee said Boudreau had "emptied the tank" in terms of effort. "When that happens, you get a new coach where the tank is full and see if it makes a difference," McPhee said at a news conference. "I knew the team wasn't responding anymore and we've got their attention now." Hunter was given a penalty box as a gift when the Caps retired his number, perfect for his 3,563 penalty minutes and 1,020 points. He's expected to be tough on a talented team and use his experience as a captain to help Ovechkin become a stronger leader. The Hurricanes missed the playoffs the last two seasons and were 14th in the East at 8-13-4, leading General Manager Jim Rutherford to hire someone with a fresh perspective. "I really wanted to bring somebody in that had some ideas from another organization," Rutherford said. Although the Ducks are worse off than the Capitals or Hurricanes, they made no executive changes Monday. Michael Schulman, the Ducks' chief executive, gave a vote of confidence to General Manager Bob Murray when asked to assess the club's status. Schulman has deferred to Murray regarding decisions on Coach Randy Carlyle. "We are certainly frustrated with the results to this point but remain optimistic that we can turn this season around," Schulman said. "Bob has been largely responsible for a great deal of our success since he joined the organization, and we have complete confidence he will lead us out of this difficult time as well." Budding progress for Maple Leafs Three years ago Tuesday, Brian Burke became the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs and brought truculence back to the Center of the Hockey Universe. Burke, an advocate of rugged, hard-nosed hockey, endured some criticism but has made great progress in his rebuilding efforts. The Maple Leafs moved into first place in the Northeast and second in the East on Sunday with a 5-2 victory over the Ducks, extending their winning streak to three games. Burke has also found some personal vindication. He was roasted for trading two first-round picks and a second-rounder to Boston for winger Phil Kessel in 2009, but Kessel leads the NHL with 16 goals and 31 points. Winger Joffrey Lupul, another Burke acquisition, ranks third with 29 points. "There's 5 million people in the Greater Toronto area, and all of them think they know more about fixing this team than I do," Burke said Sunday in Anaheim. "I think I have the best job in hockey and the worst job when the team is not playing well. "But I think people see now that some of the building blocks are in place. I think in Canada they need to see a plan. They need to see a blueprint. They need to believe in the process, and I think they see it's coming together now." The Maple Leafs have competed hard despite a flurry of injuries. No. 1 goalie James Reimer has missed more than a month because of what's believed to be a concussion, but the team has developed a new resourcefulness. "To me, to keep winning your share of games when you're banged up, that's the mark of a team that's figured it out," Burke said. "So I think we're for real. Boston's going to be a real tough team to catch and Buffalo's real good. . . . It's far from over for us. We've just got to keep working." Burke recently turned his talents to a new area: social media. He set up a Twitter account as @LeafsBB20 and said he writes his own tweets but has someone edit them. "That way I can't grab my Blackberry at midnight one night and haul someone off," he said. "I think it's important. There's too much misinformation. This is our chance to distill it." With his team generating mostly good news, there's little need to distill it just edit it to fit 140-character bursts. LA Times: LOADED: 11.29.2011

The Capitals and Hurricanes seek new directions

Helene Elliott

The NHL will be less colorful without Bruce Boudreau, who was fired by the Washington Capitals on Monday in the first of two coaching changes made by underachieving teams. Soon after Boudreau was replaced by former Capitals captain Dale Hunter, the Carolina Hurricanes announced they had fired Coach Paul Maurice and hired Kirk Muller, another former player who was an assistant coach in

591120

Los Angeles Kings

Parse update Left wing Scott Parse will visit a specialist in Nashville soon to have his injured hip examined, the Kings announced. The team expects a decision will be made then whether Parse will have surgery. He could be sidelined for about four months if he undergoes the procedure. He has two goals in nine games this season. LA Daily News: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591121 Los Angeles Kings

Change is good for Kings, who beat San Jose 2-0

By Elliott Teaford Staff Writer

All it took for the Kings to end a two-game losing streak was a major restructuring of their lineup, a determined penalty-killing effort that included some superb goaltending and a goal from a guy who hadn't scored one in 13 months. It was all in a night's work for the Kings, who blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0 on Monday at Staples Center for only their second victory in their past five games. Ethan Moreau and Mike Richards supplied the goals and Jonathan Quick made 33 saves. Moreau scored his first goal since Oct. 9, 2010. Richards added his team-leading 11 th. Quick's shutout was his fourth this season and his first since recording a team-record three in a row last month. It also was the 18 th of his career in his 200 th game. In addition, the Kings' penalty-killing unit blanked the Sharks' power play on five chances with the man-advantage, extending their streak to 18 in a row. Quick proved to be their best penalty-killer at times, making several key saves late in the game. "We had a little bit of a stretch there where we weren't happy with the PK," Quick said. "It's something we've been great at in the last couple of years, and it's something we've really been putting a focus on in these last few games." Said Moreau: "I thought we doing a really good job of keeping everybody involved and everyone was contributing and getting a lot of shots. Then 'Quickie' took over when we need him to (late in the game)." Moreau scored the only goal the Kings would need to defeat the Sharks when he whistled a shot from a sharp angle through the legs of San Jose goalie Antti Niemi and into the back of the net 8 minutes, 37 seconds into the opening period. After losses in two in a row and three of their last four, Kings coach Terry Murray decided to mix and match his lines and defense pairs Monday. It wasn't as if he dropped names into a hat, but the Kings' had a far different look than in past games. For example, Richards and Simon Gagne, teammates while with the Philadelphia Flyers, skated with Jarret Stoll, who moved from center to right wing. Trent Hunter got a promotion and joined Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown to form the Kings' top line. In addition, Murray paired defensemen Drew Doughty and Rob Scuderi, Mitchell with rookie Slava Voynov and Jack Johnson and Matt Greene. Doughty and Johnson had played together during the Kings' 2-1 loss Saturday to the Chicago Blackhawks. Murray's moves paid dividends when Richards and Gagne clicked while the teams were skating 4-on-4 after coincidental minors to the Kings' Stoll for holding the stick of the Sharks' Joe Thornton and Thornton for hooking Stoll at 4:01. Fifteen seconds later, Richards scored his team-leading 11 th goal of the season, giving him 18 points in his past 21 games (10 goals and eight assists). Gagne's assist gave him seven points in his past 10 games (three goals and four goals). "He's been tremendous," Murray said of Richards. "It's what I expect, though." Voynov appeared to give the Kings a 3-0 lead, but after a lengthy video replay it was determined he directed the puck into the net with a distinct kicking motion while the teams were skating 4-on-4 at 6:03 of the third period.

Murray postgame quotes (Nov. 28)

Posted by Rich Hammond

The Kings are scheduled to practice tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo Terry Murrays postgame thoughts (on the early shot mentality) MURRAY: I was very happy with that. Thats the right start. Youve got to get pucks deep. Youve got to get after them, and I think it brings everybody into the game, with getting your legs going. You get a good feel of playing in the offensive zone, and you get the first goal. Its just a play, because of pucks getting in deep, a turnover and it goes right back into the net. So, a real good start. (on the disallowed goal) MURRAY: That call should have, in my opinion, gone the other way. Its called a goal, on the ice, by the official, and the explanation then, to me, is that it was inconclusive on the video replay judge, as to whether it was kicked or a stick, so theres no goal. But, actually, it is a goal by that explanation, because it has to be very conclusive that it is kicked. So, it should have been a goal. (on Trent Hunters game) MURRAY: Hunter played well. I thought he just continued with his game that he showed against Chicago. He was strong on the puck. He had an attitude of getting pucks to the net. He made some plays, coming off the boards on our breakouts, which is one of his strengths, So, good. We had a good feel here tonight. There was good energy and emotion in the game and it got a little exciting at the end. (on Dustin Brown playing left wing) MURRAY: Well, he has come to me a couple times over the last week or so and reminded me that he can play left wing. You take a look at his game, quite frankly, and when hes on the attack and he is the right winger, he does end up on that (left) side of the ice often. You go back through his days in the Olympics in Vancouver, you go back to Team USA games in the World Championships, and he plays left wing. Hes comfortable, he liked it, he made a great play on the goal, on the disallowed goal. (on the second-period penalty kills) MURRAY: That was a critical point in the game, for sure. Thats the part of the game they wait on, very patiently, is the power play, and theyre very good at it. Theyve got a group of guys thats been together for 10 years, and they know how to move the puck around. Quick has to be good in those situations. You kill the penalties the best you can with your forwards, but when it comes right down to it, your goaltender, against a power play like that, has to be good, and he was. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591122 Los Angeles Kings

Moreau postgame quotes (Nov. 28)

Posted by Rich Hammond

Ethan Moreaus postgame thoughts (on the game) MOREAU: I thought we created a lot, especially early in the game. Before the penalties kind of took over the flow of the game, I thought we were doing a really good job of keeping everybody involved and everyone was contributing and getting a lot of shots. Then Quickie [Jonathan Quick] took over when we needed him to. (on generating more shots on goal) MOREAU: The system mentality, I think you have to talk about it and we did before the game. I think it helped playing teams like Detroit and Chicago, just seeing the success that theyve had San Jose as well that they shoot the puck a lot. Even their star players, they just shoot the puck from all angles and I think we have to do more of that. I think the elite teams do that and we have to start to get more shots. (on the defense and goaltending) MOREAU: I thought we played real solid defensively. Most of their chances were on the power play. Like Quickie always does, he was up to the challenge. They have some world-class players and theyre going to get their opportunities, and he was better than them tonight. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591123 Los Angeles Kings

1. Niklas Backstrom, Wild: One night after getting pulled, the goalie made 32 saves to improve to 5-2 in his past eight appearances with a .950 save percentage. 2. Cal Clutterbuck, Wild: Scored his career-high and league-leading third short-handed goal, had an assist and three shots. 3. Mikko Koivu, Wild: Assisted on all three Clutterbuck shorties and scored his 100th career goal (empty netter). By THE NUMBERS 6 Consecutive games with at least one point for Koivu. 43-6-4 The Wild's record in the past 53 games Pierre-Marc Bouchard scores. 10 Wild victories in November, tying team record for wins in a month. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591125 Minnesota Wild

Backstrom steadies Wild in 3-1 win over Lightning

Article by: DAVE CAMPBELL , Associated Press

Quick postgame quotes (Nov. 28)

Niklas Backstrom rebounded from a rough game and an early exit with 32 saves, and the Minnesota Wild stopped a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. Steven Stamkos scored again for the Lightning, but Cal Clutterbuck's shorthanded goal and Pierre-Marc Bouchard's go-ahead score in the second period gave the Wild all the offense they needed. Mikko Koivu had an assist and an empty-net goal to pad the lead in a quick, clean game that featured only four penalties. After a fast-paced but scoreless first period, Stamkos - the NHL's secondleading scorer - struck for the Lightning with a remarkable end-to-end rush. He stole the puck from Dany Heatley and raced up the right wing, sending a rising shot past Backstrom's stick after the goalie went low to try to stop it. Stamkos has nine goals in 11 games and four goals in his last four games. The Wild answered 106 seconds later when defenseman Eric Brewer lost control of the puck behind the net during a power play, and Koivu snagged it near the slot. He flicked it to Clutterbuck for the score, giving Koivu his fifth assist - he was the primary passer on all of them - in four games. Then Pierre-Marc Bouchard, off a feed from Nick Johnson, one-timed a shot past goalie Mathieu Garon with 2:54 left before the second intermission to give the Wild a 2-1 edge. Backstrom, who found himself on the bench less than nine minutes into Sunday night's game after giving up three goals on eight shots, made it stand. Dominic Moore had a clear path from close range when defenseman Clayton Stoner slipped and fell in front of him, but Backstrom kicked aside his shot. Then he thwarted Ryan Shannon's breakaway with a glove save before the break. Backstrom improved to 5-1-1 in his career against the Lightning, and entered the game with a 1.79 goals-against average. This wasn't merely an important bounce-back game for Backstrom. That was true for the entire team, coming off consecutive 5-2 losses to Northwest Division foes Edmonton and Calgary on Friday and Sunday. The Wild won 10 of 12 games going into Thanksgiving, but emerged from the holiday a bit lethargic. Just as they did following back-to-back defeats on Nov. 10 and 12 with a victory at Anaheim that started a five-game winning streak, the Wild perked up and played a smart, disciplined, aggressive game to close a seasonhigh, six-game homestand and notch their first win in four tries against Eastern Conference teams. The Lightning beat Southeast Division and intrastate rival Florida twice over the weekend - Garon gave up only one goal in each game, but their momentum was slowed by Backstrom. They became the last NHL team this season to lose a one-goal decision in regulation, falling to 6-1-2 in those situations.

Rich Hammond

Jonathan Quicks postgame thoughts (on winning in his 200th NHL game) QUICK: I didnt even know it was my 200th game until Greenie [Matt Greene] let me know about five minutes before the game started. They go quickly and tonight was a big win. Everybody battled hard; it was a hardfought game. They battled too, on their side, and this is a huge two points. (on the Kings penalty kill) QUICK: We had a little bit of a stretch there where we werent happy with the PK. We had a string of five or six games where we let up a goal in each. Its something that weve been great at the past couple of years and its something that weve really been putting a big focus on in these past few games, because of that little stretch we went through. I feel like everybodys mentality, that they are going into the PK with, is great. (on beating the Sharks) QUICK: Them being a division rival, thats always a big game. Thats one of our goals this year, is to win the division, and if were going to do that we have to beat this team. Its two points. Weve got to move forward. Its a nice win, but tomorrow is going to be a new day and we have to start over and get ready for the next game. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Minnesota Wild

Game recap: Wild 3, Tampa Bay 1

MICHAEL RUSSO

GAME RECAP STAR TRIBUNE'S THREE STARS

Defenseman Mike Lundin made his Wild debut, skating in an NHL game for the first time since the Eastern Conference finals with the Lightning last spring. He missed the first 23 games recovering from a back injury. Fellow blue-liner Greg Zanon joined him, returning to the lineup after a 16game absence because of a groin problem. NOTES: Lundin became the 10th native Minnesotan to skate for the Wild in their 11 years of existence. To make room for him and Zanon, C Warren Peters and D Nate Prosser were reassigned to Houston of the AHL. C Dave McIntyre was recalled from the Aeros for his NHL debut. D Justin Falk was scratched because of an undisclosed upper body injury. ... This was the third time in 11 seasons that the Wild played home games on consecutive days. ... Backstrom essentially replaced Dwayne Roloson when he signed with the Wild in 2006. Roloson is sharing time with Garon in the Lightning net. Tampa Bay's Roloson, Moore, Adam Hall and Marc-Andre Bergeron are all former Wild players. ... Lightning RW Steve Downie was scratched for the third straight game because of an upper body injury. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591126 Minnesota Wild

The Wild captain fed Clutterbuck for his 50th career goal and the Wild's fourth short-handed goal. Minnesota spent the rest of the period swarming the Lightning net. "I thought after that goal, man, the crowd was rocking and we started to really get some momentum," Yeo said. Mathieu Garon was under attack, and the Wild took a 2-1 lead on PierreMarc Bouchard's eventual winner. Bouchard picked off former Wild defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron's outlet pass, then Johnson took the puck off Brett Connolly's stick before feeding Bouchard for the one-timer from the faceoff dot. "We were comfortable. We were in our element," Clutterbuck said. "The big thing for us was just sticking with the plan." "We stuck with our easy game," Zanon added. "Forwards did a great job getting behind their 1-3-1 there, getting in and creating a lot of havoc. They turned a lot of pucks over." And Backstrom was tremendous, highlighted by a third-period toe save on Stamkos. Yeo never doubted coming back with him after Sunday, and it helps knowing he normally shines in his first start after being pulled (17-2-4 all-time, 13-0-2 in his past 15 with a 1.70 goals-against average and .941 save percentage). "He's a fierce competitor. He's the ultimate professional," Clutterbuck said.

Wild goes back to basics and ends two-game skid

Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO , Star Tribune

Star Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591127 Minnesota Wild

A commitment to the system, a timely goal by Cal Clutterbuck and Niklas Backstrom's sharp effort combined for a victory. After seeing ugly back-to-back losses, the cynics began to fear that the rug was about to be pulled from under the feel-good story that was the Wild. That's to be expected. This is Minnesota, where lately sports fans are used to losing teams. But Monday night, 24 hours after a repugnant performance against Calgary, the Wild went back to the roots that made it so successful the first two months. It battled. It played defense. And it focused more on the process of what it takes to get the victory rather than the victory itself. The result was ... a win -- an impressive one by a 3-1 score over last season's Eastern Conference finalists, the Tampa Bay Lightning. "The most important thing for us was to come here and play a 60-minute game and play our game structure-wise, system-wise, execution-wise and battle-level-wise," said coach Mike Yeo after walking into the postgame news conference wearing a big smile. "It was a great job by our guys to bring that attitude to the rink." The Lightning struck first, but when the Wild is going well, it sticks with the game plan until it finally strikes. Cal Clutterbuck provided the jolt with another huge short-handed goal, his league-leading third. Niklas Backstrom, one night after giving up three goals on eight shots, bounced back with 32 saves. The Wild blocked 23 shots, led by Mike Lundin (in his Wild debut) and Greg Zanon (playing his first game in 17), who blocked 10. And the Wild out-trapped the Lightning's much-ballyhooed 1-3-1 scheme by rimming pucks hard and getting in on the forecheck. "You have to accept that it will be a hard game," Yeo said. "You're not going to be able to just dance through the neutral zone and make pretty plays." The Darroll Powe-Kyle Brodziak-Nick Johnson line was fantastic, and stars Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis were each minus-3. "It's a good feeling when you can shut them down," Powe said. After a fast-paced, scoreless first period, the Lightning jumped to a 1-0 lead when Steven Stamkos whistled his 15th goal after a Dany Heatley turnover. However, the turning point came 21 seconds later. Matt Cullen took a slashing penalty and the Lightning had a golden chance to take a stranglehold of the game. But Eric Brewer went behind his net to begin the breakout. The puck rolled off the Lightning defenseman's stick right to Mikko Koivu between the circles.

Two called up to add 'little bit of life' to Wild

Article by: MICHAEL RUSSO ,

After Friday's 5-2 loss to Edmonton, Wild coach Mike Yeo returned with the same lineup against the Calgary Flames, saying his team, and specifically his young defensemen, deserved a chance to respond. Well, the Wild responded by getting spanked 5-2 to Calgary. So Monday morning, Yeo and General Manager Chuck Fletcher had a chance to respond with a roster shakeup. Four players who didn't play the Flames played against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Wild responded with a 3-1 victory. Defenseman Nate Prosser and center Warren Peters were demoted to Houston of the AHL, while winger Casey Wellman was promoted to make his season debut and center David McIntyre was promoted to make his NHL debut. So excited, McIntyre's father, Don, bought a $1,500 plane ticket to fly in from Pefferlaw, Ontario. "I'll be paying for that," McIntyre said, smiling. With Prosser gone, defenseman Mike Lundin, out all season because of a back injury, made his Wild debut against the team that drafted him in 2004. Also, with defenseman Justin Falk suffering from chest spasms, defenseman Greg Zanon returned after missing 16 games because of a groin injury. Yeo said recalling Wellman and McIntyre was all about adding a "little bit of life, a little bit of speed," while Yeo got stability on the back end from Lundin and Zanon after a few tough games from Prosser and Falk. "Both of them got stronger as the game went on," Yeo said. "Both looked in control, both looked like they had a good grasp of how we want to play the game." Long time coming When the Wild signed Lundin as a free agent in July, he never envisioned his debut would come 24 games in against Tampa Bay, where he played the past four seasons. "What are the chances?" said Lundin, the former Apple Valley High School standout.

Paired with Nick Schultz, Lundin was thrown right into the fire against stars Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. He played safe, mistake-free hockey, logged 19 1/2 minutes and blocked five shots. Zanon played for the first time since tearing a groin muscle off the bone Oct. 20 in Edmonton. He logged 14:41 of ice time and blocked five shots. "I've played through broken ankles, broken feet, broken hands, but I learned quickly that when you can't skate in this game, you're basically useless," Zanon said. Seeking momentum The Wild recalled Wellman and McIntyre because Yeo hasn't been happy with the fourth line the past few games. They each top nine minutes. "It has to be a line that creates momentum," he said. Houston GM Jim Mill called McIntyre, 24, acquired from New Jersey for Maxim Noreau in June, "one of our most consistent forwards since Day One." He is tenacious and fast, while the speedy Wellman leads the AHL with seven power-play goals and ranks seventh with 11 goals. Colton Gillies, who has two assists in 23 games but was tied for second on the team with 42 hits, was scratched. Gillies was one of Yeo's best players in Houston last season, averaging close to 20 minutes a game. He's averaging nine in Minnesota. "That's a tough adjustment for a young player," said Yeo, who feels Gillies' game has "dropped." "He has to find a way to get himself in the game." Etc. Cal Clutterbuck admitted he was the one who squirted Flames captain Jarome Iginla with a water bottle after he talked smack to the Wild bench after a third-period goal Sunday. "It was actually Gatorade, not water," Clutterbuck said. Wild prospects Brett Bulmer and Zack Phillips have been invited to Canada's world junior championships selection camp. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591128 Minnesota Wild

"It was a tough game, not just the outcome; it was a pretty emotional game," Backstrom said. "To leave that behind and go out and work together tonight, it was huge." Monday's victory ended a two-game slide for the Wild, who concluded the season's longest homestand with a 4-2-0 record. Before losses to Edmonton and Calgary, the Wild were alone at the top of the Western Conference and fielding questions about how good they are. The losses brought them back to earth. "I think we didn't look too much at the standings, but it's tough when that's the only thing people talk about, every day," Backstrom said. "For us, it's a new situation as a team, and we need to remind our young team that it's just a process. We can't look at the standings; it's about the way we play. That's going to be our standard." Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos opened the scoring with an unassisted, endto-end goal off a turnover. Racing into the zone with only scrambling defenseman Marco Scandella in his way, Stamkos got Backstrom to challenge outside the crease, then sent a moving slap shot into the far corner for a 1-0 lead 5:53 into the second period. At that point, it probably could have been worse. Backstrom had stopped some good chances, including a one-timer by Vincent Lecavalier on a power play that would have made it 2-0 (Backstrom stopped it with his body, then fell on it when it bounced off the post) and breakaways by Stamkos and Ryan Shannon that would have tied the score 2-2. The Wild, in fact, looked vulnerable early and were outshot 7-2 more than 11 minutes into the first period. Clutterbuck, though, said that wasn't the case. "I think it looked a lot worse than it actually was," he said. "We were comfortable. We were in our element, and we knew exactly what we were doing. The big thing for us was sticking with it, and the (talk at the) first intermission was about sticking with it, sticking with the plan - tightening up a couple of areas, and away we went." Playing his first full game on the top line with center Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley, Clutterbuck pulled the Wild even with a shorthanded goal after chasing a stray puck behind the Lightning net. Koivu intercepted an attempted outlet pass between the circles and passed to Clutterbuck, who maneuvered left to right and slipped the puck past a diving Mathieu Garon at 7:39. Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the go-ahead goal on a one-timer from the right circle with less than three minutes left in the second, and Koivu sealed it with an empty netter with 23.8 seconds remaining. Backstrom improved to 8-5-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .932 save percentage. Coach Mike Yeo said he had no reservations about letting him put Sunday behind him. "He's been so good for us this year that he deserves an opportunity to bounce back after a game like that, and what a bounce-back game," Yeo said. "He was terrific." Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591129 Minnesota Wild

Niklas Backstrom bounces back from subpar outing to lead Wild past Lightning

By John Shipley

It has been five years since an unknown and unheralded European goaltender named Niklas Backstrom took over for an injured Manny Fernandez and became the Wild's No. 1 goalie. It probably would seem longer ago if Backstrom weren't still at the top of his game. Once a quiet, unassuming free agent trying to get a toe-hold in the NHL after four professional seasons in Finland, he is now a respected leader on one of the NHL's hottest teams. Just 24 hours after a lousy night emotionally and competitively, Backstrom was nearly flawless Monday night in a skid-ending, 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay at Xcel Energy Center. He stopped 32 of 33 shots as Minnesota improved to 14-7-3 to pull into a dead heat with idle Chicago atop the Western Conference standings. "He was unbelievable. I didn't expect anything less of him. I don't think anybody in here did," teammate Cal Clutterbuck said. On Sunday night, Backstrom was pulled 8:45 into the first period after allowing three goals, two of which tied the score. But consider that Backstrom played Sunday with a heavy heart, which he acknowledged after Monday's victory. Before the puck dropped on Sunday's 5-2 loss to Calgary, the team held a memorial for late Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard in a pregame ceremony.

Wild 3, Lightning 1: Minnesota halts two-game skid

John Shipley

RECAP: Cal Clutterbuck scored short-handed, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard potted the go-ahead goal as Minnesota rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Tampa Bay in front of an announced crowd of 16,628 at Xcel Energy Center. Steven Stamkos opened the scoring with an unassisted goal 5 minutes, 53 seconds into the second period, but Clutterbuck tied it on a penalty kill less than two minutes later. Clutterbuck chased a puck behind Tampa Bay's net, then took a pass from Mikko Koivu and beat Mathieu Garron at the right corner at 7:39.

Bouchard scored on a one-timer from the right circle at 17:06, and Niklas Backstrom survived a Lightning barrage to end the period. Koivu added an empty-netter from the neutral zone with 23.8 remaining for the 100th goal of his NHL career. MEANING: Minnesota stopped a two-game losing streak and finished its longest homestand of the season with a 4-2-0 record. ETC.: Backstrom stopped 32 of 33 shots to improve to 8-5-2. He was pulled in the first period of Sunday's 5-2 loss to Calgary after allowing three quick goals. Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591130 Minnesota Wild

Gillies played for Yeo last season in Houston, where he was 7-13-20 in 72 games. But he's been a checker this season, mostly on the fourth line, and doesn't play special teams with the Wild. "That's an adjustment," Yeo said. "That's a tough thing for a young player. Last year in Houston, he was probably playing 17-18 minutes a game, and now all of a sudden the game starts and there's penalty trouble, he might go five, six minutes without getting a shift. He has to find a way to get himself into a game, and that's not an easy thing for a young player to learn." Impressive returns: Defenseman Greg Zanon was activated from injured reserve after missing 16 games with a groin injury. Rookie Nate Prosser was sent back to Houston to make room on 5/8the roster, and rookie defenseman Justin Falk was scratched so Mike Lundin could make his season debut. He had missed the previous 23 games because of a back injury. Yeo liked what he saw from both Zanon and Lundin, who missed a combined 29 games.

Wild rookie David McIntyre makes some noise in his NHL debut

By John Shipley

Wild coach Mike Yeo predicted Monday morning that David McIntyre would make his presence felt in his NHL debut. That evening, we found out why. "I'm a little bit of an agitator," the rookie center said. Does that include chirping? "Yeah," he said. "I'll do it all." McIntyre was acquired somewhat unceremoniously last summer in an under-the-radar trade that sent blue-line prospect Maxim Noreau to New Jersey. McIntyre was 12-18-30 in 78 games with the Devils' American Hockey League team in Albany last season. Before that, he played two seasons of junior hockey and four seasons at Colgate. His father, Don, traveled from Pefferlaw, Ontario, to see him play Monday after booking a late flight. "He didn't get a cheap one," McIntyre said, "so I'll be paying for that one." McIntyre centered the fourth line with fellow call-up Casey Wellman and Brad Staubitz on Monday, playing 8 minutes, 22 seconds with one shot and two hits. On his first shift during the Wild's 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, he laid out Matt Gilroy with an open-ice check in the Wild zone, though he also hit the ice. At 5 feet 11, 194 pounds, McIntyre is solid but not big by NHL standards. No matter, he said. "My game is to be tenacious, be quick, be a guy that the other team hates and be solid defensively," he said. Shake it up: Staubitz was the only holdover from the fourth line who played in 5-2 weekend losses to Edmonton and Calgary, and Yeo acknowledged using McIntyre and Wellman to shake things up. "The last couple of games, we haven't been good enough," Yeo said. "So we make a little change here and breathe a little life into the lineup, and some guys are going to be real hungry and excited to play tonight." Yeo sent fourth-line center Warren Peters back to Houston and scratched winger Colton Gillies to make room for McIntyre and Wellman. "That has to be a line that creates momentum for you, and that's what we're looking for," the coach Minnesota's David McIntyre hits the ice while going after the puck in the third period of his NHL debut against Tampa Bay. (Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall) said. "That line has done that a lot this year, all those games. The last couple games, not as much. That's why we're making a change." Gillies scratched: Gillies was scratched for the first time this season. The Wild's first-round pick in the 2007 entry draft has two assists in 23 games but ranks second on the team with 42 hits behind Cal Clutterbuck (88). "He hits and hits hard," Yeo said of Gillies. "That has an effect on the other team, and I like that part of his game."

"Great, considering the amount of time that they've missed," Yeo said. "I thought both got stronger as the game went on, and both of them had a good grasp on how we want to play the game. Very impressive for both those guys." Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591131 Montreal Canadiens

NHL: Canadiens' Pacioretty gets three-game suspension for head shot

sean gordon

He is an unlikely and ironic transgressor given his own nasty head injury last winter, but that doesn't make Montreal Canadiens' forward Max Pacioretty any less guilty in the eyes of the NHL. And now he'll pay the price for a head shot on Pittsburgh's Kristopher Letang: a three-game ban. The strapping winger will sit out a six-day West coast swing for what NHL player safety boss Brendan Shanahan termed "an illegal hit to the head on which the head was recklessly targeted and the principal point of contact" The suspension, which is the first of Pacioretty's career, will cost him $26,351.34 in foregone salary - the team declined to comment on the suspension late Monday. Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.29.2011

591132

Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens call up Louis Leblanc

MONTREAL - Max Pacioretty's suspension has presented an opportunity for the Canadiens to see what Louis Leblanc can do at the NHL level. Leblanc, a Kirkland native, was recalled from the American Hockey League's Hamilton Bulldogs late Monday. The 6-foot centre will fill the roster spot left open when Pacioretty was barred for three games by the NHL for his hit Saturday night on Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang. In his first season at the professional level, the 20-year-old is tied for second on the Bulldogs with four goals and 10 points in 14 games so far this season. Leblanc scored two of his goals on the power play and added 48 shots on goal. The Canadiens' first round selection, 18th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, should make his NHL debut on Wednesday night when the team visits the Ducks in Anaheim, Calif. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

591133

Montreal Canadiens

Did they think the extra point was so important to a team which had been winning consistently without Crosby would be unable to do the same without Letang? What I'm really saying is that the organization's decision was even more reckless than the Pacioretty hit ... that somebody up there has a thought process badly twisted out of shape. What I'm saying is that Letang should not have been allowed to play until he underwent an examination in depth and cleared by a specialist in head trauma. What I'm saying is that whoever within the Penguins organization was responsible for making the final decision on Saturday should have his head examined. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

Red Fisher: Pacioretty hit was reckless, but so was Letang's return

By Red Fisher, The Gazette November 28, 2011

MONTREAL - Max Pacioretty says he's sorry he delivered a hit to the head of Pittsburgh's Kris Letang with 3:14 remaining in regulation of Saturday's 43 overtime victory over the Canadiens which left the Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman bleeding heavily from a broken nose. He also says he apologized to the player when Letang returned to the ice for the overtime. Thankfully, what he didn't say was: "All I was doing was finishing my check. I didn't mean to hurt him." As you know, no penalty was assessed on the play, but a wrong decision was made right on Monday when NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan suspended Paciorietty for the games the Canadiens will play on their visit to Anaheim, San Jose and Los Angeles. What else was Shanahan supposed to do in view of the league's all-out campaign against hits to the head? No matter what Pacioretty said or did not say, repeated views of the replay made it plain this one was nothing less than a deliberate attempt to injure - much like Milan Lucic's recent hit on Buffalo's Ryan Miller, which left the goaltender with a concussion. Everything about the illegal hit was senseless and dangerous. Shanahan explained it was targeted at the head and it came at a time when the Penguins were on a roll after Jordan Staal's goal tied the score with fewer than five minutes remaining in regulation. The last thing the Canadiens needed at that point in the game what should have merited a major penalty and a game misconduct - and would have been called if the refereeing duo of Mike Hasenfratz and Dan O'Rourke hadn't been counting sheep at the time. Pacioretty has nobody but himself to blame for his uncharacteristic decision to go for Letang's head. The defenceman wasn't looking for trouble. Neither was Pacioretty, but it sounded as if the Canadiens sniper knew a suspension was forthcoming when he told reporters after the game he felt badly about the hit, and "hoped it was within the rules." Another, and perhaps even more dangerous than Pacioretty's reckless move, was the Penguins' decision to allow Letang to return for the overtime. Yes, it was reported the defenceman received attention from a doctor during the intermission. And yes, he was cleared to play. On the other hand, have the Penguins already forgotten that terrible moment when a player named Sidney Crosby was blindsided by Washington forward David Steckel at the phony Winter Classic last January? Have they forgotten that Crosby was allowed to return after the hit and was allowed to play the next game in Tampa Bay on Jan. 5, during which he was hit by defenceman Victor Hedman - and missed the rest of the season and the first 20 games this season? Nobody will ever know whether Crosby was concussed by the Steckel hit or whether the scary damage was administered by Hedman. All that's certain is that there were real fears he would be unable to play at any time this season. There were even suggestions that Crosby's career was at risk. The word which comes to mind is 'mind-boggling'.

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Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens' Max Pacioretty deserves suspension

By Jack Todd,

MONTREAL - It seems as though this nightmare is going to be played over and over - until the end of time or the end of the National Hockey League, whichever comes first. There we were on Saturday night, all eyes gathered to see Sidney Crosby back in action. Third period of a tight game, the Canadiens in the process of blowing a 3-1 lead, Kris Letang in the middle, hemmed in between two Habs. Then, cruising in from the side with a full head of steam, one Max Pacioretty, whose abuse at the hands of Zdeno Chara last season would help end the unfortunate reign of Colin Campbell as the NHL's head disciplinarian, bringing with it Brendan Shanahan and a new era. Bang! Blindside hit. Open-and-shut, you would think, according to Rule 48. But if the players have been notoriously slow to respect each other, NHL referees have been just as slow to take action on the ice. Letang is down, blood all over the ice. He looks woozy, as though he has been concussed. The call from referees Dan O'Rourke and Mike Hasenfratz? No call. Among the protesters was Crosby himself, another of the reasons Campbell is gone, Shanahan is in charge, and the league has an important new concussion protocol in place. But only the night before, Crosby was guilty of an elbow to the head of Nick Foligno in Ottawa. Head shot? You betcha. Not half as bad as Dave Steckel's accidentally-on-purpose hit on Crosby during the Winter Classic, or Chara driving Pacioretty's head through the stanchion - or Pacioretty on Letang. You hope that Shanahan will come down on Pacioretty with both skates. Montreal fans, of course, with their notorious penchant for seeing the world through CH glasses, will declare Pacioretty entirely innocent. But you can't have one set of rules for anyone wearing a Canadiens uniform and another for everyone else. (To his credit, Pacioretty apologized to Letang before the overtime, which at least shows he's a class act, even if he's as prone to an irrational act as any other player.) But Shanahan has to step up when he has a phone hearing with Pacioretty today. Shanahan has been an infinite improvement on Campbell, but he dropped the ball badly with the Milan Lucic hit on Ryan Miller and he needs to make a statement here. What Shanahan has to say to Pacioretty is that the league failed Pacioretty when it failed to discipline Chara - and if the young power forward is going to expect the NHL's protection, then he is going to have to be responsible for his own actions on the ice. You don't get a free pass now just because you were one of the victims last season.

By allowing Letang to return for the overtime, what the Penguins were telling us was that the miniscule minutes an intermission lasts were enough to probe into a player's brain and determine beyond question that no damage had been done. Are you kidding me? Why, after their experience with Crosby would they even think of allowing Letang to return to the ice? What was the upside to it? Did they feel they truly needed him on the ice in the overtime, or that without him they ran the risk of losing the game either in overtime or during The Gimmick?

This is not about whether we like Pacioretty. He's a terrific young player but that hit was over the line. Now it's up to Shanahan to make it clear to all concerned, beginning with Pacioretty himself. Then someone needs to sort out the refs. They missed a bunch on both sides Saturday night, including P.K. Subban making like Alexandre Despatie and earning a 10 from the Chinese judge. But the hit on Letang was the one that hurt. The Return: Watching Sidney Crosby on the ice at the Bell Centre Saturday night, you had to wonder: How could the NHL get along without him? Because when it comes to marquee players, Sid the Kid is pretty much all they have. You have to think Bruce Boudreau in Washington is on borrowed time after the Capitals followed up a squalid week by losing 5-1 to Buffalo, a game in which Alexander Ovechkin finished with zero points, two shots on goal and a minus-4. Whether a new coach can bring Ovechkin back is an open question, but when it comes to carrying the marquee burden in the NHL, Crosby needs help. And not just in Pittsburgh, where a well-coached team functions even without its superstars, without making the excuses the Canadiens feel compelled to make when they're missing Andrei Markov. The league's list of crossover players (superstars whose impact extends beyond the hockey base) is exactly two deep: Crosby and Ovechkin. With Ovechkin's game tumbling into the Grand Canyon, the NHL desperately needs Crosby on the ice. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Seguin and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are terrific young players, but their profile outside the hockey world is pretty much nil. Almost forgotten in all the Crosby vs. Ovechkin talk is a tall Russian centreman who is well acquainted with Crosby: one Evgeni Malkin, who was Pittsburgh's best player Saturday night. Malkin, lest we forget, has won an Art Ross Trophy. He's big and strong (see the video of him running over Brian Gionta) and he has the hands of a surgeon. If Malkin is going to regain his place at the top of the league, this would be a good time. Easy question: Quick now, the two most underrated players in a Canadiens uniform? If you answered Josh Gorges and Tomas Plekanec, go to the head of the class. Gorges is among the league-leading defencemen in plusminus with a plus-10 - and he will happily get his face rearranged to stop a puck. Plekanec, meanwhile, is earning every dime of a fairly sizable contract with his gritty, smart, two-way play. If you don't believe me, ask Sidney Crosby, who had Plekanec in his pocket throughout Saturday night's game and finished the evening with one assist. Heroes: Hal Patterson, Sidney Crosby, Tomas Plekanec, Josh Gorges, Lars Eller, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Brian Elliot, Josh Bourke, Lionel Messi, Jamie Pierre &&&& last but not least, big Hal Gill doing the octopus during that 5-on-3 PK in Philly. Zeros: Max Pacioretty, David Stern, LeBron James, Don Cherry, Jeffrey Loria, David Samson, Scott Gomez, Gregory Charles, Angelo Mosca, Joe Kapp, Bryan Murray, Tim Tebow, Bernie Fine, Jim Boeheim &&&& last but not least, Mike Hasenfratz and Dan O'Rourke. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

The news broke just after 7:30 p.m. on the league's official website, NHL.com. Pacioretty will not be paid for the three games he misses, the NHL said. "Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Pacioretty will forfeit $26,351.34," said the release. "The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund." Letang was helped off the ice with a broken nose Saturday after he was hit late in the third period by Pacioretty. He returned to the ice a short time later and scored the overtime goal to win the game. Pacioretty will miss the Habs' Nov. 30 game at Anaheim, the Dec. 1 game at San Jose, and the Dec. 3 game at Los Angeles. He will be eligible to return Dec. 6 vs. Columbus. More to come. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Montreal Canadiens

Habs recall Leblanc from Hamilton

Dave Stubbs

Louis Leblanc will have dressing-room company on the West Coast. Montreal Gazette From the Canadiens late tonight: The Canadiens announced tonight that forward Louis Leblanc has been recalled from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. In his first season at the professional level, the 20-year old centreman ranks tied for second on the Bulldogs scoring list with 10 points (4 goals and 6 assists) in 14 games thus far this season. Leblanc scored two of his goals on the power play and added 48 shots on goal. The 6-foot, 184-pound native of Kirkland, Que., recorded 58 points (26 goals and 32 assists) along with 100 penalty minutes in 51 games with the QMJHL Montreal Junior in 2010-11. The Canadiens' first round selection, 18th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Leblanc signed a 3-year contract with the Club on July 30, 2010. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Montreal Canadiens

'Canes gamble on inexperienced Muller

By PAT HICKEY, The Gazette November 29, 2011 3:09 AM

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Montreal Canadiens

Kirk Muller took a chance this past summer when he left his assistant coaching job with the Canadiens to accept a head coaching post with the American Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals. The 45-year-old Muller said his goal was to become a head coach in the NHL and, after unsuccessfully interviewing for the top jobs in Minnesota, New Jersey, Dallas and Ottawa, he realized it was important to establish his credentials at a lower level. It didn't take him long. After posting a 10-6-1 record with the Admirals, Muller was hired Monday to replace Paul Maurice as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. If Muller gambled when he went to the AHL, Carolina general manager Jim Rutherford is rolling the dice by hiring a coach with limited head coaching experience. Prior to joining the Admirals, Muller's only head coaching stint was a year behind the bench of a very bad team at Queen's University.

Montreal Canadiens: Max Pacioretty suspended for 3 games

The Gazette November 28, 2011

MONTREAL - Montreal Canadians forward Max Pacioretty has been suspended for three games for his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.

Muller has the hockey knowledge to be at the helm of an NHL team, but he'll have to take a crash course in how to act like a head coach. As an assistant under Jacques Martin, Muller's role was that of the former player who could identify with the current players. He was there to listen to their complaints, soothe bruised egos, serve as a conduit to management. He could lose his temper on occasion, but he was the good guy. The head man doesn't always have the luxury of being a good guy and Muller will have to figure out a way to motivate a team whose best players Eric Staal, Cam Ward and Tomas Kaberle among others - haven't been its best players. The challenge facing Muller was summed up by Dale Hunter, who was involved in Monday's other coaching change. Hunter, another former player who has had great success as a head coach on the junior level with the London Knights, replaced Bruce Boudreau in Washington. "When you're growing up, you don't say that you want to be a coach; you say you want to be a player," Hunter said Monday. "Coaching is a tough job. Basically, you've got 23 guys with different personalities and you have to figure out how to make them work." Hunter should have an easier time making the jump to the NHL. For starters, he has an outstanding record in London that includes a Memorial Cup victory in 2005 when the Knights beat Sidney Crosby and the Rimouski Ocanic. Hunter, along with brothers Mark and Dave, runs a successful operation on and off the ice and, while he has been mentioned as a possible head coach, the Capitals may have been the only team capable of luring him away from London and that's because he's one of the Capitals' most popular players and one of only four Washington players to have his number retired. More importantly, he's taking over a team with more talent than Muller's crew in Carolina. He does have a similar challenge to the one facing Muller - he has to figure out how to get Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and Mike Green to step up their games - but he inherits a team that currently holds a playoff position. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

For example, there was the matter of a Kunitz goal disallowed early in the second period that would have tied the game 2-2. It was allowed by the onice officials after a Crosby pass bounced off P.K. Subban onto the Pittsburgh player's hand and, from there, beyond Price. It appeared that even the Bell crowd expected it to count. Instead, there was roar of approval when the hanging judges in Toronto ruled otherwise. Another time, in the third period, Kunitz swept in on Price on a shorthanded breakaway, but his original shot was stopped by Price. Kunitz then came into contact with Price's leg, forcing the latter and the puck in the net. This time, officials promptly waved it off. No surprise there. There was no review, however, on the overtime winner by Letang, who was left bloodied with 3: 14 left in the third period after being struck on the head by Max Pacioretty. There was no penalty on the play, but Pacioretty will have a hearing Monday with disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan to determine whether a suspension is merited. Price clearly felt he had the puck covered against the post for several seconds, but Letang poked it loose for the winner. Price was so incensed with this wrong call that he smashed his stick against the goal post. Go figure. Needless to say, Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin also was an unhappy camper. "You saw what happened," he muttered in reply to a question about the winning goal. That reminds me of the night when, after the Canadiens had been blitzed 70 at the Forum, coach Toe Blake was asked by a reporter: "Who was your best man out there?" The colour rose in Toe's cheeks. "What kind of a stupid question is that?" he said. "You saw the damned game!" "Okay," the writer promptly replied, "who was your worst?" The bottom line, however, is that when a team takes a 3-1 lead at home and can't protect it, the players have only themselves to blame for losing a game during which they were outshot 42-27. In other words, there's no point complaining about it. There were none from the Penguins when the Kunitz goals were disallowed, none after the hit to Letang's head by Pacioretty. What the Penguins did do was try harder, resulting in a Jordan Staal breakaway goal that tied the game with fewer than five minutes remaining in regulation. They also worked harder in overtime, outshooting the Canadiens 3-0. If there was anything good to come out of this loss, it's that Erik Cole, who struggled during the first few weeks of the season, continues to be the best player on this team. It was his goal at the 11: 09 mark of the second period that provided his colleagues with a two-goal lead. On most nights, that should be enough for a team playing at home, particularly since the Penguins had two goals disallowed. Cole had a goal and an assist, five shots and a plus-2. It doesn't get better than that against a team that shows signs of going deep in the playoffs and, perhaps, winning it all. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

591138

Montreal Canadiens

No point complaining Penguins tried harder after disallowed goals

By RED FISHER, The Gazette November 28, 2011

It was what you'd expect from most Canadiens fans, who respect excellence from visiting players, as they do from their own. In the moments before Saturday's 4-3 overtime victory by the Pittsburgh Penguins, the publicaddress announcer was reading off the names of the visitors' starting lineup. Chris Kunitz - Brooks Orpik - Kris Letang - Evgeni Malkin - Marc Andr Fleury - all attracting boos no louder than soft murmurs. Finally, Sidney Crosby's name was read - and now there was no longer a noise in the Bell, but thunder engulfing it. Louder than when the Canadiens' starting lineup was announced. Louder even than the one that greeted Carey Price's 21st appearance in the Canadiens' 24 games. Nice. However, 21 seconds into the game, there was little more than a subdued, almost anxious buzz following a Malkin goal, even though Crosby earned an assist on it - his eighth point in the four games he's played this season. That, too, was expected, and so was the celebration when the Canadiens scored the next three goals from Travis Moen, Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole. Call this one a strange game in so many ways.

591139

Montreal Canadiens

Pacioretty gets three-game ban

By QMI Agency

Montreal Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty was suspended three games Monday for hit that left Pittsburgh Penguins defenceman Kris Letang with a broken nose. Pacioretty caught Letang with a shoulder to the face just as the defenceman crossed over the Montreal blueline late in the third period, leaving him bloodied on the ice. Letang briefly left the game but came back to score the winning goal in overtime.

Pacioretty wasn't penalized on the play but NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan felt further punishment was warranted. "Letang makes the decision to sacrifice his body; he must accept the possibility of taking a hit to make the play," Shanahan said. "However, what no player should expect is that his head will be picked and made the principle point of contact on such a hit." Pacioretty, who will forfeit more than $26,000 in pay, is eligible to return Dec. 6 when the Canadiens take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. MARKOV CLOSE TO RETURN Defenceman Andrei Markov is expected to return to the Montreal Canadiens lineup this week when they play three games in California. Markov, who turns 33 in December, worked out with the Canadiens Monday and practised with the first power-play unit. Coach Jacques Martin said no date has been set for the star defenceman's return, adding that Markov's condition has improved in recent weeks. The Canadiens play Wednesday at Anaheim, Thursday at San Jose and Saturday at Los Angeles. Markov, who is recovering from major surgery on his right knee, played only seven games in 2010-11 and hasn't played yet this season. Montreal Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

Nashville Predators lose Blake Geoffrion 'for a while'

Josh Cooper | The Tennessean

Forward Blake Geoffrion has been a healthy scratch for the Predators the past four games. He got his opportunity in a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, and through 5:30 of ice time provided the type of grinding presence Predators Coach Barry Trotz wanted out of him. Then midway through the second period, it all went horribly wrong. Geoffrion was behind his own net when Oilers winger, and former Predator, Ryan Jones skated into him, hitting him high. Geoffrion crumpled to the ice, and went out of the game. Jones was assessed a five-minute major for elbowing. After the game, Geoffrion was in the locker-room area with his arm in a sling. Trotz said Geoffrion would be out "for a while." Trotz said he believed the NHL would take a look at the hit. Earlier in the shift, Predators forward Jordin Tootoo slammed Jones into the boards. Jones appeared peeved by that play. "I think it was more of a retaliation after he got hit by Tootoo in the corner," Trotz said. Lindback excels: Anders Lindback started his second game of the season and was aided by a stout defensive effort by the Predators. He faced just 18 shots from the Oilers, the lowest total the Predators had allowed all season. Edmonton scored only one goal. "It's always hard to step in when you don't play much," Lindback said. "It's about staying ready in practice and working as hard as you can and waiting for your chance. Today I got great help from the whole team." Tootoo again: Tootoo continued his recent hot play and assisted on Nick Spaling's game-winner. He has five points in his past four games. "He was on the puck, he was around the net, he had a big assist on the winning goal," Trotz said. "I thought he was excellent tonight." Big minutes for Hillen: Defenseman Jack Hillen hasn't done anything flashy this season. He has simply played in every game, and done everything the coaching staff has asked of him. On Monday, he was rewarded with his highest ice-time total of the season at 21:12. The Predators were without defenseman Francis Bouillon (groin). "The start of the year, the coaches told me I would have to earn my minutes and keep playing solid and stay positive," Hillen said. "It hurts losing (Bouillon). We'd like to have him back. But you have to step up when you get an opportunity and I think I had a solid game tonight." The Predators signed Hillen to a two-way contract in the offseason. He played his way onto the team out of training camp and has stuck with Nashville all year. "He was under the radar a little bit and he has played very, very well," Trotz said. "I'm happy for him." Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591142 Nashville Predators

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Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators beat Edmonton Oilers

Josh Cooper | The Tennessean

The last time the Predators played at Rexall Place, they hit the lowest point of their season to date. Jerred Smithson called out the team's effort. Pekka Rinne called the loss in mid-October "rock bottom." On Monday, the slumping Predators exorcised some of the demons from their previous game here against Edmonton with a 2-1 victory. The victory broke a four-game winless skid for the Predators (11-8-4) and was their first victory since Nov. 17 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It also was the first time the Predators picked up points since a Nov. 19 overtime loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets. "I thought we played with a lot more of the things you need to do to win," Predators Coach Barry Trotz said. "I thought we played with a lot more intensity. I thought we played with a lot more structure." Overall, the Predators played a game more consistent with their defensefirst style, allowing only 18 total shots by the Oilers. It was the Predators' lowest shot total allowed all season, and the first time they limited a shot total to the teens. Goaltender Anders Lindback made his first start since Nov. 8 at Los Angeles and turned away all but one of Edmonton's shots. It was Lindback's first win of the season. Despite the stout defensive effort, the Predators found themselves tied at 1 midway through the third period. Then Nashville's third line stepped up. Nick Spaling notched the game winner with 7:39 left after taking a feed from Jordin Tootoo in front of the net and burying it past Edmonton goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. "They were battling behind the net," Spaling said. "I was trying to find an open spot in front. Toots did a great job of breaking free and winning the puck battle. Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591141 Nashville Predators

Carolina Hurricanes hire Predators' AHL coach Kirk Muller

Josh Cooper | The Tennessean

When the Predators hired Kirk Muller to coach their minor league affiliate in Milwaukee last June, they had the inkling that he could bolt for the NHL sooner rather than later. They just didn't expect it would happen Monday.

Muller became coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, so the Predators promoted Milwaukee assistant coach Ian Herbers to head coach of the Admirals. Muller, a former Montreal Canadiens captain, was considered a hot name in the coaching fraternity last summer. He interviewed with Dallas and Minnesota, but was told he needed more head coaching experience. Muller led the Admirals, who play in the American Hockey League, to a 106-0-1 record. The Predators receive no compensation for Muller's departure. "I think everybody saw right away why Kirk was a candidate to be a head coach," Predators General Manager David Poile said. "I hoped selfishly it would have been a little bit longer with us. But I don't like to stand in anybody's way. We promote and developed not only players, but management and coaching prospects." Herbers was an assistant coach with the Admirals for the past two-plus seasons. During that stretch, he worked with defensemen and penalty-kill. Previously, Herbers was the head coach of the Johnstown Chiefs in the East Coast Hockey League. "All of our players are familiar with him, his teaching habits, his voice and his presence," Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton said. "This is a very smooth transition, as far as I'm concerned, from a very qualified teacher." Martin Gelinas, director of player development for the Predators, will take over assistant coaching duties with the Admirals in the interim. Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591143 Nashville Predators

The victory broke a four-game winless skid for the Predators (11-8-4) and was their first victory since Nov. 17 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. It also was the first time the Predators picked up points since a Nov. 19 overtime loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coming into the game, Edmonton had won both previous meetings this season by a combined score of 9-3. Nick Spaling scored the game-winner with 7:39 left in the third period for the Predators. He took a feed from Jordin Tootoo in front of the net and buried a shot past Edmonton goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. Overall, the Predators outshot the Oilers 31-18. Predators goalie Anders Lindback got the start, his first since Nov. 8 at Los Angeles, and turned away all but one Oilers shot. The Predators played half the game without center Blake Geoffrion, who was hit high by Ryan Jones with 13:25 left in the second period. Jones was assessed a 5-minute major for elbowing. Earlier in the day, Milwaukee Admirals Coach Kirk Muller left the Predators organization to take a job as the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. Nashville got the equalizer in the second period as defenseman Shea Weber skated down the right wing, cut toward the net and fired a shot through Khabibulin's legs tying the score at 1 with 8:26 left. Jordan Eberle's shot high over goaltender Lindback's glove with 12:53 left in the first period had put Edmonton ahead 1-0. Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591145 Nashville Predators

Game preview: Predators at Calgary Flames

Nashville Predators lose AHL coach to Carolina Hurricanes

Josh Cooper

Josh Cooper

Preds vs. Oilers PREDATORS AT CALGARY FLAMES When: 8:30 p.m. today TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5-FM Season series: The Predators are 1-0-0 vs. the Flames. Flame to watch: Defenseman Jay Bouwmeester averages 24:29 of ice time per game. Flames injuries: D Scott Hannan (leg), F David Moss (foot) and D Brett Carson (back) are questionable. D Anton Babchuck (hand) is out. Predators injuries: D Teemu Laakso (back cyst) and D Francis Bouillon (groin) are out. Nashville's next game: 9 p.m. Thursday at Vancouver Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591144 Nashville Predators

When the Predators hired Kirk Muller to coach their minor league affiliate in Milwaukee last June, they had the inkling that he could bolt for the NHL sooner rather than later. They just didn't expect it would happen Monday. Muller became coach of the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday, so the Predators promoted Milwaukee assistant coach Ian Herbers to head coach of the Admirals. Muller, a former Montreal Canadiens captain and later an assistant coach with the storied franchise, was considered a hot name in the coaching fraternity last summer. He interviewed with Dallas and Minnesota, but was told he needed more head coaching experience. Muller led the Admirals to a 10-6-0-1 record. The Predators receive no compensation because of Muller's departure. "I think everybody saw right away why Kirk was a candidate to be a head coach," Predators General Manager David Poile said. "I hoped selfishly it would have been a little bit longer with us. But I don't like to stand in anybody's way. We promote and developed not only players, but management and coaching prospects." Herbers was an assistant coach with the Admirals for the past two-plus seasons. During that stretch he worked with defensemen and penalty kill. Previously, Herbers was the head coach of the Johnstown Chiefs in the East Coast Hockey League. "All of our players are familiar with him, his teaching habits, his voice and his presence," Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton said. "This is a very smooth transition as far as I'm concerned from a very qualified teacher." Martin Gelinas, director of player development for the Predators, will take over assistant coaching duties with the Admirals in the interim. Tennessean LOADED: 11.29.2011 591146 New Jersey Devils

Nashville Predators beat Edmonton Oilers

Josh Cooper

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - The last time the Predators played at Rexall Place, they hit the lowest point of their season to date. Jerred Smithson called out the team's effort. Pekka Rinne called the loss in mid-October "rock bottom." On Monday, the slumping Predators exorcised some of the demons from their previous game here against Edmonton with a 2-1 victory.

Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood will attend Team Canada world juniors camp

Devils coach Pete DeBoer tells Zach Parise not to be frustrated after disallowed goal

Rich Chere

Rich Chere

Devils goalie Scott Wedgewood was one of 41 players selected by Team Canada to attend Canada's National Junior Team Sport Chek Selection Camp Dec. 10-14 at the WinSport Canada Athletic & Ice Complex in Calgary. Team Canada's roster: Player S/C Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown/Country Team/Organization NHL Draft Goaltenders Tyler Bunz L 6'1 206 02/11/1992 St. Albert, Alta. Medicine Hat (WHL) EDM '10 (5, 121) Louis Domingue R 6'2.5 204 03/06/1992 Mont St-Hilaire, Que. Quebec (QMJHL) PHX '10 (5, 138) Mark Visentin L 6'1.5 194 08/07/1992 Waterdown, Ont. Niagara (OHL) PHX '10 (1, 27) Scott Wedgewood L 6'0.5 194 08/14/1992 Brampton, Ont. Plymouth (OHL) NJ '10 (3, 84) Defense Nathan Beaulieu L 6'1.5 189 12/05/1992 Strathroy, Ont. Saint John (QMJHL) MTL '11 (1, 17) Cody Ceci R 6'1.5 210 12/21/1993 Ottawa, Ont. Ottawa (OHL) 2012 Dft. Mathew Dumba R 6'0 172 07/25/1994 Calgary, Alta. Red Deer (WHL) 2012 Dft Jrome Gauthier-Leduc R 6'0.5 186 07/30/1992 Quebec City, Que. Rimouski (QMJHL) BUF '10 (3, 68) Brandon Gormley L 6'1.5 196 02/18/1992 Murray River, P.E.I. Moncton (QMJHL) PHX '10 (1, 13) Dougie Hamilton R 6'4 192 06/17/1993 St. Catharines, Ont. Niagara (OHL) BOS '11 (1, 9) Scott Harrington L 6'2.5 200 03/10/1993 Kingston, Ont. London (OHL) PIT '11 (2, 54) Brenden Kichton R 5'11 185 06/18/1992 Spruce Grove, Alta. Spokane (WHL) NYI '11 (5, 127) Joe Morrow L 6'0 198 12/09/1992 Sherwood Park, Alta. Portland (WHL) PIT '11 (1, 23) Ryan Murphy R 5'10.5 176 03/31/1993 Aurora, Ont. Kitchener (OHL) CAR '11 (1, 12) Ryan Murray L 6'0 201 09/27/1993 White City, Sask. Everett (WHL) 2012 Dft. Jamie Oleksiak L 6'6.5 244 12/21/1992 Toronto, Ont. Saginaw (OHL) DAL '11 (1, 14) Alex Petrovic R 6'3.5 202 03/03/1992 Edmonton, Alta. Red Deer (WHL) FLA '10 (2, 36) Mark Pysyk R 6'1.5 187 01/11/1992 Sherwood Park, Alta. Edmonton (WHL) BUF '10 (1, 23) Michal Bournival L 5'11 191 05/31/1992 Shawinigan-Sud, Que. Shawinigan (QMJHL) MTL/COL '10 (3, 71) Brett Bulmer L 6'3 193 04/26/1992 Prince George, B.C. Kelowna (WHL) MIN '10 (2, 39) Phillip Danault L 5'11.5 189 02/24/1993 Victoriaville, Que. Victoriaville (QMJHL) CHI '11 (1, 26) Phillip Di Giuseppe L 6'1 200 10/09/1993 Maple, Ont. University of Michigan (CCHA) 2012 Dft. Michael Ferland L 6'.5 210 10/09/1993 Swan River, Man. Brandon (WHL) CGY '10 (5, 133) Brendan Gallagher R 5'8 178 06/05/1992 Tsawwassen, B.C. Vancouver (WHL) MTL '10 (5, 147) Freddie Hamilton R 6'0.5 191 01/01/1992 St. Catharines, Ont. Niagara (OHL) SJ '10 (5, 129) Quinton Howden L 6'1.5 187 01/21/1992 Oak Bank, Man. Moose Jaw (WHL) FLA '10 (1, 25) Jonathan Huberdeau L 6'1 176 06/04/1993 Prvost, Que. Saint John (QMJHL) FLA '11 (1, 3) Boone Jenner L 6'1 205 06/15/1993 Dorchester, Ont. Oshawa (OHL) CBJ '11 (2, 37) Mark McNeill R 6'1.5 211 02/22/1993 Edmonton, Alta. Prince Albert (WHL) CHI '11 (1, 18) Tanner Pearson L 6'0 198 08/10/1992 Kitchener, Ont. Barrie (OHL) 2012 Dft. Zack Phillips R 6'1 178 10/28/1992 Fredericton, N.B. Saint John (QMJHL) MIN '11 (1, 28) Ty Rattie R 5'11 169 02/05/1993 Airdrie, Alta. Portland (WHL) STL '11 (2, 32) Max Reinhart L 6'.5 180 02/04/1992 West Vancouver, B.C. Kootenay (WHL) CGY '10 (3, 64) Brad Ross L 5'11 174 05/28/1992 Lethbridge, Alta. Portland (WHL) TOR '10 (2, 43) Mark Scheifele R 6'1.5 192 03/15/1993 Kitchener, Ont. Barrie (OHL) WPG '11 (1, 7) Jaden Schwartz L 5'9.5 190 06/25/1992 Wilcox, Sask. Colorado College (WCHA) STL '10 (1, 14) Ryan Spooner L 5'10 181 01/30/1992 Kanata, Ont. Kingston (OHL) BOS '10 (2, 45) Mark Stone R 6'2.5 206 05/13/1992 Winnipeg, Man. Brandon (WHL) OTT '10 (6, 178) Ryan Strome R 6'0 183 07/11/1993 Mississauga, Ont. Niagara (OHL) NYI '11 (1, 5) Christian Thomas R 5'8.5 170 05/26/1992 Toronto, Ont. Oshawa (OHL) NYR '10 (2, 40) Tyler Toffoli R 5'11.5 188 04/24/1992 Scarborough, Ont. Ottawa (OHL) LA '10 (2, 47) Star Ledger LOADED: 11.29.2011 591147 New Jersey Devils

Two days later, Devils captain Zach Parise was still bugged by the disallowed goal he scored against the Islanders with 2.1 seconds remaining. He thought it was a goal then and still thinks so today. "I stand by what I said," Parise said after practice. "What bothers me is they called it a goal on the ice, so they had to have reason to overturn it." Coach Pete DeBoer spoke to Parise today and tried to keep the left winger's spirits up. He feels Parise is on the verge of breaking out. "I do. I talked with him this morning," DeBoer said. "I thought on the Island (Friday afternoon) he was the best player on the ice on either team. It's going to come. "You can't make the mistake of judging him or Kovy (Ilya Kovalchuk) or them judging themselves by their stats. They are playing much better than their stats show." Kovalchuk has four goals in 17 games. Parise, who has six in 22 games, doesn't feel he is struggling. "That's the frustrating part. No. I feel like I'm playing well," Parise said. "I've talked to Pete about that. He said, 'You're playing fine. You're playing well. You're just a little bit away, a disallowed goal here or a missed breakaway there.' If those points are in, all of a sudden I've got 10 goals and it looks great. "That's the fine line and I understand that because I'm not here in a defensive role. So I get it. But it can get frustrating for a player when you don't have the results when you feel like you're working and doing the right things. Again, that's the way this game goes. All of a sudden you get backto-back three-point games and everything is great again." Parise said the Devils have to become a more dangerous offensive team on this road trip. "We've got to get some more offense. I don't think we've been scoring enough lately," he said. "I'll take some responsibility for that, too. That's our (the Parise-Adam Henrique-Kovalchuk line) job. We have to do a better job of scoring." As for the disallowed goal, DeBoer said he has tried not to let it eat away at him. "You try not to. You tell yourself to cut it off and to move forward," DeBoer said. "I think you have to in this league, but it's not easy to do. They're tougher to cut off if the effort hasn't been there. I don't feel that's the case. It makes it easier to move forward and get ready for the next one." Parise admits the disallowed goal would've been a huge confidence builder. "For sure. Any goal for a player does great things for your confidence and for the way you feel," he said. "And not only that. We were in that situation where we didn't play our best game and still had a chance to win. Marty (Brodeur) made all those breakaway saves and we had a great chance to tie or win the game at the end. That's even worse." DeBoer looked on the positive side. When Parise and Kovalchuk start scoring goals, it should make the Devils that much better. "Sure it would. The fact that we have the record we have and those guys have been a little snake bit around the net I think is a good sign," the coach said. "Because when they do come, we'll be obviously a lot tougher team. "That includes the power play, too. If you had said those guys would have that many goals on the power play and we'd still be winning games, you'd take that. So there is an upside there. The good news for me is they don't need major overhauls to fix it. I think it's close." Defenseman Andy Greene said he was just resting today and expects to practice Tuesday night in Denver. I asked him if the recall of Alex Urbom means there is a chance he could miss games on the trip.

"I'm not planning in it, put it that way," Greene said. "Things can happen. I'll practice tomorrow and go Wednesday. Just trying to take care of it now." He said he didn't suffer a particular injury Saturday. "I can't really think of anything specific," he said. "There were a few bruises here and there. Nothing serious. I was just resting." Same with Brad Mills. "Just resting," he said. Even after a day off on Sunday? "I think more rest was on the menu," Mills said, adding that he hopes to skate in Denver. "We'll see. I fully expect to practice." DeBoer said of Greene: "We gave him the day off today. He's got some bumps and bruises. I think it was more precautionary. We'll see how everyone is tomorrow." DeBoer said he wasn't sure whether Urbom or Eric Boulton would go on the trip west. Boulton was planning on it, even though he remained on IR (nondisplaced fracture of his right hand). "I would assume so," Boulton said. "I'm ready to play." The hand remains sore. "It's sore. I'm sure the arthritis is setting in. I'm sure it will be with me all the time," Boulton said of the pain. Boulton played two games for Albany on a conditioning assignment. "Things went fine," he said. "It was good to get back in a game situation." *Urbom doesn't know if he will travel to Denver with the team. "I have no idea," he said. "They haven't said anything. I just got a call last night telling me to practice today. "I hope so. We've been doing pretty good down there. It's good to be back." DeBoer: "From what I understand he's been playing well down there. That's why he's here." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.29.2011 591148 New Jersey Devils

overall in the 1984 NHL Draft. Now he will be asked to revive a Carolina team that ranks 28th in the league in goals allowed, giving up an average of 3.24, and has one of the worst power-play units in the NHL, scoring on just 12.2 percent of its chances with the man advantage. Maurice, who helped shepherd the club's move from Hartford to North Carolina in the late 1990s, returned to the Hurricanes in December 2008 when Peter Laviolette was fired. He guided their run to the 2009 Eastern Conference final, the club's only postseason berth since they won the Cup in 2006. Before that, they hadn't reached the playoffs since Maurice led them to the 2002 Stanley Cup final -- the highlight of his first stint with the team. Maurice received a three-year contract in 2009 that ran through this season. His combined record with the team was 384-391-145, and his career record of 460-457-167 includes two years with Toronto sandwiched by his stints with Carolina. Maurice, who did not immediately return a text message left today by The Associated Press seeking comment, was first fired by Carolina in 2003-04 following an 8-14-8-2 start. Maurice holds the Hurricanes' career coaching record with 25 playoff victories, but none came in the previous two seasons. The 2009-10 team set a club record with a 14-game winless streak, and last year's group finished one victory shy of making the playoffs when it lost its finale on home ice. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.29.2011 591149 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Travis Zajac skates on own again; Alex Urbom recalled

Rich Chere

Devils center Travis Zajac, who underwent surgery to repair a torn left Achilles tendon on Aug. 18, continued to skate on his own. The center skated in the AmeriHealth Pavilion today more than two hours before the rest of the team was scheduled to practice. Zajac, who suffered the injury Aug. 17 while working out off-ice, could begin practicing with the full team when the Devils return from this road trip that takes them to Colorado, Minnesota, Winnipeg and Toronto. The Devils recalled defenseman Alex Urbom from Albany (AHL). He practiced with the team today. Forward Brad Mills was not sent back to the minor league club. He is resting today. Eric Boulton, who had been in Albany the past few days (non-displaced fracture on his right hand) is back in New Jersey and practiced today. He remains on injured reserve. Defenseman Andy Greene did not practice today. The team said he, like Mills, is resting. Devils lines: Zach Parise- Adam Henrique- Ilya Kovalchuk Petr Sykora- Patrik Elias-Dainius Zubrus MattiasTedenby- Ryan Carter- David Clarkson Rod Pelley- Eric Boulton-Tim Sestito-Cam Janssen Defensemen: Urbom, Adam Larsson, Bryce Salvador, Anton Volchenkov, Henrik Tallinder, Mark Fayne, Mark Fraser Larsson has tied the Devils' record for points in consecutive games. He has scored in five straight games (Nov. 19-26). Scott Niedermayer scored in five straight Oct. 31 - Nov. 13, 1992. Bruce Driver had points in five in a row Jan. 14-23, 1985. These stats courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau.

Kirk Muller hired to replace Paul Maurice as Hurricanes' head coach

The Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. - The last-place Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice for the second time in less than a decade today and replaced him with former All-Star and Devils left winger Kirk Muller. Muller begins his first NHL head coaching job with a slumping team that has made one playoff appearance since 2006 and has lost 10 of 13 games. He is in his first season coaching the Nashville Predators' AHL affiliate in Milwaukee after spending five seasons on the Montreal Canadiens' staff. He played 19 seasons in the NHL, made six All-Star teams and led the Canadiens to their last Stanley Cup. "Kirk is a proven leader and motivator, and he has strong communication skills," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "We feel confident that he is the right man to lead our team now and in the future." Carolina dropped to 8-13-4 following Sunday night's 4-3 loss at Ottawa, its third in a row. The Hurricanes are 14th in the Eastern Conference and play Southeast Division leader Florida on Tuesday night to begin a three-game homestand. Maurice became the second coach in his division to lose his job today. His firing was announced about 90 minutes after the Washington Capitals fired Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Dale Hunter. That means every team in the division except Tampa Bay - which hired Guy Boucher in 2010 has changed coaches since last spring. The 45-year-old Muller was a star center who scored 30 or more goals five times and had seven 70-point seasons after the Devils selected him No. 2

*It is indeed a former Devils player who replaces Paul Maurice as coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. However, it's not Dave Lewis but Kirk Muller. Muller is very deserving of a head coaching job. He might've been a candidate for the Devils' position but that would have been awkward after his buddy, John MacLean, was fired last season. Maurice and Devils coach Pete DeBoer are good friends. I'm sure DeBoer will be in touch to offer support, as Maurice did when DeBoer was fired by the Florida Panthers. Strange day in the NHL with both Maurice (Carolina) and Bruce Boudreau (Washington) getting fired. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.29.2011 591150 New Jersey Devils

Bergen Record LOADED: 11.29.2011 591151 New York Islanders

Wang has faith in Snow, Capuano

By ARTHUR STAPLE

Charles Wang gave a very short, direct answer when asked if he still believes in general manager Garth Snow, coach Jack Capuano and the direction in which his Islanders, currently last in the Eastern Conference, are headed. "Yes," the Islanders' owner told Newsday Monday after his team practiced at IceWorks in Syosset. "It's like anything in life -- you embark on this journey and you have people around you that you put your faith in. It's not just about Garth -- it's up to all of us. This is a team game, a team sport." Wang said he shares Islanders fans' frustration with the ugly season in 2010-11 and the slow start that has the Islanders heading into Tuesday night's game against the Sabres in Buffalo at 6-11-4, four points out of 14th in the Eastern Conference. But he thinks the Islanders under Snow are capable of competing. "I think the talent is there for this team to do well," he said. "We're on the right track. Last year was a year we felt we should have made progress, but then we had all the injuries. This year, we haven't had a great start, but it's not like we're getting killed out there every night. The kids are learning, and when you learn, you're going to make mistakes." Wang declined to discuss anything to do with a new arena for the Islanders. The team's lease to play at Nassau Coliseum expires at the end of the 2014-15 season, and Wang repeatedly has said the team will not stay beyond then without a new arena. It is believed that the Islanders would need to have any deal for an arena, either in Nassau County or elsewhere, by June or July 2012. Wang has stuck by Snow through four straight seasons without playoffs. Asked if Snow had the financial freedom to expand the Isles' relatively low payroll -- it's about $49.5 million, only $1.2 million above the salary floor -Wang said there are limits to what the Islanders can do. "We're not a big-market team that can spend like some teams do," he said. "But I've never said no to what Garth wants to do. If it makes sense for our team, then we'll do it. We've tried to be conservative and make smart decisions, and that's what we'll continue to do." After the Islanders were shut out for a second straight game, 5-0, by Sidney Crosby and the Penguins Nov. 21, Snow told Newsday that he had no intention of firing Capuano. Notes & quotes: F Jay Pandolfo is out four to six weeks after suffering a broken foot Saturday. Pandolfo has one goal in 21 games but has been a steady fourth-liner and penalty-killer. Rookie RW Nino Niederreiter will return to the lineup Tuesday night after being a healthy scratch for the last four games. Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591152 New York Rangers

Slumping Zach Parise not a happy camper

By TOM GULITTI

Devils captain Zach Parise admitted Monday that he was as upset after Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Islanders as he has been about any regularseason contest in his career. Parise thought he had scored the tying goal with 2.1 seconds remaining in regulation. The on-ice call that it was a goal was overturned, however, after a video review by officials in the NHL situation room in Toronto, which ruled Parise used a distinct kicking motion to knock the puck into the net with his right foot - a decision Parise says he, "still can't agree with." Parise's postgame display of emotion Saturday - he slammed his stick was about more than having one video review and one game go against him and the Devils, though. "A lot of frustration," Parise said. Parise has just six goals and six assists in 22 games this season. He has no goals in his last five games and just one in his last 11. Although Parise has been getting a lot of chances lately, having that goal count Saturday would have been big for him and the team. "Unfortunately, that's the way it's going," Parise said. "It's hard as a player when you're going through something like that where you feel like you're doing the right things out there." Devils coach Pete DeBoer spoke to Parise on Monday to try to encourage him about the way he is playing. Parise and DeBoer believe he played his best game of the season in Friday's 1-0 win over the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. "I thought on the Island he was the best player on the ice on either team," DeBoer said. "I've felt like this for the last few games," Parise said. "I really felt like I've had my legs going. I had some takeaways and was making good plays with the puck. That's what I look for when I feel like I'm playing well. When scoring is not coming, when the points aren't coming, that's what I look for and I feel like I'm doing those things right." Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk have both been frustrated goal-wise this season. Kovalchuk missed six games with a groin strain, but still has just four goals in 17 games. Playing as linemates, Parise and Kovalchuk feel a responsibility to produce offense. "It's going to come," DeBoer said. "You can't make the mistake of [Parise] or Kovy judging themselves or other people judging them by their stats. They're playing much better than their stats show. And that's just a matter of timing." BRIEFS: D Andy Greene and C Brad Mills did not practice Monday because they were "resting," but both said they expect to practice today in Denver. The Devils play the first of four consecutive road games Wednesday against the Avalanche. ... LW Eric Boulton (non-displaced fracture in right hand) returned from his conditioning assignment with Albany (AHL) and said he is "ready to play," but remains on injured reserve for now. Boulton said he expects to fly with the team to Denver today. ... D Alex Urbom was recalled from Albany and practiced with the team Monday.

With Crosby in Form, Rangers Face Tough Task

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - It has taken only a week for Sidney Crosby to reestablish his credentials as hockey's best player. Consider his numbers since returning Nov. 21 from a 320-day absence: in four games, he has two goals and seven assists and is plus 7. At that pace, Crosby, despite missing the first 20 games of the schedule because of the effects of a concussion, would finish with 140 points - the highest season total since Mario Lemieux had 161 in 1995-96. Crosby would also end up at plus 108, the third-highest mark since the N.H.L.

started tracking plus/minus in 1967-68. (Bobby Orr went plus 124 in 197071, and Larry Robinson was plus 120 in 1976-77.) Crosby, whose Pittsburgh Penguins play the Rangers on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, is not merely running up big statistics; for a fleet scoring star coming back from injury, he is playing rugged, perhaps even a bit dirty. On Friday against Ottawa, he reacted to the Senators' Nick Foligno crashing into Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury by cross-checking Foligno repeatedly, then bashing him in the face with his glove with stick in hand, a blow that Foligno called an elbow but one that came perilously close to buttending. Crosby said several times while recovering from his concussion that dirty hits had to be eliminated from the game, but after Foligno pointed out that Crosby was not practicing what he preached, Crosby responded with mock outrage of his own. "If he runs the goalie," Crosby said, "he's got to expect that guys are going to get their hands in his face." That occasioned a riposte dripping with sarcasm from Bryan Murray, the Ottawa general manager, who said that for making contact with a goalie "an elbow to the head and a butt-end to the head must be fair game," which on Monday led Crosby to reply that the whole thing was "ridiculous" and guessed that because "it's me, it's dissected and analyzed a hundred times more." All that, taken together, adds to the effect of his comeback. And the Rangers will have their hands full. But no team may be better suited for stopping Crosby than the Rangers. The Rangers came out of the weekend tied with the Penguins for the best record in the N.H.L. on a percentage basis, 1.35 points per game played. They were also the second-best defensive team in the N.H.L., having allowed 2.05 goals per game, just behind the 2.04 of St. Louis. Last season, Marc Staal was assigned to watch Crosby when the Rangers faced the Penguins. But with Staal out, recovering from a concussion of his own, the job of shadowing Crosby falls to the new No. 1 defenseman, Dan Girardi. On Monday, Rangers Coach John Tortorella called Girardi the "most underrated at that position" in the N.H.L. Girardi's defense partner, Ryan McDonagh, whose plus-12 mark leads the Rangers in his first full N.H.L. season, said he was looking forward to facing Crosby for the first time. "Good players take advantage of time and space," McDonagh said. "If you're in their face and they're not able to get their head up and take a look, you have a better chance. It's been our motto in our D zone all year, try to take away time and space and don't let them come out of the corners and create." New York Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591153 New York Rangers

Dubinsky said all of this calmly, despite his frustration over an early-season funk with one goal through 20 games. He knows he scored more goals in 77 games last season (24) than Shelley has in his 606-game career (18). Shelley was a teammate of Dubinsky's two seasons ago, playing 21 games for the Rangers. The enforcer joined the Flyers last season and was suspended twice. Then this preseason he received a 10-game ban for a vicious boarding of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Darryl Boyce. Friday night, when HBO aired its preview of the show that will lead up to the Jan. 2 Winter Classic, several Rangers and Flyers talked trash. But Shelley got personal, saying Dubinsky plays like a "weasel." Perhaps the insult will provide motivation. Over the Rangers' two-game roll, Dubinsky moved from left wing to center, leaving a line with Brad Richards and Ryan Callahan to lead a hard-nosed checking one with Sean Avery on the left and Brandon Prust on the right. That group was in the middle of everything in Saturday's 2-0 home victory over the Flyers, in which Prust fought twice - once with Zac Rinaldo four seconds in, and again later with Avery's nemesis, Wayne Simmonds. Rinaldo, who separated the shoulder of Rangers defenseman Michael Sauer with a boarding in the preseason, took a major run at Avery in the first period and whiffed. Dubinsky took exception on the ice, and at practice. "I think he's an idiot," Dubinsky said of Rinaldo. "And I think that, I mean, he's not really a good hockey player. So if that's what he tries to do to get under our skin, I don't think it works very well. He's not very effective at it. I think they should just keep putting him on the ice, because he's a liability against us." CROSBY DOESN'T MISS A BEAT Aside from Brandon Dubinsky adding a couple of juicy chapters to the Rangers-Flyers rivalry, the news on Monday was the imminent return to the Garden of Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, widely considered the best player in the NHL. The 24-year-old was hit twice in early January, sustained a concussion and had sat out until Nov. 21 of this season. He has nine points in four games since returning to the lineup, and Tuesday night will be playing his first game at the Garden in exactly one year for the first-place Penguins (14-6-4). "He is an important guy to the game," said John Tortorella, whose Rangers (12-5-3) have won two straight. "He's a very good ambassador to the game. He's that good. But then it ends there. We're going to play him straight up." New York Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591154 New York Rangers

Rangers ready for red-hot Crosby NY Rangers Brandon Dubinsky calls Flyers Jody Shelley a 'terrible hockey player' as Winter Classic trash talk heats up

By TIM BONTEMPS

By Pat Leonard

The universal opinion inside the Rangers' locker room is that Sidney Crosby's successful return to the ice is a good thing. But that doesn't mean that they're going to treat him any differently tonight when the Penguins come to the Garden for the season's first meeting between the division rivals. "He's an important guy to the game, he's a very good ambassador to the game," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "But then it ends there. "We're gonna play him straight up." Crosby hasn't slowed down since his spectacular season debut against the Islanders on Nov. 21, when he scored two goals and picked up two assists. In four games since his return to the ice following a lengthy battle with postconcussion symptoms that kept him out since January, forcing him to miss 61 games across two seasons, he already has racked up nine points, and was named the NHL's first star last week.

Brandon Dubinsky heard Flyers winger Jody Shelley call him a "weasel" on HBO's "24-7" preview, and on Monday, the weasel popped. The Rangers' forward sounded off after practice in Greenburgh on the insult from his ex-teammate, calling Shelley "a terrible hockey player" and basically accusing him as being chicken, even though Dubinsky laid off the animal analogies. "First of all, if I was him, I'd keep my mouth shut if I don't play, especially since I never see him on the ice," Dubinsky said of Shelley, who has played in only 10 of Philadelphia's 23 games this season. "He's usually just yapping from the bench, and I guess now he's yapping from behind the video camera. So that's about all I have to say." That was not all Dubinsky had to say. "Jody Shelley - it won't be long before he's out of the league, because he's a terrible hockey player," he added.

In Pittsburgh's last two games, wins against the Senators on Friday and against the Canadiens on Saturday, Crosby finished with a combined five assists. "He's obviously one of the best in the game, if not the best," said defenseman Ryan McDonagh who, along with Dan Girardi, likely will spend the majority of tonight's game trying to keep Crosby under wraps. "The only thing we can do is try and take away his time and space, try to knock him off the puck, and keep him away from the puck. "That starts with our fore-check. We used it in Philly's zone a lot last game, and I think it helped take away from their offense a little bit. We need to continue to do that, and keep our fore-check going." In addition to the excitement surrounding Crosby's return to the Garden, the game also is an important one in the standings for the Blueshirts. Pittsburgh holds a five-point advantage over the Rangers in the Atlantic Division, but the Penguins have played four more games than the Rangers this season. "It's definitely a division rival, so you want to get ready for that as best as you can," Marian Gaborik said. "Everybody is looking forward to this game because it's always a rivalry. They have a lot of talent up front, and everyone's got to be ready when they're on the ice." After a pair of poor performances in Montreal and Florida, the Rangers bounced back in impressive fashion with an emphatic pair of victories in Washington against the Capitals on Friday and against the Flyers on Saturday. Now the Rangers get another chance to test themselves against the team sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings and with the league's best player in prime form. "Well, we're playing one of the best teams in the league right now," said Henrik Lundqvist. "They're confident and a strong team. We just have to approach it the same way we did the other night against Philly. We're playing a really good team, we have to be smart with the puck and we have to be really tough on their top guys. "We can't give them too much room or too much space or time, but as long as we go out there with the attitude we had the other night, I think we'll be in good shape." New York Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591155 New York Rangers

Except tonight they host the Atlantic Division-leading Penguins and healthy superstar Sidney Crosby, who has returned with his usual impact after a 10month absence due to a concussion. So this really is a big game. "Call it a measuring stick or a big game," Brad Richards said. "Whether we want to admit it or not, it means a little bit more. The reality is this is a little bit bigger." Even coach John Tortorella, who makes it his personal policy not to talk about opposing players or opponents, acknowledged that Crosby's return was good for the NHL. "It's important," Tortorella said. "He's an important guy to the game. He's a very good ambassador for the game. He's that good. But we're going to play him straight up." The Rangers come into the game five points behind their divisional rival, having played four fewer games. But the Penguins are 3-0-1 since Crosby returned to the lineup and he has two goals and six assists. "That team in general is dangerous, they were in first place with him out of the lineup," defenseman Steve Eminger said. "Obviously he is one of the top, if not the top, players in the league. You're aware of him but he's not the only weapon we have to be aware of." On Monday, Crosby was named the NHL's first star of the week, in a large part due to ending his 61-game absence with a two-goal, two-assist performance in a 5-0 win over the Islanders on Nov. 21. "He's one of the best players," goalie Henrik Lundqvist said. "He should be playing. It'll be tough for us with him back but it's great for hockey that he's on the ice." The 24-year-old Penguins captain has also made an impact with his physical play, showing he's not shying away from hits because of his concussion. He went after Ottawa's Nick Foligno after Foligno repeatedly banged into goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a 6-3 win over the Senators on Friday. And the Rangers said they would not be deferring to Crosby on the ice because he's gone through a head injury. "I've had a concussion also and I don't see anyone playing me differently," Richards said. "That's the risk you run when you play the game," said Brian Boyle, adding players aren't thinking about other players' injury history on the ice. "You can't think that way because you're bound to get hurt." The Rangers' Marian Gaborik, also an elite player, said there shouldn't be special protection for the NHL's superstars on the ice. "I don't think so," Gaborik said. "You're one of five guys on the ice. You have to be cautious for yourself on the ice. You always have to look out. Definitely, when you're out there, you draw more attention. But, hopefully, nobody has any intention of going after Crosby and hurting him." BRIEF: The Rangers unveiled their Winter Classic jerseys for their outdoor game against the Flyers at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2 during a team event at Central Park's Wollman Rink on Monday. The cream-colored jersey has the team's retro "New York Rangers" roundedbottomed shield on the front with blue shouldering along with red shoulder stripes. The arms and belt also have blue and red stripes. In addition, Lundqvist said he was having a special mask designed for the game, saying only the mask would look old. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.29.2011 591157 New York Rangers

Up next: Penguins at Rangers

Herald News

Today, 7:30 p.m. TV: MSG Radio: ESPN-AM 1050 Story line: The Rangers (12-5-3) have won six straight at Madison Square Garden by a combined 22-7 and have held opponents to one goal or fewer in four of those games. The Penguins (14-6-4) believe D Kris Letang (three goals, 16 assists) will be available after his nose was broken on a high hit by the Canadiens' Max Pacioretty on Saturday. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.29.2011 591156 New York Rangers

Rangers focused on corralling Penguins' Crosby

Rangers psyched by Crosby's visit

By ANDREW GROSS

By JOHN JEANSONNE

GREENBURGH, N.Y. - The standard party line from the Rangers is whatever game is next on their schedule is the biggest one, because it's the one they're playing.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- It may not be the Rangers' very first wish to face the Sidney Crosby renaissance Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. But they are in general agreement that the occasion brings the kind of pizzazz professional athletes embrace.

"Makes it more fun for everybody," center Brad Richards said Monday. "People playing, people watching, everybody." Exactly one year since Crosby last played the Garden, the Pittsburgh Penguins star -- at last recovered from severe concussions -- will return to spice an already inviting duel. With Pittsburgh (14-6-4) having done quite well until Crosby's re-emergence four games ago, and the Rangers (12-5-3) having won nine of their last 11 games, this should be hot stuff between two of the Atlantic Division's top three teams. National TV. The usual raucous Garden crowd. Crosby's two goals and seven assists already. What some might call a "measuring-stick game." Some. Not all. "I'm not a big believer in the measuring-stick stuff," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We know Pittsburgh's a very good team. We respect 'em. But we're going to just go about our business and see if we can find our way." Tortorella readily acknowledged, however -- as his players did -- that Crosby's presence is welcome. "It's important," Tortorella said. "He's an important guy to the game. He's a very good ambassador to the game. He's that good. "But it ends there. We're going to play him straight up." With, possibly, a bit more excitement. "He's obviously one of the best, if not the best," said Ryan McDonagh, who has emerged as a solid first-line defenseman while All-Star Marc Staal recovers from a concussion. "It's easy to get up for. The intensity is there from the start in games like this. If you're not on your toes mentally and physically, you're going to look silly out there." Goalie Henrik Lundqvist admitted it "doesn't hurt when you go into a building and you can feel the atmosphere" expected Tuesday night. "It's not hard to mentally prepare for that." Crosby's participation, he said, "is great for the league. He should be playing. It's going to be tough for us to have him back, but it's great for hockey." Notes & quotes:Tortorella said it is too early to make any judgments about recent line changes or the use of four lines, with Brandon Dubinsky now essentially a fourth-line center for Sean Avery and Brandon Prust. "A number of things come into play; you think of the other lines, too," Tortorella said. "You don't form your team around one guy. I don't change lines just for the hell of changing lines. The last couple of games, all the lines have played well." Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Hunter has spent the past 11 seasons as the coach of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. There he reached 400 victories faster than any coach in league history and helped develop the current N.H.L. players Corey Perry (Anaheim Ducks), Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks), Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets), Dan Girardi (Rangers) and John Carlson (Capitals). "I'm a players' coach, but also the players will know when I'm mad at them," Hunter said. In a post on his blog, the Capitals' owner, Ted Leonsis, called Hunter "a tenacious player and great leader." Leonsis added, "The reins are his, and we are here to support him." Hunter, 51, takes over a team that has been reeling in recent weeks. Since starting the season 7-0, Washington has lost six of its last eight games. After a 5-1 loss to the injury-riddled Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, Capitals General Manager George McPhee decided to make the move. The Capitals' captain, Alex Ovechkin, has one goal and two assists in the past eight games. Hunter said that the organization had "a high level for Alex that we expect always more." Hired in November 2007, Boudreau led the Capitals to four consecutive Southeast Division titles and was 201-88-40 in the regular season but 17-20 in the playoffs. Boudreau's assistants - Dean Evason, Bob Woods and Blaine Forsythe will remain. New York Times LOADED: 11.29.2011

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NHL coaches on the hot seat

Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter

The coaching axe swung through the NHL ranks Monday, claiming two popular, veteran bench bosses. But the firings of Bruce Boudreau in Washington and Paul Maurice in Carolina may not stop the league's coaching carousel which started spinning earlier this month when St. Louis replaced Davis Payne with Ken Hitchcock. Here's a look at some other coaches on the hot seat:

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Scott Arniel, Columbus Arniel's team has shown moderate improvement the past two weeks, but the question remains: How long will the underachievement in Columbus go without someone paying the price. This was a team that retooled with James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter, with the target being a playoff spot. Instead, the Blue Jackets remain a team with one of the league's worst records. Joe Sacco, Colorado

Boudreau Is Fired, Replaced By Hunter, a Former Capital

By TIM WENDEL

WASHINGTON - The Capitals took a page from their own record book Monday in an effort to regain their winning ways. Dale Hunter, one of four Caps players whose jersey (No. 32) hangs from the rafters of Verizon Center, was named to replace Bruce Boudreau, who was fired as the coach early Monday morning. Hunter played for the Capitals from 1987 to 1999 and was the team captain his last five seasons. He is the only player in N.H.L. history with 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes. He becomes the 15th coach in Caps history and will make his debut behind the bench Tuesday when the Capitals host the St. Louis Blues. "Definitely, this has been my team," Hunter said after his first practice with the Capitals, adding, "I played here for so long and have many good memories here."

A bit of a surprise here since the Avs got off to a great start. But the club has slipped in the standings, giving rise to the question: how long will GM Greg Sherman go with Sacco? Do the Avs need a more experienced coach pulling the strings? Jack Capuano, Islanders Capuano is generally regarded as a good, hard working coach, but the Islanders have settled into the basement after showing a playoff pulse the past two seasons. Isles management - owner Charles Wang and GM Garth Snow - are no strangers to coaching changes; the franchise has had eight coaches in the last 10 years. That translates into a short, and thin, leash for Capuano. Brent Sutter, Calgary Are the Flames a serious playoff contender, or another struggling team? They were billed to be a contender this season. Will they push the rebuild button rather than flail away at a playoff berth? Those questions rage in

Calgary, and Sutter's future is tied to the franchise's decision on its own future. Randy Carlyle, Anaheim The Ducks have the reigning Hart Trophy winner in Corey Perry, and a lineup with plenty of experience and playoff potential. Yet, there they are in last place and struggling with scoring and confidence. Naturally, the coach's job security falls into question as a result. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Cox: Dale Hunter faces enormous hurdles in Washington

Damien Cox

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It was no surprise Dale Hunter succeeded Bruce Boudreau. The surprise will be if Hunter proves to be more successful with the Washington Capitals than Boudreau.

Gretzky's daughter closes Twitter account, did daddy disapprove?

By David Graham Living reporter

For the most part, this is a coaching move right out of the NHL general manager's standard playbook. Bring in a hugely popular former player as coach who seemingly embodies the values - in this case, belligerence and industriousness - seen to be missing from the team, and the fans are mollified, at least temporarily. The less tried-and-true element of GM George McPhee's decision to hire Hunter and dump Boudreau, however, would be the hiring of a junior coach with no pro experience at any level. While you might think going straight from major junior hockey to the NHL is a time-honoured practice, it's rarely been executed and has almost never worked. Of the coaches who have won Stanley Cups in the post-expansion era, none came directly from junior hockey. Many superb junior coaches over the years, from George Armstrong to Don Hay to Craig Hartsburg, haven't fared well at all in the NHL. Of the 23 winners of the CHL coach-of-the-year award, only Ken Hitchcock (1990) went on to win a Stanley Cup, and Hitchcock did that after first apprenticing with three years as an NHL assistant and a year in the minors. Of the 33 different winners of the Jack Adams Trophy as NHL coach of the year, none went directly from junior hockey to the NHL. Mike Babcock was very successful in Spokane and won a gold medal with the national junior program, but before he hit it big in Detroit he coached two years in the minors and several seasons with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Terry Crisp? He did win a Stanley Cup in Calgary in 1986 after a successful junior career, but in between came two years as a head coach of the AHL Moncton franchise. Hunter has been very successful over a decade with the OHL London Knights, but two men who did just as well or better in junior, Brent Sutter and Peter DeBoer, made the jump directly to the NHL in recent years and have struggled. Sutter, like Hunter an accomplished NHLer who held the dual head coach/owner portfolio in junior hockey, has yet to win a playoff round in the NHL. It's not like Hunter brings anything more to the table than did Sutter. There's an enormous gulf that cannot be summarily dismissed between coaching in junior and in the NHL, between directing teenagers drawing $60 a week and veteran pros who generally earn more than the coach, may dig in their heels when told to change and will scoff at the rah-rah stuff. Really, coaching in junior and in the NHL requires largely different skill sets, and the interim step of coaching in the minors or as an NHL assistant seems crucial. Maybe the 51-year-old Hunter can do what others could not and clear that hurdle in a single bound. But it's not like he can come in and just nudge Washington into the post-season and be proclaimed a modern Toe Blake. He'll only be seen as a successful replacement for Boudreau if he can at least get the Caps to the Stanley Cup final. On a team that seems to have a rotten core with Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, that's a big chore. Yes, Hunter has had success with top junior stars like Rick Nash, Patrick Kane and Corey Perry, but when the Knights traded for John Tavares, he wasn't able to raise his game under the Hunter regime. Hunter says he doesn't believe in "run-and-gun hockey," which will be tricky since that's the only style at which Ovechkin, Semin, Green and Backstrom seem to excel. Ovechkin's game hasn't evolved at all in recent seasons, and few refer to him as the world's top player any longer.

Paulina Gretzky, the wild child daughter of Wayne Gretzky, loves a night out with her BFFs in Los Angeles. The struggling model/singer/actress also loves documenting her fabulous celebutante lifestyle and curvy figure - often revealed in too-tight, too-short skirts and tube tops - on Twitter. But abruptly over the weekend, the daughter of world famous hockey legend Gretzky and Janet Jones, shut down her Twitter account - much to the chagrin of men everywhere. Paulina was born Dec. 19, 1988 four months after her dad was traded to the L.A. Kings. She is the eldest of five children. As Gretzky's name was linked last week with the potential sale of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, it's possible the news raised the profile of his daughter's racy online photographs. Her dad was born and raised in Brantford, a far cry from the Hollywood nightlife that has attracted his eldest daughter. Before her Twitter was closed, she tweeted "Having a nice sit down dinner with my dad about social media..haha #SIKEEE (sic)." Photographs posted by Gretzky's fun loving daughter include a sultry image of the blond lying in bed in skimpy lingerie, dancing suggestively at a nightclub, lying poolside in a red bikini and striking a pose with girlfriends backs arched, chests out. While she may have grown up to be a Hollywood clich - following in the path of other rich offspring such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie - Gretzky is struggling for a career she can call her own. She had her modelling debut on the cover of Flare magazine in 2005. On her website, for example, she boasts that her single Collecting Dust "scored a television hit" after it was featured on MTV's Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. "The forums, message boards and chat rooms for MTV's hit show were flooded with comments, questions and requests for the song," Gretzky wrote on the website. The song chronicles the sadness of a lost love. "Page by page I learn / how fast love letters burn." Men on Twitter are weeping that the starlet's account has been closed. Last month, the website COED Magazine posted Gretzky's 77 sexiest Twitpics, which received plenty of reaction. Paulina's a "smoke show" tweeted one man. He commented the young Gretzky was "clearly his greatest accomplishment." Another man agreed. "Thanks for putting the Great One's daughter on my radar. She's a beaut!" Apparently the young Gretzky had an unmissable presence on Twitter. "Discovering @Paulina Gretzky on Twitter is like a British person stumbling upon Kate Middleton," one person tweeted. But for now at least, she's off the air. On Saturday, she tweeted, "Taking a break from Twitter for a bit. Happy Holidays!!! xoxo" Tweeter @HockeyDad92 was crestfallen. "Please. Don't go." And another requested, "Give us one more pic for the holidays? Please." Toronto Star LOADED: 11.29.2011

Boudreau, meanwhile, will be back in the league sooner as opposed to later, and Ron Wilson need only suffer a lengthy losing streak over the next few months for the former Marlboro junior standout's name to start popping up in Toronto. Down in Carolina, Kirk Muller picked the wrong day to get his first NHL head coaching job in place of Paul Maurice, for the change in Washington will get all the headlines. Then again, maybe that's a good way for Muller to get started. With two Billy Martin-like kicks at the can with the Hurricanes, Maurice can't complain. Like Boudreau with Ovechkin, he was doomed largely because his best player, Eric Staal (five goals, six assists, minus-17), is off to a horrific start. But at least Staal didn't pull the chute like Ovechkin did. The Russian's obvious submarining of Boudreau was noticed throughout the industry - and by lip-readers everywhere - and will change his already iffy reputation in the game forever. Having Ovechkin as his "leader," it would seem, gives Hunter two major obstacles to overcome. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.29.2011

By Dan Steinberg

Bruce Boudreau was hired on Thanksgiving of 2007. He was let go the Monday after Thanksgiving of 2011. In between, he made four playoff appearances, seven million media appearances, starred on HBO, became a local commercial icon, played golf at Congressional Country Club, went to Redskins and Nats games, wrote a book, was profiled on A1 of The Post, and generally had about as successful four-year run as you could possibly have, absent playoff success. The headlines on his resume here will always be the miracle run to the 2008 division title, and the fastest sprint to 200 wins in modern NHL history. And those were indeed great accomplishments. But here are 10 other, less serious, moments to remember. 10. Both of Boudreaus playoff series wins came against the New York Rangers. During the first, much of the focus centered on Rangers boss John Tortorella, after he squirted water and then threw a water bottle at a fan. During the second, much of the focus centered on Boudreau, after he said this about Madison Square Garden: Well, the one thing, its reputation is far better than the actual building, the coach said. I mean, its nothing. The locker rooms are horrible. The benches are horrible. Theres no room for anything. But the reputation of being in Madison Square Garden is what makes it famous. Also, our buildings a lot louder, too. So I mean, they can say what they want, but its not that loud in there. And thus, Can You Hear Us became the soundtrack for the rest of that series.

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NHL: Pluses and minuses around the league It's a good week for goalies young and old, but the Coyotes and Capitals have problems.

By Helene Elliott 5:25 PM PST, November 28, 2011

9. A Boudreau bobblehead? A Boudreau bobblehead. There havent been many D.C. coaches in the last decade or two who could have inspired such a doll. At first i was against the idea...but when I saw it, I thought they did a really good job on it, he said. I mean, I hate seeing my picture anywhere, but I thought it looked pretty good....Im getting older, and when you were an athlete and you were always in good shape, you thought, Ok. And then you get older, and you put on a little weight, and you lose your hair. I just dont look looking at myself. 8. The story of his first practice after getting hired has been told many times, but it still works, especially in light of what happened this autumn. From the USA Today: Crystal programmed the GPS in Boudreaus Chevy Impala and he had three hours of drive time to think how to run his first NHL practice. Boudreau decided to chastise Ovechkin, the player he considers the best in the world. I was like a referee looking to make a call, Boudreau says. I thought, Ive got to get the respect of these guys right off the bat or theyre going to think Im just a minor league, interim guy. It would have been really easy for me to yell at David Steckel because I coached him (before). That wouldnt have garnered anything. But to do it to Alex? I waited for him to make a mistake, and about 20 minutes into practice he did, and I said, Alex, you cant do that. You have to do this. And he stayed behind me and said, Well, show me on the board. I was in trouble if he balked. But Alex is very coachable. He always wants to learn. Those were simpler times. Plus, he drove an Impala, and wore NASCARbranded eyeglasses and $10 off-the-rack ties. 7. Oh, the Cup Holders. Honestly, Boudreaus emergence into an allpurpose pitchman for local products was amazing to behold. Heres how the American Service Center and Mercedes-Benz of Alexandria marketing director once described it to me: He created such a persona for himself, she explained. Mercedes is an aspirational car, and I think Bruce is a really great aspirational story. It was really good for us; like the common man feel. When he came in here he was driving an Impala. To me, it just went with his whole story. Its like, hes arrived. Also, she once asked him for commercial suggestions.

+ Paul Deutsch, an embroidery shop owner in St. Paul, Minn., had a good excuse for missing his men's league game last Wednesday: He signed an amateur tryout contract to be the Wild's emergency backup goalie. The 51year-old dressed for warmups, but Matt Hackett arrived from Houston in time for the game. + The city of Buffalo will rename a portion of a street in memory of longtime hockey writer Jim Kelley. Appropriately, it connects the Buffalo News Kelley's old newspaper to the Sabres' arena, now known as First Niagara Center. + Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues is the first goaltender to give up two goals or fewer in his first 11 starts of the season since Frankie "Mr. Zero" Brimsek in 1938-39. - Forward Kyle Turris, who was an unrestricted free agent and didn't sign with the Coyotes until last week, basically received the same two-year, $2.8-million deal he was offered last summer. But his pay is a bit less, because this season his pay was prorated for the games he missed. He reportedly wants out of Phoenix and would have been better off playing and asking for a trade, not sitting. - Washington's Alexander Ovechkin tied a career worst by being minus-four defensively in a 5-1 loss to Buffalo on Saturday that proved to be Coach Bruce Boudreau's finale. Ovechkin has only eight goals and ranks second on the team to plugger Jason Chimera, who has nine. - The Philadelphia Flyers' explanation for Chris Pronger's recent absence was that he had a virus. It must have gone to his knee, because the team announced Monday he will undergo surgery Tuesday to clean out particles in his left knee. He's expected to be out a month. LA Times: LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Bruce Boudreau fired: 10 moments to remember

S550 with the top down and a gorgeous 22-year old blond in the passenger seat, he offered.

OTTAWA - The greatest players have always been a dividing force. 6. The victory salute. He had a memorable way of celebrating, and he did it during the three biggest on-ice moments of his career: clinching the first playoff berth, beating the Rangers in 09, and beating the Rangers in 11. Dang, that makes me wistful. 5. Bruce Boudreau did more with The F Word than virtually anyone Ive ever seen. This was mildly highlighted in HBOs 24/7, where he dropped 31 F bombs in the shows first 60 minutes. There was nothing better than this brilliant bit: Were lookin [bleeping] defeated. Were looking [bleeping] defeated right now. Show some [bleeping] courage and [bleeping] play the game properly. Youll score three [bleeping] goals if you do. Im [bleeping] sick and tired of losing. Lets [bleeping] get our [bleeps] out of our heads. If only. 4. Hey, speaking of Pittsburgh, I loved hearing Bruce Boudreau speaking of Pittsburgh. He embraced everything about being in Washington, including rooting against the city of Pittsburgh. Heres what he said about last years Super Bowl: I think Pittsburghs gonna win, but I cant cheer for a team from Pittsburgh, so Im hoping for Green Bay. Then I asked Boudreau if he was serious. Yeah, he said. Its Pittsburgh. Hate that city. Not sure that any other D.C. pro coach since Gibbs was willing to throw himself into a rivalry like that. 3. And Boudreau was, for a time, the most popular coach in D.C. by a zillion miles. This first started to sink in during April of 2008, when he was shown on the big screen, fans went nuts, and he got all sheepish as the ovation continued. It was amazing, his wife later told me. It was very emotional for me. Youre very proud. Lets be honest, when he first got the job the blogs were carving him up. Some of the fans had him fired before he ever coached a game. Now to see that they have given him a chance and they love him, its nice. I put my head down, the coach said. I was just so friggin embarrassed. But guys were telling me, and my wife told me, so thats pretty cool. I dont know, I get embarrassed with that stuff....Its because were winning. You know, if we lose Ill be pretty unpopular. Thats the way coaches are. So Im not worried about it. Its very nice, and Im glad they feel that way at this time. Unless you were on the Edmonton Oilers bandwagon in the 1980s, Wayne Gretzky was a scourge to fans and management of the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or Chicago Blackhawks, among others. Bobby Orr was booed incessantly at Maple Leaf Gardens, leaving observers to wonder if they were really mad at Orr or at the Leafs for failing to sign a player who grew up in their Parry Sound, Ont., territory, but was wooed and scooped up by the Boston Bruins. Jealousy, resentment, allegations of favouritism, are all part of being that one player considered better than the rest in a given era. (Oddly, Rocket Richard received no preferential treatment from the NHL head office. If anything, the Rocket was made a disciplinary example by thencommissioner Clarence Campbell, hence the Richard riots on the streets of Montreal). Today's dividing force is Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby. To many in the game, Crosby is the face of hockey, the undisputed king. Considering Alex Ovechkin's scoring struggles over the past year-plus, contrasted by Crosby's spectacular half-season cut short by a concussion, leading to his recent triumphant return, is there any doubt that Crosby has upped the ante even further on his best-player status? But what if your mission is to beat Crosby and the Penguins, a rather formidable obstacle in the NHL's Eastern Conference? Would you then worship at the Church of Sidney? Of course not. More likely, you blaspheme upon the altar of No. 87. More likely, a rival would bristle at the idea that Hockey Night In Canada would, spur-of-the-moment, snap up a Penguins-New York Islanders broadcast simply because Crosby was returning to action after nearly 11 months on the sidelines while treating a concussion. A rival might be annoyed at getting all but ignored during a game broadcast that breathlessly highlights Sid's every move, on and off the ice, on the morning of the game, during the game and post-game. And what if Crosby were to smack one of your players in the mouth during a goal-crease scrum? Judging by the reaction of Senators general manager Bryan Murray to Crosby's hit on Ottawa winger Nick Foligno, underlying resentment of Sid the Kid Crosby can boil over quickly. To set the scene: Foligno, who had been wearing out Penguins goaltender Marc-Andr Fleury during a 6-3 Pittsburgh victory on Friday, crashes over top of him a final time, whereupon Crosby gives him a couple of solid crosschecks before throwing a swift forearm up at Foligno's face. Without question, the Penguins should have received an extra minor there instead of the even-up call, because Crosby alone probably earned a double-minor and then Chris Kunitz comes screaming into view to fire another shot at Foligno. So, there was that beef, not much, really, in the big picture of a game already long over on the scoreboard. All in all, it was your garden-variety goalmouth scrum. Flip on your TV tonight and you'll see something similar. But with Crosby involved, the Senators quickly painted the scenario as Crosby being a hypocrite because he spoke out against head shots. Umm, that's a stretch. Crosby was talking about open-ice targeted head hits, presumably like the Penguins own Matt Cooke laid on an unsuspecting Marc Savard, a predatory hit that led to Savard's premature retirement from the game. What Crosby gave Foligno - who had to know some retribution was coming - was a hard forearm to the jaw of a player that just fell all over a pretty good goaltender. I've looked at the replay over and over. There is no elbow involved, despite the elbowing call, but it is a solid shot to the jaw/mouth of Foligno. Initially, it looked like a butt end. But it's clear Crosby strikes him with his forearm, toward the top of the hockey glove. A head shot? If that is a head shot, then every face wash, every jab to the mouth, and virtually every hockey fight is a head shot (a topic for another day). The Foligno statements maligning Crosby for not practising what he preached this summer were strongly rebutted by Crosby on Saturday.

2. Barbecue sauce, as captured by HBO, will always be a part of his legacy. Sorry, but thats just the way it is. And honestly, as much as he was loved in Washington, he was often mocked and insulted in other cities. Will be interesting to see how hes received in his next home city, because there will be a next. 1. Seriously, there will never, ever be a better local ad campaign than this one, with Boudreau doing bird calls. I know about the Hadeed Carpet stuff, and I know there were others, but this is where Boudreaus off-ice personality shined brightest. (As a final note, when he was trying to win hockey games and establish himself and talk about hockey, Boudreau would answer every dumb question I ever threw at him, often with spontaneous and perfect wit. It was always appreciated.) Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011

591164

Ottawa Senators

Scanlan: Crosby under Sens' collective skin

By Wayne Scanlan

"I don't know what he's talking about. I was preaching about the hits like (Max Pacioretty's hit on Kris Letang on Saturday), not a scrum," Crosby said. "I don't know what he expects after he runs a goalie three times." A day later, Murray leapt into the fray, still hot, suggesting he might need to recruit the armed forces (namely injured defenceman Matt Carkner and winger Chris Neil, fighters both) for the next Sens-Pens game, Dec. 16 in Ottawa. You know, just to flex a little more muscle. It reminds me of a colleague who used to cover the CFL and wouldn't relent until he found a player to vow about the upcoming game: "It's going to be a war!" Take this rhetoric for what it is - agenda-driven business. Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma would have Foligno labelled a serial crease-crasher, so officials are alerted. Murray doesn't want Crosby receiving special treatment. Roundtable discussion to be resumed Dec. 16th. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.29.2011

But he's at the point where he needs a goal or two, even if his game contains some mistakes. "(Scoring's) a big part of it, but hopefully it's going to start working," he said. "I just don't want to get stressed about it. "I'm still thinking and hoping that I'll start scoring and get some points. It's a pretty different thing to feel confident (in the AHL) and to feel confident here. I feel confident here, also, but it's a good league and goalies are extremely good. "I'm not being really frustrated, but of course it's a big thing and you need to score, especially when you're playing with guys like Spezza and on the power play." Spezza started the season with Filatov on a wing, so the players are developing some familiarity and he feels they can make something of their emerging chemistry. "Me and (Greening) have great chemistry and have played together now for a good chunk of last season and the start of the this year, so we read off each other really well," said Spezza. "If we can help (Filatov) find the back of the net and give him some confidence, we have a chance to be a good line." While Filatov might be a little nervous knowing that this trial is going to last only so long, Spezza isn't. Lines get shuffled all the time. If this works, then everyone wins. So it doesn't feel funny being part of this experiment. "I think every line is in a trial period," he said. "If you have one or two bad games, you end up being switched anyway so I won't approach it that way. "I think maybe for (Filatov) he may approach it that way. But for me, it's just a different guy on the right side and we want to make it work as quickly as possible, and try to give our team success. "If we can be a good line, and (Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, and Nick Foligno) can be a good line, that'll give us two No. 1 lines." Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.29.2011

591165

Ottawa Senators

Filatov gets another audition on Sens' top line

By Allen Panzeri

WINNIPEG - Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean was pleased with Nikita Filatov's effort in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. He did "a lot of the things" the coaches would like to see him do when he has the puck. He skated well, created the odd chance, including a two-onone he probably should have scored on, and even forechecked. So that's a start. Now, though, the 21-year-old Filatov has to do what's going to keep him in the NHL: put up goals and assists. As part of the audition that will either see him earn a permanent spot on the Ottawa roster or pack his bags for a return to Russia, Filatov is occupying some pricey real estate on the first line with Jason Spezza and Colin Greening. But the NHL is nothing if not Darwinian. If Filatov doesn't produce, someone else is going to get a chance in that spot. Players and coaches get measured by results. That point was soberly made again Monday when Carolina Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice and Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau were fired. So while he liked the way Filatov played on Sunday, MacLean added an important postscript. "(Filatov) has to earn his way there," he said. "We're giving him that opportunity again. He's earned it with the way he's gone to Binghamton (of the American Hockey League) and worked on his game.

591166

Ottawa Senators

Sens GM: Cone of silence on Crosby

By DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

WINNIPEG - Bryan Murray has taken verbal shots at Sidney Crosby since the Penguins superstar broke into the NHL seven seasons ago - or at least so says Sidney Crosby. Murray is saying nothing anymore. Speaking to reporters Monday, Crosby was asked about comments Murray made the day before, which was a response to comments Crosby made in response to comments Nick Foligno had made about an elbow he took in the chops from Crosby Friday night in Pittsburgh. Follow? Murray said, with a sarcastic interpretation of Crosby's defence of his actions, that "an elbow to the head and a butt end to the head is fair game" if a player falls into a goalie, as Foligno did to Marc-Andre Fleury. Asked by a reporter about the verbal shot from Murray, Crosby wasn't surprised. "He's been doing that since my first year," said Crosby. "That's nothing new." After the Senators practice at the MTS Centre, Murray was told about Crosby's accusation, but he refused to comment. Others remembered only two previous times that Murray said anything negative about Crosby - once after Crosby delivered what Murray thought was a cheapshot on thenSenator Patrick Eaves, and again when Murray thought Crosby was doing too much whining to referees. Asked about Murray's view on the elbow to Foligno, Crosby said. "I heard about it. I think it's getting blown way out of proportion. It's ridiculous. It's a play that happens in every game.

"He has the skill level of a top-six forward, and we don't have a lot of that on our team, so we want to make sure we give him the opportunity to show that he can do it, and that he wants to." Filatov maintains he's got the motivational part of the equation covered. Yes, he wants to do it. He wants to be in the NHL. But what's starting to worry him is whether he can - score in the NHL, that is. Scoring has come easily for him in the AHL, where he has seven goals and five assists in 15 games, but he has yet to score a goal for the Senators in the NHL. During training camp, he had three assists, and in seven regular-season games, he has just one assist. He said sometimes it can be a consolation, like it was on Sunday, to know that you've played a good game even if you don't get a point.

"I guess the fact that it's me it gets dissected and analyzed 100 times more, but I really think they're making something out of nothing. If they really want to keep beating it around they can, but I don't have really anything else to say about it. I think it's ridiculous we're still talking about it three days later, to be honest." Maybe, but the traffic around the nets could become an interesting sidebar when Senators and Penguins meet in Ottawa Dec. 16. Same with the postgame quotes. NICK AND NIK Now trying to fill what's been a void on the Senators for seasons is Nick Foligno, who played between Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek Sunday and will do so again Tuesday against the Jets. Foligno was a centre all his life before arriving in the NHL. "I really enjoyed it," said Foligno, who was a decent 5-3 in the faceoff circle, where he's been getting some tutoring from Zenon Konopka. "I like that position. It's funny for me, I was telling the guys, I'm so used to being the first guy in on the forecheck (as a left winger) and as centre you're kind of the third guy coming out of the zone, so that was a little different, but I liked it and I'm thankful they had enough confidence in me to put me there. Hopefully I can continue to do a good job." Foligno, who also has grown quite fond of life as a left winger, could have his audition in the middle last until Peter Regin returns from his shoulder injury, or the Senators make a trade ... A game after colliding into Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury a couple of times, Foligno was getting an earful from Carolina 'tender Cam Ward on Sunday. Foligno said he couldn't understand what Ward was saying to him, and that he has not made it his goal to become the most despised forward by the men in masks - even if it is starting to look that way. "I've made it my goal to be around the net more," he said. "I think you're going to score if you're around the net. When I scored 17 (in 2008-09) it's something Paul (MacLean) and I talked about, I was around the net a lot more. It's something I got away from a little bit, and I wanted to get back there. It's not my intent to run anyone, but you want to make it hard on them to make saves. Being around the net you're going to get more rebounds and more chances to score." ... One game back in the NHL and Nikita Filatov was being asked about when he's going to finally start scoring at this level. He had seven goals, along with five assists, in 15 games for Binghamton, but in seven games for Ottawa (counting an early season stint) he has been held to just one assist. "I just don't want to get stressed about it," Filatov said after practice at the MTS Centre Monday. "Of course I'm still thinking and hoping I am going to start scoring, and getting some points. It's a big thing, especially when you're playing with a guy like (Jason) Spezza. Obviously I need to start doing it." Asked what he was going to do on a rare night he wasn't playing in a game - Filatov's stretch of 4-in-4 ended Sunday - he looked at teammate Kaspars Daugavins. "We did have a pretty good practice," he said. "Now I'm going to go have a little rest, and then go out with my Latvian friend and have a good dinner. Relax, get some rest...maybe watch the football game." The Jets should see a rejuvenated Filatov Tuesday. ROMANCING THE STONE Hockey Canada has included Senators prospect Mark Stone among the 41 players invited to attend the national junior team selection camp. It was an obvious choice. Stone, the Senators sixth-round pick in 2010, has had an incredible start to the season. Through 28 games, he leads the league in scoring with 58 points, on 24 goals and 34 assists. "Still over two points a game...it's amazing what he's doing," said Senators assistant GM Tim Murray. "You have some big nights, but to do it night after night after night is a credit to the kid." Stone attended Ottawa's camp in September, then returned to coach Cory Clouston and the Brandon Wheat Kings to work on his skating. "He knows the one thing he has to do is get quicker, and strengthen his core to be an NHL player," said Murray. "Everything he has done so far...he's almost like the poster boy for the rest of our prospects. If you do this, this happens. So he's a good example for everbody else." Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

WINNIPEG - For at least a few moments, the night after a rough day on the NHL coaching fraternity will be a good one for Paul MacLean. Of anybody to stand behind a visitors bench this season, he should get the loudest ovation. In Winnipeg, the Senators coach has returned to his old stomping grounds, his home for seven years in the 1980s. MacLean played 527 of his NHL games for the Jets. During that time he had 518 points, of which 248 were goals. He was a star. "The fans here treated me real good," MacLean said Monday, before mentioning a familiar face from a wall on the old Winnipeg Arena days that didn't make it to the new MTS Centre. "The only thing for me is that I miss the Queen." The knowledgeable legions didn't always applaud MacLean, he pointed out. "I got my share of boos," he said. "I got cheered lots, too. I had no complaints at all. I figure I got what I deserved. Seven years I played here, I thought it was real fair." Why did they give it to MacLean, who three times scored 40 goals for the Jets? "What do they usually boo you for?" he said. "You're not playing real well. "I thought the fans were always honest with me. Told me the way it was. I had a good time. It was a good stop." Asked his best memory as a Jet, MacLean didn't hesitate. "Beating Calgary in the first round of the playoffs, I believe it was in '85," he said. "To win the first playoff series and the only one that I ever won in the league, so that was real good. Had a lot of other nights when I scored some goals or I had 100 points or played in an all-star game, but to actually have success in the playoffs was the biggest thing for me." MacLean, who still has plenty of friends and his wife's family in Winnipeg, had a tough decision to make Monday night. "It's a hard toss up for me, Rae and Jerrys or Hys," he said with a laugh, when asked of his dinner plans. On the hockey front, he's electing to go with Craig Anderson in goal, despite the fact Alex Auld played four seasons here with the Manitoba Moose. It's a big one for the Senators, as they try to climb two games over .500 and back into a Top 8 spot while winning for a coach they respect, admire and genuinely like. And they'll be doing so just 200 km down the road from where there old coach - Brandon Wheat Kings bench boss Cory Clouston - now works. MacLean was reminded of the reality of his job when two coaches - Bruce Boudreau in Washington and Paul Maurice in Carolina - were fired Monday. Not that he needed it. "I remind myself of that every day," he said. "That I'm pretty fortunate to have the job that I have. All it does is motivate me to come and keep working hard at my job." Does he think he's getting better? "I don't assess myself that way, but we feel our team is doing better," he said. "We're working as a group and we feel real good." Ottawa Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

591168 591167 Ottawa Senators

Philadelphia Flyers

Pronger to have knee surgery, miss 4 weeks Happy Jets memories for Senators coach By FRANK SERAVALLI By DON BRENNAN, QMI Agency

THE NEXT TIME Chris Pronger steps onto the ice in a Flyers uniform might well be inside the frozen confines of Citizens Bank Park on Jan. 2 in the Winter Classic. That's because Pronger will undergo surgery this afternoon to remove loose bodies in his left knee after sitting out the last week with an unrelated virus. The Flyers hoped the four games he missed with the virus would give his knee enough time to heal. Pronger is expected to miss approximately 4 weeks. "This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him that's been nagging," general manager Paul Holmgren said in a conference call. "He's been playing through it up until this recent bout with a virus. "We kind of believed that through continuing rehabilitation that he's been doing on that - that he does on a daily basis, anyway - and some medicine that it would start to feel better. Some of the loose bodies in there are becoming a little bit of an issue, and we felt it was better to get it taken care of now." Holmgren called this surgery, Pronger's sixth surgical procedure in a 16month span, "a maintenance thing more than anything." It is important to point out that when Pronger had a similar knee operation in July 2010, he missed the entire 2010-11 training camp in September and the first two games of the season. Pronger, 37, already has sat out 11 games this season with various injuries, and he missed 32 games last season. He still has 5 years remaining on a 7year, $34.5 million extension he signed in 2009. When Pronger has been healthy this season, he has been a force. He has 12 points in 13 games and was on pace for his best offensive season in more than a decade. Holmgren said he is not worried about Pronger's future health, as his knee structure is "fine" and there is "plenty" of cartilage on both sides of the knee. Pronger was not available for comment yesterday. "We're worried, because he's going under surgery, yes," Holmgren said. "But long-term, I still think Chris has a lot of miles left on his body. I think this time, the only thing we can go by is what doctors tell us, and it's just a question of cleaning up some of those bodies. "And based on the way he takes care of himself and prepares, I think he'll be fine." The important question is whether the Flyers will be fine until Pronger returns. They're already missing Andreas Lilja, also 36, for the next 6 weeks with a severe high-ankle sprain. Both players will be added to the long-term injured reserve today to give the team a cushion on salary cap. For the short term, not only has HBO lost a top character in its "24/7 Road to the Winter Classic" reality series, but the Flyers are in a world of hurt on defense. For now, they have recalled defenseman Kevin Marshall from Adirondack, and he will temporarily round out the defensive roster with fellow rookie Marc-Andre Bourdon. For the long term, Holmgren likely needs to make a trade to bring in depth replacements. It's tough to be successful on a nightly basis while asking two rookies to play nearly 30 minutes per game. Other defensemen with experience in the system - such as Matt Walker and Oskars Bartulis - would first need to clear re-entry waivers, where they would be subject to a claim at half their salary-cap price. Bartulis, 24, almost surely would be claimed for $300,000 and the Flyers would be stuck with the other $300,000 as a salary-cap penalty without anything to show for it. With Pronger and Lilja on the long-term injured reserve - where they will need to remain parked for the next 10 games or 25 days - Holmgren will have about $4.28 million in cap space to acquire a player or two. That number could grow to more than $5 million if Andreas Nodl, who also was waived yesterday, is claimed on waivers or sent back to Adirondack. "We're talking about a lot of things in here," Holmgren said when asked about a trade possibility. "I think initially we'll just recall Kevin and try to figure out where we're at at that point." Schenn recalled With room to fit him under the salary cap, the Flyers recalled forward Brayden Schenn, who was sent to Adirondack last week after nursing a foot fracture for 4 weeks.

Schenn had two goals and two assists in three games last weekend for the Phantoms. He is still searching for his first NHL goal. Nodl waived Forward Andreas Nodl was placed on waivers only 2 days after leaving the Flyers' loss to the Rangers with an upper-body injury. Holmgren said he was "fine" after getting checked out by team doctors on Sunday. Nodl, 24, has one assist in 12 games. He had 22 points in 67 contests last year. Aside from being a healthy scratch, Nodl has dealt with three to four separate injuries this season. "Andreas hasn't played much," Holmgren said. "We'll just gauge interest and see what happens. We'll decide his fate tomorrow after we find out whether he clears or not." Slap shots Nursing an aggravated groin injury, Jaromir Jagr skated by himself, and the Flyers are "taking it a day at a time with him," Holmgren said. Jagr could play Friday in Anaheim . . . James van Riemsdyk (upper body) did not skate. Holmgren said he is a "longshot" to play this weekend, but will know more about his status today after visiting doctors . . . The Rangers unveiled their Winter Classic jersey yesterday, an off-white vintage look with their 1926 logo . . . After Jody Shelley said Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky "plays like a little weasel" in HBO's preview, Dubinsky fired back in the New York Daily News, saying, "It won't be long before [Shelley] is out of the league, because he's a terrible hockey player." Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591169 Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers' Pronger to miss four weeks with knee injury

By Sam Carchidi

It turns out captain Chris Pronger's virus wasn't the only thing holding the star defenseman back, as the Flyers led everyone to believe. On Monday, the club announced that the often-injured Pronger will undergo surgery on his left knee and miss four more weeks. It will be Pronger's fifth surgery in the last 16 months. During that span, he has had surgery on his foot, back, hand and other knee. General manager Paul Holmgren downplayed the severity of the latest surgery, saying it was a "maintenance" procedure to "get him a little more comfortable," and that Pronger would have "loose bodies" cleaned up inside the knee. "The structure of the knee is fine. He's got good cartilage on both sides of the knee," Holmgren said. Pronger had some "loose bodies" removed in his right knee on July 27, 2010, and he didn't get into the lineup until Oct. 11, missing the first two games of the season. This season, Pronger has missed 10 games, including six after he took a stick to his eye. The Flyers are 5-4-1 without him this year. In the last two seasons, Pronger has missed 42 regular-season games; the Flyers have won just 21 of them. Pronger, 37, has been sidelined the last four games with a virus. "We were hopeful with the time missed with a virus, things would settle down in his knee," Holmgren said. But that didn't happen. It appears Pronger will play in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 against the New York Rangers. But 24/7 - the HBO series that leads up to the game probably won't feature much of Pronger's biting, sarcastic humor. Pronger's surgery will be performed by Peter DeLuca. Holmgren said Pronger has been bothered by a nagging, sore knee for about a month. "He's been playing through it until this recent bout with his virus," the general manager said.

After Pronger had an MRI on Sunday, "we decided it was time to get this taken care of," Holmgren said. Asked if he was worried that Pronger's age was catching up with Pronger, Holmgren said: "Chris is a player who takes good care of himself, does the proper rehabilitation and conditioning to stay in top shape. I think this time, the only thing we can do is go by what the doctor tells us . . . and it's just a question of cleaning some of those [loose] bodies." Holmgren said the organization was "worried because he's going under surgery, but long term, I still think Chris has lots of miles left on his body." Holmgren also announced that forward Brayden Schenn was recalled from Adirondack and that winger Andreas Nodl was placed on waivers. Defenseman Kevin Marshall, who played against the Rangers on Saturday and then was sent to the Phantoms, was also recalled. If Nodl clears waivers Tuesday, the Flyers will decide whether to keep him on their roster or demote him to the Phantoms. For the time being, the Flyers' defense will include two rookies, Marshall and Marc-Andre Bourdon. The defense will be anchored by veterans Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle and Andrej Meszaros. Pronger and defenseman Andreas Lilja (ankle) will go on the long-term injured list, giving the Flyers about $4.3 million in cap space. Holmgren may explore the trade market for a proven defenseman. He also might try to sneak the Phantoms' Matt Walker ($1.7 million cap hit) through reentry waivers and back to the Flyers. Another team could claim Walker for half the price, prorated by the number of games remaining. It is likely the Flyers will add a defenseman before they play in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday; they do not want to be so far away with just six healthy defensemen. In other matters, winger Jaromir Jagr, rehabbing after a groin injury, skated Monday, and there is a chance he will play Friday. James van Riemsdyk, another injured winger, is a longshot to play this weekend, according to Holmgren. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591170 Philadelphia Flyers

Jaromir Jagr, rehabbing after a groin injury, sklated Monday and there is a chance he will play Friday in Anaheim. James van Riemsdyk, another injured winger, is a longshot to play this weekend, Holmgren said. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591171 Philadelphia Flyers

Pronger to have knee surgery; Trade coming?

Posted by Frank Seravalli

After missing the last 4 games with a virus, Flyers captain Chris Pronger will have surgery on his left knee on Tuesday afternoon. No, that is not a misprint. Pronger will have surgery tomorrow afternoon to "clean out some loose particles," according to general manager Paul Holmgren. "This has been an issue for the last month or so," Holmgren said. "We thought that through his rehabilitation on a daily basis that he would start to feel better. He had another MRI on his knee and we felt that it would be better to get it taken care of now." Pronger, 37, is expected to miss 4 weeks. That would pinpoint a return just before the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Park. "We were hopeful that the time missed with a virus that Chris has been fighting would settle things down in his knee, but after an examination yesterday, it was decided that surgery is the way to go at this time," Holmgren said. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Peter DeLuca. But what does all of this mean for the Flyers roster in the short-term? Andreas Lilja is out for the next 6 weeks with a high ankle sprain. Pronger will miss a month. Both players will be moved to the long-term injured list "today or tomorrow," according to Holmgren, clearing their salaries off the cap for replacements. For now, the Flyers are sticking with rookies Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall. That does not rule out a trade on the horizon. Pronger's $4.94 million salary cap hit alone provides plenty of room for a trade without the need to remove salary. A rough estimate has the Flyers' salary cap cushion (without Lilja, Pronger and Andreas Nodl - see below) at $4.28M. "There are a lot of things going on in here today," Holmgren said when asked about the need for replacements via trade.

Pronger undergoing knee surgery; Schenn recalled, Nodl placed on waivers

Staff

It turns out Chris Pronger's virus wasn't the only thing holding him back, as the Flyers led everyone to believe. On Monday, the club announced that the often-injured Pronger will undergo left-knee surgery and miss four more weeks. It will be Pronger's fifth surgery in the last 16 months. Pronger, 37, has missed 10 games this season, including six after he took a stick to his eye. The Flyers are 5-4-1 without him this year. He missed 32 regular-season games last season. In the last two seasons, Pronger has missed 42 games; the Flyers have won only 21 of them. It appears Pronger will play in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. "We were hopeful with the time missed with a virus, things would settle down in his knee," GM Paul Holmgren said. But that didn't happen. Holmgren said Pronger would have some "loose bodies" cleaned out; he called the surgery a "maintenance" procedure and said the knee was otherwise sound. Holmgren also announced that Brayden Schenn would be recalled from the Phantoms, and that Andreas Nodl was placed on waivers. Pronger and Andreas Lilja will go on the long-term injured list.

And what does this injury mean for Pronger in the long haul? Pronger has already missed 10 games this season. He missed 32 games last season. This will be Pronger's sixth surgery since July, 2010 - less than a year and a half's time. He still has 5 years remaining on his 7-year, $34.5 million deal. Overall, Holmgren isn't worried about Pronger's future. "I think any time a player has surgery, you're concerned, whether it's an older player like Chris or a younger player," Holmgren said. "But I think he takes good care of himself with proper rehabilitation and conditioning. The only thing you can go by is what the doctor tells you. This is really more a maintenance procedure than anything else. "The structure of his knee is just fine. He has good cartilege on both sides of his knee. I think he has a lot of miles left in his body." When Pronger, who still leads the Flyers in minutes per game this season, has been healthy, he has been a force. His 12 points in 13 games had him on pace for his best offensive season in more than a decade. SCHENN RE-CALLED: Forward Brayden Schenn, who was sent to Adirondack last week after recovering from a fracture in his foot, was conveniently in Philadelphia today for a follow-up visit with his doctor. He will remain with the team now that they have the salary cap room to hold his $1.76 million salary. Schenn played another 3 games with the Phantoms, collecting 2 goals and 2 assists. He is still searching for his first NHL goal.

NODL WAIVED: Forward Andreas Nodl was put on waivers on Monday, as Holmgren confirmed a report from TSN's Bob McKenzie. "Andreas hasn't really played much," Holmgren said, "So this will gauge interest in him from around the league. [Tuesday] we will see what we're going to do, whether we send him down or he stays on the roster." Nodl, 24, has 1 assist in 12 games this season. He has been both a healthy scratch and has sat out with a myriad of 3 or 4 injuries. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591172 Philadelphia Flyers

2: Coaches in the NHL who lost their job on Monday morning. Bruce Boudreau was canned in Washington after George McPhee said the players stopped responding to him. Paul Maurice was fired for the second time in Carolina after accumulating 20 points in 25 games. Former Flyers nemesis Dale Hunter takes over as the Caps head coach after a decade behind the bench in the OHL. The Hurricanes made a bold move to hire former player Kirk Muller for his first NHL head coaching job. 1: Guy who shouldnt answer the phone: Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle. He is next. Only the Blue Jackets are worse than the Ducks (6-13-4) this season. OCCUPATIONAL HAZARD: Since we wrote today about how the Flyers have handled goaltending, former Flyer Brian Boucher - who knows the circus in Philadelphias crease quite well - is fine after recovering from a scary situation in Carolina on Friday night. Backing up Cam Ward, Boucher was minding his own business on the Hurricanes bench when he was struck in the face with an errant puck. Boucher was not wearing his helmet on the bench. He told the Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer that the puck hit him flush in the temple and didnt hit a bone or break skin. Boucher did not return to the bench during the game but practiced on Saturday. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.29.2011 591173 Philadelphia Flyers

Season by the numbers

Posted by Frank Seravalli

With the Flyers enjoying their second-longest layoff of the season between games - and no practice for the second day in a row - here is a look at the team by numbers: (All stats are through Sundays action) 11,718: Miles the Flyers will fly in the month of December (including return trips home) before playing the Rangers in the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at Citizens Bank Park. That is just 2,987 less miles than they will fly in January, February, March and April combined. 34,193: Total number of miles flown by the Flyers this entire season. 19.1: Max Talbots team-high shooting percentage, barely nudging out Claude Girouxs 19.1 percent. The difference, though, is that Giroux has taken 37 more shots than Talbot. 16.8: League-high penalty minutes per game. Flyers also have a 124 minor penalties, most in the NHL. 100 percent: Kimmo Timonens face-off percentage on his 1 draw this season. He is one of only 6 defensemen in NHL to take a face-off this season. 481: Hits for the Flyers this season, 17th in NHL. Thats 20.9 hits per game. 1: Goals scored for the Flyers in the shootout this season. Theyve gone to the shootout just once (Nov. 3 vs. NJ) and lost. Danny Briere has the teams only shootout goal and overtime goal (Nov. 23 at NYI) Plus-10: Scott Hartnells team-high plus/minus rating. 2-3-0: Record over the last 5 games. They are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games. 29: Goals in the first period this season, more than any other team. 21: Matt Carles team-high giveaways this season. 6-1-3: Record in one-goal games, 8th in NHL. 6-4-3: Home record, tied for worst among NHL playoff teams if playoffs were to start today. 5: Power play goals for Scott Hartnell, one more than he has at even strength. 29: Rank among teams in face-off percentage (664-for-1427, 46.9 percent). Claude Giroux has won 75 percent of his face-offs (39-for-52) over the last 3 games. Giroux has also taken a team-high 33 percent of the Flyers faceoffs. 8: Shots Sean Couturier has missed the net on 44 attempts, a pretty low number. 352: Blocked shots this season, 6th in NHL. 3.48: Goals per game, tops in the NHL. 80 goals scored in 23 games, 1 more than the Blackhawks 79 in 24 games. 3: Misconducts for Zac Rinaldo this season, two more than the rest of his teammates combined. Rinaldo leads the league with 82 penalty minutes, 4 more than Ottawas Zenon Konopka, a player who Rinaldo has fought this season.

Pronger to undergo knee surgery, out 4 weeks

By Wayne Fish

Chris Pronger is no stranger to the vagaries of surgery, so when it came time to make a decision on his sore left knee, he waited just about as long as he could. Ultimately, even a week of rest mandated by a nagging virus that kept him out of action anyway didn't do enough to keep him away from the option of an operation. The Flyers announced on Monday that the 37-year-old defenseman will undergo surgery Tuesday and will miss approximately four weeks. Team orthopedic surgeon Peter DeLuca will do the honors. "This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him that's been nagging,'' general manager Paul Holmgren stated in a conference call. "He's been playing through it up until this recent bout with his virus. "We kind of believed that through continuing the rehabilitation that he's been doing on that, that he does on a daily basis anyway, and some medicine, that it would start to feel better.'' Tests showed some work needed to be done. "Chris saw the doctor yesterday and had another MRI, and we just decided that this was the time to go ahead and get this taken care of,'' Holmgren said. "Some of the loose bodies in there are becoming a little bit of an issue, and we felt it was better to get it taken care of now." The captain has been plagued by injury problems over the past two years, having surgery for a knee, his back, his hand and a foot. He also missed two weeks of action due to an eye injury this season. Despite the litany of problems, Holmgren is optimistic Pronger has a lot of playing time left in his career. He's signed for this year and four more. "Any time a player has surgery, there's concern, whether he's an older player like Chris or a younger player,'' Holmgren said. "I do think Chris is a player that takes good care of himself, looks after himself, does the proper rehabilitation and conditioning to stay in top shape. "I think this time, the only thing we can go by is what the doctors tell us, and it's just a question of cleaning up some of those bodies. The structure of his knee is fine, he's got good cartilage on both sides of that knee, so this is just kind of a maintenance thing more than anything, and to get him a little more comfortable.'' Pronger has been playing through the pain and the injury might be affecting his mobility a bit.

"He'd been playing with some discomfort in that knee, apparently, and Dr. DeLuca believes if we just get this done now and take care of it, we can get him back playing in four weeks time and he'll be good to go,'' Holmgren said. "We're worried because he's going under surgery, yes, but long-term I still think Chris has a lot of miles left on his body, and based on his attitude about this and the way he takes care of himself and prepares, I think he'll be fine." Holmgren insisted Pronger's bout with a virus, not his knee, caused him to sit out the past week-plus. "The reason he missed games was because of the virus,'' Holmgren said. "This came up just recently, yesterday, and we decided the best way to attack this is with surgery now. But he'd been missing games because of the virus. It had nothing to do with his knee." The GM said if Pronger's knee hadn't started to act up, he might have been able to play last Friday against Montreal. With Pronger out for a substantial amount of time, Holmgren will try to cover his spot with prospect Kevin Marshall, who's seen a couple games on recalls from Adirondack. Schenn up, Nodl waived Holmgren disclosed that Brayden Schenn, who's been playing in Adirondack as he recovers from a fractured foot, has been recalled to the Flyers and Andreas Nodl has been put on waivers. "Andreas hasn't played as much,'' Holmgren said. "We'll just gauge interest and see what happens. At some point tomorrow, if he clears waivers, we'll see what we're going to do with him if we send him down or just keep him. But we'll decide his fate tomorrow after we find out whether he clears or not." As for Schenn, the Flyers are hoping to finally get the prospect the centerpiece of the Mike Richards trade rolling. "He was in town today to get a follow-up on his foot with Dr. (Steven) Raikin and everything looks good there,'' Holmgren said. "He made it through the three games (with the Phantoms), so we will recall him." Also, defenseman Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) will go on long-term injured reserve. Jagr, van Riemsdyk updates Holmgren said Jaromir Jagr (groin) skated on Monday and believes there's a chance he could play this weekend, either in Anaheim on Friday or Phoenix on Saturday. James Van Riemsdyk (upper body injury) did not skate and probably won't play this weekend. "He (JVR) wasn't doing too good today,'' Holmgren said. Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591174 Philadelphia Flyers

"But Chris saw the doctor yesterday and had another MRI, and we just decided that this was the time to go ahead and get this taken care of. Some of the loose bodies in there are becoming a little bit of an issue, and we felt it was better to get it taken care of now." Holmgren said it's likely Pronger will go on long-term injury reserve. Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591175 Philadelphia Flyers

Winter Classic alumni rosters talent-laden

Wayne Fish

If I were Flyers Alumni head coach Pat Quinn, here are the lines I would put together for the big game against the New York Rangers in the Winter Classic Alumni Game on Dec. 31: The legendary Bob Clarke-Bill Barber-Reggie Leach unit is a given. But then comes decision-making time. Since Mikael Renberg cant make it, theres a right wing vacancy on the Legion of Doom line of Eric Lindros and John LeClair. Two good right-hand shooting replacement candidates would be Rick Tocchet and Jeremy Roenick. I would give Tocchet the nod, partly because hes a natural right wing (Roenick is a center) and he spent much more time in a Flyers uniform for his career. Instead, I would build a third line with Roenick at center, Brian Propp on left wing and Mark Recchi on right. Another line could feature three centers: Dave Poulin, Ken Linseman and Orest Kindrachuk. Shjon Podein, Al Hill and Jim Dowd are worthy reserves. My defense pairings: Mark Howe and Kjell Samuelsson, Eric Desjardins and Chris Therien, Derian Hatcher and Joe Watson, Brad Marsh and Terry Carkner, with Larry Goodenough in reserve. Im guessing Neil Little will get the start over fellow goalie Mark Laforest. Meanwhile, the Rangers will bring plenty of talent of their own, although notable among the missing are former superstars Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. The Blueshirts will have Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch and AllStar goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. Others confirmed to play: Glenn Anderson, Dan Blackburn, Paul Broten, Ron Duguay, Nick Fotiu, Mike Gartner, Adam Graves, Ron Greschner, Pat Hickey, Darius Kasparaitis, Kris King, Nick Kypreos, Tom Laidlaw, Darren Langdon, Dave Maloney, Stephane Matteau, Brian Mullen, Dale Purinton, Mathieu Schneider and Darren Turcotte. Mike Keenan will coach the Blueshirts.

Pronger to have knee surgery, out four weeks

Wayne Fish

Worthy candidates Although the Flyers might not be getting much respect at the NHL All-Star Game ballot box, some hockey observers are giving them decent props. TSN (The Sports Network) of Canada, regarded as one of the sports best evaluators, recently made Claude Giroux its MVP for the first quarter of the season. Also, one of its columnists made Matt Read his early favorite to win the Calder Trophy (best rookie). Giroux scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season in Fridays 3-1 win over Montreal, keeping him just behind Torontos Phil Kessel for the NHL scoring lead. TSN put Giroux ahead of Kessel and Anze Kopitar of Los Angeles for the MVP lead. Read holds the rookie lead in goal scoring and ranks along with teammate Sean Couturier for the plus/minus lead. Last week, the NHL made Read one of its three stars of the week.

Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger will have surgery performed on his left knee and will be out approximately four weeks, the Flyers announced on Monday. Pronger had been recovering from a virus the past week and the Flyers had hoped that the rest would allow his sore knee to respond. But on Sunday it was decided to go the surgery route. "This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him that's been nagging,'' general manager Paul Holmgren said in a conference call. "He's been playing through it up until this recent bout with his virus. We kind of believed that through continuing the rehabilitation that he's been doing on that, that he does on a daily basis anyway, and some medicine, that it would start to feel better.

Also, Flyers coach Peter Laviolette was listed as second behind Floridas first-year man Kevin Dineen for early contenders for the Jack Adams Trophy (best coach). Penalty problem One obvious make that very obvious problem in this mostly problemfree first quarter for the Flyers was penalties. Too many, of course, and, specifically, too many of the unnecessary variety. The Flyers lead the league in penalties taken, minor penalties and continue to be ranked among the most times shorthanded. Laviolette could resort to that old tactic of reducing ice time or totally benching repeat offenders, if only he werent saddled with a crazy amount of injuries. Its difficult to sit some regulars with Andreas Nodl, Jody Shelley, Harry Zolnierczyk and Zac Rinaldo already in the lineup. Granted, the Flyers do play a physical style. But when the penalties mount up and the penalty killing begins to wear thin, problems result. Going into Saturdays 2-0 loss to the Rangers, the Flyers had given up six power-play goals in their last three games. Sure enough, New Yorks first goal was on a power play. The Flyers were fortunate enough to have won two of those games. But the season is young and the last thing you want is to burn out guys like Giroux in situations where hes unlikely to score. Plus, you drain energy from the bench when youre constantly shorthanded. Perhaps captain Chris Pronger should step in (if he hasnt already behind closed doors) and express his opinion. The message: No cheap stuff. This team has the talent to play an aggressive style without the borderline hooks and high sticks. Maybe a reminder is needed. Burlington County Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591176 Philadelphia Flyers

Were worried because hes (having) surgery, yes, but long-term I still think Chris has a lot of miles left on his body, and based on his attitude about this and the way he takes care of himself and prepares, I think hell be fine. Holmgren insisted Pronger would have been playing in the games he missed despite the knee injury if it werent for the virus. The reason he missed games was because of the virus, Holmgren said. This (knee situation) came up just recently (Sunday) and we decided the best way to attack this is with surgery now. Hed been missing games with the virus. It had nothing to do with the knee. The Flyers are likely going have to pursue the possibility of trading for a veteran defenseman this week, as the team isnt comfortable going through a hefty segment of the season with Phantoms call ups Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall (who is being recalled). Holmgren added that Pronger and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) will both be placed on the long-term injury list, which means they must miss a minimum of 10 games or 25 days, whichever comes first. Combine that with the placing of forward Andreas Nodl on waivers and the Flyers suddenly have a lot of salary allowance to play with. The Flyers have $4,261,767 in available space, and thats after recalling Marshall and Brayden Schenn, who is ready to return to the lineup from his broken left foot. If Nodl is claimed on waivers or sent back to the Phantoms, the Flyers cap space would creep up over $5 million. That means the Flyers could acquire a significant salary, and not just a stopgap defenseman if there were one available on the trade front. Were talking about a lot of things here, Holmgren said. I think initially well probably just recall Kevin and try to figure out where were at. Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591177 Philadelphia Flyers

Health woes continue for Flyers captain Pronger

Flyers' Pronger going under knife for knee, out 4 weeks

By ANTHONY J. SANFILIPPO

Anthony SanFilippo

After missing the last four games with a virus, Flyers captain Chris Pronger will need surgery on his left knee. Maybe one doesnt have much to do with the other, but the latest injury and fourth surgery for Pronger in less than a year will keep him out of action for at least another month, putting his appearance in the Winter Classic in question. Of course, the way injuries are going for Pronger at age 37, maybe he should start considering returning for the alumni game. All rim shots aside, this is not a palatable predicament in which the Flyers find themselves. Pronger has already missed time this season with an eye injury and a virus, and now this knee issue that seemed to come out of the blue. This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him thats been nagging, general manager Paul Holmgren said in making the announcement. Hes been playing through it up until his recent bout with his virus. We had believed that through continued rehabilitation and some medicine that it would start to feel better, but Chris saw the doctor yesterday, had another MRI and we just decided that this was the time to go and get this taken care of. Pronger has what Holmgren termed as loose bodies in his left knee that are causing him pain and discomfort. While saying that the organization is concerned any time a player has surgery, Holmgren also said he feels confident that this is a minor surgery that wont affect Pronger long-term. The structure of his knee is fine, Holmgren said. Hes got good cartilage on both sides of that knee, so this is just kind of a maintenance thing more than anything and to get him a little more comfortable.

The following is the latest from Anthony SanFilippos blog, In The Room. After missing the last four games with a virus, Flyers captain Chris Pronger will now need surgery on his left knee. OK, so maybe one doesn't have much to do with the other, but the latest injury - and fourth surgery for Pronger in less than a year's time - will keep him out of action for at least another month - putting his appearance in the Winter Classic in question. Of course, the way injuries are going for Pronger at age 37, maybe he should start considering returning for the alumni game. All rim shots aside, this is not a palatable predicament in which the Flyers find themselves. Pronger has already missed time this season with an eye injury and a virus and now this knee issue, that seemed to come out of the blue a little bit. "This has been an issue probably for the last month or so for him that's been nagging," general manager Paul Holmgren said in making the announcement. "He's been playing through it up until his recent bout with his virus. We had believed that through continued rehabilitation and some medicine that it would start to feel better, but Chris saw the doctor yesterday, had another MRI and we just decided that this was the time to go and get this taken care of." Pronger has what Holmgren termed as "loose bodies" in his left knee that are causing him pain and discomfort. While saying that anytime any player has surgery, there is a concern from an organizational standpoint, Holmgren feels confident that this is a minor surgery that won't affect Pronger long-term despite his age.

"The structure of his knee is fine," Holmgren said. "He's got good cartilage on both sides of that knee, so this is just kind of a maintenance thing more than anything and to get him a little more comfortable. "We're worried because he's (having) surgery, yes, but long-term I still think Chris has a lot of miles left on his body, and based on his attitude about this and the way he takes care of himself and prepares, I think he'll be fine." Holmgren insisted Pronger would have been playing in the games he missed despite the knee injury if it weren't for the virus zapping his health. "The reason he missed games was because of the virus," Holmgren said. "This (knee situation)came up just recently - (Sunday) - and we decided the best way to attack this is with surgery now. He'd been missing games with the virus. It had nothing to do with the knee." The Flyers are likely going have to pursue the possibility of trading for a veteran defenseman this week, as the team isn't comfortable going a hefty segment of the season with Phantoms call ups Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall (who is being recalled). Holmgren added that Pronger and Andreas Lilja (high ankle sprain) will both be placed on the long-term injury list, which means they must miss a minimum of 10 games or 25 days, whichever comes first. Couple that with the placing of forward Andreas Nodl on waivers and the Flyers suddenly have a lot of salary allowance to play with. The Flyers now have $4,261,767 in available space, and that's after recalling Marshall and Brayden Schenn, who is ready to return to the lineup from his broken left foot. If Nodl is claimed on waivers or sent back to the Phantoms, the Flyers cap space would creep up over $5 million. That means the Flyers could, in fact, acquire a significant salary, and not just a stopgap defenseman - if there were one available on the trade front. "We're talking about a lot of things here," Holmgren said. "I think initially we'll probably just recall Kevin and try to figure out where we're at." Delaware County Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591178 Philadelphia Flyers

In reality, as Bill Meltzer nailed it, it takes two players to replace a Pronger not one. His absence kills them on the power play, besides in the defensive end. I think initially we'll probably just recall Kevin and try to figure out where we're at, at that point, said general manager Paul Holmgren today. But right now thats kind of the way were leaning. Pronger has had multiple surgeries as a Flyer: back, wrist, knees. This is either his fifth or sixth surgery in the last year-and-a-half. Depends on how many procedures he had involving his wrist. At 37, his durability is a genuine concern. Most people never thought Pronger would ever play the full seven years of his contract. At this point, I agree. Any time a player has surgery, there's concern, whether hes an older player like Chris or a younger player, Holmgren said. I do think Chris is a player that takes good care of himself, looks after himself, does the proper rehabilitation and conditioning to stay in top shape. I think this time, the only thing we can go by is what the doctors tell us, and its just a question of cleaning up some of those bodies. The structure of his knee is fine, hes got good cartilage on both sides of that knee, so this is just kind of a maintenance thing more than anything, and to get him a little more comfortable. Hed been playing with some discomfort in that knee, apparently, and Dr. [Peter] DeLuca believes if we just get this done now and take care of it, we can get him back playing in four weeks time and he'll be good to go. We're worried because he's going under surgery, yes, but long-term I still think Chris has a lot of miles left on his body, and based on his attitude about this and the way he takes care of himself and prepares, I think he'll be fine. How will the Flyers defense survive at a time when Ilya Bryzgalovs rollercoaster of a season has dipped below standards? Its one thing to lose a couple defensemen when your goaltending is sound and playing well. Its another to lose players when the goaltending is skittish. That best describes the Flyers. Again. Knowing Holmgren, he waits it out unless this club caves defensively in, say, the next four games. Regardless, the pressure now is on Bryzgalov and backup Sergei Bobrovsky to raise their game because the number of quality shots theyre going to see is about to rocket upward. If you ask me, the goalies not necessarily the defense may hold the answer over the next month. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.29.2011 591179 Philadelphia Flyers

What does Pronger's loss mean for Flyers?

Tim Panaccio

Who will step up in Pronger's absence? Steve Coates explains how there are many candidates to take on the leadership role during Chris Pronger's four-week absence. 11/28/11 If Erik Gustafsson were healthy, the Flyers defensive plight would not look so grim right now. Chris Pronger needs surgery to have his left knee cleaned an arthroscopic procedure and will miss four weeks (see story). This is not as invasive, it sounds to me, as in July 2010 when he had a more complicated procedure done to his right knee that required extensive off-season rehab that caused him to miss the start of last year. Placing Pronger and Andreas Lilja, another D-man, on long-term injured reserve opens up $5.6 million in cap space, but then adding Brayden Schenn and subtracting Andreas Nodl puts the Flyers at about $59.55 milion roughly $4 million under the salary cap. Gustafsson, who is the best blue line prospect the Flyers have, is still a month away from recovering from left wrist surgery. What to do? Can the Flyers survive four weeks plus a grueling December travel schedule without their No. 1 and No. 6 defensemen? Thats at least 12 games without Pronger. I like what Ive seen from Marc-Andre Bourdon. Kevin Marshall doesnt look as impressive as he did a year ago.

Pronger to miss 4 weeks following knee surgery

Staff

Jaromir Jagr and James van Riemsdyk remain out with injuries. Jagr is day to day with a groin injury, while van Riemsdyk is expected to miss 1-2 weeks because of an upper-body injury. Jagr skated on Monday, according to general manager Paul Holmgren. But van Riemsdyk, who "wasn't going too good today," did not. "I would think theres a chance Jaromir could play on the upcoming weekend," Holmgren said. "James is probably a long-shot right now." The Flyers next play on Friday, in Anaheim against the Ducks. On Saturday, they face the Phoenix Coyotes. Holmgren said he'll know more about both players on Tuesday. Flyers captain Chris Pronger hasn't played since Nov. 19 because of a virus, but now he'll miss another four weeks after he undergoes surgery on his left knee on Tuesday.

The surgery, which will be performed by Dr. Peter DeLuca, will clean out some loose particles that have been bothering the Flyers' captain for about a month, according to general manager Paul Holmgren. "He's been playing through it up until this recent bout with the virus," Holmgren said, emphasizing it was the virus, and not the trouble with the knee, that has kept Pronger out of the Flyers' last four games. The Flyers had been hopeful the time Pronger missed because of his mysterious illness would help "settle things down in his knee," Holmgren said. But after an examination Pronger had on Sunday, the team decided surgery was the best option for their captain. Pronger and defenseman Andreas Lilja, who sustained a high-ankle sprain in Friday's win over the Montreal Canadiens, will both go on long-term injured reserve in the next day or so, Holmgren said. In their absence, the Flyers have relied on a pair of rookie defensemen, Marc-Andre Bourdon and Kevin Marshall. Marshall was returned to the Adirondack Phantoms after the Flyers' loss on Saturday, but, for the meantime at least, it seems as though the Flyers will try to stick it out without making a trade. "I think initially, we'll probably just recall Kevin and try to figure out where we're at at that point," Holmgren said. "Right now that's kind of the way we're leaning." Earlier this week, Holmgren said the best-case scenario for Prongers return would be Friday, when the Flyers travel to Anaheim, Calif., to face the Ducks, Prongers former team. On Tuesday, he said that, had an MRI not revealed the issue with Pronger's knee, the defenseman could have returned to the lineup as planned. Four weeks away from the game places Pronger's return sometime just before the Winter Classic on Jan. 2. Pronger, who has five years left on his contract, has missed 10 games already this season, and missed 32 last year. But Holmgren isn't worried about the health of his aging captain (Pronger turned 37 last month). "Any time a player has surgery, there's concern, whether he's an older player like Chris or a younger player," Holmgren said. "But I do think Chris is a player that takes good care of himself, looks after himself, does the proper rehabilitation and conditioning to stay in top shape. "... The structure of his knee is fine. He's got good cartilage on both sides of that knee, so this is just kind of a maintenance thing more than anything, and to get him a little more comfortable. ... I think Chris has a lot of miles left in his body." Schenn recalled Brayden Schenn was in town Monday for a checkup with Flyers doctors, and he won't be going anywhere. Schenn, who was rehabbing a broken foot with the Adirondack Phantoms, was recalled by the Flyers Tuesday, now that they will be able to afford his $1.76 million salary. Nodl to waivers In addition, the Flyers on Monday placed winger Andreas Nodl on waivers. "Andreas hasnt played as much, well just gauge interest and see what happens," Holmgren said. "At some point tomorrow, if he clears waivers, well see what were going to do with him, if we send him down or just keep him. "But well decide that tomorrow after we find out whether hes cleared or not." If Nodl does clear waivers, the Flyers can send him to the Phantoms, where his $845,000 contract will not count against the cap. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.29.2011 591180 Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes have the fourth-best penalty kill in the NHL, and a lot of it is due to the solid play of Mike Smith. But the Coyotes goaltender is quick to point out that it takes a total effort among the penalty-killers for the unit to have success. "It's a commitment to do things on the PK that makes you successful," he said. "Keep the puck out of the net, blocking pucks, boxing out in front, clearing rebounds, those little things when they're done really well make it tough for an opponent to score, so we've been real committed. "We've had a lot of good kills the last little while, and the guys that have been on the PK have definitely earned that stat." Cutting down on penalties has been a major factor, according to coach Dave Tippett, and when the Coyotes meet the Blackhawks Tuesday night that will be crucial. Chicago leads the Western Conference in goals, and spotting them a player is never a good thing. Players such as Lauri Korpikoski, Boyd Gordon and Martin Hanzal hound the opposition and continually sacrifice their bodies to block shots. Others, such as Radim Vrbata, are adept at plugging up the shooting lanes. "It's a combination of everything," Vrbata said. "Smitty in the net, we pressure their power play, but when it's time to pressure, we're making smart decisions. Jimmy's doing a good job with the PK guys preparing us before the game. "Everybody plays it a little different. When you look at Gordo, he's blocking everything, . . . and then you have me who is, rather than blocking, I'm trying to be in the right lane and don't have them shoot." Defenseman Rusty Klesla voiced the popular opinion in the locker room: "Our best PKer has to be the goalie, which he has been." Top effort needed The Coyotes, meanwhile, are looking for their best effort against the Blackhawks, a fast team with a tenacious blue line that has helped moved them to the top of the Western Conference with 31 points. The Coyotes were sixth prior to Monday's action, but only four points behind. In the only other meeting between the teams this season, the Coyotes dropped a 5-2 decision at Jobing.com Arena. "They're obviously a team that's played very well this year," Tippett said. "We've got to go in there and build off of what we did the other night (3-0 win over Dallas). We want to continue to improve our game, and that's what we'll be looking for." Shane Doan and Smith want the Coyotes to remember how they were handled by the Blackhawks at home earlier in the season. "Very good team," Doan said. "They came in here and gave it to us, and we have to respond. Hopefully no one forgets about how they came at us hard, and we weren't ready, and they beat us bad." Smith, who did not play in that game, said that the Blackhawks "came into our building last game and kind of embarrassed us a little bit." "I think we need to come back with a better game," he said. "We need to play better against the better teams." Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.29.2011 591181 Pittsburgh Penguins

Civic Arena site's destiny on table

By Bill Vidonic,

Penalty kills key to Phoenix Coyotes' early success

Discussions that begin this afternoon could lead to Pittsburgh using millions of dollars to prepare the site of the old Civic Arena for development by the Penguins. Representatives of the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority will brief the City Planning Commission on the possibility of declaring the 28-acre site in Uptown blighted. That is one step toward seeking tax dollars for building roads and installing sewer lines and utility connections on the land.

By Jim Gintonio

"It's rare to have a 28-acre site in the heart of a city," said Yarone Zober, head of the URA and Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's chief of staff. "It's a blank canvas to be worked on." The URA could use information from an outside analysis to consider whether any development is eligible for tax increment financing, which uses future tax revenue to repay development bonds. The planning commission and City Council would have to approve such financing. The Penguins own development rights to the land as part of a deal to keep the team in the city and build the Consol Energy Center. The team has said it wants a mix of residential, commercial and retail development. Jake Haulk, president of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a Castle Shannon-based policy group, said he opposes TIFs when they're done for retail projects, hotels and residential projects. "You don't need a TIF for that site," said Jake Haulk, president of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy, a frequent critic of spending public money on private development. "That should be some of the most prime real estate in the city. You should have developers champing at the bit looking to build on that property. I wouldn't be handing out money up front. That's not fair to taxpayers." "Everybody's goal is to get jobs and residential opportunities on that site as soon as we can," Zober said. The Sports & Exhibition Authority owns the site. It, the city and the Penguins could rebuild the roads that were removed when the arena was built, as well as redo utilities and sewer lines. Officials have estimated the work would cost tens of millions of dollars. Demolition continues on the arena. The upper decks on both ends are gone, and just a few hundred seats on the upper decks on the other two sides remain. Workers said they removed about 30 percent of the roof's skin, though recent wet weather caused a few delays. The arena still should be torn down by the end of May, they said. Beginning Wednesday, the Penn State Center, an outreach of the university, will begin recycling plants and trees surrounding the arena with the help of the Rosedale Block Cluster, a neighborhood group in Homewood, and Bey Brothers Landscaping in Beltzhoover. "It seemed there would be a lot of plant material on that site that would just be trashed," said Deno De Ciantis, center director. The plants, including hollies, burning bushes and viburnum, will be replanted in Homewood and Beltzhoover nurseries, and sold or reused in community landscape projects. De Ciantis said Bank of New York Mellon is paying the $9,000 cost for removal, including labor and equipment. Also, talks continue between Noralco, which is overseeing the demolition, and Five Mile Development Group, which wants to buy some of the framework of the arena's roof. George Boehm, vice president of Noralco, said the sale will hinge on whether it's more cost effective to sell it for scrap. Donald P. Cella, head of the development group, said the framework could be used as a part of development at Stone Quarry Crossing in Ohio Township. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.29.2011 591182 Pittsburgh Penguins

The Penguins play at Washington on Thursday and at Carolina on Saturday night. "System-wise, those guys are obviously going to be a little bit in between, but the effort, guys will probably be charged up like a playoff game trying to impress the new coach," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. Orpik, citing the Penguins' coaching change from Michel Therrien to Dan Bylsma in February 2009, said it is probably better to play the Capitals and Hurricanes early during these transitions. Bylsma did not disagree. He said the challenge for Dale Hunter (Washington) and Kirk Muller (Carolina) is to accept "whatever vision they have, whatever systematically they might want to do, it's going to take a fair amount of time for them to start down that road." Bylsma, who did not fully integrate his system until the training camp after he replaced Therrien, led the Penguins to an 18-3-4 finish and the Stanley Cup. >> Defenseman Kris Letang is expected play Tuesday night at the New York Rangers, though as of Monday, he said he had not taken a baseline concussion test. Letang said he will have to pass that test before he receives medical clearance to play against the Rangers. He described his broken nose as "pretty messed up," and acknowledged he met yesterday morning with a nose specialist and a concussion expert before joining the Penguins' practice late. Letang absorbed a shoulder to the face from Montreal Canadiens winger Max Pacioretty late in the third period Saturday. Letang reiterated Monday there are no hard feelings between the players. Pacioretty was suspended three games for his hit on Letang, the NHL's Director of Player Discipline Brendan Shanahan said Monday night. >> Sidney Crosby was named the NHL's No. 1 star for last week. He recorded nine points in four games, his first contests after missing nearly 11 months because of a concussion. Yesterday, the NHL awarded Crosby an assist on center Jordan Staal's tying goal Saturday at Montreal. >> Defensemen Joe Morrow and Scott Harrington, the Penguins' first- and second-round draft picks, are among 41 prospects invited to Team Canada's World Junior selection camp. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.29.2011 591183 Pittsburgh Penguins

Coach Bylsma, Penguins play numbers game

By Josh Yohe, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Dan Bylsma, like many hockey coaches, possesses an interesting habit of calling players by their numbers instead of their names. If the Penguins can remain healthy and that's a big if Bylsma might sound like an auctioneer by season's end. The coach has been waiting almost two years to implement new lines and to experiment with combinations, and now he finally gets his opportunity. Here is a recent sample from Bylsma: "Well, 87 (Sidney Crosby) and 71 (Evgeni Malkin) will play together. Eleven (Jordan Staal) will play with 71 more than in the past. We might entertain 87 on the wing with 11 as well." Got that? The Penguins are hoping the rest of the NHL will have trouble keeping up, too. Bylsma will always have the "three-center model" to rely on Crosby, Malkin and Staal playing center on three different lines is essentially a matchup nightmare for every NHL team but believes his current team's lineup is capable of a more diverse approach. "When it's all said and done," Bylsma said, "Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are all going to play around 20 minutes. Either the fourth line center isn't going to play at all, or we're going to move people around."

New NHL coaches will face surging Penguins

By Rob Rossi,

There was hesitance among Penguins players to specifically address the firing of Washington Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau. No need to add fuel to the fire that is arguably the NHL's fiercest rivalry. Boudreau was let go Monday morning, about an hour before the Carolina Hurricanes fired coach Paul Maurice.

The fourth line center Joe Vitale, Richard Park, or Craig Adams is going to play, of course. So, expect Bylsma to have some fun with his lines. Staal and Malkin playing on the same line won't necessarily become a constant, but the plan appears to have the duo on the same line in the third period when the Penguins are trailing. They also expect to see steady shifts for the first time since showing exceptional chemistry during their respective rookie years. "I'm OK with that," Staal said. "I like playing with Geno. There are so many possibilities right now. We have a lot of options. I'm satisfied if we're winning." They are winning, which gives Bylsma more ability to experiment. Not everyone, however, believes experimenting is necessary. Islanders defenseman Mark Eaton, who won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009, wouldn't alter the three-center model. "When Sid, Geno and Jordan are at center," Eaton said, "that basically gives them three No. 1 lines." Still, the Penguins want more. In recent games, Bylsma has put Crosby on a line with Malkin and right wing James Neal. Scoring chances feel almost destined when they are on the ice. "We're still figuring things out," said Bylsma, who noted that he continues to monitor Crosby's ice time closely, which may prohibit the coach from opening up the playbook completely for a couple of weeks. "It will play itself out." Pascal Dupuis might be the key player in Bylsma's plans. Dupuis has been used off and on at center the past couple of games on a line with left wing Matt Cooke and right wing Tyler Kennedy. Should Dupuis be able to handle a third-line center role, Bylsma would have an opportunity to play Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Neal, left wing Steve Sullivan and left wing Chris Kunitz in his top-six rotation. "I'll play where he wants me to play," Dupuis said. "I'll battle hard and see how it goes." Having different combinations to rely on could make an elite team like the Penguins even more dangerous. "We're healthy," Staal said. "We're a full team again. It will be interesting to see how we do." It will also be interesting to see how the Jack Adams award winning coach tinkers with the lineup he's waited on for years. Drawing the line(s) The Penguins may try different line combinations in coming games: Malkin (8), Crosby (2), Neal (13) >> When offense is needed, these three will see time together Sullivan (4), Staal (12), Malkin (8) >> Staal and Malkin will see considerable ice time together Crosby (2), Staal (12), Neal (13) >> The wild card: Crosby has never played on a line with Staal but may this year Cooke (5), Dupuis (6), Kennedy (3) >> If this third line can work, it opens up all kinds of possibilities for the top two units *Goals in parentheses Tribune Review LOADED: 11.29.2011 591184 Pittsburgh Penguins

Some quick hits from the Penguins practice at Southpointe Iceoplex on Monday: = There wasnt a huge buzz inside the dressing room regarding the coaching changes with Washington and Carolina, and I will touch on how those moves might impact the Penguins in Tribune-Review notebook on Tuesday. However, HC Dan Bylsma had this to say on the topic of rival Bruce Boudreau losing his gig with the Capitals: I read it this morning, and you never feel good about seeing a coach in that position regardless of who they are and what time they are coaching for, Bylsma said. I do think its certainly going to add a spark to our game coming up with a new coach coming up and us being an opponent so close to Bruce being fired. The Penguins play at the New York Rangers on Tuesday. They are at Washington on Thursday and at Carolina on Saturday. A history lesson for those who may have let this slip their minds: The Penguins were five points out of a playoff spot when Bylsma replaced former HC Michel Therrien on Feb. 14, 2009. The went 18-3-4 over their final 25 games to earn a fourth seed in the East en route to the Stanley Cup. The point is changes can do wonders for a team, and there does seem to be a similar recipe with the Capitals, who deploy a skilled group seemingly looking for a new voice at the top. The pressure is now firmly on Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin, also the team captain, to get his club moving in the right direction with Dale Hunter, who like Bylsma upon his hiring had no NHL head coaching experience, at the helm. Keep this in mind: C Sidney Crosby, the Penguins captain, finished 2008-09 with 33 goals and 103 points the latter the third most in the NHL. He scored 10 goals and recorded 31 points after Bylsma replaced Therrien. Crosby had this to say about in-season coaching changes after the Penguins practice: I guess every situation is different, but thats the way we felt at the end of the day were the ones out there playing and we need to win, Crosby said. Whether it takes (a change) to realize that, sometimes thats the case, sometimes guys respond to that. Usually at that point the changes happens and everyone tries to respond. --= Crosby on the puzzling comments made Sunday by Ottawa GM Bryan Murray: I heard about it, Crosby said. I think its getting blown way out of proportion. Its ridiculous. Its a play that happens in every game. I guess the fact that its me it gets dissected and analyzed 100 times more, but I really think theyre making something out of nothing. If they really want to keep beating it around they can, but I dont have really anything else to say about it. I think its ridiculous were still talking about it three days later to be honest. As for Murray delivering a verbal shot an unsolicited one at that at Crosby, well, that did not catch Crosby by surprise, either. Hes been doing that since my first year, Crosby said. Thats nothing new. This is one of those spots where the beat reporter can wisely choose to let the captain of the team he covers have the final say, and so I will on this topic. After all, it would be hard to write it any better than Crosby said it today. Crosby was named the NHLs No. 1 star for last week, by the way. The duh! distinction of this young NHL season. --= D Kris Letang joined practice late and acknowledged his broken nose is sore and that breathing remains difficult, but there was no indication that he would not play Tuesday night at New York. Letang said he has yet to take the ImPACT baseline concussion test, but that he will need to pass it before gaining clearance from team physician Dr. Charles Burke to play against the Rangers. Letang said he had no idea what to expect from the NHL, whose discipline czar Brendan Shanahan was scheduled to hold a phone hearing with Canadiens LW Max Pacioretty this morning. Pacioretty caught Letang with a blindside shoulder to the face late in the third period on Saturday at Montreal. Knowing the style he plays I dont think hes a guy looking to injury guys on the ice, Letang said. If (Paciorettys apology) was sincere I dont know, but

Chipped Ice

Rob Rossi

I think it was a great gesture by him to come over. Is it enough? I dont know. Letang described his nose as all messed up. He said he met with a nose specialist and a concussion expert before practice today. --= G Marc-Andre Fleury celebrated his 27th birthday, and teammates rewarded him by firing pucks at him from center red late in practice. That was a first, Fleury said. A puck for every year. Not quite, actually. Still, point taken no slacking on the big day, Mr. Goalie Man. Fleury said his birthday haul was a chocolate cake baked by his fiance, some video games (notably Batman: Arkham City from his mom, and a scarf. Guess which one this reporter inquired about.* *Inside joke for the local audience. Cheers, Rossi Tribune Review LOADED: 11.29.2011 591185 Pittsburgh Penguins

Letang is questionable for the game tonight in New York because of the injuries from the hit. Brendan Shanahan, the NHL senior vice president of player safety and hockey operations, said in a video posted on the league's website that "Letang makes the decision to sacrifice his body and must accept the possibility of taking a hit to make the play. However, what no player should expect is that his head will be picked and made the principal point of contact on such a hit." The collision came late in the third period. Letang missed the final 3:14 of regulation but returned and scored the winning goal in overtime of a 4-3 victory. Letang missed the early portion of practice Monday at Southpointe to visit doctors for his nose as well for signs of a concussion. He said he will have an imPACT test today. When asked about his playing status, Letang said: "All right so far. A problem breathing but that's part of it. I wanted to test it out there to see how I feel. We'll talk [today] with the [doctors]." Coach Dan Bylsma was optimistic Letang would be available. "I haven't spoken with him but he seemed to get in a pretty good skate in at the end of practice," Bylsma said. "I think he's doing fine right now." When asked about the possibility of promoting defenseman Alexandre Picard from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Bylsma said, "We're not under the impression we need to recall someone right now." Hot-button issue in Ottawa The war of words over Sidney Crosby's elbow to the head of Senators forward Nick Foligno in a game Friday escalated in Ottawa. Without any solicitation Sunday, Senators general manager Bryan Murray said: "The rules are very clear now. If you fall into a goaltender and touch a goaltender, an elbow to the head and a butt end to the head is fair game. Dan Bylsma said that's OK for them. Sidney said Nick Foligno is that kind of player." Crosby's response? "I heard about it. I think it's getting blown way out of proportion. It's ridiculous. It's a play that happens in every game. I guess the fact that it's me, it's dissected and analyzed a hundred times more. I really think they're making something out of nothing. If they want to keep beating it around, they can. I don't have anything else to say about it. I think it's ridiculous we're still talking about it three days later to be honest with you." This isn't the first time Murray has criticized Crosby. In 2007, while Ottawa's coach, Murray complained that Crosby used too much vulgarity on the ice. "He's been doing that since my first year so that's nothing new," Crosby said. Bylsma declined comment. Rival fires coach The Washington Capitals, a primary rival of the Penguins, fired coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with former captain Dale Hunter. Backup goaltender Brent Johnson played for Boudreau for parts of two seasons in Washington, and he doesn't expect Boudreau to be unemployed for long. "I thought Bruce was a good coach. They wanted to go a different way obviously," Johnson said. "You see great coaches going from a team to another team and another team. It won't be long before Bruce is back to work again somewhere. I think he'll be back behind the bench." The Penguins are scheduled to face the Capitals on Thursday.

Letang hit costs Montreal player three games

By Rob Rossi,

The NHL has suspended Montreal winger Max Pacioretty three games for his blindside hit on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang on Saturday night. League head disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan announced the suspension tonight after a hearing with Pacioretty via phone this morning. Letang, whose nose was broken on the hit, had yet to pass a baseline concussion test around 1 p.m., but he is expected to play Tuesday night at the New York Rangers. Pacioretty caught Letang in the face with his left shoulder late in the third period Saturday night at Montreal. No penalty was called and a bloodied Letang needed help to the trainers room. Letang returned for overtime and his goal lifted the Penguins to a 4-3 victory. Letang joined practice late today after being examined by a nose and concussion specialist. Pacioretty apologized to Letang after the game Saturday, and Letang said today he did not believe Pacioretty was intentionally trying to injure him. He called the apology from Pacioretty a "nice gesture," but said he did not know if it was enough to prevent supplemental discipline from the NHL, which has tried to cut down on dangerous hits over the last two seasons. Rule 48 is designated for illegal checks to the head, and Pacioretty was deemed in violation. A video of Shanahan's ruling can be found at www.nhl.com. Tribune Review LOADED: 11.29.2011 591186 Pittsburgh Penguins

Montreal's Pacioretty gets suspended 3 games for hit on Penguins' Letang

By Seth Rorabaugh,

"I do think it's certainly going to add a spark to the game coming up with their new coach coming in and us being an opponent shortly after Bruce getting fired." Bylsma said. "So I'm expecting it to really be a charged up and energized game." Prospects invited to camp

Montreal left winger Max Pacioretty was suspended for three games for his open-ice hit Saturday that left Penguins defenseman Kris Letang with a broken nose.

Defensive prospects Joseph Morrow and Scott Harrington were invited to Canada's selection camp for the 2012 world junior championships. Morrow was a first-round choice this past summer; Harrington was selected in the second round.

Morrow, has 24 points in 22 games with the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League; Harrington has 13 points in 22 games with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011 591187 Pittsburgh Penguins

when we lost in the end in the Winter Classic game, you feel the scrutiny with the cameras there. You feel like you have to say something. You feel like you don't want to say something because the camera is there and you're in a vulnerable moment." Another common theme in this season's version of the series will be a significant injury to a Staal brother. Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has not played this season because of a concussion. Last season, Jordan Staal did not make his debut until the Winter Classic Jan. 1 at Heinz Field because of foot and hand injuries from a playoff series in May against Montreal. The series highlighted his rehabilitation. Another familiar face will be Flyers right winger and former Penguins captain Jaromir Jagr who joined Philadelphia in the offseason. "I know Jagr, he's a funny guy, too," said Michalek, who has played with Jagr for the Czech Republic in multiple international tournaments. "He makes inside jokes in the dressing room so he's probably going to be one of the guys, too. I think they look for characters and that's what makes the show good." One of the characters for the Penguins last season was Johnson, who HBO filmed playing cards on the team's plane wearing a red Christmas sweater with the mid-section and the sleeves cut off as well as green suspenders. If members of the Rangers or Flyers try to follow his fashion sense, Johnson said, joking, "I don't think it'll be as bad as mine. That's for sure." Post Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011 591188 Pittsburgh Penguins

Talbot, Rupp get '24/7' curtain call

By Seth Rorabaugh,

When the latest edition of HBO's popular "24/7" series debuts Dec. 14, there will be a couple of familiar faces to Penguins fans. The show will profile the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers throughout December leading up to the 2012 Winter Classic Jan. 2 in Philadelphia, which means former Penguins Mike Rupp and Max Talbot again will be a part of the show. Rupp is a forward with the Rangers, and Talbot now plays with the Flyers. "Knowing Max, he's going to be loud and right there in front of the cameras," said Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek. "That's just his personality" The current Penguins will make two appearances in the series, as they are scheduled to play the Flyers twice while HBO's cameras are rolling. Having gone through that experience in December, the Penguins don't think it will impact the Flyers or Rangers a great deal. Scouting report Matchup: Penguins vs. Rangers, 7:38 p.m. today, Madison Square Garden. TV, radio: Root Sports, WXDX-FM (105.9). Probable goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins; Henrik Lundqvist for Rangers. Penguins: LW Matt Cooke has eight penalty minutes in 24 games. ... C Sidney Crosby has same amount in four games. ... Crosby was named the NHL's first star of the week after collecting eight points in four games. Rangers: Before games last night, had the second best team goals-against average at 2.05. ... Rookie LW Carl Hagelin has two points in two games after being recalled from Connecticut of the American Hockey League last week. Hidden stat: Penguins C Evgeni Malkin (440 points) trails LW Martin Straka (442) by two points for ninth on franchise's all-time scoring list. "There's really nothing really to get used to besides cameras being around," said center Jordan Staal. "We were all exactly the same every day. Nothing really changed if they were there or they weren't. It really wasn't a huge issue for us." "Once they were around, you didn't really notice them," said backup goaltender Brent Johnson. "They were good people. They didn't get too involved in everything and let everyone be their own person." Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis, who was featured often during the show and delivered one of the most repeated lines of the series when he uttered a four-letter word at Evgeni Malkin, offered the most basic advice. "Be yourself. That's it." Success on the ice is also a good way to cope with the constant presence of a camera. When HBO's crew was embedded with the team last season, the Penguins were in the middle of a lengthy winning streak. "Winning 12 in a row helps, vs. the other side of it," head coach Dan Bylsma said. "HBO did such a great job. They're not hiding behind the corners trying to catch you with your pants down so to speak. They're in the room the same time everyday. You know that. They're not trying to catch you saying bad things or doing things the wrong way." Bylsma conceded HBO's presence isn't entirely natural. "It is tough to get comfortable with some aspects, when they jump on the ice with their cameras in the middle of practice," he said. "The tough part is after you've lost a game and they're there. We saw that last year. I felt it

Montreal forward suspended for hit against Letang

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Montreal forward Max Pacioretty has been given a three-game suspension for a hit to the head of Penguins defenseman Kris Letang late in the third period of the Penguins' 4-3 overtime victory at the Bell Centre Saturday night. The blow broke Letang's nose, but didn't prevent him from scoring the game-winning goal. He is scheduled to undergo a test Tuesday to determine whether he had a concussion, and his status for the Penguins' game against the New York Rangers that night has not been determined. Pacioretty will forfeit $26,351.34 in salary, with the money going to the NHL's Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011 591189 Pittsburgh Penguins

Pens' Letang questionable against Rangers after broken nose

By Seth Rorabaugh

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is questionable for Tuesday's road game against the Rangers as a result of facial injuries he suffered Saturday in Montreal. Letang suffered a broken nose in the third period when he was struck in the face by the shoulder of Canadiens forward Max Pacioretty. Letang missed the final of 3:14 of regulation but returned in overtime and scored the winning goal in a 4-3 victory. After skipping the early portion of practice at Southpointe today to see doctors for his nose as well as any potential signs of a concussion, Letang took to the ice, primarily to test his ability to breathe. He said he will undergo an imPACT test for a concussion tomorrow.

When asked about his status for tomorrow's game, Letang said, "All right so far. A problem breathing but that's part of it. I wanted to test it out there to see how I feel. We'll talk tomorrow with the (doctors)." Head coach Dan Bylsma did not specifically say whether Letang would be available for tomorrow's game. "I haven't spoken with him but he seemed to get in a pretty good skate in at the end of practice," he said. "I think he's doing fine right now." When asked about the possibility of recalling a defenseman such as Alexandre Picard from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Bylsma said, "We're not under the impression we need to call someone right now." Pacioretty was scheduled to have a disciplinary hearing today with NHL executive Brendan Shanahan over the hit. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011 591190 Pittsburgh Penguins

"Zero in the first two periods because we didn't have any chances," said McLellan when asked how much influence Quick had on the game. "It didn't matter who was in goal for them. We didn't create anything. But he played very well in the third period." By then it was too little, too late. The last time the Sharks played at the Staples Center, Joe Thornton was eliminating the Kings from the playoffs with his dramatic Game 6 overtime goal back in April. But there was little drama Monday. Coming off emotional games against Chicago and Vancouver, the Sharks (13-7-1) were listless throughout the first two periods. "All I can say is that there's 82 games, and you have to find a way to get up for every one," defenseman Dan Boyle said. "Some nights are tougher than others. But you have to find a way. There's no reason to not get up for these guys, because they're in our division." The Kings (12-8-4) were clearly pointing toward this night to gauge if they have closed the gap on the Sharks -- who have won four consecutive Pacific Division titles and entered the night was a 7-2 road record. "This is a big game for us to measure where we're at it," Drew Doughty said before the puck was dropped. "With the team we have now, we're pretty similar in talent." The Kings played with a determination that matched those words. Meanwhile the Sharks -- playing without third-line center Michal Handzus who was back home with an illness -- went 0 for 5 on the power play. The Sharks also "had nothing," according to Boyle, in five-on-five play in the first two periods. And they were whistled for six minor penalties, including two by Thornton. "We knew they were going to play well here at home," Thornton said. "I'm just disappointed with the way we came out. We've been playing well on the road, and it's disappointing that we didn't get our usual start." Two Sharks miscues led to the first score of the game by Moreau, who had gone without a goal in 59 NHL games. Defenseman Justin Braun hand-delivered a giveaway to Moreau along the far left boards. Moreau then proceeded to beat Sharks goalie Antti Niemi with a long-distance, bad-angle shot at the 8:37 mark of the first period. Niemi spent a long time looking at video boards watching replay to see what happened, because he clearly was surprised by the shot. "I'll try to see tomorrow, too," Niemi said of studying the videotape.

Crosby named NHL 'First Star' in first week back

By Dave Molinari,

Penguins center Sidney Crosby capped his first seven days back in uniform by being named the NHL's 'First Star' for the week that ended Sunday. Crosby scored two goals and made seven assists in four games, compiling a league-best plus-minus rating of plus-7 in the process, after missing 10 months while recovering from a concussion. Crosby's strong return helped the Penguins to a 3-0-1 record that allowed them to finish the week on top of the NHL overall standings. The No. 2 star was Vancouver goalie Cory Schneider, who had a 3-0 record and 0.67 goals-against average. St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott, who improved his record to 10-1 with three victories, including one against the Penguins, was honored as the No. 3. Post Gazette LOADED: 11.29.2011

591191

San Jose Sharks

San Jose Sharks lose to Los Angeles Kings 2-0

By Mark Emmons

The Kings made it 2-0 at 4:16 of the second period when Richards converted a nifty, behind-the-net pass from Simon Gagne. The goal came in four-on-four action with Thornton and Jarret Stoll in the penalty box for dueling minors. Still, the Sharks had plenty of chances to get back into the game, as McLellan began shuffling lines in a futile effort to find a scoring combination. That included 13 third-period shots as well as a second-period power-play rocket by Boyle that clanged off a post. "Unfortunately that's the way it's been going specifically for me this year," Boyle said. "I can't buy a goal. But I've got to keep trying." Defenseman Colin White missed the game. He was attending a family funeral. But winger Frazer McLaren, now recovered from offseason hip surgery, made his first appearance of the season. It was an inauspicious debut. He was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after he delivered a snow shower to Quick after the whistle. Several Sharks said before the game that every team in the Pacific seems to play with a little something extra against them. "Teams do seem to gear up to play us," Ryane Clowe said. Absolutely, agreed Doughty. He made it clear that dethroning the Sharks in the Pacific is one of the Kings' goals. "That's definitely on the radar," he said. "They've won the Pacific for so many years that I think it's time somebody took it from them. That's why we're always so pumped up to play them and to beat them."

LOS ANGELES -- The Sharks have been one of the NHL's best road teams this season because they stick to the basics away from home. Limiting mistakes. Timely goals. Strong goaltending. And those were all things that didn't happen for the Sharks on Monday night in a lackluster, 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings in a meeting between Pacific Division rivals. Here's something else the Sharks were missing: Energy. San Jose was on autopilot the first two periods as the Kings jumped on them with goals from Ethan Moreau and Mike Richards. And when the Sharks did find their game in the third period, and began peppering Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick with shots, they still never did find the back of the net. "I'm not going to pick the word energy," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. "I'm going to pick work ethic. Commitment. Passion. I want to know where they went between the second and third to find it. I'm really disappointed. It made it even tougher to swallow because they played with it in the third." Quick was the star of the night as he recorded 33 saves for his 18th NHL shutout. But the Sharks maintained that Quick didn't beat them -- instead they beat themselves with poor effort.

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.29.2011 591192 San Jose Sharks

"It's the same thing," Hitchcock said. "What are they? They're a big-body line that has to play like a big-body line. They've got to play like they did in the third period (Sunday). They've got to go get inside position. You can't have big bodies and play on the outside and they were on the outside way too much, and they got to the inside finally in the third period. "With a little coaxing, they went into the inside. That's how they have to play. I'm going to demand that of them and I'm going to talk them through it. There's real potential there and they show flashes, but they can't play like finesse players." The drop-off with Stewart, who is 6-feet-2 and 230 pounds, is the most alarming. After arriving from Colorado in a trade last February, the right winger scored 15 goals in 23 games, including seven on power plays. This season, he has three goals in 20 games and just one in his last 17 games. "I think he's just trying to figure it out right now," Hitchcock said. "He scored last year. He came in, he got hot, he scored on the power play and now he's trying to figure out how to be a good player. This is all about being a good player." Berglund finished strong last season, too. The 6-4, 219-pound center had 31 points in his last 39 games, then placed second in scoring for Sweden at the world championships. But through 23 games this season, Berglund has just seven points and only two in his last 14 games. The lack of success between Stewart and Berglund is surprising because the two displayed significant chemistry down the stretch last season. "First of all, all three guys have to work hard and I don't see that every game," Berglund said. "The other teams, they know that we had a lot of success and their eyes are open more. I don't think we're working smart, either, right now and that's what we need to get to. You can talk about finding a solution, but it comes down to hard work. That's where the issue is right now." Added Stewart: "We've got to get to the inside of the ice. I just think we're making a couple of wrong reads at times. We've just got to use our big bodies and take the puck to the net. It's just having a purpose when you get it." Hitchcock says there is no easy solution. "They're going to have to figure it out," he said. "I'm not going to be twisting in the wind and making 16 different line combinations. They've got to figure it out." The line is thankful for that.

Sharks' Antti Niemi outdueled by Jonathan Quick

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Sharks goalie Antti Niemi stopped 31 of 33 shots, but his teammates couldn't give him any offensive backing against Jonathan Quick. Quick earned his league-leading fourth shutout, making 33 saves, including some big ones during two San Jose power plays in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the second period, and the Kings beat the Sharks 2-0 on Monday. Ethan Moreau ended a 58-game goal drought with his first since October 2009, and Mike Richards scored his ninth goal in 10 games. The Sharks were shut out for the third time this season. Niemi stopped 15 of 16 shots in the first period. The only goal was scored on a wrist shot from a sharp angle to the left of the net by Moreau that caromed in off Niemi's glove. The teams were skating 4-on-4 when Richards made it 2-0 at 4:16 of the second. Simon Gagne circled the net to set up Richards at the edge of the crease. Over his past seven starts, Niemi has a .950 save percentage, a 5-2 record and has allowed 11 goals. Kings captain Dustin Brown's apparent goal at 6:01 of the third was disallowed following a video review. His shot from the slot was stopped by Niemi. Teammate Slava Voynov took a whack at the rebound, then made a kicking motion at the same time Brown got his stick on the puck and put it in the net. Handzus misses game: Sharks center Michal Handzus, back at Staples Center for the first time since leaving the Kings and signing a two-year, $5 million contract with San Jose on July 1, was scratched for the first time this season, due to illness. San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 11.29.2011 591193 St Louis Blues

Despite wins, Blues need to get second line going

"I've had that in the past, where you switch the lines up and keep switching and switching," Stewart said. "I don't think that's the way to find chemistry. Chemistry has been there for us ... it has worked before, so it will work. He believes in us and we believe in us. "If we're on a four- or five-game losing streak, there would be a lot more finger-pointing going on around the room, but we're winning hockey games. You're not going to be satisfied knowing you didn't get the job done offensively, but you can live with it when you get the two points." St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.29.2011 591194 St Louis Blues

By JEREMY RUTHERFORD

WASHINGTON As strong as the Blues' momentum seems to be building, there's a forward combination that admits it could be stronger. The Blues are 7-1-2 since the arrival of Ken Hitchcock, but in that stretch the team's second line, composed mainly of Chris Stewart, Patrik Berglund and Matt D'Agostini, has scored only one even-strength goal. That came from Berglund in a 3-2 shootout loss to Toronto on Nov. 10. In the past eight games, including three in which Vladimir Sobotka filled in during Stewart's suspension, the line has a put up a goose egg at even strength. The Blues' offense, meanwhile, has been carried by the top line of David Backes, T.J. Oshie and Alex Steen, a trio that has eight even-strength goals in the club's last 10 games. Even the team's defensemen have accounted for more even-strength goals under Hitchcock than the second line, with six. "A second line in the National Hockey League, you've got to produce," Stewart said. "We're strictly relying on Backes' line. Kudos to them ... they're getting the job done ... but it's not going to be like that forever. You can't expect them to carry the load." In the third period of Sunday's 2-1 win over Columbus, Hitchcock moved Steen, the Blues' leader in points with 16, onto the second line with Stewart and Berglund. It seemed to help, but in Monday's preparation for tonight's game against Washington, Steen returned to the top line and D'Agostini was back in his familiar spot.

Matchup box: Blues at Washington

Jeremy Rutherford

BLUES AT WASHINGTON When 6 tonight Where Verizon Center TV, radio FSM, KMOX (1120 AM) Blues preview The Blues are looking to get their season-high fourth consecutive victory tonight against Washington, which will be fired up after Monday's coaching change. The Blues are 5-6-1 on the road, including a 32 overtime win over Pittsburgh and a 2-1 victory over Columbus on Sunday. The Capitals won both meetings with the Blues last season.

Capitals preview Washington became the second team after St. Louis this season to fire its coach. After starting with seven consecutive victories, the Capitals were 5-9-1 and on Monday, Bruce Boudreau paid the price. He was replaced by Dale Hunter, who played 11 seasons with the Capitals (1987-99) and had his No. 32 retired by the organization. What to watch Though Brian Elliott won his sixth game in a row Sunday, improving his record to 10-1 this season, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock is turning to Jaroslav Halak tonight. Halak is 3-7-2 overall, but he is 2-1-2 in his last five games with a 1.56 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage. Injuries Blues LW Vladimir Sobotka (mouth), doubtful; D Carlo Colaiacovo (hamstring), LW Andy McDonald (head injury), D Kent Huskins (ankle), RW B.J. Crombeen (shoulder) and LW David Perron (concussion), out. Capitals D Mike Green (groin) and D John Erskine (shoulder), questionable; RW Jay Beagle (concussion) and D Tom Poti (groin), out. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.29.2011 591195 St Louis Blues

"Probably the closest in my memory was Marty Turco's first full year as s starter," Armstrong said. "He came in taking over for (Eddie) Belfour and he solidified things. He showed that he was a legitimate No. 1 goaltender and had a great career after that." The 6-foot-3 Elliott seems to emanate a calmness that builds confidence in his teammates. Consistently making big saves has a way of doing that, too. "He looks very calm in the net, not a lot of wasted movement," Armstrong said, "and he looks very big in the net. He made a couple of 'big goalie' saves the other night against Calgary where he used his size to stretch out, to get that pad all the way to the post." Elliott provided some good and not-so-good numbers the past two seasons. He was 29-18-4 with nine shutouts and a 2.57 goals-against average in 55 games with Ottawa two years ago, also seeing action in four playoff games. He was a combined 15-27-9 last season with Ottawa and Colorado and began this season with an NHL record of 61-53-16 with nine shutouts and a 2.90 goals-against average. Eleven games is enough to build a body of evidence, but the Blues are hoping the hot streak continues. Jaroslav Halak gets the start tonight for the Blues' road game against the Washington Capitals, a team he beat there in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference playoffs two years ago while still with the Montreal Canadiens. In his last six starts, Halak has a 1.64 goals-against average and .951 save percentage along with a shutout. He appears to have turned things around after a rough start that saw him surrender three or more goals in five of his first six appearances. Elliott has a one-year, $600,000 contract while Halak is in the second year of a four-year deal worth $15 million and also cost the Blues former firstround pick Lars Eller. Does that equation enter into the decision on who climbs between the pipes? It's a long season and hot goalies have a tendency to cool over time. Competition for playing time may be pushing both Blues goalies, another great situation for the team. "We're in the winning business," he said. "Jaro is playing very well right now also and his numbers over the last five starts probably rival that of Elliott's It's a really good situation to have two guys playing very well. "It's a team sport and we want to have good competition in a lot of areas, so I don't view that as a negative at all." However, Armstrong doesn't see anything to suggest Elliott's play is an illusion. "He just looks solid," Armstrong said. "All the work I've seen here, it looks real. He looks outstanding." Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.29.2011 591196 St Louis Blues

Homework pays off for Blues as Elliott does well in goal

By NORM SANDERS

When the St. Louis Blues were searching for backup goaltenders last summer, they had several options. They could sign a current NHL goalie with experience, simply go with Ben Bishop from their own organization, or make a trade. With a lot of scouting homework from goaltending coach Corey Hirsch, the Blues set their sights on Brian Elliott. "He deserves the lion's share of the credit," Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong said of Hirsch. "His job responsibility was to scour the available players and he had Elliott high on the list of the players he chose." Hirsch and the Blues apparently did their homework extremely well. The 26-year-old Elliott has been nothing short of remarkable, posting a 10-1 record in 11 starts and leading the NHL in goals-against average (1.31), save percentage (.951) and shutouts (3). "We thought that we'd bring in someone we thought could compete with Ben," Armstrong said. "He obviously had more experience than Ben, but it's not like he has a huge resume in the NHL. "We thought a lot of Ben Bishop and what he had done. We also wanted to have depth at that position and we thought Elliott could provide depth and competition." Elliott has done a lot more than that. Right now he's the hottest goaltender in the NHL and putting up the kind of numbers that have earned him raves around the league. "I don't think it's anything special that I'm doing," was Elliott's understated answer to reporters Sunday in Columbus. "With the team, if we have a lead, we're not going to give it up." So far, that's exactly what's been happening. "He's gotten off to just an unbelievable start and we're going to ride the wave as long as we can," Armstrong said of Elliott, who was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week on Monday. He pushed his winning streak to six games with a 2-1 victory Sunday at Columbus that gave him an 0.98 goals-against average and .963 save percentage in his last three starts. With each win he forces the NHL stat-keepers do go deeper into the record books. Elliott is the first NHL goalie in nearly 70 years to allow two goals or fewer in each of his first 11 starts to start a season. The last man to do it was Hall of Fame goaltender Frank Brinsek with the 1938-39 Boston Bruins. Asked if he could think of a similar hot goaltending story, Armstrong reached back to his days with the Dallas Stars.

Coaching change may make Capitals a tough foe for Blues

By NORM SANDERS

Making things tougher on the St. Louis Blues to continue their winning ways tonight was Washington's decision to fire coach Bruce Boudreau on Monday and replace him with former Capitals captain Dale Hunter. Washington (12-9-1) had dropped six of its last eight games, but teams typically respond quickly to a coaching hire. The Blues (13-8-2) are 7-1-2 under new coach Ken Hitchcock and have vaulted from 14th place to fifth in the Western Conference standings. The Blues have been winning, with airtight goaltending and a continued surge by the top line of David Backes, Alex Steen and T.J. Oshie helping considerably.

Backes has five goals and eight points in his last eight games, including game-winners in each of the last two contests. He's up to nine goals and 15 points through 23 games. Another hot scorer has been Kris Russell. With three goals in his first eight games with the Blues, the former Blue Jacket defenseman is only four goals of his career-high of seven two years accomplished in 2009-10. The Blues ended an 0-for-22 stretch on the power play with a goal by Backes on Sunday, but that's another area that needs improvement since the team ranks last in the NHL. Hitchcock's club also needs more scoring from some of its top forwards, including Chris Stewart, Patrik Berglund, Matt D'Agostini and Jason Arnott. Stewart has one goal in his last 17 games and just three goals this season. The 18th overall pick in the 2006 draft had 15 goals in 26 games with the Blues last season after joining the team in a trade with Colorado, fueling higher expectations for 2011-12. Berglund (four goals, seven points) hasn't registered a goal or assist in his last six games. He has just one goal in the last 14 contests. D'Agostini has one goal in his last 15 games and Arnott, who was off to a quick start, has one goal in his last 16. Arnott has four goals, but the last one was Oct. 22. Worth noting *Blues winger David Perron is on the road trip and continues to experience no problems in his bid to return to active duty. Perron hasn't played since Nov. 10, 2011 because of a concussion and post-concussion syndrome. *Armstrong would not comment on whether a return was near. "We haven't had any setbacks, so I'd say things are certainly moving in the right direction," he said. Armstrong also said Blues winger Vladimir Sobotka, injured after being hit in the face with a puck last Friday against Calgary, is also back with the team. Blues forward prospects Jaden Schwartz and Ty Rattie were among 41 players invited to Canada's world junior team selection camp. Schwartz, a standout at Colorado College who had five goals and 17 points through 11 games, helped Canada win a silver medal last season so his name was no surprise on the list. Rattie, the Blues' second-round pick last June, is hopeful of making the team. He is off to a sizzling start with Portland of the Western Hockey League, scoring 27 goals and 50 points in his first 27 games. Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.29.2011 591197 St Louis Blues

earlier this month, scored with eight seconds left in the middle period to tie it. "I thought the goal in the second period helped us a lot," said Hitchcock, who has guided the Blues to a 7-1-2 mark since replacing Davis Payne on Nov. 6. "But more than anything the grind that we put on in the third period, we got in on a big body game, and that really helped us." Brian Elliott made 23 saves for the Blues to move to 10-1-0 this season. Derek Dorsett scored, Curtis Sanford made 27 saves -- losing for the first time in six starts -- and Columbus had its five-game points streak snapped. "It was almost like a playoff game," Sanford said. "It was like a chess match. Their special teams came out on top. That's usually the difference in these games." Tied 1-all entering the final period, the Blues' league-worst power play came through at 7:49. T.J. Oshie flicked a backhand pass from the left edge of the crease to a wide-open Backes for his ninth goal of the season. It was St. Louis' first man-advantage tally in six games. Columbus had plenty of chances throughout, including a power play of its own just a few minutes later, but a hooking penalty by Fedor Tyutin -- his third minor infraction of the game -- negated the opportunity. "That was a 200-foot game where you had to battle for every inch," Blue Jackets coach Scott Arniel said. "We had a lot of chances to actually score and we didn't. They certainly capitalized on a couple of mistakes that we made." Elliot was steady holding the Blues' lead, stopping Antoine Vermette on a 2on-1, shorthanded break with just over 5 minutes left. Then with Sanford off for an extra attacker, Elliott blocked Rick Nash's doorstep stab. In a mostly tight-checking game, played cautiously early, Dorsett broke in alone, compliments of a Samuel Pahlsson steal at center ice, and beat Elliott at 5:06 of the second period to put Columbus on the board first. Later in the period, the Blue Jackets marched up the ice on a 3-on-1 after a miscue by Barret Jackman. Nash slid the puck to Carter, but his shot was blocked by a sprawling Roman Polak. Skating four aside, Steen shook his coverage and powered around the right side, strong-arming a shot on goal. His rebound off Sanford came to Russell near the crease for the quick putback. "It was big going into the third period knowing that we had a tie," Russell said. The best scoring chance of the first period came off the stick of Nash on a semi-breakaway, stopped by Elliott. "When you lose one and you've got to start over and start a new streak," Arniel said. "You can't let it linger." Notes

Backes gives Blues a sweet win

Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ken Hitchcock's surging St. Louis Blues added a special one to their recent collection of victories. David Backes scored a power-play goal in the third period to lift St. Louis past the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on Sunday night, giving Hitchcock the win in his first game against his former team. Hitchcock, the winningest coach all-time for Columbus, guided the Blue Jackets to their only playoff berth in 2009 before being fired a season later. The game wasn't as emotional for Hitchcock as it was playing against Dallas, which he coached to a Stanley Cup title in 1999, but it certainly had meaning. "There's a lot of players on the other side I'm close with," he said. "I have a healthy respect for those players because I would say 10 of those guys went through the wall for me." And it was another former member of the Columbus organization that began to change the tide for St. Louis. Kris Russell, traded to the Blues

Russell was traded on Nov. 11 to the Blues in exchange for D Nikita Nikitan. Russell has three goals and an assist, while Nikita has five assists in eight games each with their new teams. ... Hitchcock has posted the best 10-game start for a new Blues coach in franchise history, ahead of Joel Quenneville, Red Berenson, Andy Murray, Mike Keenan, and Al Arbour. ... G Steve Mason served as Sanford's backup after missing the last three games with a concussion. ... Blue Jackets RW Jared Boll played in his 300th NHL game. Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 11.29.2011 591198 Tampa Bay Lightning

Bolts can't make chances count against Wild

By ERIK ERLENDSSON

ST. PAUL, Minn. Solid stretches were not enough to overcome some sloppy Lightning play against the Wild on Monday. Minnesota scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 victory in front of an announced crowd of 16,628 at Xcel Energy Center.

Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom was the difference in stopping 32 shots while Minnesota took advantage of two key mistakes to erase an early deficit, spurred by a Cal Clutterbuck shorthanded goal. Mathieu Garon made 21 saves as Tampa Bay's modest two-game winning streak came to an end. A fast-paced first period favored the Lightning, which attempted 29 shots in the opening 20 minutes 11 on goal, 10 of which were blocked and eight that missed compared to 14 for the Wild, which were held off the shot clock for the opening 7:48 of the game. The second period was played at just as quick of a pace, only with a bit more sloppiness to the game as pucks were turned over at a dizzying pace, leading to the first goal of the game. After Marc-Andre Bergeron lost the puck to Dany Heatley along the left boards, Heatley tried a back pass that was intercepted by Stamkos to start a 2-on-1 rush down the right wing side. Stamkos raced away from pressure to free up a lane and put a laser wrist shot past Niklas Backstrom at 5:53 of the period for his 14th goal of the season and fourth in the past three games. Tampa Bay received a power play chance less than a minute later when Matt Cullen was called for slashing. But instead of building on any momentum from the goal, the Lightning gave it away in a big way. With the puck on his stick behind his own net looking for a breakout, Eric Brewer simply lost control of it, giving Mikko Koivu a 2-on-0 chance down low that was finished off by Clutterbuck as Garon had no chance to make a stop at 7:29. So instead of building, or at least maintaining, momentum with the power play, Tampa Bay gave complete control of the period over to the Wild, who were buzzing and swarming the Lightning zone. Kyle Brodziak was sprung for a breakaway at the 10:00 mark but hit the post while Minnesota had several other good chances with Garon down and out and the net open, only to have the shots disrupted or blocked by Tampa Bay. Eventually, however, it caught up with the Lightning when another Bergeron turnover in the defensive zone allowed Nick Johnson to outmuscle rookie Brett Connolly in the slot before feeding Pierre-Marc Bouchard for a onetimer from the right circle with 2:54 left in the period for a 2-1 Minnesota lead. Ryan Shannon had a chance to pull even in the final minute as Matt Gilroy sprung Shanon for a breakaway, but Backstrom came up with a glove save with 35 seconds left. Dany Heatley took a tripping call 43 seconds into the third period, but Stamkos missed an open net on a lunging shot and Tampa Bay came up empty to fall to 5-for-45 on the power play on the road this season. The Lightning kept trying to build up some momentum, but Backstrom kept holding them off, first stopping Nate Thompson on a 2-on-1 and then making his best save of the night with the toe of his left skate as Stamkos redirected a Teddy Purcell pass at 8:48. Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591199 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tyrell started this season in the American Hockey League as the team sorted out some roster issues, but was recalled on Thursday and fit right back into the lineup during a weekend sweep of Florida. With his professional attitude, tenacious play on the ice and his dedication off the ice, he's a prototype player for the Lightning. "Looking for the type of person, type of athlete and the commitment of players that we are looking for our organization, he fits that,'' Yzerman said. "He's in tip-top shape, comes in and tops the fitness charts in our training camp, competes hard in games and practices. He's a good guy. He's popular with his teammates. And he's a young kid but he leads in his own way.'' Tyrell appreciates the team's commitment to him, even after he started the season in the minors. "That might have been a blessing in disguise, and I think everything happens for a reason,'' Tyrell said. "They definitely stayed positive towards me and kept in touch with myself and my agent. I knew they had plans for me. I knew they were showing a commitment, so it shows their loyalty.'' Hometown debut Defenseman Mike Lundin felt he wasn't wanted by the Lightning last summer when the team did not tender a qualifying offer to the former fourthround draft pick. While Tampa Bay made the move because of a potential arbitration award, it did offer Lundin a multi-year contract. As an unrestricted free agent, Lundin signed a one-year contract for $1million with Minnesota, which is close to his hometown of Burnsville, Minn. "Any time you kind of get the feeling a team doesn't want you, it hurts a little, but eventually you realize that it's part of the game and it happens,'' Lundin said. After a frustrating summer, Lundin is off to a rough start with the Wild. Back spasms in training camp have forced him to miss the first two months of the season. The 27-year-old who averaged 20 minutes a game for the Lightning last season will make his Wild debut Monday night against Tampa Bay in the only meeting between the teams this season. "Things seemed to go really smooth here," Lundin said. "Obviously, it's been different not playing games and have the full atmosphere of traveling all that. But, right off the bat, this is a great team with a great group of young guys. "It's a bit of a different situation than in Tampa where I felt like the young guy having started off as a rookie with guys like Marty and Vinny there. I still felt like a rookie. And here I came in feeling like a little bit more of veteran.'' Dean of the Southeast Guy Boucher was the NHL's youngest head coach when the Lightning hired him last season. Now, the 40-year-old is the longest tenured and most experienced coach in the Southeast division after the dismissals Monday of Carolina's Paul Maurice and Washington's Bruce Boudreau. Florida's Kevin Dineen is in his rookie season, as are new hires Kirk Muller in Carolina and Dale Hunter in Washington. Winnipeg's Claude Noel had 24 games of experience with Columbus as an interim in 2009-10 before taking over the Jets. Boucher, in his second season behind the Tampa Bay bench, has 104 games of experience as an NHL head coach.

Lightning notes: Tyrell gets 2-year contract extension

By ERIK ERLENDSSON

Two games into his second season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, RW Dana Tyrell signed a two-year contract extension. The former second-round pick in 2007 was in the final year of an entry level contract that paid a base salary of $650,000. He would have been a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The new contract, announced Monday, includes one-way deals for both seasons, which means he makes the same salary whether he plays in the NHL or in the minors. "He knows that he is going to be playing on our team next year, so he gets a little bit of security and stability,'' Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman. Tyrell made the team out of training camp last season and was a stalwart on a line with Nate Thompson and Adam Hall, dubbed the "DNA" line for the players' first initials.

"I guess I'm so experienced now, huh?'' Boucher joked prior to Monday's game against Minnesota. Downie skates Injured RW Steve Downie skated with the team Monday for the first time since suffering an undisclosed upper body injury on Tuesday against Toronto. Downie has been able to workout off the ice all week, but continues to be examined by what Boucher calls "specific'' doctors. "It's a little issue we can't take care of ourselves," Boucher said. "For now, somebody else is going to see him. It's not big. It's just we want to make sure we take care of it before it becomes bigger.'' Nuts and Bolts G Mathieu Garon will make his third consecutive start. D Bruno Gervais is scheduled to be a healthy scratch.

Tampa Tribune LOADED: 11.29.2011 591200 Tampa Bay Lightning

591201

Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning loses 3-1 to Minnesota Wild

GM Steve Yzerman tries to get past Tampa Bay Lightning's controversy on Versus TV telecasts

By Damian Cristodero,

By Damian Cristodero,

ST. PAUL, Minn. Coach Guy Boucher already had run through a list of the Lightning's missed scoring opportunities Monday night, when someone brought up Steven Stamkos' third-period chance in front of the net. A cross-ice pass from Teddy Purcell, Stamkos driving forward with speed and then a left-toe save by Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom. "I forgot about that one," Boucher said, looking skyward in frustration. It was that kind of game for the Lightning, which lost 3-1 at the Xcel Energy Center. Tampa Bay (11-10-2) played with good pace and outshot Minnesota 33-24. It took 77 shots overall to Minnesota's 46, prompting Boucher to say, "We outplayed those guys." But the Wild, tied with the Blackhawks atop the Western Conference, was better at converting its chances and scored twice in the second period once shorthanded and both off defensive blunders to overcome a 1-0 deficit built on Stamkos' 15th goal of the season. As for the Lightning, "I'm going to look at the video," Boucher said, "and say, 'How could we have scored only one goal?' " Start with this: the Lightning was 0-for-2 on a power play that is 5-for-45 on the road. It also had 23 shots blocked, and 21 others missed the net. Boucher said the numbers showed a "shooting mentality" and good zone time. But defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron said they also indicated the Lightning did not do enough to get shots past a committed Wild defense. Vinny Lecavalier hit a post and the puck ricocheted off Backstrom's back and fell into the crease. Ryan Shannon failed on a second-period breakaway as Backstrom stopped his forehand wrist shot. And Stamkos was stopped by Backstrom's toe 8:41 into the third with the score 2-1. "I had a good chance," Stamkos said. "That was a great play by (Purcell), a good save by the goalie." Lightning goalie Mathieu Garon also played well. But he had little chance on Cal Clutterbuck's shorthanded goal that tied the score 1-1 7:39 into the second period on a two-on-none that developed after defenseman Eric Brewer, skating from behind his net, lost control of the puck. Pierre-Marc Bouchard's winner with 2:54 left in the second came on a shortside one-timer after Bouchard outfought Brett Connolly for the puck and defenseman Matt Gilroy was out of position. If only the Lightning was as opportunistic. "We deserved this game," Boucher said. "We just didn't bury our chances." Wild 0 2 1 1 0 3 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. It is time to put the whole 1-3-1 controversy to bed, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said, especially as it pertains to Versus, whose commentators, he believes, unfairly ignited the whole thing in the first place. "We talked about how we should handle this," Yzerman said about interview requests from Versus, which telecast Monday's game between Tampa Bay and the Wild. "At this stage we decided we have no interest in getting into a feud with Versus." But, Yzerman stressed, if Versus analysts "improperly" or "unnecessarily" criticize the team, as Yzerman believes they did during a Nov. 9 game with the Flyers, "we reserve the right that we may not cooperate in the future." Versus' telecast Monday was its first with the Lightning since the Philadelphia game, when analysts Mike Milbury, Keith Jones and Pierre McGuire piled on the Lightning for using the defensive 1-3-1 formation they said produces boring hockey. Milbury even stalked off the set in protest of the 1-3-1, and Jones said the league should punish the Lightning and coach Guy Boucher. There was no criticism of Flyers coach Peter Laviolette, who several times instructed his players to stall their defensive-zone breakouts during what turned into Tampa Bay's 2-1 overtime win. "We're open to criticism for every decision we make, how we play, how we perform," Yzerman said. "But there are ways things should be done and we, as an organization, disagreed with how that event was handled. But we're moving on. We're not going to lose any sleep over it and our intention is to cooperate." And Boucher, one of the league's most accessible coaches, granted a bench interview Monday with Versus' Brian Engblom. "I'll deal with them like I deal with everybody else," Boucher said of Versus. A Versus spokesman said Milbury, Jones and Engblom were given no special instructions on how to handle the Lightning or analyze the 1-3-1 during Monday's game. Versus also is televising Wednesday's Lightning game with the Red Wings. TWO MORE YEARS: W Dana Tyrell signed a two-year, one-way contract that covers the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons and pays $600,000 a season, a nice reward for a player cut out of training camp so the team could get better looks at Brett Connolly, Blair Jones and Mattias Ritola. "It might turn out to be a blessing in disguise," said Tyrell, recalled last week. "I was able to go down and work on my game." "It was never that we were disappointed with him in any way," Yzerman said. "We had to do some things." MEDICAL MATTERS: RW Steve Downie (upper body) skated with the team in the morning but sat out his third straight game. Boucher called the injury "a little issue" but one "we can't take care of ourselves." Boucher said Downie will see an outside doctor. "It's not big," Boucher said. "It's just we want to take care of it before it becomes bigger." ODDS AND ENDS: Wild and former Lightning D Mike Lundin (back) made his season debut. Scouts from 14 teams were at the game. D Bruno Gervais was scratched. St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591202 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning 0

First PeriodNone. PenaltiesPyatt, TB (tripping), 14:29. Second Period1, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 15, 5:53. 2, Minnesota, Clutterbuck 7 (Koivu), 7:39 (sh). 3, Minnesota, Bouchard 3 (N.Johnson), 17:06. PenaltiesCullen, Min (slashing), 6:34; Moore, TB (hooking), 13:43. Third Period4, Minnesota, Koivu 4 (Spurgeon, Clutterbuck), 19:36 (en). PenaltiesHeatley, Min (tripping), :43. Shots on GoalTampa Bay 11-91333. Minnesota 7-9-824. Power-play opportunitiesTampa Bay 0 of 2; Minnesota 0 of 2. GoaliesTampa Bay, Garon 5-4-1 (23 shots-21 saves). Minnesota, Backstrom 8-5-2 (33-32). A16,628 (18,064). T2:16. RefereesStephane Auger, Paul Devorski. LinesmenPierre Champoux, Mike Cvik. St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 11.29.2011

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher calls Dana Tyrell, who has a new contract, "a beast"

Not that that should be all that difficult. Posted by Damian Cristodero A year ago on Nov. 29, the Toronto Maple Leafs GM had little to show for all his changes. His team was in the midst of what would become a 9-19-3 slide, sitting third last in the Eastern Conference and fourth last in the NHL. Along with his coach, Burke was taking criticism from all sides, as Toronto appeared well on its way to the lottery draft - without a pick - for the second year in a row. How quickly things have changed in a year. Coming off an impressive 3-1-0 road trip, the Leafs are now 14-8-2, leading their division and sitting second in the conference after 24 games. They're on pace for 103 points - enough to match the franchise's high albeit with 70 per cent of the season still to play. What has made Toronto's run all the more impressive, however, is that it picked up from the tail end of last season. With Burke's house cleaning essentially complete after he shipped long-time Leaf Tomas Kaberle out, his club became one of the hottest teams in the league. In fact, since the all-star break last season, only two teams have put up more than the Leafs' 72 points: The San Jose Sharks, with 76, and the Vancouver Canucks with 73. Only the Chicago Blackhawks and Buffalo Sabres, meanwhile, have scored more goals in that span, as Toronto has surprisingly found the back of the net roughly three times a game ever since adding Joffrey Lupul last February. They have, in short, become the exciting team Burke promised when he was introduced as GM exactly three years ago - even if flaws remain in their game. The Leafs also look remarkably like a group that will be playing meaningful hockey in April, whether it's to clinch a playoff spot or finally, unbelievably, play in the postseason for the first time since 2004. Several of Burke's key gambles have gotten them there, with the acquisition of the team's top three scorers - Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf and Lupul - all coming within a year and a half of one another. Add in names like Tim Connolly, John-Michael Liles and Clarke MacArthur, and you've got a group of six players in key roles after their former clubs chose to show them the door. With each one, there's been a skill to evaluating what's there, to seeing something that their teams missed. With Phaneuf especially, Burke was intimately involved in digging up just why he was being made available - and if he (or one of the Flames' veterans) was to blame for the locker-room feud in Calgary. (That Burke then made Phaneuf his captain mere months after acquiring him speaks volumes as to what he found.) Picking out players like that takes time. And, looking back, it's worth noting that one of the first things the Leafs GM asked for in Toronto was patience to get the job done. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. "Changing the general manager doesn't change the team," Burke said. "It doesn't change a lot of things. It's going to take some time and some patience. "Changing the general manager doesn't change the roster we're going to dress tonight. It doesn't change the record of our team. It doesn't change the chapters of history with unfulfilled expectations that preceded today. "What it does represent though is a turning of the page. For me, we're turning the page and now we get to write on blank pages and make changes and get this team to where it needs to be." What Burke's written to date isn't Shakespeare. The Leafs still take a lot of chances and allow a lot of goals. They haven't killed penalties well for years and seem to be picked apart by teams like the Boston Bruins, who they'll face back-to-back in their only games this week. What is on those pages, however, reads like progress, as they have two of the league's top scorers, a captain playing like a No. 1 defenceman and a young team on pace to make the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Lightning wing Dana Tyrell said he never doubted the organizations commitment to hi, even when he was sent down to AHL Norfolk as one of the last cuts out of training camp. They definitely stayed positive towards me and kept in touch with myself and my agent. I knew they had plans for me, Tyrell said. I knew they were showing a commitment, so it shows their loyalty. Tampa Bay showed it on Monday by signing Tyrell, 22, to a two-year, oneway contract that covers the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. Financial terms were not immediately available. Hes the most in-shape player on our team, coach Guy Boucher said. Hes a beast. Pound-for-pound I dont think Ive seen anyone that in shape or that strong. Quite a turnaround for Tyrell, 5 feet 11, 185 pounds, who began the season with the disappointment of being sent down to Norfolk after spending all last season with the Lightning. But Tyrell was more a victim of circumstance. He did not need waivers to be sent down, and that allowed Tampa Bay to conduct some experiments with Brett Connolly, Blair Jones and Mattias Ritola. Connolly worked out but Ritola moved on to Sweden rather than take a demotion to Norfolk and Jones was a healthy scratch in 10 of 20 games before he was sent to the Admirals. I was concerned at the time, GM Steve Yzerman said of sending Tyrell to Norfolk. I didnt want to set a young player back, and doing something like this, my concern was how was this going to affect him? We asked him to go down and play hard and compete hard and he did exactly that. It might turn out to be a blessing in disguise, Tyrell said. Everything happens for a reason. I was able to go down there and work on my game. Getting recalled last week and getting my contract extended is exciting and it does show Tampas commitment to me, so that shows a lot. Other stuff from the morning skate: No surprise, Mathieu Garon gets his third consecutive start in net. Garon has stopped 47 of 49 shots in his past two victories. That translates to a 0.98 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage. Forward Steve Downie will miss his third straight game with an upper body injury. Downie skated today but Boucher said Downie will see a doctor outside the team. Its a little issue we cant take care of ourselves, Boucher said. For now, somebody else is going to see him. I mean, its not big. Its just we want to make sure we take care of it before it becomes bigger. D Bruno Gervais also is scratched. Former Lightning defenseman Mike Lundin, who has dealt with back issues, is expected to make his Minnesota debut. Boucher during the morning skate had a long talk with wing Brett Connolly. Since his benching Nov. 17 against the Penguins because of poor defense, Connolly has shown good improvement, Boucher said. The coach just wanted to make sure Connolly was not trying to self-correct during games. I just want to make sure he doesnt change his game, Boucher said. Im asking him to let us correct him on the mistakes hes going to make, not correct himself before he does them. Theres a big difference between the two. Its a freedom of action he needs to have. I want him to make errors of commission not omission. Make them because youre doing what youre supposed to do. With the firings on Monday of Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau and Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice (and with the Panthers this season naming a new coach), Boucher is now the longest-tenured coach in the Southeast Division. Thats what I hear, Boucher said. Im so experienced now. St. Petersburg Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591203 Toronto Maple Leafs

Brian Burke hits three-year mark with Leafs flying high

james mirtle

It's safe to say Brian Burke is enjoying his three-year anniversary in Toronto a little more than No. 2.

It took three years to get here - and being a Stanley Cup contender is a ways off - but the man in charge has far fewer people calling for his head than at this time a year ago. He's earned a little more time and a little more patience. Toronto Globe And Mail LOADED: 11.29.2011

If that old adage about what doesn't kill you makes you stronger is true, then Tyler Bozak could be the poster boy the saying. The Maple Leafs centre could not do much right last season, finishing with just 32 points (15 goals and 17 assists) in 82 games, while checking in with an ugly minus-29 rating. Now, Bozak has settled nicely between Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul, helping form one of the most potent lines in the National Hockey League. With a pair of goals in a 5-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night, Bozak has six goals and 10 assists in 22 games. And defensively, he has turned it around, registering a plus-3 rating. Did Bozak enjoy struggling last season? Of course not. But he knows it helped his growth. "I wish it didn't (happen)," Bozak said. "But just having a full year under my belt has really helped me, and I learned a lot. Last year when I lost my confidence is when I played my worst." Lupul, naturally, is happy to see Bozak improve. "He took some criticism last year," Lupul said. "This year, he has shown what kind of character he has." CARLYLE NEXT? With the firings on Monday of Bruce Boudreau in Washington and Paul Maurice in Carolina, it's easy to wonder whether Ducks coach Randy Carlyle could be next. That might not be in the plans of Anaheim general manager Bob Murray, but it's clear the Ducks are a team in serious trouble. As much as the Maple Leafs have been playing well on the road, the Ducks, who have two wins in 18 games, were lifeless. "There is no mental toughness right now," veteran Ducks winger Teemu Selanne said. "There has been a lot of talking, a lot of meetings. There's really no answer. It seems to me that nothing works. When things go bad, they really go bad. "You try to stay positive and find some bright sides, but I don't really see any. It's unbelievable. I have no answers." PAIR BACK SOON? Centre David Steckel and defenceman Carl Gunnarsson missed the game in Anaheim after both suffered finger injuries against the Dallas Stars on Friday. Leafs coach Ron Wilson is optimistic that neither will be out of the lineup for long. "They're day to day," Wilson said. "Gunnar probably could have played (against Anaheim). I expect him to play on Wednesday (when the Boston Bruins visit the Air Canada Centre). And same thing with Steckel, I expect him to be ready for Wednesday." Goalie James Reimer also could be back in the Leafs lineup soon. He has been out since Oct. 22 with concussion-like symptoms. LOOSE LEAFS Of Clarke MacArthur's nine goals this season, eight have come in away games. MacArthur leads the Leafs with road goals, while Lupul, Kessel and Joey Crabb are tied for second with five each ... Crabb has been scoring some nice goals on deflections. "Even if I don't get a piece of something, I'm creating a screen," Crabb said. "Luckily enough, I have got my stick on a couple." Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

591204

Toronto Maple Leafs

Five Leafs answers: Aulie solid in season debut

Dave Feschuk

DANNY MOLOSHOK/REUTERS 1. How much more depleted will Toronto's injury-depleted lineup be? Friday's 4-3 shootout win in Dallas saw D Carl Gunnarsson and C David Steckel leave with finger injuries that have them listed as day to day.

Neither Gunnarsson nor Steckel played; coach Ron Wilson said he expects both to be available for Wednesday's home game against the Bruins. But thanks to some solid stand-in work by call-up D Keith Aulie, who made a solid season debut, the Leafs, 5-2 winners, didn't appear to miss a beat. 2. Did Friday's win take too much out of the defence's legs? With Gunnarsson down and Cody Franson nailed to the bench after he missed an assignment that led to a Dallas goal, the remaining four blueliners played big minutes, with rookie Jake Gardiner logging a team-high of about 28 minutes. Maybe it was just the anemic Ducks, who looked positively sluggish, but there weren't many moments when the Leafs weren't in perfect control of Sunday's game. They'd had a day's rest in California and looked fresh. 3. Will Joffrey Lupul make good on his hope to "prove some people wrong"? The Maple Leafs forward, traded by the Ducks to the Leafs in February, has spent the lead-up to this game making clear he was unhappy that Anaheim gave up on him a few months after he returned from a devastating and complicated series of health issues. Lupul had two assists and a couple of great scoring chances. Along with seeing the Ducks lose their sixth straight game, had to be a decent night for the offseason resident of nearby Newport Beach, Ca. 4. Can the Leafs step on the throat of a slumping team? The Ducks, though they boast high-end talent in Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Teemu Selanne, are in disarray, having lost six straight and 15 of their past 17. They definitely put a foot in the proper place. After falling behind 1-0 early, the Leafs controlled a game whose outcome was never really in doubt. 5. Can the Monster sustain his momentum? With James Reimer expected back within the week, Jonas Gustavsson has won three straight games in which he has averaged 1.66 goals against. Gustavsson didn't have a lot of work; the Ducks only had a few decent scoring chances. But he came up big enough when he had to for his fourth straight win. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.29.2011

591205

Toronto Maple Leafs

591206

Toronto Maple Leafs

Bounce-back Bozie

Kadri lights up Newfoundland

By Terry Koshan ,Toronto Sun

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO -

At the conclusion of Friday's 4-3 victory in St. John's, Marlies coach Dallas Eakins sent Brian Burke a message.

"Forget about the fact that he had two goals and two assists," Eakins informed Burke. "Even if he did not have any points, this was Nazem Kadri's best game since he's been here." Kadri finished the two-game series in Newfoundland with three goals and two assists. In the process, he is showing signs of becoming the dominant player the Leafs always thought he might be one day. "He was booed every time he touched the puck in Saturday's (6-3 win)," Eakins said. "I'm not sure if it was because of his ability to hold onto the puck or because the fans were mad at the St. John's players for being unable to get the puck off him. "He's been very impressive the past four games." Maple Leafs VP of hockey operations Dave Poulin was encouraged by what he saw from Kadri in St. John's. "The puck never left his stick," said Poulin, who was in Newfoundland for the games. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

Back in 2008, Chiarelli sat in a chilly rink in Cornwall watching Colborne compete in the Centennial Cup for the Camrose Kodiaks, a team with which he collected 90 points in 55 games. The Bruins GM was so impressed by Colborne, the 2008 RBC Canadian Junior A Hockey League Player of the Year, he drafted him a short time later. Early on there were some rocky times with AHL Providence, the Bruins top farm team. Behind the scenes, however, the organization was constantly working to make him better. "We stressed a couple of things he needed to work on," Chiarelli said. "Obviously, the first was his skating. But we also spent a lot of time working with him on how to protect the puck and shield opponents with his big body." Message received. Indeed, in his brief stint as Colborne's coach with the Marlies, Dallas Eakins quickly learned what Peter Chiarelli already knew: that Joe Colborne had a gnawing desire to one day realize his full potential. "He's made huge improvements," Eakins said. "I think his skating has improved with his strength. And we stressed how effective he can be down low and on the half boards with that big (6-foot-5) body. He could really kill with his passing, kill with his strength. "The thing is, he wants it bad. He's always working on his game, watching video, working out, you name it." When Colborne was called up to the Leafs, Eakins gave Wilson the headsup about how well he and Crabb played together with the Marlies. Wilson reunited them with the Leafs, a familiar combination that has allowed Colborne to flourish early on in his NHL career. Just like Peter Chiarelli figured he might.

591207

Toronto Maple Leafs

Bruins GM hated to trade Colborne

By Mike Zeisberger ,Toronto Sun

TORONTO It was one of the most difficult chats Peter Chiarelli has ever had with a player. It was Feb. 11, and Chiarelli had just dealt highly-touted prospect Joe Colborne to the Maple Leafs along with a first-round and a conditional second-round draft pick in exchange for veteran defenceman Tomas Kaberle. During his tenure as general manager of the Boston Bruins, Chiarelli had informed plenty of players they were moving on. Distasteful or not, it goes hand-in-hand with the job. But this time, it was more emotional than most. "When I told him he was traded, well, that was a tough one," Chiarelli said during a phone interview from Boston on Monday. "He's such a good kid, such a hard worker." Almost 10 months later, Chiarelli likely will have the chance to get a firsthand look at just how much that "good kid" has developed when the Bruins face Colborne's Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. If he plays, it will be Colborne's first opportunity to face the team that traded him. With Mikhail Grabovski having returned to the lineup on Sunday in Anaheim and David Steckel slated to do the same against the Bruins on Wednesday, coach Ron Wilson could have a few difficult decisions ahead when it comes to his cache of available forwards. At the same time, with Colborne having racked up four points in five games alongside Joey Crabb and Matt Frattin, well, why break up a good thing? From his six-week run among the scoring leaders in the American Hockey League to his impressive albeit brief stint with the Leafs thus far, Colborne's rapid emergence may have caught some observers off-guard. But for the man who drafted him 16th overall in the 2008 entry draft for the Bruins, he always expected the gangly kid from Calgary to perform like this. "I'm not surprised at all," Chiarelli said, referring to Colborne. "He is a firstround talent who was constantly working toward his dream of the NHL. "It was tough to let him go, believe me. But we saw a puck-moving defenceman in Kaberle who we felt was a key piece to our title aspirations. In our case, we won the (Stanley) Cup after making the trade, so I guess it was worth it," If anyone knows the potential Colborne has, it's Chiarelli.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

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Toronto Maple Leafs

McKegg doing hard time in Erie

By Rob Longley ,Toronto Sun

He still wears the captain's "C" and is still an important prospect in the Maple Leafs system. But safe to say it hasn't been a season to remember thus far for Erie Otters centre, Greg McKegg. After a big campaign in which he finished eighth in Ontario Hockey League scoring last season, McKegg is stuck on one of the worst teams in junior hockey.

And on Monday, news got even gloomier when the St. Thomas, Ont. native did not make the short list of 41 teenagers invited to the selection camp roster for Team Canada's entry in this year's world junior championships. In fact, of three Leafs prospects believed to be in consideration for the team, which will look to rally from last year's gut-wrenching loss to Russia in the gold-medal game, only one got the invite. Portland Winter Hawks forward Brad Ross, one of last year's late cuts, was the only Leafs draftee invited to the tryout, which begins Dec. 10 in Calgary. Also left out was defenceman Stuart Percy, the St. Michael's Majors captain and first-round pick from this past June's entry draft. Of the 41 selected to the preliminary roster for the tournament, which will be split between Calgary and Edmonton, three are returning players - Quinton Howden (Moose Jaw, WHL), Jaden Schwartz (Colorado College) and Mark Visentin (Niagara, OHL). At first statistical glance, the promising scoring touch shown in the past by McKegg has gone stone cold this season. The Canadian staff, as always faced with a difficult task in selecting prospects, also couldn't have been

impressed with McKegg's glaring minus-27 rating, although being stuck on the awful Otters puts a negative skew on that stat. Selected 62nd overall by the Leafs in the 2010 NHL entry draft, McKegg has just eight goals and 16 assists in 23 games for Erie. What's wrong with a better than point a game pace? Well, when you are coming off a season in which you put up a 49-goal, 92-point effort, it sounds like a slump. It hasn't exactly been easy on the Pennsylvania shore of Lake Erie, however. Not only have the Otters dropped 10 in a row - and have been out-scored 30-7 in their past five - they have an OHL worst 3-22 record. Both McKegg and Percy took part in Hockey Canada's summer evaluation camp and were hopeful they would get a shot at the big team. Ross, meanwhile, was a second-round pick (43rd overall) in the 2010 draft and has had a solid season with the Winter Hawks. The left winger has 16 goals and 18 assists in 34 games with a sprinkling of truculence associated with 73 penalty minutes. Quick Hit McKegg isn't the only Leafs prospect stuck in Erie this season and life lately has been a battle for Sondre Olden, the prospect from Norway who is playing his first season in the OHL. Olden was out of action the past two weeks after suffering a gash to his leg in a freak injury during an Otters practice. The big winger who was selected 79th overall in the 2010 draft, has 14 points in 17 games and is expected to be back this weekend. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

final cut. Thomas, particularly, has been wildly inconsistent - great one night, invisible the next - and that doesn't bode well for his chances. The IceDogs will be well represented in Calgary. The Hamilton brothers, Freddie and Dougie, plus Ryan Strome and Visentin, got invitations to camp and it wouldn't be at all surprising to see at least three of them stick. And good to see Barrie Colts rising superstar Tanner Pearson get a shot at playing in the world juniors. He's been one of the feel-good stories of the year and, as the OHL's leading scorer, deserved a chance. COLTS ADD HORSEPOWER It wasn't a move that would cause a domino effect around the league, but the Barrie Colts decision to trade for overage winger Daniel Erlich was pretty astute. The Colts acquired Erlich from the Guelph Storm for a trio of draft picks Thursday, adding another offensive weapon to a well-stocked arsenal that includes league scoring leader Tanner Pearson, OA forward Colin Behenna and Winnipeg Jets first-round pick Mark Scheifele. Erlich, who started the season playing pro in Austria before asking for his release, wasn't going to play for the rebuilding Storm. Guelph GM Mike Kelly has settled on his three OAs and didn't want to upset team chemistry by adding Erlich, who clearly could have helped a young group of forwards. Erlich's critics will tell you that he plays on the perimeter too much - listed at a generous 5-foot-6, he's probably the smallest player in the league - but he's got speed to burn and should give the Colts another threat in the offensive zone. He's got a pair of goals and four points in his first two games with the Colts so he looks like a good fit.

591209

Toronto Maple Leafs

World Juniors won't include Percy, Anderson

If Zach Hall (one point in the last nine games) finds his scoring groove again and a resurgent Ivan Telegin (11 points in a seven-game scoring streak) stays hot, the Colts could be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. And, honestly, who'da thunk that when the season started?

DAVE POLLARD, QMI AGENCY

The only fly in the ointment is that the Colts will have to somehow shed one of their four overagers - Behenna's not going anywhere so Norm Ezekial or Victor Terreri will be moved or waived - before the January trade deadline. MAJOR MALFUNCTION Don't look now but the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors are sliding. The Majors got off to a quick start this season - 7-0 out of the chute - but have fallen on hard times lately. They've lost three straight, including a 3-2 decision to the Guelph Storm on home ice Sunday, while going 2-6-1-1 over their past 10 games. All of a sudden, a playoff spot isn't looking like a sure thing. The Majors are seventh in the tight Eastern Conference and hold a three-point edge on ninth-place Sudbury but the Wolves have played four fewer games. "These are lost points that may really come back to hurt us in the long run," Majors coach/GM James Boyd said after the loss to Guelph. "We are close but not getting two points from weekend games with the standings so tight is not good." Their last three losses all came in winnable games, which is probably what has Boyd concerned. First they fell to Brampton, the top team in the Central Division but not what you'd call a powerhouse, then they gave up three third-period goals to lose to the 7-15-2-2 Kingston Frontenacs. The Storm, possibly the youngest team in the league, was playing for the third time in two and a half days. If there's any good news, and I use that term loosely, it's that goalie J.P. Anderson wasn't invited to the Canadian junior camp. With rookie Spencer Martin away with Team Ontario at the world under-17s in late December, from a purely selfish perspective the Majors could ill afford to lose Anderson at the same time. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

Hmmm, did Hockey Canada forget to scout the Mississauga St. Michael's Majors? Two notable names were left off the 41-man roster for the Canadian junior team selection camp that was announced Monday and both play for the Majors - defenceman Stuart Percy and goaltender J.P. Anderson. Naturally, there will always be debate among junior hockey fans about who deserves to be included in the annual winter ritual but the omission of Percy and Anderson is a little puzzling. Percy, a signed first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, has been a bit nicked up this season but he's been steady at both ends of the ice. He's averaging nearly a point per game and leads the Majors at plus-11, well off the plus-50 he posted last year but a more-than-respectable number nonetheless. So Percy is out and Saginaw Spirit defenceman Jamie Oleksiak is in? If it was up to me, I'd take Percy's combo of skills over Oleksiak's bulk at an event like the world juniors. Anderson hasn't been as consistent as you'd expect of a 19-year-old who's signed an NHL contract with San Jose to be - his goals-against is a tad high at 3.13 - but he probably deserved a shot at making the Canadian team. Instead, Scott Wedgewood of the Plymouth Whalers got the nod ahead of Anderson. He will battle for the second spot - as a veteran of last year's Canadian team, Niagara IceDogs goalie Mark Visentin is a lock this time around - with Tyler Bunz of the Medicine Hat Tigers and Louis Domingue of the Quebec Remparts. Malcolm Subban of the Belleville Bulls, who leads the OHL with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage, was also ignored. Don't expect that to happen again next year. Subban is one of the early candidates to play for Canada in 2013. A pair of Oshawa Generals are among the 21 forwards heading to camp. But Boone Jenner and Christian Thomas will need to perform at a higher level in Calgary than they have been in Oshawa if they want to make the

591210

Toronto Maple Leafs

Re-upping Wilson could cost Leafs Eakins

But the odds, and the current climate of coaching changes, make it something worth thinking about. Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

By Steve Simmons ,

In 1993, Cliff Fletcher liked to tell people he had the best coaching depth in the National Hockey League. He had Pat Burns in charge of the Maple Leafs, Marc Crawford running his farm team in St. John's, and Joel Quenneville, one year out of retirement, ably assisting Crawford with the American Hockey League team. "There's no way I'm going to be able keep all three long-term," Fletcher used to say. "Somebody's going to want to hire those guys." Over time, he was proven correct. After great seasons in Toronto, Burns went on to have all kinds of success elsewhere, including winning a Stanley Cup in New Jersey. Crawford went first to Quebec, then Denver, where he won a Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Quenneville won his Stanley Cup in Chicago, where he currently coaches, after having strong runs with St. Louis and Colorado. In his best days, Fletcher was as shrewd a coaching talent evaluator as there has been in hockey. He brought the innovative Bob Johnson to the NHL. He hired the colourful Terry Crisp right out of junior to run his farm team. And the trio he had in Toronto - Burns, Crawford and Quenneville - all have had their name on the Jack Adams Award. In fact, if you go back to 1990, seven of the past 22 coach of the year winners were either brought to the NHL by Fletcher or, in the case of Burns, was hired after working for another team. And the number probably should be eight because the late, great Badger Bob never did win coach of the year, which only slightly discredits the award. And all this is relevant today because the last coaching hiring Fletcher made as an NHL general manager, albeit interim, happened to be Ron Wilson, who is on his last year of his Leafs contract. The same Wilson who is working for an extension that Brian Burke would love to give him but until recently hasn't had anything positive to trumpet about. The Wilson hiring, as things have gone, hasn't exactly been one of Fletcher's best. But if the Leafs have benefitted in any way from the way Fletcher conducted his business, it has been in the belief that coaching depth brings a certain strength to any organization. And unlike the Washington Capitals or Carolina Hurricanes, who fired popular coaches Monday in Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice, there will be no need in the future for the Leafs to go outside their organization to replace Wilson, should they want to replace him. They have that next coach in Dallas Eakins. He is NHL in waiting. He is probably ready now. The next time a team makes a coaching move, he may well be on their speed dial. The London Knights lost a pretty good junior coach in Dale Hunter when he took the NHL bait and moved back to Washington. Kirk Muller listened to those who said he had to be a head coach, so he left his assistant's job with the Montreal Canadiens for Nashville's farm team in Milwaukee: Now the Predators have done fine work in preparing Carolina's coach for the future. This is where the Leafs are now. They can't be completely certain about Wilson, even in this turnaround season, because of his previous history here. This is his fourth year in Toronto. There has been more bad than good. Making the playoffs will almost certainly save his job and earn him a contract extension - and that seems entirely plausible right now. But the question may be: If you re-up Wilson, what will it cost your organization? If you sign Wilson long-term, does that happen at the expense of losing Eakins to another team? Because after Anaheim fires Randy Carlyle and after Columbus fires Scott Arniel and Colorado fires Joe Sacco and Calgary fires Brent Sutter - all of which can happen shortly - somebody is eventually going to make a play for Eakins, who was first brought to the Leafs by Maurice. Fletcher knew one day he would have to make a decision on Burns. He just hoped the timing would have been better. When he finally chose to replace Burns in 1996, Crawford had been long gone for Colorado and Quenneville, assisting him, would soon be in St. Louis. When the time comes to replace Wilson, they will be better off if Eakins is still around.

591211

Vancouver Canucks

Raymond ready for debut

By QMI Agency

Vancouver Canucks forward Mason Raymond could play Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It would be Raymond's first game since injuring his back in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins. He had off-season surgery, causing him to miss the first two months of the season. "I'm feeling good," Raymond said on the team's website "I gave coach the go-ahead that I'm now ready to play so when that opportunity arises, I have to be ready to jump in the lineup." Alex Edler, who was hurt Saturday in San Jose, says he can play Tuesday. Alex Burrows, though, is questionable after having his hand cut on a slash by Joe Thornton the same night. Winnipeg Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011

591212

Vancouver Canucks

Johansen knows a bit about 'wings'

By Elliott Pap

VANCOUVER - Ryan Johansen went home to Port Moody for supper Monday, anticipating one of his favourite meals from mom Roz. "She makes this chicken dinner that's pretty good so I'm hoping that's what it will be," said the 19-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets rookie, who will be skating against his boyhood idols, the Vancouver Canucks, Tuesday night at Rogers Arena. Johansen hit a few speed bumps early in his NHL career and was scratched four times by coach Scott Arniel during a rocky month of October. But Johansen began to find his stride when marquee forward Jeff Carter broke his foot and Arniel shifted him from centre to right wing. He scored the game-winning goal in the Jackets' first three victories this season and hasn't been out of the lineup since. In 19 games, Johansen has five goals, five assists and is plus-4, the latter mark the best on the team. "I think I was struggling a little bit at the start of the season," said Johansen, 6-3 and 203 pounds. "It's tough to come into this league and do what I did in junior. So I think it was good to get a little more comfortable and practise a little bit more before getting back into those game situations. As time went along, I felt more confident and everything was easier on the ice." Arniel makes no apolgies for sitting Johansen, the Blue Jackets' first-round pick (fourth overall) in the 2010 NHL entry draft. "You know what?" said Arniel. "There was a lot on his plate early on, especially playing centre in the National Hockey League. As an 18-year-old, there was a lot to grasp. The switch to right wing seemed to make him really comfortable and, all of the sudden, we started to see the offence and the big power forward we were hoping for." One of the games Johansen didn't play early was Oct. 10 against the Canucks. This will be his first shot at facing the Sedins and, as a lifelong Canuck follower, he expects Tuesday's game to be a memorable one. He was even cheering for them in the Stanley Cup final and attended Game 2 at Rogers Arena.

"It was pretty exciting to watch them in the playoffs last year," he said. "Then to walk into the rink for the first time as a player today was special. I used to come into this building and look at the ice and just dream of being out there. For that to actually come true, I can't even put it into words. It will definitelty be a special night for me." He'll have his own cheering section, too, including dad Randall and little brother Lucas. "There should be a lot of people coming," said Ryan. "I have a lot of friends who are big Canuck fans and have season tickets here. Then I''ll get a few tickets for the people who don't usually have them. My buddies are saying they'll go half and half as far as cheering - they want me to score but they don't want us to win." Seems like a perfect compromise for any self-respecting Canuck fan with a pal on the opposing team. Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

"You don't realize how lucky you are every day to have the use of your arms and legs, to be able to put your clothes on and get in and out of bed," he said. "Then you get to the point where every day life is good but you can't compete at a level in the sport we do. So you look back at a lot of things in life. I'm very thankful to be in the position I'm in now." Defenceman Alex Edler, who left Saturday's game against San Jose in the second period after a shoulder check from Jamie McGinn, practised fully on Monday and is ready to go. Fellow blueliner Aaron Rome also made it through practice Monday. He's missed two games since blocking a Jan Hejda shot with his left hand last Wednesday in Colorado. ICE CHIPS: Canuck defenceman Aaron Rome, a proud Manitoban, was licking his wounds Monday after the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' 34-23 loss to the B.C. Lions in Sunday's Grey Cup. "It's tough," sighed Rome. "My heart was with the Bombers." Rome lost a bet to "bandwagon jumper" Alex Burrows, who is normally a Montreal Alouettes fan. "Burrows hasn't gloated surprisingly," said Rome. "Now I have to take him out to dinner, or something like that." Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591213

Vancouver Canucks 591214 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks' Mason Raymond 'ready to roll' Coach's decision on when winger will play Canucks' Schneider to get sixth straight start, but Luongo 'is our No. 1 goaltender' 'Right now the way Cory is playing, he's playing real well,' says coach Vigneault

By Elliott Pap

VANCOUVER - Reporters being a curious lot, they smelled something Monday when Mason Raymond was practising on the Vancouver Canucks' first line with Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Alex Burrows, the twins' normal rightwinger, wasn't present either so it seemed a perfect fit. Right? "You'll find that out tomorrow," replied head coach Alain Vigneault, whose red-hot Canucks will be seeking their fifth straight victory Tuesday against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040). Burrows has a finger injury on his left hand, that much we know. He was slashed by San Jose captain Joe Thornton near the midpoint of the second period Saturday in Vancouver's 3-2 win. Burrows left the game briefly but did return. Since Burrows did not skate with the team Monday, he wasn't made available for questioning either, leaving Vigneault to dispense the medical information. "He has an open wound from that slash he took from Thornton and it's a tough place to put stitches," Vigneault explained. "We'll see how he's doing tomorrow. I would say he's more probable than doubtful the way I know Alex." The coach did say that if Burrows can't go, then Raymond will definitely suit up for his first game since suffering a near catastrophic back injury during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final June 13. Officially, Raymond had a vertebrae compression fracture. He was immobilized for two months after Boston Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk drove him back-first into the corner boards early in the game. If Burrows is okay, Vigneault would have to scratch a healthy forward to create a spot for Raymond. "I'll make that call tomorrow," repeated Vigneault. Raymond, meanwhile, will take anything available to him, whether it's with the twins or lower down the depth chart. He's been waiting many weeks for this moment. "I've been cleared for contact for about a week and a half now and I'm feeling good," said Raymond, 26. "I gave the coach the go-ahead and I'm ready to roll. Now I have to be prepared for when my opportunity comes. If it's with the Sedins, great. If it's with somebody else, it doesn't matter. It's been a long time and I've worked hard to get to this point. "I've been through a lot of stuff but I'm very pleased with where I'm at." Raymond thinks he's become a stronger person for the ordeal he's had to endure.

By Brad Ziemer

VANCOUVER - Coach Alain Vigneault insists Roberto Luongo remains his No. 1 goalie, but Cory Schneider will make his sixth straight start when the Vancouver Canucks meet the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night at Rogers Arena (7 p.m., Sportsnet Pacific, Team 1040). "Right now the way Cory is playing, he's playing real well, and I have decided to go with him tomorrow," Vigneault said after today's practice. But Vigneault quickly added that Luongo's status as the team's top goalie has not changed. "Obviously, Roberto is our No. 1 goaltender and before he got hurt he was starting to find his game," Vigneault said. "We put Cory in, he wasn't very good against Chicago, but after that he was the best player on the ice against Ottawa and shutout, shutout and the performance he had (Saturday) night. He's playing well and is going to play tomorrow." Schneider posted back-to-back shutouts in wins last week over Colorado and Phoenix and turned aside 43 shots in Saturday night's 3-2 win over San Jose. Vigneault seemed uncomfortable talking about his goaltending situation, giving short and rather terse answers to some questions. He would not, for example, say how much longer Schneider would continue to start if the team keeps winning with him in goal. The Canucks take a season-long four-game winning streak into Tuesday night's game. "Cory is playing tomorrow, that's what you need to know," Vigneault said. Luongo has a history of playing his best when he is playing a lot and Vigneault was asked if he was concerned about him getting rusty sitting on the bench. "My concern right now is winning tomorrow's game," he said. "I'm looking at the standings and I think we have to win some hockey games." "Roberto wants to play, he is a competitor, he is a very proud guy," Vigneault added. "He knows he is the No. 1 goaltender on this team and he wants to play. But at the end of the day Cory right now is playing real well and those are the decisions a coach has to make." For their part, both Schneider and Luongo said all the right things after today's practice. Both insisted the current situation with Schneider playing and Luongo watching has not created any conflict between them.

"He's a competitor and he wants to play and it's something that we are dealing with fine," Schneider said. "It's not awkward between us at all. I think we are just pulling for one another and whatever is best for the team. We just want to win." Luongo acknowledged he wants to play, but insisted he understands and supports the decision to go with the hot goalie. "Cory has got unbelievable talent," Luongo said. "He's been working his bag off for the last two years, never complaining, and was always 100 per cent behind me. So the same thing goes for me. He deserves what he is getting right now, he has got unbelievable talent and there's no doubt in anybody's mind that he could be a starter in this league. The bottom line is it's about the Vancouver Canucks winning games and that is what I am all about." Winger Alex Burrows missed today's practice with a finger injury sustained after a slash by San Jose captain Joe Thornton on Saturday night. Vigneault said he hoped Burrows would be able to play Tuesday night. If he can't go, winger Mason Raymond will likely make his return from a serious back injury and take Burrows' spot on the top line with the Sedin twins. Defenceman Alex Edler, who appeared to hurt his shoulder in a secondperiod collision with San Jose forward Jamie McGinn on Saturday night, practised today and pronounced himself fit for Tuesday night's game. Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Raymond ready to return after "long summer" of recovery

By Gordon McIntyre

We often take for granted things that are dear to us until they're taken away, good health being a prime example. So some of Mason Raymond's darkest days came not at the hospital in Boston, where he'd been told he had a broken back and whether he'd ever play again was an unanswered question, but when he was back home recuperating in a brace for two months. "It was a long summer," Raymond said on Monday. "I came to training camp and hadn't done a thing, literally. "You don't realize every day how lucky you are to have the use of your arms, your legs, put your clothes on, getting out of bed. "To be able to do that, then get to the point where everyday life was good but you can't compete at the level we do in our sport ... "You look back and realize how much bigger the big picture is. I'm very lucky and thankful to be in the position I'm in now." That position is a put-me-in-coach, I'm-ready-to-play position.

591215

Vancouver Canucks

Raymond would like to play tonight and on Monday at practice he was skating alongside the Sedins, with Alex Burrows nursing what Alain Vigneault described as an open wound on the ring finger of his left hand, the result of a Joe Thornton slash on Saturday night. "It would be OK," Raymond laughed when asked if it would be nice to play again with the Sedins, a position he auditioned for to start his first full season with the team. "If it's with them, if it's with whoever, it doesn't matter, I'm excited either way.

Canucks' Cory Schneider NHL's second star of week, gets next start vs. Columbus

Vancouver Sun November 28, 2011

The NHL recognized Vancouver Canucks goalie Cory Schneider's headturning performances of the last week, naming him second star of the week, sandwiched between first star Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and third star Brian Elliott of the St. Louis Blues. Schneider, whose play prevented No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo from returning to action, posted a 3-0-0 record with a 0.67 goals-against average, .978 save percentage and two shutouts. He started the week with two straight shutouts, stopping 24 shots in a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Avalanche last Wednesday and 22 more in a 5-0 win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Friday. He won his fourth consecutive game by making a season-high 43 saves in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The 25-year-old Marblehead, Mass., native improved his season record to 6-4-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average, .931 save percentage and two shutouts in 12 appearances. The Canucks said Monday that Schneider will start again in goal Tuesday night - his sixth straight start - against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. Nominal No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo, who was slightly injured earlier in this stretch, is now healthy but can't get back between the pipes because of Schneider's stellar play. Crosby, who made a heralded return to the NHL after being out since early January with concussion-related issues, racked up nine points (two goals and seven assists) and an NHL-high plus-7 rating in four games last week. The netminder Elliott extended his winning streak to six games and improved his season record to 10-1-0 by posting three straight victories with a 0.98 goals-against average, .963 save percentage and one shutout. He leads the NHL in goals-against average (1.31) and save percentage (.951), is tied for the league lead in shutouts (three) and is the first NHL goaltender in more than 70 years to allow two goals or fewer in each of his first 11 starts of a season. Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Brimsek of the Boston Bruins began the 1938-39 season with a streak of 12 such starts. Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 11.29.2011

"It's been a long time, I've worked hard to get to this point. I'm stronger for what I've had to go through." Burrows, Vigneault said, is probable for tonight. Alex Edler, meanwhile, practised Monday - he left Saturday's game after a collision with Jamie McGinn, appearing to favour his shoulder. "I feel good," Edler said. "And I felt pretty good [on Sunday], too." Aaron Rome (hand) also practised. Raymond, without the puck, was shoved awkwardly into the boards 20 seconds into his first shift in Game 6 at Boston in the Stanley Cup final by Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk and suffered a compression fracture of a vertebra. He had trouble just moving from A to B, and was unable to train until late August. After skating on his own, the 26-year-old rejoined his teammates at practice on Nov. 8, was cleared for full contact on Nov. 17 and declared himself game-ready before Saturday's contest at San Jose. But with the team playing well, it was going to take an injury - or a stinker by a forward - for him to get back into the lineup. He's wearing an absorption pad on his back, which he figures will be an accessory for the rest of his playing days. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591217

Vancouver Canucks

In-form Schneider shuts out Luongo

591216

Vancouver Canucks

By Jim Jamieson

The days of Roberto Luongo getting automatic starts because he's the incumbent No. 1 goaltender appear to be over. At least as long as Cory Schneider - who gets his sixth consecutive start on Tuesday against Columbus - is the other goaltender for the Canucks and continues his excellent play. The way Schneider has performed in his last five starts since Luongo was sidelined with an undisclosed injury has given coach Alain Vigneault no other choice but to move to a merit-based approach. Does this constitute a goaltending controversy? Maybe, but all the principals - Schneider, Luongo and Vigneault - were doing their best on Monday not to fan any potential flames. Vigneault, in fact, denied there is a change in his approach this season although last season as a rookie Schneider was an occasional starter who just managed to get the necessary 25 appearances to share the Jennings Trophy with Luongo. "Right now the way Cory is playing real well and we decided to go with him tomorrow," Vigneault said following Monday's practice. "Obviously, Roberto is our No. 1 goaltender and before he got hurt he was starting to find his game. "Roberto wants to play. He's a competitor. He's a very proud guy. He knows he's the No. 1 goaltender on this team and he wants to play, but right now Cory is playing real well and those are the decisions that the coach has to make." If Luongo is No. 1, then Schneider has become 1A and the Canucks are in the enviable position of having two good goalies to choose from and between whom there will be a healthy competition that can only be beneficial. With Schneider playing better, at least for now, Luongo is the league's most expensive backup. Schneider, 25, has been so good that only the high-profile return of Sidney Crosby deprived him of being honoured as the NHL's top player last week. Crosby bumped Schneider to second star, but his numbers were impressive: The Canucks swept their three-game road trip with him in goal, while Schneider pitched two shutouts and allowed just two goals on a total of 91 shots. To be fair, the Canucks tightening up their even-strength game does roughly coincide with Schneider's streak, but he certainly stole a 2-1 overtime win over Ottawa eight days ago before the Canucks hit the road, and deserves full credit for his part in the team's season-high four-game winning streak. For Luongo, 32, who's believed to have suffered an injury to his hip/groin area in a 4-1 win over New York Islanders on Nov. 13, but has backed up the last three games, it's the first time in his NHL career as a No. 1 goaltender that he hasn't been the assumed go-to guy. The two have established a good working relationship beginning last season and Schneider reinforced that. "There's no real need to [discuss the goaltending situation]," said Schneider. "We just do what we normally do. It's not awkward. We don't change what we're doing because of it. There really is no situation to discuss." Luongo acknowledged he'd like to be playing, but said he understands Vigneault's decision to go with Schneider. "I think Cory has unbelievable talent and he's been working his bag off for the last two years," said Luongo. "He never complained and was always 100-per-cent behind me. The same thing goes for me. He deserves what he's getting right now. There's no doubt that he could be a starter in this league. It's about the Vancouver Canucks winning games." That window of opportunity is certainly there in the next eight games, where the Canucks face teams currently out of playoff position. Luongo is also aware that No. 1 goalies being supplanted by their back-ups isn't uncommon. "It happens all the time," he said. "It's a long season. There's a lot of hockey to be played and there's no reason for me to be frustrated as long as we're winning hockey games."

It's also an adjustment for Schneider, a Canucks first-round draft pick (26th overall) in 2004, who's finally getting a chance to carry the ball at the NHL level after being a No. 1 most of his hockey career. "I'm pretty fresh from the last year," quipped Schneider. "Not a lot of miles on me right now. Sometimes when you play like this you don't really feel fatigue. You're riding momentum and adrenalin, and you don't even notice if you're tired or not. "It's been tough, but it's fun, too. It's exciting to get this opportunity and it's a good feeling to win, and that's what we're enjoying right now." Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591218

Vancouver Canucks

Luongo most expensive bench warmer as Schneider starts Tuesday

By Jason Botchford, The Province November 28, 2011

If the Canucks are in the middle of a goalie controversy, head coach Alain Vigneault isn't saying. He was willing to say his team needs wins and because of it Cory Schneider will start his sixth game in row Tuesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, making Roberto Luongo one of hockey's most expensive bench warmers. Is that controversial? Maybe. It's definitely uncharted territory. "Obviously, Roberto is our No. 1 goaltender," Vigneault said. Obvious to whom? What's obvious is the Canucks have two very good, maybe great, goalies to choose from and right now Schneider is playing better. He was named the NHL's second star of the week today and has won four in a row, giving up just three goals. Label it a controversy, or don't, the Canucks seem comfortable with either in net, and it means Luongo must probably wait for Schneider to stumble before getting a chance to play again. Impossible to say when that will happen because the Canucks are about to start a run where they play eight straight teams which aren't in the playoff picture. Vigneault denied there has been a change in his approach this year. But in the past Schneider has always been a spot starter and in the Stanley Cup playoffs he got only one start in four rounds. Luongo was both resigned and restrained with his reaction. "You know what? I've been in this league a long time. I've been through a lot of things," Luongo said. "I just have to play, that's it. I can't control a lot things that go around. I just have to be myself and play. Whatever happens, happens. "There's been times that have been more difficult than this and I've been able to get through it, so there's no problem at all." Luongo suffered cartilage damage in a win against the New York Islanders on Nov. 13. He wasn't able to practice for a week but was healthy enough to play on the weekend, when the Canucks started Schneider in back-toback games. Luongo was asked if he's concerned about what this means for the rest of the year. Will the goalie be determined based on merit moving forward? In the playoffs? Will Vigneault stay consistent? Luongo said he won't speculate beyond tomorrow. "There's no reason for me to be down, I was playing well right before the injury," he said. "Cory has unbelievable talent. He has been working his bag off for the last two years. He never complained and was always 100 per cent behind me so same thing goes for me. He deserves what he's getting right now."

Schneider, as you can imagine, is thrilled to be getting his first extended run as a starter in the NHL. He will play Tuesday, even after starting three games in four nights, a stretch which ended in another tremendous performance in San Jose against the Sharks on Saturday. That's a lot of games in a condensed time for a goalie who hasn't played much in the past two years. "No, I'm pretty fresh from the last year," Schneider deadpanned. "Not a lot of miles on me. "It's been tough, but it's been fun too. It's exciting to get this opportunity." On winning the second star of the week, Schneider said: "I think the hard part is following it up with another week like that." One of his most important saves was on a Patrick Marleau breakaway in the early minutes of Saturday's game. Schneider actually credited Luongo for helping him make it. "Lu told me he likes to do that quick release high glove, so I was looking for it," he admitted. Schneider and Luongo have always had a good working relationship, but have not talked about the current situation. "There's no real need to," Schneider said. "We just do what we normally do. It's not awkward. We don't change what we're doing because of it. There really is no situation to even discuss." Luongo is keenly aware he's hardly the first starter to be put in this situation. Tim Thomas lost his job to Tuukka Rask and the same goes for Carey Price who was beat out by Jaro Halak. "It happens all the time," Luongo said. "Even this year it's happened to a few teams, Minny and a few other teams. It's a long season. There's a lot of hockey to be played. There's no reason for me to be frustrated if we're winning hockey games." Starting Schneider right now is the easy decision. He was just named the second star of the week and was the catalyst to get the Canucks going on their four-game win streak. The hard part will be figuring out what happens when Luongo starts again if he struggles. Luongo has traditionally been a guy who needs to play a lot to play well and that's always meant he has plenty of margin of error to get on one of his runs. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.29.2011

Andrew Alberts scored his first goal in 50 games Saturday in a tough 3-2 triumph over San Jose in which Higgins had four shots and could have scored three goals. And Booth scored in a 5-0 rout of Phoenix. "We've got to be real happy," said Henrik Sedin, who scored on the power play against the Sharks to give the captain a team-high eight goals. "We're better than our record showed in October (5-5-1) and we're right where we want to be like last year. It's about keeping it going and having the right approach each and every night. And we've got the group in here to do it, too." That group now includes winger Mason Raymond and is minus Alex Edler. Raymond could make his season debut Tuesday against Columbus after suffering a vertebrae compression fracture in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final, while Edler suffered what may be a shoulder or head injury Saturday when run into the boards late in the second period by Sharks winger Jamie McGinn. And as much as you could get picky about the league's top-ranked power play that went 1-for-9 on the trip and Daniel Sedin failing to score, they are minor glitches. "We're getting better and our play is improving and it's a daily process," said coach Alain Vigneault. He was talking about the collective, but that summation certainly applies to Schneider. He posted back-to-back shutouts over Colorado and Phoenix and made 43 saves Saturday. His shutout string lasted 154 minutes, 49 seconds and he's now ranked eighth in goals-against average (2.02) and saves percentage (.931). "It's a great feeling," said Schneider. "I've never played more than two or three in row and it's satisfying. To have the confidence [of Vigneault] is important and hopefully I'll keep it." Schneider was adamant that there's no crease conundrum because what makes the tandem work is a genuine working relationship between the goalies. They support and push each other and Luongo is expected to play Tuesday against the Blue Jackets. "Maybe look at it to be just as good in his next start and that's good for us," reasoned Schneider. "When Lou is on his game, he's really tough to beat. And two guys firing all cylinders does nothing but benefit the team." When asked during the trip about sitting on the bench, Luongo was more happy about the relationship he has with Schneider than the disappointment of not playing after he recovered from injury. "It's really important," he said of the camaraderie. "In the past, I've always had goalies who I became friends with and was supportive, but I had a few occasions where that wasn't the case. I found it was really a detriment to the team's success. It's fun to see a guy and build a relationship with and we all know the skill set he has. It's not about Cory and me. It's about the Vancouver Canucks and winning games." Last season, the Canucks led the league in goals scored, the power play and faceoffs and were third on the penalty kill. Special teams are critical as parity becomes more common. The Canucks again have the top-ranked power play and are sixth in penalty killing. They also won the Jennings Trophy last season for fewest goals allowed and have crept up to 13th. The Canucks can thank Schneider's four-straight wins in which he allowed just three goals for that improvement. "He never makes those tough saves where you go, wow, because he reads the play so well and that says a lot about him," said Henrik Sedin. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.29.2011

591219

Vancouver Canucks

Canucks road trip a confidence-builder Cory Schneider's strong showing among the reasons team is feeling optimistic

By Ben Kuzma, The Province November 28, 2011

Their efforts were either obvious or encouraging and you'd be hard pressed to find one that was discouraging. By sweeping a three-game road trip and running their season-high win streak to four games, the Vancouver Canucks can take comfort that the amiable and confident Cory Schneider continues to evolve as a solid and dependable stopper. There were flashes in the stride, battle level and finish to suggest that Ryan Kesler is rounding into Selke Trophy form with four points on the trip. There was confirmation that Chris Higgins might be one of the NHL's best utility wingers and that David Booth is not as much a mystery as he was to start the sojourn in which the improving club outscored the opposition 11-2 to improve to 13-9-1. Cody Hodgson continues to impress with slick passing ability and had a pair of assists on the trip while Manny Malhotra received a needed boost of optimism by scoring twice.

591220

Washington Capitals

Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau, name Dale Hunter as new head coach

By Tarik El-Bashir,

The Washington Capitals Bruce Boudreau was the National Hockey Leagues coach of the year in 2008. A week ago, he reached 200 victories

faster than any coach in league history. But Monday, he lost his job, a casualty of his teams lackluster performance and his strained relationship with his star player. Boudreau was fired by General Manager George McPhee shortly after 6 a.m. Later in the day, former Capitals player Dale Hunter was named his replacement. A career minor league coach before taking over the Capitals on Thanksgiving 2007, Boudreau rose in prominence and prestige over the past four seasons, an affable over-achiever who coached the team to the best record in the leagues Eastern Conference twice in four seasons. But after the teams third straight playoff disappointment last May and recent slide over the past month that included eight losses in its past 11 games, it became apparent the man once known as a players coach was no longer connecting with many of his players, most notably Alex Ovechkin. Sometimes [a coachs message] just wears out, McPhee said. Coaches do everything they can to get a team going and they coach well for a while but and Ive said this before its like having the same teacher for five years. How would you like to do that in high school? It would be hard. Following another early playoff exit by the Capitals this past spring, many, including former players, criticized the team for being too accommodating to its stars. But Boudreaus attempts to bring accountability to the team served only to single out players such as Ovechkin and Alexander Semin and further the locker room divide. Reached by phone Monday afternoon, Boudreau said, Ive had better days. He then asked to be given a day or two before commenting on his dismissal. Though Ovechkin claimed as recently as Monday I have good relationship with him, the most public indication of a rift between the star and Boudreau came Nov. 1 during a game against Anaheim. With the Capitals trailing 4-3 with 62 seconds left, Boudreau benched Ovechkin, considered the games most talented player as recently as a year ago, while the team made a lastditch effort to tie the score. The move worked in the short term Nicklas Backstrom tied the score in regulation and won the game in overtime (with an assist from Ovechkin) and the next day, both Boudreau and Ovechkin played down its significance, and what appeared to be Ovechkins profane reaction at the time. But the episode offered a glimpse at an unhappy player struggling to recapture his form and a coach failing to reach him effectively. With the coach and the star player at odds, the rest of the team was in effect forced to choose sides. And with that divide increasingly manifesting itself on the ice, culminating with unsightly losses to the New York Rangers this past Friday and the undermanned Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, McPhee was confronted with a quandary not uncommon in todays high-priced sports culture: sticking with his coach or trying to find another way to get the most out of a two-time MVP in which the franchise has millions of dollars invested. News of Boudreaus ouster rippled through the roster via text message as the players prepared to head to Kettler Capitals Iceplex for practice. Goaltender Tomas Vokounwas stunned. Veteran winger Mike Knublesuspected something might happen. Center Brooks Laichwas angry. Hes somebody I personally owe a lot to, said Laich, a former sixth-round draft pick who Boudreau coached in the minor leagues and this past June signed a six-year, $27 million contract extension. Its tough to see him take the fall for .?.?. Laich paused as he searched for the right words. Things that should be blamed on the players. But thats the way sports goes, you probably cant trade all 23 guys or move them out. Asked whether he sensed that players had stopped playing for Boudreau, Laich folded his arms and seemed offended by the question. You would have to ask a guy who you think wasnt responding to him, Laich shot back, his eyes moistening. I still believed in him. I still worked as hard as I could. Even the last game, we were still talking strategy, what we can try to do. There was no throwing in the towel. He hadnt lost me. Across the lobby at Kettler Capitals Iceplex, former Capital and current St. Louis center Jason Arnott was not surprised by the news. Arnott played 11 regular season and nine playoff games in Washington after being acquired last February.

Its very hard, said Arnott, whose Blues practiced on an adjacent rink. When you let guys do what they please, what they want, then you come in and get hard on them, its pretty tough. The guys should have responded for him. .?.?. It was probably time for a change. I dont know much about [Dale] Hunter. But from what I hear hes a pretty good coach who will come in and put some structure into their lineup. Hunter is the fourth coach McPhee has hired, but unlike the previous three, he takes over a team with the highest of expectations. That, at least in some part, has a lot to do with the man he is replacing. As a player, theres always a tinge of guilt that goes through you that you didnt do enough, Knuble said of Boudreau, that you could have done more to help the team and not put the coach in this situation. His four years here were a good thing for the Capitals. The team achieved a lot while he was here. You could say, They didnt win the big game. They still made a lot of forward progress. He left it a different organization, for the better. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591221 Washington Capitals

New coach Dale Hunter brings no-nonsense approach to the Washington Capitals

By Katie Carrera,

The Washington Capitals took to the ice at their practice facility in Arlington on Monday afternoon on what could have been any other day, until the man whose image is adorning a banner on one end of the rink stepped out to join the team. Dale Hunter emerged from the dressing room to the cheers and applause from a crowd of more than 100 fans at Kettler Iceplex as the former Capitals great made his practice debut as Washingtons head coach. Hours earlier, Hunter, 51, was named the 15th head coach in the Capitals 38-year history as the team announced he would be replacing Bruce Boudreau. General Manager George McPhee attributed the need for a coaching change to the Capitals recent struggles they are 3-7-1 in the last 11 games and fresh off a humbling loss to a depleted Buffalo Sabres squad heading into Tuesdays matchup with St. Louis and because players were no longer responding to Bruce. So for his first-ever NHL coaching job, Hunter inherits the task of elevating the Capitals, individually and collectively, to a performance level fitting of a team that can be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup come spring. Its a position that includes hurdles such as buttoning down Washingtons defense, which is second worst in the NHL, giving up an average of 3.27 goals per game, and igniting the play of struggling captain Alex Ovechkin to his former MVP self. But Hunter, although a decorated NHL player and established coach at the junior level, has no previous professional coaching experience on his resume. His hiring marks the fourth consecutive coach the Capitals have brought in who had never been an NHL head coach before arriving in Washington. Coaching is coaching, McPhee said, and hes been coaching at a good level and at a high level. The same questions were asked of Bruce when he came here and he had an outstanding record here. The man played in the league for 19 years. Hes played for a lot of coaches. Dale really understands this game. He knows two things farming and hockey. Hes really good at both. McPhee added that hes been in constant contact with Hunter for 12 years and that he always hoped that the timing would eventually work out so that the former Washington captain would return as coach of his former team. Hunter was in the midst of his 11th season as coach of the Ontario Hockey League franchise he owns, the London Knights, when he accepted McPhees offer. He became the fastest coach in OHL history to reach 450 wins on Saturday, along the way helping to mold NHL stars such as Corey Perry, Patrick Kane, Rick Nash and Dan Girardi along with Capitals defensemen John Carlson and Dennis Wideman.

The Petrolia, Ontario, native is identified with the hard-working, borderlinenasty style of play that made him endearing to fans and aggravating to opponents during his NHL career. As a coach with the Knights, he established a no-nonsense reputation that demands commitment from the entire lineup. Im a players coach, and also the players will know when Im mad at them, Hunter said Monday. Im stern on them. Thats the way you have to be to win games. Mistakes everybody makes mistakes out there. But if they continue making mistakes, then theres repercussions. Second-year defenseman Carlson, who played for Hunter during the 200809 season, said the Capitals can expect to be held to a high standard. I think I was one of the better players on my team there, Carlson said, and I certainly didnt get a free pass. Cant see much changing there .?.?. . Every practice if I wasnt on my game I certainly wasnt going to go into the locker room like nothing happened. In his first day in his new capacity with the Capitals, Hunter made it very clear to the players what he wanted to see during practice. He didnt alter the drills or line combinations because he wanted players to be comfortable enough to maintain an up-tempo session. It just kind of happened quick, Karl Alzner said of Hunters meeting with players. He went over the stuff that he wanted to make sure we did. As soon as he left the room, me and Wides kind of looked at each other like, Dont mess up. Hes strict about what he wants and thats great. I think its really going to shake things up here and thats nice. As the practice progressed, Hunter appeared to interact with every player. He jokingly shoved Jason Chimera and Matt Hendricks, he skated across ice and sought out Alexander Semin, and held court with Ovechkin. Hunter may be new to the NHL coaching ranks, but his 19 seasons, 1,407 regular season games, 1,020 points, tenure as a captain along with the retired No. 32 hanging on the wall in Arlington and in the rafters at Verizon Center speak to the players. The bulk of his career came in Washington, where he played 872 games from the 1987-88 to 1998-99 seasons and spent parts of five seasons as captain. He amassed 181 goals and 556 points as a Capital, along with a franchise-record 2,003 penalty minutes, and became one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Thinking just about Dale as a coach, hes played on every line, said center Jeff Halpern, who was a rookie with the Capitals in 1999 when Hunter was the teams director of player development. Its different personalities you have to deal with. But I think hes done all those jobs and all those roles. So for myself or people that knew him as a player, you have a ton of respect for him. I think you know that he can appreciate what every guy brings to the table. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591222 Washington Capitals

The stakes are high. If this true-grit personality graft doesnt take, if the nolonger-so-young spoiled stars who have driven ex-coach Bruce Boudreau and General Manager George McPhee to distraction the last couple of years, dont welcome the work and toughness that Hunter symbolizes, then the Capitals grand experiment of the last few years may come to a treacherous crossroads. Theres no doubt why Hunter was summoned, even though he has no coaching experience above his 11 exceptional years in Ontario working with junior hockey for 17- and18-year-olds. Weve got [the players] attention now, McPhee said after firing Boudreau at a 6:15 a.m. meeting. Who says executions at dawn are passe? Hopefully, they respond in the right way, added McPhee, fully aware that his team quit on Boudreau over the last couple of weeks. Watching those losses by scores of 7-1, 6-3 and 5-1 was shameful; some players might as well have held up signs: Fire our coach. And no Capital played further below his ability than captain Alex Ovechkin. Hence, a new sheriff. Dale was an intelligent player. He had a talent. He was tough. And he was downright mean sometimes, said McPhee. The best thing you could ever say about Dale Hunter was, home or away, injured or healthy, winning or losing, that guy played the same way every night and it was hard. The players will probably say hes a players coach because theyd be too afraid not to say that, said McPhee, straight faced. But Dale, as we all know, is no-nonsense. And he will push these guys. Some Caps, toddlers in 93, may not know Hunter committed a cheap-shot hit that set a new record (a 21-game suspension) for an on-ice crime. Pierre Turgeon of the Islanders stole the puck from Hunter in the playoffs, scored, skated to the boards, arms up to celebrate and was blasted in the back, suffering a separated shoulder. You have to see it to believe it. And, on YouTube, youll see it forever. Hunter said he was wrong, years later. Im a players coach, but also the players will know when Im mad at them, said Hunter, 51, on Monday. Im stern on them because thats the way you have to be to win games. Switching from the easy-riding, run-and-gun coach to the strict ex-star is such a cliche (in several sports) that you wonder why it would ever work. Yet it sometimes does. But, for the Caps, is it too late? Has the team, especially McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis, been too patient, too decent and too reluctant to admit previous mistakes? Did they wait so long to fire the adorable, grumpy Boudreau that the damage has been done? Has four years of a coach whose nickname is Gabby and who constantly yells work harder at players while having another piece of pizza himself, too much cognitive dissonance for too long? During the offseason two ex-Capitals went public about the country club atmosphere that undermined discipline on the team. Once youve tolerated a star system for years, how can the same coach possibly reverse the trend? In a crisis, when unpleasant realities need to be faced, the Caps ability to deny the obvious and believe their own cheerful talk is sometimes stunning.

Dale Hunter will mold the Capitals in his own image

By Thomas Boswell,

In May, the day after the Caps were swept, McPhee said, I dont think anything is missing, then cited injuries and backed Boudreau. A few minutes later, Boudreau blamed bad breaks. I left shaking my head. The Caps run an admirable organization. They have done innumerable things correctly to earn their Rock the Red sellouts. But they really hate to admit bad decisions. Which leads to more of them. On Monday, after Boudreau was fired, McPhee said: I didnt think it was Bruces fault we lost in the playoffs and I didnt want to finger him. . . . I dont view this as a negative or a failure at all. I think Bruce came in and did a great job and his time was up. When you fire your coach, thats a failure. It means you wasted six months. Now, you must bring in a rookie coach on the fly in midseason to work with Boudreaus staff. Thats a negative. Its not a sin. You made a tough decision in May; by November, it was a flop. But admit it. How can you expect players to admit and correct shortcomings if the bosses dont? I dont think this has anything to do with Alex Ovechkin, added McPhee when asked about the stars deep season-long slump. I think it has everything to do with the team not playing well. . . . Its not an individual. You cant look the other way, concluded McPhee.

Dale Hunter has come back to town to give the Washington Capitals a new identity. His. If the personality transplant is successful, the Caps could make the jump to Stanley Cup contender rather than annual spring pretender and NHL joke. Hunter, the captain of the only Washington team that ever reached the Stanley Cup finals, was so rugged, bordering on nuts, that on the teams night to honor him, he was presented with the old Capital Centre penalty box. Hiring Hunter, a gentleman off the ice and a model first-to-practice player for 19 years, is an extreme measure. Its not quite like getting Rooster Cogburn to clean up your Wild West town, but, considering hes the only NHL player with 1,000 points and 3,000 penalty minutes, its close enough.

Actually, the Caps are pretty good at it. The elephant in the room is Ovi and his pachyderm-sized contract. How do you get him to play better, enjoy it more and buy into defense? I told Dale, You do what you want with the lineup. You make the decisions on who plays where and how much and everything else,? said McPhee. Was it possible Hunter might reconsider Ovechkins captaincy? Thats not going to happen, said McPhee. Oh, okay. The Caps chain of accountability needs to start higher up the ladder than Boudreau. But Gabby wasnt the only one the Caps tuned out. For months theyve heard themselves accused of being an undisciplined team. They didnt just ignore Boudreau. They ignored McPhee and their owner, too. Recently, theyve almost tried to prove their critics correct. The Boudreau firing and the Hunter hiring should be an opportunity for the Caps, including those at the top, to take their share of the weight. Not too much, because the Caps world really is still a bountiful one. Just some. The Caps often compare players to students who need to be taught. But kids sometimes respond better to teachers who dont know all the answers. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591223 Washington Capitals

four of the past six games. Overall, theyve lost eight of the past 11, yielding four goals per game during that wretched stretch. The teams 3.27 goals against per game is 29th. And this week figures to be particularly challenging. The Capitals host a Blues team that is 7-1-2 since Ken Hitchcock took over behind the bench and, on Thursday, Sidney Crosby and the rival Penguins. After the loss in Buffalo, Boudreau did not single out anyone. But it doesnt take much imagination to figure out that Ovechkin is one of the players who has a lot more to give. Leonsis has often said its critical for a teams highest-paid player to also be its best. Right now, Ovechkin, with his $9 million salary, has fewer goals than checking-line winger Jason Chimera, and the only reason his minus-7 rating isnt rock bottom is because defenseman Roman Hamrlik has been more of a liability with a minus-10. Ovechkin has one goal and two assists in the past eight games and a total of eight goals in 22 games. His magical 65-goal campaign was in 2007-08, but it seems like decades ago. The numbers are damning, of course. But so are the optics. On Luke Adams second goal Saturday, Ovechkin, standing between the circles, did not move as the Sabres rookie raced into the slot and made it 4-1. Ovechkin was there, but he wasnt really there. Diagnosing a locker room divide also can be difficult. But if the coach and the captain arent on the same page, as it appears, how can anyone reasonably expect the other 22 players to be? There will always be factions loyal to one side, and by definition, working against the other. The only cure for that other than a coaching change would be stirring the dressing rooms chemistry with a significant trade of the magnitude of dealing a player such as Alexander Semin. But in a salary cap world, discussing potential swaps is easy. Completing them is hard. There are 60 games left for the Capitals to figure this mess out and, at some point, No. 1 defenseman Mike Green will return from his latest injury. But somethings got to change. And it must go deeper than rearranging the forward combinations and defensive pairs. Your move, McPhee. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591224 Washington Capitals

On Hockey: For Capitals, staying the course is no longer an option

By Tarik El-Bashir,

In the aftermath of Saturdays humbling 5-1 defeat in Buffalo against a team that seemingly had as many minor league call-ups as NHL regulars on the roster, sobering questions must be asked of the Washington Capitals. Are players tuning out Coach Bruce Boudreaus message? Whats at the root of Alex Ovechkins ever-deepening slump? Is there a chemistry issue in the dressing room? General managers usually have a move in their back pocket just for times like these. Before Tuesdays game against St. Louis, George McPhee needs to use it. Because for all the questions facing his team, this much can no longer be denied: Staying the course isnt an option. Maintaining the status quo would only make the problems worse for a highpriced, star-laden team that is seven points out of first place in the Eastern Conference and five ahead of 14th. As for the questions, no one has an easy answer. Determining the precise moment a coach has lost the room is far from an exact science. Less than a week after becoming the fastest coach in NHL history to 200 wins, Boudreaus body language on the bench at First Niagara Center, as well as his comments after the game, seemed to indicate that hes frustrated and perhaps beginning to question his own methods. You like to think that theyre trying their hardest, but at the same time when were not winning a lot of the battles, youve gotta believe that theres more to give, Boudreau said after his team was held to one goal for the fourth time in seven games. Asked how he can help the Capitals become mentally tough, he said: Its got to come from within, Ive got to believe. Im hoping thats got to come from within because if Ive got to teach them how to be tough, then I dont know quite how to do that. Not exactly comforting words if youre McPhee or owner Ted Leonsis. On the ice, meanwhile, the Capitals again received subpar play in net Tomas Vokouns .905 save percentage is significantly worse than his career average and Michal Neuvirths .868 is last among ranked goaltenders and the skaters got outhustled and outsmarted by an undermanned Sabres squad they should have blown out. Its not so much that the Capitals are losing. Its how they are losing. Including the 4-1 loss in Winnipeg on Nov. 17, theyve been outworked in

Bruce Boudreau became the something that had to be done

By Tracee Hamilton,

I will miss Bruce Boudreau, and not just in the plethora of commercials he starred in while coaching the Washington Capitals. Boudreau had a dry wit and did not suffer fools, at least among the media contingent at Kettler Capitals Iceplex and Verizon Center. He was never dull, and for a columnist, thats great. But coaches dont have to please columnists; they have to please general managers, and owners, and fans. Increasingly, Boudreau was failing to do that. And he certainly wasnt pleasing his players, at least some of them. Its no great secret in sports that coaches are hired to be fired. Its no great secret that when a coach clashes with a player making $9 million a year, a player who used to be regarded as the best in hockey and a player who probably still regards himself as the best in hockey that coach is the one whos going to be hitting the bricks, not the player. And so it came to pass Monday morning. Here comes Dale Hunter, who played in an era when players didnt make $9 million a season and didnt get days off from practice. Wont this be interesting? Dale was an intelligent player, he had talent, he was tough, he was downright mean sometimes, General Manager George McPhee said Monday. Downright mean might be what the Capitals were looking for after yet another early playoff exit last spring. They wanted to implement more discipline this year. No longer would there be separate sets of rules for stars and non-stars. The locker room atmosphere would change. That

decision was not just Boudreaus; that was front-office policy, from owner Ted Leonsis to McPhee on down. Boudreau would be the lucky one to make this work. Such a plan was long overdue, but the problem is that its very difficult for an authority figure to do a 180-degree turn and expect his charges to fall in line. Boudreau compares coaching to parenting, so lets go with that as an example. Parents the world over have learned this lesson the hard way: Let your kids get away with jumping on the sofa for four or five years, then tell them to stop and see how that works for you. The Caps opened the season with seven straight wins, and it looked like the new system might just work for them. Then came the benching of Alex Ovechkin late in a crucial game against Anaheim. Ovechkin was clearly unhappy, and has been a shadow of his former self since then. Alexander Semin has been benched. The goaltending has been weak. Then Saturday against an undermanned Buffalo team, the Caps just didnt show up. Afterward, Boudreau may have sealed his fate when he said, .?.?. if Ive got to teach them how to be tough, then I dont know quite how to do that. Of course, Boudreau shouldnt have to teach grown men who play hockey for a living to be more mentally tough, but to his bosses, that may have sounded too much like he was waving a white flag. And so Hunter takes over a team with a tremendous amount of talent and a significant number of problems. Given his style as a player, he likely wont have much patience for players who stand around and watch opponents score goals. Hes going to want players who will mix it up, and he wont be shy about expressing his desires, either to his players or, if they arent receptive, to his GM. Hunter has the advantage over Boudreau in that every message he sends will be new and wont be contradicting the message he sent last season, or last month, or last week. Hell lay down his own set of rules, and theres not doubt hell be able to enforce them hes Dale Hunter. Whether those rules will work remains to be seen. Hunter also has one disadvantage, in that he already has been hamstrung by McPhee, who said Monday in answer to a question that there would not be a change at captain. The C on Ovechkins sweater has been hotly debated among Caps fans for quite some time, but apparently as a topic of discussion, its a nonstarter in the front office. Still, when Hunters number was retired by the Capitals in 2000, the team gave him a penalty box from the old Capital Centre. It wont take much for Hunter to turn that into his own personal doghouse. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591225 Washington Capitals

He was a true leader, his presence, the way he played just made you want to follow him, Bondra said. Hes not the kind of guy that needs to turn things upside down. I think the team will respond to him just by the way he demands that respect. Said Craig Laughlin, currently a color analyst on CSN Washingtons Capitals broadcasts: You knew when he was upset, you knew when he was upset with you, even when I played with him he wouldnt say a lot on the bench. ... If you made a bad play he would just give you that look and you knew as a player that you had to live up to his expectations. Hes not a guy thats going to come in and give a long speech. Hes going to be very short, very succinct and very on top of what he wants to say. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591226 Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin on Bruce Boudreau: I have good relationship with him

By Lindsay Applebaum

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said he was shocked by Bruce Boudreaus firing this morning, adding that his former coach is a great coach, great guy and denying that there was a rift between the two. I have good relationship with him, Ovechkin said. We have good relationship right away when they bring him in. As for newly named Coach Dale Hunter, Ovechkin said he knows the former Capital is a legend here. The winger said he spoke with Capitals defensemen John Carlson and Dennis Wideman, who both played for Hunter on the OHLs London Knights. They said only good things about him, Ovechkin said, that Hunter is a straight-up coach, if he wants to say something to you hes gonna say it, and I think thats good. Well have more from Ovechkin a bit later. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591227 Washington Capitals

What should new Capitals coach Dale Hunter do first? (Updated)

By Jon DeNunzio and Tarik El-Bashir Dale Hunters former teammates praise Capitals new head coach Update: You responded with more than 100 sets of recommendations for Dale Hunters first moves as Capitals coach, and here are some of the most interesting including reactions to a few from Tarik El-Bashir: New Capitals coach Dale Hunter, right, talks with Alex Ovechkin, during practice Monday. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais - AP) From lloydrj727 and many others: First and foremost, strip Ovie of the C. Give it to someone who is a REAL motivator and will hold his teammates accountable. Tariks response: Everyone should just give it a rest theyre not stripping Ovechkin of the C. Leadership doesnt have to come from one person and shouldnt have to come from just one person. There are a lot of guys in the locker room who can show leadership. There are some very strong captains in this league, but at the same time, its just a three-inch strip of cloth. From tominsocal: I had a boss years ago who said you have to be able to step on someones shoes without messing up the shine. Must be done with Ovechkins skates. Tariks response: I completely agree with that. That really is the way Ovechkin has to be approached. I think he is coachable, but he is sensitive to criticism.

By Katie Carrera

Alex Ovechkin speaks with new Washington Capital Head Coach Dale Hunter during practice at Kettler Iceplex Monday. (Patrick McDermott Getty Images) As Dale Hunter makes the jump to NHL head coach after spending 10 years as a bench boss in the Ontario Hockey League, plenty of people will be watching how the Capitals players react to a new voice. Hunter is a respected former NHL player, but he is still someone without any previous professional coaching experience on his resume. Some of those who played with or against Hunter, 51, during his career, though, said Monday they believe he will be able to command respect from his new team. As a player he won your respect by the way he worked so hard and if you didnt give it to him, hed challenge you, said Rod Langway, whose retired Capitals number hangs alongside Hunters. Langway played with Hunter for six seasons. Id think hes the same way as a coach. Honest, straightforward thats the type of guy he is. And hes probably going to ruffle some guys feathers. Peter Bondra, who played with Hunter for nine years, including Hunters compete tenure as captain in Washington, said that the new job will be a challenge for his former teammate. But Bondra said he believes Dales going to be a good fit for this team.

Like any superstar, he has a big ego. I dont want to say that Hunter has to treat him with kid gloves, but he has to get to know him before he drops the hammer on him. It has to be a two-way street there has to be some give and take. From VTDuffman (and others): Establish who the [No. 1] goalie is (we got Vokoun for a reason) and actually play him like the 1 goalie. Tariks response: I think its pretty clear from the way Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth split the games, Vokoun is the No. 1. And his stats reflect the fact that hes the better of the two. But I think coming out and saying it may go a long way toward improving Vokouns confidence, which is something he needs right now. Best of the rest: From seth_malaguerra: Start playing like were one of the bigger teams in the NHL, which we are, or at least used to be. This means dump and chase (and actually chase and finish checks!), forecheck hard, and start getting dirty goals in front of the net. From sgm3: How about getting the other 21 players to actually start playing instead of hiding behind all the blame being laid at Ovies and Semins feet? From DaleHunter32: First 3 things for Hunter to do? 1.) Beat St. Louis 2.) Beat Pittsburgh 3.) Beat Ottawa Original post: New Washington Capitals coach Dale Hunter is taking over a team that has lost eight of its past 11 games, sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference and has never advanced past the second round of the playoffs despite a talented roster. Add in the problems former coach Bruce Boudreau has had with Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin, and injuries to star defenseman Mike Green and others, and Hunter seems like he will have his hands full. So what do you think Hunter should do first? Post the three items you feel Hunter must tackle right away in the comments , and we'll highlight some of the best responses later in the day. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591228 Washington Capitals

great years. I appreciate all you did for us as a franchise. I am grateful to you and your entire family. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591229 Washington Capitals

Dale Hunter makes jump from junior hockey to NHL

By Katie Carrera

When Dale Hunter steps on the ice at KCI at noon today, it will mark the first NHL or professional level practice that he has led as a coach. Hunters hiring marks the fourth consecutive time, following Bruce Boudreau, Glen Hanlon and Bruce Cassidy, that Washington has brought in a coach without any prior experience as an NHL head coach. Hamilton: Boudreau became the something that had to be done Live Q&A, 11: Thomas Boswell on the Dale Hunter hiring The former Capitals great returns to Washington after amassing a career as a well-respected junior coach. Hunter, who was in the midst of his 11th season guiding the London Knights, has the best winning percentage in the history of the Ontario Hockey League, compiling a record of 451-189-23-24. Hunter was the fastest coach in the history of the OHL to record 300 wins a mark he achieved at the start of the 2008-09 season and recorded his 450th OHL win this past Saturday. He becomes the second junior coach in the past four seasons to make the leap straight to the NHL. Peter DeBoer, who is now coach of the New Jersey Devils, was hired by the Florida Panthers at the start of the 2008-09 season after spending the previous 13 years as a head coach in the OHL. During his time with the London Knights, Hunter coached two defensemen currently on the Capitals roster John Carlson and Dennis Wideman. When General Manager George McPhee traded to acquire Wideman on the tread deadline last season, he sought Hunters advice on the defenseman first. Heres what Wideman had to say last year when he first came to Washington: Ive heard so many great things about the organization, Wideman said. When I was in junior, my head coach -- and a guy I talk to quite a bit -- was Dale Hunter, and he spoke so highly of the Capitals for so long. Its a pleasure to be coming up your way. Wideman credited his four years with the OHLs London Knights under the tutelage of both Dale and Mark Hunter for helping him become the player he is now in a sixth NHL season. Everyone knows what kind of player Dale was and what he means to that franchise, Wideman said. He always said positive things with the way they treat players and moving forward, how theyre trying to build the team. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591230 Washington Capitals

Ted Leonsis on Bruce Boudreau: Its never easy to let a coach go

By Katie Carrera

Leonsis thanked Boudreau for four great years. Here is an excerpt of Leonsiss comments: Its never easy to let a coach go, and Bruce was a popular personality who helped turn around our franchise. Despite what transpired on the ice this year, I always will be thankful for Bruces time with the Capitals and will remember him fondly. He is a great coach who Im confident will land another spot in the NHL. Unfortunately the shelf life of a coach is short; Bruce was the fifth longest tenured coach in the league. Thats amazing to me..... I am very grateful. Bruce was instrumental in the teams success over the last four seasons. He won four division championships, a Presidents Trophy, an Eastern Conference banner, two playoff series and coached us to our best records in team history during the regular season. He also won a coach of the year award and holds the record for winning 200 games faster than any coach in NHL history. He is a good man. Thank you for four

Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau; Dale Hunter named new head coach (Updated)

By Tarik El-Bashir and Katie Carrera

Bruce Boudreau was fired as coach of the Washington Capitals on Monday, two days after his team was humbled, 5-1, in Buffalo by an injury-depleted Sabres team that was without nine regulars. Former Capitals great Dale Hunter, 51, coach and co-owner of the Ontario Hockey Leagues London Knights for the past 11 seasons, has been tapped as his replacement.

The reason for the change was we werent winning, obviously, and this wasnt a slump, General Manager George McPhee said. You can ride out slumps. This was simply a case of the players were no longer responding to Bruce. Bruce did a terrific job here, McPhee added, but when the players arent responding you have to make a change. Saturday nights loss, Washingtons second in a row and eighth in the past 11 games, dropped the Capitals record to 12-9-1, tied for eighth in the Eastern Conference. Hunter, who appeared in 872 games for Capitals from 1987 to 1999 and is one of four players to have his number retired by the club, ran his first practice as an NHL head coach Monday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex. He will coach his first game Tuesday, when the Capitals host the St. Louis Blues at Verizon Center. McPhee said he met with Boudreau around 6:15 a.m. Monday to tell him hed been fired. Bruce emptied the tank, he gave it everything, McPhee said. He pushed every button he could push. In his four-plus seasons behind the Capitals bench, Boudreau posted a regular season record of 201-88-40 in 329 regular season games, recently becoming the fastest coach to record 200 regular season victories. Dale Hunter is shown at his retirement in 1999. (The Washington Post) But the teams recent struggles, the decline in captain Alex Ovechkins play and repeated postseason failures forced McPhee to make a change. Sometimes it just wears out. ... Ive seen it before with other coaches. Sometimes like having the same teacher for five years, McPhee said. So you make the change and hope that a new voice and a new way of doing things and a new focus gets the best out of these players. Ovechkin has one goal and two assists in the past eight games and a total of eight goals in 22 games, a far cry from his 65-goal campaign in 2007-08, and his commitment has been questioned as the Capitals slump has deepened. But asked if the coaching change could mean a new captain, McPhee bristled. Thats not gonna happen, he said. In a news conference Monday after practice, Hunter acknowledged Ovechkins slow start but said he was more concerned with getting the team as a whole on the same page. Hes been good, hes been scoring, but we have such a high level for Alex that we expect always more, Hunter said. Its a team game. Alex is one part of it, a big part of it, but we have to play better as a team. Hunter, who said McPhee called him Sunday about the job, is the fastest head coach in OHL history to record 300 and 400 career wins, but he has no experience in the AHL, let alone the NHL. Those who have played with or against Hunter, though, believe he will be able to command respect from his new team. As a player he won your respect by the way he worked so hard, and if you didnt give it to him, hed challenge you, said Rod Langway, whose retired number hangs alongside Hunters. Id think hes the same way as a coach. Honest, straightforward thats the type of guy he is. And hes probably going to ruffle some guys feathers. Hunter served as Capitals captain from 1995 until his retirement in 1999, an experience he said helped him learn how to get through to players. Im a players coach, but the players will know when Im mad at them, Hunter said. If you continuously make mistakes, there will be repercussions. Boudreau replaced Glen Hanlon on Thanksgiving 2007 and promptly guided the Capitals from last place to the franchises first playoff berth in five seasons, an effort that earned him the Jack Adams Award as the NHLs coach of the year. And although his team has continued to thrive in the regular season the Capitals claimed the Presidents Trophy in 2009-10 after racking up a franchise record 54 wins and 121 points they routinely came up short in the playoffs. After collapsing in the first round against Montreal in 2010, the Capitals bowed out in four games to Tampa Bay in the conference semifinals last spring. None of his teams advanced beyond the second round.

McPhee said via text message that the Capitals are retaining assistant coaches Dean Evason and Bob Woods. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591231 Washington Capitals

Too early to worry about Roman Hamrlik and Dennis Wideman?

By Neil Greenberg

Instead, in the first 22 games of the season, Hamrlik and Wideman have been on the ice for 31 and 28 goals against respectively. And the Capitals not entirely coincidentally have gone 12-9-1 and sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. With Hamrlik, the biggest problem has been the goaltending behind him. Washington sees more scoring chances in its favor with Hamrlik on the ice (53.7 percent) than without him (47.2 percent) during even-strength with the score tied. That means that when you take away the effects of playing with or without a lead, he drives play. Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth have let him down, posting a scoring chance save percentage of just .763 with him on the ice and .833 without. Because the quality of scoring chances are relatively equal, you cant say Hamrlik is making it more difficult on the netminders. They are simply not getting the job done. All the other underlying stats point to Hamrlik not being as bad as he has looked, and I agree that his play has looked extremely poor at times. For instance, his Corsi relative to the competition (a proxy for puck possession taking into account opponents faced) is the best among Washington blueliners playing more than 10 games, despite starting in the offensive zone the least (48.7 percent) amount of time. Hamrliks on-ice results will improve, so have just a little more patience. In Widemans case, however, there are some warning signs that something isnt right. Since scoring a point in each of the first seven games of the season, Wideman has appeared broken, ultimately leading to his benching in the third period during the loss to Buffalo on Saturday night. With Wideman, the biggest problem lies in the fact he simply has not driven play to any degree. Despite playing against the weakest competition the opposition has to offer and starting in the offensive zone a team-high 59.4 percent of the time, his Corsi relative to the competition is a minus-5.4. Plus, the team sees a great deal more of 5-on-5 scoring chances with the score tied in their favor with him on the bench (55.7 percent) than with him on the ice (37.3 percent). And unlike with Hamrlik, you cant blame Widemans goals-against woes on the netminders. The goaltending has been better at saving scoring chances with him on the ice (.833) than when he hasnt been (.790). Which isnt at all to say that Wideman is doomed to struggle this season. Maybe he responds to the benching and gets better from here. Anyone can have a bad stretch of games, and having a bad first quarter isnt really any worse than having them in the middle of the season. But things do need to turn around fast, because patience among fans especially is wearing thin. Washington Post LOADED: 11.29.2011 591232 Washington Capitals

Boudreaus last days with Caps marked by failure to communicate

By Stephen Whyno

Tomas Vokoun heard about it driving to the rink from his wife, who lives in Florida. Troy Brouwer and Karl Alzner found out the news from reading it on the Internet. Bruce Boudreau was fired as coach of the Washington Capitals, and players really had no other choice but to assume the brunt of the

responsibility after a horrid stretch of hockey that pushed the team with the best start in the NHL into a tailspin. He prepared us and did the best he could for every one of the games that we played, and we didnt execute as good as we shouldve, Brouwer said. Sometimes its the coach that has to be the fall guy. The Capitals started 7-0-0, but a 5-9-1 stretch since that time led to Boudreau being dismissed in a 6:15 a.m. meeting with general manager George McPhee. McPhee made the move because he felt that the Caps had lost Boudreaus voice. For whatever reason, as a team we werent really responding well enough or as good as we should have been, said Alzner, a defenseman. And its kind of Where do you go from there? And thats when they come into play, the guys upstairs. And they do what they have to do. What McPhee felt he had to do was fire Boudreau and hire Dale Hunter as the teams coach. But it was a 3-7-1 stretch under Boudreau that had the Capitals talking about losing confidence and then talking about losing the man who has been in charge here since Thanksgiving 2007. I didnt think its going to happen [now]. Eventually I thought it would happen if we keep doing what we were doing,Vokoun said. I didnt think its going to happen this quickly. But were all to blame. Me personally not playing up [to] my standards also probably 18 other guys in this locker room doing the same thing. Multiple players noted that this is the business of hockey. Coaches get fired based on results, unfulfilled expectations and a lack of cohesion. Im a little surprised, but obviously in this business thats how it works, alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom said. Youve just got to deal with it. I think we had the capability to be higher up in the standings than we are. Captain Alex Ovechkin, who has eight goals and nine assists and a minus-7 rating, was the only player to use the word shock to describe his reaction to a move that came after two ugly losses. After it happened, I have 15 missed calls, 15 messages. It is a shocking situation, but it is what it is, Ovechkin said. Generally, players werent surprised because their play indicated that Boudreaus message wasnt getting through. At times, even the effort was lacking. I think we had spurts of great hockey. We had spurts of terrible hockey. We had spurts of a lot of work ethic, and other times we werent, forward Matt Hendricks said. It was just too much of a roller coaster with emotions, with play, with things that make us successful. We werent doing what we needed to do to win. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591233 Washington Capitals

The question is whether a coach, even a Capitals icon like Hunter, can have that kind of effect on this particular club. By this particular club, I mean the collection of slackers not all, by any means, but too many who were swept in the second round last spring by Tampa Bay and have followed a 7-0 start this season with a hideous 5-9-1 stretch that cost Bruce Boudreau his job. That particular club. Lets be honest. Nobody ever confused Boudreau with Scotty Bowman, and frankly, I thought the Caps should have made this move over the summer. Gabby is a good coach, and hell coach again in the NHL, but it was increasingly clear he had taken the team as far as he was going to take it. And Leonsis, as we all know, isnt aiming for goodness, hes aiming for greatness. So changing the Man Behind the Bench makes perfect sense. Thats the easy part (as eminently likeable as Boudreau is). The not-so-easy part is taking a long, hard look at the rest of the organization and saying: What else do we need to change? Because if Leonsis and McPhee stop here, theyre only kidding themselves. After all, there are some quitters in the Capitals locker room. We know this because they quit on Boudreau. We also know this because of what some of the players said Monday, after their first practice under Hunter. Mike Knuble: As a player, you just feel bad you let a your effort cost somebody his job. Dennis Wideman: Were cheating to the offensive side and really not committing five guys to defense. Effort (or lack thereof). Cheating. Neither of those things has anything to do with happenstance, the officiating or whether Mike Green is in the lineup. They do have something to do, though, with the individual players and whats inside them. And some of the Capitals theres no doubt about this gave up on Boudreau. Thats kind of what McPhee was referring to, in his lawyerly way, when he said, I didnt like some of the things that I saw in training camp and in some of the preseason games. And then in recent weeks, after lackadaisical losses to Winnipeg, Toronto, the New York Rangers and an undermanned Buffalo team, the Caps GM started seeing the same thing again. The party line is that Boudreau had stopped getting through to the players, that they had tuned him out as often happens to a coach (an NHL coach especially) after several years of yammering. Alex Ovechkin, the face of the franchise/team captain, didnt deny this. You can be tired with a coach telling you you made mistakes, he said. Indeed, its reasonable to wonder whether a rift between Ovechkin and Boudreau might have sabotaged the coach. Ovie certainly hasnt been Ovie this season, managing a mere eight goals (one less than Jason Chimera) in the first 22 games. And they did have that little difference of opinion in the Anaheim game Nov. 1, when Gabby didnt include his star in a power play in the closing minute and Washington down a goal. The next day, No. 8 sniffed that he hadnt been benched like that since he was a kid. I dont know if you can trace it back to a certain moment this fall that you feel was the beginning of the end, Knuble said. Was it him and Ovie in the Anaheim game? Was that the beginning of something? I dont know. I like what [Boudreau] was trying to do. He was trying to make us all more accountable. Joel Ward missed a game the other day [as a healthy scratch after oversleeping and missing a team meeting]. I just felt we had the kind of group, too, where we could do it ourselves. He didnt have to push us much. Knuble was wrong, though. The Capitals dont have the kind of group that can be self-policing. They have the kind of group that, at this point, still needs to be reminded that defense is as important as offense and that effort is most important of all. The Caps, alas, lead the league in refresher courses and going to back to basics. Rest assured, Hunter wont put up with such lollygagging. As a player, he was all about two-way hockey, all about perspiration. McPhees description of Hunter was dead-on: He played 19 years in this league and whether the game was home or away, or he was injured or healthy, or whether [his club] was winning or losing, he played the same way every night, and it was very hard as his 3,565 penalty minutes, second all time, attest. Harder than hard, sometimes downright mean, according to McPhee, whose rough-and-tumble career overlapped with Hunters. Downright meanness doesnt play very well in the NHL these days. For one thing, Dale said, Theres too many referees out there now. Theres an extra one. But

Two-way was only way Hunter knew how to play

By Dan Daly

ANALYSIS/OPINION: As Dale Hunter skated around the ice at Kettler Iceplex on Monday, shaking players hands and engaging in small talk, you asked yourself: Do these Washington Capitals the Europeans, especially even know who their new coach is? Im not talking about knowing him in a passing way, as some gray-haired guy who played in the NHL for a long time. Im talking about knowing what kind of player he was, the grit and determination he personified, how Dale Hunter, all 5 feet 10 of him, never met an opponent he couldnt facewash. Theyll know soon enough, of course, because Hunter will demand the same from them. Its the only way he knows how to play hockey. And if they get as much out of their abilities as he did out of his, then maybe the Capitals will become the team Ted Leonsis and George McPhee have always dreamed theyd be. A team that wins Stanley Cups. A team that serves as a model for the rest of the league.

toughness and tenacity are never out of fashion, and the new coach can teach the Capitals a few things about them. Its a fairy tale if you want to write it that way. One of the most beloved players in franchise history leaves the Junior A hockey club he owns in London, Ontario and has coached with record-breaking distinction for 11 seasons and returns to the Caps, my team, to try to bring them their first Stanley Cup. But therell only be a happy ending if Hunter can make the transition from juniors to the pros and if his players pay closer attention to him than they did, at the end, his predecessor. Otherwise he might as well have stayed in Canada. To borrow a line from Gordon Gekko, the Dale Hunter of Wall Street: This is your wakeup call, Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin and the rest. Go to work. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591234 Washington Capitals

But the questions of Why Hunter? and Why now? are more about his readiness to be a coach in the NHL after seemingly perfecting how to win in the OHL with the London Knights, a team he owns. With brother Mark already the Knights general manager able to step in as coach and his children grown, Hunter finally was ready to make the leap. I was always hoping that one day Dale could coach this team, said Capitals general manager George McPhee, who added he has stayed in touch with Hunter about coaching here for the past 12 years. But timings everything, and the time is right now. Hes available and ready to do this now. And the only way he wanted to do this is if he could go full-bore, in his words. Ive got to be able to go full-bore, and hes ready to go. Full-bore as a player meant Hunter playing hard. McPhee pointed out that no matter the team situation or individual health, Hunters performance level was the same and hed play hard each time on the ice. Hes going to lead that team to play the way he played, former Capitals wing Peter Bondra said. Hunter amassed 3,565 penalty minutes during his 19-season career. So while his Caps team will be branded in Hunters image, it may not be exactly like him. Theres too many referees out there now, Hunter said with a laugh. Hockeys changed a lot. But play hard. Forecheck hard. Finish your checks. No one needs penalties anymore. If you play hard on the ice, youll be always playing for me. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011

Hunter brings a hard-nosed approach to his job behind Capitals bench

By Stephen Whyno

The first fight Craig Laughlin ever got into in the NHL was against Dale Hunter. Not physically imposing with his size, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Hunter made up for it with his fists and the way he played hockey. When Hunter and Laughlin were teammates with the Washington Capitals, Laughlin recalled playing on a line with the captain and leader and what he needed from his teammates on the ice. He said You know, Locker, dont worry. Im just going to go out, run around a little bit and youll know when I need you in there, Laughlin recalled. He said, All Im going to do is put my stick up in the air like a flag. Thats when you know to come. Because Im going to stir the pot and make something happen. So you come in and help me out. That was Hunter the player stirring the pot as the only player in NHL history with more than 1,000 career points and 3,000 career penalty minutes. Off the ice, teammates knew him as a prankster and a guy who brought levity to the locker room. He was a pretty quiet guy. He had the joke in him, Hall of Fame defenseman Rod Langway said. He had fun with the game. It wasnt all hoopla and yelling and screaming. After a practice was over, after a game, he was having fun. Hunter on Monday began his new role as coach of the Capitals, 12 years after he retired and 10 years after he stepped behind the bench to lead the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. But Hunter the player and Hunter the coach cant be the same person thanks to maturity, a changing game and a much different role. Coach and player are going to be two different things, veteran right wing Mike Knuble said. As a coach, youre thinking first and then reacting. As a player youre reacting with what your guts telling you. Im sure you, on the bench, want to rip somebodys head off, but you cant because youre the coach. And so Hunter embarks on adjusting to his first NHL coaching job and a way of doing things that will mix his playing career and aspects of the game he learned from his time at the junior hockey level. What I learned is playings a lot more fun than coaching. When youre growing up, you dont say, Im going to be a coach. You always want to be a player, Hunter said. Coachings a tough job. Youve got 23 guys, different personalities, and youve got to figure out how to make them work. Hunter is known to Capitals fans as the quintessential captain who scored the Game 7 overtime goal to beat the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1987 Patrick Division semifinals, knocked out the New York Islanders Pierre Turgeon with a very late elbow in the 1993 playoffs and captained the Caps to their only Eastern Conference championship and Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1998.

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Washington Capitals

High expectations for Hunter

By Stephen Whyno

Dale Hunter stepped onto the ice at Kettler Capitals Iceplex to a roaring ovation early Monday afternoon. Fans wanted to see the former Washington captain back here as the new coach, and they greeted him like a conquering hero. Hunter played parts of 12 seasons with the Caps, and former teammates see him as a perfect fit for this new job. Hes going to lead that team to play the way he played, Peter Bondra said. Hes got a great sense of hockey. Former Caps broadcaster Jeff Rimer said he thinks Hunter will be terrific in succeeding Bruce Boudreau as coach. He doesnt demand respect, but he gets it because of the type of person that he is, Rimer said. I think its a perfect fit to go back to Washington, where he was the captain. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591236 Washington Capitals

Boudreau out, Hunter in as Capitals coach

By Stephen Whyno

The Washington Capitals went into this season like the past couple with dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. With this mix of talent and experience, everything seemed to be in place for a Cup run that would make star player Alex Ovechkin and coach Bruce Boudreau heroes around town. Instead, Monday morning brought the firing of Boudreau and the hiring of another hero in Capitals lore, Dale Hunter. The new coach will feel the same high expectations to turn around a struggling team and achieve its lofty goals.

I think this team is capable of being a very good team and competing for a Cup. That hasnt changed, said general manager George McPhee. He said he made the move because the team tuned out Boudreaus voice as its fortunes plummeted after a 7-0 start. Im certainly disappointed with the way weve played lately, but we still have a winning record and its time to start getting more wins. The burden on Boudreau is now lifted. His time with the Capitals ended during a 6:15 a.m. Monday meeting with McPhee at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington after more than four years of service and zero appearances in the Eastern Conference finals, let alone the Stanley Cup Finals. Boudreau, who went 201-88-40 in the regular season but just 17-20 in the playoffs with the Capitals, said in a text message Monday that he didnt want to talk and would prefer to address the situation later in the week. Players, especially those who knew Boudreau from his days with the Hershey Bears, expressed regret for not doing what they needed to do for their coach and their 3-7-1 stretch getting him fired. Yeah, the world of sports kind of sucks in a way that he takes the fall for stuff that we do, forward Brooks Laich said. Its not him that took a penalty or missed his assignment or turned a puck over. Its the guys in this locker room. Those guys havent changed, and Mr. McPhee said another move is not on the horizon. That means its now up to Hunter, the man whose giant banner hangs at one end of the rink at the Capitals practice facility and whose status as a captain in Washington needs no embellishment. Hunter, 51, has never lost touch with the Capitals since retiring as a player in 1999. He has taped and watched Capitals games even as he trekked from city to city via bus as coach of junior hockeys London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. He owns the Knights along with his brother, but he has the same kind of feeling about the Capitals because his connection here is longer than even that of owner Ted Leonsis. Definitely, this has been my team I shouldnt say my team, its Teds team, but it feels like my team, said Hunter, who played parts of 12 of his 19 NHL seasons with the Capitals. This is kind of where I played a lot of hockey. Ive been cheering for the Caps since I left here. I guess Im one of the ones rooting for them still right now. Hunters first strides on the ice at practice Monday were greeted with rousing cheers, something not often seen when a team hires a coach. His No. 32 hanging in the rafters at Verizon Center as one of the teams four retired numbers and his status in Washington mean he commands instant respect from players. Hes a legend here, Ovechkin said. He played here, was the captain and he knows how to win the games and how to play. This is different because of his playing days, and his reputation as a hardnosed captain likely will filter to his new role. He said he wants his team to be hard to oppose and he doesnt believe in run-and-gun hockey. Hunter is the 15th coach in franchise history and the fourth consecutive one to take the job without any previous NHL coaching experience. Despite his history in a Capitals uniform, Hunter still faces an immense challenge refocusing a team that has gone astray to the point where it cost Boudreau his job. The onus is on players to move forward and prove that those Stanley Cup aspirations are still within reach. We have to. Thats our job, forward Matt Hendricks said. We get paid to win hockey games and to show up every night and compete and do all the intangibles that indicate a winning team. If this isnt a wake-up call, I dont know what is. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591237 Washington Capitals

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) The Washington Capitals have fired coach BruceBoudreau and replaced him with Dale Hunter. The Capitals announced the move Monday, less than a week after Boudreau reached 200 wins faster than any coach in modern NHL history. But the Capitals have otherwise been struggling, losing six of their last eight to fall to eighth place in the Eastern Conference despite a talented lineup led by two-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin. Boudreau was hired four years ago on Thanksgiving Day. He went 201-8840 in the regular season with the Capitals but just 17-20 in the playoffs. The 51-year-old Hunter played 19 seasons in the NHL and is one of four players to have his number retired by the Capitals. He makes his debut Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues. Washington Times LOADED: 11.29.2011 591238 Washington Capitals

Hunter's ready to join the fight for the Capitals

By: Brian McNally

The Capitals skated onto the ice at Kettler Iceplex with their new coach hovering over them. But Dale Hunter had not yet made it there in the flesh. Instead, a massive banner with his image adorned one wall of the rink and loomed over the players. If the current Caps did not realize the status Hunter holds in their organization, it didn't take them long to understand. His uniform is one of four retired by the organization in its 38-year history. Now he replaces Bruce Boudreau, fired on Monday morning two months into a season that started strongly before it faltered with alarming speed in November. Hunter, 51, played 12 years for the Caps between 1987 and 1999 and captained the team to its only Stanley Cup Finals appearance. He served as Washington's captain from 1994 until he was traded away during the 1998-99 season, still leads the franchise in penalty minutes (2,003) and ranks second in games played (872) and third in points (556). Boudreau's dream (job) is over The Caps fire Bruce Boudreau after a poor November, and his players are quick to take the blame. "This is where I played a lot of hockey," Hunter said. "I've been cheering for the Caps since I left here. I guess I'm one of the ones rooting for them still right now." Hunter was one of the NHL's most notorious players during a 19-year career that included six-and-a-half seasons with the Quebec Nordiques and a 12-game stint with the Colorado Avalanche in his final year. At just 5-foot10, 200 pounds, Hunter played with a ferociousness that endeared him to Washington fans but often took him across the line of fair play. He was suspended 21 games to start the 1993-94 season following a vicious hit on New York Islanders star forward Pierre Turgeon, who had just scored what proved to be the clinching goal in Game 6 of a first-round Stanley Cup playoff series win over the Caps the previous spring. Related Nate Beeler 'Toon Bon Voyage, Boudreau "As a young player I didn't know who Dale was," said former teammate Peter Bondra, who had come to Washington as a rookie in 1990 from thenCzechoslovakia. "Honestly, whoever was on team I didn't know what they did before. But when you go on the ice and you play in a training-camp scrimmage and you get that elbow in your face [from Hunter], now you know this is a guy who is not going to be easy to play against." But Hunter was still a popular figure with teammates and had an innate ability to come through when it mattered most. Hunter played in 100 career playoff games with Washington and still holds the team record for postseason points (72). His series-clinching goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime of Game 7 of a 1988 first-round Stanley Cup playoff series remains one of the franchise's iconic moments. The Caps had trailed in that series 3-1 and in that game 3-0 entering the third period.

Capitals fire Boudreau, hire Hunter as coach

Associated Press

"You knew when [Hunter] was upset with you," said Comcast SportsNet analyst Craig Laughlin, also a former teammate. "Even when I played with him he wouldn't say a lot on the bench. But ... if you made a bad play he'd just give you that look. And you knew as a player that you had to live up to his expectations. He's not a guy that's going to come in and give a long speech. He's going to be very short, very succinct and very on top of what he wants to say." Hunter has spent the last 11 seasons as co-owner and coach of the London Knights, a junior hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. There he coached current Washington defensemen John Carlson and Dennis Wideman when they were teenagers and worked with NHL stars Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Kane and John Tavares. But moving from young players to professionals is no easy task. "What I learned is playing's a lot more fun than coaching," Hunter said. "When you're growing up, you don't say, 'I'm going to be a coach.' You always want to be a player. Coaching's a tough job. You've got 23 guys, different personalities, and you've got to figure out how to make them work." Washington Examiner LOADED: 11.29.2011 591239 Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals did the right thing. Success isn't about being the quickest coach to win 200 games. It's about the postseason. Sticking around is not about being a good guy. It's about handling superstars. Once the Caps' Alex Ovechkin was caught on TV cursing coach Bruce Boudreau after he was benched, the end was near. And it came Monday when general manager George McPhee decided to replace Boudreau with former Caps legend Dale Hunter after a week of discussions. Of course, McPhee said that "I don't think [Boudreau's firing] has anything to do with Alex Ovechkin. ... It's our whole team. It's not an individual." Sure, and I have some great waterfront property for sale that might or might not be swampland. No matter the reason, it was a great move for Washington to get Hunter even though he has no NHL coaching experience. Of course, it should have happened six months ago after Boudreau's team was swept out of the playoffs. Will the coaching change be enough to revive a team with Stanley Cup expectations that persistently exits the postseason early? Certainly Hunter will ensure the Caps give their best effort. "He was downright mean [as a player] sometimes," said McPhee, whose deadpan delivery makes it hard to tell when he's joking. Well, Hunter was sometimes mean on the ice; it's hard to forget his 21game suspension for a blind-side hit on Pierre Turgeon in the playoffs in 1993. But he also was a solid player who developed into a standout coach with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. Hunter was with the Caps from 1987 to 1999. He scored perhaps the most famous goal in franchise history to beat the Flyers in the first round of the 1988 playoffs, and his No. 32 jersey is one of four Washington has retired. For five seasons, he acted as the Caps' captain. Ovechkin has that role these days, and McPhee said he will keep it. But Hunter should choose whether Ovechkin remains so and no one else. Ovechkin never has seemed like a good fit, so this would be an ideal time to change. Indeed, Ovechkin should offer up the "C" to the new coach to decide. McPhee said the players no longer listened to Boudreau after four seasons. Well, Hunter certainly will be noticed in the locker room. "We've got their attention now," McPhee said. "When players aren't responding, you have to make a change. ... Bruce emptied the tank, and he's pushed every button he could. And if it worked for a while, it's not working now." Said Hunter: "The players will know when I'm mad at them." Boudreau was a refreshing newcomer when he arrived from the minor leagues four years ago. McPhee's confident Hunter can make the same jump. "Coaching's coaching, and he's been coaching at a good level and high level," McPhee said. "The same questions were asked of Bruce when he came here." Boudreau took a bad team to good. The question is whether Hunter can elevate a good team to great. It's the harder move. Then again, Hunter doesn't back down from a tough challenge. "We're going to be a hard team to play against," he said. Washington Examiner LOADED: 11.29.2011 591241 Winnipeg Jets

Boudreau's dream (job) is over

By: Brian McNally

They convened in person at 6:15 a.m. Monday, a little more than four years after a phone call granted Bruce Boudreau his dream job. This time the news did not bring joy to the Capitals coach. This time general manager George McPhee told Boudreau his time behind the bench in Washington was over. Word spread to his players quickly. Most woke up to missed phone calls or text messages. Several read the news on the Internet. Almost to a man they took responsibility for Boudreau's fate. Despite 201 wins in four-plus seasons, the Caps' repeated playoff failures and a shocking slide this month sealed his fate. "When I first found out this morning my first thought was I wish I could have done more," forward Brooks Laich said. "That's the nature of the beast. It's a business, and we understand it. I feel terrible for Bruce because he's leaving his dream job. It would be like if you ripped one of our players out of the locker room. If you ripped me out of the locker room. That's how I think it would feel." Boudreau's teams were a combined 201-88-40 under his watch and finished each of the past two seasons with the most standings points in the Eastern Conference. He was named the Jack Adams Award winner as NHL coach of the year after taking over for Glen Hanlon early in the 2007-08 season, lifting Washington from the worst record in the NHL the day he accepted the job to its first playoff appearance in five years. In the end, it wasn't enough. Related story Hunter's ready to join the fight for the Capitals "You see a lot of change with coaches, and if you're with a team long enough, there's going to be a coaching change," veteran center Jeff Halpern said. "I think [Buffalo coach] Lindy Ruff and a couple of others have had long tenures where they continue to have good teams. But Bruce is a pretty emotional person, and I know a lot of the games and battles that they've had in playoffs here were pretty intense. For whatever reason, the lifespan of a coach in the NHL just tends to go out." Washington Examiner LOADED: 11.29.2011 591240 Washington Capitals

Noel has no good news on injury front

By: Tim Campbell From haunted to Hunter for Caps JETS coach Claude Noel didn't have much in the way of good news on the injury front to provide fans on Monday.

By: Rick Snider

Forwards Eric Fehr and Jason Jaffray skipped Monday's practice. Noel said it was a "maintenance day" for both players. Defenceman Ron Hainsey, who returned last Wednesday from a 16-game absence and played more than 23 minutes that night, has been unable to go since. Noel said Hainsey will be a game-time decision tonight. The coach also said injured defencemen Randy Jones and Tobias Enstrom are back skating. Enstrom is skating without pucks and is expected to be out until after Christmas with his broken collarbone. Jones might be eight or nine days away, Noel said. Defenceman Brett Festerling and Derek Meech are also sidelined indefinitely. Ottawa Senators goalie Alex Auld has played for eight NHL teams, so a return to Winnipeg for tonight's NHL game created at least one good thought. Auld, the Manitoba Moose starter for most of 2001 to 2005 and author of 69 AHL wins for the franchise, said Monday: "It's the place I played the longest my pro career." Auld made 148 appearances for the Moose. His last season here was the team's first in the MTS Centre, 2004-05. "Landing (Sunday) night, driving through the city, it's funny how things have changed and how they haven't," Auld said after the Sens practice on Monday. "You see the new things and things that were still the same. It's going to be pretty cool, this game." Monday, two NHL coaches were dismissed. Given that the demise of Bruce Boudreau in Washington and Paul Maurice in Carolina will both affect the Jets, who are in the same Southeast Division, the question was tossed into the mix after Monday's practice. "It's never a good day when the coaching fraternity gets a dent in the armour," said Jets coach Claude Noel. "It's tough. It's a tough job. It's the nature of the business. When you coach, you know that that happens. It's never a good day." Jets captain Andrew Ladd saw it as less of a factor for the team. "We're more worried about what we're doing here than other teams," Ladd said. And after the Ottawa Senators' practice Monday at the MTS Centre, Sens coach Paul MacLean, who's less than half a season into his first NHL head job, knew the day to be a reality check. "Oh yeah, I remind myself of that every day, that I'm pretty fortunate to have the job I have," MacLean told reporters. "It does motivate me to keep working hard at my job." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591242 Winnipeg Jets

Coming to Winnipeg off a 4-3 win over Carolina on Sunday...Won the first meeting between these teams this season, 4-1 in Ottawa on Oct. 20...C Jason Spezza had two goals on Sunday, including the 200th of his NHL career...D Erik Karlsson is No. 1 on the NHL's list of point-getting defencemen, with 21. His 20 assists is the best total in the league overall...Ottawa is 4-1-1 in its last six, the same as the Jets...Ottawa had a power-play goal on Sunday, its first in five games...RW Chris Neill has missed seven games with an ankle injury but is back practising. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591243 Winnipeg Jets

Jets like to work from home

By: Tim Campbell

It's enough to make your head spin. And it has, where the Winnipeg Jets are concerned. So far, an NHL-low eight home games. A league-high 15 road games. Their record so far, a not-horrible, not-great 9-10-4. The routine is about to change. The Jets hope their record is, too. The MTS Centre will be the site of 13 of the team's next 15 games, beginning tonight at 7:30 p.m. (TSN Jets, 1290) against the Ottawa Senators. "We've been on the road pretty much all of whatever it is, month-and-ahalf," said Jets forward Nik Antropov. "It's nice to have a home stretch. "We're going to take advantage of it, hopefully." Since the season started Oct. 9, the longest stint the Jets have had at home is eight days. That came prior to this most recent three-game road trip, when they won all three games they played in their own rink, beating quality opponents in Tampa Bay, Washington and Philadelphia to get to 5-3 on their own ice. "We've got to take that next step forward," captain Andrew Ladd said Monday. "It's definitely nice to be at home in your own bed, having homecooked meals and the family, stuff like that." That off-ice element has been more than most people would realize, Jets forward Jim Slater said. "It has been a big adjustment," Slater said. "Everyone thinks you just come here and play and it's not like that. "I'm pretty lucky because I don't have family or kids but there are guys on the team with family and kids that had to move up here and get all situated. Getting used to the new rink a new city, that's definitely an adjustment. "I think the guys have been great about it, the organization has been on hand to help us, and it's gone pretty smooth. Getting used to systems took some times, and the first couple of games didn't look very good out there. But the main thing is that guys are starting to pick it up and when you see results, you can't argue with them." The Jets certainly were more competitive and consistent last week during their road trip that yielded a mark of 1-1-1. They're not all the way there yet, but coach Claude Noel said Monday he sees an opportunity to keep the team moving in the right direction. "The one thing that's going to be good for us is that it's great to be at home but you have to make hay when you can," he said. "It's not always that easy. The other thing it helps us do is helps us practise. We've haven't done very much of it. It seems like we've been on the road for a month. "For us, we really get a chance to get re-organized, re-energized. It's a chance for us to get to .500 and to look to get beyond that... get organized, tighten up our team play." Improving signs have surfaced in the last six games, but the team's not where he wants it yet, Noel said.

Jets Report

By: Staff Writer

About the Jets Coming off a 1-1-1 road trip last week, the Jets return home for 13 of the next 15 games...Their 9-10-4 record is worth 22 points and that's three points behind what the last Eastern Conference playoff spot was heading into Monday night's games...LW Evander Kane has opened the scoring in each of the last two games (Carolina, Boston) and now has a team-leading 10 goals...The Jets gave up a power-play goal in Saturday's 4-2 loss in Boston, the only advantage goal they surrendered on the trip. Winnipeg's penalty-killing has been perfect in five of the last seven games, its best stretch of the season...At 81.4 per cent, the team's penalty-killing has moved out of the bottom 10 in the NHL and up to 18th spot. About the Senators

"We're giving up leads in games, we're not closing games out and sometimes that's part of maturity and sometimes that's managing the game and we don't manage the game great," he said. "We're poor giving up penalties. It's clear. Look at the numbers. We gave up way too many power plays and that really takes you out of games." Winnipeg, at 113 time, has been the most short-handed team in the NHL. "When you're on the wrong side of the game, it's usually special teams," Noel added. "They've got a power-play goal, you haven't got one and you're one less than them. "And some of the penalties we take, quite frankly, aren't great. We have to be a lot better. We're tired of talking about it." With the schedule immediately ahead, it's time to start doing. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591244 Winnipeg Jets

"We did have a lot of skill on the team last year, but these guys I think are more finesse players," Prendergast said Monday at a news conference in Calgary. "We have a lot of great puck handlers and guys who distribute the puck very, very well and make players around them better. Last year's team had more of a blue-collar atmosphere around it." Canada settled for silver at the 2011 tournament in Buffalo, N.Y. The Canadians led 3-0 heading into the third period of the gold-medal game, but Russia scored five unanswered goals to take the title. Moose Jaw Warriors forward Quinton Howden is one of three players invited again to selection camp who experienced that heartbreak. Forward Jaden Schwartz of Colorado College wasn't able to play in the final because he fractured his ankle in the second game of the tournament. Niagara IceDogs goaltender Mark Visentin was in net for the championship game. Of the four 19-year-old goalies invited to camp, the starting job is his to lose because he's the only one with previous tournament experience. "They're going to count on me and Schwartz and Visentin," Howden said. "It's all our jobs to help guys out and hopefully show them the way back to getting gold medal." Sixteen invitees are from the Western Hockey League, 15 are out of the Ontario Hockey League, eight come from the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and two are from U.S. colleges. "We have a high skill level and want to use our skill to the best of our ability," head coach Don Hay said from a simultaneous news conference held in Edmonton. "We want to put players in roles they can flourish in and also can adapt to. "We're going to take the players we feel can play roles and help us achieve our goal which is winning a gold medal. We might have to ask a player who plays a lot of minutes for their team to play a little different role. If he's a skilled player and he's willing to do that, it'll help him fit in and make us a stronger team." The perennial question surrounding the selection camp roster is will Canada have any players currently in the NHL on the team? There are eight age-eligible both in 1992 or later on NHL rosters. They can be added to the roster prior to the start of selection camp if they are made available. Hockey Canada confirmed Monday that Edmonton Oilers centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Boston Bruins forward Tyler Seguin and Carolina Hurricanes centre Jeff Skinner will not be released to the junior team. Seguin and Skinner are already in their sophomore seasons in the NHL and weren't considered to be possibilities. Nugent-Hopkins, the first overall pick in the draft this year, is Edmonton's top scorer so the Oilers aren't willing to loan him out. The other five currently in the NHL are centres Ryan Johansen (Columbus) and Sean Couturier (Philadelphia), wingers Brett Connelly (Tampa Bay) and Devante Smith-Pelly (Anaheim) as well as defenceman Erik Gudbranson (Florida). "The other five eligible players that are there, we've been in contact and had conversations with all those teams and will continue to have conversations with them leading up to the start of camp," said Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada's vice-president of hockey operations for national teams. The strength of this team is expected to be its blue-line. Half of the 14 defencemen invited are first-round draft picks of NHL players.

Scheifele, locals chosen for junior camp

By: Tim Campbell and Ashley Prest

WINNIPEG - Winnipeg Jets first-round draft pick Mark Scheifele has been invited to Team Canada's selection camp next month in Calgary. The camp will include 41 of the top prospects in the country between 18 and 20 years old, all vying for a spot to compete at the World Junior Championships. Scheifele played seven games for the Jets to start this season and since being returned to the OHL's Barrie Colts, he has put up nine goals and 26 points in just 14 games. The camp invite list also includes Winnipeg's Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings and Oak Bank's Quinton Howden of the Moose Jaw Warriors. This morning, Jets coach Claude Noel was encouraged to hear that Scheifele, the 18-year-old centre who made his team out of training camp, was in the mix for Team Canada. "I think itd be great for the development part of things," Noel said. "Its a high level, its pressure-packed and thats all part of maturing. "Hopefully he gets through that process and makes that team. Hes had a lot of success going back to junior. I really hope he gets an opportunity to stay there because I think theres a tremendous growth for that. You hope he gets that chance. You know hell be trying; hes a very sincere player. "Its nice to see hes having success and has been rewarded with a tryout there." Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591245 Winnipeg Jets

Hockey Canada invites 41 to junior selection camp, awaits decisions from NHL

By: Donna Spencer, The Canadian Press

CALGARY - The pool of players asked to reclaim gold for Canada at the world junior hockey championship has more thoroughbred than plowhorse in it. Hockey Canada head scout Kevin Prendergast invited 41 players to try out at selection camp Dec. 10-14 in Calgary. Twenty-two will be chosen for the 2012 world junior championship opening Boxing Day in Calgary and Edmonton. Invite list 41 players

Two of them are coming back from injury. Ryan Murphy, a Carolina prospect, was sidelined a month with a concussion, but has been cleared by Hurricane doctors to start playing games again this week. Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips has started skating again after a high ankle sprain he sustained in October. Up front, left-winger Jonathan Huberdeau of the Saint John Sea Dogs is expected to be ready for selection camp despite breaking a bone in his foot earlier this month. Canada needs the Florida prospect to be healthy for the tournament. Huberdeau was a standout at summer camp playing opposite wing to Mark Stone of the Brandon Wheat Kings. Stone is also expected to be an impact player for Canada.

With Nugent-Hopkins, Couturier and Johansen in the NHL, there are jobs to be won at centre. Of the eight invited to camp, Prendergast is looking for two pure scorers and a pair of two-way players for that position. Ryan Strome of the Niagara IceDogs and Mark Scheifele of the Barrie Colts have the inside track on two of those spots. Another forward to watch is Brett Bulmer. The Kelowna Rocket wasn't invited to summer camp, but played nine NHL games for the Minnesota Wild in the fall. His defensive play was a question mark, but Prendergast says Bulmer is playing a more responsible brand of hockey since his return to the junior ranks. Others who weren't invited to summer camp, but played their way to a selection-camp invite include forwards Tanner Pearson of the Barrie Colts, Phillip Di Guiseppe of the University of Michigan, Michael Ferland of the Brandon Wheat Kings, Max Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice and Zach Philips of the Saint John Sea Dogs, as well as defencemen Mathew Dumba and Alex Petrovic of the Red Deer Rebels. The selection camp will be held in the new Olympic-sized arena at Calgary's Canada Olympic Park. Those invited will participate in a pair of intra-squad games and an exhibition game versus university all-stars. Hay, Prendergast and assistant coaches Scott Walker, George Burnett and Ryan Huska will evaluate the talent and then decide on two goalies, seven defencemen and 13 forwards. "It's going to be a quick camp," Hay predicted. "Players have got to come and show us as soon as possible what they can do." Notes: Niagara IceDog forward Freddie Hamilton and defenceman Dougie Hamilton will attempt to be the first brothers to play on the Canadian junior team since Randy and Mike Moller in 1982 . . . Oshawa Generals forward Christian Thomas is the son of 20-year NHL veteran Steve Thomas . . . Max Reinhart's father is former Calgary Flames defenceman Paul Reinhart. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED: 11.29.2011 591246 Winnipeg Jets

Flood, 27, has been particularly effective for the Jets, with three goals, two assists and a plus-2 rating so far. Kulda has no points, but has been responsible in his own end and is plus-2 as well. Floods averaging 16:38 in ice time per game, Kulda 11:12. Its tough for young D to come in and play at this level, you know, things happen quick out there, Huddy said. Flooder has done a great job for us. Hes contributed offensively, hes been great defensively and hes been killing some penalties for us too. Arturs has come in and played solid. Theyve been playing together as a pair and I havent had any problems with them, theyve just done a real good job for us. Defenceman Zach Bogosian, who has stepped up in the absence of veteran players like Enstrom and Hainsey, doesnt think many teams would have been able to weather the storm this well. Its definitely something Ive never been around for before, said Bogosian, who lead active Jets in ice time with 24:08. Its big when guys get called up from the American League and chip in the way they are. Our defence has responded pretty well as far as how many guys are coming up and down, in and out of the lineup and having different D partners all the time. Enstrom, who is out with a broken collarbone, is back skating and Hainsey is day-to-day with a lower body injury, so its possible the Jets will have their top six defencemen back together relatively soon. But the organization could be better off on the whole, with so many blueliners getting NHL experience and showing what they can do in big-time situations. Its just a good sign of the depth in the organization, said Flood, who has a case to stick around even after the aformentioned starters get healthy. Theres a lot of capable defencemen here and weve proven that. Theres always injuries. Its an unfortanate part of the game but sometimes its an opportunity for other guys. Weve done a pretty good job and hopefully we can keep it going.

Jets' plug-and-play defence

Winnipeg Sun LOADED: 11.29.2011 591247 Websites

By TED WYMAN, QMI Agency CNN/Sports Illustrated / INSIDE THE NHL Change keeps coming to Southeast Division benches

WINNIPEG - In his 30 years of playing and coaching in the NHL, Charlie Huddy has rarely seen anything like it. Due to a rash of injuries, the Winnipeg Jets have used 12 different players on defence through just 23 games of the NHL season. Huddy, a former Edmonton Oilers blue-liner who now coaches the Jets defence, isnt amazed at the number of players as much as he is at the job the peacemeal group has done. Though the Jets are tied for 25th in the NHL in goals against with an average of 3.17 per game, Huddy believes it could be worse, if not for the blue-line depth in the organization. You always run into issues where you never have enough defencemen that can actually come in and play and you get into some trouble, but weve been lucky that way, Huddy said Monday as the Jets prepared for Tuesday nights game against the Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m., MTS Centre). Its a good job by the organization of having enough defencemen. Weve been lucky that the guys weve put in have done a real great job for us. The Jets started the season with eight defencemen but four of those players Tobias Enstrom, Ron Hainsey, Randy Jones and Derek Meech have missed significant time with injuries. Almost since the beginning of the season, its just been plug and play. Four players have been called up from St. Johns of the AHL and two of them Mark Flood and Arturs Kulda have seen regular ice time the last couple of weeks. Theyve done so well, the Jets defence has actually looked more composed than it did early in the season. Im very happy, Huddy said. Anytime you lose three defencemen out of your lineup, it could turn ugly. Weve been fortunate to have guys step in and not miss a beat and just carry through.

Michael Farber

The grand old man of the NHL's Southeast Division is now Guy Boucher, who is all of 40. The comparatively grizzled X-and-O maven of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been behind the bench for all of one season and a quarter, which makes him the longest-tenured coach in this wacky division. Gee, 100-plus games. Or as they say in the frenetic Southeast, from here to eternity. With Paul Maurice being fired a second time in Carolina and Bruce Boudreau losing the inevitable war in Washington all in a matter of a few hours Monday morning -- Kirk Muller and Dale Hunter will get their first NHL head coaching jobs in their stead respectively -- let's update what else is going on the Southeast: Florida. Newcomer Kevin Dineen is doing a notable job with the Panthers, taking all the stuff that GM Dale Tallon threw at the wall during the summer and seemingly making it stick. Winnipeg. Claude Noel, rookie coach of the erstwhile Atlanta Thrashers, has not overwhelmed in his short time, a performance that is not much different than his previous stint as interim head coach in Columbus, when his team won 10 of 24 games. This is, however, Winnipeg. The fans are so delirious about getting an NHL team back that Rin Tin Tin could be coaching it and they wouldn't care. Until All-Star break, anyway. While Lindy Ruff in Buffalo and Barry Trotz in Nashville soldier on into their third decades with their teams -- both started in the late 1990s -- the Southeast keeps turning things over like Curtis Painter's Indianapolis Colts.

Muller had just started his first pro head-coaching job, stacked up behind Trotz with Nashville's minor league affiliate in Milwaukee. (Muller also coached Queen's University in his hometown of Kingston, Ont. While some NHL coaches have had Canadian university experience -- Mike Keenan, Mike Babcock and Dave King among them -- bucolic Queen's is hardly a cradle of coaches.) Nashville never has been an organization impressed by so-called brand names. Indeed two weeks ago, a high-level Predators official noted that Muller was the first "star" the franchise had ever hired although the definition of "star" can be elastic. Muller was the second pick in the 1984 NHL entry draft behind Mario Lemieux, and while he had a noteworthy career that included a Stanley Cup in Montreal, he didn't score 400 goals and never managed 95 points in a season. While in Montreal, he was dubbed "Kirk is Work" -- indefatigability seemed to be his defining trait rather than innate talent. While obviously perceptive about the game and life, Muller at the time did not exactly strike anyone as stellar NHL head coaching material. Even after the Canadiens hired him as an assistant following his season at Queen's, the assumption was that he had been added as a sop to keep his old friend, neophyte coach Guy Carbonneau, company. Muller lasted five years. More impressively, he stayed after Bob Gainey, then GM, fired Carbonneau and hired Jacques Martin, who had no previous ties with Muller. Muller worked with special teams and wound up receiving effusive, maybe excessive, praise when the Canadiens shockingly reached the 2010 conference final after seven-game upsets of Washington and Pittsburgh. There was rampant speculation that the media fawning over Muller created a rift between him and Martin although the Canadiens, now run by the hush-hush Pierre Gauthier, never air their laundry. This much was obvious: Muller would never be the head coach in Montreal. Some jobs have glass or pink ceilings. In Montreal, there is a Berlitz Wall. Unless a coach speaks French -- and Muller doesn't -- he has no shot under the current paradigm. If the Canadiens thought Muller's ties to the city and the team were enough to overcome that linguistic hurdle, they could have sent him to AHL Hamilton to replace Boucher and learn about running a team. They didn't. Meanwhile, Muller understood the cul de sac in Montreal. New Jersey offered Muller a job as associate head coach under John MacLean, another old friend, but he stood firm even as he realized he needed a career alternative. Although he had a few interviews last summer, nothing panned out. He took the Milwaukee job as a steppingstone, one that proved a springboard when Eric Staal's game fell off the face of the earth and brought almost everything and everyone in Carolina, including Maurice, crashing down with it. Meanwhile, Dale Hunter had been running a bench for 10 years. And he had one advantage most coaches on any level didn't have: he owned the damn team. Hunter is co-owner of the junior London Knights, a perennial Ontario Hockey League power, which has guaranteed a certain level of, uh, attentiveness from his players. Now by sheer force of his considerable personality -- and you can insert your own Dale Hunter/Chuck Norris joke here -- he will try to do the same with the Capitals. It's safe to assume Alex Ovechkin, Washington's captain, will never refer to Hunter as a "fat f..." Creditably, general manager George McPhee was loyal to Boudreau, whom he stuck by even during the 24/7 losing streak that made his coach look, at times, all too human. He always has considered Boudreau a good coach. The GM remembered the liberating effect of the breathing room Boudreau gave his players when McPhee plucked him out of the AHL in late November 2007. HACKEL: Boudreau pays for Caps' failure to adjust But eventually fresh air can grow as stale as, yawn, Ovechkin's signature cut-to-the-middle move. As soon as Ovechkin signed his 13-year contract extension in January 2008, the left-winger had the hammer. Boudreau had to find a way to make it work when Ovechkin's enthusiasm began to fade and his attention to detail vanished. Boudreau tried, including the last minute benching that prompted Ovechkin's Jenny Craig observation. But even with the "C" on his sweater, Ovechkin seemed to have his own agenda, which didn't include backchecking. (See that 5-1 loss in Buffalo last Saturday.) So now McPhee starts over with a no-nonsense coach, which should at least provide a dead-cat bounce to a team that showed its talent when it stormed through October. Like Boudreau in his salad days in

Washington -- and we use the term in its figurative sense -- a different voice behind the bench might have a salubrious longer-term effect. And Guy Boucher, you are now on the clock. CNN/Sports Illustrated LOADED: 11.29.2011 591248 Websites

ESPN / A new chapter for Carolina with Kirk Muller

By Scott Burnside

Sometimes a coaching change is as much about giving players a clean slate on which to define themselves as it is about finding a better coach. And if you're lucky, it's both. For a month or so, as his team lurched about near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford was making calls and talking to people about who might be the best person to take over the Hurricanes' head-coaching spot if he decided to replace Paul Maurice. "At the end of the search, he stood out against the others," Carolina GM Rutherford said of coach Kirk Muller (pictured). At the end of the day, the team's four wins in 14 November games convinced Rutherford that he needed to make such a change, and his conversations led him in one direction, that of Kirk Muller. "At the end of the search, he stood out against the others," Rutherford told ESPN.com Monday afternoon, shortly before Muller was to be announced as the team's coach. The Nashville Predators are to be commended for their role in this coaching move, as Muller was under contract to the Preds, coaching their AHL team in Milwaukee. Because the NHL no longer allows teams to ask for compensation in these kinds of situations, it would have been easy for the Predators to tell Rutherford to come back in the offseason. The move was disruptive to a team that prides itself on consistency and continuity. But they didn't. "We just don't believe in holding anybody back," David Poile told ESPN.com Monday. "We didn't want to stand in Kirk's way." The qualities that led Poile to snag the veteran NHLer to coach Nashville's top farm team were the very same qualities that led Rutherford to ask for Muller's release. "What didn't impress me?" Poile said. "He's Kirk Muller." An NHL captain, a Stanley Cup winner, an assistant coach with a top organization in Montreal and a leader. "He brings with him a wealth of experience both as a coach and as a top player," Poile said. "He brings character and leadership and good communication skills to our team," Rutherford said of the 45-year-old who was selected second overall in the 1984 entry draft, one behind Mario Lemieux. It would have been highly surprising had Rutherford not made the call to Poile that another team, perhaps more than one, would have made in the coming days. Of all the coaches not coaching in the NHL at the start of this season, Muller was considered a sure thing to find his way behind an NHL bench. Now Rutherford will get a chance to find out if the hype that surrounded Muller was well-founded. Beyond that, he's going to find out, for the first time this season at least, what kind of team he has. Can Muller, a native of Kingston, Ontario, be the kind of coach that turns the Canes' fortunes around and gets them back in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference? "That's a hard one to answer," Rutherford acknowledged. "I don't know exactly how good we are. I believe we're better than what we've done so far."

Rutherford would like to unload a defenseman and add a top six forward, but he understands that's easier said than done. And he would like to see a consistent level of effort night in and night out, the kind of effort that has been missing in recent days as it became clear Maurice and the team were headed in opposite directions. What is certain with this change is that all those players who got off to horrible starts or felt they weren't being used properly under Maurice will get a chance to start fresh. Those first 20 games, "that's the end of that chapter," Rutherford said. A new page gets turned Tuesday night, when the Southeast Divisionleading Florida Panthers come to town for Muller's first game as an NHL head coach. Eric Staal will be able to forget his five goals and minus-17 rating. Cam Ward will be able to forget his 3.10 goals-against average. Tomas Kaberle will be able to forget his haphazard play that led to him being a healthy scratch. At least that's the theory. ESPN LOADED: 11.29.2011 591249 Websites

This season, Boudreau introduced a kind of meritocracy to the running of the Caps. In some ways, it was beautifully simple. If you worked hard, you got rewarded; if you didn't, you paid the price. That shift in philosophy was never more evident than against Anaheim on Nov. 1, when Boudreau kept Ovechkin on the bench late in the game when the coach pulled his goaltender for an extra attacker. Instead, Boudreau chose to go with, among others, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward and Laich, the Caps' best line that evening. The Caps tied the game, and Ovechkin was on the bench when overtime started, although he did provide the principal assist on Backstrom's overtime winner. Television cameras showed a ticked-off Ovechkin seething in the final moments of regulation and using a derogatory term against Boudreau. Was that the moment Boudreau lost the franchise player? If so, it speaks volumes about Ovechkin's character. For years, Boudreau has staunchly defended Ovechkin, even when the star winger appeared to try to do too much in the playoffs and often came up short like the rest of his team. So now that Boudreau has taken his exit, if you can't play for him, then who can you play for? If the idea is hockey life will be somewhat easier under Hunter, that thinking seems to be plain wrong. It can only be guessed that one of Hunter's mandates when he takes over Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues is that there will be no pampering of any Caps players, including their biggest star. GM George McPhee on new Caps coach Dale Hunter: 'He knows two things, farming and hockey, and he's really good at both.' This, needless to say, stands as a terrific challenge for Hunter. The NHL is not full of terrific junior-to-the-bigs success stories. Brent Sutter has been a disappointment since he made the coaching jump from a successful junior career to New Jersey and then Calgary. Peter DeBoer has never managed to get an NHL team to the playoffs after he was the hot coaching commodity coming out of juniors a couple of years ago. Even Guy Boucher, who guided Tampa Bay to Game 7 of last season's Eastern Conference finals, made a brief pit stop in the American Hockey League after building a solid rsum at the junior level. If the learning curve will be steep for Hunter, what Ovechkin shows moving forward will be interesting. McPhee insisted Monday that Ovechkin will continue to be team captain (whether he deserves to be captain is a whole other issue). Maybe this change will be the catalyst for Ovechkin to return to the form of scoring championships and memorable drives to the net. Or maybe we'll see more of the same perimeter play, the fanned shots and lackadaisical back-checking. Many have been quick to label Ovechkin as a "me first" player, a rare talent who lacks the leadership DNA and the kind of will to win that defines his peers, such as Chicago's Jonathan Toews or archrival Sidney Crosby. Toews and Crosby endured coaching changes (Crosby twice) before winning championships. In both cases, those changes had little to do with those players' production, either before or after the changes were made. Even if McPhee told reporters that Monday's move wasn't singularly about Ovechkin but rather the entire team playing poorly, the star's waning production and inability to produce in Boudreau's system were likely contributing factors to the coaching change. In that sense, the burden on Ovechkin to define himself as a player and leader, and not a coach killer, has never been greater than it is now. ESPN LOADED: 11.29.2011 591250 Websites

ESPN / With Bruce Boudreau out, how will Alex Ovechkin respond?

By Scott Burnside

When Washington Capitals GM George McPhee fired coach Bruce Boudreau on Monday morning and replaced him with hard-as-nails Dale Hunter, McPhee played his final card. McPhee has handed over the keys to one of the league's most talented and successful teams (during the regular season, anyway) to a man who has never coached a single NHL game and has no experience coaching adults despite building and coaching a wildly successful major junior franchise with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. McPhee has tinkered and toyed with this enigmatic Capitals lineup since bringing in Boudreau during Thanksgiving weekend in 2007 but has never quite hit on a combination that could translate terrific regular-season accomplishments into sustained postseason success. Taking a chance on Hunter is in some ways an endgame then for McPhee. The move will mark the end of the team's confounding playoff futility or be the end of the line for the Capitals in their current form. Now that McPhee has made this play, the team's direction will fall at the feet of its captain, Alex Ovechkin. This doesn't mean the Caps' play of late (a 5-9-1 stretch since a blazing 70-0 start) is solely Ovechkin's fault. It's not. The defense has been hampered by the loss of Mike Green (who knew the oft-maligned puckmover would be so critical to the Caps' success?) and the sudden aging of offseason free-agent acquisition Roman Hamrlik. The goaltending has been mostly average and often worse than that. As of Monday, the Caps were 29th in goals allowed per game and 21st on the penalty kill. But where the rubber hits the road for this team is with No. 8. Caps GM George McPhee said the players stopped listening to coach Bruce Boudreau. Ovechkin has eight goals (38th in the league) and 17 points (54th). He has scored just once at home this season and is a minus-7. Perhaps most telling: He is averaging just 18:47 in ice time, 68th among NHL forwards. The team's franchise player isn't even leading the Caps' forwards in ice time (Brooks Laich is with 18:49). One of the knocks on Boudreau after a series of disappointing playoff turns -- the last of which was a four-game sweep against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round this past spring -- was that he wasn't hard enough on his good players, that he cut guys like Ovechkin, Green, Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom too much slack.

ESPN / Dale Hunter's task not new, but it is difficult

By Pierre LeBrun

If there's a coach who knows at least to some degree what Dale Hunter faces as he takes over a contending yet underachieving team, it's Todd McLellan.

The Sharks' head coach took over a talented club in San Jose in the summer of 2008, yet one that was looking to get over the playoff hump. McLellan has helped take some heat off the Sharks, but back-to-back trips to the Western Conference finals still falls short of the ultimate goal in San Jose. Who Is Dale Hunter? Played 19 NHL seasons (11+ seasons with Capitals). Collected 1,020 points and 3,565 penalty minutes in NHL career -- only player in NHL history with 1,000 points and 3,000 PIM. Has the second-most penalty minutes in NHL history behind Tiger Williams (3,966). Head coach, president and co-owner of the OHL's London Knights since the 2001-02 season. Won the Memorial Cup with Knights in the 2004-05 season. Arguably most remembered for his hit on the Islanders' Pierre Turgeon after Turgeon scored a goal in Game 6 of the 1993 Patrick Division Semifinals. Hunter was suspended 21 games for the hit. Scored two playoff series-clinching OT goals (1982 vs. Canadiens for Nordiques; 1988 vs. Flyers for Capitals). A conference final berth would be an improvement in Washington, where the Capitals have failed to get past the second round since 1998. A November slump doomed coach Bruce Boudreau, so Hunter now inherits Alex Ovechkin's mercurial bunch. It's a daunting task that's somewhat similar to what McLellan faced three years ago. "There's similarities and there's some differences in the two," McLellan told ESPN.com on Monday. "The similarities are the stage or the evolution of where the team is in; the expectations are high. They're looking to close the gap at the top end. They have mature players. They have some superstars that are in the prime of their careers. The fans' expectations are that they're not looking for growth, but rather they're looking for the finished product." They're still looking for that finished product in San Jose, but they're much closer than they were before McLellan got there. They've knocked out the powerhouse Detroit Red Wings in back-to-back years -- no small achievement -- and captain Joe Thornton has played his best playoff hockey, one of the most notable improvements under McLellan. Hunter's No. 1 challenge will be maximizing the all-world talent of Ovechkin and getting him back on track in the regular season but, more importantly, getting him to deliver even more come playoff time. Todd McLellan Todd McLellan's relationships with his players are critical to the Sharks' success. Where the stories in San Jose and Washington diverge is the timing of the coaching changes. "The differences are that I had a summer to prepare," McLellan said. "I got to know and create some relationships with some of the star players. Maybe Dale, as a former Capitals player, has those, I don't know." For McLellan, that time in the summer was instrumental. He reached out to key players and indicated what was expected individually -- it was the basis for important relationships. Hunter has none of that time; he'll have to forge those relationships on the go. Still, getting through to those key players will be critical if Hunter is to foster a different mindset. "I remember taking Jumbo [Joe Thornton] for lunch, and we talked about a lot of things," McLellan said. "I had a relationship with Patty [Marleau] from our junior days, but I rekindled that." AHe had similar chats with Dan Boyle and Rob Blake. It was about building trust with his players. And now that begins for Hunter in Washington. ESPN LOADED: 11.29.2011 591251 Websites

NBCSports.com / Next up on the hot seat: Randy Carlyle in Anaheim

Joe Yerdon

How do you think Anaheims Randy Carlyle is feeling today? After seeing two other head coaches with better records than hes got this season (Bruce Boudreau and Paul Maurice) wind up getting fired today, youd have to think that hes not exactly feeling too cozy in southern California. The Ducks have lost 16 of their last 18 as well as seven in a row now and are just one point ahead of Columbus for dead last in the Western Conference. A team with the reigning league MVP in Corey Perry as well as stars like Ryan Getzlaf, Teemu Selanne, Bobby Ryan, and Jonas Hiller is playing about as miserable as any in the league. Teams that do that poorly dont generally stick by the head coach but in Anaheim, things are a little different. The Ducks locked Carlyle up to a three-year extension during the summer meaning that if they were to part ways with him, itd cost the Ducks a kick in the wallet. Carlyle has won the franchise a Stanley Cup and while theyre struggling badly now, word from those on the inside is theyd rather not let Carlyle go. If theres something Anaheim needs badly its a stud defensive defenseman. Those are tough to come by though, but if theres a deal willing to be made out there, Anaheim will explore the possibility. If there isnt though, and the losses continue to mount, Ducks GM Bob Murray might not have any recourse other than to get a new coach in there to spark the team. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591252 Websites

NBCSports.com / Bruce Boudreau probably wont be out of work very long

Joe Yerdon

Bruce Boudreau getting swept out as head coach of the Caps this morning was probably not entirely shocking. After all, the Caps were coming off a string of bad losses capped off by a loss to a Buffalo team playing more minor leaguers than NHL players. The Caps are supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender and Boudreau wasnt getting them there anymore. If youre feeling bad for Boudreau this morning though, you shouldnt feel too down because the current state of coaching in the NHL suggests that if he wants another job in the NHL all hell need to do is wait a little bit. While Paul Maurice is out in Carolina with Kirk Muller likely to take over, there are other chances out there for Boudreau to potentially land. Anaheims struggles have led to grumblings about how Randy Carlyle could wind up without a job there. Losing 16 of their last 18 games will do that. Columbus has fixed things up a bit lately with Scott Arniel, but given how the Blue Jackets lineup is set with a lot of veteran and young talent, it could be a solid spot for Boudreau to land there. The same can be said of Calgary where Brent Sutter could also wind up out of a job. Of course the Flames problems run a bit deeper than just with the coach. Colorado is another place teeming over with young talent in need of a guy with skills to help younger players develops and Joe Sacco might not fit there much longer. The options are many if Boudreau wants to get back at it soon. Boudreau is a good coach. He was the fastest coach to reach 200 career wins and he led the Caps to four division titles in his four years there. Hes got a Presidents Trophy to his credit and the Caps would not have evolved they way they have without him. Caps owner Ted Leonsis gives him all the credit in the world for where the team is at. Theres a need for a coach like that all over. Hell be back. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591253 Websites

NBCSports.com / Hurricanes fire Paul Maurice; Kirk Muller named new head coach

NBCSports.com / Capitals fire Bruce Boudreau, name Dale Hunter new head coach

Joe Yerdon

Joe Yerdon

Its a bad Monday to be a head coach in the NHL as the Carolina Hurricanes have fired coach Paul Maurice as their bench boss. Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford announced the move today just hours after Washington fired Bruce Boudreau and brought Dale Hunter in there. In this case, Rutherford says the team will announce a new coach later today and TSNs Bob McKenzie says that it will be Kirk Muller that gets the call to take over. Muller has never been a head coach in the NHL but spent time in Montreal as an assistant to Jacques Martin and was the head coach of the Predators AHL team in Milwaukee this year. (Update 12:09 p.m. ET: Hurricanes officially announce Kirk Muller to take over as head coach) Maurices second term in Carolina ends as roughly as his first go-round did winding up getting fired in both cases. The last time Maurice was fired, Peter Laviolette took over and led the Canes to a Stanley Cup in 2006. The Hurricanes this time around would love to have the same thing happen here but Mullers hands will be full in trying to get Eric Staals season turned around and helping the rest of the team figure themselves out. Mullers main goal will be to get the teams defense straightened out as theyre last in goals allowed this season and in last place in the Southeast Division, just 14th out of 15 in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes just missed out on a playoff spot last season but have been beyond miserable this year. Mullers task ahead is a tough one for a team that seemed to lose their skills over the summer. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591254 Websites

The Capitals were in desperate need of a change, and now theyve got it. Bruce Boudreau is out as head coach, fired by the team this morning and replaced by former Capitals captain and tough guy Dale Hunter. The move comes after speculation ran hot last night that a potential move was coming thanks to a report from Sportsnets Nick Kypreos. Turns out Kypreos had it right and now the Capitals, who have been mired in an awful funk all season, will get the change theyve been in need of since last season. Hunter comes in in the same position Boudreau was in when he was named head coach of the Capitals years ago in that hes never been a coach in the NHL. Instead, Hunter comes via junior hockey where he was the owner and head coach of the OHLs London Knights. Much like Brent Sutter in Calgary, Hunter will put aside his ownership duties to coach in the NHL. Sutter is owner of the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL. This time, however, Hunter comes into a situation where the Capitals absolutely have to get things turned around. Alex Ovechkin has slumped all season long and his scoring numbers have fallen off hard, Alex Semin leads the team in penalties rather than being anywhere near the top in goals, and the defense and goaltending have been sub-par to put it nicely. Hunter comes in with one designation from his playing days: Hes the one captain of the Capitals that led the team to a Stanley Cup finals appearance. Adding to all that, the team just appeared to not enjoy playing hockey anymore. If Hunter coaches at all the same way as he played, business is about to pick up in a big way in D.C. One thing is for sure, Hunters got a lot of work to do get these Capitals back to normal. If a change at the top is all that they needed to make it happen, GM George McPhee will be the smartest guy in the world. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591256 Websites

NBCSports.com / For Dale Hunter to succeed, he needs to do it old school

Joe Yerdon NBCSports.com / Tonight on Versus: First place Wild look to get right against Lightning

Dale Hunter is going to have his hands full in replacing Bruce Boudreau as head coach of the Caps. Theyre a team lacking a lot of things, but the Caps dedication to playing more defensive hockey that started last season led to the Caps becoming a seemingly joyless mess of a team. While theres a lot of pressure on Hunter to get things turned around for the Caps, he could make things a lot easier on himself and the rest of the team by doing something that Boudreau never fell back upon doing in his desperate final days in D.C. Instead of tweaking things defensively and turning the Caps into a pack of grinders, Hunter should just dial it back to a few seasons ago and take the leash off the team and let them attack at will. The Caps became league and media darlings as an offensive juggernaut with Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin leading the charge and blazing up and down the ice scoring goals in bunches. After all, Nicklas Backstrom is back to being the dynamic playmaker again and giving him the chance to open it up would make the Caps far more dangerous. If the Caps open things up and Tomas Vokoun gets to fall back on those old instincts from his Florida days, perhaps it awakens his game as well. After all, he put up some of the better numbers in the NHL behind a team that couldnt score. If you get Ovechkin and Semin to be the 40 or 50-goal scorers they can be, whos to say it cant work for the Caps? The Caps have gotten their dose of coaching to figure out how to play better defensively, but the Caps were dangerous because they could score a ton, not because they could backcheck like the 90?s Devils. Let those guys go free Dale, it could be the instantly smartest move you can make. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591255 Websites

Joe Yerdon

Who knew that when you saw that the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild were slated to face off tonight on Versus (7:30 p.m. ET) that youd be seeing a showdown between the first place Wild (they were atop the NHL as recently as this past week) and the defensively struggling Lightning. After all, if you figured anyone was going to have a hard time being consistent in winning games, itd be Minnesota, right? Not so much these days. While the Wild have cooled off in their last couple games, theyre still atop the Northwest Division and theyve got Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley to thank for it offensively. Koivu is the guy that NBCs Pierre McGuire called the most underrated guy in the league and hes showing the way in Minnesota. More impressive for the Wild is their goaltending tandem of Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. Sure the Wild arent scoring tons of goals, but theyre keeping the wolves at bay. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has seen Steve Stamkos bust out a bit lately with five points in his last three games and 24 points in all this season. Of course, Steve Yzerman has worries about the Lightnings depth and considering their top scorers, its a prime worry. The Lightning will need that offense to continue to counteract the troubles in goal Tampa Bay had before facing Florida over the weekend. Mathieu Garon may have turned things around against the Panthers, but unless Dwayne Roloson can get things figured out, the Lightning might be in the hunt for a starting goalie somehow. Roloson could be in line to start against one of his former teams in the Wild and giving Guy Boucher a shot to see how he responds.

With the Wild having dropped two in a row and Tampa having won their last two, this match-up sets up to be a curious one. One things for sure, we wont have to sweat out that whole 1-3-1 thing Tampa does as the Wild will look to move the puck up the ice and get Heatley and Devin Setoguchi moving and hopefully scoring more goals. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591257 Websites

Key stat: One coach fired (possibly). If youre looking for reasons why Paul Maurice is unemployed, look no further than Staal. Hes on pace for jaw-droppingly bad statistics; at this rate hell finish with 16 goals and 30 points and somewhere in the neighborhood of a minus-237 rating. (Estimating.) Maurice tried everything short of Tony Robbins tapes to motivate his captain. He shifted linemates, he changed assignments, he even moved Staal to the wing but nothing worked. Its believed Staals issues are between the ears as opposed to a physical ailment (speculation is that concussed his brother, Marc, weighs on him still) so in that light, its tough to blame Maurice entirely. But hes the one that lost his job.

NBCSports.com / Crosby calls Ottawa GMs comments ridiculous

Mike Halford

3rd Dud: Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks captain Key stat: One coach fired (impending?)

Another day, another chapter in the Sidney Crosby-Bryan Murray feud. As posted last night on PHT, Ottawas GM blasted Crosby and Pens head coach Dan Bylsma for their comments about Fridays incident between Crosby and Nick Foligno. Crosby elbowed Foligno in the head in response to Foligno running goalie Marc-Andre Fleury at least thats what Crosby and Bylsma accused Foligno of. Those accusations led to Murray lambasting the Pittsburgh pair with a long-winded (and amusing) tirade. Today, it was Crosbys chance to respond. Its ridiculous, he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Its a play that happens in every game. I guess that its me, its dissected and analyzed a hundred times more. I really think theyre making something out of nothing. If they want to keep beating it around, they can. I dont have anything else to say about it. I think its ridiculous were still talking about it three days later to be honest with you. This isnt the first instance of a Crosby-Murray beef. The two engaged in an on-ice yelling match back in 2007, when Murray was Ottawas head coach and Crosby a second-year player. Reminded of that, Crosby said, Hes been doing that since my first year so thats nothing new. Like we mentioned yesterday, the Pens and Sens meet again on Dec. 16 at Scotiabank Place. Might wanna mark that one down on the ol calendar. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591258 Websites

Next on the coaching hot seat is Anaheims Randy Carlyle. With his team at 6-13-4 and just one point up on last-place Columbus, he needs someone to step up and right the ship which youd think would be his captain. Not so, says Jeff Miller of the OC Register. Now is when the Ducks need Getzlaf to prove that the C on his jersey has been earned, not just awarded. The last time he experienced something comparable to this, no one was leaning on him for direction. Now, each of Getzlafs teammates is looking his way and the image theyve seen hasnt always been that of a leader. It was Getzlaf who Friday lost the puck behind his own net, leading to what became the Blackhawks tying goal in the third period. That was the misplay that prompted him to kill an otherwise innocent hockey stick. With Getzy, hes trying to wear the weight of that captaincy, Carlyle told the Register. These are the times when it becomes very, very heavy. The burden of losing games and potentially costing coach his job? Yeah, thats fairly heavy. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591259 Websites

NBCSports.com / Lehtonen out three weeks with groin injury

Mike Halford NBCSports.com / PHTs Three Duds of the Week: Coach-killing captains We spent a fair amount of time this weekend analyzing the injury Dallas goalie Kari Lehtonen suffered against Phoenix: Uh-oh: Kari Lehtonen leaves game with leg injury Every Monday, well highlight (lowlight?) three of the NHLs biggest duds from the past week. 1st Dud: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals captain Key stat: One coach fired (allegedly). Even though Caps GM George McPhee said firing Bruce Boudreau wasnt just about one guy, chances are it was mostly about one guy Ovechkin. CBCs Tim Wharnsby pinned Boudreaus firing entirely on Washingtons captain, claiming the infamous benching against Anaheim was Boudreaus undoing. After that, Ovechkin pouted, Wharnsby wrote. He scored only three times in the next 12 games and the Capitals record was a poor 3-7-1. Boudreau had lost his team. He no longer had the support from the Capitals ownership nor general manager George McPhee. McPhee had to know his star player couldnt languish 38th in goalscoring (tied with Travis Moen!) much longer, or continue to score at a 63-point pace. McPhee can say the coaching change wasnt about Ovechkinbut it was about Ovechkin. 2nd Dud: Eric Staal, Carolina Hurricanes captain More Uh-oh: Dallas puts Lehtonen on IR Nieuwendyk putting faith in Stars goaltending depth And it turns out we were right to do so. Today, Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan announced that Lehtonen will miss at least three weeks with a groin injury. Kari will be out at least three weeks, Gulutzan said. We got some good news on that front as far as the MRI. Its not a high groin pull or anything; its kind of a low strain, low pull. Those tend to heal a little better, so were looking at the three-week mark before he can get going again. Lehtonen will miss at least eight games, including a five-game roadie through San Jose, Los Angeles, New York (Rangers and Isles) and New Jersey. Its a huge loss for a Dallas team thats 2-6-1 in its last eight and relied heavily almost extensively on Lehtonen this year. Hes recorded all 13 of Dallas wins and the guys tagged to replace him (Andrew Raycroft and AHL callup Richard Bachman) arent exactly high-caliber goalies. Raycroft hasnt won a game since January while Bachman has just over nine minutes of NHL experience.

Mike Halford

And as mentioned in the Nieuwendyk link above, there are no immediate plans for Dallas to acquire goaltending help. Andrew is our guy, and we have confidence in him, and Bachman with how he played in training camp and the preseason, has has earned the chance to get a good look, Nieuwenduk said. Its a lot like the quarterback position. Nobody wants to see it, but these things happen and you just have to deal with it. I think you make a commitment to team play and to playing even harder in front of the goalie who is there. The QB analogy is a good one, but I wonder if Nieuwendyk saw what Chicago went through with Caleb Hanie on Sunday. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591260 Websites

Oof. What a nightmare 2011 has been for Prongers health just look at his injury calendar (courtesy TSN): Jan. 20: Missed 13 games (right foot surgery) Mar. 3: Missed one game (hand injury) Apr. 24: Missed last 16 games of the regular season and five playoff games vs. Buffalo (right hand injury) May. 5: Missed three playoff games vs. Boston (undisclosed). Nov. 9: Missed six games (right eye injury). And the virus Holmgren alluded to earlier has kept Pronger out of Phillys last four contests. All told, Pronger has missed 37 of Phillys last 67 regular-season games. Pretty crazy. But whats really crazy is that prior to this wretched injury string, Pronger hadnt missed a game in two years. He played all 82 games in his last season in Anaheim and his first in Philadelphia while averaging over 26 minutes per contest. Oh, and just in case youre wondering about tomorrows surgery date four weeks from tomorrow will be Dec. 28. That would (theoretically) give Pronger four days of skating/practicing/playing before the 2012 Bridgestone Winter Classic. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591262 Websites

NBCSports.com / Make it six: Schneider to start for Vancouveragain

Mike Halford

In a furious race for Interweb supremacy, Vancouver Canucks beat writers (here, here and here) all simultaneously tweeted the big news: Cory Schneider will start his sixth straight game tomorrow night against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is uncharted territory for Schneider, fresh off earning the NHLs second star of the week. Though hes been with Vancouver since 2008-09 and started 22 games last year, hes never rattled off this many consecutive appearances. (Ironically enough, one of Schneiders longest consecutive games streaks came in the opening round of last years playoffs against Chicago. He relieved Roberto Luongo in Games 4 and 5, then started Game 6. Moving along) The always even-keeled Vancouver media is treating this development as youd expect. The Vancouver Sun ran a column about how Luongo makes for an excellent backup goalie while a local TV journalist made a Luongo should change his name to Wally Pipp joke. Overreactions aside, it is a big development. The Canucks have had reasons (or, excuses) for riding Schneider lately Luongo was coming off an injury, they needed to string together wins, they werent in a playoff position but those reasons (or, excuses) dont fly anymore. Luongo is beyond healthy. Theyve won four straight and seven of 10. Theyre in the thick of the playoff pack and two points out of the Northwest Division lead. Plus, Tuesday nights game is against Columbus. The worst team in hockey. There might not be a better opponent to ease Luongo back in, but its also a terrifying prospect. Imagine if Luongo starts against Columbus and stinks the joint out. What happens then? Ergo, the Canucks will continue employing the Vegas Philosophy with Schneider (as coined by Canucks play-by-play man John Shorthouse): You might only get on a heater once, so make sure to ride it as long as possible. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591261 Websites

NBCSports.com / Kirk Muller is more familiar with Carolina than youd think

Mike Halford

When the Carolina Hurricanes announced theyd hired Kirk Muller to replace former head coach Paul Maurice, it raised a few eyebrows. This is the same organization, after all, that always tended to keep things in house and seemed to favor familiarity above all else. Maurice was in his second go-round as head coach and GM Jim Rutherford has made a habit of reacquiring old Canes Erik Cole, Cory Stillman, Aaron Ward and Joe Corvo have all done two tours of duty in Carolina. In this light, hiring Muller is like hiring a virtual stranger. Or is it? Turns out Captain Kirk has more ties to the franchise than youd think: Brandon Sutter played for Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2006. Muller was the teams assistant coach. Muller and assistant coach Dave Lewis were teammates in New Jersey from 1984-86. Muller and Director of Hockey Operations Ron Francis played together for Team Canada at the 1985 IIHF World Championship. Muller and assistant coach Rod BrindAmour were teammates on the 1992 Wales Conference All-Star team. Okay, so Mullers not exactly Mr. Hurricane (in fact, hes one of the few coaches/development people on staff that didnt play for Carolina), but perhaps thats a good thing. The Canes have been stuck in retread mode ever since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006 and needed to breathe some new life into the organization. Muller, one of the hottest coaching prospects on the market, is a coup for Rutherford and company. He also brings a seasoned NHL playing resume to the job, something previous Canes coaches lacked. Maurice never made the NHL as a player while Peter Laviolette only saw action in 12 big league contests. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591263 Websites

NBCSports.com / Pronger to miss a month following knee surgery

Mike Halford

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that defenseman Chris Pronger will undergo surgery on his right knee tomorrow and miss the next four weeks of action. The procedure will clean out some loose particles that have given Chris some problems over the last month or so, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren said. We were hopeful that the time missed with a virus that Chris has been fighting would settle things down in his knee, but after an examination yesterday, it was decided that the surgery is the way to go at this time.

NBCSports.com / In the wake of Washingtons Hunter hire, here are some other junior-to-pro coaching leaps

Mike Halford

The Big Question will be a weekly feature on PHT where we ask a question, provide some background and ask you, the reader, to weigh in with your opinions. Todays question: Is the East just as good as the West now?

With Dale Hunter leaving the OHLs London Knights to take the Washington Capitals gig, lets take a look at some recent head coaches that went straight from the CHL to the NHL. These are direct leaps, of course. No three years as an AHL assistant grooming here. Peter DeBoer DeBoer spent 13 years in the OHL six with the Detroit/Plymouth Whalers , seven with the Kitchener Rangers. On the heels of a wildly successful final season in Kitchener where he won the OHL championship and finished second at the Memorial Cup, DeBoer was tabbed by Florida GM Jacques Martin to be the Panthers bench boss in 2008. Heres an NHL.com piece profiling the hire: Shortly after officially signing a multi-year contract as coach of the Florida Panthers, DeBoers first question from a reporter Monday touched on his fiery coaching style, which has been described as capable of putting the fear of God in a player. DeBoer, sporting crisp pinstripe suit and neat haircut, just laughed. I think that different players need different types of motivation, DeBoer said. Sometimes the message has to change. DeBoer was fired after three seasons in Florida, compiling a 103-107-36 record. He was quickly scooped up by the New Jersey Devils. Brent Sutter Sutter spent seven seasons coaching Red Deer (winning a Mem. Cup in 2001) prior to getting hired in New Jersey in 2007. After leading the Devils to a franchise-best 51 wins in 2008-09, he resigned from his post citing family reasonsonly to resurface as the head coach in Calgary two weeks later (hired by his brother, Darryl, the Flames GM.) With Calgary, hes missed the playoffs in both seasons at the helm but did compile a respectable 81-61-22 record over that time. Heres an old piece from ESPN profiling NJs hire of Sutter: Its a no-nonsense approach that Sutter had throughout his 17-year NHL career that included two Stanley Cup championships with the New York Islanders. Sutter did whatever was necessary on the ice. There doesnt have to be a tremendous amount of love between the players and their head coach. There has to be a tremendous amount of respect, Sutter said. I demand respect. I demand hard work. Ill do everything I can and I expect the same thing back from the players. So the obvious comparison between Hunter, DeBoer and Sutter is that all seem to have the tough-love/hard-ass/no-nonsense thing going for them. Which is to be expected from a coach coming from junior at that level, the authoritarian routine works because coaches wield a huge amount of power. But will it work at the professional level? The most obvious comparison is when college football coaches try their hand at the NFL levelwhere the success rate is minimal. Just ask Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino. Or Pete Carroll and Steve Spurrier. Or Dennis Erickson and Lou Holtz. NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591264 Websites

For years the Western Conference has looked down its nose at the East. However, the balance of power may have finally shifted. At the very least, theres reason to believe the NHLs two conferences are on par with each other. Heading into Mondays action, the top eight teams in the East are 29-12-10 against the West while the top eight teams in the West are 23-11-7 against the East. Pretty similar. All told, there are seven teams in the East with a winning record against the West and seven teams in the West with a winning record against the East. Identical. Personally, if I had to pick 10 teams with the best chance to win the Stanley Cup, Id go with Pittsburgh, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, NY Rangers, Buffalo, Chicago, San Jose, Detroit and Vancouver. Thats six teams from the East, four from the West. You might have a different list, but it absolutely has to include at least three teams from the East Pittsburgh, Boston and Philadelphia. Its not just the top clubs that define a conference either. Another thing thats made the West so tough in recent years has been the relative strength of the conferences lower echelon. However, based on todays standings, four of the NHLs worst six teams are from the West Colorado, Calgary, Anaheim and Columbus. In conclusion, the days of well, wed have made the playoffs if we were in the East seem to be over. Agree? Disagree? NBCSports.com / LOADED: 11.29.2011 591265 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Filling up the tank

Mark Spector

There is no mystery around why Bruce Boudreau loses his job in Washington. It's all about Alex Ovechkin, the heart that pumps the lifeblood through this Capitals team. If he's not going, they're not going. And, we find out, the coach IS going, with Dale Hunter now in charge of making this ill-tuned Ferrari run smoothly. Ovechkin's ice time has been in decline for the past five seasons, as Boudreau took several runs at reshaping the Capitals into a team that was as dangerous in May and June as it was in November and December. In the end, Ovechkin saw his ice time fall from 23:06 per game back in 200708 to just 18:46 this season, but sadly for Boudreau, Ovechkin's point totals also declined - and the team wasn't any better for it. Washington general manager George McPhee spoke as if Boudreau had simply run out of ideas for the team as a whole. But in reality, it was Boudreau's inability to crack Ovechkin that cost him his job. "The issue was, we weren't playing very well," McPhee said. "Bruce came in here and emptied the tank. He gave it everything he could, did a really good job, but the tank was empty. When that happens, you get a new coach where the tank is full, and see if it makes a difference." In comes Hunter, yet the elephant that was in the corner of Boudreau's office hasn't budged. The question will always remain; can a coach cut Ovechkin loose offensively, yet still maintain a defensive posture that will allow you to win in the playoffs? Or, do Ovechkin's defensive flaws - that he flies the offensive zone, or doesn't understand the meaning of back-side pressure when he doesn't have the puck - fatally impair any coach's ability to keep a functional dressing room?

NBCSports.com / The Big Question: Is the East just as good as the West now?

Jason Brough

"I don't believe in run 'n' gun hockey," Hunter said on Monday. "I believe in hard playing, cycling the puck, getting scoring chances (that way)." Ovechkin's game, at its highest level, was always about run 'n' gun. But he's also had seasons of 112 points and been plus-28; of 109 points and been plus-45; of 85 points and been plus-24. So, in effect, Hunter has to change Ovechkin's offensive game, a ploy that did not work for Boudreau. Or, he has to let Ovechkin roam, in effect treating his star player differently than he's treating the rest of the dressing room - which never works for an NHL coach. Right now, Washington is getting the worst of Ovechkin, with just 17 points and a minus-7 in 22 games. "Your best player, your captain, everyone goes through slumps," Hunter said. "He's been scoring but we have such a high level for Alex, we always expect more. It's a team game. Alex is one part of it, a big part of it, but we've got to play better as a team." Ask Paul Maurice about that. His Carolina Hurricanes have been awful, and as such he suddenly became a bad coach, fired as well Monday morning and replaced by Kirk Muller. The Capitals however, have become the San Jose of the East, and owner Ted Leonsis has no doubt had enough. Right now, his employees can't even agree on whether the team is in a slump, or if their problems run deeper than that. "This isn't a slump - you can ride out slumps," McPhee declared. "The players were no longer responding to Bruce. When you see that you have to make a change. "You can tell when your players are playing through a slump, but you can see when the players aren't performing the way they should be, and they aren't responding." Countered Ovechkin: "Sometimes when you have a slump, you just have to fight through that. It's all about us. We play out on the ice. We have to score the goals make some hits, (do) what we can do." They couldn't get to a Stanley Cup when Ovechkin was a 100-point player, and they couldn't get there when he produced less than that. The Capitals couldn't win when the focus was on offence, and they haven't won since the focus shifted to defence. With Boudreau having been sacrificed, the responsibility now falls to Ovechkin, Alex Semin, Mike Green and the rest of their regular season superstars to get the job done post-season in Washington. And if they thought it was tough delivering under Boudreau, wait 'til they get a load of Hunter. "I'm a players' coach, but the players will know when I'm mad at them," he warned on Day 1. "Mistakes, everyone makes mistakes out there. But if you continue to make mistakes, there will be repercussions." Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.29.2011 591266 Websites

Colby Armstrong, a solid two-way force, has dressed for just five games and hasnt played since Oct. 19 when he went down with a high ankle sprain. Veteran defenceman Mike Komisarek is out with a broken arm. Others who have been out for various lengths of time include Mike Brown, Mikhail Grabovski, Clarke MacArthur, Tyler Bozak and Matthew Lombardi. And yet the Maple Leafs continue to prosper in a way they havent in a long, long time. One could easily make the case that Boudreaus greatest failing this season with the Capitals was his inability to light a fire under the tush of slumping superstar Alexander Ovechkin. Boudreaus priority the past two years was to get The Great 8 to play more of a team game with an accent on being more responsible defensively and using his teammates more. Not a bad thought, really, but not only did the change in philosophy fail to bring the Capitals the desired success, such as a championship or even a trip to the Stanley Cup final, Ovechkin has been a shell of his former self. He has lost the magic that once had him neck-and-neck with Sidney Crosby as the games best player. Ovechkin, who has led the league in goal-scoring twice and points once, currently ranks 47th in NHL scoring with eight goals and 17 points. His minus-7 is second worst on the team. It had become increasingly evident that Ovechkin had tuned out Boudreau and when a teams top player and coach dont get along, theres usually only one solution the coach goes. In Carolina, Maurice was having similar difficulties coaxing the best out of his teams best player, center Eric Staal, who has only five goals and 11 points and is a team-worst minus-17. You have to think Maurices failure to get Staal back to being one of the best young players in the league was directly tied to his dismissal. In Toronto, Wilson is having no such problem. In fact, his teams best scorer Phil Kessel is having a standout season. Although he hasnt connected for a goal in the past three games, Kessel continues to lead the NHL in goals (16) and points (31). So, if a coachs fate can be linked to the inability of his teams best player to produce, why cant it also be connected when the best player is succeeding? Now before you hit send on that nasty e-mail you just wrote informing me of Wilsons failure to get the Leafs into the playoffs during his first three years in Toronto when his combined record was 101-107-38, dont bother. That is hardly a news flash. Nor, at this point is it relevant. Wilson did not enjoy success in his first three seasons behind the bench and the Leafs were well within their rights to withhold a contract extension until everyone got an idea of how this season would go. This is the first season in which Wilson has been given a legitimate roster of players that actually has a chance to succeed and hes making the most of it. The Leafs are full value for what they have accomplished this season and Wilson is due some credit. In other words, Wilson is making the most of the hand he has been dealt.

Sportsnet.ca / What about Ron?

Mike Brophy

On a day when two high profile coaches lost their jobs, the Toronto Maple Leafs should at the very least be seriously considering extending the contract of their bench boss, Ron Wilson. On Monday, Bruce Boudreau was fired as coach of the severely underachieving Washington Capitals while Paul Maurice was let go by the Carolina Hurricanes. For Maurice, its the second time hes walked the plank in Carolina. Through 24 games, the Maple Leafs boast the NHLs third-best record with only the Pittsburgh Penguins and born-again Chicago Blackhawks seeded ahead of them. What makes the Leafs early success so remarkable is the fact they have done it without some of their best players, including No. 1 goalie James Reimer, who has been out since Oct. 22. That night, in Torontos seventh game of the year, Reimer was slammed into by Montreals Brian Gionta. He suffered concussion-like symptoms, but has been practicing with the team and appears nearly set to return.

Wilson has coached 1,361 NHL games. He has taken the Washington Capitals to the Stanley Cup final (1998); coached Team USA to a gold medal in the inaugural World Cup of Hockey (1996) and guided the United States to a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Of course theres always the possibility the Leafs could go into the tank and miss the playoffs for a seventh straight year. Im not sure if this is actually true, but I was told Leafs GM Brian Burke wanted to extend Wilsons deal in the summer, but did not get the blessing from his superiors at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. That sounds pretty reasonable. I think its time Burke once more wanders down the hallway of the clubs Air Canada Centre offices looking for permission to extend Wilsons contract once and for all. The coach has earned it. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.29.2011 591267 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Carousel in the crease

YAHOO SPORTS / Hunter inherits Capitals combustible mix of egos

Mike Brophy

Nicholas J. Cotsonika

Really, does anybody at this stage know for sure who the No. 1 goalie is for the Toronto Maple Leafs? It was supposed to be James Riemer at the start of the year, right? And why wouldnt it be? After all, Reimer entered this season with all of 37 games under his belt. He won 20 of them last year, so of course hed be positioned at the top of the depth chart. Hall of Fame numbers, to be sure. Of course to maintain his king-of-the-mountain status, it would require, among other things, winning games, and perhaps more importantly, staying healthy. Reimer got the winning part right, but as for his health part, well you know how that went. The smiling stopper got dinged in the head Oct. 22 in Montreal and hasnt played since. His immediate replacement, Jonas Gustavsson commonly known as The Monster was handed the ball, but fumbled it, thereby giving way to Ben Scrivens. To his credit, Scrivens rose to the challenge, but did not earn the trust of the coaching staff and the job for the No.1 goalie in Toronto remains wide open. A week or so ago if you had asked most Leafs observers who would be the most likely candidate to back up Reimer upon his return, it would have been Scrivens, hands down. Now, after three straight road wins, not only has Gustavsson re-established himself as No. 2 on an ever-changing goalie depth chart, a bad performance or two by Reimer might just bump him up to No. 1. That, in a nutshell, is the state of the nation where the Leafs goalies are concerned. Which is to say, nobody really knows who the teams No. 1 goalie is. The good news is the team is winning. Gustavsson is proving himself to be quite a competitor. A lot of goalies might have wilted under the pressure of being bumped by a call-up from the minors when the starter went down, but not Gustavsson. He was given the opportunity to replace Reimer, but he looked shaky and the Leafs reacted by quickly sliding him to the backburner. It was no surprise, really, when the Leafs turned to Scrivens who, at 25, is significantly older and more mature than most rookies. But inexperienced nonetheless. Scrivens has chiseled his way up from college hockey to the ECHL to the AHL and then to the NHL rather seamlessly. And he has given every indication he can play in the NHL. But for a team that has missed the playoffs six years running, there is no room for error. And, more importantly, this is not a popularity contest. So even though Scrivens has performed well, he has not been anointed The Next One. A hot goaltender in Toronto will be given the nod, but at the first sign of faltering, someone else will be afforded a chance to step in. Theres no Martin Brodeur or Tim Thomas in this competition. Reimer has been working hard in practice in the past week and is close to returning. Obviously he will be given every opportunity to reclaim his starters job, but hell have to work hard to keep it. Over the last week or so, The Monster has taken monster steps toward advancing his game. It isnt necessarily his numbers an 8-4-0 record (which is pretty good) or a .901 save percentage and 3.06 goals-against average that will win over coach Ron Wilson. It is his demeanor. Finally, Gustavsson looks comfortable. That, more than anything else, may buy him time in Toronto. On a night when a number of former Ducks, including Leafs GM Brian Burke, ex-coach Ron Wilson, as well as winger Joffrey Lupul and defenceman Jake Gardiner were in the spotlight, it was Gustavsson who stole the show. How long will that keep him in the crease in Toronto? Nobody knows for sure. But his play in the last week has certainly put him in the running of keeping a job in the league. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.29.2011 591268 Websites

Does Dale Hunter know what hes getting into? Do the Washington Capitals? Because as Hunter replaces Bruce Boudreau as the Caps coach Monday, it comes down to this: Hunter is used to coaching kids who follow orders, and now he inherits a combustible mix of NHL egos that hasnt been coachable - starting with slumping superstar Alex Ovechkin. He has never coached at a level higher than junior, yet the bar couldnt be higher here. The only way this will be successful is if the Capitals win the Stanley Cup. Boudreau just reached 200 victories quicker than any other coach in NHL history. He has a 201-88-40 regular-season record among a number of notable accomplishments. Owner Ted Leonsis blogged a thank-you note to Boudreau that reads like a happy retirement note, not a firing announcement. Bruce was instrumental in the teams success over the last four seasons, Leonsis wrote. He won four division championships, a Presidents Trophy, an Eastern Conference banner, two playoff series and coached us to our best records in team history during the regular season. He also won a coach of the year award and holds the record for winning 200 games faster than any coach in NHL history. He is a good man. Yet all that wasnt enough. [Related: Can London keep its swagger without Dale Hunter?] It wasnt enough because Boudreau couldnt escape the second round of the playoffs in four attempts, and he couldnt change on the flyturning the once high-flying, fun-loving Capitals into the type of defensive, disciplined unit that wins in April, May and June. The nadir came Saturday night. After a listless 5-1 loss to the undermanned Buffalo Sabres dropped the Capitals to 3-7-1 in their last 11 games, Boudreau criticized their mental toughness, saying they hadnt dealt with much adversity except for the playoffs. It sounded like the same thing he said as the Caps went through an 0-6-2 slump during the first half of last season. Only this timehaving benched Ovechkin with a game on the line, having scratched Alex Semin for taking too many penalties, having scratched even good soldier Joel Ward for sleeping in and missing a meeting - Boudreau sounded like a leader that had run out of buttons to push. If I have to teach them how to be tough, Boudreau told reporters, I dont know quite how to do that. Up until that quote, I had Boudreaus back. The Capitals rebounded from that 0-6-2 slump last season, adjusted their style and finished first in the Eastern Conference. General manager George McPhee didnt abandon Boudreau after the Caps were swept in the second round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. So why abandon him now? The Caps were good enough to be the last team to lose in the NHL this season, starting 7-0-0, and their latest problems seemed like growing pains as Boudreau stuck to his plan to enforce accountability. Boudreau seemed to have earned the right to see this through and take one more shot at the playoffs. [Related: Carolina fired Paul Maurice, hires Kirk Muller] But when a coach admits he doesnt know how to address his teams greatest weakness, its time for him to go. Boudreau is a good coach and a great character who will find another NHL job. He just went as far as he could go in Washington. The Capitals need a firm hand and a rebuilt identity. Hunter seems like a natural in that sense. He knows toughness. He not only put up 1,020 points in the NHL; he racked up 3,563 penalty minutes. He captained the Capitals, and his No. 32 hangs from the rafters. When you think of the Washington franchise, he is one of the few men who comes to mind first. Hunter has at least two things going for him: He has a talented team that is capable of winning big when at its best, and hes new. He can come in, crack the whip and demand accountability from Day One, and the players

will never be able to wonder why he wasnt like this before. It wont feel forced. The irony, though, is that Hunter also symbolizes the Capitals failure to win the Cup. After 12 seasons of striving in Washington - and only one appearance in the Cup final, getting swept by the Detroit Red Wings in 1998 - Hunter was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the end of his career so he could take one more shot at a title. He didnt win one in Denver, either. And heres the issue: Hunter won a Cup as a coach, but it was a Memorial Cup. He was the fastest coach to reach 300 and 400 victories - and he just reached 450 - but that was in the Ontario Hockey League, not the National Hockey League. The 51-year-old has worked with stars such as Rick Nash, Corey Perry, Patrick Kane and John Tavares - not to mention Capitals John Carlson and Dennis Wideman - but that was when they were members of the London Knights, not NHLers. There is a big difference between what the Capitals have done and the other coaching moves around the league. When the St. Louis Blues replaced Davis Payne with Ken Hitchcock on Nov. 7, they swapped a young coach for a 533-game winner. When the Carolina Hurricanes replaced Paul Maurice with Kirk Muller on Monday, they swapped a veteran coach for an up-and-comer, but at least Muller had served as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens and done a brief stint as an AHL head coach precisely because he needed more experience to be an NHL head coach. The Blues and Canes both are shooting for the playoffs. The Caps want to win it all. No one knows how this will go. This could be a brilliant move, or it could make the problem worse. Hunter is not known as a communicator. Its one thing to tell teenagers what to do; its another thing to yell at guys like Ovechkin and Semin. The fans might care about Hunters history with Washington, but do the players? If the Capitals continue to fail in the playoffs, will they end up looking for a more player-friendly coach again? Or do they have the players to win in the playoffs under any coach? YAHOO.COM LOADED: 11.29.2011