George Parros Records First Two-Goal Game of Career

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Ducks, Panthers, Eastern, Western, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Over the course of his pro career, George Parros has made a name for himself with his fists more than anything else. The former Princeton player has been involved in 111 fights during his NHL career, and until Wednesday night, he had only scored 14 goals in the NHL.

While some might find it funny that he fought Florida's Darcy Hordichuk for the 12th time in his career Wednesday, the more notable achievement for Parros was something he had never done before in the NHL.

Parros scored two goals in Anaheim's 5-3 win over Florida.

 

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Henrik Zetterberg Mike Zigomanis Dainius Zubrus Jonas Ahnelov

Liberty Bowl, UCF Vs. UGA: Someone Finally Scores A Touchdown

Andrew Campbell Brian Campbell Chris Campoli Matt Carkner

Thomas Vanek Makes Capitals Look Silly, Scores Overtime Winner

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Capitals, Sabres, Eastern, NHL Videos

The red-hot Washington Capitals couldn't put away the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night in Buffalo, and Thomas Vanek made them pay.

For the Sabres, who hadn't won at home yet this season before Saturday, it could end up being the lift they need to salvage their season.

Vanek's overtime game-winner made a winner out of Ryan Miller in his first game back from injury, and the Sabres finally won a game at HSBC Arena, beating the Capitals 3-2.

 

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Mark Cundari Trevor Daley Simon Danis-Pepin Rob Davison

Video: Anze Kopitar's brilliant rainbow pass for Dustin Brown goal

Perfectly timed and measured passes are sports poetry. The quarterback dropping a long bomb over a receiver's shoulder for a touchdown. A midfielder anticipating a striker's run with a well-placed ball in soccer.

It happens in hockey, too. On Monday night, in the Los Angeles Kings' 4-0 victory at the San Jose Sharks, Anze Kopitar lobbed the puck from the neutral zone and placed it at the top of the right faceoff circle in the Sharks' zone ... where Dustin Brown corralled it and converted one of the most spectacular scoring plays of the season:

Wow ... did the Kings bring on Charlie Conway from "The Mighty Ducks" as an offensive coordinator to design the alley-oop? 

Again, look where Kopitar releases that lob pass: Right outside his own blue line, launching the puck with pinpoint precision and distance and speed. Not to be outdone, Brown's finish for his 16th goal of the season was an impressive act of coordination. Their reaction on the bench was kids-on-the-pond giddy.

If there's a category for assist of the year, then here's your last-minute entry.

Tyler Arnason Jamie Arniel Jason Arnott Keith Aucoin

Senators lose Spezza for up to six weeks with shoulder injury

Ottawa Senators center Jason Spezza missed 22 games last season due to an MCL injury, and another five in October of this season. So, playing Mr. Brightside: They've been through this before. But today's news delivered by coach Cory Clouston that Spezza could be out for up to six weeks is still a punch to the gut for Ottawa.

From TSN:

The forward suffered a right shoulder injury in Sunday's home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The damage appeared to occur when Pittsburgh's Kris Letang checked Spezza into the boards. Letang received a two-minute boarding penalty, while Spezza left the game and went directly to the dressing room.

TSN reports that "Senators confirmed on Monday that surgery on the shoulder will not be required," but CTV is reporting that "it will be a week before doctors will know if Spezza will need surgery to repair his shoulder."

Here's the play on which Spezza, who has 20 points in 32 games, was injured against the Penguins:

Again: Two minutes for that hit from Letang. Looks like a battle for the puck, a lost edge, an unfortunate result; but since it was evaluated as a boarding call by the referees, should it have been more than two?

Max Sauve Marc Savard Dave Scatchard Brayden Schenn

Martin Brodeur Wants to Stay With Devils

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Devils

The New Jersey Devils nightmare season continued on Tuesday night at the hands of the Washington Capitals (losing 5-1), dropping their record to a disappointing 9-22-2. Along with the second worst record in the league, the Devils also have the worst goal differential (yes, even worse than the Islanders, who currently own the worst record in the league) at a stunningly low minus-44.

By comparison, the Devils finished last season with a plus-31 mark.

As of Wednesday afternoon, New Jersey is 18 points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and is in real danger of missing the postseason for the first time since 1995-96. When seasons go this poorly for teams, it's not uncommon to see front offices start selling off veteran players in an effort to look toward next season. One of the most marketable players on the Devils roster might be future Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur, currently in his 16th NHL season.

 

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Matt Pelech Jeff Penner Dennis Persson Richard Petiot

A Look at the West's Lower Half

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Blues, Ducks, Flames, Oilers, Stars, Wild, Western, NHL Draft, NHL Free Agency

The Stanley Cup Playoffs have already started and it is a very exciting time for 16 of the NHL's 30 teams. However, for the other 14 it's the start of the off-season and the chance to begin mapping out playoff plans for 2010-11. Today, Kevin Schultz will be taking a look at teams in the Western Conference that didn't make the playoffs and what they need to do to get there in the future.

 

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Nick Petrecki Alexander Petrovic Jeff Petry Dion Phaneuf

George Parros Records First Two-Goal Game of Career

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Ducks, Panthers, Eastern, Western, NHL Fights, NHL Videos

Over the course of his pro career, George Parros has made a name for himself with his fists more than anything else. The former Princeton player has been involved in 111 fights during his NHL career, and until Wednesday night, he had only scored 14 goals in the NHL.

While some might find it funny that he fought Florida's Darcy Hordichuk for the 12th time in his career Wednesday, the more notable achievement for Parros was something he had never done before in the NHL.

Parros scored two goals in Anaheim's 5-3 win over Florida.

 

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Radko Gudas Erik Gudbranson Nate Guenin Carl Gunnarsson

Goal Differential: What the Non-Playoff Teams Must Do

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Blues, Ducks, Flames, Hurricanes, Islanders, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Panthers, Rangers, Stars, Thrashers, Wild, NHL Playoffs

Around this time last year I looked at what the non-playoff teams needed to do in terms of their goal differential to have a shot at qualifying for the postseason. As it turns out, six of the teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs the year before ended up improving enough to make it this season (Ottawa, Nashville, Colorado, Phoenix, Buffalo and Los Angeles).

Why does goal differential matter? The obvious answer: good teams outscore their opponents, and great teams outscore their opponents by a lot.

Of the 160 playoff teams since the 1999-00 season, only 12 have finished the regular season with a negative differential, and only three have been worse than minus-10. The magic number over that time period to get into the playoffs has been right around plus-20. Of the 102 teams that have finished with such a mark, 100 of them (98 percent) have qualified for the postseason.

Here's a look at how much improvement last year's non-playoff teams need to reach the magic number of plus-20.

 

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Korbinian Holzer Tyler Hostetter Carl Hudson Matt Hunwick

David Booth Says It's Time to Eliminate Head Shots

by Monte Stewart

Filed under: Panthers

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- It was the head shot heard around the NHL.

But David Booth has a hard time recalling it.

"I got hit off my back right shoulder," said Booth. "I'm only telling you that because of the replays I saw -- not because I remember it."

The 25-year-old Florida Panthers winger was carrying the puck into the Philadelphia end in a game last October when Flyers captain Mike Richards leveled him with a blindside shoulder hit to the head. The incident, which kept Booth out for most of the season, prompted the NHL to introduce new supplementary discipline for head shots.

Booth, who suffered a concussion on the play and missed most of the season as a result, is finally back playing regularly again as the Panthers begin the 2010-11 season in Western Canada.

 

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Anton Babchuk Drew Bagnall Gord Baldwin Lee Baldwin

Rogers, Maple Leafs Deal Could Change Television Landscape

by Alan Adams

Filed under: Maple Leafs, Eastern, NHL Media Watch

Imagine a wintry Saturday night without Don Cherry and Ron MacLean, entertaining or enraging you on the television. Add to that no Hot Stove, and Glenn Healey not offering his insightful commentary on the NHL.

This bleak forecast could well be the future of televised hockey in Canada if media giant Rogers Communications winds up buying the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Ontario Teachers Pension Fund.

Teachers is facing a $17.1 billion gap between revenues and future payments to retiring Ontario teachers, so selling its 66 percent stake in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment for $1.3 billion makes a lot of sense.

Teachers only worry about the bottom line -- as they should -- and it seems they could care less about how the sale of the fabled Toronto Maple Leafs could change the sports industry landscape in Canada, including television.

 

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Ryan Parent Theo Peckham Matt Pelech Jeff Penner

Goal Differential: What the Non-Playoff Teams Must Do

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Blues, Ducks, Flames, Hurricanes, Islanders, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Panthers, Rangers, Stars, Thrashers, Wild, NHL Playoffs

Around this time last year I looked at what the non-playoff teams needed to do in terms of their goal differential to have a shot at qualifying for the postseason. As it turns out, six of the teams that failed to qualify for the playoffs the year before ended up improving enough to make it this season (Ottawa, Nashville, Colorado, Phoenix, Buffalo and Los Angeles).

Why does goal differential matter? The obvious answer: good teams outscore their opponents, and great teams outscore their opponents by a lot.

Of the 160 playoff teams since the 1999-00 season, only 12 have finished the regular season with a negative differential, and only three have been worse than minus-10. The magic number over that time period to get into the playoffs has been right around plus-20. Of the 102 teams that have finished with such a mark, 100 of them (98 percent) have qualified for the postseason.

Here's a look at how much improvement last year's non-playoff teams need to reach the magic number of plus-20.

 

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Lee Baldwin Keith Ballard Mark Barberio Cam Barker

Ryan Miller Engaged to Noureen DeWulf

by FanHouse Staff

Filed under: Sabres

Things might not be going all that great for Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller on the ice this season, but he probably doesn't have many complaints off it.

Miller has announced his engagement to actress Noureen DeWulf.

While Miller won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie last season, along with leading the United States to an Olympic silver medal, this season hasn't been nearly as kind for the Sabres, who will struggle to make the playoffs after winning the Northeast Division last year.

DeWulf, 26, is probably best-known for her work in "The Back-Up Plan," which starred Jennifer Lopez. She's been recognized in Maxim's "Hot 100" in the past, too. Miller, 30, has been in the NHL for all or parts of eight seasons since winning the Hobey Baker Award while at Michigan State.

 

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Gord Baldwin Lee Baldwin Keith Ballard Mark Barberio

Jody Shelley Suspended Two Games

by A.J. Perez

Filed under: Canucks, Flyers, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Jody Shelley received his second two-game ban in less than a month, NHL officials announced Wednesday.

This suspension was the result of Shelley's actions during Tuesday's game against the Vancouver Canucks. Shelley punched Canuck Andrew Alberts in the head during a scrum in the third period. Combined with his Dec. 13 suspension for a dangerous collision with Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, Shelley is now considered a repeat offender under league rules.

Shelley will lose $26,829.27 in salary as he sits out Thursday's game at Los Angeles and Friday's contest in Anaheim.

Here is video of the incident. Shelley is clearly seen hitting an unsuspecting Alberts, knocking him to the ice with one shot.

 

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Mattias Ohlund Brooks Orpik Sebastian Owuya Nathan Oystrick

Miikka Kiprusoff Wins Battle of Goaltenders, Robs Martin Erat

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Flames, Predators, NHL Videos

Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff and Nashville's Pekka Rinne put on a goaltending clinic on Tuesday night during the Flames 1-0 overtime win, keeping the scoreboard blank until Rene Bourque finally managed to find the back of the net at the 2:10 mark of the overtime period.

Both goaltenders made 34 saves through 60 minutes of regulation, some in spectacular fashion, including this sprawling save by Kiprusoff late in the second period to rob Nashville's Martin Erat, preserving what was, at the time, a scoreless tie.

 

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Jarret Stoll Ryan Stone Kevin Sundher Brian Sutherby

Lou Lamoriello Defends Decision to Play Sunday Amid Criticism

by FanHouse Staff

Filed under: Devils, Eastern, NHL Fans

The Northeast is still digging out after a major snowstorm dumped over a foot of snow in many areas Sunday and Monday. The NFL saw fit to postpone Sunday's Vikings-Eagles game, which will be played Tuesday night in Philadelphia. However, two NHL games in the area on Sunday went on as scheduled.

Montreal played the New York Islanders on Long Island, and the New Jersey Devils hosted Toronto. Fans stayed away in droves, with the two announced crowds falling short of 9,000 combined.

While all the players on the home teams were able to get to the arenas, some of them didn't make it home as easily. That's left some to wonder why the games weren't postponed.

 

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Shane O Brien Ryan O Byrne Sean O Donnell Evan Oberg

Darcy Tucker Retires With One Regret

by Paul Choi

Filed under: Avalanche, Canadiens, Lightning, Maple Leafs

Gritty forward Darcy Tucker, who made a name for himself as both an agitator and a scorer, announced Friday that he is retiring from the NHL.

Tucker, a native of Castor, Alberta, came into the league after being drafted by Montreal in the sixth round (151st overall) in 1993.

The 35-year-old enjoyed 15 seasons in the NHL playing for the Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche, often pushing the envelope with his physical, in-your-face style wherever he suited up.

 

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Carson McMillan Philip McRae David Meckler Justin Mercier

2010-11 Dallas Stars Preview: Time for Kari Lehtonen to Shine

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Stars

There are quite a few things that remain unsettled for the Dallas Stars heading into the 2009-10 season, both on the ice (goaltending and defense) and off of it (ownership). On the ice, one of the biggest questions that must be answered is how (and for how long) Kari Lehtonen will be able hold up as the team's No. 1 goaltender.

For the first time since 1996-97, somebody other than Ed Belfour or Marty Turco will start the majority of the games in net for the Stars, and Lehtonen, the oft-injured, former No. 2 overall pick is the man that's penciled in to be the guy. And while Turco's play had declined a bit in recent years, that's a lot of uncertainty in a position that's been relatively stable for the better part of the past 13 seasons.

But what's the biggest concern with Lehtonen? His performance, or his inability to stay on the ice?

 

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Troy Rutkowski Ruslan Salei Anssi Salmela Sami Salo

The NHL Cycle: Weekly Hot Seat, Surprising Streak and Top Plays

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: Capitals, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Rangers, Thrashers

Every Monday morning Adam Gretz and Chris Botta recap the week in the greatest hockey league in the world. We call it the NHL Cycle.

THIS WEEK'S HOT SEAT

Garth Snow: To be certain, the Islanders general manager is in no danger of losing his job for many years. However, the seat is hot because his Islanders, in the third year of a very slow and often unsteady rebuilding program, have lost 17 of their last 18 games. Having fired coach Scott Gordon, Snow has seen his team lose seven of eight under interim coach Jack Capuano. The Islanders, with just five wins and 15 points on the season, are already an astounding 16 points behind the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Snow's team will get some help with the return of right wing Kyle Okposo in a few weeks, but the general manager cannot have the Islanders' fanbase looking at the top of the draft before Christmas arrives. In the three previous seasons under Snow, the Islanders finished 26th twice and last overall once.

 

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Kevin Montgomery John Moore Mike Moore Derek Morris

Tomas Plekanec Rolls Andrei Kostitsyn Across the Ice

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Canadiens, Oilers, NHL Videos

One of the more bizarre moments you're likely to see in the NHL this season occurred during Wednesday's Montreal-Edmonton game, which was won by the Oilers in overtime, 4-3. With the Canadiens on a power play, forward Andrei Kostitsyn was injured and struggled to make his way to the bench. Naturally, Tomas Plekanec did what any good teammate would do: he assisted him in getting to the bench ... by rolling him across the ice.

 

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Andy McDonald David McIntyre Greg McKegg Carson McMillan

Danny Briere Suspended 3 Games

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Flyers, Islanders, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

During Saturday's game between the Flyers and Islanders -- a 6-1 Philadelphia win -- there were plenty of events that received a bit of attention, including the epic fight between Daniel Carcillo and Zenon Konopka, as well as Danny Briere's stick incident with Frans Nielsen.

On Monday, the NHL announced that Briere has been suspended for three games for his actions against Nielsen.

In case you missed the first time around, here's the incident one more time.

 

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Ryan McDonagh Dylan McIlrath Nathan McIver Brayden McNabb

Video: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin Appear on 'The Price is Right'

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Capitals, Penguins, Eastern, NHL Videos, Winter Classic

As we mentioned earlier this week, NHL stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin -- centerpiece players for the NHL Winter Classic on New Year's Day -- will be appearing on Monday's episode of "The Price is Right" on CBS.

The appearance isn't in-person, as you could imagine. The show shoots in southern California, and getting both players there would have been virtually impossible. Instead, former NHL star Jeremy Roenick introduced the players, who appeared in separate video messages.

Via DC Sports Bog, here is video of the segment.



The show will air Monday at 11 a.m. Eastern on CBS.

 

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Josh Godfrey Alex Goligoski Cody Goloubef Sergei Gonchar

Jody Shelley Gets Two-Game Suspension

by A.J. Perez

Filed under: Bruins, Flyers, Eastern, NHL Videos, NHL Discipline

Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Jody Shelley received a two-game ban for his collision with Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid, which sent McQuaid awkwardly into the boards on an icing call, the league announced on Monday.

Shelley shoved McQuaid, who fell head-first into the boards, as the play had been whistled down for icing on Saturday. McQuaid lay on the ice for several moments before he skated off and returned later in the contest. Shelley received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct.

 

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John-Michael Liles Andreas Lilja Joe Loprieno Ben Lovejoy

Roberto Luongo's Bizarre Night in the Shootout

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Blackhawks, Canucks, NHL Videos

Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo was so close to exorcising some of his demons against the Chicago Blackhawks -- the team that has eliminated Vancouver from the playoffs in each of the past two seasons -- on Wednesday night. Unfortunately he came up just inches short in what can only be described as a painfully unlucky sequence in a 2-1 shootout loss.

After stopping 31 of 32 shots through regulation and overtime, including one against Marian Hossa, the NHL's leading scorer, on a breakaway in the extra period, Luongo had a forgettable night in the shootout, surrendering three goals on all three shots he faced. It wasn't so much the fact that he gave up the goals, but the way the pucks ended up finding the back of the net.

Jonathan Toews opened the shootout by simply wiring a shot through Luongo's five-hole before the Canucks goaltender could even react. From there, things just got bizarre.

 

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Cal O Reilly Ryan O Reilly Patrick O Sullivan Mark Olver

The NHL Cycle: Weekly Hot Seat, Surprising Streak and Top Plays

by Christopher Botta

Filed under: Capitals, Islanders, Maple Leafs, Penguins, Rangers, Thrashers

Every Monday morning Adam Gretz and Chris Botta recap the week in the greatest hockey league in the world. We call it the NHL Cycle.

THIS WEEK'S HOT SEAT

Garth Snow: To be certain, the Islanders general manager is in no danger of losing his job for many years. However, the seat is hot because his Islanders, in the third year of a very slow and often unsteady rebuilding program, have lost 17 of their last 18 games. Having fired coach Scott Gordon, Snow has seen his team lose seven of eight under interim coach Jack Capuano. The Islanders, with just five wins and 15 points on the season, are already an astounding 16 points behind the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Snow's team will get some help with the return of right wing Kyle Okposo in a few weeks, but the general manager cannot have the Islanders' fanbase looking at the top of the draft before Christmas arrives. In the three previous seasons under Snow, the Islanders finished 26th twice and last overall once.

 

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Shawn Matthias Greg Mauldin Ben Maxwell Jay McClement

Atlanta Lets Another Opportunity Slip Away

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Bruins, Flyers, Hurricanes, Thrashers

When the Atlanta Thrashers traded Ilya Kovalchuk to the New Jersey Devils back in February, there weren't many people outside of the team's front office (they were still buying at the deadline) and locker room expecting them to hang around in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Amazingly, they entered play on Monday night just two points back of the No. 8 seed Boston Bruins, and with a win, as well as a little help, could have found themselves in a tie for that final playoff spot.

They ended up getting the help (Buffalo beat Boston, 3-2), but did little to help themselves, dropping a 4-1 decision at home to Carolina. If they end up missing the postseason, this is a game, along with last week's loss to Boston, that you can put a circle around.

 

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Jeff Schultz Nick Schultz John Scott Rob Scuderi

Derek Morris Agrees to Return to Phoenix

by Kevin Schultz

Filed under: Coyotes, NHL Free Agency

The Phoenix Coyotes have retained one of their free agent defenders Thursday afternoon. After losing Zbynek Michalek to the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier today, the Coyotes have re-signed unrestricted defender Derek Morris to a four-year deal worth $11 million. The deal averages out to a cap hit of $2.75 million per year.

Morris spent five seasons in the desert from 2003-09 before being the centerpiece to a deadline day deal in March 2009 that sent him to the New York Rangers. After signing in Boston last year the Coyotes re-acquired the offensive defenseman this past deadline day for a conditional draft pick. Now, it certainly looks as if the 31-year-old has found a home in Phoenix.

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Last season, Morris had 29 points in 76 games split between Phoenix and Boston. Surprisingly, if he spent the whole year in Phoenix that would have put him third in scoring among Coyotes defenders behind Ed Jovanovski and Keith Yandle. The Coyotes relied heavily on scoring from their defenders and Morris will certainly help in that aspect, especially on the power play.

 

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Brendon Nash John Negrin Jake Newton Jyri Niemi

Canadian GMs Set to Harvest Thin Free Agent Crop

by Alan Adams

Filed under: Canadiens, Canucks, Flames, Maple Leafs, Oilers, Senators, NHL Free Agency, NHL Rumors

Imagine going to the local meat market wanting filet mignon for the BBQ and all that's behind the counter is well-marbled chuck steak.

Well that pretty much sums up this year's NHL's free agent marketplace, which opens for business at noon on Thursday.

This year's offering for the Canada Day celebrations isn't exactly prime beef, not counting Ilya Kovalchuk that is. But even then he will not come cheap.

There's no shortage of older depth players, including Mike Modano who has ended his run with the Dallas Stars. Modano is set to become an unrestricted free agent and other household names facing the same status include Paul Kariya, Saku Koivu, Teemu Selanne, Owen Nolan and Bill Guerin.

There is a second tier of forwards -- Maxim Afinogenov, Olli Jokinen, Eric Belanger, Brendan Morrison and Pavol Demitra -- but what you have here is another crop of serviceable depth players. No difference-makers here.

Once Kovalchuk is signed -- most likely by Los Angeles -- the GMs will spend money on the back end of their teams because defencemen are the cream of the free agent crop this off-season. But outside of the Russian sniper, no stars here when the shopping season opens.

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This is what is staring the GMs looking across the meat counter.

The braintrust of the 30 teams have a little bit of extra cap room to work with. The ceiling is $59.4 million US, while the floor is $43.4 million. The $43.4 million floor is $4 million more than the ceiling was when the NHL came out of the lockout in 2005.

There are roster spots available on every team but there is no real reason for the GMs to over-spend because there's not a lot, talent-wise, to spend on.

Here is how your correspondent would spend his money on each of Canada's six NHL teams:

 

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Brennan Evans Garnet Exelby Brian Fahey Justin Falk

Bill Guerin Retires After 18 Seasons

by A.J. Perez

Filed under: Blues, Bruins, Devils, Oilers, Penguins, Sharks, Stars, Eastern, Western

Bill Guerin announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday, ending a career that spanned 18 seasons and two Stanley Cup titles.

"I came across so many great teammates, so many great organizations -- a lot of organizations actually," Guerin said as he announced his decision before Monday's New Jersey Devils-Pittsburgh Penguins game at Consol Energy Center. "But two in particularly that are extremely special to me are the New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins. "

That's understandable since he won a Cup with each of those franchises. Guerin began his career with the New Jersey Devils with a five-game stint during the 1991-92 season, a year after he left Boston College. He went on to record 429 goals and 427 assists (856 points) in a career that also wound through Edmonton, Boston, Dallas, St. Louis, San Jose, the New York Islanders and, finally, Pittsburgh.

 

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Scott Gomez Boyd Gordon Mikhail Grabovski Evgeny Grachev

First-Place Dallas Stars Meet Pacific Division's Usual Leader

by Susan Slusser

Filed under: Sharks, Stars, Western

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The last time Dallas faced the Sharks, it turned out to be the Stars' most important game of the year, according to right wing Adam Burish.

The Stars came back from two goals down to beat San Jose 5-4 last month, and the win helped the upstart Dallas team believe in themselves even more strongly.

"That San Jose game was the biggest one of all because now we know we can come back from two down," Burish told FanHouse on Monday after the team's morning skate. "I keep going back to that game, because that was a big story."

Stars coach Marc Crawford agreed, and he said one reason that that game was so key was that it helped Mike Ribiero, who opened the season in a real slump, get going. He scored his first two goals of the season, including the game-winner.

 

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Andrew Campbell Brian Campbell Chris Campoli Matt Carkner

2010 NHL Draft Yields Few Safe Bets for NHL Rosters

by Bruce Ciskie

Filed under: Blue Jackets, Bruins, Coyotes, Ducks, Hurricanes, Islanders, Lightning, Oilers, Panthers, Eastern, Western, NHL Draft, Junior Hockey

Last year was a banner one for NHL draft picks. A number of them made the NHL, most notably Colorado's tandem of centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly. Players like Dmitri Kulikov, Evander Kane and Victor Hedman also made an immediate impact in the NHL, along with top overall pick John Tavares.

This is somewhat atypical. Usually, the first pick or two will make their NHL teams, but seeing guys drafted a little deeper -- like Kulikov and O'Reilly -- is not normal. Most players will take part in their team's summer developmental camp, then head back to college or junior hockey for at least a season or two.

The strong performance by the 2009-2010 rookies leaves the 2010 class with something to live up to. So are there any shoo-ins to make the NHL among the draftees last month?

 

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Sean O Donnell Evan Oberg Johnny Oduya Mattias Ohlund

Nicklas Lidstrom Back in Norris Form

by Susan Slusser

Filed under: Red Wings

SAN JOSE -- Nicklas Lidstrom wasn't a Norris Trophy finalist last season. That led to speculation: At 40, were his best seasons behind the six-time Norris winner?

Apparently not. Like the Red Wings themselves, Detroit's captain just shrugs off digs about age every season, and he's now right back in line for more postseason hardware to polish.

"He certainly is," said Sharks coach Todd McLellan, whose team faces the Red Wings on Tuesday night at HP Pavilion. "He's probably the leader for the Norris right now. That's not a surprise -- as he gets older, people tag the age to his name, but I'd be careful of doing that for a few more years."

Lidstrom, who is among the top five defensemen in points, said the main thing as far as he's concerned is that he feels good. When he decided to come back after last season that was his primary consideration, and he said after the Red Wings' practice on Monday, "I feel strong. Even though you don't want to lose in the second round, it helps with a few weeks of rest in the offseason. ... I don't feel my age. I don't feel like I've slowed down."

"He's playing like he always does," Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg said. "He's our best player every night. He always makes the right decision. He's a really good leader. He's on his way to that Norris."

 

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