DROPPING THE GLOVES WITH ANDREW BOGUSCH - 12/31/08

What New Years Resolutions Should Teams Be Making? Andrew Bogusch runs down the resolutions each team should be making at 12:01AM.

Since Sean Avery’s mouth remains closed and Mats Sundin is already in Vancouver, we have little to whine about this week, so we’re taking the easy way out. Everyone else is providing NHL-themed New Year’s resolutions, so why shouldn’t we?

Commissioner GARY BETTMAN resolves (1) to simply chill out a little bit (have a drink, a nice cigar, something!) and (2) to allow Jim Balsillie to own a franchise. After the ‘Boots’ del Biaggio disaster in Nashville and with too many teams struggling financially, like the Coyotes, whose owner is about to abandon ship, it is ludicrous that the hockey-obsessed Balsillie isn’t overseeing an organization.

NHL OWNERS resolve to push a team into another Canadian city, particularly one in or near Toronto. This is not a plea for expansion – there are plenty of teams as is. It is time to admit that Phoenix or Sunrise, Florida or Atlanta was a mistake, or to realize that Long Island cannot support an organization anymore, and give our crazy neighbors to the north another squad.

The SAN JOSE SHARKS and BOSTON BRUINS resolve to keep their feet on the gas because they are too fun to watch right now. The boys from out west also resolve to reach at least the conference finals to erase their reputation as playoff chokers.

Atlanta GM DON WADDELL resolves to move Ilya Kovalchuk by this year’s trading deadline for 2-3 more assets. The Russian winger is the Thrashers’ lone draw, but winning more games will fill more seats and Atlanta needs more quality players to win more games.

Wild GM DOUG RISEBROUGH resolves to deal to Marian Gaborik as soon as the fragile winger is close to 100% healthy. Gaborik is Minnesota’s only elite scorer, but he’s out of the lineup too much. Risebrough can build depth through a trade and let another manager nurse Gaborik’s wounds.

The COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS and FLORIDA PANTHERS resolve to do whatever necessary to get themselves into the playoffs this spring. Even if that means Florida does not unload stud blue-liner Jay Bouwmeester.

The LOS ANGELES KINGS resolve to only be OK this season. Anything better than that would keep them from adding another high draft pick to their already successful rebuilding process. The Kings could be Cup Contenders early next decade.

The OTTAWA SENATORS resolve to shakeup their roster if they remain in the bottom-third of the East come the trade deadline. We’ve written this before, but moving Jason Spezza may be necessary to turn things around in the Canadian capital.

New Jersey GM LOU LAMORIELLO and head coach BRENT SUTTER resolve to use Scott Clemmensen more in relief of Martin Brodeur once the future Hall-of-Famer recovers from his arm injury. Clemmensen has more than proven himself in Brodeur’s absence. And since Marty is only getting older, he’ll need more and more rest.

The CAROLINA HURRICANES, SAINT LOUIS BLUES, and Islander goalie RICK DiPIETRO resolve to participate in some sort of exorcism to rid themselves of the injury bug.

The NEW YORK RANGERS resolve to acknowledge that they lack the offensive firepower to be a true Stanley Cup contender this season. Maybe Glen Sather should roll the dice by calling Waddell or Risebrough.

The PHOENIX COYOTES resolve to negotiate a better parking arrangement with the local government ASAP. Instead of making money off people driving to their games, the team is currently paying out roughly $2 million dollars per season. Is there anything more illogical in sports right now? And also, the Yotes resolve to burn their third jerseys and develop a new one this summer.

And YOU resolve to read this blog daily.


The Shootout…

If you haven’t been watching the World Junior Championships from Ottawa, now is the perfect time to start. The US and Canadian teams ring in the New Year Wednesday night as group play comes to a close. With the medal round on the horizon, we’re finally getting quality matchups. Canada’s 15-0 drubbing of Kazakhstan was too embarrassing to be entertaining…

As perfect as the Blackhawks-Red Wings matchup in Thursday’s Winter Classic is, it also could expose this game’s lone major flaw. Bad ice, high winds, and/or heavy snow could have a direct effect on the final score. The Central Division title may be won by only a point or two, and I wouldn’t want that margin to come from a pseudo-exhibition. Making this game a true exhibition (or playing the All-Star Game outdoors) may be the fairest option in the end…

Happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2009…

FTS - 12/31/08 - HAPPY NEW YEARS!

TOP STORY

BOOMING BRUINS

(Photo Credit: Boston Globe)

Bruins C Marc Savard shoves Penguins D Brooks Orpik to the ice in the win

Boston Bruins (28-5-4) over the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-14-4) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins C Marc Savard - 1 Goal, 2 Assists

Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions. The Bruins are now the hottest team in the NHL (sorry San Jose, you've slipped a little lately) while the Penguins can't seem to get a consistent string of wins going. Last night was a continuation of those two story lines.

Petr Sykora put the Penguins on the board with three minutes remaining in the 1st period. The floodgatesd opened in the 2nd period starting with Zdeno Chara scoring on the power play (7th goal of the season). Marc Savard added his own power play goal to make it a 2-1. Pascal Dupuis tied the game back up at two on a feed from Sidney Crosby, but Phil Kessel scored his 23rd of the season to give Boston back the lead. In the 3rd period, Martin St. Pierre added a shorthanded goal and Dennis Wideman (who also had two assists) scored his 8th goal of the season.

Boston won its ninth straight game, the longest win streak for the franchise since Jan. 8-29, 1983. G Tim Thomas stopped 32 shots for his seventh consecutive victory. "We just want to win every game," said defenseman Zdeno Chara. "The stats and the history is one thing, but playing every game the best we can is another thing. After each game we want to look forward instead of back on whatever the record is." Next up for the B's is the back end of the home and home with Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

Sidney Crosby played in his 250th NHL game and recorded an assist. His 344 career points are the sixth-most through a player's first 250 NHL games in history. Penguins C Jordan Staal (20 years, 111 days) became the youngest player to appear in 200 NHL games. Penguins D Hal Gill returned after missing 10 games due to a shoulder injury. The Penguins dropped to 8-8-2 at home. A big part of the reason could be Sidney Crosby only has one power-play goal in 29 games and Evgeni Malkin has none in 20. After the Pens travel to Boston tomorrow, they get a chance to right the ship against a struggling Panthers team at home on Saturday.


OTHER HEADLINES

-Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne sustained an upper body injury in the first period against the Canucks on last night and did not return. Gagne, who was limited to just 25 games last season due to a concussion, was hit hard into the boards by Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa on the first shift of the game. Gagne went to the bench favouring his left arm and shoulder. The Flyers took exception to the hit, although no penalty was assessed, and captain Mike Richards immediately challenged Bieksa to a fight. Gagne has 18 goals and 22 assists in 35 games for the Flyers this season.

-The Canucks, still missing top goalie Roberto Luongo, added some netminder insurance by acquiring Jason LaBarbera from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night for a seventh-round pick in the 2009 draft. LaBarbera will join Curtis Sanford and rookie Cory Schneider, who have been sharing Vancouver's goaltending duties since Luongo was placed on the injured list Nov. 23 because of a groin injury. Luongo resumed skating on his own Tuesday, but isn't expected to be ready for game action for at least three weeks. Sanford will also be out for a while after sustaining a groin injury yesterday during the team's morning skate. He felt well enough to start last night's 3-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, but was replaced at the start of the second period by backup Schneider. Sanford was placed on the injured list after the game. LaBarbera is expected to get his first start with the Canucks at Nashville on Thursday

-Mats Sundin practiced for the first time with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday after signing as a free agent before Christmas. Sundin wasn't in the lineup for last night's game against Philadelphia and wasn't sure when he would debut with the Canucks. "I feel the Canucks have a good enough team to be strong in the playoffs," he said. "I hope I can contribute and bring my game back the way I played last season."

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Washington Capitals (24-11-3) over the Buffalo Sabres (17-15-5) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom
-The Capitals scored the first three goals of the game (Brooks Laich-PPG, Chris Bourque-1st career goal and the son of Ray Bourque, Nicklas Backstrom-PPG) before Adam Mair finally got the Sabres on the board in the 3rd period. Boyd Gordon added a shorthanded empty net goal and Clarke MacArthur scored a late PPG. Viktor Kozlov chipped in with two assists and Jose Theodore made 31 saves for his 12th win of the season. Washington has now won 17 of its last 18 games when scoring first. Buffalo has lost four of its last five games, including two OT losses.

Detroit Red Wings (24-7-5) over the Chicago Blackhawks (20-7-7) 4-0
TOP PERFORMER = Red Wings G Ty Conklin - 36 Saves, Shutout
-Pavel Datsyuk (PPG), Johan Franzen (2 Goals, 1 PPG), and Tomas Kopecky all scored to give the Red Wings a 6 point lead in the division. Defensemen Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall each had two assists. Detroit snapped Chicago's team record nine-game win streak as the Red Wings improved to 3-0 vs. Chicago on the year. Their first two wins were in a shootout. Detroit D Nicklas Lidstrom missed his second game due to a sore ankl while RW Mikael Samuelsson missed the game because of the flu. Wings D Chris Chelios, the oldest player in the NHL at 46, played in his third game of the season. Chicago D Cam Barker didn't play because of a lower body injury.

Montreal Canadiens (21-9-6) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (10-16-10) 2-1 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Canadiens C Maxim Lapierre - 1 Assist, GW SO Goal
-Vinny Prospal scored a PPG for Tampa in the 1st period and Guillaume Latendresse scored his 5th of the season to tie the game :46 in to the 3rd period. In the shootout, Maxim Lapierre scored the game winner to keep the Canadiens unbeaten in their last six games (5-0-1). The shootout loss snaps a three game winning streeak for Tampa Bay. Lightning RW Mark Recchi played in his 1,446th NHL game, tying him with Hall of Famer Tim Horton for 17th place on the league's career list.

Toronto Maple Leafs (15-16-6) over the Atlanta Thrashers (12-20-5) 4-3 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Maple Leafs G Curtis Joseph - 29 Saves, 450 Career Wins
-The Thrashers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st period thanks to a power play goal from Bryan Little (19th of the season) and Jim Slater's 3rd goal of the season. Nikolai Kulemin cut the lead to 1 before the end of the period. In the 2nd period, Lee Stempniak and Jason Blake scored to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Colby Armstrong scored his 10th of the season on the power play to force overtime. In the extra session, Pavel Kubina scored :33 in on the power play to give the Leafs the win. Thrashers G Johan Hedberg made 43 saves in the loss while Curits Joseph made 29 saves for his 450th career win. Leafs winger Jeremy Williams suffered a shoulder injury falling awkwardly into the boards early in the first period and didn't return. He came in with five goals and two assists since his recall Dec. 7.

New Jersey Devils (21-11-3) over the St. Louis Blues (14-20-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Devils LW Zach Parise - 2 Goals
-The Devils drew first blood in the 1st period when Zach Parise scored his 20th goal of the season. Brad Boyes and David Backes. In the 2nd period, Brian Rolston tied the game at 2. In the 3rd period, Zach Parise scored his 2nd goal of the game and Jay Pandolfo scored the eventual game winner. Alexander Steen added a late goal. Jamie Langenbrunner chipped with two assists and Scott Clemmensen made 28 saves in the win. St. Louis C T.J. Oshie returned to the lineup after missing 11 games due to a high-ankle sprain and has one assist. The Blues fell to 2-9-0 in their last 11 games overall.

Ottawa Senators (13-17-5) over the Edmonton Oilers (17-15-3) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Senators C Jason Spezza - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Jason Spezza and Ethan Moreau traded goals in the 1st period and Daniel Alfredsson and Liam Reddox traded goals in the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Brian Lee scored his first career goal on the power play to give the Senators the win and it would snap a 12 game road losing streak for Ottawa. The game started 25 minutes late because the lights at aging Rexall Place didn't fire up after the national anthem. Both teams returned to their locker rooms during the delay.

Philadelphia Flyers (20-10-7) over the Vancouver Canucks (20-15-3) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Flyers G Martin Biron - 29 Saves
-Jeff Carter scored his league-leading 27th goal of the season to open the scoring in the 1st period. Daniel Sedin tied the game on the power play, but Scott Hartnell would give Philadelphia the lead :45 later. In the 2nd period, Jonathon Kalinski scored his first career NHL goal and the eventual game winner. Ryan Kesler added a goal for Vancouver later in the 2nd period.

RUMOR MILL

-So where will the next Winter Classic be? Some possibilities that are coming down the pipeline are:
NY Rangers vs. Boston in NY (it would have to be the new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field - the Mets new home, or Giants Stadium)
Toronto or Montreal vs. Boston at Fenway Park
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia at Beaver Stadium (Penn State)
Philadelphia vs. Washington at Lincoln Financial Field
Other future options are LA-Colorado at Invesco Field (aka Mile High Stadium) and an outdoor Flames-Oilers game.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The United States coasted into the world junior hockey championship playoffs with a 12-0 rout of Kazakhstan on yesterday. The U.S. will play Canada in a match of 3-0-0 teams Wednesday with top spot in Group A on the line. Kazakhstan (0-3-0) will head to the relegation round after suffering yet another rout. Canada trounced Kazakhstan 15-0 on Sunday. Aaron Palushaj lead the Americans with two goals and two assists. Colin Wilson also had two goals, while James van Riemsdyk and Ian Cole each had a goal and two assists. Matt Rust, Mitch Wahl, Drayson Bowman, Mike Hoeffel, Jimmy Hayes and Danny Kristo had the other U.S. goals. Kevin Shattenkirk added three assists. American goaltender Thomas McCollum needed to make just 10 saves to earn the shutout. Andrei Yankov made 49 saves on 61 shots for Kazakhstan. For more on the World Junior Championships, go to http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/

-The NHL is looking at holding its annual awards show in Las Vegas. A source familiar with negotiations said Tuesday that the move would help the league make more of a splash with its season-ending gala. Everyone from sponsors to media to personnel from the NHL's 30 teams would converge on the city, making it more of an event than it has been in recent years. There could also be a natural tie-in with entertainment acts that hasn't really been there in the past. The primary reason the Vegas move has yet to be finalized is because the league has not decided exactly where the show will fall on the calendar. It has traditionally been held the week after the Stanley Cup final in June - just ahead of the entry draft. Notably, the timing of this year's awards show is listed as ''TBA'' in the NHL's official guide and record book. The source said the league would like the Vegas show to be held after the draft so that team representatives would be more likely to attend. This year's draft is scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, which leaves a small window before the free agency period opens on July 1. Toronto has traditionally hosted the awards show but the league is hoping that Las Vegas would draw more sponsors. The NHL has already had discussions with The Palms Casino and Resort about hosting the event. It has also consulted its television partners about the move and received positive feedback. The league handed out its awards in Vancouver the same weekend the city held the draft two years ago, but that was because the Turin Olympics caused the Stanley Cup final to end later than normal. It was moved back to Toronto the following June. - COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN PRESS

-The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltender Dustin Tokarski to a standard three-year entry level contract on Tuesday. The Humboldt, Saskatchewan native is currently playing for Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa. The 19-year-old is midway through his third season with Spokane of the Western Hockey League where he has posted a record of 16-9-2 with four shutouts, a 1.97 goals-against average and a.955 save percentage. Tokarski led Spokane to the 2008 Memorial Cup with a 16-5 record in 21 post-season games, earning him the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup Tournament MVP. Selected by the Lightning in the fifth round, 122nd overall at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Tokarski has appeared in 97 career games in three seasons in Spokane, posting a record of 59-30-7 with 12 shutouts.

-Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player, received a rare honor in becoming a member of The Order of Canada. ''I was at a loss for words, really, when they contacted me this morning,'' O'Ree said from his home in San Diego. O'Ree was one of 42 people named as Members of the Order. The recipients of the order will be invited to receive their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date. The Order of Canada was first awarded in 1967 to recognize significant contributions to Canadian society.

-Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of Wayne Gretzky's five-goal game against Philadelphia in Edmonton that lifted The Great One to 50 goals in just 39 games.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Florida @ NY Islanders - 2PM
San Jose @ Minnesota - 6PM
Atlanta @ Carolina - 8PM
Colorado @ Phoenix - 8PM
New Jersey @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Columbus @ Anaheim - 9PM
%Edmonton @ Calgary - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tonight!

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

TO ALL THE READERS OF FTS, HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR. FTS WILL BE OFF UNTIL MONDAY 1/5, SO ENJOY THE WINTER CLASSIC TOMORROW!

FTS - 12/30/08

TOP STORY

NABOKOV NOTCHES NUMBER 20

(Photo Credit: AP)

The best goalie in the world puts in another day at the office for his 20th win of the season

San Jose Sharks (28-4-4) over the Dallas Stars (15-15-5) 3-1
TOP PERFORMER = Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov - 28 Saves

When a hockey fan thinks of a classic division rivalry, the match-ups that usually come to mind are old rivalries like Flyers-Penguins, Bruins-Sabres, or Flames-Oilers (there are plenty of others, as well). A division rivalry that has become a fierce battle game in and game out over the past few seasons is Sharks-Stars. Last night's battle at the American Airlines Center in Dallas added another classic chapter to the book.

Jonathan Cheechoo scored his 6th of the season at the 15:10 mark of the 1st period to give San Jose a lead they would never lose. The teams would go scoreless in the 2nd period, but Milan Michalek made it a 2-0 game at the 3:55 mark of the 3rd period. The Stars would test Evgeni Nabokov all game long and Matt Niskanen would finally beat him on a deflection off of Sharks D Alexei Semenov. Dallas kept the game interesting until the very end, but Ryan Clowe ended the game on an empty net goal (15th goal of the season). Sharks C Joe Pavelski had two assists, Evgeni Nabokov earned his 20th win of the season in net for San Jose, and Marty Turco made 16 saves in the loss.

The Sharks got their first road win after losing their previous three (0-1-2) and have earned at least a point in 26 of their last 27 games. Sharks RW Devin Setoguchi missed the game to be with his family following the death of his grandmother. Setoguchi, the team's third-leading scorer, is expected to rejoin the team in time for San Jose's next game on Wednesday against Minnesota.

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Dallas. The Stars have only one win in their last seven home games against the Sharks. Dallas LW Fabian Brunnstrom was scratched because of a lower body injury and his return to the lineup is unknown. Next up for the Stars is the Devils in Dallas on Wednesday night.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Blood and urine samples show former hockey star Alexei Cherepanov took performance-enhancing drugs, Russian investigators said in a statement Monday. Cherepanov, 19, collapsed Oct. 13 while on the bench for Avangard Omsk of the KHL (Russia). The player, a top prospect of the NHL's New York Rangers, died a short time later. Russia's federal Investigative Committee said a chemical analysis of the samples allowed experts to conclude "that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping." A spokeswoman at the committee refused to specify the drugs that Cherepanov allegedly took. The statement also said Cherepanov suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and the Russian should not have been playing pro hockey. The club's medical team might carry legal liability in the episode, the statement added. "A row of gross violations was committed by the medical brigade helping A.Cherepanov," the statement said. Among them, doctors arrived on the scene a full 12 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to attempt shock Cherepanov's heart back to life was drained, the statement said. Prosecutors earlier this month accused the club's director of negligence. Mikhail Denisov has since been fired, and Monday's statement did not mention him.

-Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro lasted only one game before another injury forced him out of the lineup again. DiPietro has played only four times in New York's 37 games this season. He returned Friday after a 27-game absence and made 28 saves in the Islanders' 4-1 victory that ended the club's 10-game losing streak. However, a new groin strain forced him to skip the Islanders' trip to Buffalo on Saturday and he was held out of the lineup again Monday night when the team faced the New York Rangers. The Islanders recalled goalie Yann Danis to serve as Joey MacDonald's backup. DiPietro made a few early season appearances following surgery on his right knee, but then was shelved again after an operation on the left knee in October. After the initial knee surgery in June, DiPietro backed up MacDonald for the first four games of the season, but didn't see any action. He then made three straight starts, but lasted only one period against Carolina on Oct. 25. DiPietro had arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 31 to repair a torn meniscus in the left knee. DiPietro, in the third season of a landmark 15-year deal with the Islanders, has had three operations in seven months - including a hip procedure in March. That marked the second time DiPietro had hip surgery, once on each side in consecutive years.

-Claude Lemieux signed a contract with the San Jose Sharks yesterday after spending the past month with their top minor-league affiliate, giving another boost to his NHL comeback hopes. The 43-year-old Lemieux signed with the Worcester Sharks on Nov. 25 after a five-year absence from pro hockey. The four-time Stanley Cup winner's new contract is a two-way deal, allowing him to play in San Jose or Worcester. San Jose GM Doug Wilson said Lemieux will stay with the Worcester Sharks if he clears waivers Tuesday after signing his new deal. He has two goals, four assists and 12 penalty minutes in 14 games in the minors. "This is simply the next step in the evaluation process with Claude," Wilson said. Lemieux played parts of 20 seasons in the NHL, winning titles with Montreal (1986), New Jersey (1995 and 2000) and Colorado (1996). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1995, and his 80 postseason goals rank ninth in league history. Lemieux played two games with the China Sharks, San Jose's affiliate in Shanghai, earlier this year while he contemplated a comeback.


LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

New York Rangers (23-13-3) over the New York Islanders (11-22-4) 5-4
TOP PERFORMER = Rangers RW Petr Prucha - 1 Goal
-Mike Sillinger put the Islanders on the board in the 1st period after Trent Hunter made a good steal behind the Rangers net. In the 2nd period, Scott Gomez and Kyle Okposo traded goals to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead heading in to the 3rd period. Petr Prucha, who hadn't played in eight games (who showed more hustle in last night's game than the rest of the Rangers team have hustled in the previous 3 games ), tied the game :49 in to the 3rd period and Michal Rozsival would give the Rangers the lead 1:17 later. The lead only lasted :27 thanks to Blake Comeau's 2nd goal of the season. Markus Naslund gave the Rangers the lead for good on a set-up from Scott Gomez. Nigel Dawes and Mike Comrie would each add goals to make it a 5-4 final. Islanders winger Trent Hunter took a tough hit when Ryan Callahan put a tough, but clean check on him that forced open a door at the scorer's table, and left Hunter down in pain. Hunter slammed into the boards 40 seconds into the third and hit the edge after the door opened. He went down on his knees before rolling onto his back. A stretcher was brought out, but Hunter got to his feet and skated off toward the dressing room.

Montreal Canadiens (20-9-6) over the Florida Panthers (16-15-5) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Canadiens C Maxim Lapierre - 3 Goals
-Montreal and Florida would be knotted at 1 after the 1st period thanks to goals from Michael Frolik and Alexei Kovalev (PPG). In the 2nd period (on a side note, nine penalties combined in the 2nd period), Tomas Pleanec and David Booth (15th goal of the season) would trade goals before Maxim Lapierre gave Montreal a 3-2 lead. In the 3rd period, Lapierre scored his 2nd goal at the 2:40 mark and added a shorthanded empty-net goal to complete the trifecta for his first career hat trick. Montreal G Carey Price made 26 saves in the win. Florida's Craig Anderson, making his first start in six games, gave up four goals on 20 shots. He was replaced by Tomas Vokoun after Lapierre's second goal at 2:40 of the third period. The win gave the Canadiens their 3,000th win in franchise history. Boston is second on the all-time victory list with 2,694. Florida dropped to 0-13-3 when trailing after two periods.

Calgary Flames (21-11-4) over the Minnesota Wild (17-16-2) 2-1
TOP PERFORMER = Flames LW Eric Nystrom - 1 Goal
-Daymond Langkow drew first blood at the 17:59 mark of the 1st period on a set up from Todd Bertuzzi and Rene Bourque. In the 2nd period, Stephane Veilleux tied the game on a feed from Eric Belanger and Martin Skoula. In the 3rd period, Eric Nystrom scored his 2nd career goal shorthanded on a beautiful forehand fake to give Calgary the win. Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves for the win while Wild backup G Josh Harding made 27 saves in the loss. Minnesota played with five defensemen because Kim Johnsson had to leave the team prior to the game due to a family emergency. The Flames are now unbeaten in their last eight games (5-0-3).

Colorado Avalanche (19-16-1) over the Nashville Predators (17-16-3) 5-1
TOP PERFORMER = Avalanche LW Cody McLeod - 2 Goals
-Cody McLeod scored both of his goals in the 1st period in a 2:56 span, and that would be all the Avs would need. Chris Stewart and David Jones made it 4-0 in the 2nd period before Jason Arnott scored the lone Predators goal on the power play. Avs D John-Michael Liles scored his 5th of the season :48 in to the 3rd and Peter Budaj made 25 saves for his 13th win of the season.

Columbus Blue Jackets (16-16-4) over the Los Angeles Kings (15-16-4) 2-0
TOP PERFORMER = Blue Jackets G Steve Mason - 24 Saves, shutout
-Blue Jackets D Kris Russell (no relation to Kurt) scored a power play goal at the 18:36 mark of the 2nd period on a set up from Rick Nash and Fredrik Modin, and that would be all Columbus would need at the Staples Center. Rick Nash added an empty-net goal late in the game to seal it. Blue Jackets goalie and rookie sensation Steve Mason made 24 saves to earn his fourth career shutout while Kings G Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in the loss. LA had shutout Nashville in their previous two meetings this season.

RUMOR MILL

-Marian Gaborik trade rumors are beginning to swirl again. Montreal, Pittsburgh, and the NY Islanders are the three top dogs in the race. The Islanders are offering the best package, but won't do the deal unless they can convince Gaborik to resign long term.

If the Canadiens get him, Boston will need a rearview mirror in the Northeast real quickly. If Pittsburgh gets him, it'll have the same affect that Marian Hossa had on the team last season, only they'd be getting him two months earlier (and that is a scary thought). If the Isles get him, there's no doubt he would be the cornerstone of that franchise and the guy to build around. That being said, they need to be careful with what type of deal they give him. The 15-year Rick DiPietro contract isn't exactly working out and I don't need to remind Islander fans of the gross Alexei Yashin 10-year deal.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The NHL named its Three Stars of the Week:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=400619

-Former Montreal Canadiens star Jean Beliveau was released from a Montreal hospital Monday hours after being admitted due to a drop in blood pressure. Beliveau, 77, was attending the funeral of a longtime friend when he suddenly felt uneasy, the team said in a statement. He was taken to hospital as a precaution and released at 6:30 ET. Beliveau retired in 1971 after an illustrious career in which he scored 507 goals and won 10 Stanley Cups. He was team captain for 10 years.

-Blues left wing Paul Kariya will seek further medical advice before having what will likely be season-ending surgery on his left hip. The 34-year-old Kariya said the operation will probably take place in the next few weeks. An MRI revealed injuries in two spots in the joint area of the left hip, indicating a possible labrum tear. ''Obviously as quick as possible would be terrific,'' Kariya said Monday. ''Anytime you're having surgery, you want to have second and third opinions and make sure everyone is on the right page.'' Kariya added he believed the surgery will not hinder the rest of his career. ''It's good in one way that we know something has to be taken care of,'' Kariya said. ''I'm confident that when it's taken care of, I'll get to 100 per cent.'' Kariya had two goals and 13 points in the Blues' first 11 games before injuring the hip Nov. 5 against Anaheim.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Washington @ Buffalo - 7PM
% Chicago @ Detroit - 7:30PM
Boston @ Pittsburgh - 7:30PM
Montreal @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Atlanta @ Toronto - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ St. Louis - 8PM
Ottawa @ Edmonton - 10PM
Philadelphia @ Vancouver - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tomorrow.

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS - 12/29/08

TOP STORY

NINE AND COUTNING (Photo Credit: AP)

Dustin Byfuglien tips one of his two goals past Wild G Nicklas Backstrom

Chicago Blackhawks (20-6-7) over the Minnesota Wild (17-15-2) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Blackhawks LW Dustin Byfuglien - 2 Goals, 2 Assists

It's amazing what a difference a year can make. Unless you're a fan of a rival Western Conference team, how can you not be rooting for the Blackhawks this season. This is a franchise that went from not having its home games televised to breaking records and matching marks that haven't happened since the last time Chicago made the playoffs (2001-02 season). Last night, they broke the franchise record with nine consecutive wins en route to a 4-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild.

Dustin Byfuglien scored both of his goals in the 1st period 1:24 apart. The second of his two goals came on the power play. That would be all the Blackhawks would need. Martin Havlat scored his 9th of the season in the 2nd period, Kris Versteeg scored his 11th of the season in to the empty net late in the 3rd period, and Jonathan Toews contributed two assists. Cristobal Huet made 18 saves (6-0-1 in his last 7 starts) and the only goal he gave up was to Cal Clutterbuck in the 3rd period.

To say Chicago has been on a roll lately is an understatement. They've won nine in a row and haven't lost since 12/6 to the Red Wings in a shootout. Ironically, next up for the 'Hawks is a home and home with Detroit, starting Tuesday in Detroit and then Thursday's Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Chicago trails Detroit by four points for the Central Division lead. Chicago is 9-1-0 against the Northwest Division. Its lone loss was Oct. 27 in Minnesota.

After playing four straight games, Minnesota RW Marian Gaborik was kept out of the lineup, and is not expected to play tonight in Calgary. The team continues to ease Gaborik back into the lineup after a lower body injury sidelined him for 27 games. Minnesota has lost seven of 10. "Nine wins in a row shows something about their team. But they aren't that good," Wild center Mikko Koivu said. "They outworked us tonight. We had one guy tonight, that was [goalie Niklas] Backstrom, who had the effort to play this game. If that's not going to change there is something wrong inside of the team and in every player in this room." Talk about strong words from your team leader.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The World Junior Championships are going on, and TSN has you covered:
http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/

-St. Louis Blues LW Paul Kariya will have surgery on his left hip and could miss the rest of the season. The 34-year-old Kariya hasn't played since Nov. 5 in Anaheim, when his body was wrenched by a hit from behind and he tore muscle fibres near the top of his thigh. He had apparently recovered from the initial injury and skated with the team three days this week, but cut short his workout Friday after only about 10 minutes. An MRI exam Friday revealed additional damage inside the hip and Kariya and the Blues elected for surgery on Saturday after consulation with several doctors. Team president John Davidson said there was no timetable for Kariya's return, and said surgery had not yet been scheduled. Davidson also said there was no question the injury that's requiring surgery is related to the hit in Anaheim. "He was jolted from behind and it twisted his whole body and it tore a muscle," Davidson said. "It's healed and there's still discomfort. So now we've looked and there's more damage than first thought and it's going to have to be repaired. This is all on that same hit from behind." The Blues have been without several key players for long stretches, beginning with defenceman Erik Johnson's season-ending knee injury in a pre-training camp golf outing accident. Forward Andy McDonald (broken ankle) and defenceman Eric Brewer (back surgery) and goalie Manny Legace (hip, concussion) also have had extended absences.

-C Mats Sundin is expected to arrive in Vancouver today. Sundin was originally supposed to arrive Saturday, but his departure from Sweden was hampered by weather-related flight delays. Sundin will practice with his new teammates for the first time Tuesday.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Boston Bruins (27-5-4) over the Atlanta Thrashers (12-20-4) 2-1
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins G Manny Fernandez - 32 Saves
-Bryan Little scored an unassisted goal in the 1st period for Atlanta. In the 2nd period, Phil Kessel scored his 22nd of the season on a set up from Marc Savard and Dennis Wideman. In the 3rd, Michael Ryder scored the game winner past Kari Lehtonen with just over six minutes remaining on a feed from David Krejci and Blake Wheeler. Thrashers C Erik Christensen played for the first time since Dec. 2 after having to work his way back into the lineup following a shoulder injury. C Jason Williams sat for the first time this season.

Anaheim Ducks (19-14-4) over the St. Louis Blues (14-19-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Ducks RW Bobby Ryan - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-The teams would be tied at one after the 1st period thanks to goals from Rob Niedermayer and David Perron. In the 2nd period, Rob's brother Scott and Keith Tkachuk would each score power play goals to keep the game tied heading in to the 3rd period. Brad Boyes gave the Blues a brief lead in the 3rd period on the power play, but D Steve Montador would tie the game again with his 2nd goal of the season :37 seconds later. With 7:11 remaining in the 3rd, Bobby Ryan scored the game winner on the power play. Ryan Getzlaf chipped in with two assists for the Ducks and so did Blues center and ROY candidate Patrik Berglund.

Washington Capitals (23-11-3) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (14-16-6) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals C Brooks Laich - 2 Goals
-Niklas Hagman put Toronto on the board first and gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead heading in to the 1st intermission. In the 2nd period, Brooks Laich (PPG) and Alexander Ovechkin each had goals to put the Capitals ahead for good. In the 3rd period, Brooks Laich scored his 2nd of the game and so did Ovechkin (25th of the season - empty netter) to pad the lead. Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green each had two assists for Washington. Jose Theodore made 23 saves for his 11th win of the season. Caps legend Mike Gartner had his #11 retired before the game.

Edmonton Oilers (17-14-3) over the Nashville Predators (17-15-3) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Oilers RW Erik Cole - 1 Goal, 2 Assists
-The teams would be tied at 2 after the 1st period after Nashville goals frm Martin Erat and Shea Weber and Oiler goals from Sheldon Souray (PPG) and Shawn Horcoff. In the 2nd period, Edmonton would blow the doors off the game with three goals in a 2:16 span from Erik Cole, Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner. Dwayne Roloson made 28 saves in the win while Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne split the load for Nashville. Oilers captain Ethan Moreau returned to the lineup after missing a game because of a badly bruised wrist. He put that injury to the test early, getting into a first-period fight with Jordan Tootoo. Edmonton defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky reached 300 career points with an assist on Souray's goal. The Oilers win snapped a 9 game losing streak vs the Predators.

Vancouver Canucks (20-14-3) over the Ottawa Senators (12-17-5) 3-0
TOP PERFORMER = Canucks C Henrik Sedin - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Henrik Sedin opened the scoring in the 1st period on a Pavol Demitra feed and that would be all the Canucks needed. Pavol Demitra and Alexander Edler added goals in the 2nd period and Curtis Sanford made 18 saves for his fourth career shutout.

RUMOR MILL

-It looks like Senators C Jason Spezza will be Calgary bound. Both teams want to wait for the Jay Bouwmeester hammer to drop before they do anything.

-Expect Toronto to make a deal for a backup goalie in the near future

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell both suffered injuries during Friday's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks. Timonen chipped a bone in his right ankle and Hartnell broke his big toe blocking a shot. The Flyers expect Timonen to be sidelined for at least a week, while Hartnell's status is considered day-to-day and his availability for Saturday's game at Columbus is in doubt.

-The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost forward Matt Stajan for up to a week following a freak eye injury. Stajan missed the team's morning practice on Saturday because of blurry vision following a hit to his eye with a soccer ball while warming up, an exercise common to NHL teams. Leafs general manager Brian Burke said that Stajan will be on restricted activity for one to two weeks after suffering a hyphema in the right eye. He'll be seen by team doctors on today to further assess the extent of the injury.

-The Vancouver Canucks will be without Taylor Pyatt for an indefinite period of time after the winger suffered a broken right foot in Friday's loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The injury looked to happen late in the second period when Pyatt's right skate caught a Willie Mitchell slap shot from the front of the Canucks net. Pyatt missed Saturday's practice and it is estimated that he could be out of the lineup for up to four weeks.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
NY Islanders @ NY Rangers - 7PM
Montreal @ Florida - 7:30PM
San Jose @ Dallas - 9PM
%Minnesota @ Calgary - 9PM
Nashville @ Colorado - 9:30PM
Columbus @ Los Angeles - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch will return to a Wednesday release.

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

DROPPING THE GLOVES W/ ANDREW BOGUSCH - 12/25/08

Did you even know that the Blackhawks and Red Wings were playing a New Years Day game at Wrigley Field?

So Mats Sundin cares more about his bank account than his name on the Stanley Cup. Isn’t that the conclusion we have to draw from his decision to sign on in Vancouver and not with the Rangers, Canadiens or anyone else?

This all began last spring when Sundin refused to waive his no-trade clause. You can talk about loyalty all you want, but when you are 37 years old, clearly nearing the end of your career, a hockey player should want the Cup more than anything else.

If Ray Bourque can leave Boston, Mats Sundin can leave Toronto.

Besides, isn’t the “I always want to be a Leaf” argument out the window now that Sundin has chased the money to the Pacific Northwest instead of skating his last year or so in Toronto?

We love the Canucks, from the Sedin twins to Kevin Bieksa to Roberto Luongo, but they are not the logical choice if your main priority is ultimate success. It is no coincidence that Vancouver’s offer trumped everyone else’s.

The Northwest Division is there for the taking, but even with Sundin, the Canucks are a fairly significant step below San Jose and Detroit. Depending on your respect for Chicago and Anaheim (when Teemu Selanne returns), Vancouver may only be the fifth-best team out west.

Sundin in Montreal would have closed the gap between the Canadiens and Bruins, if not pushed the Habs past Boston. Sundin on Broadway might have put the Rangers over the top by igniting a lackluster offense. Pick any Eastern Conference city on Sundin’s initial radar and you’ll likely pick a team whose road to the Finals is easier than that of the Canucks.

For all his deliberation and stalling, Sundin sided with his wallet and not his legacy. Which is his choice to make. It’s just an unfortunate one.

The Shootout…A quick story to illustrate how much work the NHL still needs to do to return itself to the mainstream. The background on my work computer is a drawing of how Wrigley Field will look for the Winter Classic. Upon returning to my desk last Friday, I found a co-worker marveling at the picture. But not because he couldn’t wait to see the setting in reality. He turned to me and asked, “The NHL is playing a game outdoors? At Wrigley Field? When?” Don’t forget – my day job is at Sirius XM Satellite Radio…in the sports department, so this colleague works in sports and knew nothing about the Winter Classic…

Does anyone else think a week-long moratorium on roster moves is a bit much in this day and age? It is nice that the League gives general managers a pseudo-break and prevents players from changing addresses during the holidays. But really?! This is a business and these are adults. Making trades and being traded (no matter the time of day or year) is part of the job. No other league has such a policy – I believe we’ve had an NBA coach fired on Christmas Eve two years running. We like to say “it’s the thought that counts” this time of year, but this is just too thoughtful…

A pretty interesting Calder Cup race lost a leading candidate this week when the Blue Jackets announced that center Derrick Brassard needed season-ending shoulder surgery. The rookie pivot was injured during a fight and needs nearly six months to recover. Brassard and Blackhawks winger Kris Versteeg entered Tuesday with the most points (25) among first-year players. Brassard posted 10 goals and 15 assists, and was a +12 in roughly 14-1/2 minutes per night…

Finally, a Happy Holidays from Dropping the Gloves. Keep those gloves on while you spend time with the family this week.

All comments, gripes, etc. go to boguschhockey@gmail.com

PLUS/MINUS - 12/24/08 - CHRISTMAS EDITION

PLUS/MINUS is my weekly Power Rankings Column. The + or – is based on the previous weeks rankings

PLUS/MINUS

Is Evgeni Nabokov the best goalie in the league? I think so

*Tonight's edition, in honor of Christmas, will be what each team wants in it's stocking

1) San Jose Sharks {27-4-3} (EVEN)
3-1-1 week (won @ LA, OTL @ CLB, lost @ DET, won vs. NYR, won vs. VAN)
-San Jose has two wishes: For their team health to stay the way it is and for nothing else to change

2) Boston Bruins {25-5-4} (EVEN)
4-0-0 week (won vs. TOR, CAR, won @ STL, NJ)
-Their wish is for Montreal to not make any big trades. The Canadiens are the one team that can match up with them game in and game out.

3) Detroit Red Wings {23-6-4} (EVEN)
3-1-0 week (lost vs. COL, won vs. SJ, LA, STL)
-To play the way they played against San Jose against every team. Beating the hottest team in the league 6-0 made a statement to the Sharks and the rest of the league.

4) Washington Capitals {21-11-3} (EVEN)
3-1-0 week (won @ NYI, vs. STL, lost @ PHI, won @ NYR)
-A goalie...they REALLY want Santa to bring them a goalie.

5) Philadelphia Flyers {19-8-7} (+3)
3-1-1 week (won vs. COL, lost @ MON, won vs. WAS, SOL @ NJ, won vs. OTT)
-Jeff Carter to keep lighting the lamp and to finally get a full, healthy season out of Simon Gagne (Gagne deserves it after everything he's been through)

6) Chicago Blackhawks {18-6-7} (+1)
3-0-0 week (won @ EDM, @ CAL, @ VAN)
-A veteran that can contribute and be a leader. If they can get that, they are a legitimate threat to upset someone in the West.

7) New York Rangers {22-12-3} (-2)
2-1-0 week (won @ ANA, @ LA, lost @ SJ, OTL vs. WAS)
-Consistency and a power play that not only scores goals, but doesn't give up shorthanded goals

8) Montreal Canadiens {18-9-6} (+1)
2-1-1 week (lost @ CAR, won vs. PHI, BUF, OTL vs. CAR)
-Their wish is exactly what Boston is wishing against. They'd also like Alexei Kovalev to get the power play going.

9) New Jersey Devils {19-10-3) (+2)
-3-1-1 week (SOL @ TOR, won @ BUF, won vs. OTT, PHI, lost vs. BOS)
You would think the automatic answer is a speedy return. That's still the #1 wish for Devils fans, but as long as Scott Clemmensen keeps playing this way, they'll wait until Marty is gift-wrapped.

10) Calgary Flames {19-11-4} (+2)
3-0-1 week (won @ STL, MIN, OTL vs. CHI, won vs. ANA)
-Every time Calgary gets on a roll, they'll slump and drop three in a row. They'd like for those mini-slumps to stop so they can make a legitimate points run in the standings

11) Vancouver Canucks {19-13-3} (-1)
2-2-0 week (won vs. EDM, lost vs. CHI, won vs. ANA, lost @ SJ)
-Their #1 wish is Roberto Luongo's return between the pipes. Wish #1B would be for Mats Sundin to have the impact that fans are hoping for.

12) Anaheim Ducks {18-4-3} (-6)
1-3-0 week (lost vs. NYR, won @ EDM, lost @ VAN, @ CAL)
-For their current slump to end. Luckily, their next three games (@ DAL, @ STL, vs. CLB) will give them a chance for the wish to be granted.

13) Pittsburgh Penguins {18-12-4} (EVEN)
2-2-0 week (won @ ATL, lost vs. TOR, won @ BUF, lost vs. TOR)
-To win a game where they don't have to score at least four goals. Their last win when they've scored less than four came against the Thrashers on 11/20.

14) Buffalo Sabres {16-14-5} (EVEN)
1-0-2 week (lost vs. NK, won vs. LA, OTL @ MON, OTL vs. PIT)
-To not get robbed by the refs against the Pittsburgh Penguins again

15) Phoenix Coyotes {16-14-5} (+2)
2-1-2 week (OTL @ DAL, won vs. NAS, vs. CLB, lost @ EDM, OTL @ COL)
-To snag at least 6 points in their next four games (home and home w/ LA, vs. COL & NYI)

16) Carolina Hurricanes {16-14-5} (+3)
3-2-0 week (won vs. MON, vs. FLA, lost @ BOS, won @ MON, lost @ MIN)
-Eric Staal's improved play of late to keep improving

17) Minnesota Wild {17-14-2} (-1)
2-1-1 week (OTL vs. CAL, won vs. NYI, lost @ STL, won vs. CAR)
-No more 6 game losing streaks and to survive a brutal stretch of 8 games (vs. CHI, @ CAL, vs. SJ, vs. DET, @ COL, @ BOS, @ PHI, @ CLB)

18) Nashville Predators {16-14-3} (-3)
1-2-0 week (lost @ PHO, won vs. NYI, lost @ FLA)
-For Dan Ellis to get back in to his 2008 playoff form.

19) Florida Panthers {16-13-4} (+2)
2-0-1 week (OTL @ CAR, won vs. COL, vs. NAS)
-To figure out if Tomas Vokoun or Craig Anderson is the starting goalie. Once they do that, then they want to be able to deal one of those guys to get a quality D to replace Jay Bouwmeester when they deal him.

20) Los Angeles Kings {14-14-6} (EVEN)
1-2-2 week (SOL vs. SJ, OTL vs. NYR, lost @ BUF, @ DET, won @ CLB)
-For nothing to change. Even at .500, Los Angeles has exceeded expectations. If they can keep this up, this season will be a good building block for next year and beyond.

21) Colorado Avalanche {17-16-1) (+2)
3-2-0 week (won @ DET, lost @ PHI, won @ TB, lost @ FLA, won vs. PHO)
-For the team to be within striking distance of the playoffs when Peter Forsberg makes his decision on where he wants to play.

22) Toronto Maple Leafs {14-14-6} (+2)
3-2-0 week (won vs. NJ, lost @ BOS, won @ PIT, @ ATL, lost vs. DAL)
-To continue to be the spoiler team in the Eastern Conference. The Leafs players know that this entire season is an evaluation period for GM Brian Burke to see what he has.

23) Edmonton Oilers {15-14-3} (-5)
1-2-1 week (lost vs. CHI, @ VAN, SOL vs. ANA, won vs. PHO)
-For one of their three goalies to take the starting position by the horns.

24) Dallas Stars (14-14-5) (+3)
3-0-1 week (won vs. PHO, CLB, lost @ OTT, won @ TOR)
-They already got their Christmas wish with Sean Avery being banished from the team

25) Columbus Blue Jackets {14-16-4} (-3)
1-2-1 week (won @ SJ, SOL @ DAL, lost @ PHO, lost vs. LA)
-A better power play and to find a team that needs a good starting goalie. Steve Mason has shown he can play at this level and Pascal Leclaire is too good to sit on the bench. The Capitals should be working out potential deals if they aren't already.

26) Ottawa Senators {12-15-5} (-1)
1-3-0 week (lost vs. ATL, @ NJ, won vs. DAL, lost @ PHI)
-To stop being an enigmatic team and play to the level we all know they are capable of. That and to get the best possible deal for Jason Spezza.

27) Atlanta Thrashers {12-18-4} (+1)
3-2-0 week (won @ OTT, lost vs. PIT, won vs. TB, lost vs. TOR, won @ NYI)
-To play the Islanders for 82 games a season. They've won the 3 meetings by a combined score of 13-6

28) St. Louis Blues {13-18-3} (-2)
1-4-0 week (lost vs. CAL, @ WAS, won vs. MIN, lost vs. BOS, @ DET)
-For everything to improve. This team is slightly better than their record indicates.

29) Tampa Bay Lightning {8-16-9} (+1)
1-1-1 week (SOL vs. COL, lost @ ATL, won @ PIT)
-They've lost nine games after regulation. If four of those are wins, they aren't that far out of 8th in the East.

30) New York Islanders {10-21-3} (-1)
0-3-1 week (OTL vs. WAS, lost @ MIN, NAS, lost vs. ATL)
-When you've lost ten in a row, haven't won a game in December (and with TOR, @ BUF, @ NYR, FLA on the schedule, they could lose every game in the month), and have only earned one point, their only wish is to finally win a game.


BIGGEST GAINER = Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars (+3)
BIGGEST LOSER = Anaheim Ducks (-6)
-13 Teams Moved Up
-10 Teams Moved Down
-7 Teams Remained Even

FTS - 12/24/08

TOP STORY

ALEXANDER THE GREAT
(Photo Credit: AP)

Alexander Ovechkin rallies the Caps from a 4-0 to deficit to stuff the Rangers stocking at MSG

Washington Capitals (21-11-3) over the New York Rangers (22-12-3) 5-4 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin - 2 Goals, 1 Assist

If you're a Capitals fan, you got an early Christmas gift last night. If you're a Rangers fan, you didn't get a lump of coal in your stocking...you got a lump of coal thrown right at your face. It's rare that a team blows a four goal lead, especially at home, but the Rangers managed to do just that and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Madison Square Garden last night.

Madison Square Garden was buzzing after the 1st period. Markus Naslund, Michal Rozsival, and Ryan Callahan all scored goals to make 3-0 heading in to the break. Ryan Callahan scored his 2nd goal of the game at the 4:48 mark to make it 4-0. I was at this game and you could almost see the Rangers let off the gas pedal a little bit at this point. Alexander Ovechkin scored midway through the 2nd period to make it 4-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 3rd period, both Tomas Fleischmann and Viktor Kozlov scored power play goals to bring it within one goal. With just over 7 minutes remaining, Ovechkin stole a pass at the Rangers blue line and scored on a beautiful move to tie the game. In overtime, Shaone Morrison scored the game winning goal (his 1st of the season) on a blast from the top of the circles. Nicklas Backstrom and Chris Drury each chipped in with three assists for their respective teams.

The Rangers are simply a bad team right now. They are on that pattern of win three, lose two, win one, lose two, win two, etc. They are wildly inconsistent and, like I've said in previous columns, they don't play full hockey games. They either play the first two periods and then coast the rest of the way, or sleepwalk through the first two periods and fire on all cylinders for the 3rd period. The Rangers record is incredibly deceiving because they haven't played to that level this season. Head Coach Tom Renney needs to figure out something soon because this level of play won't last long in the Atlantic Division. The Rangers are off until Saturday night when they host the cross-river rival Devils.

If you're a Capitals fan, life is pretty good right now. Despite a rash of injuries (most of the scratches will return soon), the Capitals are playing very good hockey lately. Factor in that they play in a relatively weak division, the Caps could be running away with the Southeast by mid-March. The only issue in DC, and it's a big one right now, is their goaltending. Brent Johnson was supposed to start the game, then Jose Theodore got the call at the last second, gave up 3 goals, was yanked for Johnson for the remainder of the 1st period, and then Theodore was put back out for the 2nd and promptly gave up a 4th goal (it wouldn't matter in the end). If the Caps don't make a deal for a goalie, they could exit the playoffs prematurely. Up next for Washington is the Sabres at home on Friday night.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood was able to practice hard during the morning skate Tuesday and won't have to go on the long-term injured reserve list. Osgood, who injured his groin against Colorado on Dec. 15, has been backing up Ty Conklin in the games since his injury. It wasn't getting any better and it came down to if he could practice effectively the morning of the Red Wings' game against the St. Louis Blues. "It was just tight but I want it to be 100 percent and that way I know I wont hurt it again for the rest of the year," Osgood said. "I think I'll be at that point after Christmas, I'll get some practices in and then I'll be ready to play." GM Ken Holland said "He said he could go in there and not re-injure it if he had to."

-The Minnesota Wild will be without top-scoring defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron for weeks. Bergeron suffered a lower-body injury in the third period of Friday's game against the Islanders. Wild assistant GM Tom Lynn told the paper that Bergeron will be out of the lineup for "a matter of weeks, not days." "He's limping around pretty good," Lynn said. Bergeron has 3 goals and 13 assists so far this season for the Wild, who are hovering around the middle of the Western conference. Bergeron will be replaced by Erik Reitz.

-Avalanche C Paul Stastny is out indefinitely with a broken right forearm. The injury occured in last night's game against Phoenix.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Boston Bruins (25-5-4) over the New Jersey Devils (19-10-3) 2-0
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins G Tim Thomas - 25 Saves
-Milan Lucic scored his 10th goal of the season :49 seconds in to the 3rd period and David Krejci added an empty-netter. New Jersey was shut out for the first time since Nov. 3. Scott Clemmensen lost for just the second time in regulation since taking over as the full-time starter in place of injured Martin Brodeur.

Atlanta Thrashers (12-18-4) over the New York Islanders (10-21-3) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Thrashers C Bryan Little - 2 Goals
-Mathieu Schneider and Bryan Little put Atlanta up 2-0, but the Isles would rally back with goals from Andy Hillbert and Sean Bergenheim (SHG). Little scored his second goal of the game and Colby Armstrong added an empty net goal. The Isles are now on a 10 game losing streak. Their last ten game losing streak happened in the 97-98 season. Ilya Kovalchuk notched his 500th career point in his 500th career game with an assist on Little's second goal.

Philadelphia Flyers (19-8-7) over the Ottawa Senators (12-15-5) 6-4
TOP PERFORMER = Flyers LW Simon Gagne - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-This was a see-saw battle that saw the Flyers come out on top. Nick Foligno scored first for Ottawa, but Matt Carle and Joffrey Lupul gave Philly a 2-1 lead heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Dany Heatley scored on the power play to tie the game at 2. Jeff Carter (PPG) scored his league-leading 26th goal of the season and Andreas Nodl made it 4-2 heading in to the 2nd intermission. Heatley and Phillips would tie the game at 4 in the 3rd, but Simon Gagne would score the game-winner and Mike Richards would add an empty-netter. Since a three-game losing streak from Nov. 2-8, the Flyers have gotten at least a point in 19 of 21 games.

Los Angeles Kings (14-14-6) over the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-16-4) 3-0
TOP PERFORMER = Kings G Jonathan Quick - 24 Saves, Shutout
-Raitis Ivanans and Peter Harrold scored their first goals of the season, Patrick O'Sullivan had a goal and an assist, and Anze Kopitar had two assists for the road win. The shutout was Quick's first career shutout. Blue Jackets G Steve Mason made 39 saves in the loss. The Kings ended a four-game losing skid overall and a string of four straight losses on the road.

Detroit Red Wings (23-6-4) over the St. Louis Blues (13-18-3) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Red Wings C Pavel Datsyuk - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
-Pavel Datsyuk scored the Red Wings first goal (PPG) and their last goal (SHG). Henrik Zetterberg scored on the power play, Tomas Holmstrom netted his 10th goal of the season, and Ty Conklin made 33 saves in the win. Patrik Berglund scored his 12th goal of the season and Manny Legace made 37 saves in the loss. Since winning five of their first eight games, the Blues have won just eight of their last 26.

Tampa Bay Lightning (8-16-4) over the Pittsburgh Penguins (18-12-4) 2-0
TOP PERFORMER = Lightning C Paul Szczechura - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Lightning LW Matt Pettinger scored the first goal of the game, Paul Sczcechura added a goal and an assist of his own, and Mark Recchi chipped in with two assists. Lightning G Mike Smith turned away 15 shots for the shutout while Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves in the loss.

Dallas Stars (14-14-5) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (14-14-6) 8-2
TOP PERFORMER = Stars LW James Neal - 3 Goals
-The Stars held a 7-0 lead midway though the 2nd period before Toronto would get on the scoreboard. James Neal (3G), Mike Ribeiro (1G, 1A), Brad Richards (1G), Steve Ott (1G, 1A), Fabian Brunnstrom (1G, 1A), Krys Barch (1G) Stephane Robidas (2 assists), Landon Wilson (2 assists) were all key contributors to the Stars offensive explosion. Jason Blake and Mikhail Grabovski scored the two Toronto goals.

Florida Panthers (16-13-4) over the Nashville Predators (16-14-3) 3-0
TOP PERFORMER = Panthers G Tomas Vokoun - 27 Saves, Shutout
-Panthers C Michael Frolik scored two goals and Cory Stillman potted one of his own. Tomas Vokoun turned away 27 shots against his former team for his 2nd straight shutout. Florida won for the eighth time in its last 11 games and is 7-1-2 in December, tying a franchise record for victories in the month. Pekka Rinne made 40 saves in the loss. He came in with three shutouts in his last five starts. Barry Trotz coached his 771st game for Nashville, moving him past Punch Imlach (Toronto) into sole possession of ninth place on the list of games coached with a single team.

Minnesota Wild (17-14-2) over the Carolina Hurricanes (16-14-5) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Wild RW Marian Gaborik - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney had the Hurricanes up 2-0 early in the 2nd period, but Cal Clutterbuck, Marian Gaborik (PPG) and Stephane Veilleux (SHG) scored three unanswered goals to give Minnesota the win. Mikko Koivu had two assists for the Wild. Nicklas Backstrom made 35 saves for Minnesota who made some big saves in a 3rd period 5-on-3 for the Hurricanes that lasted two minutes.

Calgary Flames (19-11-4) over the Anaheim Ducks (18-14-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Flames LW Brett Sutter - 1 Goal
-Talk about succeeding under pressure. Brett Sutter scored his first career goal in his first career game on the team that his dad is the GM for. David Moss and Brendan Morrison traded goals in the 2nd period to keep the game tied at 1 heading in to 3rd intermission. Ryan Getzlaf scored his 14th of the season to give the Ducks the lead, but it would only last 14 seconds when Brent Sutter put one past Jean-Sebastian Giguere. Mark Giordano (PPG) and Michael Cammalleri scored in a 2:27 span to make it 4-2. Brendan Morrison scored his 2nd goal of the game, but the Ducks would fall short. Miika Kiprusoff made 30 saves in the win while Jean-Sebastian Giguere made 28 saves in the loss. This was Giggy's first game back since the passing of his father, Claude.

Colorado Avalanche (17-16-1) over the Phoenix Coyotes (16-14-5) 5-4 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Avalanche LW Ryan Smith - 1 Goal, 3 Assists
-Joakim Lindstrom and Paul Stastny (PPG) swapped goals to keep the game tied heading in to the 1st intermission. In the 2nd period, Milan Hejduk scored his 13th of the season in the 2nd period to put Colorado up 2-1 heading in to the 2nd intermission. The red light was worked hard in the 3rd period. Olli Jokinen tied the game for Phoenix, but John-Michael Liles (PPG) and Ryan Smith made it a 4-2 game for the Avs, but Shane Doan would rally Phoenix with two goals (one of them on the power play - with :48 seconds remaining) to force overtime. In OT, Brett Clark scored his 2nd goal of the season on his 32nd birthday at the 1:48 mark to give Colorado their 200th win at the Pepsi Center.

San Jose Sharks (27-4-3) over the Vancouver Canucks (19-13-3) 5-0
TOP PERFORMER = Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov - 33 Saves, Shutout
-The Sharks jumped out to a 3-0 lead heading in to the 1st intermission on goals from Rob Blake, Patrick Marleau (PPG, he also had 2 assists) and Devin Setoguchi (PPG). In the 2nd period, Joe Thornton and Tomas Plilhal added two more goals to give the Sharks a big cushion. Sharks LW Milan Michalek missed his third straight game with an upper-body injury. Vancouver D Rob Davison and RW Steve Bernier played their first games against San Jose since leaving the club.

RUMOR MILL

-The Coyotes and Canucks are trying to make a deal with the Blackhawks for Martin Havlat

-Jason Spezza trade rumors are heating up. Chicago, Edmonton and LA are the rumored suitors right now

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated defenseman Rostislav Klesla off the IR. Klesla, 26, has tallied one goal and two assists for three points with eight penalty minutes and an even plus/minus rating in 11 games with the Blue Jackets this season.

-According to The Globe and Mail (Canada), the Coyotes are receiving financial assistance from the National Hockey League to keep the team afloat. The report indicates the team is receiving advances on their share of league revenue. While NHL deputy commissioner Bill Dayl would neither confirm nor deny the Coyotes were being assisted, he did tell The Globe and Mail via e-mail that ''advances on league distributions are not unusual.'' Financial documents obtained by The Globe and Mail show the Coyotes have pledged the franchise and all its assets as collateral for loans from a New York company. A source told The Globe and Mail the Coyotes have already talked to the city of Glendale about renegotiating their 30-year lease at Jobing.com Arena. Under the current agreement, only a declaration of bankruptcy would allow the Coyotes to break the lease and relocate the team. Owner Jerry Moyes is expected to lose more than $30 million this season and has reportedly lost up to $200 million since he purchased the franchise for $120 million seven years ago.


TONIGHT'S ACTION
No action tonight or tomorrow for the Christmas Break

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will come out tonight!

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch will come out on Thursday this week, as our Christmas gift to you.

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM
To all of the Readers of FTS, have a Merry Christmas/Happy Chanukah/Happy Kwanzaa/Happy Boxing Day and any other holidays I missed.

FTS - 12/23/08

TOP STORY

JUST THE TIP, JUST FOR A SECOND...

(Photo Credit: Buffalo News)

Sidney Crosby tips in a controversial goal for the win in overtime

Pittsburgh Penguins (18-11-4) over the Buffalo Sabres (16-13-5) 4-3 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Penguins D Alex Goligoski - 2 Goals, 1 Assist

In an earlier blog, I stated that when these two teams get together, no matter how good or bad the teams are, it's always a good hockey game. The Penguins and Sabres played another classic at the HSBC Arena last night, and this one was decided in overtime on a controversial goal.

The Sabres jumped out to a very early 1-0 lead (one minute in to the game) on a Daniel Paille goal from Teppo Numminen and Adam Mair. The bulk of the scoring would occur in the 2nd period, and it would start with Ales Kotalik giving Buffalo a 2-0 lead on a feed from Paille and Mair. The Penguins would battle back to tie the game on goals from Pascal Dupuis (who returned after missing one game because of a lower body injury) and Alex Goligoski. The Sabres would re-take the lead on a Clarke MacArthur power play goal before the end of the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Alex Goligoski tied the game on the power play midway through the period. In overtime, Sidney Crosby deflected an Evgeni Malkin shot from the point past Ryan Miller 43 seconds in to the period for the win. It was a close call whether or not Crosby's stick was above the crossbar, but the refs ruled it was a legal defelction.

Sidney Crosby ended a nine-game goal-scoring drought with the overtime winner. It was the longest such streak of his four-year NHL career. "It was pretty close," said Crosby, who scored for the first time since netting a hat trick against New Jersey last month. "But I don't think it was [a high-stick]. My stick was angled down. If I would have hit it a little higher up, I think we would have been flirting with danger a little bit more." Miller disagreed. "I didn't get a great look, but from my gut feel I thought it was a little high," he said. "Let's just hope they make the right call in Toronto."

Yesterday was the first time Ryan Miller lost back-to-back games after regulation since last season. The Sabres droped to 5-9-3 and when Thomas Vanek doesn't score a goal. Buffalo will get a chance to rebound from this loss Friday night when they travel down to DC to take on the Capitals. Pittsburgh will have a good opportunity to get a winning streak going when they host Tampa Bay tonight.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Columbus Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard, who suffered a dislocated shoulder on December 18 at Dallas, will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the 2008-09 season. The surgery will be performed in early-January. Brassard, 21, was injured during the first period of last Thursday's 6-5 shootout loss at Dallas shortly after scoring his 10th goal of the season. He tallied 10-15-25 with 17 penalty minutes and a +12 plus/minus rating in 31 games this season and currently leads all NHL rookies in scoring. He leads the Blue Jackets in assists, plus/minus and power play goals (three, tied) and ranks second in points and goals (tied).

-Philadelphia Flyers right wing Scottie Upshall will miss at least 10 and up to 14 days after suffering a sprained right knee. Upshall left Sunday's 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils late in the second period and did not return with what was termed a lower-body injury. The 25-year-old has five goals and 11 points in 33 games this season for Philadelphia.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Toronto Maple Leafs (14-13-6) over the Atlanta Thrashers (11-18-4) 6-2
TOP PERFORMER = Maple Leafs C Matt Stajan - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
-The Maple Leafs have been on a roll lately and jumped on a slumping Thrashers team early in this one. Alexei Ponikarovsky (also had two assists) and Jeremy Williams scored in the 1st period and Matt Stajan scored late in the 2nd period to make it 3-0. Colby Armstrong scored with nine seconds remaining in the period to make it 3-1 heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 4rd, Dominic Moore scored on the power play to make it 4-1, but Todd White answered back four minutes later with his 11th of the season to make it 4-2. Niklas Hagman would put Toronto back up by three a minute after that and Stajan would score his 2nd goal of the game in to the empty net to give Toronto their 6th win in their last 7 games. Nik Antropov chipped in with three assists while Justin Pogge made 19 saves in his first career NHL start.

Edmonton Oilers (15-14-3) over the Phoenix Coyotes (16-14-4) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Oilers D Lubomir Visnovsky - 2 Assists, 26:04 ice time
-The Oilers had a 2-0 lead heading in to the 1st intermission thanks to Zack Stortini's first goal of the seasno and Marc-Antoine Pouliot's 5th. In the 2nd period, Martin Hanzal and Enver Lisin (PPG) both scored goals to tie the game at 2 heading in to the 3rd period. The tie wouldn't last long in to the 3rd as Sheldon Souray scored on the power play 45 seconds in. Andrew Cogliano added a power play goal of his own for his 9th of the season. Phoenix, who went unbeaten in regulation in it's previous six games (4-0-2) was without F Peter Mueller because of a sore leg. It was just the Oilers' fifth win in 13 home games this season. Only Tampa Bay has fewer home victories.

Vancouver Canucks (19-12-3) over the Anaheim Ducks (18-13-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Canucks LW Daniel Sedin - 2 Goals
-In a potential playoff preview (I know it's early, but can't you see these two meeting up for an epic series?), Bobby Ryan (who also had two assists) put the Ducks on the board first on the power play. The Canucks would take the lead heading in to the first intermission thanks to power play goals from Mayson Raymond and Ryan Kesler (both their 8th of the season). In the 2nd period, Daniel Sedin scored his 16th of the season to make it 3-1. In the 3rd period, Sedin potted his 2nd goal of the game (17th of the season) to give Vancouver a 4-1 lead. Anaheim would rally back with goals from Scott Niedermayer (PPG) and Sammy Pahlsson, but could not get the 4th goal to force overtime. This was game was a firece battle throughout and Vancouver clearly got under Anaheim's skin as they drew nine power play opportunities. Anaheim C Brendan Morrison played his first game at GM Place since leaving Vancouver to join the Ducks as an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. Morrison, a native of nearby Pitt Meadows, scored 393 points in 543 games with the Canucks. Anaheim C Todd Marchant played his 1,000th NHL game.

RUMOR MILL

-It appears that Calgary and Nashville are in trade talks. Calgary would send Matthew Lombardi, Jim Vandermeer, and a pick for Pekka Rinne, Greg DeVries, and the rights to Alexander Radulov. I like this trade for both sides. Calgary would get the backup goalie they need (Rinee), a defenseman that fits perfectly in to Keenan's system (DeVries, who seems to be the Reggie Sanders of the NHL), and the rights to a good player if he ever decides to come back. Nashville gets a draft pick (it's like getting a free lotto ticket), a good center who will give them depth at the position (Lombardi), and a solid all-around defenseman (Vandermeer)

-With one Swede off the board, now it's time to follow the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes. We're still a ways away, but look for him to go to either Colorado, Philly, the Rangers, or Chicago

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The NHL announced it's Three Stars of the Week
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=399582

-The Calgary Flames have recalled forward Brett Sutter from Quad City of the AHL. Sutter, the son of Flames General Manager Darryl Sutter, has played in 28 games for the Quad City Flames this season, netting one goal and adding six assists along with 21 penalty minutes. Sutter was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2005 and had 10 points in 75 games with Quad City last season, his first year as a pro.

-On Wednesday, Dec. 31, and Thursday, Jan. 1, the corner of West Waveland and North Clark Streets (aka Wrigley Field) will become NHL Winter Classic™ Spectator Plaza, a free outdoor hockey and entertainment fan festival, in celebration of the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic New Year's Day outdoor game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley. Weather permitting, fans of all ages can enjoy two fun-filled days of free entertainment - including a live musical performance, interactive hockey-themed attractions, an ice sculpting display, roving entertainment, chances to win tickets to the NHL Winter Classic game and the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal and more. On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the day's events will begin at 11 a.m. with the exclusive live NHL Network broadcast of the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings team practices from Wrigley Field. Fans in NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza will be able to view the team practices on a 14' x 18' LED video screen. WGN Radio 720 AM will broadcast live from Spectator Plaza on Wednesday and will give away a pair of Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic tickets to one lucky fan. Later that day, Chicago Blackhawks alumni will take center stage at NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza for an interactive WGN roundtable discussion. Game-day festivities begin at Spectator Plaza at 9 a.m. on Thurs., Jan. 1. Six professional face painters, four juggles and four stilt walkers from Chicago-based Productions USA, Inc. will provide roving entertainment. Local band, Maggie Speaks, will perform live from 9:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Chicago Blackhawks will play host to the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field in the Bridgestone NHL Winter ClassicTM 2009 on New Year's Day. The game will be the 701st all-time meeting of the clubs – no NHL opponents have played more regular-season games against each other. Face-off is at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT.

-The NHL announced that McDonald's USA has been named the League's official quick-service restaurant (QSR) in the United States. McDonald's is also the NHL's official QSR in Canada, and the company already has local relationships with 14 NHL teams.

TONIGHT'S ACTION
Boston (24-5-4) @ New Jersey (19-9-3) - 7PM
Atlanta (11-18-4) @ NY Islanders (10-20-3) - 7PM
%Washington (20-11-3) @ NY Rangers (22-12-2) - 7PM
Ottawa (12-14-5) @ Philadelphia (18-8-7) - 7PM
Los Angeles (13-14-6) @ Columbus (14-15-4) - 7PM
St. Louis (13-17-3) @ Detroit (22-6-4) - 7:30PM
Tampa Bay (7-16-9) @ Pittsburgh (18-11-4) - 7:30PM
Dallas (13-14-5) @ Toronto (14-13-6) - 7:30PM
Nashville (16-13-3) @ Florida (15-13-4) - 7:30PM
Carolina (16-13-5) @ Minnesota (16-14-2) - 8PM
Anaheim (18-13-3) @ Calgary (18-11-4) - 9PM
Phoenix (16-14-4) @ Colorado (16-16-1) - 9PM
Vancouver (19-12-3) @ San Jose (26-4-3) - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will come out on Wednesday Evening This Week (Sorry, I have to get some last minute Christmas stuff done)

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch will come out on Thursday this week, as our Christmas gift to you.

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS 12/22/08

TOP STORY

POSITIVELY DEMONIC

(Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun - AP)

Travis Zajac scores the shootout winner on Antero Niittymaki

New Jersey Devils (19-9-3) over the Philadelphia Flyers (18-8-7) 3-2 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Devils G Scott Clemmensen - 27 Saves

It's safe to say the Atlantic Divison is the best division in hockey. Four of the five teams are in the Top 8 of the conference and the worst of the four is six games above .500. Anytime any of those four meet (NYR, PHI, NJD, PIT), you're bound for a good game. New Jersey and Philadelphia met for a Sunday matinee at the Prudential Center in Newark, and they delivered.

The game was scoress after the 1st period as Scott Clemmensen and Antero Niittymaki each stoped 10 shots. In the 2nd period, Patrick Elias scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play on a set up from Zach Parise and Travis Zajac. 1:06 later, Brian Rolston scored his 3rd of the season to give the Devils a 2-0 lead. Before the end of the period, Jeff Carter scored his league-leading 25th goal onthe power play to cut the lead to one heading in to the 2nd intermisison. In the 3rd period, Joffrey Lupul scored his 12th of the season with 4:44 remaining. In the shootout, Mike Richards scored to give Philly a chance to win in the Round of 3, but Jamie Langenbrunner would send the shootout to extra innings in the Devils last chance. Travis Zajac put the puck past Niittymaki on the top shelf to end the shootout and the game.

Devils forward John Madden sat out for the second straight game with flu-like symptoms, while defenseman Bryce Salvador was a scratch due to an undisclosed upper-body injury. Madden is expected to return when the Devils host Eastern Conference leader Boston on Tuesday night. Salvador's return is still undetermined. New Jersey will look to extend their three game winning streak when they host the Bruins on Tuesday night. The Flyers look to rebound on Tuesday night when they host the Ottawa Senators.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Teemu Selanne suffered a cut in his left quad muscle Friday night at Edmonton that did not damage any tendons or other connective tissue, and no surgery will be required. He is expected to return to the Ducks lineup in 4-6 weeks. Selanne was injured in the opening minutes of Friday night's 3-2 shootout win at Edmonton. He suffered a laceration on his lower left thigh when his own right skate sliced his left leg during a collision along the boards with Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov. I knew right away that I got cut," said Selanne, who left the locker room on crutches. "It was scary how much blood was coming out. It was all over. You couldn’t even stop it."

-Boston Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron, who missed most of last season with a concussion, was released from the hospital Sunday after being diagnosed with another concussion. Bergeron spent the night at Massachusetts General Hospital and underwent extensive testing, Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a statement. "When examined this morning, his condition had improved greatly over last night, and he was released from the hospital," the statement said. "There is no timetable for his return to the ice." Bergeron was injured in Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Bergeron collided near center ice with Carolina's Dennis Seidenberg and went to the ice, face-first. He remained down for several minutes while he was cared for by doctors and looked wobbly when he got to his skates and was helped to the locker room. The Quebec native has 4 goals and 14 assists in 31 games so far this season.

-Vancouver Canucks defenceman Sami Salo will be sidelined four weeks with a broken rib. The team made the announcement at practice Friday. The blue-liner suffered the injury Wednesday night when he was driven into the boards by Edmonton's Ethan Moreau during a 4-2 home win over the Oilers. Salo, who had just returned to the lineup after missing three games with a groin injury, left the ice. There was no penalty called on the play. Salo has two goals and eight assists in 25 games this season.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Florida Panthers (15-13-4) over the Colorado Avalanche (16-16-1) 3-0
TOP PERFORMER = Panthers G Tomas Vokoun - 23 Saves, Shutout
-It's not exactly revenge for being swept in the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals, but Florida will take the 3-0 win. The teams were scoreless after 1 period, but Brett McLean (1st of the season) and Richard Zednik both scored goals for Florida in the 2nd period and that would be the game. Bryan McCabe scored his 5th of the season on an empty net power play goal. Avs G Peter Budaj made 21 saves in the loss while Vokoun earned his 27th career shutout. The Panthers ended an eight-game home losing streak against the Avalanche franchise and beat Colorado for the first time at Bank Atlantic Center. Florida's last home victory in the series was April 22, 1995, against the Quebec Nordiques at Miami Arena. Marek Svatos missed his fifth straight game for Colorado because of a back injury while Florida D Jassen Cullimore left the game at the end of the first period because of a hand and wrist injury. Colorado RW Chris Stewart and Florida RW Anthony Stewart are brothers.

Boston Bruins (24-5-4) over the St. Louis Blues (13-17-3) 6-3

TOP PERFORMER = Bruins RW Blake Wheeler - 2 Goals
-Blake Wheeler got things started for the Bruins in the 1st period by scoring the first two goals of the game in a 2:32 span (one of the goals was shorthanded). Brad Winchester (PPG) and Jay McClement (SHG) would tie the game, but Shane Hnidy gave Boston back the lead (PPG) :53 after St. Louis tied the game. In the 2nd period, Yan Stastny tied the game again for the Blues, but Michael Ryder (PPG) and Marc Savard gave Boston a two goal lead heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd, Vladimir Sobotka scored his first goal of the season to ice the game for the B's. Manny Fernandez made 29 saves in the win, while Manny Legace (18 saves) and Chris Mason (4 saves) combined for 22 saves in the loss. Boston has won five straight and is 19-3-1 in its last 23 games.

Carolina Hurricanes (16-13-5) over the Montreal Canadiens (18-9-6) 3-2 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Hurricanes C Eric Staal - 1 Goal, 2 Assists
-Sergei Samsonov opened up the scoring in the 1st period on a great individual effort and scored off his own rebound to give Carolina a 1-0 lead heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Matt D'Agostini tied the game up on his 6th of the season. Eric Staal gave the Hurricanes back the lead on the power play to give Carolina a 2-1 edge heading in to the 3rd period. In the 3rd, Robert Lang tied the game with his 11th of the season on the power play. In overtime, Tuomo Ruutu scored his 11th of the season to give Carolina the win. Cam Ward made 26 saves in the win while Carey Price stopped 24 shots in the loss.

RUMOR MILL

-It looks like Islanders forward Doug Weight will be on the move. The rumored destinations are the Edmonton Oilers or the Calgary Flames.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Penguins captain and center Sidney Crosby eclipsed Jaromir Jagr’s record for the most votes ever received by one player in one season in the history of NHL All-Star Game fan balloting. With nearly 13 full days of voting still remaining, Crosby soared past the 1,020,736-vote mark that Jagr, then a member of the Penguins, posted in 2000. Pittsburgh fans also have Crosby’s current teammate Evgeni Malkin poised to beat Jagr’s 9-year-old record. As of the moment Crosby reached the milestone, Malkin was within 19,000 votes of doing the same.

-The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled goaltender Karri Ramo from the Norfolk Admirals (AHL). Ramo, 22, has appeared in 23 games this season with Norfolk, posting a 7-11-4 record with a 3.62 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage. He made 30 saves last night in a 3-2 Norfolk shootout win against the Philadelphia Phantoms He made one appearance with the Lightning this season, making 15 saves in a relief appearance on November 23 versus New Jersey.

-Goaltender Justin Pogge, the Toronto Maple Leafs' first pick in the 2004 NHL draft, could finally play in the NHL after 111 career AHL games. The Maple Leafs recalled Pogge on Sunday from the Toronto Marlies. In 22 games with the Marlies this season, Pogge is 10-9-3 with a 2.86 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage. The 22-year-old Pogge was the 90th pick in the 2004 draft. The Leafs first called him up in January, but Pogge didn't see any game action and was reassigned back to the Marlies the next day.

-Penguins centre Maxime Talbot has signed a two-year extension with the team. The extension will see Talbot earn $1,050,000 per season. "He has shown his versatility and plays in all situations for our hockey club," explained general manager Ray Shero on Friday. "He played an integral role in helping our team reach the Finals last season and we look forward to having him for the coming years." The 24-year-old has 4 goals, 3 assists and 18 PIM in 28 games so far this season.

-The Minnesota Wild placed right winger Owen Nolan on the IR with a leg injury on Friday. Nolan, 36, has five goals and five assists in 17 games with the Wild this season, his first with the club. To take his spot on the roster, Minnesota recalled center Krys Kolanos from Houston of the American Hockey League. Kolanos has one goal in two games for Minnesota this season.

-The Boston Bruins have again placed forward Marco Sturm on injured reserve. Sturm returned from an undisclosed injury earlier this week and scored a goal in Thursday's game against Toronto, but he left that contest with a knee injury and is expected to be sidelined for awhile. The Bruins put Sturm on long-term injured reserve, meaning he will sit out at least 30 days. Sturm has seven goals and six assists for 13 points in 19 games this season. The Bruins recalled center Martin St. Pierre from their AHL affiliate in Providence to fill the roster spot.

TONIGHT'S ACTION
Pittsburgh (17-11-4) @ Buffalo (16-13-4) - 7PM
Toronto (13-14-6) @ Atlanta (11-17-4) - 7PM
Phoenix (16-13-4) @ Edmonton (14-14-3) - 9:30PM
% Anaheim (18-12-3) @ Vancouver (18-12-3) - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will come out on Wednesday Evening This Week (Sorry, I have to get some last minute Christmas stuff done)

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch will come out on Thursday this week, as our Christmas gift to you.

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM