(Photo Credit David Duprey of the AP)
AP Story: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jm7mYUbhi0hDEYpV2tY2WugHBYAgD93V8S1G0
-The Buffalo Sabres continued their hot streak to open the season thanks to Ryan Miller's superb performance in net. Despite Boston putting Buffalo in a 2-0 hole halfway through the 2nd period, Miller turned his game up a notch and made 30 saves (some of them spectacular) to aid in the win.
RW Drew Stafford would tie the game up for Buffalo about six minutes in to the 3rd period. After a Miller heart-stopping save on Marco Sturm with :27 seconds remaining in OT, the teams would go to a shootout. NHL Goals leader Thomas Vanek, who had a 5 game-goal streak snapped, scored the shootout winner after faking a shot and then delaying the real shot just long enough to make sure G Manny Fernandez was out of position.
Phil Kessel scored on the power play for Boston and netted his 6th goal of the year. Kessel has been very hot to start the year for the B's. This is the 3rd OT or SO loss for the Bruins this year and while they've gotten a point for each of those, the wins should start coming soon. Next up for Boston is Toronto in their 2nd home game of the year on Thursday.
The Sabres streak of not allowing a power-play goal ended at 26, tying Dallas in 2001 for fourth-longest to start a season since 1989, according to STATS (Minnesota and LA still have yet to allow a PP goal this season. Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff improved his career record to 402-302-121, tying Punch Imlach for 22nd on the NHL coaching wins list. Buffalo's next game is Thursday night against the undefeated Wild.
OTHER HEADLINES
(Photo Source: HC Avangard Press)
ESPN.com’s Scott Burnside gives an update on the investigation in to the tragic death of Alexei Cherepanov:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3655654
One of the goals of the KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) in Russia is to get the league on par with the NHL. This is why KHL teams started luring some NHL players over there with bigger pay than NHL teams could offer some of these players. With all of that being said, the KHL needs to do everything they can to help this investigation go smoothly and get answers. You can’t be on par with the best hockey league in the world if you can’t make sure something as simple as an ambulance being at the arena until the end of the game is done properly.
RUMOR MILL
-An interesting twist on the Gaborik-Montreal rumors. Apparently he wants to play in Los Angeles for the Kings. While having Gabroik would make head coach Terry Murray and GM Dean Lombardi giddy, don’t count on this happening.
LAST NIGHT’S RECAP
Anaheim Ducks (2-5-0) over Toronto Maple Leafs (1-2-3) 3-2 in SO
- Jean-Sebastian Giguere looked like the Giguere of old, turning away 36 of 38 shots in a 3-2 shootout win for the Ducks in Toronto last night. The big story here is that head coach Ron Wilson pulled Vesa Toskala for the shootout to go to a cold Curtis Jospeh. Wilson said he was "playing the percentages" in the decision. A potential factor in to this decision was that Anaheim was held without a shot in the 3rd period. Francois Beauchemin and George Parros scored in regulation for Anaheim and Nik Antropov scored both goals for the Leafs (including one of them in the last minute to force OT).
Columbus Blue Jackets (2-3-0) over the Vancouver Canucks (3-4-0) - 4-2
- Vancouver continued their inconsistent ways last night and never lead in this game. Blue Jackets' RW Derek Dorsett scored his first NHL goal in the win and it turned out to be the game winner. LW Rick Nash had a goal and an assist and RW Jakub Voracek had two assists. Kyle Wellwood, who was called up to the Canucks before the game after being placed on wiavers last week, had a goal and an assist in the loss. Vancouver lost its third straight to finish their six-game road trip 2-4.
Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-3) over Atlanta Thrashers (2-2-2) 3-2 in OT
-Barry Melrose can finally breathe a sign of relief after getting his first win as Lightning head coach. They had to go to OT to do it, but captain Vinny Lecavalier scored the first game winner of the year for Tampa Bay. Mark Recchi and Vinny Prospal also scored for Tampa Bay while Colby Armstrong and Todd White had the Atlanta goals. Tampa Bay LW Gary Roberts played in 1,200th NHL game. while RW St. Louis picked up his 300th career assist on Prospal's second-period goal.B oth goalies played well as TB goalie Mike Smith made 31 saves and Atlanta goalie Kari Lehtonen made 35 saves.
Calgary Flames (2-3-1) over the Washington Capitals (3-2-1) 2-1
- The story in this one was Washington's inability to score on a 9 minute power play (considering their offensive fire power, this is beyond shocking). Seven minutes into the first period, Washington defenseman Tyler Sloan leveled Calgary center Daymond Langkow with a clean bodycheck at the Caps' blue-line.Sloan, who was playing just his third NHL shift, was immediately tackled by Calgary's Rene Bourque, who then pummeled him while he was down on the ice. "It was the first time I've ever had a nine-minute power-play and we had only one chance in those nine minutes and it can't be like that," said Washington right-winger Alexander Ovechkin. Calgary's goals came from Jarome Iginla and Matthew Lombardi while Sergei Fedorov scored for Washington. The goal was # 473 of his career, tying him with Alexander Mogilny for most career NHL goals by a Russian-born player.
AROUND THE BOARDS
- Red Wings defenseman Andreas Lilja has successfully undergone an appendectomy. He could return to the lineup as soon as Friday following yesterday’s surgery. The team also says forward Darren Helm has been assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit’s AHL affiliate). Helm was called up to Detroit on Thursday and appeared in two games.
(Talk about a tough guy. He had his abdomen cut open on a Tuesday and is planning on playing on Friday. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, NHL players are some of the toughest athletes in the world.)
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated center Manny Malhotra off injured reserve. Malhotra has been fighting a lower-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup through the club's first five games. He was hurt in the Blue Jackets' final preseason game at Toronto.
-The Blue Jackets have also placed left wing Fredrik Modin on injured reserve Tuesday. Modin, who has three assists in five games, has been hampered by a hip injury that likely will cause him to miss at least three games.
- The St. Louis Blues’ claimed forward David Koci on waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Koci appeared in one game with Tampa Bay this season, tallying four penalty minutes. The 6-6, 238-pound forward has played in 28 career NHL games, recording 160 penalty minutes.
-The Tampa Bay Lightning have claimed forward Matt Pettinger off of re-entry waivers from the Vancouver Canucks and have placed Jason Ward on waivers.
GAME OF THE NIGHT
Detroit Red Wings (3-1-1) @ St. Louis Blues (4-1-0) – 8:30PM
-This will be an early season battle for first place in the Central Division. The Blues have jumped out to a surprisingly good start and have a one point edge on Hockeytown in the standings. St. Louis is coming off an exciting 4-3 SO win over the Blackhawks on Saturday night. The Red Wings are coming off a seesaw 5-4 OT win over the Rangers on Saturday night. Ty Conklin will get the start for the Red Wings in net tonight.
Other Action:
Florida (2-3-0) @ Ottawa (2-2-1) - 7PM
Dallas (2-3-1) @ New Jersey (4-1-0) – 7PM
San Jose (5-1-0) @ Philadelphia (0-3-2) – 7PM
Edmonton (4-0-0) @ Chicago (2-2-2) – 9PM
^^All times Eastern
**My weekly power rankings, “Plus/Minus” comes out TONIGHT!
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