TOP STORY
THE SCRAMBLE FOR THE NORTWEST LEAD...
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(Photo Credit: Jim Mone - AP) ...and Vancouver would give themselves a 3 point cushion for it.
Vancouver Canucks (12-6-2) over the Minnesota Wild (11-5-1) 3-2
When the Canucks and Wild get together, it's always a game I pay attention two. Just like the Wild's game against the Penguins on Tuesday, these two teams have very contrasting styles of play. Vancouver likes to move the puck a lot and take chances, knowing they have won of the best goalies in the world to protect any mistakes. Minnesota likes to pin team's down and wait for a mistake to come their way to capitalize off of. We had an exhibition in both last night.
The first period looked like Minnesota had made Vancouver play their style of hockey. In the 2nd period, the teams broke even, as Mikko Koivu would score both goals (one of them shorthanded) for the Wild. Steve Bernier and Pavol Demitra (PPG) would get both of Vancouver's goals. This was Demitra's first game back at the Xcel Energy Center (he also had an assist on the game winning goal). In the 3rd period, Daniel Sedin would score the winner halfway through the period and Curtis Sanford would make 28 saves to protect the win. Wild G Nicklas Backstrom made 24 saves in the loss. Henrik Sedin would add two assists for the Canucks.
This was a big win for Vancouver for many reasons. Roberto Luongo started the last 14 games in goal for Vancouver, so to get a solid win with Sanford in net gives the team confidence. Secondly, this was head coach Alain Vigneault's 100th win as Vancouver head coach (100-65-19). Thirdly (if that's a word), it was the 2nd win over Minnesota this season. The Canucks have been playing very good hockey after a rocky start and will close their four game road trip (2-0-1) on Saturday at Pittsburgh.
Minnesota had a three game winning streak snapped. Coincidentally, their last loss came against the Canucks. Minnesota lost for the first time in nine games that Koivu scored a point.The Wild will get a good chance to rebound when they host St. Louis on Saturday night.
RUMOR MILL
-It's no secret that the Senators could use help on the blueline. It looks like they are talking to Calgary to make a deal. Keep your eyes out for that.
LAST NIGHT'S RECAP
New Jersey Devils (9-7-2) over the Florida Panthers (7-10-1) 3-1
TOP PERFORMER = Devils G Scott Clemmensen - 23 saves
-Devils LW Patrick Elias and RW Brian Gionta both played well to earn a goal and an assist each in the win. Paul Martin would add the other Devils goal and Michael Frolik scored the lone Panthers goal on the power play. Panthers D Jassen Cullimore, re-signed about three weeks ago, had to be helped off the ice in the second period after hurting his right knee. He will be evaluated today.
Pittsburgh Penguins (12-4-3) over the Atlanta Trashers (7-9-2) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Penguins C Sidney Crosby - 1G 2A
-The Penguins would get the game winner on a Petr Syrkora deflection on the power play off the shot of Sidney Crosby. Miroslav Satan would get the other Penguins goal. Slava Kovlov (PP) and Jim Slater would score the two Atlanta goals. Dany Sabourin made 21 saves in his 2nd straight start while Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves in the win. The Thrashers are 0-5-2 when scoring two or fewer goals.
Montreal Canadiens (11-5-2) over the Ottawa Senators (6-9-4) 3-2 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Carey Price - 23 Saves
-Dany Heatley and Saku Koivu (PPG) would get each of their teams on the board in the 1st period. The teams would remain scoreless in the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Nick Foligno (PPG) and Andrei Markov would trade goals again. In the shootout, Andrei Markov and Alex Tanguay would score in the shootout to get the win. Montreal won for just the third time in its last eight games (3-4-1) since getting off to an 8-1-1 start while Ottawa's losing streak is at six games. Senators center Cody Bass made his season debut on a line with Foligno and Ilya Zubov. Veteran defenseman Luke Richardson did not play for Ottawa.
-Dany Heatley and Saku Koivu (PPG) would get each of their teams on the board in the 1st period. The teams would remain scoreless in the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Nick Foligno (PPG) and Andrei Markov would trade goals again. In the shootout, Andrei Markov and Alex Tanguay would score in the shootout to get the win. Montreal won for just the third time in its last eight games (3-4-1) since getting off to an 8-1-1 start while Ottawa's losing streak is at six games. Senators center Cody Bass made his season debut on a line with Foligno and Ilya Zubov. Veteran defenseman Luke Richardson did not play for Ottawa.
Chicago Blackhawks (9-4-5) over the Dallas Stars (6-9-3) 6-3
TOP PERFORMER = Blackhawks RW Patrick Kane - 2 goals
-This was the definition of a see-saw game. Dallas would get on the board first in the 1st period thanks to Brendan Morrow. Patrick Kane would get his first goal of the game with a minute to go in the 1st period. In the 2nd period, Chicago and Dallas would alternate goals with the Blackhawks leading 4-3 at the intermission. In the 3rd period, Chicago would pull away with two more goals. Chicago rookie RW Kris Veerstag had a goal and two assists and Nikolai Khabibulin made 31 saves in the win. The Stars have yet to win consecutive games this season and have lost 6 of their past 8. By this date last season, they had done so three times already.
Detroit Red Wings (13-2-3) over the Edmonton Oilers (9-9-2) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Red Wings RW Jiri Hudler - 2 goals (one on the PP)
-Detroit would score three goals in the 1st period (Jiri Hudler, Pavel Datsyuk-PP, Tomas Kopecky-PP) and never look back. Andrew Cogliano (PP), Lubomir Visnovsky, and Sheldon Souray(PP) would score the three Edmonton goals. Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom would chip in w/ 2 assists each. Chris Osgood would make 31 saves while Dwayne Roloson would be pulled from the game after giving up three goals midway through the 1st period. After winning four of their first six games in the month of November, the Oilers have won just once in their last five games. Shawn Horcoff played in his 500th game for the Oilers.
Calgary Flames (11-8-1) over the Colorado Avalanche (8-10-0) 1-0
TOP PERFORMER = Flames G Miika Kiprusoff - 18 Saves (Shutout)
-Daymond Langkow would get his 5th goal of the season on a set up from Mark Giordano and Jarome Iginla (400th career assist) for the game's lone goal midway through the 2nd period. Peter Budaj would make an impressive 32 saves in the loss. All four of Calgary's wins in the Northwest division have come against Colorado. Colorado lost a one-goal game for the first time since Oct. 14. Avs winger Marek Svatos sustained an abdominal injury in the 2nd period and didn't play in the third. Head Coach Tony Granato said he didn't know the severity of the injury. Avalanche C Joe Sakic missed his fourth straight game and fifth in the last six with a back injury. He could return to the lineup Saturday at Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Kings (8-8-2) over the Washington Capitals (11-5-3) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Kings RW Dustin Brown - 1 goal (PPG & GW goal) and 1 assist
-This game was a lot closer than the score indicates because the last two goals were empty-netters. Los Angeles keep the pressure on Caps G Brent Johnson all night long, firing 31 shots on net. Kings C Michael Handzus also had a goal and an assist in the win. New Kings G Erik Ersberg, has been impressive. He has made eight straight starts and has allowed an average of 2 goals a game during that stretch. Alexander Semin, the Capitals' leading scorer, missed his third consecutive game because of an undisclosed upper-body injury, and Sergei Fedorov missed his seventh straight with a sprained ankle. Alex Ovechkin still has yet to score a goal against the Los Angeles Kings in his career. The other teams he hasn't scored against are the San Jose Sharks and the Minnesota Wild, which happen to be Washington's next two opponents.
AROUND THE BOARDS
- Anaheim Ducks D Francois Beauchemin underwent surgery Thursday to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He is expected to be sidelined about six months. Beauchemin was injured during a 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville on Nov. 14. He will be placed on long-term IR. Beauchemin had four goals and one assist in 18 games this season and was tied for the second-most playing time on the team.
- St. Louis Blues D Erik Johnson, out for the season after injuring his knee during a pre-season team golf outing in September, had surgery to repair a damaged ligament. Johnson, the first overall pick of the 2006 draft, is expected to be ready for training camp next season. He tore two ligaments when his foot got stuck in a golf cart.
-Minnesota reassigned goalie Nolan Schaefer to Houston(AHL). He was recalled on an emergency basis after Josh Harding missed Tuesday's pre-game skate because of a lower-body injury.
-An excellent article in the Globe & Mail about the affect of the economy on the NHL Players Salaries: http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081119.wspt_shoalts20/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
-Top pospect John Tavares could be traded within the OHL:
GAME OF THE NIGHT
New York Islanders (7-9-2) @ New Jersey Devils (9-7-2) - 7PM
Lets face it, there are no real BIG match-ups tonight. However, Islanders-Devils is an intriguing one. Both teams are without their starting goaltenders (Rick DiPietro for the Islanders, Martin Brodeur for the Devils). Joey MacDonald has done very well for the Islanders in DiPietro's absence while the Devils replacements struggled in net (Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen, but Clemmensen is beginning to come on). The Isles have surged a bit lately while the Devils have struggled. Oh, and they are division rivals, too. The Islanders will get their most physical defenseman back Friday as Brendan Witt returns after missing four weeks with a sprained knee. Witt will keep close watch on New Jersey's Zach Parise, who has four goals and three assists in his last six games against the Islanders. New York is 7-2-1 in the last 10 meetings, but both regulation losses have come at New Jersey. (See, now it's intriguing)
Other Action:
Florida (7-10-1) @ Boston (12-3-4) - 7PM
Phoenix (8-8-1) @ Carolina (10-7-2) - 7PM
Philadelphia (7-6-4) @ Buffalo (9-6-3) - 7:30PM
Nashville (9-8-1) @ Tampa Bay (5-7-6) - 7:30PM
Anaheim (10-8-2) @ St. Louis (6-8-2) - 8:30PM
Phoenix (8-8-1) @ Carolina (10-7-2) - 7PM
Philadelphia (7-6-4) @ Buffalo (9-6-3) - 7:30PM
Nashville (9-8-1) @ Tampa Bay (5-7-6) - 7:30PM
Anaheim (10-8-2) @ St. Louis (6-8-2) - 8:30PM
^ALL TIMES EASTERN
*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out Monday evenings
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes our on Wednesday evenings
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