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.
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