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.

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