TOP STORY
NABOKOV NOTCHES NUMBER 20
(Photo Credit: AP)
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.
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.
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