FTS 11/8/08

TOP STORY

BIRTH OF A STAR

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Mike Modano, Sean Avery & Mark Parrish celebrate one of Parish's 3 goals

Dallas Stars (5-6-2) over the Anaheim Ducks (9-6-1) 5-2

AP Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2008020195

Mark Parrish signed a one-year deal with the Stars on Wednesday. He celebrated with his sixth career hat trick (2 PPGs) in his first game as the Stars ended a three game winless streak. In the process, the Ducks lost in regulation for the first time since a 3-1 setback against Carolina on Oct. 19. Anaheim was 8-0-1 in its previous nine games.

Fabian Brunnstrom and Brad Richards also scored for the Stars. Mike Ribeiro added two assists while Marty Turco made 28 saves. It was just the second time Turco allowed two goals or less in eleven appearances this season. Brendan Morrison and Scott Nidermayer scored the two Anaheim goals and Jean-Sebastian Giguere allowed four or more goals for the 8th time this season in 14 appearances. Stars D Sergei Zubov played in his first game of the season after missing training camp and the first 12 games of the season recovering from hip surgery.

Ducks enforcer George Parros returned to the lineup after missing three games because of a eye abrasion. With his first-period assist on Morrison's goal, Teemu Selanne became Anaheim's franchise leader with 370 assists. Paul Kariya had 369 assists in 606 games for the Ducks. Anaheim will get a chance to bounce back tomorrow night when they host the Florida Panthers. Dallas continues it's five-game road trip against San Jose tonight.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The Philadelphia Flyers acquired defenseman Matt Carle and the San Jose Sharks' third round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Steve Eminger, Steve Downie and Tampa Bay's fourth round pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Carle, 24, recorded a goal and an assist for two points and six penalty minutes in 12 games for the Lightning this season. He is second on the team in blocked shots (27) and third on the team in average time on ice (21:57 minutes per game). In 163 career NHL regular season games over the last four seasons (2005-06 through 2008-09), Carle has registered 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points and 76 penalty minutes. Prior to joining the Lightning, Carle posted 63 points (16G,47A) and 70 penalty minutes in 151 games for the Sharks over three seasons (2005-06 through 2007-08). He has also appeared in 33 career NHL playoff games over the last three seasons, recording two goals and seven assists for nine points and eight penalty minutes.

-Goalie Evgeni Nabokov might not play against Dallas tonight after sustaining a lower body injury while making the final stop in their shootout victory over St. Louis on Thursday night. Nabokov has a league-leading 10 victories despite an .891 save percentage and 2.72 GAA. Backup Brian Boucher, who has posted shutouts in his only two starts this season will get the start against the Stars tongiht. San Jose recalled goalie Thomas Greiss and left wing Brad Staubitz from their AHL affiliate in Worcester on Friday, reassigning left wing Jamie McGinn to the minors.

-Sidney Crosby left practice early on Friday afternoon and his playing status for Saturday night's game against the New York Islanders is unknown. "A little sore today," Crosby said. "We'll see tomorrow." Crosby has been bothered by a lingering undisclosed injury that he suffered against the Phoenix Coyotes on Oct. 30. "It's been like this for a week," head coach Michel Therrien said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow. So far he's felt good enough to play those games. He got hurt a little bit. We hope he's going to be there tomorrow."

RUMOR MILL

-Canadiens for sale? Team owners say No (credit TSN):

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=255052&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_nhl

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Carolina Hurricanes (8-4-2) over the Carolina Hurricanes (6-6-2) 2-1

-Hurricanes HC Peter Laviolette become the winningest American-born coach in NHL history thanks to a late Joe Corvo goal in the 3rd period. Dennis Seidenberg had the other Carolina goal (which Corvo assisted on) and Mike Fisher scored for the Senators, who were denied their third straight win. 'Canes G Michael Leighton made 22 saves in his second straight start on home ice. Carolina C Matt Cullen missed his fourth straight game with a leg injury. Carolina C Rod Brind'Amour played with stitches on both sides of his nose. He was injured in the final seconds Thursday night at Washington. Ottawa LW Dany Heatley's five-game goal-scoring streak ended. He also had scored in his last five games against the Hurricanes.

Columbus Blue Jackets (6-6-2) over the Montreal Canadiens (8-1-2) 4-3 (SO)
-Talk about a start to a career. Blue Jackets' rookie goalie Steve Mason has two wins in his two career NHL starts despite allowing seven goals combined between the two outings. Derick Brassard scored Columbus' second goal in the shootout to give the Jackets the victory. R.J. Umberger, Marc Methot and Fredrik Modin scored goals for Columbus (Methot & Modin's goals coming 34 seconds apart in the third period for a 3-2 lead). Jan Hejda and Rick Nash each had two assists for the Blue Jackets, who have scored points in their last five games. Montreal's Sergei Kostitsyn scored on a pass from his brother Andrei to tie it with 40.9 seconds left in regulation. Alex Tanguay and Patrice Brisebois had power-play goals for the Canadiens, who lost for the first time on the road. Tomas Plekanec chipped in with two assists. Montreal, off since last Saturday, had won its last four road games and last three overall. Friday's loss was the first loss for the Canadiens in Ohio since a 2-1 setback against the Cleveland Barons on Nov. 23, 1977.

Atlanta Thrashers (5-7-2) over the Buffalo Sabres (8-2-3) 5-4 (OT)
-Jason Williams scored his second goal of the game 48 seconds into overtime and Bryan Little had two goals and an assist in the Atlanta victory. Todd White also scored for the Thrashers in their 2nd win over Buffalo this season. This is their first 3-game win streak since last season. The Thrashers are now 3-1 since G Kari Lehtonen left the lineup (G Johan Hedberg improved to 9-2-1 lifetime against Buffalo). Thomas Vanek scored his NHL-leading 12th goal, and Clarke MacArthur, Ales Kotalik and Maxim Afinogenov also scored for the Sabres. Atlanta D Mathieu Schneider missed his second game because of a hip flexor.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Michael Ryan from the Albany River Rats (AHL). To make room for Ryan on the roster, the Hurricanes placed center Brandon Sutter on IR. Ryan was signed by the Hurricanes on Oct. 31, and has played in two games with the River Rats, notching one goal and earning two assists.

-Hockey HOF unveils new exhibit to celebrate Canadiens (credit Canadian Press):

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=255086&lid=sublink04&lpos=headlines_nhl

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Buffalo Sabres (8-2-3) @ Boston Bruins (7-3-3) - 7PM

-In a division where 1st and 3rd are separated by two points, the 3rd place Bruins will host the Sabres in a chance to tie Buffalo for the Northeast Division lead. A big part of the Bruins success has been G Tim Thomas, who has a 1.85 GAA and a league-leading .944 Save Percentage. Boston is coming off a 5-2 win over Toronto on Thursday night. The Sabres are 4-0-2 on the road, making them and the Canadiens the only teams yet to lose in regulation away from home this season. Playing at home on Friday, though, Buffalo squandered three one-goal leads before falling 5-4 in overtime to Atlanta.

Other Action:
New Jersey (7-3-2) @ Detroit (8-2-2) - 7PM

Pittsburgh (7-4-2) @ NY Islanders (4-8-1) - 7PM

Tampa Bay (4-4-4) @ Philadelphia (4-5-3) - 7PM

Montreal (8-1-2) @ Toronto (5-5-4) - 7PM
NY Rangers (11-4-1) @ Washington (6-4-2) - 7PM

Calgary (8-5-1) @ Columbus (6-6-2) - 7PM
Nashville (6-6-1) @ Colorado (5-8-0) - 9PM

Florida (4-7-1) @ Phoenix (5-6-0) - 9PM
Dallas (5-6-2) @ San Jose (12-2-0) - 10PM

Minnesota (8-3-1) @ Vancouver (8-6-0) - 10PM
St. Louis (5-6-1) @ Los Angeles (4-6-2) - 10:30PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on Monday evenings

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out Wednesday evenings

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS - 11/7/08

TOP STORY

CARDIAC CAPS

(Photo Credit: Washington Times)

Semin Hurts The 'Canes Late

Washingon Capitals (6-4-2) over the Carolina Hurricanes (7-4-2) 3-2

AP Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=200802018

-The Capitals and Hurricanes will meet five more times this season. If you're a hockey fan that lives outside of the Carolina or DC markets and you have NHL Center Ice, make it your business to watch when these two meet. I said it in previous blogs that these two teams will provide an exciting race for the Southeast Division title. Last night's game provided a good opening salvo.

Scott Walker opened the scoring for Carolina in the first period. C Sergei Fedorov would tie things up for Washington in the 2nd, but Tuomo Ruutu (who has a five game scoring streak) would give the Hurricanes back the lead heading in to the 3rd period. It would remain that way until just under 3 minutes remained when Alexander Semin would knot things up at 2. With 10 seconds left, Semin would score the game winner to complete the late come from behind victory. Alexander Ovechkin snapped out of his slump with three assists in the win. Brent Johnson made 32 saves in the win while Cam Ward stopped 30 in the loss.

Alexander Semin's longest goal-scoring drought thus far this season is two games. He had five of four or more games last season. The three goals were Washington's fewest this season in a win. Playing in his 300th NHL game, Washington's Shaone Morrisonn left after the first period with a groin injury. The Caps continue their three-game homestand on Saturday night when they host the East-leading New York Rangers. The Hurricanes host the Senators tonight (scroll down to see my Game of the Night)

OTHER HEADLINES

-New Jersey Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur had surgery yesterday to repair his torn left biceps near the elbow. "According to the doctors, his surgery was 100 percent successful," Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said in a statement. "The timetable for his return remains three to four months." Brodeur was injured Saturday against Atlanta making a second-period glove save on a shot that was going wide of the net.

RUMOR MILL

-The Florida Panthers may be dealing D Jay Bouwmeester soon. There's not a team in the league that couldn't use a quality rearguard like Bouwmeester. The teams that look like like they are in the running for him are Montreal (it seems like they are in the running for everyone), Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, and Philly. Philly would have the most options for Florida, as the Panthers need a Center and the Flyers are deep at that position. It'd be interesting to see him in Boston just on the chance that he'd get some shifts alongside Zdeno Chara.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Boston Bruins (7-3-3) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (5-5-4) 5-2
-Sometimes, changing a team's logo or jersey sparks them to a better season. In rookie Blake Wheeler's case, changing his number from 42 to 26 meant his first career hat trick. Dennis Wideman and Zdeno Chara, playing his 700th NHL game, added goals for the Bruins in their fifth win in six games. Mikhail Grabovski and Alex Steen scored for Toronto, which has now lost three straight. Bruins G Tim Thomas made 34 saves in the win. Toronto center Nik Antropov left the game in the first period after injuring his foot blocking a shot, but it doesn't appear to be something that will keep Antropov out of the lineup. Toronto center John Mitchell injured his shoulder and spoke about it possibly being separated after the game. Boston scored a power-play goal for the ninth time in 13 games while Toronto has allowed two or more power-play goals in five games.

New York Rangers (11-4-1) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-4-3) 5-2
-The bio on Chris Drury is that he always comes up with the timely play or big goal. The Rangers were on a two game losing streak heading in to last night's game and Drury stepped it up with a hat trick (2 PPG, 1 SHG) to help the Rangers to their 11th win of the season. Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal scored the other two Ranger goals while Henrik Lundqvist pitched in with 36 saves. Ryan Malone (PPG) & Martin St. Louis scored the two Tampa goals. The game was chippy from beginning to end and included a fight between Rangers winger Aaron Voros and Tampa Bay goalie Mike Smith. The Lightning lost in regulation for just the second time since their season-opening trip to Prague.

Pittsburgh Penguins (7-4-2) over the Edmonton Oilers (6-6-1) 5-4

-Sometimes a big lead early in the game can hurt you. The Penguins had a 5-0 lead midway through the 2nd period thanks to goals from Miroslav Satan (2 goals - one of them a ridiculous shot through his leg), Petr Sykora (2 goals - 1PPG), and Maxime Talbot (SHG). Edmonton would fight back with four goals (Pisani, Gilbert, Hemsky, Souray-PPG), but that's as close as they would get. Evgeni Malkin has a nine-game point streak and has scored in all but one game this season (he had 3 assists last night).

Ottawa Senators (6-5-2) over the Philadelphia Flyers (4-5-3) 4-1

-LW Dany Heatley (PPG) scored for the fifth straight game and Jesse Winchester had his first NHL goal in the Ottawa win. Anton Volchenkov and Chris Neil (Empty Net) potted the other two goals for the Senators. Aaron Asham scored the lone goal for Philly. Alex Auld made 17 saves and has been a backbone for Ottawa in their 5 game points streak (4-0-1). The Flyers have just three wins in their last 18 trips to Ottawa.

Atlanta Thrashers (4-7-2) over the New York Islanders (4-8-1) 4-3

-The Islanders certainly have a knack for blowing leads lately. Their two game winning streak was snapped after losing a 3-1 2nd period lead. Jon Sim, Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter would score the three goals for the Isles, but their defense would break down again. This is the 3rd time in 4 games the Islanders have blown a lead, but they managed to escape with the win against Columbus. The Thrashers goals were scored by Slava Kozlov (2), Jason Williams (PPG) and Tobias Enstrom. Atlanta has scored 19 goals in four wins this season, including four Thursday, but have scored only 16 goals in nine losses (seven in regulation, two in OT). Islanders forward Doug Weight got an assist, leaving him 20 points shy of 1,000 for his career. He has a point in six of the last eight games.

Minnesota Wild (8-3-1) over the Colorado Avalanche (5-8-0) 3-1

-The Wild are on a three game winning streak thanks to goals from Andrew Brunette (who played in his 800th career game and his 465th straight game), Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Benoit Pouliot. Marek Zidlicky chipped in with two assists and NIcklas Backstrom made 35 saves. Backstrom has only lost once this season when he's made more than 30 saves. Darcy Tucker scored the lone Avs goal. Minnesota won despite Colorado winning the faceoff battle 37 to 15. The Avalanche have been a roller-coaster team this season, losing three in a row to open the year, then winning five straight, and have now lost five in a row (going 0 for 6 on the PP won't help you snap that streak).

Calgary Flames (8-5-1) over the Nashville Predators (6-6-1) 7-6

-The Flames were lucky that there wasn't a few extra minutes in the game last night. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead and then a 7-3 lead, the Preds almost crept back in to the game. Todd Bertuzzi had 3 assists, Craig Conroy had two goals and an assist, and Jarome Iginla had 2 goals (both PP) and 2 assists for Calgary. On the Nashville box score, Shea Weber had 2 goals and Martin Erat and David Legwand each had a goal and an assist. After allowing two or fewer goals in five of six games, Miika Kiprusoff has allowed 13 in his last three starts for the Flames.

Vancouver Canucks (8-6-0) over the Phoenix Coyotes (5-6-0) 1-0

-Kevin Bieksa would score for Vancouver about 12 minutes in to the 1st period (assisted by Ryan Kesler and Aleandre Burrows) and that would be all the Canucks would need. Roberto Luongo made 28 saves for his second straight shutout, his third shutout in five games and NHL-leading fourth overall. His biggest save came on an Ed Jovanovki's blast with 25.2 seconds left and the Phoenix net empty for an extra attacker. In between, the star goalie got a lot of help from a stingy defense that kept the Coyotes to the outside most of the night.

Los Angeles Kings (4-6-2) over the Florida Panthers (4-7-1) 3-2

-Brian Boyle, Tom Preissing (PPG) and Dustin Brown scored the three Kings goals in last night's win over the Panthers. G Erik Ersberg made his second straight start in goal for the Kings and made 13 saves after sitting behind Jason LaBarbera for the first 10 contests. Anthony Stewart had a goal and Nathan Horton added a short-handed tally for the Panthers in their fifth straight loss. Panthers D Bryan McCabe was back in the lineup after missing the previous 10 games because of a lower back strain. C Gregory Campbell was back in action for Florida after sitting out five games with an injured hip. Panthers LW Cory Stillman, who has five of Florida's 27 goals through their first 12 games, did not make the trip because of a concussion and a broken nose he sustained during Sunday's 5-3 loss in Atlanta.

San Jose Sharks (12-2-0) over the St. Louis Blues (5-6-1) 5-4 (SO)
-Ryane Clowe already had saved the San Jose Sharks twice with tying goals in the game, but would score the most important goal in the 4th round of the shootout to extend the Sharks winnning streak to six games. Clowe has 8 goals in 8 games and had to leave the game for a bit due to some cuts on his face. San Jose remains unbeaten at home at 8-0-0. Evgeni Nabokov made 25 saves and stopped three consecutive Blues to end the shootout, but the goalie left the ice gingerly after stretching to stop Patrik Berglund on the final shootout attempt. Rob Blake scored his first goal of the season for San Jose, and Joe Thornton also scored before Clowe took over. Lee Stempniak had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who lost for the sixth time in seven games despite never trailing in regulation. Keith Tkachuk got his ninth goal of the season and Blaine Bishop made 38 saves. LW Paul Kariya was out of the lineup with a lower-body injury.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Minnesota Wild D Brent Burns is returning home early from the team's road trip due to an unspecified upper-body injury that has kept him out of action for the past week. Burns was hurt in pre-game warmups on Saturday at Phoenix and didn't dress for Tuesday's game at San Jose.
He'll miss games at Colorado Thursday and Vancouver Saturday. He has three goals and one assist in nine games this season.

-Atlanta D Mathieu Schneider missed last night's game against the New York Islanders on because of a hip flexor injury. GM Don Waddell said Schneider was injured in a light morning practice and isn't expected to join the team on a two-game road trip to Buffalo and Carolina. Also, Goalie Kari Lehtonen missed his third straight game because of a stiff back and flu symptoms, but is expected to return tonight against the Sabres.

-The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday placed D Denis Grebeshkov on injured reserve, retroactive to November 1. The fourth-year pro has missed the Oilers' last two games, in Philadelphia and Columbus, after suffering an undisclosed upper-body injury last Saturday against Carolina.
He has one goal and five points in 10 games this season. Edmonton recalled D Theo Peckham from Springfield (AHL) to fill the spot.

-The Colorado Avalanche recalled T.J. Hensick from the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL). It’s Hensick’s first call-up of the season. He leads the Monsters in scoring (6G 7A) and is tied for fifth among all AHL scorers.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Ottawa Senators (6-5-2) Carolina Hurricanes (7-4-2) - 7PM

-The Carolina Hurricanes open up a stretch of 8 of 10 at home tonight. Only Edmonton (3) has played fewer home games than Carolina (4) which has played eight of its last 10 on the road. The Hurricanes are coming off a disappointing 3-2 loss to the Caps last night. On the flip side, Dany Heatley has goals in five straight games, helping Ottawa to a 4-0-1 record during that span.They are above .500 for the first time this season. The Senators' power play, meanwhile, is among the best in the league with a 23.7 conversion rate, scoring on 14 of 59 chances. They have scored a power-play goal in all but two games this season. Carolina's power play hasn't been nearly as effective, going 6 for 47 in the last 11 games. The Hurricanes have also allowed a power-play goal in six of their last nine contests. Ottawa is 7-3-0 in its last 10 meetings with the Hurricanes, scoring at least four goals in six of those wins.

Other Action:

Montreal (8-1-1) @ Columbus (5-6-2) - 7PM
Atlanta (4-7-2) @ Buffalo (8-2-2) - 7:30PM
Dallas (4-6-2) @ Anaheim (9-5-1) - 10PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on Monday evenings

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out Wednesday evenings

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS - 11/6/08

TOP STORY

WEATHERING THE STORM

(Photo Credit: AP)

Devils Get Their First Win In Their 2nd Game Without Martin Brodeur

New Jersey Devils (7-3-2) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3-4) 4-3 (SO)

AP Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2008020178

-I don't think anyone can "replace" Martin Brodeur, but as long as the Devils can win games, Kevin Weekes will keep everyone happy. Weekes came up with some big saves in the shootout to get the Devils the victory over the Lightning last night.

The teams would exchange leads in this game. Jussi Jokinen opened the scoring for Tampa Bay in the first period. The Devils would take the lead in the 2nd period courtesy of goals from David Clarkson and Patrick Elias (PPG for Elias). Those Devils goals would end a scoring drought for the Devils that almost lasted two full games. Jussi Jokinen would get his 2nd goal of the game (PPG) to tie things up in the 3rd. Jay Pandolfo would give the Devils the lead again, but it would only last for a minute as Martin St. Louis knotted things at 4 on the power play.

Both teams had four shots in overtime. Lightning G Mike Smith made 35 saves overall, and Weekes had 24. In the shootout, Weekes allowed Lecavalier to score, but shut down Jokinen and Vinny Prospal. Patrick Elias and Jamie Langebrunner scored the two shootout goals for New Jersey.

This was a nice rebound for New Jersey after being shutout by the Sabres at home on Monday night. The win rights the ship for them before they get a real tough test on Saturday night when they head to Detroit. The Lightning play game #2 of their five game road trip tonight when they play the Rangers @ MSG. No word on whether RW Radim Vrbata will return to the lineup. He's missed five straight games due to a groin injury.

RUMOR MILL

-Sundin Update: The Ducks are now a runner in the Mats Sweepstakes. How they plan to pull this off with only $400,000 of cap space, I have no idea. To fit Selanne and Scott Niedermayer last year, they had to trade Andy McDonald. Who would get the ax this time?

-Teams in the running for Brendan Shanahan: Pittsburgh, Philly & Montreal

-Teams that are hot for Marian Gaborik: Los Angeles, NY Islanders, Toronto & Ottawa. Ottawa is also a player for Mats Sundin.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Columbus Blue Jackets (5-6-2) over the Edmonton Oilers (6-5-1) 5-4

-Talk about an exciting game. Columbus had a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period thanks to goals from Kristian Huselius (PPG) and October Rookie of the Month Derrick Brassard. Edmonton would tie it up by the end of the period by goals from Andrew Cogliano (PPG) and Ethan Moreau (SHG). The Oilers would jump out to a 4-2 lead early in the 3rd period (Ales Hemsky, Kyle Brodziak), but RJ Umberger and Fredrik Modin would tie it right back up (the 4 goals coming in a 4 minute span). Manny Malholtra, who hadn't scored a game-winning goal in a year, potted the winner with just over a minute remaining. D Mike Commodore had two assists for Columbus. The big story in this game was Blue Jackets' Goalie Prospect Steve Mason making 22 saves to get his first win in his NHL debut. It was the 2nd Columbus victory since Pascal Leclaire was injured. Columbus F Jason Chimera was hit in the middle of the chest by a hard shot late in the game and immediately skated off to the dressing room (no injury to report).

Anaheim Ducks (9-5-1) over the St. Louis Blues (5-6-0) 5-2

-The Ducks have won 8 of their past 9 and have now taken over the league lead in scoring with 49 goals. Ryan Getzlaf scored two goals for Anaheim while Rob Niedermayer, Corey Perry, and Teemu Selanne (who extended his point streak to 8 games) had the others. Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger also tied Montreal's Andrei Markov and Ottawa's Filip Kuba for the scoring lead among NHL defenseman by generating his 13th point. He assisted on Selanne's second-period goal. Backup G Jonas Hiller made 31 saves in the win. Patrik Berglund and Andy McDonald (PPG - against his former team) scored the two St. Louis goals.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The Columbus Blue Jackets recalled goaltender Steve Mason from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse on Tuesday, and assigned goaltender Dan LaCosta to the Crunch. The moves were made because goaltender Pascal Leclaire is still sidelined with a sprained ankle that may keep him out for at least another week. The 20-year-old Mason has gone 2-1-0 with a 1.63 GAA in three games with Syracuse this season. He was the Blue Jackets' second pick and the 69th overall selection in the 2006 draft. LaCosta saw action in just one Blue Jackets game this season.

-Forward David Desharnais has signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens. He has nine points in 11 games this season with the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL).
Desharnais, a five-foot-six centre, was scoring champion of the ECHL last season with 29 goals and 106 points. The Quebec City native was also named most valuable player and rookie of the year while leading the Cincinnati Cyclones to a Kelly Cup championship.

-NHLPA Files Unfair Labor Practice Charge Over Europeans (courtesy of Canadian Press): http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=254847&lid=sublink07&lpos=headlines_nhl

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-2) @ Washington Capitals (5-4-2) - 7PM

-Whenever these teams meet, it will have huge implications come late March and early April for the Southeast Division title. The Hurricanes have gotten off to a very good start this year while the Capitals have struggled early on. Carolina comes in on a two game winning streak while the Caps are on a two game losing streak. Washington's struggles are directly related to Alexander Ovechkin. The Caps will go as he goes. He's missed two games and only has five points (2G 3A) in the eight games he's played so far this season. Facing Carolina could be what Ovechkin needs to break his slump. Ovie had seven goals against Carolina; the most he had against any opponent last season. Look for the Caps to start Brent Johnson in net over a struggling Jose Theodore. Washington won three of four meetings at home with the Hurricanes in 2007-08, outscoring them 12-5.

Other Action:
Toronto (5-4-4) @ Boston (6-3-3) - 7PM

Tampa Bay (4-3-4) @ NY Rangers (10-4-1) - 7PM

Edmonton (6-5-1) @ Pittsburgh (6-4-2) - 7:30PM

NY Islanders (4-7-1) @ Atlanta (3-7-2) - 7:30PM

Philadelphia (4-4-3) @ Ottawa (5-5-2) - 7:30PM

Minnesota (7-3-1) @ Colorado (5-7-0) - 9PM

Nashville (6-5-1) @ Calgary (7-5-1) - 9:30PM

Phoenix (5-5-0) @ Vancouver (7-6-0) - 10PM

Florida (4-6-1) @ Los Angeles (3-6-2) - 10:30PM

St. Louis (5-6-0) @ San Jose (11-2-0) - 10:30PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on Monday evenings

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out Wednesday evenings

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME HERE OR AT FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

DROPPING THE GLOVES WITH ANDREW BOGUSCH - 11/5/08

(Andrew Bogusch will contribute a regular column every week to FTS. Any comments can be sent to FromTheSlot@gmail.com)

Melania Knauss OK’ing a marriage to Donald Trump. Emmitt Smith, Warren Sapp, Jerry Rice, et. al. agreeing to appear on Dancing with the Stars. The fact people care what the girls from The Hills think about anything. And the Sophomore Slump. All of these things are truly inexplicable.

Maybe Miss Knauss enjoys large bank accounts. Maybe the ex-NFLers missed the thrill of competition so much they put on leotards and pranced around on ABC. Maybe LC, Heidi and Audrina will one day solve our country’s greatest problems. But how do we explain young men grinding to a halt in Year 2 after a stellar Year 1?

Case in point this NHL season, Blackhawks center Jonathon Toews and Oilers winger Sam Gagner. Not only did Toews score 24 times in 64 games as a rookie, he was a +11 and displayed enough leadership skills to be given the C for this season. Gagner teamed with Andrew Cogliano and Robert Nilsson to nearly drive the injury-depleted Oilers into the playoffs late last season. All told, Toews and Gagner combined for 103 points in 2007-08. Through their first 21 combined games of ’08-‘09, they had zero goals and 8 assists between them. “It’s a long season,” Gagner said recently. “Guys go through slumps at different points in the season. Mine just happens to be now.”

Maybe Gagner is right, maybe this is just a season-opening slump. But maybe this is the weight of expectations, of being the 20-year-old leader of a much-hyped team in Toews’ case. Whatever it is, these two young men need to come up with a remedy fairly soon. Grow a beard, shave a beard. Change your tape color. Alter the order you get dressed. Locker room sacrifice a la Major League. Even go the Jason Giambi route and breakout a thong. Whatever it takes to find the back of the net because the Oilers and Blackhawks need these two to contribute on a nightly basis.

Gagner and Toews are no longer pesky teenagers. Teams are prepared for them each night, knowing their tendencies and weaknesses. The next adjustment is up to them. It’s now about finding a new way to find open space, a new way to get the puck into the net. It’s now about playing like rookies again.

* * *

The shootout...The Ranger fan in me wants to giggle about Martin Brodeur’s elbow injury (surgery Thursday, he’s out upto 4 months), but as a hockey fan I have to be disappointed. While I won’t call Brodeur the best of all-time, he is must-see TV. He’ll be missed, just not that much…

The Anaheim Ducks are the latest team to express interest in free agent Mats Sundin. GM Brian Burke was to meet with Sundin by Wednesday. Adding the former Leaf would require more salary dumping by the up-against-the-cap Ducks. He would certainly help create secondary scoring, but at what cost? The Ducks have roughly $400,000 in cap space; the Canucks apparently have a 2-year, $20-million-dollar standing offer to Sundin. Burke is one of the game’s best managers, but he couldn’t open up enough room for Sundin without sacrificing the rest of his roster. He already had to compromise his blueline (Mathieu Schneider to ATL) to re-sign Teemu Selanne. Had Burke not wasted money on Todd Bertuzzi, who will take up cap space through next year, and Brendan Morrison, this would be slightly easier…

Rick DiPietro’s 15-year contract on Long Island is officially one of the worst contracts in sports history. The numbers have not been terrible (58 total wins and back-to-back sub-3.00 GAAs in the 2 full seasons signing on the dotted line), but it is DiPietro’s recent health issues that are the major red flag. Offseason hip surgery was followed recently by a knee operation. DiPietro is currently out 4-6 weeks -- he may come back from this latest issue and be superb the rest of the season. But is anyone overly confident in that? Hip and knee problems just don’t sound good when attached to a goalie. At least San Francisco Giants lefty Barry Zito is healthy...

We’ll write here often about uniforms, especially as teams continue to unveil alternate jerseys. This should be good news, and it is when it comes to the Hurricanes and Blues, but it’s not in Atlanta. The Thrashers mostly maroon concoction is atrocious. The fact that (presumably) multiple people, from marketing up to management, OK’d this jersey is mind-boggling. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can check it out shop.nhl.com.

FTS 11/5/08

TOP STORY

3-4 Months Of Hell

(Photo Credit: Rick Schultz - AP)

Martin Brodeur Expected to Return in March

AP Link: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jKpVOiM2aK-VldC5OClLuHM4x5SQD948HED82

-The backbone of the Devils franchise, Marty Brodeur, will be out for the bulk of the regular season because of a freak injury to his left elbow. The injury occured in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Thrashers. He came out of the game 6:38 into the second period, clutching his elbow in obvious pain. At the time, the Devils said he suffered a bruise."The guy missed the net and I extended my arm real quick and felt a pop, a stabbing kind of feeling in my biceps and from then I knew something was wrong," Brodeur said.

He will undergo surgery tomorrow morning to repair the distal bicep in his left elbow. Kevin Weekes will be starting for New Jersey in the meantime while Scott Clemmensen is the backup. Ironically, Weekes required surgery this summer to repair a similar type of injury. Devils General Manager/CEO/President Lou Lamoriello told reporters Tuesday afternoon that the veteran goalie would miss the next 3-4 months, but should return completely healthy for the end of the regular season. Four months from Thursday is March 5. The Devils would have 18 games remaining if he's back by then.

Brodeur remains 7 wins shy of tying Roy on the all-time wins list and 5 shutouts short of tying Terry Sawchuk's record for the most shutouts. "I don't know if it's because I'm in shock a little bit, but I don't feel too bad," Brodeur said on a conference call Tuesday afternoon. "It's something I didn't see coming, but I understand the whole process of it. We didn't make a decision on it right away. We made sure we saw a few doctors and did our homework for the surgery that will be done."

This is a freak injury for a hockey player, especially a goalie. I've always wondered what type of team the Devils would be without Marty. Now we'll get to see how this team does without one of the best insurance policies ever between the pipes. Kevin Weekes is a reliable backup and can play a few games here and there for you. Can he be the #1 guy for a 3-4 month stretch remains to be seen. It will also be interesting to see how head coach Brent Sutter responds to this in his game planning. If the Devils can tread water and hold their own until then, New Jersey should still be able to make a run at the playoffs. Fans of the other Atlantic Division teams (with the exception of the Islanders because they are screwed anyways) can breathe a little bit easier for the time being.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Columbus Blue Jackets center Derick Brassard, who led all rookies and his club in scoring with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 10 games, has been named the NHL Rookie of the Month for October. Brassard edged forwards Kris Versteeg of the Chicago Blackhawks (2-6--8 in nine games), Jakub Voracek of Columbus (3-4--7 in 10 games) and Fabian Brunnstrom of the Dallas Stars (5-1--6 in eight games), plus defensemen Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings (1-0--1, 21:32 avg. ice time in nine games), Luke Schenn of the Toronto Maple Leafs (0-1--1, 21:36 avg. ice time in 10 games) and Luca Sbisa of the Philadelphia Flyers (0-5--5, 18:34 avg. ice time in 10 games).Brassard recorded points in eight of 10 games and posted an even or plus rating in nine contests, including a third-period goal and +2 rating in the season opener, a 5-4 overtime victory at Dallas Oct. 10. He tallied his first multiple-point game (one goal, one assist) in a 4-2 victory at Colorado Oct. 30.

-The Ducks have thrown their hat in to the Sundin sweepstakes (courtesy of TSN.ca):
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=254825&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_nhl

RUMOR MILL

-Earlier this week, Brendan Shanahan was rumored to be working a deal with the Penguins. Now the Flyers seem to be throwing their hat in to the ring.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

New York Islanders (4-7-1) over the New York Rangers (10-4-1) 2-1
-The Rangers are on a two game losing streak while the Isles are on a two game winning streak. I was at this game and the Rangers looked flat from beginning to end. This was evident when the Rangers anemic PP gave up two shorthanded goals (Nate Thompson and Richard Park). Joey McDonald looked very solid between the pipes, making 35 saves (many of them tough saves). Rangers forward Markus Naslund has eight points (4G, 4A) in his last seven games and scored the lone goal for the Blueshirts.

Ottawa Senators (5-5-2) over the Washington Capitals (5-4-2) 2-1 (OT)

-Mike Fisher's GW goal with 40 seconds left in OT improved Ottawa to 3-0-1 in their last four games. Dany Heatley scored the other goal for Ottawa (Fisher would get an assist on that goal as well) and D Tomas Fleischmann scored the lone Capitals goal. Heatley now has a four-game goal-scoring streak. G Alex Auld made 26 saves in his sixth straight start for the Sens while Brent Johnson made 42 saves in the loss. Alexander Ovechkin returned to the lineup for the Capitals after missing two games (family health issues back in Russia) and was a -1 for the game.

Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-2) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-4) 5-4 (OT)

-The Hurricanes dodged a bullet in this game. After building a 4-1 lead after the first period (Ruutu, Seidenberg-PPG, LaRose, Bayda), the Leafs would mount a comeback thanks to two Mikhail Grabovski goals. In OT, D Niclas Wallin would score the winning goal with the assists coming from Tuomu Ruutu and Sergei Samsonov. Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette tied John Tortorella for most wins by an American-born coach with 239. The Maple Leafs have outshot their opponent in eight consecutive games and have at least 35 shots in seven of their last eight contests. They had 42 on Tuesday; the Hurricanes had 24. Carolina has now won 5 of its last 6 meetings vs Toronto.

Phoenix Coyotes (5-5-0) over the Calgary Flames (7-5-1) 4-2

-Phoenix snapped a four-game losing streak against Calgary and won for just the fifth time in the last 20 meetings between the teams. Ed Jovanoski's PPG in the 2nd period was his first goal of the season and would end up being the game winner for the Coyotes. C Steve Reinprecht and D Derek Morris would also score their first goals of the season. Shane Doan scored his seventh goal this season and added an assist (his third consecutive multi-point game). Ilya Bryzgalov made 27 saves for Phoenix to improve to 4-4-0. Calgary D Robyn Regehr returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with an undisclosed injury. Phoenix rookie C Kyle Turris was a healthy scratch.

Vancouver Cancuks (7-6-0) over the Nashville Predators (6-5-1) 4-0

-Canucks C Kyle Wellwood scored two goals on the PP (his first career multi-goal game) while Mayson Raymond and Daniel Sedin added goals of their own in the home win. Roberto Luongo made 24 saves for his 3rd shutout of the season. The Predators are now 1-4-1 in their last six meetings with the Canucks. Nashville head coach Barry Trotz coached his 750th career game -- he's the 31st to attain that mark and only the 10th to coach 750 games with a single team. Predators RW J.P. Dumont had his seven-game point streak snapped at two goals and seven assists.

Anaheim Ducks (8-5-1) over the LA Kings (3-6-2) 1-0 (OT)
-The Kings made a switch between the pipes last night and gave Erik Ersberg his first start of the season. He looked impressive and made 26 saves, but D Chris Pronger would spoil the party 40 seconds in to OT. Teemu Selanne's assist on the Pronger goal tied Selanne with Paul Kariya (369) for the most in franchise history. Ducks G Jean-Sebastian Giguere made 35 saves for his 2nd shutout of the season and 31st of his career. It was the first time in 43 trips to Los Angeles that the Ducks left town with a shutout win. They had only skated through a 1-0 game on one prior occasion. Jamie Storr backstopped the Kings to a 1-0 win in LA back in 2002. The Kings are now winless in their last five games (0-4-1) and have scored just 13 goals in their losses this season.

San Jose Sharks (11-2-0) over the Minnesota Wild (7-3-1) 3-1

-The Sharks remain unbeaten at home (7-0-0) and have now beaten the Wild 8 straight times. Their home unbeaten streak is at 12 games, dating back to last season. Krys Kolanos scored his first NHL goal in over three years to open the scoring, but that would be all the Wild would get. Mike Grier, Jamie McGinn and Ryane Clowe scored the three San Jose goals to get them to an NHL best 22 points in the standings. The Sharks, who rank second in the NHL in shots per game, peppered 49 at Nicklas Backstrom. Evgeni Nabokov made 23 saves in the win. The Wild are scoreless in their last 16 power play opportunities. Wild D Brent Burns was scratched with soreness in his upper body.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The Vancouver Canucks called up right-winger Michel Ouellet from Manitoba (AHL). Ouellet, who has 52 goals and 116 points in 187 career NHL games, was acquired from Tampa Bay as part of a four-player trade Oct. 6. The Canucks left him in the AHL to start the season, and he led Manitoba in scoring with four goals and 10 points through 10 games. The Canucks sent forward Jason Krog back to the Moose. Krog, 32, recorded one goal in four games with Vancouver. He also has five points (1-4) in four games with Manitoba this season.

-The NHL All-Star Ballot is now available:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=390492

-The Boston Bruins sent forward Vladimir Sobotka to Providence of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. Sobotka was scoreless in five games with the Bruins this season. In 48 games with Boston last season, he had one goal and six assists.

-The Carolina Hurricanes activated right wing Scott Walker from injured reserve on Tuesday. Walker has missed Carolina's first 11 games of the season after he had surgery on his left hand on October 6.

-The Dallas Stars have added free agent forward Mark Parrish to their lineup. The two way deal will see the former 30 goal scorer earn $500,000 if he stays with the NHL club and $100,000 if he is sent to the AHL. He could be in the Stars lineup Friday against Anaheim.

-Veteran NHL forward Martin Gelinas signed with Swiss club Bern to bolster its European Champions Hockey League campaign. Gelinas, who played for Nashville last season, played in 1,420 regular and post-season NHL games. He scored 332 goals as a winger in Edmonton, Quebec, Vancouver, Carolina, Calgary and Florida.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

St. Louis Blues (5-5-0) @ Anaheim Ducks () - 10PM

-The Blues are opening a five game road trip on a two game losing skid. Their most recent loss was a 6-3 beating at the hands of the Penguins. The Ducks open a 6 game homestand are riding a hot streak. They've won 7 of their past 8 and they're coming off a 1-0 shutout win over the Kings last night. If St. Louis can get a better goaltending performance from Chris Mason, they could steal the game. Blues C Andy McDonald is 2nd on the team in points (1G 11A) and I'm sure he'd like to remind Anaheim how good of a player they traded away.

Other Action:

Tampa Bay (4-3-3) @ New Jersey (6-3-2) - 7PM

Edmonton (6-4-1) @ Columbus (4-6-2) - 7:30PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on Monday evenings

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tonight!

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME AT FROMTHESLOT@gmail.com

PLUS/MINUS - 11/3/08

*PLUS/MINUS is my weekly Power Rankings Column. The + or – is based on the previous weeks rankings.

PLUS/MINUS

Joe Pavelski and Captain Patrick Marleau have helped the Sharks to Best in the West

1) San Jose Sharks {10-2-0} (+2)
–They’ve won four in a row, are beating teams from beginning to end in games, and won games against Pittsburgh, Detroit and at Colorado in the same week. Oh, and they’re off to their best start in franchise history. If you can find a reason why they shouldn’t be number one, I’ve got a bridge I want to sell you.

2) Montreal Canadiens {8-1-1} (+2)
–After a trip up to Anaheim at home, Les Habitents rebounded with a 3-0-0 week. They took down the Hurricanes at home, beat a tough Wild team in Minnesota, and had a big come from behind win @ the Islanders. You can argue that they shouldn’t have been in a 4-1 hole to a team like the Islanders, but that will happen from time to time. A great team will find a way to win, and they did.

3) New York Rangers {10-3-1} (-1)
–The Rangers would have retained the #2 spot had they not blown that game to Toronto on Saturday night. They were on a four game winning streak and were 2-0 on the week (Isles & Thrashers) before their Maple Leaf collapse. You can’t win every game, but you can’t lose a game by giving up 5 goals in a 5 minute span. Their PP needs to improve (14.3% - sound familiar Rangers fans), but their PK is still one of the best at 91.2%.

4) Minnesota Wild {7-2-1} (+2)
–Despite a rash of injuries hitting this team, Minnesota is still finding ways to win while playing their style. They went 2-2-0 on the week (beat Chicago, lost @ Dallas, vs. Montreal, won @ Phoenix) and head coach Jacques Lemaire has things under control. Their Penalty Kill is the best in the league at 91.7%. The battle for the Northwest between Minnesota and Calgary will be an interesting storyline throughout the season.

5) Detroit Red Wings {8-2-2} (EVEN)
–The Red Wings had an interesting week. They opened it up with a SO win at LA and then followed that up with back to back losses to Anaheim (in OT) and San Jose. They rebounded and closed the road trip with a win @ Vancouver. It’s odd to think that an 8-2-2 team has better hockey in them, but the Red Wings do, and it’s coming. Their PP is still clicking at a league best 30.4%.

6) Buffalo Sabres {7-2-2} (-5)
–My #1 team from a week ago took a bit of a dive this past week. The only thing that saved them from falling any further was a dominant 5-0 home win against the Ovechkin-less Capitals on Saturday night. The Sabres struggled at home against two teams they probably should have beaten. I’ll give them the Ottawa loss because I know I’m still trying to figure out that team’s identity, but the Tampa loss is inexcusable.

7) Calgary Flames {7-4-1} (+8)
–So many puns can be made with a team named the Flames and the fact that are playing so well, so I’ll spare you. Bottom line, before last night’s loss at Anaheim, they had won 6 in a row and we’re playing effective hockey. We should expect more of this Calgary team than the one that opened the season 1-3-1. HC Mike Keenan NEEDS to rest Miika Kiprusoff soon and see what they have in back-up Curtis McElhinney.

8) Boston Bruins {6-3-3} (+8)
–The Canadiens are clearly the class of the Northeast. Buffalo was a team people expected to do well. The Bruins are a more effective PK away from being a legitimate threat (74.5%). The expectations on Boston were about the same as last year. With a deep Eastern Conference, they may finish around the same position, but they are a team that’s firing on all cylinders right now. They went 2-1 on their Western Canada road swing (G Tim Thomas was amazing) and came home to smack around the Dallas Stars.

9) New Jersey Devils {6-2-2} (Even)
–Not a great week for the Devils, but not a bad week either going 1-0-2. It turned in to a real bad week when G Martin Brodeur hurt his elbow. It will be interesting to see how this team plays with Kevin Weekes between the pipes. I’ve always said he makes for a great backup and that NJ should have played him more last season to rest Marty. Maybe this will be a wake up call.

10) Pittsburgh Penguins {6-4-2} (-2)
–The Pens snapped a three game losing streak with a 6-3 road win on Saturday at St. Louis. Other than that, this was a road trip for the Penguins to forget. They dodged a bullet when Sidney Crosby only missed a half a game. Don’t get me wrong, Pittsburgh is a good team, but they lost a lot of their toughness in the offseason. They can certainly outscore you, but when they get in to grind-it-out physical games, they become an average team.

11) Carolina Hurricanes {6-3-2} (-1)
– A 2-1-1 week is right about where this team should be. The only reason they drop in the rankings because other teams moved up. What we’re seeing out of the Hurricanes now is what fans should expect all year long. If they could improve their PP (12%, 3rd worst in the league), they would be a real force in the East. Every Hurricanes-Capitals game will be huge, considering the other three teams don’t appear to be making a run at it any time soon.

12) Chicago Blackhawks {5-3-3} (+1)
– Whether you liked Denis Savard or not, HC Joel Quenneville has this team moving in the right direction. A 2-1 week (loss @ Minnesota, win vs. Dallas, SO win @ Columbus) gives Quenneville a 4-1-2 record since taking over. Chicago is still playing pick’em with who their starting goalie is. Cristobal Huet seems to have settled in, so they’ll continue to play Nikolai Khabibulin when they can to shop him around.

13) Anaheim Ducks {7-5-1} (+4)
– A 7-6 SO loss to Vancouver prevented this team from going higher in the rankings. They went 3-0-1 (@ Columbus, vs. Detroit, vs. Calgary are the wins) for the week should rise even higher next week. They are still one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They will get the chance to continue their hot streak with their next four opponents all struggling right now (@ LA, vs. St. Louis, vs. Dallas, vs. Florida)

14) Nashville Predators {6-4-1} (+6)
– After a see saw start, HC Barry Trotz has the Preds playing solid hockey again. They started off the week with a SO loss @ Washington, but rebounded with home wins against Edmonton and Florida. G Pekka Rinne is filling in nicely for Dan Ellis, but Ellis should return this week. Nashville begins a six game road trip in Vancouver tomorrow night.

15) Edmonton Oilers {6-4-1} (-1)
– Edmonton started off the week with two rough losses (OT vs. Boston and @ Nashville), but rebounded with a weekend sweep @ Carolina and @ Philly. I didn’t move them up or down because I still don’t know what to make of this team yet. I think they are a better team than the performance from their previous week, and they’ll get a chance to show it when they continue their 7 game road trip this week.

16) Toronto Maple Leafs {5-4-3} (+2)
–A 2-2 week was highlighted by a big SO win in NJ and a huge come from behind win against the Rangers at home. This team seems to be building chemistry after this first month of the season. With the exception of an early loss to Montreal and a road game against the Penguins, the leafs have been in every game this season so far.

17) Washington Capitals {5-4-1} (-5)
–Having Alexander Ovechkin out of the lineup is never a good thing. Luckily it came on a week where the Capitals only had two games and managed to go 1-1. They beat the Predators in a shootout but were embarrassed at Buffalo 5-0. As good as their offense is, they have struggled against teams that like to grind and be physical. This team will go as far as Jose Theodore can carry them in net.

18) Vancouver Canucks {6-6-0} (+3)
–The Canucks finished the week breaking even at 2-2-0. They had no shot against a hot Tim Thomas when they lost to Boston. They rebounded with a solid 4-0 win over the Kings and a wild 7-6 SO win over the Ducks. They ran in to a Red Wings team that lost two in a row, so they were doomed from the start in that game. Get used to an up and down year Canucks fans.

19) Philadelphia Flyers {4-4-3} (+6)
–The Philadelphia Flyers looked like the Flyers we knew from last season. They won four in a row before having their winning streak snapped by the Oilers. The home and home sweep over the Devils was nice, but the 7-0 win against a bad Thrashers team was when the Flyers really showed how much damage they can do. Philly is 2nd in the league in goals scored, but has also allowed the 5th most goals in the league. With Brodeur hurt, look for the Flyers to challenge near the top of the standings soon.

20) Colorado Avalanche {5-6-0} (-12)
–With the Avalanche, it boils down to their offense. The only way they win is if they keep the scoreboard busy. Their defense needs to settle down and they need to begin back-checking more. Colorado’s goaltending options doesn’t provide them with much stability between the pipes. Unless the Avs can get at least 3-4 goals a night and improve their PK (league worst 74.3%), it’s going to be a long season in Denver.

21) St. Louis Blues {5-5-0} (-10)
–Things were already on a downturn in St. Louis and they only got worse. They went 0-2 on the week. They were shutout by Carolina 1-0 and lost to the Penguins 6-3. The Blues got off to a fast start this season but have faced some serious goalie injuries. Chris Mason has yet to win a game this year and better figure it out quick. The lone bright spot is St. Louis’ 2nd ranked PP (29.5%)

22) Ottawa Senators {4-5-2} (+6)
–What a difference a week makes. I was beginning to write this team off as the worst in the Northeast, but a 2-0-1 week will do wonders in the standings this early in the season. Impressive road wins at Buffalo and Florida were followed up by a tough SO loss in Tampa. Alex Auld is doing all that you want and need from a backup and their power play is 3rd best in the NHL at 25%. Extending Daniel Alfredsson for another four years helps team morale, too.

23) Columbus Blue Jackets {4-6-1} (EVEN)
–A 1-1-1 week will usually keep you even in PLUS/MINUS. They lost to a hot Ducks team, won @ Colorado thanks to a great defensive effort (see Avalanche), and dropped a heart-breaker to the Blackhawks in a SO. Frederik Norrena has been solid since Pascal Leclaire went down, but the Blue Jackets need to give him more goal support.

24) Dallas Stars {4-6-2} (-2)
–What in the world is going on with the Stars? This was a team that made Detroit sweat in the Conference Finals last year but just can’t seem to get anything going this year. An improved PP would help them (13.8%) a lot. A 1-2 week isn’t bad when you consider the opponents (won vs. Minnesota, lost @ Chicago & Boston). Dallas will get a chance to make up some ground in the Pacific with a 3 game California road trip this week.

25) Florida Panthers {4-5-1} (-6)
–Beating the Sharks at home must have been a curse in disguise. Since then, they are 0-3-1. The problem is offense and they need to be scoring more. The only game they scored more than 2 goals was against Atlanta, and that’s nothing to brag about. The league-worst 9.8% on the PP HAS to increase soon.

26) Tampa Bay Lightning {4-3-3} (+4)
–Other than the Sharks shutting them out at home, Tampa has been on a roll lately. They have won 3 in a row (@ Toronto, @ Buffalo, vs. Ottawa) since that loss and it seems like Barry Melrose has finally got his line combinations clicking. The Lightning will get tested on a tough 5-game road trip, beginning in NJ this week.

27) Phoenix Coyotes {4-5-0} (-3)
–Not a bad week for the Coyotes (1-1-0), but they haven’t really wowed anyone this year either. The 4-1 win over the Penguins was probably their best win of the year and the 3-2 loss to Minnesota was probably their toughest. Phoenix has some good tools in the shed and it will be interesting to see if they can take advantage of Dallas’ slow start to compete for the 3rd spot in the Pacific.

28) Los Angeles Kings {3-6-1} (-2)
–An 0-2-1 week and a four game losing streak is a sure way to make you fall in the rankings. All of their losses have come to tough teams (@ Nashville, vs. Detroit in a SO, vs. Vancouver, vs. Calgary) on the losing streak. I know not much is to be expected from the Kings this year, but they have shown flashes of good play in their three wins this year.

29) Atlanta Thrashers {2-7-2} (-2)
–A week that started really bad (7-0 loss to Philly) ended with a solid win in the division (5-3 over the Panthers on Sunday). In between, Atlanta went 0-2 on a NYR/NJ road trip. The Thrashers defensemen are a good group and Ilya Kovalchuk/Slava Kozlov will get you some goals, but that’s all Atlanta has.

30) New York Islanders {2-7-1} (-1)
–If there’s a team that just can’t get it right this year, it’s the Isles. They opened up the week with a hard-fought loss to the Rangers, followed that up with a 3-2 OT loss to Philly, and then blew a 4-1 3rd period lead to Montreal. Rick DiPietro’s extended absence will only hurt this team even more than they already are.

BIGGEST GAINER = Calgary Flames (+8) & Boston Bruins (+8) – 2nd week in a row Calgary is a top gainer
BIGGEST LOSER = Colorado Avalanche (-12)
-13 Teams Moved Up
-14 Teams Moved Down
-3 Remained Even

FTS - 11/4/08

TOP STORY

MILLER TIME!

(Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun - AP)

Ryan Miller Shoulders the Load against the Brodeurless Devils

Buffalo Sabres (8-2-2) over the New Jersey Devils (6-3-2) 2-0

AP/NHL.com Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2008020168

-Devils backup G Kevin Weekes had no time to settle in to his first start of the season. Weekes was peppered with 20 shots in the first period and turned away all but one. That one PPG from Jason Pominville would prove to be the difference in a 2-0 win for the Sabres in Newark.

All in all, Kevin Weekes had a solid outing in his first start of the year, making 28 saves. The problem was he had no goal support. Ryan Miller stopped all 24 shots he faced to earn his 2nd straight shutout (Washington was the other on Saturday night). Patrick Kaleta scored the other Sabres goal in the 3rd period and D Jaroslav Spacek chipped in with two assists. Sabres D Craig Rivet returned to the lineup after missing five games with a knee injury while Devils D Paul Martin was out with an upper body injury.

The big story out of New Jersey is the status of G Martin Brodeur. Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said before the game the team was awaiting test results. He gave no indication how long the 15-year veteran would be sidelined. Brodeur's absence Monday marked the first time in 57 games dating to last season that he did not start. It also marked only the 21st time in his career that he did not dress for a game.

The Sabres will get a few days off before they try to extend their two game winning streak on Friday night against the Thrashers. The Devils will get a chance to rebound against the Lightning at home Wednesday night.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Ottawa prospect Alexander Nikulin was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenceman Drew Fata. Nikulin told the Senators last week that he will return to Russia if they didn't have a deal in place by today. Originally selected by the Senators in the fourth round (122nd overall) in the 2004 NHL entry draft, he had 14 goals and 36 assists in 71 games for the baby Sens last season. Prior to coming to North America, Nikulin played for five seasons with CSKA Moscow.
Fata, 25, has played in seven games this season with the San Antonio Rampage (AHL), where he has recorded no points and six penalty minutes. He signed with Phoenix as a free agent this past summer.

-The Minnesota Wild placed right wing Owen Nolan on IR with a lower body injury. Nolan is in his first season with Minnesota and he has one goal and three assists in five games. To take his spot on the roster, the team recalled center Krys Kolanos from Houston of the American Hockey League. He has seven goals and one assist in seven games with the Aeros.

RUMOR MILL

-Nothing to report today

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

New York Islanders (3-7-1) over the Columbus Blue Jackets (4-6-2) 4-3 (OT)

-Happy Birthday Mama Campoli. Isles D Chris Campoli's mom was in the stands for last night's game, and she got quite the gift. Chris scored two goals, including the game winner in overtime, to snap the Islanders 6 game losing streak. Campoli actually scored the game-winning goal twice. The "first" game winner rang off the post and looked like it caught part of the net. They never got a chance to review the play because Campoli would pot the actual winner on the continuation of the play. Richard Park & Bill Guerin scored the other 2 NY goals and Trent Hunter chipped in with two assists. RJ Umberger scored two goals for Columbus in the loss. Columbus D Rostislav Klesla, who has played every game last season, was sidelined by an undisclosed injury. Islanders LW Sean Bergenheim sat out because of an illness.

Chicago Blackhawks (6-3-3) over the Colorado Avalanche (5-7-0) 6-2
-Colorado's lack of offense hurt them again for the 4th straight game. On the flip side, the Blackhawks are off to their best start in seven seasons. Coincidentally, that is the last time the Blackhawks made the playoffs. Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp each had two goals and an assist while Patrick Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, and Dave Bolland each added two assists. Troy Brouwer and Cam Barker also scored for Chicago. The Blackhawks improved to 5-1-2 under coach Joel Quenneville. This was Quenneville's first game coaching against his old team.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Tickets go on sale for the 2009 Winter Classic:

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=390277

-The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated left wing Fredrik Modin (groin injury) off injured reserve and sent right wing Derek Dorsett to the minors.

-The LA Kings have activated forward John Zeiler from the injured reserve list and have loaned him to the Manchester Monarchs (AHL) for conditioning. The Kings have also assigned forward Matt Moulson to Manchester, Kings President/General Manager Dean Lombardi announced today.

-The Dallas Stars sent defenseman Mark Fistric, forward James Neal and left-winger Chris Conner to the minors. Fistric and Neal were assigned to the Manitoba Moose while Conner's going to the Peoria Rivermen (both AHL teams) after his emergency recall. The Stars are the only NHL team without an AHL affiliate this season.

GAME OF THE NIGHT
Minnesota Wild (7-2-1) @ San Jose Sharks (10-2-0) - 10:30PM
-The Sharks are looking to extend their winning streak to five games and stay undefeated at the HP Pavilion. The Wild come in to the game with the league's best Penalty Kill and the least amount of goals allowed in the league (2.2 per game). This will be a classic battle of offense vs. defense. San Jose has won 7 straight against the Wild.

Other Action:
NY Islanders (3-7-1) @ NY Rangers (10-3-1) - 7PM (I will be @ this game in Sec 326-come say hi)
Washington (5-4-1) @ Ottawa (4-5-2) - 5PM
Carolina (6-3-2) @ Toronto (5-4-3) - 7:30PM
Phoenix (4-5-0) @ Calgary (7-4-1) - 10PM
Nashville (6-4-1) @ Vancouver (6-6-0) - 10PM

Anaheim (7-5-1) @ Los Angeles (3-6-1) - 10:30PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on Monday evenings
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Wednesday evenings


FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME AT FROMTHESLOT@gmail.com

FTS 11/3/08

TOP STORY

Ducks Hotter Than Flames

(Photo Credit: Christian Petersen - Getty Images)

Ryan Getzlaf gets one on net in the Ducks victory

Anaheim Ducks (7-5-1) over the Calgary Flames (7-4-1) 3-2

AP/NHL.com Link: http://www.nhl.com/ice/recap.htm?id=2008020166

Something had to give in this game. The Ducks have had a complete resurgance after starting the season 0-4. The Flames were riding a six game winning streak. Both teams have great goalies. In the end, it was the Ducks who would glide over Calgary when they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 2nd period and never looked back.

Ryan Getzlaf would get things going the Ducks in the first period with his fourth goal of the season. In the 2nd period, Chris Pronger and Ryan Carter would tack on goals to give the Ducks a 3-0 home lead. Calgary would rally with goals from Curtis Glencross and Todd Bertuzzi (PPG), but that would be as close as Calgary would get. The Flames had some good opportunities late in the game but couldn't capitalize. Jarome Iginla would assist on both Flames goals.

Ducks G Jean-Sebastian Giguere and Flames G Miika Kiprusoff each made 34 saves in their respective divisions. Giguere improved his home-mark against Calgary to 11-2-2. Corey Perry extended his career-high assist streak to seven games (11 assists, three goals) and is one game off the franchise record set by Scott Niedermayer during the 2006-2007 season. Teemu Selanne's one assist in the game leaves him one shy of tying Paul Kariya for the franchise history lead. The Ducks' victory was their eighth straight at home against the Flames, their longest active home win streak against any opponent.

Mike Keenan felt the Flames were flat early. "The intensity level wasn't high enough for a team as good as the team we were playing tonight," the Calgary coach said. The Flames return home for a quick two-game homestand starting with Phoenix on Tuesday night. The Ducks travel up I-5 to the Staples Center to take on the Kings tomorrow night.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Devils G Martin Brodeur will sit out tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres with a "bruised elbow" (or at least that's what Devils GM Lou Lamoreillo is calling it). Team officials reported that Brodeur is going for tests and that no other information will be offered on his condition until he is evaluated. Brodeur seemed to injure his left elbow scrambling to make a stop during a flurry of activity in front of the Devils' goal. season until being relieved by backup Kevin Weekes Saturday night. Weekes will get the start against Buffalo tonight.

RUMOR MILL

-It looks like the Islanders, Kings and Predators may be close on making a three-way deal.

-Sundin Update: Montreal seems to be the front runner for him (is anyone keeping tally on how many times that statement has been made?)

-It looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins are making a run at Brendan Shanahan. He would be a perfect fit for the Pens. While he might not put up the numbers we're accustomed to seeing, he would pay off HUGE dividends in the Pittsburgh locker room. If this happens, this move should scare the rest of the Atlantic Division.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Edmonton Oilers (6-4-1) over the Philadelphia Flyers (4-4-3) 5-4
-The Oilers played tough throughout this game and pretty much controlled it from beginning to end. Ales Hemsky had two goals and an assist, Erik Cole and Dustin Penner each added a goal and Sheldon Souray added a PPG. Edmonton D Tom Gilbert chipped in with three assists. The Oilers have now won two in a row on the road after opening the road trip with a loss. The Flyers would get PP goals from Jeff Carter, Braydon Coburn and Mike Knuble. Simon Gagne would tack on an early 3rd period goal but the Flyers could not complete the comeback. The loss snaps a four game winning streak for Philly.

Carolina Hurricanes (6-3-2) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (5-4-3) 6-4
-Tuomo Ruutu had a goal and an assist, and Carolina scored three times in less than 4 minutes during the second period en route to the win. The Hurricanes trailed twice in this game (1-0, 3-1) in a big come from behind at home against a team that was starting to heat up. Dwight Helminen, Chad LaRose and Ray Whitney each had a goal and an assist, Joe Corvo also scored and Eric Staal added an empty-netter for Carolina. Mikhail Grabovski scored two goals less than 4 minutes apart, Niklas Hagman had a goal and an assist, Ian White also scored and Nikolai Kulemin had two assists for the Maple Leafs, who entered having won four of five.RW Patrick Dwyer made his NHL debut for the Hurricanes. He was recalled earlier in the day from Albany to replace C Matt Cullen (leg). Toronto C Matt Stajan's five-game points streak was snapped

Atlanta Thrashers (3-7-2) over the Florida Panthers (4-6-1) 5-3
-Thrashers LW Ilya Kovalchuk had his first big performance of the year with two goals and an assist in the home victory. Kovalchuk scored both goals and assisted on Bryan Little's sixth goal in the second period, giving the Thrashers a 4-1 lead at that point. Erik Christiansen assisted on both of Kovalchuk's goals. The Panthers made it close when Nathan Horton scored at 18:20 of the second period and Noah Welch got his first goal of the season 3:17 into the final period. Thrashers G Ondrej Pavelec got his first NHL start and made 18 saves. Atlanta C Todd White played in his 500th NHL game. Florida D Jay Bouwmeester played in his 400th game and C Kamil Kreps took part in his 100th.

San Jose Sharks (10-2-0) over the Colorado Avalanche (5-6-0) 5-3
-The Sharks got their 10th win of the season thanks to two goals each from Devin Setoguchi and Milan Michalek. The Sharks built and early 2-0 lead and held on despite the Avs tough play throughout the game. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau each chipped in with two assists. Milan Hejduk, Jordan Leopold and John-Michael Liles were the goal scorers for Colorado. G Evgeni Nabokov made 33 saves in his 8th win of the season (in 10 appearances). D Christian Ehrhoff earned his 100th career point on an assist on Setoguchi's first goal.

Detroit Red Wings (8-2-2) over the Vancouver Canucks (6-6-0) 3-2
-The power play proved to be the difference at GM Place last night. All three Red Wings goals came on the PP (Mikael Samuelsson, Brian Rafalski, Henrik Zetterberg) and the Red Wings held 3 for 5 on the night. Vancouver's penalty kill was perfect at home until then. Chris Osgood made 25 saves in the win and Jiri Hudler added two assists. Detroit snapped a two-game road losing streak and held the lead from 13 minutes in the game until the end. Henrik Sedin and Kyle Wellwood scored the two goals for Vancover.

GAME OF THE NIGHT

Buffalo Sabres (7-2-2) @ New Jersey Devils (6-2-2) - 7PM
- Before last night, this was shaping up to be quite the goaltender duel between Martin Brodeur and Ryan Miller. With the elbow injury to Brodeur, Kevin Weekes gets a chance to prove his merit in his first start of the season. New Jersey has called up Jeff Frazee, the team's second-round choice in 2005, from Trenton of the East Coast Hockey League to serve as Weekes' backup. The Devils snapped a three game skid with a 6-1 win over Atlanta on Saturday night. The Sabres also broke a three game losing streak with an impressive 5-0 win over Washington on Saturday. All four meetings between New Jersey and Buffalo last season went to shootouts, with the Devils winning three of them.

Other Action:
Columbus (4-6-1) @ NY Islanders (2-7-1) - 7PM
Colorado (5-6-0) @ Chicago (5-3-3) - 8:30PM

^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out on tonight!
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Wednesday evenings

FEEL FREE TO COMMENT OR EMAIL ANYTIME AT FROMTHESLOT@gmail.com