FTS - 12/19/08

TOP STORY

FINALLY!

(Photo Credit: AP)

Mats Sundin will soon call Vancouver home

The former Toronto Maple Leafs captain announced his long-awaited decision yesterday and ended months of speculation about where he would end up by signing with the Canucks. Sundin had considered retirement following last season, but a number of teams still expressed interest in him. He narrowed his choices in recent weeks to the Canucks and the New York Rangers, who didn't have nearly enough cap space to compete with Vancouver's lucrative offer.

Sundin met with the Rangers last weekend and attended a game at Madison Square Garden as part of a promotion for a poker website. Despite wooing from fellow Swedes on the Rangers such as goalie Henrik Lundqvist, forward Markus Naslund (the longtime Canucks captain who signed with New York in the summer), and Fredrik Sjostrom, Sundin picked Vancouver over New York. "I am truly excited to be joining the Canucks," the 37-year-old Sundin said. "Once I made the decision to return to play a few weeks ago, the Vancouver opportunity was simply the best overall fit. I want to thank (general manager) Mike Gillis and the entire Canucks organization for their professionalism throughout this entire process."

The Canucks had offered Sundin a two-year, $20 million deal but Sundin had repeatedly stated that he was only looking for a one-year contract. Gillis confirmed that the Canucks and Sundin agreed to a one-year deal, but said there had been changes made to the original offer. He declined to elaborate. If it was still worth $10 million for this season, Sundin would receive a prorated amount of about $5 million. He earned $5.5 million with Toronto last season. "From Day One it was totally about the team," Gillis said a news conference. "Money was always secondary. When it came down to the final decision, the resolution of how we are going to do this, it was about the team. "We were really selling him on a style of play that I believe in and that I think will be successful here. He likes the idea of joining a team that is committed to that style of play. That was really the selling point for us." Sundin is expected to play on a line Pavol Demitra and Kyle Wellwood. That leaves the Canucks with a strong second unit featuring Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin with Jannik Hansen, Taylor Pyatt or Steve Bernier.

Well I think I speak for all the readers of this blog when I say that it's nice to finally have this put to bed. It wasn't on the scale of Roger Clemens or Brett Favre taking their sweet-ass time to make a decision, but it was nearing that. At the end of the day, I think Vancouver was the better fit for him than the Rangers. The one thing Vancouver was missing was a well-rounded player who can do all the little things on the ice. They also needed a leader besides Luongo. That all adds up to Mats Sundin. In an abover-average division, the Canucks are now in the drivers seat (barring any major changes). He would have been a pretty good fit on the Rangers, but they would have had to give up too much of their future to take a chance on a guy that only has one or two years left. If Chicago had a little more experience on their roster, they would have been the best fit. The Blackhawks are still a couple of years away from being true contenders though. At the end of the day, Mats will have an immediate impact on this team and he will quickly become a fan-favorite in the Pacific-Northwest.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Dallas Stars veteran D Sergei Zubov will undergo hip surgery in January that will keep him out indefinitely. Zubov, 38, was placed on the IR last week due the injury. He has missed the last eight games and was also absent for all of training camp and the season's first 12 contests due to pre-season hip surgery. Zubov has recorded four assists in 10 games this season for a disappointing Dallas club. The highest-scoring Russian-born D in NHL history, Zubov is the only blueliner in the league to record at least 30 assists in each of the last 12 seasons. For his career, Zubov has registered 152 goals and 771 points in 1,068 games with the Rangers, Penguins and Stars.

-St. Louis Blues defenseman and captain Eric Brewer will be out indefinitely with a herniated disc in his back. Brewer will undergo surgery Friday. The 29-year-old has recorded one goal and five assists in 28 games this season and has not played since December 11 against the Kings. In 10 seasons with the Islanders, Oilers and Blues, Brewer has 179 points in 623 games.

-Goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere has left the Anaheim Ducks to return home to Montreal following his father's death. Claude Giguere died Monday. Giguere will miss tonights game at Edmonton and will rejoin the Ducks before Monday night's game at Vancouver. In a related move, the Ducks recalled goaltender David LeNeveu from the AHL's Iowa Chops. Giguere remained on the bench in Tuesday night's 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers, replaced by Jonas Hiller.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Boston Bruins (22-5-4) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (12-13-6) 8-5
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins C David Krejci - 3 Goals
-If you like scoring, then this Northeast Division match-up was the game for you. Marco Sturm and David Krejci (PPG) put Boston up 2-0 in the 1st period before Pavel Kubina answered back with a PPG to make it 2-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Marc Savard (PPG), Krejci and Kessel (20th of the season) made it 5-1 before Alexei Ponikaorvsky, Nik Antropov and Mikhail Grabovski answered back with three Maple Leafs goals to make it 5-4. Phil Kessel scored his second goal of the game, but Jason Blake would score his 6th on the power play to make it 6-5 heading in to the 2nd intermission (if you're counting at home, 8 combined goals in the 2nd period). In the 3rd period, Michael Ryder and Krejci scored to make it 8-5. The Bruins have won 12 straight home games, their longest run since an 11-game home winning streak from Dec. 5, 1982, to Jan. 29, 1983. Boston has won each of its last 11 home games by at least two goals, the longest such streak in the NHL in 16 years. The last team with a 10-game streak was the Kings in 1992 (Oct. 15 to Dec. 5). The last team with a streak longer than 10 games was the Penguins spanning two seasons in 1975 (11 games, Feb. 26 to Oct. 18).

Carolina Hurricanes (15-12-5) over the Florida Panthers (14-13-4) 2-1 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Hurricanes D Joe Corvo - 1 Goal, 1 Assist (GWG)
-Justin Williams put Carolina on the board first in the 1st period with a power play goal set up by Ray Whitney and Joe Corvo. In the 3rd period, Cory Stillman tied the game on a set up from Kamil Kreps and Ville Peltonen. In overtime, Joe Corvo scored on a sweet backhand. Ray Whitney earned his 2nd assist of the game on the GWG and Rod Brind'Amour notched his 700th career assist on the goal. Hurricanes G Cam Ward made 19 saves in the win while Tomas Vokoun turned away 35 shots in the loss. The Hurricanes activated D Anton Babchuk (elbow) from injured reserve, but he didn't play for the fourth straight game.

Montreal Canadiens (17-9-5) over the Philadelphia Flyers (17-8-6) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Canadiens RW Alexei Kovalev - 1 Goal (900th career point)
-The Canadiens jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the 1st period thanks to goals from Matt D'Agostini, Sergei Kostitsyn (PPG), and Steve Begin. Aaron Asham scored the Flyers first goal to make it 3-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Alexei Kovalev scored his 7th of the season and career point #900 to make it 4-1. In the 3rd period, Braydon Coburn inched Philly closer, but Guillaume Latendresse put the nail in the coffin on the power play. Jaroslav Halak made 29 saves in the win. Philadelphia center Mike Richards ended an eight-game point streak. The Flyers captain had seven goals and eight assists in that stretch.

Washington Capitals (20-10-3) over the St. Louis Blues (12-16-3) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals LW Viktor Kozlov - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
-Viktor Kozlov opened the scoring in the 1st period on a feed from Nicklas Backstrom. In the 2nd period, David Backes ties the game for St. Louis midway through the period. Kozlov would score again and Tomas Fleischmann added his 11th of the season with :40 of one another late in the period to make it 3-1 head in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd, Alexander Ovechkin scored his 20th goal of the season on the power play :13 in to the period. Brad Winchester scored his 3rd of the season midway through the 3rd, but that would be all for the Blues. Capitals G Simeon Valamov earned his 2nd win of the season with 29 saves. Since Oct. 28, Washington is 15-1-0 in games in which it scores the first goal and 1-6-2 when its opponent scores first. Caps winger Alexander Semin left with 11 minutes remaining in the game after being crosschecked from behind by Backes near the boards. Boudreau said Semin would be re-evaluated Friday. St. Louis defenseman Tyson Strachan made his NHL debut.

Pittsburgh Penguins (17-10-4) over the Atlanta Thrashers (10-17-4) 6-3
TOP PERFORMER = Penguins C Evgeni Malkin - 2 Goals, 2 Assists
-Matt Cooke and Evgeni Malkin scored the first two goals of the games to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead midway through the first period. Marty Reasoner scored with :39 remaining to make it 2-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Jordan Staal and Miroslav Satan scored back to back power play goals to make it 4-1. Atlanta C Bryan Little scored his own PPG to cut the lead to two, but Phillipe Boucher made it 5-2 heading in to the 2nd intermission. Colby Armstrong made it 5-3, but Evgeni Malkin sealed the deal with an empty-netter. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves in his first game back between the pipes sinced 11/15. The Penguins went 5-6-2 without him in the lineup. The win started a stretch of four games in six days for Pittsburgh while the Thrashers fell to 3-10-2 in their last 15 games.

Detroit Red Wings (21-6-4) over the San Jose Sharks (25-4-3) 6-0
TOP PERFORMER = Red Wings G Ty Conklin - 24 Saves (Shutout)
-You didn't misread the score and it isn't a typo. The Red Wings basically bitch-smacked the Sharks up and down the ice throughout the whole game. Johan Franzen scored his 14th of the season and Pavel Datsyuk scored his first of two goals in the 1st period (Datsyuk also had two assists). In the 2nd period, Marian Hossa potted his 17th of the season in the 2nd period. In the 3rd period, Valtteri Filppula, Datsyuk and Brad Stuart all scored in the 3rd period to finish the brow-beating. Ty Conklin turned in an impressive performance for his 6th career shutout and San Jose's 2nd straight loss. center Joe Pavelski came back after a two-game absence caused by a lower body injury. Detroit has earned points in 16 of its last 20 games.

Colorado Avalanche (16-15-1) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (7-15-9) 2-1 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Avalanche G Andrew Raycroft - 37 Saves
-Paul Stastny scored his 9th goal of the season in the 1st period on a set up from Ryan Smith and Milan Hejduk. Jeff Halpern scored his first goal of the season in the 2nd period from Marek Malik and Andrej Meszaros. In the shootout, Milan Hejduk was awarded a SOG after Lightning G Mike Smith (34 saves) was penalized for throwing his stick. Smith's stick came loose when he was making a save on Hejduk's backhander. After discussing the play for several minutes, the officials awarded the goal. "They huddled to make the decision to see if they felt the stick was thrown," NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Mike Murphy said in a phone interview from Toronto. "And if a stick is thrown, as outlined in Rule 26.4, they can award a goal and that's what they did in this case. There was a strong feeling that his stick was thrown." As Tampa Bay interim coach Rick Tocchet argued the call, some fans threw debris onto the ice. After Martin St. Louis failed to score on the Lightning's final shootout attempt, several players continued arguing with referees Tim Peel and Brian Pochmara. "I know it's a quick game and things happen fast, but there's four refs on the ice, not one," Smith said. "They have the angles covered. I made the save and then I had to drop the stick because my stick was going to come up in the air. You can't make that call at that point in the game. The save was already made."

Dallas Stars (13-14-4) over the Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-4) 6-5 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Stars LW Loui Eriksson - 3 Goals (first career hat trick)
-This was a see-saw game from beginning to end. Rick Nash (w/ an extra attacker), Louis Eriksson, Derrick Brassard (PPG), and Eriksson again alternated goals to tie the game at 2 heading in to the 1st intermission. In the 2nd period, Loui Eriksson completed his hat trick on the power play and James Neal (PPG) made it a 4-2 score. RJ Umberger, Brad Richards, and Kristian Huselius alternated goals to make it 5-4 heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Rick Nash scored his 2nd goal of the game with 2:46 remaining to force OT. The Blue Jackets thought they netted the winning goal 13 seconds into overtime on Manny Malhotra's apparent goal, but after a video review, officials ruled the puck was kicked into the net (I was watching the game at this point, it was a goal). In the shootout, Mike Ribeiro and Brad Richards both scored to give the Stars their 6th win in their past 9 games.

Phoenix Coyotes (15-13-4) over the Nashville Predators (15-13-3) 2-1
TOP PERFORMER = Coyotes C Kyle Turris - 2 Goals
-Kyle Turris scored with ten seconds remaining in the 1st period on a set up from Ed Jovanovski. In the 2nd period, Vernon Fiddler would tie the game on a backhander from Rich Peverly and Shea Weber. In the 3rd period, Turris scored his 2nd goal (and the eventual game winner) with the assists from Enver Lisin and Zbynek Michalek. The Coyotes have earned points in a season-high five straight games, including a pair of overtime losses.

RUMOR MILL

-Now that the Mats Sundin saga is finally over, here are some rumored guys who were almost moved by the Rangers to get under the cap to make the deal happen:
~The Rangers tried to move Brandon Dubinsky to the Blue Jackets
~The Rangers tried to trade Michal Rozsival and others to Dallas for Sean Avery
As a Rangers fan, I'm glad that none of these deals happened to make Sundin deal happen.

-Now that the first shot has been fired, look for guys like Jay Bouwmeester, Marian Gaborik and Jason Spezza to be moved soon.

-It looks the Red Wings and Blues will be one of the match-ups opening the NHL regular season overseas. The caveat is that Detroit only wants to do it if it's in Sweden since they have a few Swedes on their roster. The rumor is they want to do two other match-ups overseas in addition to Detroit-St. Louis.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Carolina Hurricanes forward Dan LaCouture is believed to have left the team for Russia, however, the Hurricanes remain unclear as to which Kontinental Hockey League team LaCouture is attempting to join. The Hurricanes intend on suspending LaCouture, who was signed as a free agent in October, if he doesn't have an immediate change of heart. If LaCouture walks away from his contract with the Hurricanes this will fuel the ongoing feud between the KHL and the National Hockey League as, once again, the Kontinental Hockey League would have apparently abandoned its policy of respecting NHL contracts. The 31-year old veteran has played in 11 games this season with the Hurricanes and has scored two goals. - CREDIT DARREN DREGER - TSN

-Bridgestone Tires will be the title sponsor of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic between the Red Wings and Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

TONIGHT'S ACTION
Ottawa (11-13-5) @ New Jersey (17-9-3) - 7PM
Los Angeles (13-12-6) @ Buffalo (15-13-3) - 7:30PM
NY Islanders (10-18-3) @ Minnesota (15-13-2) - 8PM
% Chicago (16-6-7) @ Calgary (18-11-3) - 9PM
Anaheim (17-12-3) @ Edmonton (14-14-2) - 9PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

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

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes Wednesday evenings

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

FTS - 12/18/08

TOP STORY

STUNG!

(Photo Credit: Jay LaPrete - AP)

Blue Jackets C RJ Umberger celebrates his game-winning goal over the Sharks

Columbus Blue Jackets (14-14-3) over the San Jose Sharks (25-3-3) 2-1 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Blue Jackets G Steve Mason - 47 Saves
When a team like the San Jose Sharks comes to town, you're probably not going to outscore them. If you want to beat them, you need to play sound defense and have a goalie at the top of his game. Columbus had both working in their favor last night and it resulted in the Sharks losing their 3rd game after regulation this season.

Defense would be the name of the game through the first two periods as the teams remained scoreless. In the 3rd period, Sharks RW Devin Setoguchi broke the scoreless tie on a feed from Rob Blake and Patrick Marleau. Michael Peca would tie the game for Columbus about nine minutes later on a set up from Jakub Voracek and Rick Nash. In overtime, RJ Umberger beat Evgeni Nabokov on a 2-on-1 at the 2:55 mark from Kristian Huselius and Fedor Tyutin. Blue Jackets rookie G Steve Mason faced a shooting gallery and turned away 47 of 48 shots. Evgeni Nabokov made 30 saves in the loss. San Jose coach Todd McLellan didn't look at the outcome as an upset. "It's funny. When you win some games and you come in to play against teams, they expect you to absolutely run over people," he said. "That's not the case. It's a hard league to win in and other teams are prepared for you."

Despite the loss, San Jose still has some ridiculous stats. Their 48 shots were a season high against (the previous high was 37. The Sharks dropped to 15-2-2 when scoring first and are 5-3 in overtime. This is one of those losses where you're never happy to lose, but whenever David beats Goliath, it's always going to garner some extra attention. The Sharks upcoming three game stretch (@ Detroit tonight, hosting the Rangers on Saturday and the Canucks on Tuesday) will be a true test to see how they respond to the loss.

On the flipside, Columbus played one of their best games of the season. A win over a team like San Jose can provide a huge mental boost for a team and could put Columbus on a roll, and the Blue Jackets have the games on their schedule to build some momentum. They have a two game road trip starting tonight at Dallas and Phoenix before returning home to play the Kings.

OTHER HEADLINES

-To Vancouver hockey fans, Trevor Linden will always be "Captain Canuck." Last night, they had one more chance to cheer him as the Canucks officially retired his jersey. Linden combined his considerable on-ice skill with an award-winning commitment to the community. Those contributions on and off the ice were remembered when the Canucks retired his No. 16 prior to their 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Earlier in the day, the team surprised Linden by renaming the main entrance and reception area for guests entering GM Place Gate 16 in honor of his number. Linden wiped tears from his eyes as the retirement ceremony, attended by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, his family and a number of former teammates and coaches, was capped when the banner with his number was raised to the building's rafters, joining former teammate Stan Smyl's No. 12. "To share this honor is a great thrill," Smyl told the sellout crowd before the banner-raising. "Your leadership inspired your teammates to play not only at a high level for themselves, but for each other." Canucks defenseman Mattias Ohlund, a teammate and roommate for seven years with Vancouver who represented the current team, cited Linden for setting "a perfect example on and off the ice" and praised him for being "a friend and mentor." After several other tributes, Linden was introduced to a rolling, roaring ovation. He noted at the start of his speech that the last time he had been on the floor of GM Place, in his last NHL game in April against Calgary, "I was being chased around by 200-pound defensemen. Now all I have to do is deliver this speech in a suit — and I can tell you, this seems way harder." He thanked former teammates, management and coaches, especially Pat Quinn — "not did you teach me about the game, you taught me how to be a professional. Your guidance allowed me to reach my full potential." — as well as the team's current and previous owners and, especially, the fans. "To the fans of Vancouver and British Columbia, it's hard to express my gratitude to you," he said. "Thank you for letting me into your lives. Thanks for being incredible, passionate hockey fans." Linden played 1,382 NHL games with the Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders and Washington Capitals. He had 375 goals and 492 assists for 867 points in his career and was 318-415-733 in a team-record 1,140 games with Vancouver. He was traded by the Canucks to the Islanders in February 1998 and returned to Vancouver in a deal with Washington in November 2001. - CREDIT NHL.com

-Ottawa Senators coach Craig Hartsburg sent his players a stern message on Wednesday. After finishing a tough practice with 12 minutes of hard skating, Hartsburg said it was time for the players to wake up and get to work. "You've got to work - you've got to do things right," Hartsburg said. "If you work, do things right and are prepared, you have a chance to win hockey games." For starters, Hartsburg is breaking up the struggling line of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. "The three guys that we have counted on, for lots of different reasons, haven't been able to produce - and I can get in to all of them, but it is what it is, and we've got to change it," Hartsburg said. "That line - there were times earlier I said we can't play them together. Then we had to play them together because we need a spark, but you know what, we have to look at this team and we are struggling to score goals - and these guys aren't scoring goals together maybe as much as they did in the past. We have to do something different." Hartsburg said he just didn't think it was realistic to expect the well-paid trio to carry the team. "I think the fact for all three of them, and I don't like to talk about money and all that, but they are paid a lot of money," Hartsburg noted. "They should be able to make players around them better and in the past they have counted on the three of them playing together to carry the team. From what I have seen so far that's not going to happen."

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

New Jersey Devils (17-9-3) over the Buffalo Sabres (15-13-3) 5-3
TOP PERFORMER = Devils RW David Clarkson - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Drew Stafford scored his 7th goal of the season in the 1st period sandwiched between goals by Travis Zajac and Zach Parise (PPG - 18th goal of the season). In the 2nd period, Bryce Salvador made it 3-1, but Patrick Kaleta would answer back :18 later to make it 3-2. In the 3rd period, David Clarkson and Brian Rolston scored to put the game out of reach for the Sabres. Paul Gaustad tallied the final Sabres goal. Buffalo C Derek Roy stretched his point streak to seven games with an assist on Stafford's goal.

Calgary Flames (18-11-3) over the Minnesota Wild (15-13-2) 3-2 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Flames RW Todd Bertuzzi - 1 Goal (GWG)
-This was the first meeting of the season for these division rivals. There was no scoring in the 1st period, but Daymond Langkow, Andrew Brunette, and Craig Conroy would all score goals within a 3:28 span of the 2nd period to give Calgary a 2-1 lead. In the 3rd period, Marian Gaborik scored in his first game back for the Wild with 4:43 remaining in the 3rd period. In overtime, Todd Bertuzzi potted the winner on a feed from Daymon Langkow and Robyn Regehr. Flames G Miika Kiprusoff won his 18th game of the season (ranks 2nd among goalies in the league) with 25 saves while Nicklas Backstrom made 27 saves in the loss. Minnesota hasn't won a game since 12/3.

New York Rangers (22-11-2) over the Los Angeles Kings (13-12-6) 3-2 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Rangers D Michal Rozsival - 2 Goals (GWG)
-In a rare meeting between the teams, Patrick O'Sullivan put the Kings on the board first with his 8th goal of the season on the power play. Chris Drury would tie the game for the Rangers with :44 remaining in the 1st period. In the 2nd period, Rangers D Michal Rozsival scored on a penalty shot on the power play to give the Rangers a 2-1 lead. In the 3rd period, Dustin Brown scored his 12th goal of the season on a deflection to tie the game. In overtime, Rozsival scored his 2nd goal of the game on a blast from the top of the circles. Rangers backup G Stephen Valiquette made 39 saves while Jason LaBarbera stopped 27 shots in a battle of former Hartford Wolfpac (AHL) teammates. The Rangers have now won three in a row and have taken the first two games of their California road trip. Rangers opponents are 2-for-34 on the power play over the last nine games, but New York is only 3-for-40 over their last 10 contests.

Vancouver Canucks (18-11-3) over the Edmonton Oilers (14-14-2) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Canucks LW Daniel Sedin - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
-The teams would remain scoreless in the 1st period, but Vancouver would put on a clinic in the 2nd period. Daniel Sedin (PPG, Ryan Kesler, and Daniel Sedin would again score to give the Canucks a 3-0 lead heading in to the 2nd intermission on Trevor Linden night. In the 3rd period, Edmonton would tighten the game with an early goal from Dustin Penner and a late power play goal from Sam Gagner. Jannik Hansen sealed the deal for the Canucks with an empty net goal. Curtis Sanford made 22 saves in the win while Dwayne Roloson made 24 saves in the loss. Canucks D Sami Salo's return to the lineup lasted just 38 minutes. Salo appeared to injury his ribs after being hit hard into the boards by Edmonton captain Ethan Moreau. Also, D O'Brien sustained a charley horse when he left midway through the first period following a hit from Edmonton LW Zach Stortini. Both players will be reevaluated today.

RUMOR MILL

-A Mats Sundin decision is expected to happen today. If the Rangers are the choice, it appears that Colorado will be a trade partner to make room under the cap for the Blueshirts to bring Mats on board.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-St. Louis Blues D Jay McKee is out indefinitely with a fractured left ring finger. He sustained the injury in the third period of St. Louis's 6-3 loss Tuesday night to the Calgary Flames. The Blues have recalled defenceman Jonas Junland from the AHL's Peoria Rivermen. Junland, 21, has 13 points (six goals, seven assists) in 21 games with the Rivermen.

-Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will start tonight in Atlanta, the first time he has played since injuring his groin Nov. 15. Fleury was the backup goalie during a 6-3 loss in Philadelphia on Saturday, his first time in uniform since getting hurt against Buffalo. The Penguins have been off for four days, but will play four games in six days beginning Thursday. Fleury, who helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup finals last season, is 8-3-2 with a .907 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average in 14 games. The Penguins also recalled forwards Jeff Taffe and Ryan Stone from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL). Injured forwards Max Talbot and Mike Zigomanis are not expected to play in Atlanta.

-Western Conference All-Start Voting Update:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=259974&lid=sublink07&lpos=headlines_nhl

TONIGHT'S ACTION
Toronto (12-12-6) @ Boston (21-5-4) - 7PM
Florida (14-13-3) @ Carolina (14-12-5) - 7PM
Philadelphia (17-7-6) @ Montreal (16-9-5) - 7PM
St. Louis (12-15-3) @ Washington (19-10-3) - 7PM
Pittsburgh (16-10-4) @ Atlanta (10-16-4) - 7PM
%San Jose (25-3-3-) @ Detroit (20-6-4) - 7:30PM
Colorado (15-15-1) @ Tampa Bay (7-15-8) - 7:30PM
Columbus (14-14-3) @ Dallas (12-14-4) - 8:30PM
Nashville (15-12-3) @ Phoenix (14-13-4) - 9PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

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

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes Wednesday evenings

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

DROPPING THE GLOVES w/ ANDREW BOGUSCH - 12/17/08

Next Friday starts one of the best periods on the hockey calendar – the World Junior Championships, which are being played this winter in Ottawa. If you have the NHL Network, you will be able to see all Team USA games and the entire medal round.

And while you are watching these teenagers compete, your thoughts will probably shift to the pros taking the ice in Vancouver for the 2010 Olympics. With that mind, we present our initial thoughts on the American roster…

(All stats through Monday, December 15th)

C – Paul Stastny, Colorado: While the Canadians are insanely deep down the middle, Team USA management may struggle to find four pivots playing well come February ’10. Stastny, though, is the lone lock for the squad at this point with 97 points in his first 96 NHL games. The question is, can he handle top-line minutes in an international competition of this magnitude?
C – Scott Gomez, NY Rangers: Gomez’s numbers as a Ranger are not overly impressive (especially that -10 this year), but he is still a world-class playmaker when paired with the right wingers.
C – Chris Drury, NY Rangers: Makes the squad now because he is still one of the most clutch players in the game. Could be the captain of this team.
C – Joe Pavelski, San Jose: The Wisconsin native is excelling in second-line duties for the unconscious Sharks.

LW – Zach Parise, New Jersey: If NHL players go to Sochi, Russia in 2014, Parise may have the ‘C’ on his chest. In Vancouver, he’ll have to settle for first-line LW.
LW – Brian Rolston, New Jersey: Rolston can play any forward spot, but we’ll place him here because there are few LW options right now. The 35-year-old brings leadership,can kill penalties, and might be the best option on the power-play blueline.
LW – Dustin Brown, Los Angeles: Last year’s leader in hits will provide some offense on top of his physicality.
LW – Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay: Malone is not building on last year’s breakout campaign yet with the Lightning, but he earns a spot nonetheless for his size and grit. This team will have enough small, speedy playmakers; it could use a big dude in front of the net.

RW – Patrick Kane, Chicago: Another young player that Team USA will have to count on for production. Kane is an all-world skater, and his supreme talent with the puck will shine against top competition.
RW – Phil Kessel, Boston: No one is hotter than Kessel with points in 14 consecutive games (11G, 9A total). Is an option at his natural position (center) as well.
RW – Jason Pominville, Buffalo: Pominville is a consistent goal-scorer and can handle the point on the power-play.
RW – Brian Gionta, New Jersey: The tiny Devil gets the last RW spot because he is starting to re-discover his scoring touch. And worst case scenario, he is always responsible on the ice, as evidenced by his +14 rating.

D – Brian Rafalski, Detroit: There is depth on the American blueline, but Rafalski is the lone stud. It is imperative that management convinces him to play in this tournament.
D – Mike Komisarek, Montreal: Rafalski can think more offense and leave the shutdown work to Komisarek.
D – Keith Ballard, Florida: If it does not happen before then, Ballard will fully announce himself to the hockey world in Vancouver. His play’s not flashy, it’s just solid.
D – Paul Martin, New Jersey: Yes, another Devil, but Martin is too strong in his own end to ignore.
D – Matt Carle, Philadelphia: Carle’s development is apparently back on track now that he is a Flyer. By early 2010, he should be as good as any initiating the rush.
D – Erik Johnson, St. Louis: This year’s ACL injury robbed Johnson of a huge year in his development, but he should be back to top form in time for Vancouver.

G – Ryan Miller, Buffalo: The Sabre can be shaky, but he is the best option between the pipes as of today, partly because Rick DiPietro cannot stay healthy on Long Island.
G – Tim Thomas, Boston: This might be the biggest stretch of these picks, but Thomas is a Vezina front-runner this season and is the only other option if DiPietro is hurt again.

EXTRAS: Ryan Kesler, Patrick O’Sullivan, Christopher Higgins, Peter Mueller, John-Michael Liles, Ryan Whitney, Rick DiPietro

The actual final roster will not have the established star power of the Canadian and Russian versions, but this will be a well-rounded group, with guys who fit into their respective roles very well. However, the bronze may be the most realistic expectation unless another top-notch center emerges and one of the goaltending possibilities proves he can carry the team.

* * *

The Shootout…No surprise that the Stars are parting ways with Sean Avery, but is a surprise that they will continue to honor his contract – which they should since they knew what they were getting into when they signed Avery over the summer. It says here that Avery won’t play in the NHL again this season. Maybe some time in Europe (being a good boy) can get Avery back in GMs’ good graces…

It appears we will get a Mats Sundin decision Thursday, with the Canucks and Rangers the finalists for his services. Vancouver is offering more money, but New York is the sexier option for Sundin. It’s Broadway and there is more talent from top to bottom on the Ranger roster. Plus, the Blueshirts have a slightly easier road to the Stanley Cup. From the Ranger perspective, though, is this truly the move the team needs to make? Yes, their offense is rather anemic (just 91 goals after Tuesday’s win in Anaheim), but they should be good enough with Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Brandon Dubinsky and Blair Betts. The issue is on the wing, and as talented as Sundin is, his presence cannot erase that lack of production (excluding Nikolai Zherdev). Drury could move to right wing if Sundin is signed, but he has been out there more than once this season with little effect. The Rangers should only add Sundin if they know they cannot land Marian Gaborik, Ilya Kovalchuk, or another sniper…

Once the Sundin Sweepstakes end, we will apparently begin waiting on Peter Forsberg to return to the ice. This Swedish center recently said he wants to play again and that he has “the best doctor in the world” working on his troublesome right foot. The Forsberg Waiting Game is now an annual event, and it always seems to end with a foot setback or a new injury. Every professional athlete deserves to end his career on his own terms. Sometimes, though, it would be nice if they left sooner rather than later so our memories are only of them at their peak…

Finally, best of luck to tough guy Brian McGrattan, who entered the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program over the weekend. There is nothing easy about admitting you have a problem. And kudos to the League and the Players’ Association for developing this program, which allows players to seek help while staying on their team’s payroll.

Don’t forget, send your questions, comments, gripes, etc. to boguschhockey@gmail.com

FTS - 12/17/08

TOP STORY

BLACKOUT IN EDMONTON

(Photo Credit: John Ulan - AP/Canadian Press)

Jonathan Toews watches a Patrick Kane shot go in while G Mathieu Garon looks clueless to where it is

Chicago Blackhawks (16-6-7) over the Edmonton Oilers (14-13-2) 9-2
TOP PERFORMER = Blackhawks RW Troy Brouwer - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
After what the Blackhawks did to the Edmonton Oilers last night, I now understand why ancient Romans went to the Colosseum to watch the Christians fight Lions. Chicago won their 5th in a row and scored nine goals in a game for the first time since 1999. Edmonton surrendered nine goals in a game for the first time since 1992.

The Blackhawks had a two goal lead after the 1st period thanks to goals from Patrick Kane (PPG) and Colin Fraser. In the 2nd period, Brian Campbell scored on the power play to make it 3-0. Shawn Horcoff answered back with a PPG for Edmonton to make it 3-1, but that would be the end of Edmonton's night. Troy Brouwer (PPG), Kris Versteeg, Ben Eager, and Brouwer again would make it 7-1 heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Chicago would make it 9-1 on a shorthanded goal from Duncan Keith and a power play goal from Craig Adams. Marc-Antoine Pouliot scored Edmonton's final goal of the game. Nikolai Khabibulin made 31 saves in the win while Mathieu Garon gave up five goals and Dwayne Roloson would give up four.

"It was humiliating," Oilers D Sheldon Souray said. "It was a real poor effort. They pretty much exposed us in every area of the game. They took it to us all over the place. All the way around we got outplayed. It's been a long time since I have been part of a game like that." The seven-goal margin of defeat tied a franchise record for home games. The other two seven-goal losses also came to Chicago, one in 1992 and the other in 1995. Next up for Edmonton is the Canucks tonight.

The last time the Blackhawks won five in a row was during the 2001-02 season, which is also the last season they made the playoffs (the Blackhawks have done a lot of things this season for the first time since their last playoff season, hmm...). "We're an unbelievable team," Troy Brouwer said. "We're young and we've got a lot of heart on this team and we know we're good. I think that's what really makes us even better is that we go out there and know we can win every night." Blackhawks D James Wisniewski made his season debut following knee surgery and had three assists. Chicago went 4-for-5 on the power play and is 15-4-6 since coach Joel Quenneville took over for Denis Savard behind the bench. Next up for Chicago is the Flames in Calgary on Friday.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Wild right wing Marian Gaborik declared himself "good to go" to face the Calgary Flames and, pending final consultation with coach Jacques Lemaire, will appear in a game for the first time since Oct. 14. He hurt part of his lower body (the Wild won't specify team injuries, but probably it's probably his groin which has affected him forever) which made his future with the Wild even more uncertain. Gaborik's contract expires this summer, and negotiations on an extension broke off before he was hurt. Attempts by the team to trade him have predictably hit a wall. With the Wild struggling to score, their 76 goals being the fewest in the Western Conference, Gaborik and his All-Star offensive skills have been missed. Their losing streak is at five games, and they've scored five goals during that span. "I want to get out there and make a difference, but obviously I want to be cautious," Gaborik said after a spirited practice Tuesday that lasted about 90 minutes. Lemaire left the decision on when to return up to Gaborik, who missed 34 games two years ago due to a nagging groin injury. The active roster is at 22 players, so if Gaborik comes off injured reserve the team does not have to make a corresponding move. "More than likely I'll go," Gaborik said, adding: "I think I'm at the point where I can go out there and play a game. I don't think it will get any better. Obviously sometimes I feel discomfort, but I think by playing games it's going to get there. To get out there and get into game shape, I'm looking forward to it." Gaborik skated Tuesday on a line with James Sheppard and Stephane Veilleux.

-Peter Forsberg says he wants to try the NHL one more time. According to the Denver Post, Forsberg hopes to participate in the 2009 NHL playoffs, and he would like to do so in a Colorado jersey. "I want to play. I hate sitting in the stands and not be able to be out there on the ice," Forsberg reportedly told the Swedish television program "Hockeynight" this week. "If it doesn't work this time, I'll call it quits. But I have the best doctor in the world (Bertil Romanus), and without him I would have given up already. I'm still hopeful." Forsberg also went public with the news that he had to wear electrodes on his bad foot after re-joining the Avalanche late last season. "(I had) a battery package hidden in my pants. When I turned it on, the foot straightened in the skates," Forsberg said. "It was kind of funny." Forsberg had 15 points in nine games with Colorado at the end of the regular season. He followed up with five points in seven playoff games, although he missed three games with a back problem. Forsberg has 885 points in 706 career NHL games, and 171 points in 151 NHL playoff games. The Post also reported that Forsberg had more surgery on his right foot a few weeks ago. Forsberg did not discuss details and his agent, Don Baizley, likewise opted not to get into specifics about the procedure, although he did not deny some work had been done.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Carolina Hurricanes (14-12-5) over the Montreal Canadiens (16-9-5) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Hurricanes C Eric Staal - 2 Power Play Goals
-Eric Staal scored both his power play goals in the 1st period. In the 2nd period, Guillaume Latendresse and Alexei Kovalev (SHG) scored to tie the game at 2 early in the 2nd period. Joe Corvo added another power play goal for Carolina to give he Hurricanes the lead and the win. 'Canes LW Sergei Samsonov chipped in with two assists. Montreal goalie Carey Price and forward Saku Koivu missed their second straight games with lower body injuries. Carolina had as many power plays (five) as shots in the first period.

Washington Capitals (19-10-3) over the New York Islanders (10-18-3) 5-4 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals LW Alexander Ovechkin - 2 Goals (GWG)
-The Capitals jumped out to a two goal lead in the 1st period thanks to Boyd Gordon and Brooks Laich. Dough Weight scored on the power play to make it 2-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Milan Jurcina scored to make it 3-1 caps. Richard Park would answer back 8:30 later to make it 3-2, but AO scored two minutes later to make it 4-2 heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Andy Sutton and Jon Sim would both score to force overtime. With just over :10 seconds remaining in OT, Alexander Ovechkin scored his 19th of the season on a feed from Nicklas Backstrom (2 assists on the night) for the win. The Capitals are 21-1-1 in the last 23 games in which Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal, including 11-1-1 this season. Mark Streit had 3 assists for the Isles, but they fell to 1-5-1 against the Southeast Division this season.

Philadelphia Flyers (17-7-6) over the Colorado Avalanche (15-15-1) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Flyers C Mike Richards - 1 Goal, 2 Assists (GWG), extended his points streak to 8 games
-Paul Stastny scored the first goal of the game on the power play to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead. That would be the last lead Colorado had in the game. Mike Knuble (PPG) and Jeff Carter (SHG, 22nd goal of the season) would make it 2-1 heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Joffrey Lupul and Mike Richards would score to make it 4-1. David Jones scored his 5th goal of the season right before the 2nd intermission to make it 4-2. In the 3rd, Simon Gagne scored his 16th goal of the season on the power play. Flyers G Antero Niittymaki made 29 saves in the win. The Flyers improved to 8-0-2 in their last 10 home games and have earned a point in 16 of their last 17 games overall (13-1-3). Philly leads the NHL with 12 short-handed goals, one less than their 2007-08 total.

Toronto Maple Leafs (12-12-6) over the New Jersey Devils (16-9-3) 3-2 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Maple Leafs D Tomas Kaberle - 2 Assists
-Mike Rupp scored the lone goal in the 1st period to give New Jersey the lead heading in to the intermission. In the 2nd period, Nik Antropov and Jeremy Williams scored for Toronto to give them a 2-1 lead. With :20 remaining in the 2nd period, Zach Parise scored on the power play to knot the game at two. In the shootout, Jason Blake scored the winnner on a filthy helicopter move to put the puck by Devils G Scott Clemmensen (25 saves). Vesa Toskala made 25 saves in the win. The Maple Leafs have won three straight for the first time this season while the Devils dropped two in a row after winning 9 of 10.

Atlanta Thrashers (10-16-4) over the Ottawa Senators (11-13-5) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Thrashers RW Colby Armstrong - 2 Goals (GWG)
-The Thrashers held a 3-0 lead through most of the game (Slava Kozlov PPG, Colby Armstrong PPG and another Armstrong goal) before Chris Kelley scored his 3rd of the season late in the 3rd period. Todd White added an empty-net power play goal for the final tally. Atlanta G Ondrej Pavelec made 28 saves in the win and ended a three game losing streak for the Thrashers. Atlanta won for just the third time since Nov. 14.

Dallas Stars (12-14-4) over the Phoenix Coyotes (14-13-4) 2-1 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Stars LW Loui Eriksson - 2 Goals (GWG)
-Loui Eriksson scored early in the 1st period for Dallas on a feed from Chris Conner and Brad Richards. The teams would remain scoreless until halfway through the 3rd period when Todd Fedoruk scored on a set-up from Peter Mueller and Zbynek Michalek. At 3:39 of Overtime, Eriksson scored his 2nd of the game and 14th of the season from Mike Ribeiro and Matt Niskanen. Marty Turco made 22 saves in the win for Dallas while Ilya Bryzgalov made 28 saves in the loss. The Coyotes are 0-4 in games decided after regulation this season. Ilya Bryzgalov has been in net for three of those losses.

Calgary Flames (17-11-3) over the St. Louis Blues (12-15-3) 6-3
TOP PERFORMER = Flames RW Jarome Iginla - 2 Goals, 2 Assists
-Iginla scored both of his goals in the 1st period to give him 16 on the season. In the 2nd period, Matthew Lombardi made it 3-0, but St. Louis would answer back with two goals from Patrik Berglund and Brad Boyes' 16th of the season (PPG). Mike Cammalleri (PPG, 11th goal of the season) and Adrian Aucoin answered back with two of their own to make it 5-2 heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, David Backes inched St. Louis closer, but Daymond Langkow would put the nail in the St. Louis coffin. Craig Conroy and Cory Sarich each had two assists for the Flames. The Flames are 10-1 when Iginla has more than one point.

New York Rangers (21-11-2) over the Anaheim Ducks (17-12-3) 3-1
TOP PERFORMER = Rangers LW Nigel Dawes - 1 Goal (GWG)
-The game would remain scoreless until the 2nd period when Chris Drury scored (unassisted) his 9th goal of the season early in the period. Chris Kunitz would tie it up on a feed from Bret Hedican and Ryan Carter late in the period. In the 3rd, Nigel Dawes scored unassisted on a beautiful move to give the Rangers the lead for good. RW Nikolai Zherdev added an empty-net power play goal to clinch the game. Henrik Lundqvist made 19 saves for the Rangers while Jonas Hiller made 27 saves in the loss. Jean-Sebastien Giguere's father, Claude, died in Canada on Monday, and Giguere was given the night off. Anaheim's five-game home winning streak came to an end and managed just 20 shots, their second-lowest total of the year.

RUMOR MILL

-We are still on Sundinwatch 2008. It looks like he's leaning towards the Rangers

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Forward Steve Sullivan joined the Predators yesterday, the first time he has participated in a practice with the team this season. He was able to stay out for the full length of practice and skate at full speed with the team, though in a non-contact capacity. “With the way the schedule works with Christmas, New Years, the team going on the road, today was just an opportunity for me to go out and be on the ice for an hour and fifteen, twenty minutes; do the drills I could handle with the team,” Sullivan said of the decision to skate with the team today. “We’ll re-evaluate tomorrow morning and see if it was too much or if we handled it correctly, if we need to take something away or if we can add something. Every day is a different day; we’re re-assessing day by day; we’re not guessing, estimating, or giving any timetable as to when I’ll be able to skate again. We are on a day-to-day basis. I’m hoping to feel good tomorrow morning and continue the process.” Sullivan, who missed the past season and a half after injuring his back late in the 2006-07 season, has been vigorously rehabbing with the team’s medical staff in hopes of attempting to make a comeback with the team. Yesterday’s practice marked a major milestone in his progress.

-Contrary to a published report, Sean Avery has not been put into Stage 1 of the joint NHL-NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Modification Program. But that doesn't mean it won't happen at some point in the near future, perhaps in a matter of days or weeks. Avery, who is still being paid by the Dallas Stars even though he is no longer welcome in that organization, is undergoing counseling with doctors from the NHL-NHLPA program but it is the medical people, in consultation with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly, who decide when an NHL player is to be formally entered into Stage 1, which ensures a medical leave from the game with pay while undergoing treatment. Once a player is entered into the program, it is the doctors who decide when, or if, a player is prepared to return to active duty in the NHL. It should be noted that all players who enter Stage 1 are not necessarily dealing with substance abuse issues because, as the name implies, the care and treatment also exists for Behavioral Modification. (credit Bob McKenzie - TSN). In a related story, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday of the Dallas Stars "They're supportive of him getting the counselling he's getting, they're continuing to pay his contract, and I think it became obvious that that was an uncomfortable situation for everybody, so they've all decided to move on. I think that was a very professional way to handle it." Bettman was speaking to reporters after addressing and taking questions from the floor at a chamber of commerce luncheon at a downtown hotel. "What Sean Avery said was wrong. It was offensive. It was disgusting. We have a lot of women who are fans. We have a lot of children who are fans, and to be perfectly honest I wouldn't want to have to explain to my 12-year-old daughter what he said."

TONIGHT'S ACTION
New Jersey (16-9-5) @ Buffalo (15-12-3) - 7PM
San Jose (25-3-2) @ Columbus (13-14-3) - 7PM
%Calgary (17-11-3) @ Minnesota (15-13-1) - 8PM
NY Rangers (21-11-2) @ Los Angeles (13-12-5) - 10:30PM
Edmonton (14-13-2) @ (Vancouver 17-11-3) - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

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

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tonight

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

TOP STORY

LONGING FOR LUONGO

(Photo Credit: AP)

Vancouver Canucks captain Roberto Luongo spoke to the media for the first time since pulling himself off the ice on the team's road trip last week, and the news isn't good. He said the injury is simply not where he wants it to be and there was no point in continuing to skate any further. The netminder has been sidelined since November 22nd after suffering an injury in the first period during a victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He then appeared to suffer a set back in recovery after experiencing pain just 20 minutes into practice on Wednesday.

''It wasn't feeling like it was supposed to be feeling, so I got off the ice,'' Luongo said on Sunday. ''I didn't want to make it worse and I'm going to stay off the ice until I'm 100 percent.'' Luongo did not travel with the team to Edmonton for Saturday's loss to the Oilers and has been working out since suffering the injury.

Last week, the 29-year-old stressed the importance of making a full recovery before returning to action and today stated that he thought his body was ready to get back in. ''We were taking the steps as they were planned. Up to that point, everything was feeling great,'' he said. ''I don't feel that I rushed it.'' Both Luongo and general manager Mike Gillis have downplayed the severity of the injury and ranges of when the goaltender might be back in the lineup - anywhere from four weeks to after the All-Star break. "No new time frame," Gillis said Sunday. "We're approaching it week-to-week and we're going to be patient and make sure he's completely healthy." Luongo says there is still no timeline for his return. ''Week-to-week? Tough to say,'' Luongo said. ''This is the first time I've dealt with a groin injury. Just when I thought I was ready to get back into it, my groin was telling me something else. I'm a competitor; I want to be in goal every day.''

Luongo is 11-5-2 with a 2.17 GAA and five shutouts this season.
(Credit TSN.ca)

The Canucks have gone 4-5-2 since the Penguins game when Luongo went down. It's not a great record, but considering you're without arguable the best goalie in the world, that is about the best you can hope for. When you have Peyton Manning as your quarterback, you don't invest too much money in to a backup (Jim Sorgi is the backup for the Colts, btw) because if Manning goes down, your season is essentially shot. The difference here is Curtis Sanford and Cory Schneider have been doing just fine in his place. Minnesota's slump and Calgary's inconsistency is also helping Vancouver stay atop the division. If Vancouver wins the Mats Sundin sweepstakes, things will look up even more for this team. Vancouver is playing team hockey and that's the best way to weather the storm of losing your best player.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Buffalo Sabres defenseman Craig Rivet revealed today that he's dealing with an injured shoulder and the team's captain is going to be out least two weeks while he tries to rehab the shoulder. Rivet was originally injured Nov. 29 in Montreal and sat out the next two games. He returned to play in the next three games but said he tweaked the injury in each one. Rivet sat out Friday's loss to Toronto in HSBC Arena and Saturday's win at New Jersey. "It's something that I tried to play with and it was really limiting what I could do on the ice," Rivet said after taking part in practice in a limited role at HSBC Arena. "It's really affecting my game so we took a different game plan. The pain issue, you can get through. But when it starts making it that much more difficult on the ice, you have to take a step back. We're going to try to rehabilitate it." Coach Lindy Ruff said Rivet would be sideline for "two-week blocks." "We'll see where he is after two weeks and if the doctors decide he isn't available it will be another two weeks," Ruff said. "He can't play the way he wants to play. That's his biggest frustration. He can't play a physical game and I understand that. He doesn't think he can be a true asset if he has to play a different style of game."

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Colorado Avalanche (15-14-1) over the Detroit Red Wings (20-6-4) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Avalanche G Andrew Raycroft - 34 saves
-The Avalanche would jump out to a two goal lead in the 1st period and wouldn't look back. Winger Wojtek Wolski scored 1:07 in to the game and Paul Stastny added a power play goal three minutes later. In the 2nd period, Tomas Holmstrom cut in to the Avalanche lead. In the 3rd period, D Jordan Leopold scored the eventual game winner on a penalty shot. Marian Hossa scored his 16th of the season later in the period, but that would be as close as Detroit would get. Colorado improved to 11-0-0 when leading after two periods and ended a four game losing streak against the Red Wings (three of them were shutouts). Colorado right winger Marek Svatos missed his second game because of a back injury.

San Jose Sharks (25-3-2) over the Los Angeles Kings (13-12-5) 3-2 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Sharks LW Ryan Clowe - 1 Goal (Power Play), GW SO Goal
-The Kings jumped out to a 2-0 midway through the 1st period thanks to goals from Matt Greene and Teddy Purcell (both their first of the season). Ryane Clowe scored San Jose's first goal a few minutes later on the power play. In the 2nd period, Patrick Marleau scored his 16th goal of the season shorthanded to knot the game at 2. In the shootout, Dan Boyle and Ryane Clowe would score for San Jose to give the Sharks their 50th point of the season. Brian Boucher made 26 saves in the win while Erik Ersberg and Jason LaBarbera combined for 24 saves (Ersberg was forced out of the game at 6:54 of the second period because of a groin pull after stopping 10 of 11 shots). The Sharks improved to 12-0-1 in their last 13 games. With 52 points, the Sharks passed the 1929-30 Bruins and set an NHL record for the most points through the first 30 games of the season and with its 25th win of the season, they tied those 1929-30 Bruins for the most victories in the first 30 games of the season.

RUMOR MILL

-It's been narrowed down to the Canucks and the Rangers for Mats Sundin, and it looks like his new home will be MATSison Square Garden (sorry, I had to). I don't want to pass judgement yet because there's still more to this story, but if the Rangers deal Scott Gomez to make room for Sundin under the cap, that would be one of the worst moves Glen Sather has ever made, and there's a lengthy list when it comes to that (this isn't the Rangers fan in me talking, it's the hockey fan in me talking). This all being said, maybe Glen Sather will pull a Christmas-time miracle out of his 5-Hole to make Sundin work under the cap.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The NHL named it's Three Stars Of The Week:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=398215

-When the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings meet on a rink that will stretch from first to third base at Wrigley Field, neither team will have an advantage with the wind in the third period, even if it's a blustery and cold day. That's because they'll switch sides in the middle of the final period, NBC coordinating producer Sam Flood said Monday during a conference call promoting the network's coverage of the Winter Classic. "I know that plan is in place for this game, so if those Wrigley winds are blowing out to right field, they will flip the teams' direction after the halfway point of the third period," he said. Last year when the Winter Classic was played in snowy conditions at Orchard Park, N.Y., the teams did the same. They switched ends in the third period, with a buzzer going off at the 10-minute mark stopping play. (Credit AP)

TONIGHT'S ACTION

Montreal (16-8-5) @ Carolina (13-12-5) - 7PM
Washington (18-10-2) @ NY Islanders (10-18-2) - 7PM
Colorado (15-14-1) @ Philadelphia (16-7-6) - 7PM
New Jersey (16-9-2) @ Toronto (11-12-6) - 7PM
Atlanta (9-16-4) @ Ottawa (11-12-5) - 7:30PM
Phoenix (14-13-3) @ Dallas (11-14-4) - 8:30PM
Calgary (16-11-3) @ St. Louis (12-13-3) - 8:30PM
Chicago (15-6-7) @ Edmonton (14-12-2) - 9:30PM
%NY Rangers (20-11-2) @ Anaheim (17-11-3) - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN


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

PLUS/MINUS - 12/15/08

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

PLUS/MINUS

The San Jose Sharks are STILL unbeaten at home in regulation (16-0-2)

1) San Jose Sharks {24-3-2} (EVEN)
2-0-0week (won vs. ANA, STL)
The Sharks reached 50 points in the standings before Christmas...wow.

2) Boston Bruins {21-5-4} (EVEN)
3-1-0 week (won vs. TB, lost @ WAS, won @ ATL, vs. ATL)
If the Sharks weren't playing ridiculous hockey, everyone would be giving Boston the San Jose love.

3) Detroit Red Wings {20-5-4} (EVEN)
2-1-0 week (won vs. CAL, lost @ DAL, won @ PHO)
Detroit is taking care of business game in and game out and are still playing at the level everyone expected them to. Anyone else pumped for Thursday night's Sharks-Red Wings game in Hockeytown?

4) Washington Capitals {18-10-3} (+4)
3-0-0 week (won vs. BOS, OTT, @ MON)
Washington's win over Boston was very impressive. It looks like the Caps have finally settled in to the groove that vaulted them in to the playoffs last season.

5) New York Rangers {18-10-2} (EVEN)
2-0-1 week (won @ ATL, lost @ NJ, won vs. CAR)
The Rangers are treading water right now. The 3 game California road trip could either get this team back on track or derail it even further. The Rangers traditionally slump around the holidays, but they are quickly erasing the point lead they had from all of the wins from early in the season.

6) Anaheim Ducks {15-7-4} (+3)
2-0-1week (won vs. STL, lost @ SJ, won vs. MIN)
Anaheim might be the most consistent team in the league right now. They beat who they are supposed to beat. It will be interesting to see how Anaheim handles their upcoming five-game road trip.

7) Chicago Blackhawks {15-6-7} (+3)
3-0-0 week (won vs. OTT, @ COL, vs. CLB)
Chicago took advantage of some easy teams and have won four in a row. Being in 4th place in the conference and only trailing Detroit by 7 points for the division has Chicago buzzing about their Blackhawks again.

8) Philadelphia Flyers {16-7-6} (+6)
3-0-0 week (won vs. NYI, CAR, PIT)
The Flyers are back and on a roll. They've won four in row and five of their past six.

9) Montreal Canadiens {16-8-5} (-5)
1-2-0 week (won vs. CAL, lost vs. TB and WAS
The Canadiens haven't had a great December. They haven't looked good on the ice in the past few weeks. That being said, it's good to get these slumps out of the way early.

10) Vancouver Canucks {17-11-3} (+1)
2-0-1 week (won @ NAS, lost @ EDM, won vs. FLA)
The Canucks are the best team in the division and are doing it by winning games within the division (6-3-2 this season)

11) New Jersey Devils {16-9-2} (+2)
2-1-0 week (won vs. PIT, NYR, lost vs. BUF)
If Anaheim is the most consistent team in the West, this is the most consistent team in the East right now. Who would have thought Scott Clemmensen would keep the Devils sailing smoothly.

12) Calgary Flames {16-11-3} (-5)
0-1-2 week (lost @ MON, OTL @ DET, SOL vs. FLA)
We've seen this pattern from Calgary all season. Win a bunch in a row, drop a bunch in a row. They're lucky Minnesota is skidding in the standings right now.

13) Pittsburgh Penguins {16-10-4} (-7)
1-3-0 week (lost vs. BUF, lost @ NJ, won vs. NYI, lost @ PHI)
It looks like Dany Sabourin's hot streak has worn down (he's lost his last four starts). Pittsburgh has lost 5 of its last 7. I wouldn't be too worried about their recent play if I was a Penguins fan because they have too much talent to stay in this funk for long.

14) Buffalo Sabres {15-12-3} (+3)
3-1-0 week (won @ PIT, vs. TB, lost vs. TOR, won @ NJ)
It looks like the Sabres are finding the groove again, winning 4 of their past 5. Ryan Miller hasn't surrendered more than three goals in a start since a 7-4 shellacking at the hands of the Bruins on 11/19.

15) Nashville Predators {15-12-3} (EVEN)
1-2-1 week (lost @ STL, lost vs. VAN, SOL @ CLB, won vs. DAL)
Nashville struggled this week but is still playing solid hockey. Other than a game against the Red Wings, Nashville has a chance to gain some points in the standings with the rest of their December schedule.

16) Minnesota Wild {15-13-1} (-4)
0-3-0 week (lost @ PHO, @ LA, @ ANA)
Minnesota has lost five in a row and went 0-4 on their road trip. Minnesota will get a chance to get going again with upcoming games vs. CAL, vs. NYI, @ STL, vs. CAR

17) Phoenix Coyotes {14-13-3} (+7)
2-0-1 week (won @ DAL, vs. MIN, SOL vs. DET)
Wayne Gretzky has the Coyotes playing solid, consistent hockey right now. The rest of their December schedule gives them a chance to to really build on their good play and get them in the top 8 in the West.

18) Edmonton Oilers {14-12-2} (EVEN)
1-1-0 week (lost vs. FLA, won vs. CAN)
Beating Florida at home would have gone a long way, but they are playing at the level they should be right now.

19) Carolina Hurricanes {13-12-5} (-3)
0-0-2 week (SOL @ PHI, SOL @ NYR)
Carolina's season is circling the drain and they need to do something quickly. Maybe Peter Laviolette wasn't the problem

20) Los Angeles Kings {13-12-4} (EVEN)
2-1-0 week (lost @ COL, won vs. STL, MIN)
Los Angeles has won three of four after losing three straight. It looks a few games off for G Erik Ersberg is exactly what he needed to get back on track (he was responsible for both wins this week)

21) Florida Panthers {14-13-3} (+2)
3-1-0 week (won @ OTT, @ EDM, @ CAL, lost @ VAN)
The 4 game Canadian road trip went very well for Florida. They've won six of their past eight and are only two points out of 8th in the East. It might be a good idea to hold on to D Jay Bouwmeester for a while to see if Florida can get some momentum.

22) Columbus Blue Jackets {13-14-3} (EVEN)
2-1-0 week (won vs. NAS, NYI, lost @ CHI)
Blue Jackets fans are waiting to see if Steve Mason can carry the load as the #1 goalie. If he can, there should be a market for Pascal Leclaire to bring back a scorer to Columbus.

23) Colorado Avalanche {14-14-1} (-4)
1-1-0 week (won vs. LA, lost vs. CHI)
They didn't drop four spots so much as other teams passed them. If they split their four game road trip (DET, PHI, TB, FLA), they should be happy.

24) Toronto Maple Leafs {11-12-6} (+4)
2-0 week (won vs. NYI, @ BUF)
Toronto took care of business against two beatable teams this week. No matter what their record says, they can put up a fight against almost any team in the league.

25) Ottawa Senators {11-12-5} (EVEN)
1-2-0 week (lost @ CHI, @ WAS, won vs. TB)
Ottawa didn't play well at all on the road this week but Tampa was the right medicine to right the ship. The jury is still out on whether this is the Ottawa team we should expect for the rest of the season or if they're a lion waiting in the weeds.

26) St. Louis Blues {12-14-3} (-5)
0-3-0 week (lost @ ANA, @ LA, @ SJ)
The California road swing was brutal on St. Louis. St. Louis has constitently continuted their pattern of win a few, lose a few, win one, lose one throughout the season.

27) Dallas Stars {11-14-4} (-1)
1-2-0 week (lost vs. PHO, won vs. DET, lost @ NAS)
Now that the Stars have officially parted ways with Sean Avery, it will be interesting to see how the dynamic of this team changes. Their next four games are PHO, CLB, @ OTT and @ TOR so they'll get a chance to build some momentum.

28) Atlanta Thrashers {9-16-4} (+1)
0-2-1 week (OTL vs. NYR, lost vs. BOS, @ BOS)
The only reason they moved up a spot is because the Islanders played so bad this week. Surprsingly, they are 4-1-2 in the Southeast Division. If they could only play Southeast teams and the Islanders, they'd have a record that rivaled the Bruins.

29) New York Islanders {10-18-2} (-2)
0-4-0 week (lost @ TOR, @ PHI, @ PIT, @ CLB)
The Islanders were happy to end that four game road trip. They have now lost six in a row. When you look at the Isles roster, you can understand the bad play, unlike...

30) Tampa Bay Lightning {7-15-8} (EVEN)
1-3-0 week (lost @ BOS, @ BUF, won @ MON, lost @ OTT)
The sad part about the Lightning is that they aren't getting beaten badly. All of their losses have been within two goals since they were crushed by the Devils 7-3 on 11/23. That being said, they have lost 10 of their past 11.

BIGGEST GAINER = Phoenix Coyotes (+7)
BIGGEST LOSER = Pittsburgh Penguins (-7)
-11 Teams Moved Up
-9 Teams Moved Down
-10 Teams Remained Even

FTS - 12/15/08

TOP STORY

ALONE IN THE LONE STAR STATE

(Photo Credit: AP)

While this photo was only taken a mere few months ago, Sean Avery's days with the Stars are done

Just 23 games into a four-year, $15.5 million guaranteed contract, the Dallas Stars say they can not move forward with winger Sean Avery. Avery, who was signed as a free agent on July 2, will no longer play for the Stars, and the team will look to help him move on with his career and his life, co-general manager Brett Hull said Sunday. The contract is guaranteed, so there is a chance for the Stars to lose a lot of money. But the fact they are willing to risk that loss shows how much Avery has alienated players and team officials.

"Simply put, I think it was a bad marriage and it was time to separate," Stars coach Dave Tippett said. "You can continue to work at something like this, but we felt we had put a lot of work in and it just wasn't moving forward. This way, I believe both sides can move forward." Avery was suspended for six games by the NHL for conduct detrimental to the league on Dec. 2 when he made an unsavory comment to the media about the relationship between his ex-girlfriend – actress Elisha Cuthbert – and Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf. The suspension expired Sunday, and Avery was eligible to return to the team. However, the Stars said they took the time away from Avery to discuss their relationship with the agitating winger and decided the organization would be best served if Avery did not return. They also said they would not try to nullify the contract by saying Avery broke morality clauses.

Avery is in a behavioural modification program run by the NHL Players Association and is getting treatment for anger management. One of the stipulations of the program is that the Stars must communicate to Avery through his representatives, Hull said. As such, they will await an update from Avery's agent, Pat Morris, to see if there is a time this season when Avery would like to return to play hockey.

While I think this move is a little extreme, I understand why Dallas is doing this. The main question here is whether or not Avery should have been given a 2nd chance. In most situations, I think there should have been at least one attempt to work the player back in to the locker room and see if he can mesh with the team a 2nd time around. But, when Avery was first suspended, the vibe that was coming out of the Stars locker room was relief. If you go back and read the quotes, they were basically saying "Finally, we can focus on Stars hockey now." Avery wore out his welcome within two months in Dallas, which has to be some sort of record.

I am a Sean Avery fan. I love what he brings to the team on the ice, both talent-wise and verbally towards the other team. While what he said wasn't the smartest thing in the world, it wasn't necessarily wrong. That being said, Avery needs to develop the smarts and brains on what to open his mouth about and when to open that. If he can do that and learn how to be more of a team player, he can be a valuable asset to a team. Until that point though, he is going to be seen as a big cancer to any locker room and is going to have to put in extra effort to be accepted on whatever team he ends up on (Dallas will take some tape and practice pucks for him at this point). Avery has to be on a team where there is at least one indisputable leader of the clubhouse that even Avery will listen to. When he was on the Rangers, he had Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan in the same room to hold him accountable. Mike Modano and Brendan Morrow, while they are both great players, don't have the same effect. When an AHL team like the Manitoba Moose say "Thanks but no thanks" on taking a guy like Avery on their squad, that should sum up how bad the problem is.

OTHER HEADLINES

-San Jose Sharks center Jeremy Roenick probably will be out for three weeks because of a shoulder problem that landed him on the injured list Sunday. Roenick was hurt in the first period of the NHL-leading Sharks' 2-0 victory over Anaheim on Thursday night, crashing against the boards on a hit by defenseman Brett Festerling. Roenick returned to the game, but later tests revealed torn cartilage in his shoulder. San Jose coach Todd McLellan said Saturday that Roenick, who's in his 20th NHL season, will likely be out until January. Roenick has three goals and five assists during limited ice time in 28 games for the Sharks. He has thrived on San Jose's fourth line during his two seasons with the club, mentoring his young teammates and providing veteran leadership. With Roenick sidelined, the Sharks recalled forward Lukas Kaspar from their AHL affiliate in Worcester before Saturday night's 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Chicago Blackhawks (15-6-7) over the Columbus Blue Jackets (13-14-3) 3-1
TOP PERFORMER = Blackhawks G Cristobal Huet - 31 saves
-Frederik Modin put Columbus on the board in the 1st period, but Patrick Sharp would tie the game on the power play with :01 remaining in the 2nd period. Martin Havlat scored the game winner halfway in to the 3rd period and Brent Seabrook would add an empty net goal. Duncan Keith had two assists in the win. Chicago is 8-2-2 in its last 12 games. Columbus has only one win in its last six games against Chicago.

Anaheim Ducks (17-11-3) over the Minnesota Wild (15-13-1) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Ducks D Chris Pronger - 2 Assists, +3, 25:26 ice time
-Ryan Getzlaf (13th of the season) and Corey Perry put the Ducks up 2-0 in the 1st period before Marc-Andre Bergeron cut the lead in half on the power play. In the 2nd period, Eric Belanger would tie the game up, but Brendan Morrison and Bobby Ryan would each score to put the Ducks ahead for good. Chris Kunitz chipped in with two assists for the Ducks while Jean-Sebastian Giguere made 26 saves for the win. Josh Harding turned away 30 shots in the loss. The Ducks have won five straight home games and are 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. Before this game, Minnesota had not scored more than one goal in its previous four games.

Vancouver Canucks (17-11-3) over the Florida Panthers (14-13-3) 5-3
TOP PERFORMER = Canucks RW Pavol Demitra - 2 Goals
-The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to goals from defensemen Nick Boynton and Jay Bouwmeester. Darcy Hordichuk made it 2-1 before the end of the 1st period. In the 2nd period, Pavol Demitra scored back to back goals (one of them on the power play), Kyle Wellwood added a power play goal and Ryan Kesler scored shorthanded to give Vancouver a 5-2 lead heading in to the 3rd period. Michael Frolik scored the Panthers last goal in the 3rd period. LW Cory Stillman returned to the Florida lineup after missing 13 games with post-concussion symptoms, but lost C Stephen Weiss to an upper-body injury late in the first period. Weiss, who has five goals and 16 points on the season, did not return and was taken to the hospital for X-rays.

RUMOR MILL

-Mats Sundin took in Saturday night's encounter between the New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes and met with Rangers brass following the game. The 37-year old Swede and his Swedish representation Claes Elefalk sat down with Rangers' President and general manager Glen Sather, Senior advisor to President & GM and Director of U.S. Scouting Mike Barnett and Rangers' head coach Tom Renney. The meeting was described as relaxed and informal. While the Rangers have not made an offer; team representatives have made it clear that they want Sundin in the Big Apple.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Phoenix Coyotes forward Brian McGrattan has voluntarily entered stage 1 of the NHL and NHL Players Association Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program. The right winger will receive his full salary and benefits under the terms of the program providing he complies with the prescribed treatment under Dr. Dave Lewis of the NHL and the NHLPA's Dr. Brian Shaw. McGrattan, 27, appeared in only three games for Phoenix this season without registering a point and accumulating 12 penalty minutes. For his career, he has posted two goals and eight assists with 299 penalty minutes over his 146-game NHL career with the Coyotes and Ottawa.

-The Anaheim Ducks traded forward Brian Sutherby to the Dallas Stars for the rights to collegian David McIntyre and a conditional draft pick. Sutherby is playing his seventh season in the NHL, putting up 29 goals and 39 assists in 321 career games played between the Ducks and Washington Capitals. McIntyre is a member of the Colgate Raiders at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he leads the team in points; five goals and seven assists in 14 games.
-The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned defenceman Anton Stralman to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Stralman has played in 21 games for the Maple Leafs, recording one goal and six assists. He also posted a plus-one rating while averaging 15:51 of ice time. His lone goal of the season was the game-winning marker as the Leafs defeated Boston 4-2 on the road on October 23rd.

TONIGHT'S ACTION

% Colorado (14-14-1) @ Detroit (20-5-4) - 7PM
San Jose (24-3-2) @ Los Angeles (13-12-4) - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN


*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out tonight

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out Wednesday evenings

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