DROPPING THE GLOVES WITH ANDREW BOGUSCH - 12/31/08

What New Years Resolutions Should Teams Be Making? Andrew Bogusch runs down the resolutions each team should be making at 12:01AM.

Since Sean Avery’s mouth remains closed and Mats Sundin is already in Vancouver, we have little to whine about this week, so we’re taking the easy way out. Everyone else is providing NHL-themed New Year’s resolutions, so why shouldn’t we?

Commissioner GARY BETTMAN resolves (1) to simply chill out a little bit (have a drink, a nice cigar, something!) and (2) to allow Jim Balsillie to own a franchise. After the ‘Boots’ del Biaggio disaster in Nashville and with too many teams struggling financially, like the Coyotes, whose owner is about to abandon ship, it is ludicrous that the hockey-obsessed Balsillie isn’t overseeing an organization.

NHL OWNERS resolve to push a team into another Canadian city, particularly one in or near Toronto. This is not a plea for expansion – there are plenty of teams as is. It is time to admit that Phoenix or Sunrise, Florida or Atlanta was a mistake, or to realize that Long Island cannot support an organization anymore, and give our crazy neighbors to the north another squad.

The SAN JOSE SHARKS and BOSTON BRUINS resolve to keep their feet on the gas because they are too fun to watch right now. The boys from out west also resolve to reach at least the conference finals to erase their reputation as playoff chokers.

Atlanta GM DON WADDELL resolves to move Ilya Kovalchuk by this year’s trading deadline for 2-3 more assets. The Russian winger is the Thrashers’ lone draw, but winning more games will fill more seats and Atlanta needs more quality players to win more games.

Wild GM DOUG RISEBROUGH resolves to deal to Marian Gaborik as soon as the fragile winger is close to 100% healthy. Gaborik is Minnesota’s only elite scorer, but he’s out of the lineup too much. Risebrough can build depth through a trade and let another manager nurse Gaborik’s wounds.

The COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS and FLORIDA PANTHERS resolve to do whatever necessary to get themselves into the playoffs this spring. Even if that means Florida does not unload stud blue-liner Jay Bouwmeester.

The LOS ANGELES KINGS resolve to only be OK this season. Anything better than that would keep them from adding another high draft pick to their already successful rebuilding process. The Kings could be Cup Contenders early next decade.

The OTTAWA SENATORS resolve to shakeup their roster if they remain in the bottom-third of the East come the trade deadline. We’ve written this before, but moving Jason Spezza may be necessary to turn things around in the Canadian capital.

New Jersey GM LOU LAMORIELLO and head coach BRENT SUTTER resolve to use Scott Clemmensen more in relief of Martin Brodeur once the future Hall-of-Famer recovers from his arm injury. Clemmensen has more than proven himself in Brodeur’s absence. And since Marty is only getting older, he’ll need more and more rest.

The CAROLINA HURRICANES, SAINT LOUIS BLUES, and Islander goalie RICK DiPIETRO resolve to participate in some sort of exorcism to rid themselves of the injury bug.

The NEW YORK RANGERS resolve to acknowledge that they lack the offensive firepower to be a true Stanley Cup contender this season. Maybe Glen Sather should roll the dice by calling Waddell or Risebrough.

The PHOENIX COYOTES resolve to negotiate a better parking arrangement with the local government ASAP. Instead of making money off people driving to their games, the team is currently paying out roughly $2 million dollars per season. Is there anything more illogical in sports right now? And also, the Yotes resolve to burn their third jerseys and develop a new one this summer.

And YOU resolve to read this blog daily.


The Shootout…

If you haven’t been watching the World Junior Championships from Ottawa, now is the perfect time to start. The US and Canadian teams ring in the New Year Wednesday night as group play comes to a close. With the medal round on the horizon, we’re finally getting quality matchups. Canada’s 15-0 drubbing of Kazakhstan was too embarrassing to be entertaining…

As perfect as the Blackhawks-Red Wings matchup in Thursday’s Winter Classic is, it also could expose this game’s lone major flaw. Bad ice, high winds, and/or heavy snow could have a direct effect on the final score. The Central Division title may be won by only a point or two, and I wouldn’t want that margin to come from a pseudo-exhibition. Making this game a true exhibition (or playing the All-Star Game outdoors) may be the fairest option in the end…

Happy New Year, and we’ll see you in 2009…

FTS - 12/31/08 - HAPPY NEW YEARS!

TOP STORY

BOOMING BRUINS

(Photo Credit: Boston Globe)

Bruins C Marc Savard shoves Penguins D Brooks Orpik to the ice in the win

Boston Bruins (28-5-4) over the Pittsburgh Penguins (19-14-4) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins C Marc Savard - 1 Goal, 2 Assists

Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions. The Bruins are now the hottest team in the NHL (sorry San Jose, you've slipped a little lately) while the Penguins can't seem to get a consistent string of wins going. Last night was a continuation of those two story lines.

Petr Sykora put the Penguins on the board with three minutes remaining in the 1st period. The floodgatesd opened in the 2nd period starting with Zdeno Chara scoring on the power play (7th goal of the season). Marc Savard added his own power play goal to make it a 2-1. Pascal Dupuis tied the game back up at two on a feed from Sidney Crosby, but Phil Kessel scored his 23rd of the season to give Boston back the lead. In the 3rd period, Martin St. Pierre added a shorthanded goal and Dennis Wideman (who also had two assists) scored his 8th goal of the season.

Boston won its ninth straight game, the longest win streak for the franchise since Jan. 8-29, 1983. G Tim Thomas stopped 32 shots for his seventh consecutive victory. "We just want to win every game," said defenseman Zdeno Chara. "The stats and the history is one thing, but playing every game the best we can is another thing. After each game we want to look forward instead of back on whatever the record is." Next up for the B's is the back end of the home and home with Pittsburgh tomorrow night.

Sidney Crosby played in his 250th NHL game and recorded an assist. His 344 career points are the sixth-most through a player's first 250 NHL games in history. Penguins C Jordan Staal (20 years, 111 days) became the youngest player to appear in 200 NHL games. Penguins D Hal Gill returned after missing 10 games due to a shoulder injury. The Penguins dropped to 8-8-2 at home. A big part of the reason could be Sidney Crosby only has one power-play goal in 29 games and Evgeni Malkin has none in 20. After the Pens travel to Boston tomorrow, they get a chance to right the ship against a struggling Panthers team at home on Saturday.


OTHER HEADLINES

-Philadelphia Flyers forward Simon Gagne sustained an upper body injury in the first period against the Canucks on last night and did not return. Gagne, who was limited to just 25 games last season due to a concussion, was hit hard into the boards by Vancouver defenceman Kevin Bieksa on the first shift of the game. Gagne went to the bench favouring his left arm and shoulder. The Flyers took exception to the hit, although no penalty was assessed, and captain Mike Richards immediately challenged Bieksa to a fight. Gagne has 18 goals and 22 assists in 35 games for the Flyers this season.

-The Canucks, still missing top goalie Roberto Luongo, added some netminder insurance by acquiring Jason LaBarbera from the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night for a seventh-round pick in the 2009 draft. LaBarbera will join Curtis Sanford and rookie Cory Schneider, who have been sharing Vancouver's goaltending duties since Luongo was placed on the injured list Nov. 23 because of a groin injury. Luongo resumed skating on his own Tuesday, but isn't expected to be ready for game action for at least three weeks. Sanford will also be out for a while after sustaining a groin injury yesterday during the team's morning skate. He felt well enough to start last night's 3-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, but was replaced at the start of the second period by backup Schneider. Sanford was placed on the injured list after the game. LaBarbera is expected to get his first start with the Canucks at Nashville on Thursday

-Mats Sundin practiced for the first time with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday after signing as a free agent before Christmas. Sundin wasn't in the lineup for last night's game against Philadelphia and wasn't sure when he would debut with the Canucks. "I feel the Canucks have a good enough team to be strong in the playoffs," he said. "I hope I can contribute and bring my game back the way I played last season."

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Washington Capitals (24-11-3) over the Buffalo Sabres (17-15-5) 4-2
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom
-The Capitals scored the first three goals of the game (Brooks Laich-PPG, Chris Bourque-1st career goal and the son of Ray Bourque, Nicklas Backstrom-PPG) before Adam Mair finally got the Sabres on the board in the 3rd period. Boyd Gordon added a shorthanded empty net goal and Clarke MacArthur scored a late PPG. Viktor Kozlov chipped in with two assists and Jose Theodore made 31 saves for his 12th win of the season. Washington has now won 17 of its last 18 games when scoring first. Buffalo has lost four of its last five games, including two OT losses.

Detroit Red Wings (24-7-5) over the Chicago Blackhawks (20-7-7) 4-0
TOP PERFORMER = Red Wings G Ty Conklin - 36 Saves, Shutout
-Pavel Datsyuk (PPG), Johan Franzen (2 Goals, 1 PPG), and Tomas Kopecky all scored to give the Red Wings a 6 point lead in the division. Defensemen Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall each had two assists. Detroit snapped Chicago's team record nine-game win streak as the Red Wings improved to 3-0 vs. Chicago on the year. Their first two wins were in a shootout. Detroit D Nicklas Lidstrom missed his second game due to a sore ankl while RW Mikael Samuelsson missed the game because of the flu. Wings D Chris Chelios, the oldest player in the NHL at 46, played in his third game of the season. Chicago D Cam Barker didn't play because of a lower body injury.

Montreal Canadiens (21-9-6) over the Tampa Bay Lightning (10-16-10) 2-1 (SO)
TOP PERFORMER = Canadiens C Maxim Lapierre - 1 Assist, GW SO Goal
-Vinny Prospal scored a PPG for Tampa in the 1st period and Guillaume Latendresse scored his 5th of the season to tie the game :46 in to the 3rd period. In the shootout, Maxim Lapierre scored the game winner to keep the Canadiens unbeaten in their last six games (5-0-1). The shootout loss snaps a three game winning streeak for Tampa Bay. Lightning RW Mark Recchi played in his 1,446th NHL game, tying him with Hall of Famer Tim Horton for 17th place on the league's career list.

Toronto Maple Leafs (15-16-6) over the Atlanta Thrashers (12-20-5) 4-3 (OT)
TOP PERFORMER = Maple Leafs G Curtis Joseph - 29 Saves, 450 Career Wins
-The Thrashers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 1st period thanks to a power play goal from Bryan Little (19th of the season) and Jim Slater's 3rd goal of the season. Nikolai Kulemin cut the lead to 1 before the end of the period. In the 2nd period, Lee Stempniak and Jason Blake scored to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead heading in to the 2nd intermission. In the 3rd period, Colby Armstrong scored his 10th of the season on the power play to force overtime. In the extra session, Pavel Kubina scored :33 in on the power play to give the Leafs the win. Thrashers G Johan Hedberg made 43 saves in the loss while Curits Joseph made 29 saves for his 450th career win. Leafs winger Jeremy Williams suffered a shoulder injury falling awkwardly into the boards early in the first period and didn't return. He came in with five goals and two assists since his recall Dec. 7.

New Jersey Devils (21-11-3) over the St. Louis Blues (14-20-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Devils LW Zach Parise - 2 Goals
-The Devils drew first blood in the 1st period when Zach Parise scored his 20th goal of the season. Brad Boyes and David Backes. In the 2nd period, Brian Rolston tied the game at 2. In the 3rd period, Zach Parise scored his 2nd goal of the game and Jay Pandolfo scored the eventual game winner. Alexander Steen added a late goal. Jamie Langenbrunner chipped with two assists and Scott Clemmensen made 28 saves in the win. St. Louis C T.J. Oshie returned to the lineup after missing 11 games due to a high-ankle sprain and has one assist. The Blues fell to 2-9-0 in their last 11 games overall.

Ottawa Senators (13-17-5) over the Edmonton Oilers (17-15-3) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Senators C Jason Spezza - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Jason Spezza and Ethan Moreau traded goals in the 1st period and Daniel Alfredsson and Liam Reddox traded goals in the 2nd period. In the 3rd, Brian Lee scored his first career goal on the power play to give the Senators the win and it would snap a 12 game road losing streak for Ottawa. The game started 25 minutes late because the lights at aging Rexall Place didn't fire up after the national anthem. Both teams returned to their locker rooms during the delay.

Philadelphia Flyers (20-10-7) over the Vancouver Canucks (20-15-3) 3-2
TOP PERFORMER = Flyers G Martin Biron - 29 Saves
-Jeff Carter scored his league-leading 27th goal of the season to open the scoring in the 1st period. Daniel Sedin tied the game on the power play, but Scott Hartnell would give Philadelphia the lead :45 later. In the 2nd period, Jonathon Kalinski scored his first career NHL goal and the eventual game winner. Ryan Kesler added a goal for Vancouver later in the 2nd period.

RUMOR MILL

-So where will the next Winter Classic be? Some possibilities that are coming down the pipeline are:
NY Rangers vs. Boston in NY (it would have to be the new Yankee Stadium, Citi Field - the Mets new home, or Giants Stadium)
Toronto or Montreal vs. Boston at Fenway Park
Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia at Beaver Stadium (Penn State)
Philadelphia vs. Washington at Lincoln Financial Field
Other future options are LA-Colorado at Invesco Field (aka Mile High Stadium) and an outdoor Flames-Oilers game.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The United States coasted into the world junior hockey championship playoffs with a 12-0 rout of Kazakhstan on yesterday. The U.S. will play Canada in a match of 3-0-0 teams Wednesday with top spot in Group A on the line. Kazakhstan (0-3-0) will head to the relegation round after suffering yet another rout. Canada trounced Kazakhstan 15-0 on Sunday. Aaron Palushaj lead the Americans with two goals and two assists. Colin Wilson also had two goals, while James van Riemsdyk and Ian Cole each had a goal and two assists. Matt Rust, Mitch Wahl, Drayson Bowman, Mike Hoeffel, Jimmy Hayes and Danny Kristo had the other U.S. goals. Kevin Shattenkirk added three assists. American goaltender Thomas McCollum needed to make just 10 saves to earn the shutout. Andrei Yankov made 49 saves on 61 shots for Kazakhstan. For more on the World Junior Championships, go to http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/

-The NHL is looking at holding its annual awards show in Las Vegas. A source familiar with negotiations said Tuesday that the move would help the league make more of a splash with its season-ending gala. Everyone from sponsors to media to personnel from the NHL's 30 teams would converge on the city, making it more of an event than it has been in recent years. There could also be a natural tie-in with entertainment acts that hasn't really been there in the past. The primary reason the Vegas move has yet to be finalized is because the league has not decided exactly where the show will fall on the calendar. It has traditionally been held the week after the Stanley Cup final in June - just ahead of the entry draft. Notably, the timing of this year's awards show is listed as ''TBA'' in the NHL's official guide and record book. The source said the league would like the Vegas show to be held after the draft so that team representatives would be more likely to attend. This year's draft is scheduled for June 26-27 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, which leaves a small window before the free agency period opens on July 1. Toronto has traditionally hosted the awards show but the league is hoping that Las Vegas would draw more sponsors. The NHL has already had discussions with The Palms Casino and Resort about hosting the event. It has also consulted its television partners about the move and received positive feedback. The league handed out its awards in Vancouver the same weekend the city held the draft two years ago, but that was because the Turin Olympics caused the Stanley Cup final to end later than normal. It was moved back to Toronto the following June. - COURTESY OF THE CANADIAN PRESS

-The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goaltender Dustin Tokarski to a standard three-year entry level contract on Tuesday. The Humboldt, Saskatchewan native is currently playing for Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa. The 19-year-old is midway through his third season with Spokane of the Western Hockey League where he has posted a record of 16-9-2 with four shutouts, a 1.97 goals-against average and a.955 save percentage. Tokarski led Spokane to the 2008 Memorial Cup with a 16-5 record in 21 post-season games, earning him the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the Memorial Cup Tournament MVP. Selected by the Lightning in the fifth round, 122nd overall at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Tokarski has appeared in 97 career games in three seasons in Spokane, posting a record of 59-30-7 with 12 shutouts.

-Willie O'Ree, the NHL's first black player, received a rare honor in becoming a member of The Order of Canada. ''I was at a loss for words, really, when they contacted me this morning,'' O'Ree said from his home in San Diego. O'Ree was one of 42 people named as Members of the Order. The recipients of the order will be invited to receive their insignia at a ceremony to be held at a later date. The Order of Canada was first awarded in 1967 to recognize significant contributions to Canadian society.

-Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of Wayne Gretzky's five-goal game against Philadelphia in Edmonton that lifted The Great One to 50 goals in just 39 games.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Florida @ NY Islanders - 2PM
San Jose @ Minnesota - 6PM
Atlanta @ Carolina - 8PM
Colorado @ Phoenix - 8PM
New Jersey @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Columbus @ Anaheim - 9PM
%Edmonton @ Calgary - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tonight!

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

TO ALL THE READERS OF FTS, HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR. FTS WILL BE OFF UNTIL MONDAY 1/5, SO ENJOY THE WINTER CLASSIC TOMORROW!

FTS - 12/30/08

TOP STORY

NABOKOV NOTCHES NUMBER 20

(Photo Credit: AP)

The best goalie in the world puts in another day at the office for his 20th win of the season

San Jose Sharks (28-4-4) over the Dallas Stars (15-15-5) 3-1
TOP PERFORMER = Sharks G Evgeni Nabokov - 28 Saves

When a hockey fan thinks of a classic division rivalry, the match-ups that usually come to mind are old rivalries like Flyers-Penguins, Bruins-Sabres, or Flames-Oilers (there are plenty of others, as well). A division rivalry that has become a fierce battle game in and game out over the past few seasons is Sharks-Stars. Last night's battle at the American Airlines Center in Dallas added another classic chapter to the book.

Jonathan Cheechoo scored his 6th of the season at the 15:10 mark of the 1st period to give San Jose a lead they would never lose. The teams would go scoreless in the 2nd period, but Milan Michalek made it a 2-0 game at the 3:55 mark of the 3rd period. The Stars would test Evgeni Nabokov all game long and Matt Niskanen would finally beat him on a deflection off of Sharks D Alexei Semenov. Dallas kept the game interesting until the very end, but Ryan Clowe ended the game on an empty net goal (15th goal of the season). Sharks C Joe Pavelski had two assists, Evgeni Nabokov earned his 20th win of the season in net for San Jose, and Marty Turco made 16 saves in the loss.

The Sharks got their first road win after losing their previous three (0-1-2) and have earned at least a point in 26 of their last 27 games. Sharks RW Devin Setoguchi missed the game to be with his family following the death of his grandmother. Setoguchi, the team's third-leading scorer, is expected to rejoin the team in time for San Jose's next game on Wednesday against Minnesota.

The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Dallas. The Stars have only one win in their last seven home games against the Sharks. Dallas LW Fabian Brunnstrom was scratched because of a lower body injury and his return to the lineup is unknown. Next up for the Stars is the Devils in Dallas on Wednesday night.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Blood and urine samples show former hockey star Alexei Cherepanov took performance-enhancing drugs, Russian investigators said in a statement Monday. Cherepanov, 19, collapsed Oct. 13 while on the bench for Avangard Omsk of the KHL (Russia). The player, a top prospect of the NHL's New York Rangers, died a short time later. Russia's federal Investigative Committee said a chemical analysis of the samples allowed experts to conclude "that for several months Alexei Cherepanov engaged in doping." A spokeswoman at the committee refused to specify the drugs that Cherepanov allegedly took. The statement also said Cherepanov suffered from myocarditis, a condition where not enough blood gets to the heart, and the Russian should not have been playing pro hockey. The club's medical team might carry legal liability in the episode, the statement added. "A row of gross violations was committed by the medical brigade helping A.Cherepanov," the statement said. Among them, doctors arrived on the scene a full 12 minutes after Cherepanov collapsed, and the battery on the defibrillator used to attempt shock Cherepanov's heart back to life was drained, the statement said. Prosecutors earlier this month accused the club's director of negligence. Mikhail Denisov has since been fired, and Monday's statement did not mention him.

-Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro lasted only one game before another injury forced him out of the lineup again. DiPietro has played only four times in New York's 37 games this season. He returned Friday after a 27-game absence and made 28 saves in the Islanders' 4-1 victory that ended the club's 10-game losing streak. However, a new groin strain forced him to skip the Islanders' trip to Buffalo on Saturday and he was held out of the lineup again Monday night when the team faced the New York Rangers. The Islanders recalled goalie Yann Danis to serve as Joey MacDonald's backup. DiPietro made a few early season appearances following surgery on his right knee, but then was shelved again after an operation on the left knee in October. After the initial knee surgery in June, DiPietro backed up MacDonald for the first four games of the season, but didn't see any action. He then made three straight starts, but lasted only one period against Carolina on Oct. 25. DiPietro had arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 31 to repair a torn meniscus in the left knee. DiPietro, in the third season of a landmark 15-year deal with the Islanders, has had three operations in seven months - including a hip procedure in March. That marked the second time DiPietro had hip surgery, once on each side in consecutive years.

-Claude Lemieux signed a contract with the San Jose Sharks yesterday after spending the past month with their top minor-league affiliate, giving another boost to his NHL comeback hopes. The 43-year-old Lemieux signed with the Worcester Sharks on Nov. 25 after a five-year absence from pro hockey. The four-time Stanley Cup winner's new contract is a two-way deal, allowing him to play in San Jose or Worcester. San Jose GM Doug Wilson said Lemieux will stay with the Worcester Sharks if he clears waivers Tuesday after signing his new deal. He has two goals, four assists and 12 penalty minutes in 14 games in the minors. "This is simply the next step in the evaluation process with Claude," Wilson said. Lemieux played parts of 20 seasons in the NHL, winning titles with Montreal (1986), New Jersey (1995 and 2000) and Colorado (1996). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 1995, and his 80 postseason goals rank ninth in league history. Lemieux played two games with the China Sharks, San Jose's affiliate in Shanghai, earlier this year while he contemplated a comeback.


LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

New York Rangers (23-13-3) over the New York Islanders (11-22-4) 5-4
TOP PERFORMER = Rangers RW Petr Prucha - 1 Goal
-Mike Sillinger put the Islanders on the board in the 1st period after Trent Hunter made a good steal behind the Rangers net. In the 2nd period, Scott Gomez and Kyle Okposo traded goals to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead heading in to the 3rd period. Petr Prucha, who hadn't played in eight games (who showed more hustle in last night's game than the rest of the Rangers team have hustled in the previous 3 games ), tied the game :49 in to the 3rd period and Michal Rozsival would give the Rangers the lead 1:17 later. The lead only lasted :27 thanks to Blake Comeau's 2nd goal of the season. Markus Naslund gave the Rangers the lead for good on a set-up from Scott Gomez. Nigel Dawes and Mike Comrie would each add goals to make it a 5-4 final. Islanders winger Trent Hunter took a tough hit when Ryan Callahan put a tough, but clean check on him that forced open a door at the scorer's table, and left Hunter down in pain. Hunter slammed into the boards 40 seconds into the third and hit the edge after the door opened. He went down on his knees before rolling onto his back. A stretcher was brought out, but Hunter got to his feet and skated off toward the dressing room.

Montreal Canadiens (20-9-6) over the Florida Panthers (16-15-5) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Canadiens C Maxim Lapierre - 3 Goals
-Montreal and Florida would be knotted at 1 after the 1st period thanks to goals from Michael Frolik and Alexei Kovalev (PPG). In the 2nd period (on a side note, nine penalties combined in the 2nd period), Tomas Pleanec and David Booth (15th goal of the season) would trade goals before Maxim Lapierre gave Montreal a 3-2 lead. In the 3rd period, Lapierre scored his 2nd goal at the 2:40 mark and added a shorthanded empty-net goal to complete the trifecta for his first career hat trick. Montreal G Carey Price made 26 saves in the win. Florida's Craig Anderson, making his first start in six games, gave up four goals on 20 shots. He was replaced by Tomas Vokoun after Lapierre's second goal at 2:40 of the third period. The win gave the Canadiens their 3,000th win in franchise history. Boston is second on the all-time victory list with 2,694. Florida dropped to 0-13-3 when trailing after two periods.

Calgary Flames (21-11-4) over the Minnesota Wild (17-16-2) 2-1
TOP PERFORMER = Flames LW Eric Nystrom - 1 Goal
-Daymond Langkow drew first blood at the 17:59 mark of the 1st period on a set up from Todd Bertuzzi and Rene Bourque. In the 2nd period, Stephane Veilleux tied the game on a feed from Eric Belanger and Martin Skoula. In the 3rd period, Eric Nystrom scored his 2nd career goal shorthanded on a beautiful forehand fake to give Calgary the win. Miikka Kiprusoff made 23 saves for the win while Wild backup G Josh Harding made 27 saves in the loss. Minnesota played with five defensemen because Kim Johnsson had to leave the team prior to the game due to a family emergency. The Flames are now unbeaten in their last eight games (5-0-3).

Colorado Avalanche (19-16-1) over the Nashville Predators (17-16-3) 5-1
TOP PERFORMER = Avalanche LW Cody McLeod - 2 Goals
-Cody McLeod scored both of his goals in the 1st period in a 2:56 span, and that would be all the Avs would need. Chris Stewart and David Jones made it 4-0 in the 2nd period before Jason Arnott scored the lone Predators goal on the power play. Avs D John-Michael Liles scored his 5th of the season :48 in to the 3rd and Peter Budaj made 25 saves for his 13th win of the season.

Columbus Blue Jackets (16-16-4) over the Los Angeles Kings (15-16-4) 2-0
TOP PERFORMER = Blue Jackets G Steve Mason - 24 Saves, shutout
-Blue Jackets D Kris Russell (no relation to Kurt) scored a power play goal at the 18:36 mark of the 2nd period on a set up from Rick Nash and Fredrik Modin, and that would be all Columbus would need at the Staples Center. Rick Nash added an empty-net goal late in the game to seal it. Blue Jackets goalie and rookie sensation Steve Mason made 24 saves to earn his fourth career shutout while Kings G Jonathan Quick made 23 saves in the loss. LA had shutout Nashville in their previous two meetings this season.

RUMOR MILL

-Marian Gaborik trade rumors are beginning to swirl again. Montreal, Pittsburgh, and the NY Islanders are the three top dogs in the race. The Islanders are offering the best package, but won't do the deal unless they can convince Gaborik to resign long term.

If the Canadiens get him, Boston will need a rearview mirror in the Northeast real quickly. If Pittsburgh gets him, it'll have the same affect that Marian Hossa had on the team last season, only they'd be getting him two months earlier (and that is a scary thought). If the Isles get him, there's no doubt he would be the cornerstone of that franchise and the guy to build around. That being said, they need to be careful with what type of deal they give him. The 15-year Rick DiPietro contract isn't exactly working out and I don't need to remind Islander fans of the gross Alexei Yashin 10-year deal.

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The NHL named its Three Stars of the Week:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=400619

-Former Montreal Canadiens star Jean Beliveau was released from a Montreal hospital Monday hours after being admitted due to a drop in blood pressure. Beliveau, 77, was attending the funeral of a longtime friend when he suddenly felt uneasy, the team said in a statement. He was taken to hospital as a precaution and released at 6:30 ET. Beliveau retired in 1971 after an illustrious career in which he scored 507 goals and won 10 Stanley Cups. He was team captain for 10 years.

-Blues left wing Paul Kariya will seek further medical advice before having what will likely be season-ending surgery on his left hip. The 34-year-old Kariya said the operation will probably take place in the next few weeks. An MRI revealed injuries in two spots in the joint area of the left hip, indicating a possible labrum tear. ''Obviously as quick as possible would be terrific,'' Kariya said Monday. ''Anytime you're having surgery, you want to have second and third opinions and make sure everyone is on the right page.'' Kariya added he believed the surgery will not hinder the rest of his career. ''It's good in one way that we know something has to be taken care of,'' Kariya said. ''I'm confident that when it's taken care of, I'll get to 100 per cent.'' Kariya had two goals and 13 points in the Blues' first 11 games before injuring the hip Nov. 5 against Anaheim.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Washington @ Buffalo - 7PM
% Chicago @ Detroit - 7:30PM
Boston @ Pittsburgh - 7:30PM
Montreal @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Atlanta @ Toronto - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ St. Louis - 8PM
Ottawa @ Edmonton - 10PM
Philadelphia @ Vancouver - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tomorrow.

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

FTS - 12/29/08

TOP STORY

NINE AND COUTNING (Photo Credit: AP)

Dustin Byfuglien tips one of his two goals past Wild G Nicklas Backstrom

Chicago Blackhawks (20-6-7) over the Minnesota Wild (17-15-2) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Blackhawks LW Dustin Byfuglien - 2 Goals, 2 Assists

It's amazing what a difference a year can make. Unless you're a fan of a rival Western Conference team, how can you not be rooting for the Blackhawks this season. This is a franchise that went from not having its home games televised to breaking records and matching marks that haven't happened since the last time Chicago made the playoffs (2001-02 season). Last night, they broke the franchise record with nine consecutive wins en route to a 4-1 drubbing of the Minnesota Wild.

Dustin Byfuglien scored both of his goals in the 1st period 1:24 apart. The second of his two goals came on the power play. That would be all the Blackhawks would need. Martin Havlat scored his 9th of the season in the 2nd period, Kris Versteeg scored his 11th of the season in to the empty net late in the 3rd period, and Jonathan Toews contributed two assists. Cristobal Huet made 18 saves (6-0-1 in his last 7 starts) and the only goal he gave up was to Cal Clutterbuck in the 3rd period.

To say Chicago has been on a roll lately is an understatement. They've won nine in a row and haven't lost since 12/6 to the Red Wings in a shootout. Ironically, next up for the 'Hawks is a home and home with Detroit, starting Tuesday in Detroit and then Thursday's Winter Classic at Wrigley Field. Chicago trails Detroit by four points for the Central Division lead. Chicago is 9-1-0 against the Northwest Division. Its lone loss was Oct. 27 in Minnesota.

After playing four straight games, Minnesota RW Marian Gaborik was kept out of the lineup, and is not expected to play tonight in Calgary. The team continues to ease Gaborik back into the lineup after a lower body injury sidelined him for 27 games. Minnesota has lost seven of 10. "Nine wins in a row shows something about their team. But they aren't that good," Wild center Mikko Koivu said. "They outworked us tonight. We had one guy tonight, that was [goalie Niklas] Backstrom, who had the effort to play this game. If that's not going to change there is something wrong inside of the team and in every player in this room." Talk about strong words from your team leader.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The World Junior Championships are going on, and TSN has you covered:
http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/

-St. Louis Blues LW Paul Kariya will have surgery on his left hip and could miss the rest of the season. The 34-year-old Kariya hasn't played since Nov. 5 in Anaheim, when his body was wrenched by a hit from behind and he tore muscle fibres near the top of his thigh. He had apparently recovered from the initial injury and skated with the team three days this week, but cut short his workout Friday after only about 10 minutes. An MRI exam Friday revealed additional damage inside the hip and Kariya and the Blues elected for surgery on Saturday after consulation with several doctors. Team president John Davidson said there was no timetable for Kariya's return, and said surgery had not yet been scheduled. Davidson also said there was no question the injury that's requiring surgery is related to the hit in Anaheim. "He was jolted from behind and it twisted his whole body and it tore a muscle," Davidson said. "It's healed and there's still discomfort. So now we've looked and there's more damage than first thought and it's going to have to be repaired. This is all on that same hit from behind." The Blues have been without several key players for long stretches, beginning with defenceman Erik Johnson's season-ending knee injury in a pre-training camp golf outing accident. Forward Andy McDonald (broken ankle) and defenceman Eric Brewer (back surgery) and goalie Manny Legace (hip, concussion) also have had extended absences.

-C Mats Sundin is expected to arrive in Vancouver today. Sundin was originally supposed to arrive Saturday, but his departure from Sweden was hampered by weather-related flight delays. Sundin will practice with his new teammates for the first time Tuesday.

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

Boston Bruins (27-5-4) over the Atlanta Thrashers (12-20-4) 2-1
TOP PERFORMER = Bruins G Manny Fernandez - 32 Saves
-Bryan Little scored an unassisted goal in the 1st period for Atlanta. In the 2nd period, Phil Kessel scored his 22nd of the season on a set up from Marc Savard and Dennis Wideman. In the 3rd, Michael Ryder scored the game winner past Kari Lehtonen with just over six minutes remaining on a feed from David Krejci and Blake Wheeler. Thrashers C Erik Christensen played for the first time since Dec. 2 after having to work his way back into the lineup following a shoulder injury. C Jason Williams sat for the first time this season.

Anaheim Ducks (19-14-4) over the St. Louis Blues (14-19-3) 4-3
TOP PERFORMER = Ducks RW Bobby Ryan - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-The teams would be tied at one after the 1st period thanks to goals from Rob Niedermayer and David Perron. In the 2nd period, Rob's brother Scott and Keith Tkachuk would each score power play goals to keep the game tied heading in to the 3rd period. Brad Boyes gave the Blues a brief lead in the 3rd period on the power play, but D Steve Montador would tie the game again with his 2nd goal of the season :37 seconds later. With 7:11 remaining in the 3rd, Bobby Ryan scored the game winner on the power play. Ryan Getzlaf chipped in with two assists for the Ducks and so did Blues center and ROY candidate Patrik Berglund.

Washington Capitals (23-11-3) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (14-16-6) 4-1
TOP PERFORMER = Capitals C Brooks Laich - 2 Goals
-Niklas Hagman put Toronto on the board first and gave the Leafs a 1-0 lead heading in to the 1st intermission. In the 2nd period, Brooks Laich (PPG) and Alexander Ovechkin each had goals to put the Capitals ahead for good. In the 3rd period, Brooks Laich scored his 2nd of the game and so did Ovechkin (25th of the season - empty netter) to pad the lead. Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green each had two assists for Washington. Jose Theodore made 23 saves for his 11th win of the season. Caps legend Mike Gartner had his #11 retired before the game.

Edmonton Oilers (17-14-3) over the Nashville Predators (17-15-3) 5-2
TOP PERFORMER = Oilers RW Erik Cole - 1 Goal, 2 Assists
-The teams would be tied at 2 after the 1st period after Nashville goals frm Martin Erat and Shea Weber and Oiler goals from Sheldon Souray (PPG) and Shawn Horcoff. In the 2nd period, Edmonton would blow the doors off the game with three goals in a 2:16 span from Erik Cole, Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner. Dwayne Roloson made 28 saves in the win while Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne split the load for Nashville. Oilers captain Ethan Moreau returned to the lineup after missing a game because of a badly bruised wrist. He put that injury to the test early, getting into a first-period fight with Jordan Tootoo. Edmonton defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky reached 300 career points with an assist on Souray's goal. The Oilers win snapped a 9 game losing streak vs the Predators.

Vancouver Canucks (20-14-3) over the Ottawa Senators (12-17-5) 3-0
TOP PERFORMER = Canucks C Henrik Sedin - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
-Henrik Sedin opened the scoring in the 1st period on a Pavol Demitra feed and that would be all the Canucks needed. Pavol Demitra and Alexander Edler added goals in the 2nd period and Curtis Sanford made 18 saves for his fourth career shutout.

RUMOR MILL

-It looks like Senators C Jason Spezza will be Calgary bound. Both teams want to wait for the Jay Bouwmeester hammer to drop before they do anything.

-Expect Toronto to make a deal for a backup goalie in the near future

AROUND THE BOARDS

-Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen and forward Scott Hartnell both suffered injuries during Friday's 5-1 loss to the Blackhawks. Timonen chipped a bone in his right ankle and Hartnell broke his big toe blocking a shot. The Flyers expect Timonen to be sidelined for at least a week, while Hartnell's status is considered day-to-day and his availability for Saturday's game at Columbus is in doubt.

-The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost forward Matt Stajan for up to a week following a freak eye injury. Stajan missed the team's morning practice on Saturday because of blurry vision following a hit to his eye with a soccer ball while warming up, an exercise common to NHL teams. Leafs general manager Brian Burke said that Stajan will be on restricted activity for one to two weeks after suffering a hyphema in the right eye. He'll be seen by team doctors on today to further assess the extent of the injury.

-The Vancouver Canucks will be without Taylor Pyatt for an indefinite period of time after the winger suffered a broken right foot in Friday's loss to the Edmonton Oilers. The injury looked to happen late in the second period when Pyatt's right skate caught a Willie Mitchell slap shot from the front of the Canucks net. Pyatt missed Saturday's practice and it is estimated that he could be out of the lineup for up to four weeks.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
NY Islanders @ NY Rangers - 7PM
Montreal @ Florida - 7:30PM
San Jose @ Dallas - 9PM
%Minnesota @ Calgary - 9PM
Nashville @ Colorado - 9:30PM
Columbus @ Los Angeles - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", will take a week off this week and resume on 1/5.

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch will return to a Wednesday release.

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