FTS - 1/7/08

(Over the next few weeks, my work schedule will be changing a lot so I will not be able to do the usual format everyday. Today is one of those days)

LAST NIGHT'S RECAP

(Photo Credit: AP)

Minnesota Wild (20-16-3) over the Boston Bruins (29-7-4) 1-0
Nicklas Backstrom made 28 saves for the shutout and Marek Zidlicky scorned the lone goal to hand the Bruins their 2nd straight loss

Buffalo Sabres (20-15-5) over the Ottawa Senators (13-19-6) 4-2
Derek Roy had a goal and two assists in the win. The story here is Sens winger Jarkko Ruutu biting the thumb of Sabres winger Andrew Peters. Ruutu denied biting Peters, and instead accused the Sabres player of gouging him in the eye. "Nothing happened there," Ruutu said. "His fingers were by my mouth but I didn't bite him."

Carolina Hurricanes (21-15-5) over the New Jersey Devils (23-13-3) 3-2
Tuomo Ruutu scored the game winner and Cam Ward made 26 saves for the Hurricanes 4th straight win (season-high)

Washington Capitals (27-11-3) over the Philadelphia Flyers (21-10-9) 2-1 (SO)
Viktor Kozlov scored the shootout winner and Jose Theodore made 33 saves, many of them tough, in the win.

Detroit Red Wings (27-7-5) over the Columbus Blue Jackets (18-18-4) 3-0
Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and 2 assists, Marian Hossa scored, and Ty Conklin made 23 saves for his 8th career shutout. Blue Jackets leading scorer Rick Nash went hard into the boards late in the 1st period. "We'll evaluate him tomorrow," said Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, who would only add that Nash had a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins (20-17-4) over the Atlanta Thrashers (13-23-5) 3-1
Evgeni Malkin had three assists, Petr Sykora scored twice and Sidney Crosby had a goal to snap the Pens five game losing streak.

Florida Panthers (18-16-6) over the Toronto Maple Leafs (16-18-6) 4-2
Stephen Weiss, Ville Peltonen, Michael Frolik and Gregory Campbell all scored for the Panthers in the win.

Colorado Avalanche (20-19-1) over the Nashville Predators (17-19-3) 2-1
Wojtek Wolski scored both Avs goals to end a three game skid for the Avs and extend the Predators losing streak to five.

Chicago Blackhawks (22-8-7) over the Phoenix Coyotes (19-17-5) 6-0
Cristobal Huet made 22 saves to earn the shutout while winger Adam Burish had a goal and two assists on his birthday.

Calgary Flames (24-12-4) over the San Jose Sharks (29-5-5) 5-2
Flames C Daymond Langkow scored twice and the Flames were able to chase Evgeni Nabokov early in the 2nd period after Calgary took a 4-0 lead.

Anaheim Ducks (21-15-5) over the Los Angeles Kings (16-17-6) 3-1
Bobby Ryan, Sammy Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer all scored for Anaheim and Scott Niedermayer chipped in with two assists.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Blues left wing Paul Kariya had left hip surgery on Monday and could miss the rest of the regular season. "We haven't ruled him out, but what's the sense of rushing something as serious as this?" team president John Davidson said Tuesday. "I think he'll be back to 110 percent, whether it's late this season or next season. Probably next season." Kariya had two goals and 13 points in the Blues' first 11 games before injuring the hip Nov. 5 against Anaheim. An MRI had revealed injuries in two spots in the joint area of the left hip. Davidson said the surgery repaired a torn labrum inside the joint along with "some bone work." "He'll be 100 percent a long time before camp," Davidson said. "He'll be back to being Paul Kariya that should be better than he has been for years." The 34-year-old Kariya is in the second season of a three-year, $18 million contract. The surgery was performed in Vail, Colo., and Kariya will stay in Colorado to begin rehab.

RUMOR MILL

Nothing to report today

AROUND THE BOARDS

-The Colorado Avalanche have placed defenseman Adam Foote on the IR with a triceps injury. The move is retroactive to Sunday, when Foote left in the second period of a 2-0 loss to Minnesota. Avalanche coach Tony Granato said Tuesday Foote was apparently hurt in a collision or when he finished off a check. Colorado called up Philippe Dupuis from the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.

TONIGHT'S ACTION:
Montreal @ NY Rangers - 7:30PM
%Vancouver @ Edmonton - 10PM (The probable return of Mats Sundin - It appears that he will be on a line with Kyle Wellwood and Mason Raymond)

% = Game of the Night
^ALL TIMES EASTERN

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

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tomorrow night

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