DATSYUK DOUBLE
(Photo Credit: AP)
Datsyuk scores twice to lead the Red Wings past the Penguins
In a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup finals, the Red Wings (35-11-7) won on the ice they clinched the Cup on thanks to two goals from Pavel Datsyuk in a 3-0 shutout over the Penguins (26-24-5). Marian Hossa's homecoming was a sweet one for him as he scored the 2nd goal of the game on a hard backhand shot from way out in the slot. Hossa was booed loudly whenever he stepped on the ice during the first two periods, and some in the sellout crowd of 17,132 once chanted, "Traitor, traitor." Another Red Wing making a return visit was G Ty Conklin, who made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the season (18-7-1). The Penguins, two points out of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, lost their fourth in six games and Sidney Crosby was held to one shot for the game.
ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...
-The Philadelphia Flyers (28-15-9) won their 14th straight against the Atlanta Thrashers (18-31-5) 3-2. Jeff Carter scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season (also had an assist), winger Joffrey Lupul had a goal, and LW Scott Hartnell had two assists. Antero Niittymaki made 29 saves in the win.
-Mikko Koivu scored the shootout winner and Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom made 28 saves (including all 4 shooter in the shootout) to help Minnesota (27-22-3) over the Oilers (26-23-4) 3-2. Eric Belnager and Antti Miettinen (SHG) each scored to helpthe Wild win their 9th straight game over Edmonton at the XCel Energy Center.
-Brad Richards had a goal and an assist and Marty Turco made 25 saves to help Dallas (26-19-7) to a 4-1 win over Nasvhille (25-25-3). The Stars are 11-1-1 in their last 13 at home and 9-2-2 in their last 13 overall. Both teams were playing their fourth game in six nights.
OTHER HEADLINES
-Buffalo Sabres all-star Thomas Vanek will be sidelined three to four weeks after having surgery Sunday to repair a fractured jaw. Vanek, whose 32 goals ranks third in the league, was hurt in the first period Saturday night in Ottawa after being struck in the face by a slapshot by Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov. "He was in a lot of pain," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "The teeth got pushed up a little bit." The injury comes just as the Sabres appear to be hitting their stride. They've won two of their last three, and are 11-5-1 in their last 17 games to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of eighth-place Carolina. Vanek had played in a team-high 225 consecutive games. The four-year pro has only missed one regular season game since the Sabres selected him with the fifth overall pick in 2003, and that was when he was a healthy scratch against Toronto in April 2006 during his rookie year.
-Boston Bruins right winger Michael Ryder will be sidelined indefinitely with a small fracture to the nose/eye area. Ryder suffered the injury when he took a high stick to the face during Thursday's 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa. Doctors haven't ruled out surgery as a possibility to repair the damage. "It's a small fracture, so he's out indefinitely," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "It needs to be determined whether he can play with a shield, or how far it needs to be looked into." Ryder will be evaluated again on Monday. Ryder has 19 goals and 17 assists in 52 games this season for the Bruins.
-The Columbus Blue Jackets have put rookie goaltender Steve Mason on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 4 because he has been sidelined with a viral infection. The 20-year-old starter was diagnosed with mononucleosis on Jan. 29, though the Columbus medical staff believe he'd had it for weeks. He and backup Wade Dubielewicz sat out the Blue Jackets' 3-2 overtime victory against San Jose on Saturday because of illness, and Dan LaCosta making his first NHL start. Mason opened the season with Syracuse in the American Hockey League, but has shot to stardom in Columbus, leading the NHL with seven shutouts in 34 games. He has a 2.09 goals-against average, ranking him second in the league, and a .923 save percentage.
-The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired forward Jussi Jokinen from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Wade Brookbank, defenceman Josef Melichar and a fourth-round draft pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. "Jussi is a skilled, two-positional player that can be used in all situations," Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford said in a release. "He will add depth to our team at an important time of the season." Jokinen, 25, has scored six goals and earned 10 assists (16 points) in 46 games this season with Tampa Bay. The 31-year old Brookbank has played in 27 games this season, posting one goal and 40 penalty minutes. The 33-year old Melichar has four assists in 15 games this year.
-The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old blueliner has tallied six goals to go along with 14 assists in 44 contests with the Penguins this season. His points total leads all rookie defensemen and he is fifth among first-year players with eight power play points (four goals and four assists).
-The groups for the 2010 Olympic men's hockey tournament are set. Germany and Norway were the final countries to secure a place in the event Sunday, each winning qualifying tournaments to get in. The Norwegians will play in Group A at the Olympics along with Canada, Switzerland and the United States. Norway is one of the top Winter Olympic nations in history, but has not qualified for an Olympic hockey tournament since hosting the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer. Former NHLer Patrick Thoresen had a hat trick on Sunday as Norway beat rival Denmark 5-3 in Oslo. The victory secured a trip to Vancouver. Germany was already assured of qualifying before registering a 2-1 win over Slovenia in Hannover. The Germans will play in Group C along with Sweden, Finland and Belarus. Group B will feature Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia. The Olympic tournament begins on Feb.16, 2010.
RUMOR MILL
-With the loss of winger Thomas Vanek, the Sabres have jumped in to the Erik Cole race
-D Scott Niedermayer's name is coming up in some trade rumors. Montreal, New Jersey, Philly, or staying in Anaheim are the popular teams
-Look for the recently waived Blues G Manny Legace to be heading to Detroit or Columbus.
-Sources have confirmed to TSN that the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL will likely be the destination for Sean Avery's return to professional hockey. But at this point, the New York Rangers and their top minor league affiliate have yet to finalize an arrangement with the Dallas Stars to provide a home for Avery in the event he clears waivers on Monday. Assuming an agreement is reached with the Stars, Avery would clear waivers and Dallas would assign him to the AHL. The forward isn't expected to report to Hartford before Tuesday. The Wolf Pack will host the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday.
(Photo Credit: AP)
Datsyuk scores twice to lead the Red Wings past the Penguins
In a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup finals, the Red Wings (35-11-7) won on the ice they clinched the Cup on thanks to two goals from Pavel Datsyuk in a 3-0 shutout over the Penguins (26-24-5). Marian Hossa's homecoming was a sweet one for him as he scored the 2nd goal of the game on a hard backhand shot from way out in the slot. Hossa was booed loudly whenever he stepped on the ice during the first two periods, and some in the sellout crowd of 17,132 once chanted, "Traitor, traitor." Another Red Wing making a return visit was G Ty Conklin, who made 25 saves for his sixth shutout of the season (18-7-1). The Penguins, two points out of the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, lost their fourth in six games and Sidney Crosby was held to one shot for the game.
ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...
-The Philadelphia Flyers (28-15-9) won their 14th straight against the Atlanta Thrashers (18-31-5) 3-2. Jeff Carter scored his 33rd and 34th goals of the season (also had an assist), winger Joffrey Lupul had a goal, and LW Scott Hartnell had two assists. Antero Niittymaki made 29 saves in the win.
-Mikko Koivu scored the shootout winner and Wild goalie Nicklas Backstrom made 28 saves (including all 4 shooter in the shootout) to help Minnesota (27-22-3) over the Oilers (26-23-4) 3-2. Eric Belnager and Antti Miettinen (SHG) each scored to helpthe Wild win their 9th straight game over Edmonton at the XCel Energy Center.
-Brad Richards had a goal and an assist and Marty Turco made 25 saves to help Dallas (26-19-7) to a 4-1 win over Nasvhille (25-25-3). The Stars are 11-1-1 in their last 13 at home and 9-2-2 in their last 13 overall. Both teams were playing their fourth game in six nights.
OTHER HEADLINES
-Buffalo Sabres all-star Thomas Vanek will be sidelined three to four weeks after having surgery Sunday to repair a fractured jaw. Vanek, whose 32 goals ranks third in the league, was hurt in the first period Saturday night in Ottawa after being struck in the face by a slapshot by Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov. "He was in a lot of pain," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. "The teeth got pushed up a little bit." The injury comes just as the Sabres appear to be hitting their stride. They've won two of their last three, and are 11-5-1 in their last 17 games to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference, three points ahead of eighth-place Carolina. Vanek had played in a team-high 225 consecutive games. The four-year pro has only missed one regular season game since the Sabres selected him with the fifth overall pick in 2003, and that was when he was a healthy scratch against Toronto in April 2006 during his rookie year.
-Boston Bruins right winger Michael Ryder will be sidelined indefinitely with a small fracture to the nose/eye area. Ryder suffered the injury when he took a high stick to the face during Thursday's 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa. Doctors haven't ruled out surgery as a possibility to repair the damage. "It's a small fracture, so he's out indefinitely," said Bruins head coach Claude Julien. "It needs to be determined whether he can play with a shield, or how far it needs to be looked into." Ryder will be evaluated again on Monday. Ryder has 19 goals and 17 assists in 52 games this season for the Bruins.
-The Columbus Blue Jackets have put rookie goaltender Steve Mason on injured reserve retroactive to Feb. 4 because he has been sidelined with a viral infection. The 20-year-old starter was diagnosed with mononucleosis on Jan. 29, though the Columbus medical staff believe he'd had it for weeks. He and backup Wade Dubielewicz sat out the Blue Jackets' 3-2 overtime victory against San Jose on Saturday because of illness, and Dan LaCosta making his first NHL start. Mason opened the season with Syracuse in the American Hockey League, but has shot to stardom in Columbus, leading the NHL with seven shutouts in 34 games. He has a 2.09 goals-against average, ranking him second in the league, and a .923 save percentage.
-The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired forward Jussi Jokinen from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Wade Brookbank, defenceman Josef Melichar and a fourth-round draft pick in the 2009 Entry Draft. "Jussi is a skilled, two-positional player that can be used in all situations," Hurricanes President and General Manager Jim Rutherford said in a release. "He will add depth to our team at an important time of the season." Jokinen, 25, has scored six goals and earned 10 assists (16 points) in 46 games this season with Tampa Bay. The 31-year old Brookbank has played in 27 games this season, posting one goal and 40 penalty minutes. The 33-year old Melichar has four assists in 15 games this year.
-The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned rookie defenseman Alex Goligoski to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old blueliner has tallied six goals to go along with 14 assists in 44 contests with the Penguins this season. His points total leads all rookie defensemen and he is fifth among first-year players with eight power play points (four goals and four assists).
-The groups for the 2010 Olympic men's hockey tournament are set. Germany and Norway were the final countries to secure a place in the event Sunday, each winning qualifying tournaments to get in. The Norwegians will play in Group A at the Olympics along with Canada, Switzerland and the United States. Norway is one of the top Winter Olympic nations in history, but has not qualified for an Olympic hockey tournament since hosting the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer. Former NHLer Patrick Thoresen had a hat trick on Sunday as Norway beat rival Denmark 5-3 in Oslo. The victory secured a trip to Vancouver. Germany was already assured of qualifying before registering a 2-1 win over Slovenia in Hannover. The Germans will play in Group C along with Sweden, Finland and Belarus. Group B will feature Russia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Latvia. The Olympic tournament begins on Feb.16, 2010.
RUMOR MILL
-With the loss of winger Thomas Vanek, the Sabres have jumped in to the Erik Cole race
-D Scott Niedermayer's name is coming up in some trade rumors. Montreal, New Jersey, Philly, or staying in Anaheim are the popular teams
-Look for the recently waived Blues G Manny Legace to be heading to Detroit or Columbus.
-Sources have confirmed to TSN that the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL will likely be the destination for Sean Avery's return to professional hockey. But at this point, the New York Rangers and their top minor league affiliate have yet to finalize an arrangement with the Dallas Stars to provide a home for Avery in the event he clears waivers on Monday. Assuming an agreement is reached with the Stars, Avery would clear waivers and Dallas would assign him to the AHL. The forward isn't expected to report to Hartford before Tuesday. The Wolf Pack will host the Manitoba Moose on Wednesday.
TONIGHTS ACTION:
NY Rangers @ New Jersey – 7PM
%Montreal @ Calgary – 9PM
*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out tonight
NY Rangers @ New Jersey – 7PM
%Montreal @ Calgary – 9PM
*My weekly power rankings, "PLUS/MINUS", comes out tonight
~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays
TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM
No comments:
Post a Comment