FTS - 2/13/09

TOP STORY

PANTHER PUNISHMENT

(Photo Credit: AP)

Florida Panthers G Tomas Vokoun leads the way over division rival Carolina

The Florida Panthers (27-19-8) scored five goals, but they'd only need one. G Tomas Vokoun made 42 saves for his fourth shutout of the season (29th of his career) and became the first goalie to shutout the Hurricanes (27-23-5) this season. Nathan Horton and Richard Zednik scored in the 2nd period while Anthony Stewart, Gregory Campbell and Michael Frolik added goals in the 3rd period. The Panthers improved to 6-2 since the All-Star break while picking up a critical two points in the Eastern Conference standings. They lead Carolina by three points in the race for the eighth playoff spot in the East. Cam Ward stopped just nine of the 13 shots he faced before he was pulled midway through the second for Michael Leighton, who made nine saves and allowed Florida's fifth goal. With the win, the Florida Panthers take the lead in the season series 3-2. The Hurricanes have scored two or fewer goals in 28 of their last 43 games.

The Florida Panthers have a problem that no GM would envy. Do you ride this great play out and try and make the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons or do you deal one of the most sought after players in the league (D Jay Bouwmeester). Either way, GM Jacques Martin is going to have one of the tougher 11th hour decisions to make in a few weeks. (I haven't decided what Martin should do yet, that's why I have no commentary on it)

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-Dany Heatley scored twice and Jason Spezza had a goal and an assist to lead the Ottawa Senators (20-2-5-8) over the Philadelphia Flyers (28-16-9) 5-2. Senators G Brian Elliottt made 34 saves to improve to 7-3-2 and help Ottawa to the 3rd straight win.

-A three goal explosion in the 2nd period by the Red Wings (37-11-7) courtesy of Jiri Hudler, Kris Draper and Ville Leino helped Detroit past the Wild (28-23-3) 4-2. Mikael Samuelsson had the other Red Wings goal while Brent Burns (PPG) and Mikko Koivu (SHG) had the two Minnesota goals.

-The Tampa Bay Lightning (19-25-11) scored four goals in the 1st period, held off a 2nd period rally by Toronto (20-25-10) and iced the cake in the 3rd period for a 6-4 win. Martin St. Louis had a goal and three assists and Ryan Malone scored twice in a :54 second span.

-The Predators (26-26-3) rallied with two 3rd period goals (Kevin Klein and Jason Arnott) and Steve Sullivan scored the lone shootout goal to help Nashville to a 4-3 SO win over St. Louis (22-25-7). Nashville improved to 12-0-2 in it's last 14 home games against St. Louis. Blues RW Brad Boyes played in his 300th career game.

-Three goals in the 3rd period courtesy of Pavol Demitra, Alexander Edler and Henrik Sedin (PPG) helped lead Vancouver (26-20-8) past the Coyotes (25-26-5) 4-3. Sami Salo, Daniel Sedin and Kevin Bieksa each had two assists for the Canucks.

-Flames winger Mike Cammalleri scored his 29th goal of the season on the power play midway through the 1st period and that would be all Calgary (32-18-5) would need in a 2-0 win over the Kings (24-22-7). Rene Bourque added an empty net goal and Miika Kiprusoff made 36 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 30th career shutout .Jonathan Quick made 18 saves in the loss for Los Angeles.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Martin Brodeur was cleared by doctors on Wednesday to participate in full-team practices, reports the Newark Star-Ledger. The problem was most of his teammates had the day off. Brodeur did get some time in net and according to the newspaper, faced shots from Bobby Holik, David Clarkson, Mike Rupp, Jay Leach, Jay Pandolfo and some of the coaches including head coach Brent Sutter. The Devils are in the midst of a three-week, 10-game, run and Sutter decided to give his players some time to rest. While he would like to get into a full practice, Brodeur understands the decision. "I can't ask for a full practice. The team has to do what it has to do," Brodeur told the Star-Ledger. "But this is more work than a full practice. Six guys shooting non-stop for 40 minutes. If I get that many shots in a game, we'll be in trouble." Sutter explained getting his star goaltender into a full practice was not a factor in his decision. "We have to do what's right for the team," Sutter told the Star-Ledger. "The guys who went out, we felt were the guys who could use it. We have to do what's right for the hockey club. That's first and foremost." According to the newspaper, Brodeur will skate with the team on Friday morning ahead of their game against the Boston Bruins. The first full practice since he was injured on November 1 against the Atlanta Thrashers should come on Saturday. The 36-year-old had surgery on November 6 to repair a torn tendon in his elbow and says he is feeling better.

-The New York Islanders will be without centre Doug Weight for six weeks the result of a knee injury. The Islanders placed Weight on the injured reserve list retroactive to Wednesday, when he suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament after colliding with New Jersey's Brian Gionta in the second period of the Devils' 4-2 win. Weight, in his 17th NHL season, has nine goals and 26 assists in 44 games this season with New York and is the club's second-leading scorer.

-Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec has been suspended for two games without pay by the NHL. Plekanec slew footed Edmonton Oilers D Denis Grebeshkov in the second period of Wednesday night's 7-2 Canadiens loss. Plekanec was assessed a minor penalty for tripping on the play, and Grebeshkov has a high ankle sprain that will sideline him for at least two weeks. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Plekanec will forfeit $17,204.30. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

-The Phoenix Coyotes have demoted former third overall draft pick Kyle Turris to San Antonio of the AHL. The 19-year-old C has six goals and 10 assists with a -12 rating in 50 games this season. He has been a healthy scratch in the last two games and had not registered a point in the six games prior to that. Recently, Turris had been used sparingly on the fourth line and needs more quality playing time to assist in his development. Last season, Turris managed one assist in three games, after leaving the University of Wisconsin to sign with the Coyotes late in the year. Defenseman David Schlemko was recalled from the Rampage.

-Former NHL star Peter Forsberg returned to pro hockey Thursday night, scoring the opening goal in a 4-1 win for hometown club Modo against Skelleftea in the Swedish Elite League. Forsberg, one of the few players to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal and world championship, said he almost forgot how to score. "It was such a long time ago that I almost forgot what to do afterward," he told Swedish news agency TT. Forsberg, 36, made a late-season return to the Colorado Avalanche last year, but injuries kept him out of nine of 18 regular-season NHL games and three of four games in the second round of the playoffs. Playing before a sellout crowd at Swedbank Arena, Forsberg scored at 15:21 in the first.

RUMOR MILL

-Look for Leafs D Tomas Kaberle to be dealt at the deadline (from the Obvious Dept). Montreal and Buffalo are the top suitors, but San Jose is making a push and could be dangling winger Milan Michalek (they would also likely ask for Antropov back as well)

-Another D the Canadiens are looking at is Mathieu Schneider. He would definitely aid their power play woes.

-In the "Why Would They Do This" department, the Blackhawks seem to be dangling G Nikolai Khabibulin and the Flyers are the team that wants him the most.

-Two Atlantic Divison rivals appear to be working out a deal. The Rangers would send Petr Prucha to the Penguins for D Ryan Whitney. This deal would be a big help to both sides.

-The Stars appear to be interested in Senators winger Antoine Vermette.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
%Boston @ New Jersey - 7PM
Detroit @ Columbus - 7PM
San Jose @ Buffalo - 7:30PM
NY Rangers @ Florida - 7:30PM
Vancouver @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Chicago @ St. Louis - 8:30PM
Montreal @ Colorado - 9PM

% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

*My weekly power rankings comes out Mondays

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

DROPPTING THE GLOVES w/ ANDREW BOGUSCH & FTS 2/12/09

A-Very Risky Proposition

(Photo Credit: Hartford Courant)

The Circus Comes to NYC in April, but it could be coming to MSG early this season

Sloppy seconds weren’t Gary Bettman’s thing, but apparently Glen Sather doesn’t mind them all. The Ranger general manager allowed the Dallas Stars to assign Sean Avery to his AHL affiliate in Hartford Tuesday, seemingly the first step towards Avery rejoining the Rangers.

We could applaud Sather for providing Avery an opportunity to revive his career, but there is more than altruism at play here. Sather thinks Avery can help his floundering team. But why? The last thing a team that has been outscored 13-2 over its last two games needs is a visit from the Avery circus.

The Rangers are in real trouble of missing the playoffs after earning a single point over their last five outings. They are sixth in the Eastern Conference (going into Wednesday night), but only six points better than 10th-placed Pittsburgh. They need a top-line center, some wingers who can actually finish a play, or a blueline upgrade. They do not need to answer question after question about Avery.

And they certainly do not need to be part of Avery’s next misstep, which will happen. The NHL and NHLPA’s behavioral modification program is probably helpful, but three months isn’t likely enough time to “fix” all the issues that led the Stars to basically throw Avery overboard after his “sloppy second” remarks. As Mike Modano, Marty Turco and others let us know in the aftermath of those comments, Avery had worn out his welcome in that locker room long before dissing Elisha Cuthbert.

Now Glen Sather is contemplating inviting Avery back into a locker room that apparently did not want him in the first place. The Rangers hardly fought for Avery last summer in free agency, presumably because someone whispered in Sather’s ear that he was not worth the trouble. Now he is because the team cannot score enough goals to support Henrik Lundqvist?

And let’s not forget that claiming Avery off re-entry waivers puts his Stars contract on your books. Yes, Dallas would pay half the remaining salary, but there are three years left on the deal. Three years is a long time to cross your fingers that Avery behaves.

This is not to say Avery should be avoided at all costs. He deserves to be an NHL player again. But the smart course of action for a team is letting Avery finish this season in the minors, proving he can act properly for a longer stretch of time. Then let the Stars buy him out in the offseason and sign him to a safer contract for your organization.

Ranger fans should be hoping Glen Sather is smarter than we think he is.

* * *

The Shootout…We still need the Sharks to have playoff success to erase our doubts about them, but Tuesday night’s win in Boston may be a sign of good things to come. A four-goal third period on national television in a rather hostile setting is a very nice W for Todd McLellan…

As A-Roid rage sweeps through Major League Baseball, let’s take a moment to applaud the lack of such controversies in the NHL. Credit goes to all involved: the Commissioner’s office, the Players’ Association and the players themselves – assuming they’re not all just taking undetectable performance-enhancing drugs…

Smart move by the Blues to lockup Andy McDonald earlier this week for four years and $18.8 million. That is a lot of money for a 31-year-old center who’s never had more than 85 points in a season. And who is coming off a broken ankle. But McDonald has 54 points in 65 games in Saint Louis, and this young team can use his veteran leadership…

And how about those Los Angeles Kings? They continue to make us look bad for counting them out in our recent playoff predictions. The Kings have won seven of eight games, including a 4-1 East Coast road trip.

As always, any comments, questions, etc. go to boguschhockey@gmail.com

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-The New York Rangers (30-20-5) snapped a five game losing streak thanks to a big night from winger Ryan Callahan (1G, 1A, SO GW goal) and center Lauri Korpikoski (1G, 1A) in the 5-4 Shootout win over the Capitals (34-16-5). The Rangers improved to 9-3 in shootouts this season and managed to avoid a season sweep by Washington. D Mike Green scored two goals and tied Mike O'Connell's record for defenseman of consecutive games with a goal with 7.

-Devils (35-17-3) LW Zach Parise scored twice (once on the PP) and assisted on New Jersey's other two goals in a 4-2 win over the Islanders (16-32-6). Jamie Langenbrunner also had two goals and D Paul Martin chipped in with three assists. This was the Devils 5th straight win over the Islanders.

-G Nikolai Khabibulin made 36 saves to lead the Blackhawks (30-14-8) past the Thrashers (19-32-5) 3-1. Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews each scored power play goals in the 1st period for Chicago's 6th win in their past 8 games. Atlanta has now lost four straight at home.

-Rookie Head Coach Cory Clouston won his 2nd straight game as Ottawa's bench boss as the Senators (19-25-8) beat the Sabres (28-21-6) 3-1. Jason Spezza (PPG), Shean Donovan, and Daniel Alfredsson (PPG) each scored for Ottawa and G Bill Elliott made 31 saves in the win.

-Sharks goalie Brian Boucher made 35 saves, but he would fall one short in the shootout as Sidney Crosby scored the SO winner in the Penguins (27-24-5) 2-1 win over San Jose (37-7-8). Bill Thomas scored the lone goal for the Pens while Joe Pavelski scored his 14th of the season for San Jose. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury made 36 saves in the win.

-Ryan Smith scored twice (once on the power play), but it wouldn't enough as the Wild (28-22-3) beat the Avalanche (25-29-1) 3-2 on a late one-timer goal from Antti Miettinen. Owen Nolan and Pierre-Marc Bouchard scored the other Wild goals as Minnesota has now won five of their past seven. Colorado is 6-13-0 in their last 19.

-Coyotes (25-5-5) G Ilya Bryzgalov made 33 saves for his eighth career shutout to stop the red-hot Stars (26-20-7) 1-0. Enver Lisin scored the games lone goal early in the 2nd period as the Coyotes have now won four straight regulation games at Dallas. The Stars lost for just the second time in their last fourteen home games (11-2-1)

-Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner, Andrew Cogliano and Kyle Brodziak each had a goal and an assist and Sam Gagner, Zack Stortini and Liam Reddox also scored to help the Oilers (27-23-4) snap a two-game skid and tie Vancouver for eighth place in the Western Conference with a 7-2 win over Montreal (29-20-6). Edmonton defenseman Denis Grebeshkov had to be helped off the ice early in the second after being run feet-first into the boards by Tomas Plekanec. Grebeshkov didn't return. The game was the 3,000th road game in Montreal franchise history.

-Ducks D Scott Niedermayer scored 55 seconds in to overtime to give Anaheim (28-24-5) a 3-2 win over Calgary (31-18-5). It was his second goal of the game. Duck C Brendan Morrison scored the tying goal early in the 3rd period. Todd Bertuzzi and Curtis Glencross scored the two goals for the Flames as they dropped to 1-13-1 in their last 15 visits to Anaheim. Calgary C Craig Conroy played in his 900th career game.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Pittsburgh Penguins D Sergei Gonchar has been cleared to play after missing the season to date with a dislocated left shoulder. According to Sam Rosen on the Rangers broadcast last night, all indications point to a Saturday return to the line-up in Toronto. "I will take it day by day," Gonchar said following the Penguins' morning skate.Gonchar was injured on a hit by Tampa Bay's David Koci in the Penguins' first preseason game Sept. 20. It was originally thought he would be out until late February or early March. A four-time all-star, Gonchar finished second in scoring among defensemen for the second successive season with 12 goals and 53 assists for 65 points in 2007-'08. He also was second among defencemen in playoff scoring with 14 points. Going into this season, the 34-year-old Gonchar's streak of eight consecutive seasons with 50 or more points was tops in the league among defencemen.

-Center Daniel Briere practiced with the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, the first time the cener has worked out with teammates since having groin surgery three weeks ago."There's still lots of pain and a lot of discomfort, depending on what I do," Briere said. "But just from skating this past weekend (by himself) to today was way better. I was able to do a little bit more with the puck and shoot a little harder and skate a little harder." Briere hopes to return by Feb. 24, for a game against Washington. Briere also had surgery in late October to repair a torn abdominal muscle. He injured his groin against Tampa Bay on Dec. 2, his last game with the Flyers, and had surgery Jan. 22. Briere has five goals and nine points in nine games this season. Last season, he had 31 goals and 41 assists.

-Canadiens legend Guy LaFleur will stand trial for obstruction of justice:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=266660&lid=sublink010&lpos=headlines_nhl

RUMOR MILL

-Oilers power forward Dustin Penner's name is coming up in trade rumors. No word on what teams yet.

-Montreal NEEDS to make a move soon. Still the same names with Vinny Lecavalier and Marian Gaborik, but now Keith Tkachuk's name is starting to surface.
-The Rangers are quietly shopping Michal Rozsival. Tampa and Buffalo are the two interested teams so far.

-It's no secret the Penguins need help, and Martin St. Louis is one name that is coming up. We've heard Ilya Kovalchuk would be an option, too (despite Thrashers GM Don Waddel insisting he won't be dealing him) and if that were to happen, it looks like Jordan Staal would be the centerpiece heading back.

-The Canucks need to make a shake up with their bad slump as of late. It looks like the Devils would be a partner in a swap of D Mattias Ohlund heading to Newark for winger Brian Gionta. Another suitor would be the Rangers, sending C Brandon Dubinsky for D Kevin Bieksa.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
%Florida @ Carolina - 7PM
Ottawa @ Philadelphia - 7PM
Minnesota @ Detroit - 7:30PM
Toronto @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
St. Louis @ Nashville - 8PM
Vancouver @ Phoenix - 9PM
Calgary @ Los Angeles - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

*My weekly power rankings comes out Mondays

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS - 2/11/08

JAWSTON
(Photo Credit: AP)

The Sharks bite the Bruins late to win the battle of the best in the NHL

This was billed as "the game of the year" so far going in to it. It had so many storylines...Joe Thornton playing back in Boston for the 3rd time since THE trade, the best record in the West vs. the best record in the East, the first top team in the NHL this season vs. the current top team. The first two periods lived up to the hype. Milan Lucic scored twice in the 1st period off of rebounds and had the B's up 2-1 heading in to the intermission. They would play to a stalemate in the 2nd period behind great goaltending from both Evgeni Nabokov and Tim Thomas. The Boston "blood in the water" would start to show in the 3rd period as Patrick Marleau (27th of the season), Milan Michalek (15th of the season), Joe Thornton (13th of the season), and Mike Grier (10th - empty netter) would beatdown the Bruins for the 5-2 win (Rob Blake scored the other Sharks goal on the PP in the 1st period). "They're a darn good team, probably one of the best we've played this year," said former Bruins captain Joe Thornton. "If the power play was on a little bit more it would have been a different game," Thornton added. "They're a good team. (The Bruins PP went 0 for 4). "We play fast, we play big. They came out really strong and we didn't have too many answers. I think the second half of the game, the ice kind of tilted." This was the first time this season Boston had lost by more than two goals.

I think last night's game showed that the West is still the stronger conference in the NHL. I'm not saying the West is clearly stronger than the East, but the West is better top to bottom than the East. In the West, other than the Blues, every other team still has a realistic chance of snagging a playoff spot (although the toe-tag is being made for the Predators). In the East, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, the Islanders, and Ottawa are clearly not going to be playing past early April. I'm not officially declaring this yet, but it looks like the Stanley Cup will be in either Detroit or San Jose.

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-The Islanders (16-31-6) held a 2-1 lead heading in to the 3rd period, but Kings (24-21-7) winger Alexander Frolov potted his 22nd goal of the season (on the power play) to tie the game at the 6:41 mark of the period. In the shootout, D Jack Johnson scored the lone goal to make the Kings 7-1 in their last eight games. The Isles have registered a point in just 10 of their last 30 games and haven't beaten L.A. at home since 1998.

-Another rookie goal posted a shutout in Columbus (26-23-5) as 22-year old Dan LaCosta made 31 saves for his first career shutout in his second career start as the Blue Jackets beat the Avalanche (25-28-1) 3-0. Andrew Murray, Jason Williams and Frerik Modin were the three scorers for Columbus.

-Gary Roberts drew first blood for the Lightning (18-25-11), but that would be the end of the day for Tampa Bay as the Thrashers (19-31-5) beat their division rivals 3-1. G Kari Lehtonen made 40 saves and Slaza Kozlov scored his 18th of the season early in the 2nd period for the game winner.

-The Florida Panthers (26-19-8) rallied from a 4-1 deficit midway through the 3rd period to beat the Maple Leafs (20-24-10) in overtime 5-4. Winger Richard Zednik scored the game-tying and game winning goals on the one year anniversary of suffering a scary laceration ins his carotid artery in his neck. Toronto RW Niklas Hagman had two goals in the loss.

-Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg each had two goals and an assist and Marian Hossa scored his 31st goal of the season (PPG) to lead the Red Wings (36-11-7) past the Predators (25-26-3) 5-3. Red Wings D Brian Rafalski chipped in with three assists while Joel Ward scored two goals for Nashville in the loss.

-Mats Sundin scored twice to help lead the Canucks (25-20-8) in a come-from-behind road victory over the Blues (22-25-6) 6-4. Ryan Kesler added a goal and an assist and D Kevin Bieksa added two assists. Blues C Patrik Berglund

OTHER HEADLINES

-Less than a week after being placed on the injured list, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Lubomir Visnovsky's season is over due to an upcoming surgery on his injured labrum. The 32-year old will have surgery on his injured right labrum on Thursday. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Robert Balyk in Edmonton. Visnovsky hurt his labrum last Tuesday in the third period of Edmonton's 3-1 home ice loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Visnovsky had eight goals and 23 assists in 50 games this season.

-St. Louis Blues forward Paul Kariya underwent successful surgery on his right hip yesterday. The procedure comes just a month after the 34-year old had surgery done on his left hip. He is scheduled to be ready for the start of the 2009-10 campaign. Kariya played in only 11 contests this season, last seeing the ice in a November 5 game against Anaheim. He had two goals and 15 points this season. The 14-year veteran has scored 384 career goals with 946 points in 914 games with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis.

-Sean Avery is one step closer to making MSG his home again:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=266456&lid=sublink07&lpos=headlines_nhl

When Sean Avery wasn't resigned by the Rangers, I applauded the move. My theory was that he was beginning to wear his welcome out in the Rangers locker room. With legends like Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan not returning, there was no one in the locker room that Avery would listen to, and keeping him around would be a recipe for disaster. Well, it's mid-February, the Rangers look like ass (I'm calling a spade a spade there), and they lack any sort of heart or effort on the ice. Avery brings toughness on the ice and he's going to be a jolt in the locker room one way or the other, and the Rangers need that. The New York fans love him, Avery has always said (even before becoming a Ranger) that MSG is his favorite place to play, so why shouldn't the Rangers take a chance. I've officially eaten my words on the Rangers letting Avery go.

RUMOR MILL

-Despite the rumors and strong lobbying from pal Ales Hemsky, don't expect Jaromir Jagr to be signing with Edmonton anytime soon. If you think the KHL is going to let

TONIGHTS ACTION:
%Washington @ NY Rangers - 7PM
NY Islanders @ New Jersey - 7PM
Chicago @ Atlanta - 7PM
Ottawa @ Buffalo - 7:30PM
San Jose @ Pittsburgh - 7:30PM
Colorado @ Minnesota - 8PM
Phoenix @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Montreal @ Edmonton - 10PM
Calgary @ Anaheim - 10PM
% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

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

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

H5L5 / FTS - 2/10/08

HIGH FIVE/LOW FIVE

The Dallas Stars are soaring in the Western Conference right now
(Photo Credit: AP)

In lieu of the PLUS/MINUS Column, we're going to debut H5L5. The five hottest teams and the five coldest teams in the league and why.

HIGH FIVE

Boston Bruins (39-8-7 - 85 points)
They have the best record in the league, they are playing smart hockey, and have won six of their past eight (the two losses came in overtime). While they are playing great hockey, it's not like they are playing over their heads. This Bruins team is legit and they could make Boston titletown again if they continue whats been status quo for them all year long.

Dallas Stars (26-19-7 - 59 points)
Talk about addition by subtraction. The Stars lose Sean Avery and make a ridiculous push in the standings that now has them 5th in the West. They are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. In those eight wins include victories at Detroit, vs. Calgary and a 10-2 drubbing of the Rangers. Look out Western Conference, because the Dallas Stars that played Detroit tough in the Conference Finals last year looks like they are back.

New Jersey Devils (34-17-3 - 71 points)
The Devils are the story of the year in the NHL this season. They lose probably the best goalie ever for a good chunk of the season and manage to get great goaltending from Scott Clemmensen. Winger Zach Parise has provided a big offensive punch on a team that's used to winning games 2-1. Brendan Shanahan has provided a big boost to the 4th line and the locker room. What does GM Lou Lamoreillio have up his sleeve for the trade deadline?

Washington Capitals (34-16-4 - 72 points)
G Jose Theodore has finally settled in to the starting role and has looked like a starting goalie over the past month. Washington has won 7 of their past 10 (one of those losses was in OT to the Bruins) and are fortunate enough to play in a division where two of the league's worst teams reside. We all know the Caps are an offensive juggernaut, but they are starting to win low-scoring games, and that should scare the rest of the East.

Los Angeles Kings (23-21-7 - 53 points)
Yes, THOSE Los Angeles Kings. I wrote in FTS earlier this year that they were exceeding expectations and would play hard but wouldn't be a playoff team. Well, we're in the middle of February and the Kings are only three points out of a playoff spot and two games above .500. While I still don't think they'll make the playoffs this year, but GM Dean Lombardi is building something special in the Staples Center.

LOW FIVE

Phoenix Coyotes (24-25-5 - 53 points)
My oh my how the tides have changed in Phoenix. It seems like that we were talking about the Coyotes rise through the Western Conference standings just two weeks ago. Now, after losing six in a row, they sit in 13th place in the West (but only three points out of 8th). With the current financial situation of the Coyotes, it will be interesting to see what the Great One and GM Don Maloney does to try and right the ship and remain cost-effective.

New York Rangers (29-20-5 - 63 points)
If you're a Rangers fan, the five game losing streak (0-4-1) comes as no shock to you. The Rangers have been playing mediocre hockey for months but only know is it showing on the scoreboard and in the standings. Expect a big change (besides the whole pending Sean Avery acquisition) with the roster and, potentially behind the bench. Head Coach Tom Renney changes lines combinations way too frequently and, I know he's a mild-mannered guy, but get pissed once in awhile and see if the team respods to that. The Rangers were worried about advancing past the 2nd round of the playoffs coming in to the season...they may not have a playoff season to worry about at this rate.

Montreal Canadiens (29-19-6 - 64 points)
It looks like Les Habitents are paying the karma penalty for their fans stuffing the ballot-boxes at the All-Star game. They've lost 8 of 10 (bizarro Dallas Stars). Losing Robert Lang will hurt this team more than people realize, but the Canadiens will bounce back and be fine.

Ottawa Senators (18-25-8 - 44 points)
I think it's safe to call the Senators the most dysfunctional team in the league. They've lost four of five and can't seem to get in to any sort of rhythm. Expect a firesale at the deadline with Jason Spezza being the big ticket item.

Vancouver Canucks (24-20-8 - 56 points)
While Vancouver has won two in a row and still hold on to the 8th spot in the West, they had lost 9 in a row (0-6-3) before that. Things don't get easier for the Canucks with only two home games remaining in February.

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-G Scott Clemmensen made 27 saves, LW Zach Parise had two goals, and Bobby Holik drew first blood as the Devils (34-17-3) handed the Rangers (29-20-5) their 5th straight loss 3-0. With the win, the Devils move to one point behind the Capitals for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference.

-The Canadiens (29-19-6) dominated the 1st period behind goals from Matt D'Agostini and Tomas Plekanec, but the Flames (31-18-4) would dominate the last two periods and get goals from six different players in the game to win 6-2. Calgary snapped a four game losing streak thanks to goals from Mike Cammalleri (28th of the season), Matthew Lombardi (SHG - also had two assists), Dion Phaneuf, Dustin Boyd (SHG), Rene Bouque and David Moss (PPG) all chipped in for the Calgary win.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The St. Louis Blues signed centre Andy McDonald to a US$18.8-million, four-year contract extension Monday. "The St. Louis Blues realize how integral Andy is to the future of our organization," team president John Davidson said. "He's a top-line centre who will play a major role in the development of our team." The 31-year-old McDonald is in his eighth NHL season. He has missed the past 35 games with a broken left leg, but practised Monday and could play Tuesday when the Blues host Vancouver. In 16 games before the injury, he led the Blues with 18 points, including six goals and 12 assists. "I've been really itching to get back in," McDonald said. "I feel like now I'm at the point where I can contribute." McDonald has 20 goals and 54 points in 65 games with St. Louis since he was acquired from Anaheim in the middle of last season. He was part of the Ducks team that won the 2007 Stanley Cup. In 456 career games, McDonald has 112 goals and 201 assists for 313 points, along with 206 penalty minutes.

-Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Mike Smith is suffering from post-concussion syndrome but is expected to return to action within the next week. "We were hopeful that Mike's symptoms would clear sooner and they haven't, so we're taking a conservative approach with him making sure he is 100-percent before he returns to the ice," said Lightning executive vice president and general manager Brian Lawton. "Although Mike would prefer to be skating and playing right now, the appropriate course of action is to err on the safe side." The 26-year-old will continue to work with the team's medical staff on a regular basis on the rest, recovery and rehabilitation process. Smith hasn't played since a 6-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on January 30. Acquired from Dallas at the trade deadline last year, Smith is 14-18-9 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 41 games for the Bolts this season.

-The Columbus Blue Jackets are hoping rookie goaltender Steve Mason will return to the lineup Friday night. Mason, who has missed the last two games while battling mononucleosis, has been on injured reserve while trying to rest and regain his strength. Mason practised for an hour and 15 minutes on Monday. Coach Ken Hitchcock said the club's goal was to get Mason ready to start on Friday night at home against the Detroit Red Wings. Dan LaCosta was called up to start Saturday's 3-2 overtime win against San Jose. LaCosta will start tonight against Colorado.

-The NHL named it's Three Stars of the Week:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=266460&lid=sublink07&lpos=headlines_nhl

RUMOR MILL

-The Philadelphia Flyers are interested in Blackhawks winger Cam Barker (they are alos interested in Flyers D Jay Bouwmeester, but who isn't)

-The Edmonton Oilers are looking in to the possibility of acquiring Antoine Vermette from Ottawa

-Avalacnhe winger Milan Hejduk could be heading to the Atlantic Division. The question is if it's the Rangers, Devils, or Penguins.

-The Sabres will throw their hat in to the Erik Cole sweepstakes (what a great fit for the team and city) but would look in to Tyler Arnason as a fallback.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
%Sharks @ Bruins - 7PM
Kings @ Islanders - 7PM
Avalanche @ Blue Jackets - 7PM
Thrashers @ Lightning - 7:30PM
Maple Leafs @ Panthers - 7:30PM
Red Wings @ Predators - 8PM
Canucks @ Blues - 8:30PM
% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

*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

FTS 2/9/09

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.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
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