DROPPING THE GLOVES with ANDREW BOGUSCH & FTS - 2/19/08

Should Capitals defenseman Mike Green be a Norris Trophy candidate? Andrew Bogusch pinches on that theory.

His eight-game goal streak put Mike Green on the front page of websites and near the beginning of highlight shows. But it better not help the Capitals defenseman get the Norris Trophy come June. While the raw numbers are there for the 23-year-old, they show more of a power-play opportunist than all-around blueliner. This month’s red light binge gave Green 22 goals in 44 games through Tuesday. He is on pace for 34 tallies. Had he not missed 13 games bridging November and December, we could be talking about Green breaking Paul Coffey’s single-season record of 48.

The Calgary native leads all D-men in goals and points (50) even though he has played 11 and 13 fewer games than second place in each category. The list of teams whose backline has scored fewer total goals than Green is in double digits. Most of that, though, derives from Green’s power-play prowess – production that cannot be ignored, but bloats his overall profile. Subtract his man-advantage numbers and Green has 7 goals and 18 assists. Those 25 points are good for roughly 40th in the NHL, right next to Fedor Tyutin and Denis Grebeshkov.

Then there’s Karl Alzner, Green’s rookie teammate. In Alzner’s 30 games with the big club, he averages 3:07 of PK time, 44 more seconds than Green. Tom Poti, Jeff Schultz, and Shaone Morrison also earn more short-handed responsibilities. So if Bruce Boudreau trusts four others, including a rookie, more than Green when he needs as much defense as possible, can Green truly be considered for the Norris?

The only number that supports Green as a legitimate candidate is his +28, which is tied for second in the League and is better than Niklas Lidstrom and Zdeno Chara. Since plus-minus ignores power-play success, Green is certainly doing his part of keeping the puck out of the net at even-strength. That is not enough, though. Every Norris winner in recent memory that was even slightly offensively-inclined was still the first D-man over the boards to kill an important penalty of close out a tight game. Boudreau has better options for both situations right now.

But this doesn’t really negate what Green does on a nightly basis. The Capitals don’t surge to the Southeast Division title last season or dominate it this year without Green’s production. For now, Green has to settle for being the biggest offensive threat from the blueline. A Norris Trophy may be in his future, just not his immediate future.

* * *

The Shootout…

It is time for a major shakeup on Broadway – Glen Sather and Tom Renney should be on the unemployment line by the time you read this. The general manager is much more at fault for what is transpiring with the Rangers right now, but the head coach must go, too. We gave him credit when the Blueshirts over-achieved to open the season; he must now take the heat when they are underperforming…

How do you know when you’ve hit a new low? When your GM (Bob Gainey) tells you (Alex Kovalev) to take two games off to clear your head in the middle of a playoff race. Could the Canadiens AND the Rangers miss the playoffs?
By the time we talk next week, Peter Forsberg may have announced his retirement from hockey after another bout with foot issues. Show me a better mix of finesse and power in a player in the last 20 years…

As always, please send all thoughts, comments, complaints to boguschhockey@gmail.com

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-Alexander Ovechkin's 42nd goal of the season was a dazzling one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhDP0PERgUU) and it opened up the scoring for the Capitals (37-16-5) in a hard fought 4-3 shootout win over the Canadiens (30-21-7). Nicklas Backstrom scored a power play goal and the game-winning shootout goal. Dave Steckel scored the game-tying goal late in the 3rd period for the Caps. Montreal has now lost 11 of 14.

-Chris Drury had three assists, Nigel Dawes scored his 9th of the season, and Scott Gomez scored the game winner on the power play midway through the 2nd period to help the Rangers (31-22-6) to a 3-1 win over the Islanders (17-34-6). Henrik Lundqvist made 25 saves in the win to help the Rangers to six wins in their past eight games against the Islanders. The Isles fell to 1-18-1 in their last 20 road games.

-The Columbus Blue Jackets (29-23-6) improved to six games above .500 for the first time in franchise history in a 4-3 win over the Blues (24-26-7) last night. Defenseman Fedor Tyutin, center Manny Malholtra, and LW Rick Nash each had a goal and an assist to move Columbus in to 5th place in the West. The Blue Jackets improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games after losing their previous three contests while St. Louis' five-game winning streak vs. Columbus ended.

-Nicklas Lidstrom and Johan Franzen each had two goals and an assist to help the Red Wings (38-12-8) to a 6-2 win over the Predators (27-28-3). Defensemen Brian Rafalski and Niklas Kronwall each had two assists while Jiri Hudler and Henrik Zetterberg each had a goal and an assist. Nashville has lost eight of their past nine at Detroit. The Red Wings have scored 38 goals in their last eight games combined.

-Jarrett Stoll had a goal and two assists, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown each had a goal (both on the power play) and an assist to help the Kings (25-22-9) beat crosstown rival Anaheim (28-26-5) 4-3. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick made 28 saves in the win while Ducks winger Ryan Getzlaf had a goal (PPG) and two assists in the loss. Last night's game wrapped up the season series between the two teams and each team finished 3-2-1 against the other.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Coyotes owners confirm decision to sell team:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=267637&lid=sublink03&lpos=headlines_nhl

-The Pittsburgh Penguins skated, worked on the power play, gathered at the chalk board. They worked on the penalty kill, skated, and returned to the chalk board. Then they skated, and skated some more. Dan Bylsma's first practice as the Penguins' coach was more like the first day of the pre-season, in tenor and in time. Most NHL teams don't meet and practice for three hours with more than two-thirds of the season gone, but the desperate Penguins did that Wednesday. They also didn't need to be told why they were doing it. "That was an attempt at training camp, in short order," Bylsma said. "I think the players understand the situation, understand today would be different from a normal day."

I applaud this move. The Penguins need to be waken up, and Bylsma needs to make it known he won't be pushed around either.

-Mike Green has changed his mind and has decided the Hockey Hall of Fame can have his record-breaking stick. The Washington Capitals defenceman on Wednesday said he'll donate to the Hall of Fame the stick that served him so well during his eight-game goal-scoring streak, the longest by a defenceman in NHL history. Going into action Wednesday, Green led all defenceman with 22 goals. Green had been reluctant to part with the stick, calling it the best one he's ever used. It accounted for all 10 goals in his eight-game spree, including the record-breaker in the second period of Saturday night's 5-1 win over Tampa Bay. In Wednesday's game against Montreal, Green played without the lucky stick, a blue and black Easton Stealth. The Hall of Fame asked for the stick shortly after the record-setting game, but Green said no. He instead contemplated donating something else from the game - perhaps his gloves - so that he could hold onto the stick. The stick had an unusually long NHL life. Green said his sticks often break after five or six games, but this one lasted about 10 games. He also used it when he went scoreless in Sunday's victory over the Florida Panthers, the game that ended the streak.

-Peter Forsberg's foot problems have once again flared up, and the forward might hang up his skates for good. According to the Denver Post, Forsberg, who recently returned to action with Modo of the Swedish Elite League wasn't able to play Tuesday night because of the injury, and after when he spoke to the media he didn't sound hopeful. "I will think for a couple of days before I make a decision, but it doesn't look good," Forsberg told the media in Sweden. The 35-year old told reporters at a news conference after Modo's game against HV71 that he once again had his troublesome foot problems act up on Saturday. "I don't know what to do," Forsberg said. "I can't play if I don't feel 100 percent. I don't know what happens now. I have to check if there is some last thing we can do to fix the problem." While Forsberg was disappointed by his latest and perhaps final setback, it didn't come as a shock. "I am not that surprised. It has happened before and I was prepared for it this time as well," Forsberg said. "It seems impossible to fix the problem. I have tried it all." Forsberg has 885 points in 706 career NHL games, and 171 points in 151 NHL playoff games. The two-time Stanley Cup winner was also named the NHL's MVP award in 2003.

RUMOR MILL

-Expect a deal for Erik Cole to go down soon. There are plenty of teams that are interested in him, so Edmonton should be able to get some immediate help in return.

-Jay Bouwmeester, if he is dealt, will be dealt before the deadline. Philly is the name that's coming up now and Matt Carle would be one of the names heading back to Florida.

-Anaheim is looking to bring Joffrey Lupul back, and they could definitely use him right now.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
Carolina @ NY Islanders - 7PM
%Buffalo @ Philadelphia - 7PM
Montreal @ Pittsburgh - 7PM
Vancouver @ Ottawa - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
Columbus @ Toronto - 7:30PM
Chicago @ Florida - 7:30PM
St. Louis @ Nashville - 8PM
Calgary @ Minnestoa - 8PM
Edmonton @ Dallas - 8:30PM
Atlanta @ Phoenix - 9PM
Los Angeles @ San Jose - 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 Thursdays

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

FTS - 2/18/09

TOP STORY

The ceremonial opening face-off at the All-Star game was the last fond memory for Alexei Kovalev and Canadiens GM Bob Gainey this season (also pictured: legend Jean Beliveau and Sharks C Joe Thornton)

(Photo & Story Credit: AP)

Canadiens All-Star Alexei Kovalev is getting a few days off to rest his body and mind. Montreal general manager Bob Gainey said he suggested to Kovalev that he skip a two-game road trip to try to help the right wing snap out of a slump. The move comes a day after the struggling Canadiens acquired veteran defenseman Mathieu Schneider in a trade from Atlanta. Kovalev did not accompany the team for games Wednesday night in Washington and Thursday night in Pittsburgh. His status for a home game Saturday afternoon against Ottawa and even beyond that is also uncertain.

"Alex's preference was to stay with the team and play, but I could see in his eyes that he agreed with it," said Gainey, adding that the 35-year-old was not suspended and would still be paid." Asked when Kovalev would be back, Gainey said: "That's not a question I can answer definitely now. I'd rather let a couple of days go by than to make a hasty decision right now. "We'll talk in the next 48 hours."

Montreal also sent 21-year-old left wing Sergei Kostitsyn, who has eight goals and 23 points, to AHL Hamilton and called up physical forward Gregory Stewart. That move was made at the request of coach Guy Carbonneau and his staff. The Canadiens have lost 10 of their last 13 games, and Kovalev has only one goal and five assists in that span. They are tied for fifth in Eastern Conference playoff race, but only five points out of ninth, which would leave them out of the playoffs. The slide has been enough to get goalie Carey Price to ditch the red pads he started wearing when the Canadiens troubles began. He's gone back to his old white ones.

Kovalev was not at the late afternoon practice Tuesday, but Schneider skated for the first time with his teammates before boarding a plane for Washington. Kovalev led the club in scoring with 84 points last season, but he is tied for second with only 13 goals and 26 assists in 57 games this season. He has also looked listless on the ice, rarely showing the energy that made him the team's most popular player with the fans. "The team doesn't need him the way he's playing now," said Gainey. "To score goals and help other people score, you have to do a lot of different things. To stay on task, to do the mundane, small, detail, mandatory things to keep the team afloat is a harder thing for some players than for others."

There was surprise around the Canadiens dressing room at the Kovalev move. "It's probably a minor, temporary thing, but the message is clear to the players -- we have to step up and move forward," defenseman Mike Komisarek said. Carbonneau said he hopes Kovalev uses the time with his family to get his mind together and "hopefully he'll come back and play better. "It was Bob's decision and he doesn't take decisions lightly. I trust his instincts."


I am a HUGE fan of this move. Often coaches or GM's won't treat their top players with the same "medicine" (for lack of a better term and that's not a steroid reference) because they are high profile names. With everything that's going wrong in Montreal, this will send a message to the team that EVERYONE is accountable, from the top all the way down. The Canadiens need to make some roster changes, but there is still enough time left in the season for a maneuver like this to reset the team and make a late push. For Gainey's sake, it better not make things worse at the Bell Centre.

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-The Boston Bruins (40-10-8) are the first team to reach the 40 win mark in the NHL this year with a 5-1 win over Carolina (28-25-5) last night. The Bruins held a 2-1 lead heading in to the 3rd period before David Krejci (SHG), Chuck Kobasew (PPG) and Patrice Bergeron (SHG - EN) pulled ahead late. Tim Thomas made 31 saves for his 25th win of the season.

-The Buffalo Sabres (30-22-6) continued their playoff push with their 30th win of the season by taking care of division rival Toronto (21-26-10) last night 4-1. Drew Stafford scored twice on the power play and G Ryan Miller made 27 saves in the win. The Sabres have won five straight and nine of their last 11 at Toronto.

-Jonathan Toews scored twice, Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists and the Blackhawks (32-15-8) withstood #1 overall pick Steve Stamkos' first career hat trick to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-27-11) 5-3. The Lightning let a 3-1 2nd period lead slip away to the Blackhawks, who improved to 17-11-3 on the road with 37 points, fourth-best in the league. Nikolai Khabibulin did not make the trip to Tampa after aggravating a groin injury at Monday's practice. The former Lightning goalie, who helped Tampa Bay win the 2004 Stanley Cup, has yet to play his former team since signing a four-year, $27 million deal with the Blackhawks.

-The New Jersey Devils (37-18-3) seven game road winning streak came to an end last night as Tomas Vokoun made 36 saves for his 5th shutout of the season to lead the Panthers (29-20-8) to a 4-0 win. Richard Zednik and Stephen Weiss each had a goal and an assist and Michael Frolik and David Booth each had two assists. The Panthers have won six of their last seven home games.

-Canucks center Ryan Kesler would score twice, defenseman Kevin Bieksa would force overtime with :51 remaining, and Pavol Demitra scored the winner in the shootout for the 4-3 Vancouver (28-21-8) win over Calgary (33-18-6). Flames G Miikka Kiprusoff made 40 saves in the loss while Roberto Luongo made 38 saves in the win to improve Vancouver to 6-1 in their last seven games. Canucks forward Kyle Wellwood's high-sticking penalty in the first period ended a string of 159 games without a penalty for the Vancouver forward. It had been three seasons since Wellwood was last in the penalty box, a minor penalty he took on Apr. 11, 2006 versus Florida.

-Avalanche winger Wojtek Wolski ended a 15 game goal drought at the perfect time by scoring the OT winner on his own rebound in Colorado's (27-30-1) 3-2 win over Ottawa (22-25-9). Ryan Shannon scored twice for Ottawa (once on the power play) while Ian Laperriere and Ryan Smith scored for Colorado. Senators D Jason Smith played in his 1,000th career game.

-Sharks forward Patrick Marleau scored twice in the 2nd period (once shorthanded)and earned his 600th career point to lead San Jose (38-8-9) past the Edmonton Oilers (29-24-4) 4-2. The win snapped a three game winless streak for San Jose. There were18 combined penalties in the 2nd period. harks All-Star D Dan Boyle returned after missing Sunday's game at New Jersey with the flu.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The Carolina Hurricanes paid tribute to the last original member of their franchise Tuesday night. The Hurricanes honoured Glen Wesley by retiring his jersey number and hoisting his No. 2 banner to the rafters before their game against the Boston Bruins. "Just a lot of emotion, a lot of things that I am able to reflect at, and it's still actually surreal," Wesley told reporters during the second intermission. "It's starting to sink in." The banner-raising capped a moving 31-minute pre-game ceremony in which Wesley skated onto the ice in full uniform one final time and took a victory lap around the rink with his two sons. "The skinny redhead from Red Deer," as he called himself during a 10-minute speech, retired last June and moved into the Hurricanes' front office as director of development for defencemen. He spent 13 of his 20 seasons with the Hurricanes' franchise, and was the only player to play for them in each of their first 10 seasons since moving from Hartford to North Carolina in 1997.

-Dallas Stars forward Brad Richards' injury will not need surgery but he will be out for longer than expected. On Tuesday a specialist determined the forward will not need to go under the knife but will be in a cast for five weeks and out of the line-up for six to eight weeks. The team placed Richards on injured reserve Tuesday. Richards broke his right wrist in a 3-2 shootout victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. He has 16 goals and 32 assists over his 55 games this season.

-The Colorado Avalanche remain confident that captain Joe Sakic will return to the ice this season after he recovers from a back operation and three broken fingers. Sakic mangled his left hand in a snow blower accident in December and while he was sidelined he underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk that had been bothering him all season. "We're still optimistic and hopeful that he'll be able to return at some point this year," coach Tony Granato said Tuesday after the morning skate. "He's been around a lot, he's upbeat and still gung-ho about giving it a run to get back." Sakic almost retired after a trying 2007-08 season in which he missed 38 games following hernia surgery. But he decided to return for a 20th season on the eve of training camp. It's been another injury-riddled season for Sakic, who also missed a game with a tooth infection. "If there's one guy you know who will do everything he can to make sure he gets back, it's Joe," Granato said.

-Sources tell TSN the Phoenix Coyotes received an offer to buy the financially troubled team on Tuesday. Details on the offer are few, however, according to the source, the offer is considered to be positive in the sense that it opens up dialogue and further negotiations. It is believed that the city of Glendale, which operates Jobing.Com arena, has agreed to significant concessions which has contributed to rallying this interest. At least two other serious parties are said to also be in the mix to purchase the Coyotes. (Thanks to Darren Dreger for the report)

-The Columbus Blue Jackets placed left-winger Fredrik Modin on injured reserve with a lower-body injury Tuesday. The move is retroactive to Saturday when Modin was injured in the Blue Jackets' 5-1 win at Carolina. He was evaluated by team physicians when the club returned to Columbus and is expected to miss at least a week. Modin also spent time on the injured list in October and November with a groin injury. The 34-year-old has nine goals and 16 assists in 49 games this season. In 813 career NHL games, he has 220 goals and 221 assists with the Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs.


RUMOR MILL

-While we've heard the Vinny Lecavalier to Montreal rumors numerous times (and those talks are still going on), the NY Rangers are throwing their hat in to the ring in the Lecavalier lottery. Marc Staal would be the main person going back and they would have to move another high priced contract to make room for Vinny's.

-Another biggie here...the Penguins are hot in pursuit of Thrashers winger Ilya Kovalchuk. That is old news. A week ago, Jordan Staal was the big name going back. Think again. If Pittsburgh can get Kovalchuk to extend his deal, Evgeni Malkin could be the big name heading back to Atlanta. If that happened, that would be one of the biggest trades in NHL history.

-The Flames and Sabres are talking, with the main possibilities being Tim Connolly heading to Calgary with Adrian Aucoin heading to Buffalo. Other players would be involved in both sides.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
NY Islanders @ NY Rangers - 7PM
St. Louis @ Columbus - 7PM
Nashville @ Detroit - 7:30PM
%Montreal @ Washington - 7:30PM
Los Angeles @ Anaheim - 10PM

% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

*My weekly power rankings comes out Mondays

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out tomorrow

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

H5L5 / FTS - 2/17/09

HIGH FIVE/LOW FIVE

The Same Senators that were in the Low 5 last week are in the High Five this week
(Photo Credit: AP)

HIGH FIVE

New Jersey Devils (37-17-3 - 77 points)
You can try and sell me on San Jose or Boston, but the New Jersey Devils are THE hottest team in the NHL right now. They've won four in a row, 13 of their past 15, and have beaten the two best teams in the NHL in their last two games. They get a potential playoff preview match-up in Florida tonight.

Washington Capitals (36-16-5 - 77 points)
The Caps have won six of their past eight and just won two important road division games. The team is firing on all-cylinders and AO is on his way to another 60 goal season. If the goaltending holds up in the nations capital, the Capitals can make a deep run. They are also fortunate enough to play in the Southeast where they could be one of the first teams in the NHL to wrap up their division.

Ottawa Senators (22-25-8 - 52 points)
The same Ottawa Senators that were written off a week ago have now won five in a row. If the Senators really have gotten their act together, they've got the talent and depth to cause match-up problems up and down the Eastern conference standings. While the Sens aren't all the way back yet, they are now on their way to being to smell the playoff hunt.

Columbus Blue Jackets (28-23-6 - 62 points)
Despite the 3-2 SO loss to Dallas last night, Columbus had won four in a row before that and vaulted themselves in to 8th in the Western Conference standings. They get a chance to continue their winning ways with games against St. Louis, @ Toronto, and vs. Anaheim to wrap up the week.

Florida Panthers (28-20-8 - 64 points)
They've won five of their past seven and have pushed themselves in to 7th place in the East. They will get a real test of how strong they are in the remainder of their February schedule, as they host New Jersey, Chicago, Boston and then head to Boston, the NY Rangers and New Jersey.

RUNNER UP - Dallas Stars (28-21-7 - 63 points)

LOW FIVE

Phoenix Coyotes (25-28-5 - 55 points)
It's amazing how the Coyotes went from looking like they'd battle for the 2nd best team in the Pacific Division but now are battling to stay out of last place in the West. They've lost nine of their past ten and it now looks like they will be selling off some of their bigger assets (Olli Jokinen, Derek Morris) at the trade deadline. They get Atlanta at home, three on the road at LA, St. Louis and Nashville, and then close the month with St. Louis at home. That five game stretch will be their last chance to right the ship before it's too late (they open up March with a tough five game road trip at Boston, Buffalo, NY Islanders, Detroit and New Jersey).

New York Rangers (30-22-6 - 66 points)
The Rangers have lost seven in a row on the road (0-6-1) and have managed to score two or less goals in eight of their past nine games (all losses except the 5-4 SO win over the Capitals). A change MUST be made at MSG, and it has to be something besides Sean Avery.

Montreal Canadiens (30-21-6 - 66 points)
Les Habitents are winners of only two games in their past eight in February and both of those wins came over non-playoff teams. The acquisition of D Mathieu Schneider should help get Montreal's meager power play going, but they still need to make another big move.

Colorado Avalanche (26-30-1- 53 points)
Before the 6-5 shootout win over Detroit, the Avs had lost four in a row. Dallas proved that when a team has some talent depth, you can't write them off too early in the season, but I have a feeling the Nuggets won't have any playoff scheduling conflicts at the Pepsi Center.

Pittsburgh Penguins (27-25-6 - 60 points)
They may have played their best game of the year against San Jose, but the Penguins are a mess right now. They are playing well enough that they are always within striking distance of the playoffs, but this team needs to make a move (besides firing Michel Therrien) to shake up the lineup. As long as they can tread water until that happens, the Penguins will be in the playoffs again.

RUNNER UP - Anaheim Ducks (28-25-5 - 61 points)

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-The NHL head coaching debut of Dan Bylsma was spoiled by a 35 save performance by Islanders (17-33-6) goalie Joey MacDonald as the Isles skated by the Penguins (27-25-6) 3-2 in a shootout. Center frans Nielsen had a goal and an assist (and a shootout goal), LW Sean Begenheim had two assists, and Jeff Tambellini scored the shootout winner.

-The Rangers (30-22-6) road woes extended to seven straight losses as BJ Crombeen scored the game winner at 14:46 of the 3rd to give the Blues (24-25-7) a 2-1 win. Chris Mason made 19 saves in the win and Carlo Colaiacovo scored the other St. Louis goal. Lauri Korpikoski scored the lone Rangers goal and Henrik Lundqvist made 31 saves in the loss.

-RJ Umberger scored twice for Columbus, but it wouldn't be enough for the Blue Jackets (28-23-6) as James Neal scored the shootout winner past Steve Mason to give Dallas (28-21-7) a 3-2 win. Marty Turco made 41 saves for the Stars and LW Loui Eriksson had a goal and an assist in the win. Brad Richards scored the other goal for Dallas but left the game with a wrist injury (see below)

-Both Nick Foligno (10th of the season) and Dany Heatly (26th of the season) scored in the 1st period and Alex Auld made 24 saves to help the Senators (22-25-8) to a 2-0 win over Nashville (27-27-3). It was Auld's first shutout of the season and the sixth of his career. Ottawa is on a season-high five game winning streak.

-Ales Hemsky (PPG) and Shawn Horcoff each had a goal and an assist while defenseman Sheldon Souray scored the game winner on the power play to give the Oilers (29-23-4) a 3-1 win over the struggling Phoenix Coyotes (25-28-5). Ed Jovanovski scored a power-play goal for the Coyotes, who lost their sixth straight at home and ninth in 10 games since the All-Star break. Phoenix has fallen from fifth place in the Western Conference to tied for 13th with St. Louis during that span.

-You knew Atlanta (21-32-5) and Los Angeles (24-22-9) would be a high scoring game and the two high octane offenses combined for 12 goals, but Erik Christensen scored the shootout winner in a 7-6 thriller from the Staples Center. Ilya Kovalchuk had two goals and an assist and rookie D Zach Bogosian had three assists for the Thrashers while Anze Kopitar had two goals and two assists and Alexander Frolov had a goal and two assists for the Kings.

OTHER HEADLINES

-The Atlanta Thrashers have traded defenseman Mathieu Schneider to his former team, the Montreal Canadiens. In exchange, the Thrashers receive a second round draft pick in 2009 and a third round selection in 2010. In addition to Schneider, the Canadiens will receive a conditional draft pick from the Thrashers. The draft pick is conditional on how far the Canadiens go in the playoffs. If Montreal loses in the first round or doesn't make the playoffs, the Canadiens get a third-round pick from Atlanta. If Montreal wins one round, it becomes a fourth round pick. If Montreal wins two rounds or more, it becomes a fifth-round pick.

-Dallas Stars forward Brad Richards left the game against Columbus last night in the second period after being drilled into the boards by Jakub Voracek. He has been diagnosed with a broken wrist and will meet with a specialist on today to determine the extent of the injury and necessary treatment.

-Colorado Avalanche center Paul Stastny, who has missed the last seven weeks with a broken right forearm, skated with the team Monday and could return to the lineup as early as Friday against the Washington Capitals. Stastny was injured in the final minute of regulation of Colorado's 5-4 overtime win against Phoenix on Dec. 23. He had surgery a week later and has missed the Avalanche's last 23 games. Stastny worked with assistant coach Dave Barr on conditioning, puck-handling and shooting drills Monday. He also practised with the team on other drills. Coach Tony Granato said Stastny has made progress, but will sit out tonight against Ottawa. "He was on a regular line today," Granato said. "He will not play tomorrow. He'll have a full practice with us on Thursday and then see where he's at." The Avalanche host the Senators before heading out on a six-game, 11-day road trip against Eastern Conference teams. "He'll be on the trip," Granato said of Stastny. "Seven weeks since the surgery and a six- to eight-week time frame we'd thought he'd be back, so he's getting close." Stastny had 10 goals and 21 assists this season.

-Chicago Blackhawks left winger Patrick Sharp is expected to miss at least 2-to-3 weeks after suffering what the team is calling a lower-body injury in Saturday's 6-2 win against the Dallas Stars. The talented 27-year-old leads the team with 23 goals this season and ranks fifth on the 'Hawks with 38 points through 54 games. He exited the game in the first period and did not return.

-Wayne Gretzky wants no part of Team Canada in the 2010 Olympics (courtesy of TSN):
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=267413&lid=sublink08&lpos=headlines_nhl

RUMOR MILL

-There could be a big deal coming out of Pittsburgh, stay tuned

-Leafs C Dominic Moore's name is coming up with Vancouver being the top suitor

-With the Coyotes slumping as bad as they are, they will be entertaining offers for Olli Jokinen. Minnesota, New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal and Edmonton are the top suitors.

-If the Rangers take on Sean Avery, look for a high priced defenseman to head back to Dallas. Wishful thinking wants this to be Wade Redden, but it would more likely be Michal Rozsival.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
Boston @ Carolina - 7PM
Buffalo @ Toronto - 7PM
Chicago @ Tampa Bay - 7:30PM
New Jersey @ Florida - 7:30PM
%Vancouver @ Calgary - 9:30PM
Ottawa @ Colorado - 9:30PM
Edmonton @ San Jose - 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 - 2/16/09

TOP STORY

THERRIEN GETS THE COLD SHOULDER

Michel Therrien, not even one year after leading the Penguins to the Stanely Cup Finals, is out in Steeltown

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=3909857.

This is a typical "You can't fire the team, so we have to fire the coach to shake the team up" firing. Pittsburgh () has grossly underachieved this year, but I'm not sure if it's Therrien's fault. I've said it a couple of times over the course of FTS, but the Penguins lost their toughness up front when they lost Ryan Malone and George Laraques. They replaced those guys with Ruslan Fedotenko (hasn't been able to stay healthy) and Miroslav Satan (underachieving this season). Erik Goddard is a good fighter and D Brooks Orpik is a scary person to go in to a corner with, but the Pens just aren't tough enough, and that is where their problems lie. Dan Bylsma was a good coach at the AHL level and we have yet to see what he can do as an NHL coach, but is he really going to a be a difference maker in Pittsburgh? With the amount of talent on the Penguins roster, you can't count them out of the playoffs this early, but the clock starts ticking in March, and we're only two weeks away from 3/1.
Also, the past four Eastern Conference Champion coaches have now been fired (Therrien - Pittsburgh, Bryan Murray-Ottawa, Peter Laviolette-Carolina, John Tortorella-Tampa Bay)

ACTION FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE...

-The Philadelphia Flyers (30-16-9) put the clamps on the Rangers (30-21-6) midway through the 2nd period with a five goal lead and never looked back for a 5-2 win. Winger Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists and Mike Richards added a shorthanded goal. Flyers G Martin Biron made 35 saves in the win. The Rangers have been held to two or less goals in seven of their last eight games while the Flyers earned their first regulation win over the Rangers in their last seven meetings.

-In a seesaw battle of high scoring vs. low scoring, the low scoring Devils (37-17-3) beat the high scoring Sharks (37-8-9) at their own game 6-5. Devils RW David Clarkson had two goals (1 on the PP) and Patrik Elias and Jaime Langenbrunner each had a goal and an assist (each had their goals on the PP) to lead the Devils to their 13th win in their last 15 games. The Sharks ended their five game road trip 1-1-3.

-The Colorado Avalanche (26-30-1) won their third straight game over the Detroit Red Wings (37-12-8) with a 6-5 shootout win in Detroit. The Avs got goals from five different players and D Jordan Leopold scored the shootout winner. Dan Cleary and Marian Hossa each had two goals in the loss while Colorado G Andrew Raycroft turned away 40 shots in the win.

-Alexander Oveckin's hat trick (goals 39, 40, 41 on the season) proved to be the difference in a Capitals (36-16-5) 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers (28-20-8). RW Eric Fehr had the other Capitals goal while Jose Theodore made 29 saves to lead Washington to a 9-2-2 record in their last 13 games. Mike Green failed to score for the first time in nine games, capping his NHL record for consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman.

-Hurricanes (28-24-5) G Cam Ward made 36 saves to shutout the Buffalo Sabres (29-22-6) 3-0. Center and captain Eric Staal had a goal and two assists while Chad LaRose and Sergei Samsonov scored the other two goals for Carolina.

-Thrashers (20-32-5) RW Ilya Kovalchuk netted a hat trick in a 6:51 span of the 2nd period to lead Atlanta past the Anaheim Ducks (28-25-5) 8-4. Colin Stuart and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist in the win while Teemu Selanne had two goals and an assist in the loss.

-The Vancouver Canucks (27-21-8) controlled the game from midway through the 1st period and never looked back in a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens (30-21-6). The Sedin twins each had a goal and an assist while Alexander Edler and Ryan Kesler had the other goals for Vancouver. Roberto Luongo made 25 saves in the win.

OTHER HEADLINES

-Pittsburgh Penguins D Philippe Boucher is out indefinitely after undergoing left foot surgery on Saturday. The Penguins acquired Boucher from Dallas for defenceman Darryl Sydor on Nov. 16, but Boucher has been limited to two goals and two assists in 23 games with Pittsburgh. He has not played since Jan. 30. Boucher's operation came on the same day defenceman Sergei Gonchar returned to the Penguins' lineup after being out all season with a dislocated left shoulder.

-Four-time Vezina Trophy winner Martin Brodeur practiced with the New Jersey Devils for the first time since having elbow surgery in November, and hopes to play in a game within 10 days. The 36-year-old Brodeur even quipped that if fellow goaltenders Scott Clemmensen and Kevin Weekes either got lost or fell ill over the next 24 hours, he would tell coach Brent Sutter to put him in on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks. "I know I am not ready, shooting the puck and there are a couple of little things in my game," Brodeur said after the short practice. "But if everybody goes down, OK, I'll go." "Wishful thinking," Sutter said when told Brodeur's offer, adding he probably would not use him until after the team finishes an upcoming three-game road trip. Brodeur will make the trip with the team. The first game after that would be here against Colorado on Feb. 26.

-Rangers D Paul Mara injured his right shoulder Sunday during a third-period fight with Philadelphia's Arron Asham and stayed home from New York's trip to St. Louis after the game. Mara had a brief examination of his shoulder at Madison Square Garden, but swelling prevented a closer look. He was immediately ruled out of Monday's road game against the Blues and left the arena with his right arm in a sling. The fight was stopped when Mara was injured 6:14 into the third period of Philadelphia's 5-2 victory. "The first two punches I was swinging and I could feel something in there and I stopped," Mara said. "Give Arron a lot of credit. The respectful player that he is, he stopped. It was a very good character thing on his part." Mara, who conveyed that sentiment in a conversation with Asham, said he has never had a shoulder injury and held out hope he could return quickly from this one. The six-foot-four Mara has been one of the Rangers' most consistent defencemen this season and has played with an added measure of snarl throughout his 56 games. "We'll take it day by day and see how it feels in the next couple of days," the 29-year-old veteran of 10 NHL seasons said. "Right now it's pretty painful so they'll wait a couple of days, wait for the swelling to go down and assess it." Mara has five goals and 11 assists this season with a minus-2 rating. He had been a plus until Sunday, when he was on the ice for three Flyers goals.

RUMOR MILL

-With Michel Therrien out in Pittsburgh, even though Dan Bylsma has taken over, plenty of names will start swirling for a long term replacement. The first one out of the gate is Pat Quinn.

TONIGHTS ACTION:
Pittsburgh @ NY Islanders - 2PM
NY Rangers @ St. Louis - 7PM
%Dallas @ Columbus - 7PM
Ottawa @ Nashville - 8PM
Edmonton @ Phoenix - 9:30PM
Atlanta @ Los Angeles - 10:30PM

% = Game of the Night
^All Times are Eastern

*My weekly power rankings comes out tomorrow this week

~Dropping the Gloves with Andrew Bogusch comes out on Thursdays

TO EMAIL FTS, EMAIL FROMTHESLOT@GMAIL.COM

HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY TO ALL WHO HAD OFF FROM WORK (MYSELF NOT INCLUDED)