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Michel Therrien's lessons about finishing off games appear to be paying off for the Montreal Canadiens.

For a second straight game, Montreal held the opposition below 20 shots on goal en route to a 3-0 shutout win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday night.

"You have to learn how to win and this part of that process. We've had two games [lately] like this where it's tied 0-0 heading into the third and we find a way to win," said Therrien, the Canadiens' head coach.

"We're starting to feel more and more comfortable about playing those tight games. It's a great sign," he added. "It's good for the confidence of the team, of the players. Good teams start to feel comfortable in those games.

"I don't see any panic, guys are sticking to the plan." Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty scored 18 seconds apart in the third period, while Brandon Prust also scored for Montreal's fourth straight win.

Peter Budaj, making his second straight start for Montreal (10-4-1) while No. 1 netminder Carey Price recovered from a bout with the flu, stopped 19 shots in recording his 10th career shutout. He's seen just one puck get by him in the two games.

"The guys knew that they had to perform better in front of Peter — he's always there for them. He always has a good attitude, never complains about anything, and I really liked the way that our team played in the last two games in front of him," Therrien said of his goalie, who was lit up for nine goals in his first two starts, both losses.

While not often tested, Budaj came through when his team needed it, including some key stops in the late stages of the second as the Hurricanes pressed.

"It's tough but as I said last time, you've got to be ready," Budaj, who picked up his 10th career shutout, said of low shot totals he's faced. "They've got a very good team. They're a hardworking team that has a lot of offensive power, even though they have a few guys hurt."

The Hurricanes (8-5-1) were without forward Jeff Skinner (upper body) as well as injured defencemen Joni Pitkanen and Tim Gleason. But they weren't about to turn to that as an excuse for a loss that snapped their three-game winning streak.

'Killer instinct'

"We're missing some key guys, yeah a but you're going to have injuries and everyone's going to go through it," Carolina coach Kirk Muller said.

"We didn't have that same killer instinct, we didn't have that shooting mentality, and we weren't attacking like we normally do. We just didn't have our best game tonight."

Prust broke the scoreless deadlock 2:06 into the third period. Lars Eller led the rush through the neutral zone before dishing off to Alex Galchenyuk. The Canadiens rookie evaded Hurricanes defenceman Bobby Sanguinetti with some slick moves before finding Prust driving to the net.

"When he's going and dangling like that, sometimes you've got to make sure you don't just stop and watch," Prust said of his 19-year-old linemate. "I've learned to keep my stick on the ice when he's got the puck because he'll find you, sometimes when you don't think he's going to get it to you."

The Canadiens would double and triple their lead with strikes from Plekanec and Pacioretty.

At 12:03, Plekanec's slapshot from inside the left circle bounced off of Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward and into the net. Pacioretty scored his first of the season when his innocent-looking flip-in from left side of the red line bounced past Ward.

"That's what we talked about in the intermission — we wanted to get off to a good start and start putting the pressure on them right away," said Prust. "They kind of took it to us a little bit at the end of the second so we wanted to come out and change that momentum."

Carolina vs Montreal - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca

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Welcome!!

Ray Emery held the puck in his outstretched glove for one sweet moment, then let it fall to the ice.

It was time to celebrate.

The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in a shootout Tuesday night to make it 16 straight games with at least one point, matching the NHL record to start a season. "It's a remarkable start," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We're very happy and pleased. Guys should be proud of the achievement and where they're at, especially in a 48-game season. It's put us in a real good spot."

Patrick Kane and Andrew Shaw scored in the tiebreaker for the Blackhawks (13-0-3), who earned their third consecutive win and joined the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks as the only teams to record at least one point in the first 16 games of a season. The Ducks got off to a 12-0-4 start that year and went on to win the Stanley Cup.

Chicago will go for the record Friday night when it hosts the San Jose Sharks for the second time in a week. But it could be without Marian Hossa for that one after the star forward had to be helped off the ice during the third period following a forearm to the back of the head from Vancouver forward Jannik Hansen.

"It's great to start, but that's all it is: It's a start," Emery said. "You want to see it at the end of the year, that's when it counts."

Alexander Edler and Kevin Bieksa each scored in the final 2:42 of regulation for the Canucks, who opened a four-game trip with their third consecutive loss. Daniel Sedin had a goal and an assist, and twin brother Henrik had two assists.

"We had a great comeback against one of the best teams in the league," Henrik Sedin said. "We've got to make sure that we're playing for 60 minutes. It's been three games in a row now that we've been letting off a little bit for 10 or 20 minutes a game and it's cost us so far."

After Jonathan Toews of Chicago and Jordan Schroeder of Vancouver were denied in the shootout, Kane skated in on Cory Schneider and tried to stuff one in close to the goal. It was waved off as the puck trickled into the net, leading to boos from the sellout crowd and an exasperated reaction from Quenneville.

Replays showed Schneider knocked it in with his glove, and the officials put the goal on the board after a short review.

Chris Higgins then converted his chance for the Canucks, and Shaw put the Blackhawks ahead once again with a nice backhander. That put all the pressure on Ryan Kesler, whose shot was gloved by Emery to end the game.

"A big goal by Shawzy and big stops by Razor in the shootout, so it's another big win for us," Toews said. Hossa had two goals and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation for the second time in two games for the Blackhawks, who have won seven of eight overall. Emery, subbing again for Corey Crawford, made 29 saves to improve to 6-0 this season.

The Canucks had the lead when the second period started, but Chicago turned up the pressure on Schneider to grab control.

Sharp took a pass from Kane at 6:36 and fired a slap shot between Schneider's legs, tying it at 1. Hossa then converted a slap shot on the power play and tacked on his eighth goal of the season with 2:45 left when he skated across the crease and banked in a backhander off the left skate of an outstretched Schneider.

"They're not the best team in the NHL right now for nothing and they took it to a pretty high level in that second period," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said.

Vancouver responded in the third. Edler sent a slap shot by a screened Emery on the power play, then Bieksa tied it with 1:01 remaining in regulation on another long slap shot.

The Canucks' rally came after Hansen belted Hossa early in the third, adding another subplot to one of the NHL's biggest rivalries.

Hossa eventually got up and went to the bench as Hansen made his way to the penalty box to serve his penalty for roughing.

"We will know more tomorrow," Quenneville said. "It was a major concern, so hopefully he is OK. I think everybody saw it. Everybody can have their own opinion. So we'll let the people who do that stuff do their job."

Hansen hit Hossa as he reached for a high puck.

"It wasn't even a penalty," Vigneault said. "Both referees looked at the play. Until Toews went out to talk to them, it wasn't even a penalty."


NHL Recap - Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks - Feb 19, 2013 - CBSSports-com

Colorado forward Milan Hejduk left Wednesday night's game against St. Louis with what the team called a torso injury and will not return.

Hejduk played only seven shift and saw five minutes of ice time before leaving with the injury. He entered the night with two goals and seven points in Colorado's first 14 games.

The 37-year-old recently played his 1,000th NHL game. He has 373 goals and 801 points in 1,005 regular-season games.

They are 100% ok!!

For 17 games, nobody has been able to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation.

Now they own the best start in NHL history all to themselves.

The Blackhawks set an NHL record for the best start to a season, beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Friday night to give them at least one point in their first 17 games.

Rookie Brandon Saad's short-handed goal early in the third period — and with 3 seconds left on a San Jose power play — snapped a 1-all tie and stood up as the game-winner. Chicago (14-0-3) won its fourth straight game to break a mark set by the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks, who earned points in their first 16 games.

The Blackhawks equaled that run Tuesday with a shootout win over Vancouver.

"It's nice to get another win and make history," the 20-year-old Saad said. "Our group's had a great year so far, so we never expect anything less.

"We're celebrating the win now. I'm sure it will sink in a little bit more tomorrow, but it's awesome to be part of history."

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville also reflected on the record, but not for long.

"The guys should be proud of the achievement, the accomplishment," he said." I just think we shouldn't be happy with where we're at. We just want to keep trying to get better."

Saad scored the go-ahead goal after closing in on the left wing one-on-one with San Jose defenseman Brent Burns. After a quick fake, Saad fired a shot from the circle that beat San Jose's Antti Niemi just under the glove 2:24 into the period. "I just took him (Burns) wide and tried to get a shot off," Saad said. "Luckily, I beat (Niemi) glove side. Sometimes power-play guys drop back a little, and I took advantage of it."

Burns gave Saad too much room on the play, however, according to San Jose coach Todd McLellan.

"I thought that we let a player that wasn't very dangerous — not because he's not talented or anything — but a player in a situation that wasn't very dangerous skate into a primary scoring spot without even challenging him," McLellan said.

"I'm not sure if our goalie was on the angle or not," he added, "but I'm disappointed we didn't challenge him earlier."

Viktor Stalberg also scored for league-leading Chicago, which has earned a total of 31 of 34 possible points.

Blackhawks goalie Ray Emery made 26 saves to win his fourth straight start and improve to 7-0. Chicago killed all four San Jose power plays, all of which occurred in a span of under 14 minutes late in the second and early in the third periods.

"(The record) is a notch in your belt, Emery said. "It's special to do something as a group.

"The start of the year is the worst time to do it, I think," he added. "You'd rather do it at the end, but it's great."

Patrick Marleau scored for the Sharks, getting only his second goal in 11 games after getting nine in San Jose's first five games.

Both Emery and Niemi were sharp throughout most of the game. But a misplay by Niemi led to Stalberg's goal at 16:40 of the second period, and he seemed fooled on Saad's score. Niemi stopped 32 shots. Niemi, who was the goalie when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup in 2010, also let in a couple of soft goals in a 4-1 loss to the Blackhawks at the United Center last Friday.

Chicago and San Jose faced each other for the third time in 17 days. The Blackhawks defeated the Sharks 4-1 last Friday and 5-3 in San Jose on Feb. 5.

The Blackhawks had a full lineup for the first time since their season opener at Los Angeles.

Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook, forward Daniel Carcillo and goalie Corey Crawford returned from injuries. Seabrook missed Tuesday's game with a lower-body injury and Carcillo sat out 15 games since suffering a knee injury in the season opener.

Crawford, who sat out three games with a upper-body injury, backed up Emery.

Chicago forward Marian Hossa was back after being hit in the back of the head by Vancouver forward Jannik Hansen on Tuesday and leaving early in the third period. Hansen was suspended for one game by the NHL.

Marleau broke the scoreless tie late in the first period. He connected with 14.2 seconds left to give San Jose a 1-0 lead.

Emery made a point-blank pad save on Joe Pavelski's tip of Joe Thornton's shot from left wing, then Marleau pounced on the rebound in the slot. Emery got his left pad on Marleau's attempt, but the puck barely slid over the goal line.

Stalberg tied it at 1 at 16:40 of the second on a play from the left corner. From a sharp angle and with traffic in front, Stalberg whipped the puck toward Niemi. It struck the inside of Niemi's left pad near the knee and deflected in.

Saad's goal 2:24 into the third made it 2-1.

Then Chicago's penalty killing and alert work by Emery helped preserve the lead.

"I thought we got better as the game went on, each and every shift, Quenneville said. "We certainly got some energy off the penalty kill tonight, none more than getting the shortie in the third."

Niemi was pulled for an extra attacker with 1:10 left, but Chicago kept the Sharks off the puck and off balance. Hossa missed an empty net in the final seconds.

Y! SPORTS

Alex Ovechkin scored three goals in a game for the first time since Jan. 22, 2011, leading the last-place Washington Capitals to a much-needed victory, 5-1 over the visiting Devils. “All I can tell you is that we have to find a way to slow him down and stop him,” Devils Coach Peter DeBoer said, “and we didn’t do that.”

Ovechkin has been something less than the player who stormed into the N.H.L. by averaging 53 goals in his first five seasons and winning two Most Valuable Player awards. That average dipped to 35 goals the past two seasons, and he had not scored two goals in a game since a loss to Winnipeg on March 23, 2012.

He entered Saturday with only five goals this season — going without a point in half of Washington’s previous 16 games, including Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Devils — but broke out in a big way.

“You know what kind of player he is,” Devils goalie Johan Hedberg said. “You let him execute, he’s going to hurt you.”

ISLANDERS 4, SABRES 0 Evgeni Nabokov stopped 35 shots in the Islanders’ win over skidding and unraveling Buffalo, which was booed off the ice for a second consecutive home game.

Mark Streit and Michael Grabner broke open the game with goals 65 seconds apart late in the second period. Nabokov was sharp in stopping 13 shots in the second period in his first shutout of the season and 53rd of his N.H.L. career.

The Sabres have lost four in a row. They are 4-12-1 in their past 17. This loss came in Ron Rolston’s second game as the Sabres’ interim coach, and first at home. SENATORS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2 Colin Greening batted a puck out of midair into the net with 24 seconds remaining to give host Ottawa a victory over Toronto.

Mika Zibanejad and Erik Condra also scored for the Senators, who got 26 saves from Ben Bishop. The win extended Ottawa’s winning streak to four games.

FLYERS 5, JETS 3 Wayne Simmonds scored a go-ahead goal about halfway through the third period, and Philadelphia erased an early deficit to beat visiting Winnipeg.

Brayden Schenn scored two goals, and Claude Giroux added one for the Flyers, who scored three times on the power play.

LIGHTNING 5, HURRICANES 2 Steven Stamkos scored and had an assist in a four-goal third period that sent visiting Tampa Bay to a victory over Carolina.

Benoit Pouliot, Tom Pyatt and Richard Panik had the other third-period goals for the Lightning, who broke a tie with the Hurricanes atop the Southeast Division.

www-nytimes-com/2013/02/24/sports/hockey/nhl-roundup-html?_r=0

The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets may see their wishes to move east fulfilled if a realignment plan reported by the CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada comes to fruition.

According to the report, discussions between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association produced a proposed realignment that is similar to the four-conference format that was rejected by the players last year. The union did not think that plan sufficiently addressed the travel discrepancy between teams in the current Western Conference and the Eastern Conference. The players also had concerns about uneven chances of making the playoffs between two eight-team conferences and two with seven teams. Under the new proposal, the teams will again be grouped by time zones but Detroit and Columbus were moved to the more eastern conferences. There will still be two eight-team conferences and two seven-team conferences but the playoff inequity may be addressed by adding wild-card teams.

Detroit would join a conference with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. All of those teams are in the Eastern time zone, as are those in a second conference that the Blue Jackets would join.

However, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said he has not heard anything from the league about this proposal. But he said the Red Wings have not changed their desire to head east.

“We want to be in the east and we did vote for the four-conference proposal and a midwest conference [last year],” Holland said. “But at the end of the day I don’t know enough to comment.”

Like the Red Wings, the Blue Jackets have never been happy about playing most of their games outside of the Eastern time zone. It means a lot of late starts to televised games which hurts their ratings.

“If this does indeed happen, I think it would be beneficial for us,” Blue Jackets president John Davidson told USA Today.



Reported new NHL realignment plan would please Red Wings - The Globe and Mail

How will the playoffs work in the NHL's new realignment plan?

Bob McKenzie: There's nothing completely final just yet and neither side has signed off on anything but what we can anticipate at this point is that the playoffs are not going to be expanded. There will still be 16 teams in the playoffs and there will be no play-in to get to the playoffs with extra wild card teams in any way, shape or form.

But we are looking at a situation like the original December 2011 plan -- four conferences with four teams in each conference making the playoffs and playing the first two rounds; just like the old divisional format in the National Hockey League. That's what the NHL wanted but the NHLPA didn't want to do that, so what we're likely to see this time around is three teams from each of the four conferences guaranteed a playoff spot and then fill out with wild card spots the rest of the way.

So, four of 18 teams would be in the running based on their total points but we don't know at this point how those will be allocated in terms of the first and second round of the playoffs.

Pierre LeBrun: And with Detroit and Columbus going East, that leaves only 14 teams in what we call the Western Conference right now and I think it's reasonable to infer from that that if the Phoenix Coyotes ever have to relocate next year - and I'm not saying they're moving - it will probably be out West where there's only 14 teams. And obviously Seattle very much comes to mind as a possibility.

Are missed calls by officials creating controversy in the NHL?

Darren Dreger: Several general managers over the past few days have been outraged by the state of officiating in the NHL, and not just the teams who are losing or those who are impacted by the bad calls across the board. I've had two general managers say this is the worst officiating they've ever seen. Now in fairness to the officials, we and the GM's do have access to video review and replays but March 20 is going to be an interesting GM's meeting. These are the guys who give the officials the marching orders and if the GMs are upset as they say they are, it's up to them to try and fix it.

What's the latest on the Corey Perry talks?

LeBrun: Contract talks will resume in the next week and people are wondering what Anaheim is going to do with Perry if he's not signed by the April 3 trade deadline. A lot of people think there's no way you can move him but I'm not so sure about that.

I think that if he's not signed by April 3, the Ducks will give it some serious thought to moving him. They lost Justin Schultz a year ago for nothing; they saw the Nashville Predators lose Ryan Suter and the New Jersey Devils lose Zach Parise. It's going to be interesting.



Insider Trading: How will NHL playoffs look with realignment?

For the last two seasons, concussions and hits to the head were frequent talking points in the N.H.L., with the Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby serving as the catalyst. As the lockout dragged on for more than four months, though, the conversation shifted from player safety to revenue percentages and competitive balance. The first few weeks of the shortened 48-game season passed without much talk of concussions.

But in the past two weeks, 11 N.H.L. players are believed to have sustained them, among them Crosby’s teammate and the reigning most valuable player, Evgeni Malkin, thrusting the issue of head injuries back into the spotlight.

Concussions continue to plague the league, despite its increased emphasis on reducing them. For the second season, the N.H.L. is playing under its broadened version of Rule 48, which penalizes hits that target an opponent’s head or make the head the principal point of contact. But many of the recent injuries, including Malkin’s, were not caused by hits deemed worthy of fines or suspensions.

Last season, according to CBC network estimates, about 90 players missed games because of concussions, about 13 percent of N.H.L. players on active rosters on a given night. Crosby missed 60 games while recovering from a concussion he sustained in the 2011 Winter Classic. Malkin, who has 4 goals and 17 assists in 18 games this season, received a concussion diagnosis Sunday, two days after he fell awkwardly into the end boards following a routine shove from Florida’s Erik Gudbranson. Malkin slid back-first into the boards, causing his head to snap sharply backward and strike the boards.

Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma said Malkin initially had short-term memory loss but was improving. The team placed Malkin on injured reserve Monday, retroactive to Sunday. A player on injured reserve is ineligible to play for a minimum of seven days, meaning the soonest Malkin can be reactivated is next Sunday.

“There’s not a specific schedule for that right now in terms of physical activity,” Bylsma told reporters Tuesday in Sunrise, Fla., where the Penguins played the Panthers again.

“The protocol and resting with a concussion, he’s following that right now,” Bylsma added.

The Penguins, who lead the Atlantic Division, have a new medical team this season, headed by Dr. Christopher Harner of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where the team is planning to open a training, sports medicine and performance facility. The Penguins announced in the summer that they had ended their association with their longtime team doctor, Charles Burke.

The team and Burke said that their parting was amicable and not related to Crosby’s 14-month concussion saga. Penguins President David Morehouse said the team “wanted to have enhanced medical coverage for our players,” which included having doctors travel with the team.

Perhaps because of their history with Crosby, the Penguins are among the N.H.L.’s most transparent teams in disclosing concussions, and General Manager Ray Shero is considered a progressive voice in support of tighter rules governing hits to the head and concussion protocol. A lack of openness about concussions can make it difficult to have an accurate accounting of head injuries. Among the other players with recently announced head injuries are the 20-year-old Carolina forward Jeff Skinner, who missed 16 games last season with a concussion; St. Louis’s high-scoring rookie Vladimir Tarasenko; another top rookie, Brendan Gallagher of Montreal; and Devils winger Ryan Carter.

Under N.H.L. regulations, clubs are not required to disclose the specific nature of a player’s injury. But they are not permitted to give out false or misleading information about an injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ announcement that Artem Anisimov is out with an “upper body injury” is allowed under those guidelines, even though he was taken off the ice in Detroit on a stretcher Thursday after his head was driven into the ice by the elbow of a falling Red Wing, Kyle Quincey.

The Rangers do not always disclose players’ concussions. Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh are believed to be out of the lineup with concussions, but the team has issued no details regarding their conditions. Forward Darroll Powe was sidelined with a confirmed concussion Feb. 17, but returned to play on Tuesday.

Nash, who has missed four games, returned to practice Tuesday and told reporters that his absence was because of a “number of things.” He declined to confirm or deny that a concussion was among the injuries.

The Rangers have been reluctant to disclose concussions in the recent past. In January 2011, they revealed that the enforcer Derek Boogaard had sustained a concussion in a fight about a month earlier, and in September 2011 they disclosed that defenseman Marc Staal had played more than two months at the end of the previous season with concussion symptoms. Staal did not return to game action until the 2012 Winter Classic.




www-nytimes-com/2013/02/27/sports/hockey/another-wave-of-concussions-hits-nhl-html

Simon Gagne got very little sleep on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to rejoin the Philadelphia Flyers.

He should be able to get plenty of rest after a very successful return to the club on Wednesday night.

Claude Giroux scored 23 seconds in, and Gagne added a goal in his first game back with the Flyers since 2010, as Philadelphia rolled to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals.

Wayne Simmonds gave Philadelphia a 2-0 lead less than four minutes after Giroux's quick strike, and Gagne scored his first goal of the season in the second period, one day after being reacquired by the Flyers from the Kings.

``It felt almost like I never left,'' said Gagne, who added an assist. ``Just walking in the building before the game, knowing everyone. The nice welcome I got during the warm-up and after the first five minutes of the period. It's almost like coming back home.

``Everything started here.''

Max Talbot stretched the advantage to 4-0 in the second, chasing goalie Braden Holtby to the bench just one day after his home shutout of Carolina. Talbot's slap shot hit the camera inside the net and quickly ricocheted out.

``Fourth goal was mine to have, but I have to put it behind me and move forward,'' Holtby said. ``This is not what we wanted, obviously. But there are a lot of things we can learn from here.''

Ilya Bryzgalov made 23 saves and was in line for a shutout until Joel Ward tipped in his own deflection with 2:09 left to cut the Capitals' deficit to 4-1.

Gagne, who will turn 33 this week, was acquired Tuesday from the defending champion Kings for a conditional draft pick. He appeared in his first game after being a healthy scratch for the past five games with the Kings. Gagne hadn't scored since Nov. 17, 2011 - a span of 28 games. He missed the final 46 games of last season because of injury.

He quickly gave a jolt to the Flyers.

``He's a guy that's well known here and well loved,'' Talbot said. ``It brought a lot of energy and passion to the game. He was making plays out there, so he definitely gave us a big momentum.''

A highlight video of Gagne's first stint with the Flyers was shown during the first period, officially welcoming the popular forward back to Philadelphia, where he spent his first 10 NHL seasons before being traded to Tampa Bay in 2010.

He seemed unaware of the video, at first, but then acknowledged the cheering crowd with a half-wave. Gagne received a louder ovation when he took a pass from Brayden Schenn feed and slammed a shot past Holtby for a 3-0 lead.

The Flyers have trailed 1-0 in 12 of their 20 games this season, but Giroux and Scott Hartnell combined to give them an early lead on Wednesday.

From his knees, Hartnell flipped the puck back to Giroux, who fired a rising shot past Holtby. It was the fourth time this season the Flyers scored in the first minute.

``It's great to have that lead right off the bat and keep it,'' Giroux said.

Hartnell, in his fifth game since returning from a broken left foot, added another assist on Simmonds' power-play goal. As Simmonds spun away from the net, he managed a backhanded flip that eluded Holtby.

Philipp Grubauer then made his NHL debut in relief of Holtby, and blanked the Flyers the rest of the way. Grubauer was called up on Tuesday from the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League.

The Capitals (7-11-11) lost for the third time in eight games.

``It was a dream come true,'' Grubauer said. ``I've dreamt about this since I started playing hockey, and it was amazing. I tried to step up and give those guys confidence and show the organization that I can do something, as well.'' Tempers flared with 24.6 seconds left when Flyers' forward Harry Zolnierczyk delivered a shoulder-to-chest, east-to-west hit on center Mathieu Perreault just inside the Flyers blue line. Both coaches said it was a clean hit, though Zolnierczyk was given a major penalty for kneeing.

For the Capitals, it was another loss in their up-and-down season.

Washington failed to build on its win Tuesday night.

``It sure seems like that,'' Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner said. ``Hopefully, that's not the way it continues to go, but that does seem to be the trend. We're still not where we want to be completely, but we're getting back there. It's not a good loss, but hopefully it doesn't set us back more than one game.''

The Flyers (10-11-1) went 8-6-1 in February.

``We'd rather be 15-0, but we're not 0-15, either,'' Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said. ``I think sometimes you get too focused on the ones that you lose, and lose sight of the big picture.

``Certainly, there are things this month that we could've done better, but it was the first month that really put us behind the 8-ball.''

NOTES: Flyers D Erik Gustafsson left the game shortly after blocking a shot in the second period and didn't return. The team said he has a lower-body injury. ... Gagne's goal was his 260th with the Flyers. ... Holtby made his eighth consecutive start for the Capitals. He was supposed to rest on Wednesday, but got the start because regular backup Michal Neuvirth was sick. ... Edmonton Oilers executives Kevin Lowe and Craig MacTavish watched the game from the press box.



Washington vs Philadelphia - Recap - NHL - Sports - CBC.ca

Ryan O'Reilly and the Colorado Avalanche were unable to reach a deal for more than a month.

A few hours after he signed an offer sheet with Calgary, the restricted free agent was back with the Avalanche.

The Flames announced Thursday that they signed O'Reilly to a multiyear offer sheet. Colorado had a week to match it, but did so by the end of the day. The team announced the decision during the first period of Thursday night's game against Calgary.

"This was a goal of ours from the outset, to get Ryan signed," Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman said. "That goal has never changed. Sometimes the process takes a little longer than you would expect or want, but he's staying with the Colorado Avalanche."

Sherman said the speed with which Colorado matched the offer showed its commitment to O'Reilly.

"Given the timeframe we moved on this, it's clear what our object was," Sherman said. "We moved very quickly and efficiently to make a decision to match the offer."

The Avalanche players found out before their 5-4 win over the Flames that O'Reilly was back with the team.

"That was great news," captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "I know there was 24 guys who were happy in here to have him back."

Calgary GM Jay Feaster said the Flames put forth the offer sheet after failing to trade for the forward.

"We think Ryan O'Reilly is a franchise player," Feaster said. "We had extensive trade discussions with Colorado but felt the price to acquire the player via trade was too steep. We felt it would negatively impact our future, so we made the decision to go ahead with the offer sheet."

TSN in Canada reported the deal is worth $10 million over two years, which includes a $2 million signing bonus. TSN said O'Reilly's salary would be $1.5 million for the first season and $6.5 million the second year.

Feaster said the contract was written to make it harder for Colorado to match.

"We tried to structure it in a way that we felt would give us a better chance to get him," he said.

O'Reilly will travel to Denver for a physical and if everything checks out, he will join the Avalanche on their three-game road trip starting Sunday in Columbus.

Had Colorado not matched the offer it would have received Calgary's first- and third-round picks in the NHL draft. By retaining O'Reilly, the Avalanche cannot trade the forward for a year from Thursday.

Sherman said Calgary's decision to try to sign one of Colorado's restricted free agents was strictly business.

"It's their right within the CBA to put that offer sheet forward and we have our rights within the CBA to match it," Sherman said. "If that's the way they want to do their business, that's their right. The fact that we received the offer the day of the game, against them, that's their prerogative. That's their business."

Avalanche center Paul Stastny was pleased Colorado wasted no time in matching the offer.

"It shows that we aren't going to let one of our top players go for draft choices," he said. "Management wasn't hesitant to match it. They didn't wait seven days. Doing it right away shows that they are committed."

The 22-year-old O'Reilly has not played this season while trying to work out a contract with Colorado. He was the team's leading scorer last season with 55 points.

O'Reilly was the 33rd pick in the 2009 draft. In three NHL seasons, he has 39 goals and 69 assists in 236 career games.

Read More: Avalanche match Flames' offer sheet for O'Reilly - NHL - SI-com

Talks between the N.H.L. and the International Olympic Committee over whether the league will send its players next year to Sochi, Russia, hinge on one overarching issue: if the I.O.C. grants the N.H.L. concessions for shutting down its business at midseason, other leagues that send players to the Olympics may ask for the same. The N.H.L.’s main request is the right to use Olympic video on the NHL Network and NHL-com.

The N.H.L., like the N.B.A., the W.N.B.A., FIFA and other sports leagues, is currently not allowed to use such video. That means the clip of Sidney Crosby scoring Canada’s gold-medal-winning goal against the United States at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics has never been shown on an N.H.L. video player of any kind.

But if the I.O.C. grants an exception to the N.H.L., it may have to grant similar exceptions to other bodies. That is the sticking point.

“I would think other leagues would ask for the same thing,” said Ed Desser, president of the consulting firm Desser Sports Media and a former president of NBA Television and New Media Ventures. “It’s a very interesting conundrum.”

Desser added: “On the one hand, you have leagues that spend a huge amount of time and resources in creating the interest in the athletes and the sport, and the I.O.C., in essence, gets a free ride on that. It’s hardly surprising to me that the N.H.L. would seek to obtain some benefits.”

In 2010, Commissioner Gary Bettman raised the possibility of financial compensation for N.H.L. teams for shutting down at midseason and exposing their players to injury at the Winter Olympics. However, that issue is not believed to be under negotiation.

Last month, representatives from the N.H.L., the N.H.L. Players’ Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation met in New York for two days with Richard Carrión, chairman of the I.O.C. finance commission. In joint statements after the meetings, Bettman and René Fasel, the I.I.H.F. president, said they were hopeful that N.H.L. players would go to Sochi. But they stopped well short of expressing confidence that an agreement would be reached.

“There are a lot of things that still have to be worked out on both ends,” Bettman said.

On Friday, Bill Daly, the N.H.L. deputy commissioner, described the negotiations between the league and the I.O.C. as ongoing but did not give details.

Mark Adams, the I.O.C. director of communications, said, “We would very much like to see N.H.L. players in Sochi and know the players are very eager to compete there, as the Games have long been a stage where some of the most memorable games in ice hockey have taken place.”

Most expect that the N.H.L. will send its players to skate for their home countries, as it has done for every Winter Olympics since 1998. The league’s players are known to be overwhelmingly in favor of Olympic participation.

“It sounds like it’s going to happen, whether the N.H.L. gets the video rights or not,” said Neal Pilson, a former president of CBS Sports.

NBC, the N.H.L.’s television partner in the United States, may offer a way for the league to gain some concessions from the I.O.C.

“What the I.O.C. might say is if NBC, the rights-holder, can work something out with the N.H.L. that allows the league to use video clips, then O.K.,” Desser said. “Of course, the N.B.A. might come along and ask for the same thing. Is it potentially messy? Absolutely.”


www-nytimes-com/2013/03/02/sports/hockey/nhls-request-for-video-rights-creates-quandary-for-olympics-html?_r=0

If realignment becomes a reality, the Detroit Red Wings won’t be able to spoil the Chicago Blackhawks’ fun much longer.

This time around, the Red Wings hope to end two Blackhawks’ streaks for games with at least a point: 21 (to begin the 2013 campaign) and 27 (extending back to the 2011-12 regular season).

While Chicago needs to extend its point streak by eight games to tie the all-time mark of 35 by the 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit could keep them from tying the 1977-78 Montreal Canadiens’ second place streak of 28 games by beating the ‘Hawks in regulation on Sunday.

The veteran-heavy squad has had a knack for spoiling their younger division rival’s fun in recent years, too. Detroit knocked Chicago out of the 2009 Western Conference finals in five games and thwarted the Blackhawks attempt to clinch a playoff spot on the last day of the 2010-11 season.*

Red Wings can relate

Instead of providing bulletin board material, the Red Wings have been complimentary of the Blackhawks.

Head coach Mike Babcock described Chicago’s defense as the best in the league “by far” to NHL-com’s Brian Hedger. Meanwhile, Henrik Zetterberg told the Detroit Free Press that Chicago’s streak reminds him of the Red Wings setting an NHL record with 23-straight home wins last season.

” … I think it’s a little different, but at the same time, when we broke the record we know how we felt,” Zetterberg said. “They are breaking records every night now. Hopefully it will end tomorrow and if it does they had a good run.”

Hossa hits 1,000

Sunday’s game will mark an individual milestone as well. Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa will play in his 1,000th regular season contest. The 34-year-old told CSNChicago-com that he isn’t nearing the end of the road, either.

“When I was younger, when someone got to their 1,000th game, I thought about what a great accomplishment it was. I also thought, ‘Those guys are going to retire pretty soon.’ Now I’m coming to that point,” Hossa said. “But so far I feel pretty good. So hopefully I can play many more years.”

Patrick Kane, for one, wouldn’t mind if that’s true. “Even today, there are times, probably once or twice a game, I’m shaking my head at what he does,” Kane said. “He’s a very exciting player and he’s still at the top of his game.”

You can watch Hossa, Kane and the red-hot Blackhawks visit the Red Wings in Detroit on Sunday by tuning into NBC starting at 12:30 p.m. ET.

* – Only to see the Blackhawks make the playoffs because the Dallas Stars lost to the Minnesota Wild later that evening, anyway.


NHL on NBC: Red Wings shoot to spoil Blackhawks’ streak | ProHockeyTalk

Once more, the casualties are starting to add up. Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues. René Bourque and Raphael Diaz of the Montreal Canadiens.

With at least 11 players having suffered concussions during the last two weeks – Ottawa Senators defenceman Mike Lundin joined the list on Saturday – the NHL is again confronted by a problem that refuses to go away. Last season, CBC.ca determined 88 players suffered head injuries or concussions for a total 1,697 man-games lost. This season, the exact numbers are harder to determine since some teams are describing possible concussions as upper-body injuries or flu-like symptoms. What is known for sure is that a shortened regular season has led to high-intensity, high-stakes hockey and a growing number of concussion victims, some of whom (Jeff Skinner of the Carolina Hurricanes, Rick Nash of the New York Rangers, Ryan Carter of the New Jersey Devils) have returned to action.

“There’s no question, the games are beyond competitive. It’s unbelievable,” said Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock, who thinks there is one way to make the game safer. “None of this [fretting over concussions] is going away until we make the ice bigger.”

Malkin, the NHL’s reigning most valuable player, has only recently taken his first steps toward rejoining the Penguins. While he remains on injured reserve, Malkin did two days of consecutive off-ice workouts Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday he participated in a full-contact team practice. He whiplashed his head against the end boards Feb. 22 against the Florida Panthers and complained of dizziness and headaches. Erik Gudbranson, the defenceman who shoved Malkin into the boards, did not receive a penalty or any supplemental discipline.

“There’s got to be more wear and tear [on the players this season], and if you’re a star, you’re getting a lot of attention,” Babcock added. “You’re going to be prone to getting hurt.”

The NHL insists that while the public may not be aware of the exact nature of a player’s injury, those who need to know are fully informed. League deputy commissioner Bill Daly has stated “there is transparency in relation to the reporting of concussions internally” and that the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association and medical professionals have “all the information they need to adequately analyze causes and trends …”

That may be so, but even with an adjusted interpretation of Rule 48 and contact with the head, players continue to target their opponents and the body count is mounting. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien is a witness to that. So far this season, he’s had three players sidelined by head injuries. “Sometimes it can take 24 hours [for symptoms to appear], 48 hours,” Therrien said. “For some guys, it can take 10 days or longer. Once the symptoms appear, that’s when the medical team becomes involved.

“I’m not a specialist, but I’m starting to get pretty good.”


Senators

If the latest proposal for NHL realignment is shot down again by the players, the deal-breaker will be the playoff format.

“That’s the big thing, the evenness in making the playoffs,” New Jersey Devils goaltender Johan Hedberg said Monday. Hedberg, though, doesn’t like the word deal-breaker, adding he expects there will be more “tweaking” of the format before the NHL Players’ Association is asked to approve it. Just when that approval is expected is not clear, nor is it clear if all 740 players will vote on the matter or if it will be left up to the 30 player representatives from each team. A conference call for the player reps is planned for this week by the NHLPA and the approach will be decided then.

“I’d like to hear some more arguments, for my personal view,” Toronto Maple Leafs player rep Dave Steckel said of the proposed playoff format.

However, there is still a good chance this proposal – or one similar to it – will fly because this time around, the NHL developed it through discussions with the NHLPA. The union was not consulted for a realignment proposal last season, which was ultimately rejected by the players.

“I know the NHL worked with the union a little more on this one, which is fair because the players are the ones logging the air miles,” said Maple Leafs defenceman John-Michael Liles, who spent the first seven seasons of his career in the Western Conference.

Under the new proposal, which was unveiled last week, the NHL will go from two conferences of 15 teams and three divisions each to two conferences with two divisions each.

The Eastern Conference divisions will have eight teams each, while the Western Conference divisions will have seven.

(The difference was created by granting the wishes of the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets to move to divisions with Eastern time zones, while the Winnipeg Jets will move to the West from the East.) Eight teams in each conference will make the playoffs for a total of 16 – the same as the current format. But only the top three finishers in each division are assured a spot in the postseason. They will be seeded Nos. 1 through 3 and open the playoffs within their division. The two No. 4 seeds will be wild-card teams that finish next in points to the other six playoff teams. The wild-cards can cross over to another division for the playoffs, depending on their records.

The wild-card approach was an attempt by the NHL to make the playoff setup as fair as possible. Under the current system, the first-place finishers in each division are seeded Nos. 1 through 3 in the conference-based playoffs, even if there are other teams with more points – which often results in complaints as the third seed can be a weaker team than its first-round opponent.

However, the latest proposal still cannot get around the fact it will still be easier for Western teams to make the playoffs because they will have one less team in their proposed divisions than their Eastern counterparts. It was this concern, plus a feeling the travel inequities between Eastern and Western teams were not fully addressed, that resulted in the players rejecting a similar realignment proposal last season.

The travel problem is eased somewhat in the newest proposal, as teams are once again grouped by time zone. But the cross-over potential for the playoffs means there will be travel difficulties in the Western Conference if a team in the Central time zone (like the Jets) has to play a Pacific time-zone opponent.

But the players appear willing to put up with travel inequities as long as a wild-card system gives more teams at shot at the playoffs. And for good reason, Steckel says.

“From a player standpoint, some [new] contracts are earned in the playoffs,” he said. “A lot of guys would rather be in the playoffs working for their next contract,” rather than seeing one or two less regular-season road trips.

Here is the proposal:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Atlantic Division:

Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington.

Central Division:

Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida, Montreal, Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Toronto.

WESTERN CONFERENCE Midwest Division:

Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis, Winnipeg.

Pacific Division :

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose, Vancouver.



Approval of NHL realignment hinges on playoff format - The Globe and Mail

The Chicago Blackhawks have at least one point in each of their first 23 games this season, the fastest start in NHL history.

With Chicago's incredible early success, let's take a look back at the teams who broke out of the gate in impressive fashion early in the season.

Not all of these teams were unbeaten for all of their early success, although many of them were. Some of them went on to win the Stanley Cup while others fizzled after their torrid start and were eliminated early in the postseason.

Here is a look at the teams with the fastest starts ever in the NHL, including some of the players that helped make that early season success possible.


Pictures: Analyzing the Best Team Starts in NHL History | Bleacher Report

With New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal out indefinitely after leaving Tuesday night's game after he was struck in the eye with a puck, the debate over a mandatory visor rule in the NHL rages on. Multiple sources have confirmed to ESPNNewYork-com that although the issue was raised during the labor talks that led to a new collective bargaining agreement back in January, the union held firm to protect the "player's choice" in the matter.

NHL players are not required to wear visors, although the league would like that to become a mandatory rule soon.

"It's a continuing discussion we have with the Players' Association and among our general managers," NHL Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPNNewYork-com when reached via email Wednesday morning. "We have consistently been in favor of a rule mandating visors. The PA has historically been in favor of maintaining 'Player choice,' coupled with continued education and sensitization."

"And, in fairness, the use of visors has continued to increase at a significant pace over the last several years. So, I'm not sure a single incident will materially change or impact the ongoing discussion or approach."

According to NHLPA-gathered statistics, visor use among NHL players continues to increase. Approximately 73 percent of players are wearing visors this season, up from 69 percent in 2011-12.

Mathieu Schneider, special assistant to the executive director of the NHLPA, confirmed Daly's take on the union's stance.

"While the players support visor use being a matter of individual choice, we continue to regularly educate the players on the benefits of wearing a visor so that each player can make an informed decision," he said in a statement. "We will further discuss visors and other important equipment-related matters at our player meetings this summer."

The American Hockey League made protective visors mandatory in 2006 after Portland Pirates defenseman Jordan Smith lost vision in his eye after an incident similar to Staal's, but a corresponding rule change in the NHL has yet to follow.

Staal's injury was a grim reminder of the danger a player faces when not wearing any protective visor.

The 26-year-old defenseman appeared to be in agony as he writhed in pain, face-first and bleeding on the ice during the third period of the Rangers' 4-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night. He was able to skate off on his own but he did not return to the game. The Rangers released a statement on Staal's condition Wednesday night, saying he has "improved significantly" and is expected to make a full recovery.


NHL would like visor use to be mandatory - ESPN New York

The N.H.L. Players’ Association announced Thursday its approval of the league’s realignment proposal, which would begin next season pending a vote next week by the Board of Governors. The plan would eliminate the two-conference, six-division setup that has been in place since 1998-99 and replace it with a two-conference, four-division setup, with teams more geographically aligned.

The reshuffling was spurred by complaints from Western Conference teams about heavy travel.

Under the plan, the Eastern Conference would have 16 teams, the Western Conference 14.

Columbus and Detroit, two teams in the Eastern time zone but currently in the Western Conference, would join the clubs in the Eastern time zone.

Vancouver, Minnesota and other teams in the West will have their travel burdens significantly eased by the new setup.

In the Eastern Conference, a division tentatively labeled the Atlantic would include the Rangers, the Islanders, the Devils, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Carolina and Washington.

A Northeast division would group Boston, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Detroit, Florida and Tampa Bay. The Panthers and the Lightning would benefit from the substantial number of Canadians and Northerners living in Florida who attend games when their hometown teams are visiting.

In the Western Conference, a Central division would contain Chicago, Nashville, Minnesota, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Colorado and Dallas. The Jets are currently in the Southeast Division, an inconvenience caused by the Atlanta Thrashers’ move to Winnipeg before the start of last season. A Pacific division would have Phoenix, Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton.

The realignment plan leaves room for adjustments should a team like the Coyotes move from Phoenix to one of two new rinks being built in Seattle and Quebec City.

“The N.H.L.P.A. has given consent to realignment, to be re-evaluated following the 2014-15 season,” Donald Fehr, the executive director of the union, said in a statement.

The plan also leaves room for expansion. The N.H.L.’s last expansion took place in 2000, when Minnesota and Columbus joined the league.

The league will continue to include 16 teams in the postseason.

It is believed that starting next season the top three teams from each division would earn automatic playoff berths. The remaining two spots in each conference would go to the teams with the best record on a wild-card basis.

Last month, Mike Gillis, the Vancouver general manager, said the Canucks were looking forward to realignment.

“We like it because we would play more games in our time zone,” he said in an interview in The Vancouver Sun. “We wouldn’t have to travel to places like Columbus and Nashville as much.”

The union blocked a similar realignment plan announced in December 2011 because, it said, it had not been consulted about various travel and competition issues.

The plan approved by the union Thursday had been under discussion with the league for more than a month.


www-nytimes-com/2013/03/08/sports/hockey/nhl-realignment-plan-gains-unions-approval-html?_r=0

The best start in NHL history is over. The Chicago Blackhawks finally left the ice without a point - but with their heads held high.

The Blackhawks were stunned 6-2 by the struggling Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. It was their first loss in regulation and ended a remarkable run in which they earned at least one point in their first 24 games, an NHL record.

``We're proud of it, but it'll be nice to move on now,'' defenseman Duncan Keith said. ``It's hockey, we've lost games before in our lives. It's not like we're going to sit here and cry.''

Instead, they'll sit back and celebrate, said coach Joel Quenneville, who told his team afterward ``that they should be very proud of what they accomplished. They found different ways to win, night in and night out, and everyone contributed to something that hadn't been done.

``It's a great feather in our cap, but let's move forward here and try to get better. Certainly it was a lot of fun up to today.''

The Blackhawks (21-1-3) hadn't lost in regulation since a 6-1 rout by Nashville on March 25, 2012, and their last loss in regulation on the road came more than a year ago, with a 5-1 defeat at St. Louis on March 6, 2012.

Dating back to last year's regular season, the streak was 30 games.

Chicago's overall points streak was the second longest in NHL history. The 1979-80 Philadelphia Flyers set the league record with a staggering 35-game unbeaten streak that included 25 wins and 10 ties - all in the same season.

Ending it was a jolt of adrenaline for the Avalanche, who started the night in last place in the Northwest Division. ``It's special, said Matt Duchene, who scored four points. ``It's obviously something no one had done yet. But what a run by them. I mean, first of all, congratulations to them. What a run they had. I don't think they're going to slow down because of this. But it's pretty special. It's a good feeling in here. We're pretty happy.''

Ryan O'Reilly got his first goal since his contract dispute was resolved more than a week ago and assisted on another goal in a four-goal onslaught in the second period that turned a 1-1 tie into a laugher, and Paul Stastny collected three points.

Duchene, John Mitchell and Jamie McGinn also put pucks past Corey Crawford in the second period for the Avalanche, who had lost six of their previous seven, including a 3-2 heartbreaker at Chicago 48 hours earlier.

Crawford (11-1-3) allowed five goals on 19 shots before being replaced in net by Ray Emery to start the third period.

``I didn't have it tonight,'' Crawford said. ``Didn't give our guys a chance.''

Semyon Varlamov had 30 saves for Colorado.

The Avalanche nearly ended the spectacular streak in Chicago on Wednesday night before the Blackhawks pulled out the win when Daniel Carcillo scored the tiebreaking goal with 49.3 seconds left. Chicago was skating without three key forwards and playing its second game in two nights then.

There was no such comeback Friday night at the Pepsi Center, where a good portion of the sellout crowd was rooting for the Blackhawks, who hadn't allowed more than four goals in a game this season or even trailed by more than two goals until the Avs' spectacular second period. ``It's a great confidence booster,'' Duchene said. ``It shows us we can play with anybody in this league.''

The crowd chanted, ``End of streak! End of streak!'' over the final minutes after P.A. Parenteau's 10th goal of the season made it 6-2.

Bryan Bickell's goal with 11:07 pulled the Blackhawks to 5-2 and he nearly scored again from the same spot 90 seconds later, but Varlamov smothered the shot, and that was that.

The teams got into a scuffle with 5:04 left after Bickell squared off with Gabriel Landeskog, who had checked Keith in the back.

Chicago's Jonathan Toews got the scoring started when he knocked the puck past Varlamov after a turnover on a give-and-go with forward Marian Hossa, who returned from an upper-body injury.

Colorado (9-10-4) tied it when Stastny, who was between the circles, tipped a pass from Duchene into the net. It was a rare power play goal for the Avalanche, who came into the game ranked 29th in the league with just 82 shots when skating with a man advantage.

Duchene's goal between Crawford's legs made it 2-1. Just 33 seconds later, Mitchell scored on an assist from O'Reilly, who was signed to a two-year $10 million deal last week after the Avalanche matched Calgary's offer sheet following a nasty contract dispute.

O'Reilly's goal came on a slap shot from the top of the right circle 4 seconds into another power play. Duchene set him up with a pass after Stastny won the faceoff.

Duchene got his third assist when he dug out a loose puck from the boards in a scramble with Keith and kicked it out to McGinn, who put made it 5-1.

``They had a good pace to their game and they were definitely on tonight,'' Quenneville said. Remarkable though it was, the streak had become somewhat of a burden for the Blackhawks.

``It's gained a lot of momentum over the last little while and our opponents, they treated it like it was a very important game,'' Quenneville said. ``You look at the standings and everyone has a meaningful game, but it seemed like there was added incentive as we've gone along. We welcomed the challenge.''

After a while, it seemed the streak had taken on a life of its own.

``I'd say the last handful of games the talk about it kind of got out of control,'' Toews said. ``The guys in our locker room, we always focused on the same thing, being prepared to play our team game. We never really got distracted by that. Maybe it does take a little bit of pressure off us and we can sit back and look at the good things we've done.''

The Blackhawks' run comes with somewhat of an asterisk because they actually lost three games along the way - all in shootouts. Under NHL rules, that's still worth a point, but that makes it different from what the Flyers accom