Bruce Boudreau is loving life on the sunny left coast.
And so are his Anaheim Ducks.
Showing that last year’s playoff appearance was no fluke, Boudreau’s Ducks have rocketed out to one of the hottest starts of the 2013-14 season, accruing just three regulation-time losses in their first 18 games.
Led by a revitalized Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks have climbed all the way up to fifth in the weekly NHL power rankings, trailing just the Pens, Avs, Blackhawks and Sharks.
Here is a look at this week’s rankings. Saturday’s games not included. Last week’s rankings in parentheses.
Tyler Toffoli had two goals and an assist in his third game back from the minors, and Mike Richards had a goal and two assists in the Los Angeles Kings' 5-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.
Richards, Justin Williams and Toffoli scored in a 2:33 span midway through the second period for the Kings, chasing Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo in the process. Jonathan Quick made 25 saves, and Linden Vey earned his first NHL point with an early assist in Los Angeles' 10th victory in 14 games. Luongo stopped 14 shots before getting pulled after the Kings' fourth goal midway through the second period.
Dan Hamhuis scored in the Canucks' first game against Los Angeles as division rivals since 1998. The Sedin twins were held scoreless for the second straight night.
It's a ritual of Hockey Hall of Fame induction weekend for members of the selection committee to read the plaques of incoming members.
As chairman Pat Quinn read Brendan Shanahan's on Friday, he paused to go off script.
"The only player in NHL history to record 600 goals and 2,000 penalty minutes," Quinn read aloud before ad-libbing. "You can imagine him giving out the fines and the suspensions today."
That was worth a laugh, just like when fellow class of 2013 inductee Chris Chelios joked during Saturday's fan forum that "Shanny's getting too involved" in league discipline. That's now Shanahan's job as the NHL's vice president of player safety.
Playing on the edge during his 21 seasons, Shanahan put up 656 goals and 698 assists, numbers that made him worthy of induction Monday night along with defencemen Chelios and Scott Niedermayer, late coach Fred Shero and Canadian women's team defenceman Geraldine Heaney.
But commissioner Gary Bettman believes Shanahan's legacy will ultimately be defined by what he does in an office more than what he did on the ice.
"I think his contributions to the game, based on what he's doing now, will even exceed what he did in the 21 years that he played," Bettman said Monday. "He's making a real mark on how the game is played, making it safer for current players and generations to come."
Shanahan began working for the NHL as vice president of hockey and business development in late 2009. In June 2011, he succeeded Colin Campbell as the league's disciplinarian.
Jokes about an NHL "wheel of justice" stemming from some questionable punishments were drastically reduced when Shanahan took over and started doing videos explaining suspensions. The transparency was welcomed by players and coaches, even if not everyone always agreed on the rationale for some so-called "Shana-bans."
Shanahan has taken his new role very seriously.
"The next generation of players is going to have grown up with a thorough understanding and foundation of these thoughts about how to play the game safely, responsibly," Shanahan told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "There will be a new standard."
Shanahan knows the standard has changed since he played. He once was involved in a stick-swinging incident with Bob Boughner and spoke to him after the game to "get our stories straight, to keep each other from getting suspended."
"Years later I think I admitted to Colin Campbell," Shanahan said. "That would've been leading off the news that night. I wouldn't have been able to escape that one from Colin."
Shanahan also once clothes-lined Patrick Roy as part of a brawl between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche and pummelled Michal Sykora of the San Jose Sharks. Still, Bettman called Shanahan "very physical."
"I'm not sure he was a head-hitter," he said.
Asked by a fan Saturday if he would've changed his playing style knowing he'd one day be responsible for doling out suspensions, Shanahan said with a smile: "No, I would've played the same way. I would've got suspended."
'The game's evolving'
When Shanahan speaks seriously about his job, it's obvious his views on what's clean and what's dirty have changed over the years.
"The game's evolving, certainly, and I do think our challenge on every night is to try and evolve in a way that we don't lose the physicality of hockey," Shanahan said Friday. "Sometimes it's a difficult job to do. We do it as a committee, we do our very best. But it's certainly a new direction, and sometimes you'll think back to the way you used to do things and the rules were different. But it's a challenge."
It's a challenge Bettman is proud that Shanahan has accepted.
"He's probably endured more criticism in the last three years than he did in the 21 years that he played," Bettman said. "But he's smart, he's passionate, he's thoughtful, he's articulate, and he's strong-willed, which are all important elements in doing what is the most thankless job."
If Shanahan manages to play a role in making the NHL safer for its players, it won't seem so thankless. The 44-year-old Toronto native doesn't think the game has more dirty play than when he played.
"I don't think it is more violent, but I also think that everything is caught in high-def cameras now," he said. "That's the new world."
In this new world, Shanahan is the sheriff. How long he remains in that job will go a long way toward determining his place in hockey history.
"Hopefully a very long time," Bettman said.
Hall of Famer Shanahan still carving place in NHL history - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
NHL general managers will talk about goaltender fights during their fall meeting Tuesday in Toronto, but no action is expected to be taken until later.
Debate over whether there should be heavier punishment for goalies who leave the net to start a fight has been ongoing since the Philadelphia Flyers' Ray Emery skated the length of the ice to start a fight with unwilling combatant Braden Holtby.
Because the fall GM meetings usually wrap up by 3 p.m. ET, they involve only discussions. Recommendations for change usually occur at the spring meetings.
NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan recently said that he hated the Emery fight, but the rules in place didn't allow him to suspend Emery. Commissioner Gary Bettman also addressed the issue in Toronto, telling reporters that he had talked to Emery during the Chicago Blackhawks' Stanley Cup celebration at the White House.
"I said: 'Oh, Ray. It's good to see you. I've been thinking about you.' We had a nice chat," Bettman said, according to the Associated Press. "And I said, 'So just hypothetically, if there was a rule that said if you cross the red line to get into a fight with the other goaltender and you get a 10-game suspension, would you have done it?' He goes, 'What? Are you crazy?'" Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard told the Detroit Free Press that goalies "shouldn't have to fight. I know I wouldn't stand up to (Emery). That's one guy on my list that I'd probably try to find the nearest exit to the ice, whether it be the Zamboni door ... . Geez, you click on YouTube and watch him take on heavyweights."
he Red Wings have been home to two famous goaltending fights between Mike Vernon and Patrick Roy and Chris Osgood and Roy a year later.
"I think fans and even players like it," Howard said. "The one way for a bench-clearing brawl to stop is to have the goalies square off. Everyone seems to stop and watch the goalies."
The general managers are also expected to talk about goalie equipment, supplemental discipline and the impact of hybrid icing.
Two men were arrested at their homes in Scottsdale after being accused of cheating several former and current National Hockey League players out of at least $15 million in investments that went straight into the suspects’ pockets, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Phillip Kenner, a financial advisor, advised his clients to invest in property transactions that were actually for his personal investments, investigators wrote in court papers. And former race-car driver Tommy Constantine re-directed clients investments to pay for racing teams in California, the Associated Press reported.
Kenner and Constantine were accused of wire fraud and money-laundering conspiracies in indictments unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New York.
Prosecutors claim Kenner used connections made during his college years to gain a close and trusting relationship with the NHL victims, according to court documents.
“As alleged, Kenner exploited his personal relationship with these players in pursuit of his own lucre. Player after player, time after time he and his partner, Constantine, stole from anyone they could find. This was an elaborate scheme of deception, trickery, and lies that victimized man,” George Venizelos, head of the New York FBI office, said in a statement announcing the arrests.
Kenner and Constantine allegedly convinced 13 NHL players to invest $100,000 dollars each into a real-estate project on the big island of Hawaii. But rather than investing the money, Kenner and Constantine allegedly used the players’ investments to fund personal real-estate purchases, pay personal expenses and pay other necessary debts to cover up the scheme. This particular scheme allegedly defrauded Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. of $2 million in August 2006, federal prosecutors said.
Kenner also told the hockey players to invest in a Constantine-owned company that sold prepaid debit cards. This scheme allegedly operated between February 2008 and May 2009, and earned the men $1.5 million. The diverted investments were used to cover costs of Kenner and Constantine’s personal mortgages, credit-card bills, travel costs and jewelry, according to court documents.
The names of the victims were not immediately available. However, both Kenner and Constantine have been involved in prior lawsuits with NHL players.
Former NHL player Joe Juneau accused Kenner of financial fraud in 2008, winning $2.1 million, according to court documents. Constantine faced a similar claim with former NHL player, Ethan Moreau.
When the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Marian Gaborik before the trade deadline last season, it was an exciting time in central Ohio. Not only did it signify the Blue Jackets as actually being a buyer but it gave them a scoring threat they hadn't had since they Rick Nash was granted his trade request. A team in desperate need of offense picked up a seven-time 30-goal guy.
However he is a free agent after this season and with the Jackets in last place in the NHL's worst division as well as a high salary, it's looking like Gaborik's time in Columbus is going to be short-lived.
At least that's how Blue Jackets writer Aaron Portzline sees it. In other words, for the second straight year get ready to hear Gaborik's name on the trade block as the deadline approaches.
Right now Gaborik is in the final season of a five-year deal that carries a cap hit of $7.5 million. He will also turn 32 before this season is up, likely signalling his best days are behind him. However that doesn't mean he's done, it's just right now in Columbus it isn't working out as well as everybody hoped. He still has five goals and 11 points in 16 games; not great but not terrible by any stretch. However given his age and cost as well as the current direction of the franchise, he doesn't seem to fit in for the long haul.
The difficult part is that the Jackets gave up some quality players (John Moore, Derek Dorsett, Derick Brassard) to the Rangers to get Gaborik and now they might turn around and deal him away a year later with a presumably diminished trade value. It would sting to have to give up on Gaborik so quickly but again, the salary demand is tough for a team that's near the bottom of the East this season.
As a result, there might have a high-priced rental player available in the coming months. Too bad for Columbus the excitement of having two good wingers in Gaborik and Nathan Horton has worn off before they ever even played in the same game (Horton is recovering from surgery).
NHL rumors: Will Marian Gaborik be on the trade block again? - CBSSports-com
Michael Latta knew the scouting report. Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard likes to come out and challenge shooters, cutting down angles but that it leaves him vulnerable to second-chance opportunities.
So when he was put out for a shift with third-line wingers Jason Chimera and Joel Ward in the third period and the puck was played back out to the point he had one destination in mind.
“I just thought, ‘Get in front of the goalie’. He comes out and charges the puck a lot so, when Wardo put it back to the D I just thought get to the net and hope,” Latta said. “It bounced right on my stick. I’ll take a lot of those.”
Latta recorded his first career NHL goal with 8 minutes 6 seconds gone in the third period at Joe Louis Arena Friday night to tie the game as Washington went on to capture a 4-3 shootout win against the Red Wings. Making it even better was that Latta’s parents were in the crowd, having made the three-hour trip from St. Clements, Ontario.
“It was definitely nice to get it when it mattered so much, not a 7-0 game,” Latta, 22, said. “It was nice that my parents and some friends were down. It was great, it felt really nice to get it win and keep going.”
The goal was Latta’s third NHL point. He recorded assists against Phoenix and Florida, not to mention a nice milestone for the rookie center to hit in only his 10th career NHL game. Acquired from Nashville along with Martin Erat at the trade deadline last spring, the Capitals have been impressed with Latta’s sandpaper style and the gritty element he brings to the lineup even in limited ice time.
“He’s doing what he’s supposed to do. He doesn’t get a lot of minutes,” Coach Adam Oates said. “He’s reliable with the puck, he’s obviously a tough kid and he’s learning his way still, but he does a lot of good things on the defensive side of it and that’s all we’re asking from him right now.”
Here’s the goal.
Video: Michael Latta records first NHL goal, helps key Caps’ comeback against Red Wings
Monday, May 24, 1993 was no ordinary Victoria Day in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Northern Ontario town rocked and rolled well into the early morning hours two decades ago.
It was Greyhound Day in the Soo. The town's beloved junior hockey team had beaten Chris Pronger and the Peterborough Petes in the Memorial Cup final at the Sault Memorial Gardens the previous night. Nobody wanted the party to end.
After the final seconds ticked down on the 4-2 victory the citizens spilled into the streets to celebrate. They finally had overcome all the heartbreak.
There were the unsuccessful trips to the Memorial Cup the previous two years. There was the Eric Lindros saga, in which he shunned the organization after then Greyhounds owner Phil Esposito drafted him first overall in 1989. There was the disappointment of that excellent 1984-85 Greyhounds team that failed to parlay its OHL Championship into a Memorial Cup title.
When the Greyhounds won you were pleased for the players and the ownership group, led by Dr. George Shunock, that saved the local team. You were pleased for general manager Sherry Bassin, who turned that Lindros trade into championship building blocks. But most of all you were pleased for head coach Ted Nolan.
An Obijway, Nolan was born and raised on the Garden River First Nation Reserve near Sault Ste. Marie. He played for the Greyhounds as a teenager and then moved away to embark on an eight-year pro career, mostly in the Detroit Red Wings' system. He suited up for 78 NHL games with Detroit and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He said he endured racism during his playing days.
Nolan turned his experience into inspiration. You look around now and see some of his junior players still coaching in Bob Boughner (Windsor Spitfires head coach), Rick Kowalsky (Albany Devils head coach), David Matsos (Sudbury Wolves associate coach), Drew Bannister (Owen Sound Attack assistant coach) and Adam Foote (Colorado Avalanche assistant coach).
NHL takes notice
After Nolan's success behind the Greyhounds bench, the NHL finally took notice. He spent the 1994-95 lockout-shortened season as an assistant with the Hartford Whalers. He then received his shot at the helm of the Buffalo Sabres, where he finds himself now 16 years after he was named the winner of the Jack Adams Trophy.
Nolan's two-year stint ended with the Sabres because he lost a power struggle with all-star goaltender Dominik Hasek, who quit on Nolan in the playoffs, saying he couldn't play because of a knee injury. Then Nolan endured more hurt.
He was branded a general manager killer because of an irreparable rift between him and John Muckler, the Sabres GM at the time. Muckler wound up getting fired. But the new GM, Darcy Regier, offered Nolan only a one-year deal that he quickly turned down. Nolan felt he deserved more security.
In an interview Nolan gave me during the 2006 Memorial Cup -- in which he won the QMJHL championship with the Moncton Wildcats, only to lose at home in the Memorial Cup final to head coach Patrick Roy and the Quebec Remparts -- he told me about how a Sabres team doctor told him there was gossip floating around town that he slept with a player's wife.
He laughed and later asked the doctor to retell the tall tale to Nolan's wife, Sandra. Then, in an interview with another NHL club after his Buffalo days, a general manager asked Nolan whether it was true he missed a couple of Sabres practices because he was drunk.
"When they ask me stuff like that, I felt like getting up and walking out," Nolan said back in 2006. "But then they would say, 'See, he's a hot head.' I guess this stuff fits the stereotype."
Nolan was interviewed for vacant head coaching positions with the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders and Calgary Flames. He also had an informal chat with the Los Angeles Kings.
He was offered the job with the Lightning in the late 1990s. But when he told his sons Brandon, who was then 12, and even younger son Jordan that they were moving to Florida, the kids started bawling. When Sandra saw this, she also cried. So Nolan called Lightning general manager Phil Esposito to turn down the job.
His return to the Sabres this week on an interim basis is his third NHL head coaching gig. New York Islanders owner Charles Wang hired Nolan back in June 2006, a week after the Memorial Cup. Nolan had turned down Wang six months earlier because he was committed to the Wildcats.
Short stint
But that stint was short lived, too. Nolan was dismissed after the Islanders failed to make the playoffs in his second season.
Here he is again, however, with another shot in Buffalo, under newly installed president of hockey operations Pat Lafontaine. He played for Nolan and it seems anybody who has played for Nolan has the utmost respect for him and loyalty.
"He's a motivator," said Sabres television analyst Rob Ray, who also played for Nolan in Buffalo. "He treats everybody the same, whether you're on the fourth line or a star. When he played that was one thing he didn't like, the way some players were treated differently.
"He also likes to give players who are battling to stay in the NHL a chance. He had to battle to stay in the game."
And that battle continues all these years later.
Sabres coach Ted Nolan has another shot in NHL | Hockey | CBC Sports
N.Y. Ben Scrivens made 37 saves in his second consecutive shutout, and Tyler Toffoli's second-period goal held up as the winner as the Los Angeles Kings completed a successful Eastern road trip with a 1-0 victory over the New York Rangers in National Hockey League action Sunday night.
Dominic Moore thought he tied it with 2:41 remaining, but the goal was disallowed because he kicked it in with his right skate.
Scrivens, filling in for injured regular Jonathan Quick, followed up a blanking of New Jersey on Friday with one against the Rangers. Los Angeles went 3-0-1 on the trip, winning the final three games.
Scrivens has gone 155 minutes and two seconds without allowing a goal over three games. Los Angeles is 5-0-1 in its last six.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots in the hard-luck loss. The Rangers, 7-3 in their last 10, failed to follow up on a 1-0 win at Montreal on Saturday and dropped their second straight at home.
BLACKHAWKS 5, SHARKS 1
CHICAGO Patrick Sharp scored two goals, including one on a third-period penalty shot, and Kris Versteeg had a goal and an assist to lead Chicago over San Jose.
Jonathan Toews and rookie Brandon Pirri also scored for the Blackhawks, who rebounded with a tidy defensive effort following a 7-2 loss in Nashville on Saturday.
Joe Pavelski connected for San Jose.
Versteeg scored his first goal with the Blackhawks since being reacquired from Florida on Thursday.
Corey Crawford stopped 23 shots and wasn't heavily tested in the win.
CAPITALS 4, BLUES 1
WASHINGTON Alex Ovechkin won the head-to-head matchup between the NHL's two leading goal scorers, getting a pair in the first period to move into a tie with Alexander Steen in Washington's win over St. Louis.
Ovechkin's 16th and 17th goals led the Capitals to their third straight win and seventh in nine games. Mikhail Grabovski and John Carlson also scored for Washington, Nicklas Backstrom had three assists, and Braden Holtby made 46 saves.
Ovechkin and Steen are two of the NHL's hottest forwards playing for two of the league's hottest teams, but the Capitals cruised after dominating early, scoring on three of their first six shots against Jaroslav Halak.
Vladimir Sobotka scored in the second period for the Blues, who had won eight of 10. St. Louis was playing for the third time in four nights, including a back-to-back after a home win over Carolina.
The Blues took a season-high 47 shots compared to 20 for the Capitals.
WILD 2, JETS 1
ST. PAUL, Minn. Mikko Koivu scored two goals, including the winner with 3:12 remaining, and Minnesota extended its winning streak to four games by beating Winnipeg.
Josh Harding made 21 saves for his 12th victory.
The Wild have an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) and pulled into second place, two points behind Chicago, in the Central Division. They also extended their home winning streak to six and are 10-1-2 at home.
The Jets had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Koivu doubled his goal total for the season. Zach Parise earned an assist and has 13 points in his past 12 games.
STARS 2, CANUCKS 1
VANCOUVER Kari Lehtonen made 42 saves to help Dallas edge Vancouver.
Valeri Nichushkin and Erik Cole scored for Dallas (11-7-2), which came off a 7-3 victory over Calgary on Thursday and extended its road winning streak to six games.
Henrik Sedin scored for Vancouver (11-8-3), which got 21 saves from Roberto Luongo but dropped its fourth in a row.
After Lehtonen kept Vancouver off the scoreboard in the second period in which Vancouver held a 20-6 edge in shots, Cole made it 2-0 early in the third.
Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at an NHL practice or game? Who the team jokers are and who takes things seriously 24/7? How a coach prepares his team to go into battle?
The CBC and the NHL will help answer your curiosities with a seven-part series called NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other from executive producer Ross Greenburg, the former president of HBO Sports and winner of more than 50 Sports Emmys.
The series, which premieres Jan. 23 on CBC and will also be broadcast in the United States by NBC Sports Network, will tell the stories of more than two dozen of the NHL's top stars -- on and off the ice -- as they participate in the Coors Light Stadium Series and the Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic outdoor games. The series will also follow NHL stars to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Multiple camera crews are being assigned to the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators for more than eight hours a day over 100 days of shooting, creating hundreds of hours of material that will be edited down to seven hours for television.
NHL stars such as Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, Vancouver’s Daniel and Henrik Sedin, the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist, and Jonathan Quick of Los Angeles are some of the players that will be featured.
It's similar to what HBO has done with its 24/7 series, only on a grander scale.
“We know there is such an appetite for this type of content, with the ability to get closer to the players, to get inside the locker rooms and on the ice and to hear the stories from these guys,” said John Collins, the NHL’s chief operating officer. "It’s such a unique opportunity in such a unique year."
It's all being done in partnership with the NHL Players' Association and will be executive produced by Greenburg, Steve Mayer and Julie Bristow, a former CBC executive whose duties included overseeing the production of Hockey Night in Canada.
In the Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, the Ducks and Kings will play at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 25, followed by the Rangers and Devils at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 26, the Rangers and the Islanders at the same venue on Jan. 29, and the Penguins and Blackhawks at Soldier Field in Chicago on March 1. The Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic pits the Canucks against the Senators at B.C. Place on March 2.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings will also play an outdoor game -- the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic -- at Michigan Stadium on New Year's Day, but they are not participating in NHL Revealed: A Season Like No Other because they are already committed to HBO’s 24/7.
In a massive undertaking such as this, Greenburg said it is paramount that the TV crew not interfere with the day-to-day operations of the NHL teams.
“The approach is always to be a fly on the wall,” Greenburg said. “We have gained the trust of the individual teams, and in our initial meetings we discussed [that] the cameras will come in and we’ll put microphones on people, but we will never get in the way of what they have to do to prepare their team on a day-to-day basis.
"We’ve really gained their trust. After a day they really don’t notice that our cameras and microphones are there.”
Added Bristow: “What makes a documentary access series successful is the kind of partnership we have with the NHL and NHLPA about making the players and their inner circles comfortable with this notion. For sure there are stories to be told and we’ll plan storylines in advance as much as we can, but what inevitably happens is when you have almost 100 days of shooting and you are following this kind of action, storylines will emerge and they will change what your original ideas were and who the key characters were.”
Shooting for the series begins Nov. 28 in Ottawa.
The series will premiere in Canada on CBC on Jan. 23, with subsequent parts airing on Jan. 30, Feb. 6 and 27 and March 6 and 13. The series will be broadcast on NBCSN in the United States starting Jan. 22, and will be rebroadcast in Canada on Rogers Sportsnet starting Jan. 26.
NHL, CBC team up for all-access series - NHL on CBC Sports - Hockey news, opinion, scores, stats, standings
Torey Krug burst upon the NHL like a flaming arrow when, as an emergency call-up, helped power the Boston Bruins past the New York Rangers in five games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He became the first rookie defenseman in League history to score four goals in his first five postseason games and the 10th player in Bruins history to score a playoff goal before scoring in the regular season.
There's been no letdown in Krug's first full season. In fact, he's near the top of the rookie leaderboard and in front of the race for the Calder Trophy, according to NHL-com. Krug has points in five of his past seven games (two goals, three assists); his six goals are tied for second among defensemen behind Ottawa Senators defenseman and former 2013 Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson's seven, and his 12 points are tied for third in rookie standings. A sizable contingent from the heralded 2013 NHL Draft class is making an immediate impact, yet it's the 22-year-old Krug, signed by the Bruins in March 2012 after his junior season at Michigan State, who's determined to not accept the status quo.
"Check back with me around Christmastime and we'll see where I'm at," Krug told Comcast SportsNet New England. "You just try to continue to be on top of things and don't be comfortable. That's when things can start to creep up on you."
His production may not equate to the 20-plus goals he's on pace to score, but Krug's booming shot and inner confidence will remain intact, and the Bruins will reap the rewards of his talents as his game continues to peak.
"I think you just let him play," Bruins coach Claude Julien told NHL-com. "His game offensively is almost a natural part of it, so you let him do that stuff. I don’t think there's too many times where he makes bad decisions up front. If he does, it's going to happen once in a while. There's always a risk and reward; you want to minimize that risk. That's what you want to do. But right now I think he’s doing well offensively, so I'm certainly not going to take that part of his game away from him."
FINALISTS
Tomas Hertl, San Jose Sharks: Hertl caught everyone's attention Oct. 8 against the New York Rangers, when in his third NHL game became the fourth-youngest player to score four goals in a game. Now 20 years old, the NHL Rookie of the Month for October leads all first-year players in goals (12) and points (18), and is second with a plus-7 rating. Sure, the four-goal evening (punctuated by an ebullient between-the-legs goal) that made him famous has buffed his numbers, but Hertl ended the week of Nov. 11 with points in three of four games to help pace the 13-3-5 Sharks, so don't expect the kid from the Czech Republic to flame out anytime soon.
Seth Jones, Nashville Predators: He was hyped as can't-miss prospect and projected to go No. 1 in the 2013 NHL Draft. He slipped to No. 4 where the Predators happily grabbed a player they rated atop their list. Motivated to prove he deserved to be No. 1, all the 19-year-old defenseman has done is dominate his fellow rookies in average ice time per game (24:04) while riding shotgun for much of the season with Shea Weber (26:25 per game).
Jones' game is predicated not by the numbers (two goals, minus-6), but intangibles and advanced hockey sense. His maturity level is way beyond his teenage years and what he does with his extended minutes will keep him entrenched in the Calder race all season long.
"A lot of people say defensemen need five, six years to get their feet wet and get used to playing in the NHL," Predators teammate Matt Hendricks told NHL-com. "He's stepped in and has done a great job. You see mistakes in his game but he admits the mistakes in his game. He's not one to hide behind, 'Oh I'm a rookie.' He stands up for the media and says, 'I made a mistake there.' That's a very mature thing for a 19-year-old kid to do."
Boston Bruins' Torey Krug has early edge in Calder race - NHL-com - Trophy Tracker
Coming soon, perhaps, to a rink near you — Overtime 3D.
Although that’s unlikely.
A more probable configuration is Overtime 2F+1D. Or possibly Overtime 1F+2D. Or, heck, even Overtime 3F.
Then again, the world won’t know how coaches align their pawns for three-on-three action until the National Hockey League approves the notion. If ever.
Last week in Toronto, the league’s general managers batted around the idea of overtime featuring the current four-on-four formation — but, halfway through an eight- or 10-minute extra period, shifting to three-on-three.
“A lot of (positional) variables, but, ultimately, there would be a lot of chances and game-winning goals,” says Calgary Flames winger Lee Stempniak. “I’ve been out three-on-three in overtime, because of penalties, in the NHL. Pretty wide-open. There’s a huge emphasis on winning the faceoff — otherwise you could be chasing the entire shift. A missed net or a rebound, and it’s quickly the other way.”
Adds Joe Colborne: “I certainly wouldn’t be against going to a three-on-three format. That’s really exciting. Think of some of the top skill guys in this league — and in the world — going head to head. That would be unbelievable for any fan to see and experience. It’s something that would help sell the game more.”
With fewer skaters and longer overtimes, the frequency of shootouts, no doubt, could be reduced. Which, of course, would cause little griping.
“It’s a team game,” says Stempniak. “The shootout is great. It’s exciting. It’s fun. I completely understand. If it’s on, you’re going to watch the end of the game. I’d just like to see a little more overtime before reaching the shootout.”
Well, suppose the NHL decided to go old-school?
If it’s a stalemate, it stays a stalemate. No worries — and no tiebreakers.
“I think those days are long gone,” says Stempniak. “People like knowing that there’s a winner. There’s very few sports that end in a tie, at least in North America. Football can, but very rarely does. Baseball doesn’t. Basketball doesn’t. People like a definitive winner.
“The shootout is pretty exciting. It’s here to stay.”
The Flames, though, have struggled in the breakaway exercise since its 2005-06 inception. All-time, they are 27-44 — only Carolina and Philadelphia have fewer wins.
The trick, apparently, is identifying cold-blooded finishers.
“As we all know, there are some great practice players,” says Flames coach Bob Hartley. “But when the game’s on the line in front of 18,000 fans? Sometimes the maple syrup is coming out of the stick, they’re squeezing it so hard.”
Monday’s display in Winnipeg — going eight rounds before rookie Sean Monahan heroically ended the madness — had not been without its charm.
“I love shootouts,” says Colborne. “I love having the puck on my stick.”
Television cameras, minutes before the shootout, caught Hartley giving Colborne an enthusiastic earful, a one-way chat that included plenty of hand gestures.
“I told him, ‘I know you will score’ — I had that feeling,” says Hartley. “Colby, for a young player, pressure doesn’t slow him down. He likes it. When I told him he was going first, he was like, ‘All right.’ Almost like he was going for a walk in the park.”
Colborne did go first and he did beat Jets goalie Al Montoya — with precisely the forehand deke his boss had recommended.
“He came up to me and said, ‘Joe, you know that move you’ve used in practice a few times? The one where you go like this?’ ” Colborne says, chuckling. “I was like, ‘Bob, I’ve got this.’ It’s something I felt pretty confident about.”
NHL tiebreaker format continues to be a water cooler talker in the hockey world
The award winners at the quarter mark of the NHL season:
Hart Trophy: Alexander Steen (St. Louis Blues). The MVP leader has been the best player on the team playing the best hockey. He's tied for the NHL lead in goals and is a noteworthy defensive forward. He's a coach's dream. Prime contenders: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) and Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks).
Norris Trophy: Erik Karlsson (Ottawa Senators). No defenseman can match Karlsson's game-changing ability. He's playing 27 minutes, 31 seconds a night and is averaging a point a game. Prime contenders: Ryan Suter (Minnesota Wild) and P.K. Subban (Montreal Canadiens).
Calder Trophy: Seth Jones (Nashville Predators). Although there's a quality collection of rookie forwards, the defenseman is having the greatest impact on his team. He has averaged about 24 minutes a game and has played 26 or more minutes seven times. It's hard to believe he's 19. Prime contenders: Tomas Hertl (San Jose Sharks) and Sean Monahan (Calgary Flames).
GM of the Year: Don Maloney (Phoenix Coyotes). This is a tough choice because a handful of GMs have done a masterful job of refashioning their teams. But Maloney is working with one of the league's lower payrolls and but has fashioned an offense that can score with the top teams. No one expected Phoenix's 14-4-3 start. Prime contenders: Doug Armstrong (St. Louis) and Doug Wilson (San Jose).
Masterton Trophy: Teemu Selanne (Anaheim). This award is supposed to be about dedication and perseverance. Somehow it has evolved into comeback player of the year. Selanne fits the true definition. He has played at a high level into his 40s and has been a classy, congenial person throughout his career. Prime contenders: Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning) and Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils).
Jack Adams Award: Patrick Roy (Colorado Avalanche). There are several prime coaching candidates. Roy gets the edge because the Avalanche were a lottery team last season and now they play like a confident contender. Prime contenders: Bruce Boudreau (Anaheim) and Mike Yeo (Minnesota).
Selke Trophy: Pavel Datsyuk (Detroit Red Wings). He leads the league in takeaways and is a relentless back checker. He's a quality faceoff man and will block shots as well. Prime contenders: Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins) and Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks).
Lady Byng Trophy: Logan Couture (San Jose). The A-level player doesn't have a penalty this season and is a gentlemanly guy with an entertaining Twitter account. Prime contenders: St. Louis and Selanne.
Vezina Trophy: Tuukka Rask (Boston). He gets the nod over goalie Josh Harding (Minnesota) in a toss-up. Rask has faced more shots and has a slightly better save percentage. Prime contenders: Harding and Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh).
Most improved player: Kyle Okposo (New York Islanders). At 25, he has six goals and 20 points in 22 games. Last season, Okposo had four goals in 48 games. He's on pace to register more than 70 points. His career best is 46. Prime contenders: T.J. Oshie (St. Louis) and Martin Hanzal (Phoenix).
Most exciting player: Datsyuk. He's the league's best pickpocket artist and most entertaining magician with the puck. His entire career has been a highlight reel. He weaves in and out traffic like he is controlling his opponents' movements. Prime contenders: Karlsson and Crosby.
Most underrated player: Frans Nielsen (Islanders). He has more goals than teammate John Tavares. He's a dedicated defensive forward and effective penalty killer. Prime contenders: Jiri Hudler (Calgary) and Andrew Ladd (Winnipeg Jets).
David Desharnais scored his long-awaited first goal of the season, and the Montreal Canadiens took an early three-goal lead Friday night and survived two goals from Alex Ovechkin in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
Desharnais, whose scoring drought even attracted the attention of Montreal's new mayor, perched in front of the net to redirect Josh Gorges' drive in the first period. The goal stood after a video review to determine whether Desharnais had scored with a high stick. Travis Moen also scored his first of the season, and Daniel Briere added a goal for the Canadiens, who have won two straight.
Ovechkin scored on a last first-period power play and again in the third period to give him an NHL-leading 19 goals.
Sedins power Canucks' rout of Blue Jackets
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Henrik Sedin scored twice and twin brother Daniel Sedin had a goal and two assists as the Vancouver Canucks beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2 on Friday night.
Alex Edler, Zack Kassian, and Jeremy Welsh — with his first career NHL goal — also scored as the Canucks snapped a five-game losing streak and handed Columbus its fifth loss in seven games. Vancouver had scored only six goals over its previous five games — and was held to one goal in four of them. Daniel Sedin's points snapped a six-game pointless drought — his first such streak since 2002-03.
Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo only had to make 14 saves as Vancouver outshot Columbus 35-16.
Matt Calvert and Artem Anisimov scored for the Blue Jackets, and Sergei Bobrovsky had 29 saves.
NHL roundup: Canadiens hold off Capitals' comeback
During the 1990s, the Detroit Red Wings used to play five Russians on the ice at the same time.
This morning, there are only 20 Russian defensemen and forwards on NHL rosters.
The league also has six Russian goalies, but the New York Islanders’ Evgeni Nabokov, Chicago Blackhawks’ Nikolai Khabibulin and Carolina Hurricanes’ Anton Khudobin are hurt.
Four NHL teams are playing this afternoon and Buffalo Sabres rookie Mikhail Grigorenko might be the only Russian in the lineup. He’s with the Sabres today only because the league rejected the team’s attempt to send him to the minors on a conditioning assignment.
The Ottawa Senators have no Russians and Hurricanes winger Alexander Semin is on the injured list with a concussion. The Detroit Red Wings’ Pavel Datsyuk didn’t make the trip to Buffalo because he’s feeling woozy after taking an elbow to the jaw from Jared Cowen in Saturday’s loss to Ottawa. You should probably get used to not seeing many Russians in the NHL because the trend appears that it will continue. Only two first-year Russian rookies are on NHL rosters this season and five of the 20 Russian defensemen/forwards are 30 and over. Sergei Gonchar is 39.
Just 10 years ago, there were 60 Russian defensemen and forwards on NHL rosters. This season, 22 Russian defensemen and forwards have played this season, but Nikita Zadorov (Buffalo) was returned to his junior team and Denis Grebeshkov (Edmonton Oilers) is in the minors.
As of this morning, 17 NHL teams have Russian players and 13 have none. The Columbus Blue Jackets lead the league with four.
Why are we losing the Russian influence?
The KHL is offering lucrative deals to top players
Ilya Kovalchuk and Alexander Radulov can make similar money in the Kontinental Hockey League to what they would earn in the NHL.
Russians like playing closer to home
During the lockout, it was clear that the Russian players enjoyed being able to play in front of their friends and family. Do you blame them?
The shorter KHL season is attractive
The idea of playing only 54 regular-season games and having the champion crowned by the end of April is very appealing to Russians deciding between the KHL and NHL.
NHL reluctant to draft Russians
Unsure what the young Russian players will do, NHL teams have been staying away from them in the draft. That’s why the Dallas Stars were able to land Valeri Nichushkin at No. 10 when he was probably rated four or five spots higher. Only the top Russian players are getting drafted. Entry level salary cap
In theory, the younger Russian players can make more money in the KHL because the NHL has a rookie salary cap
The one major lure that the NHL still has for Russian players is that it remains the top level of competition. The KHL is still only the second-best league in the world.
Elsewhere
With Gustav Nyquist now needing to clear waivers to be sent to the minors, the Red Wings have a significant challenge managing their salary cap.
They have no maneuvering room, unless someone goes on the long-term injured list.
The Red Wings could end up playing with five defensemen if there is an injury. Jakub Kindl left Saturday’s game, but Mlive-com is reporting that he is expected to play today.
Ten former N.H.L. players sued the league Monday for negligence and fraud, saying the sport’s officials should have done more to address head injuries but instead celebrated a culture of speed and violence. The players, who were in the league in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, filed their suit in federal court in Washington. One of the lead lawyers is Mel Owens, a former N.F.L. player who has represented scores of other retired players in workers’ compensation cases.
The hockey players include role players and stars like Rick Vaive, who scored more than 400 goals in 14 seasons. One player in the suit, Darren Banks, was described as an enforcer. The players say they sustained repeated hits to the head during their careers and now have depression, headaches and memory loss.
The suit comes about three months after the N.F.L. agreed to pay $765 million to settle hundreds of cases brought by more than 4,000 retired players who said the league knew about the dangers of repeated head hits but failed to properly warn the players. Similar suits have been filed against the N.C.A.A.
In seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, the players said in their complaint that the N.H.L. “knew or should have been aware” of the effects of head hits but “took no remedial action to prevent its players from unnecessary harm” until 1997, when the league created a program to research and study brain injuries. Even then, the suit said, “the N.H.L. took no action to reduce the number and severity of concussions among its players during that period and Plaintiffs relied on the N.H.L.’s silence to their detriment.”
Owens and other lawyers said in a statement, “The N.H.L. continues to glorify and empower players known as ‘enforcers’ — players with the singular intention of injuring the opposing team.”
Bill Daly, the N.H.L.’s deputy commissioner, said in a statement: “While the subject matter is very serious, we are completely satisfied with the responsible manner in which the league and the players association have managed player safety over time, including with respect to head injuries and concussions. We intend to defend the case vigorously and have no further comment at this time.”
Though hockey players have sustained concussions and other head injuries for generations, the N.H.L. faced less scrutiny about its policies than the N.F.L. The N.H.L. set up a concussion study program in 1997, the first in North American major league sports, and has in recent years modified rules in response to increased concern about head trauma.
In May, the family of Derek Boogaard filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the N.H.L., saying the league was responsible for the physical trauma and brain damage Boogaard sustained in six seasons as one of the league’s top enforcers. Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of prescription painkillers and alcohol in 2011. He was posthumously found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., a brain disease thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head.
The suits brought by retired N.F.L. players were originally filed in states around the country over many months. They were eventually consolidated and heard in federal court in Philadelphia. Players will soon decide whether they want to approve the proposed settlement.
For the National Hockey League, Tuesday will either be the first day of a serious regeneration process, or the first day of truly entrenched denial.
Monday afternoon, 10 former players launched a class action lawsuit against the league claiming it didn’t do enough to protect them from concussions. The lawsuit alleges the NHL is guilty of “historically ignoring the true risks of concussive events, sub-concussive events and/or brain injuries suffered by NHL hockey players” and of “refusing to address the issue of brain injuries despite a growing body of medical opinion establishing such a linkage and their own study of the issue.” And, apparently, “refusing” to change its rules to effectively protect players.
In keeping with the general theme, the lawsuit doesn’t pull any punches – it reads like what it very well likely might be: a cathartic document.
The crux of the argument for the players is essentially this: The league took no “remedial action” to protect its players from unnecessary harm until 1997, when it started its concussion program “ostensibly to research and study brain injuries affecting NHL players.” During the study period from 1997 to 2004, the suit states, the NHL “voluntarily inserted itself into the scientific research and discussion” about the link between player injuries and short- and long-term brain damage. By doing so, the lawsuit argues, the league took on the responsibility to do four things: tell the truth; introduce rules or programs to deal with the problem; not to continue “complacently with the same conduct that nurtured violent head trauma while advancing the NHL’s financial and political interests”; and to tell other players about the risks.
Guess how well the players feel the league followed through on those?
“In short,” the lawsuit says a little bit later, “the NHL chooses to ignore medical findings of its own studies, other sports or the general practice of medicine regarding brain injuries and hockey.” It later says the league took part in “active and purposeful concealment” of the risks of brain injuries.
The 10 names on this list aren’t big ones. It does include former Leafs captain and 878-game veteran Rick Vaive and Gary Leeman (667 games) – along with guys like Darren Banks (20 games) and Brad Aitkin (14 games) – but it’s missing a Lindros or maybe a Kariya. But how much does that really matter? The point has been made and, as it was with a similar suit against the National Football League that eventually carried thousands of plaintiffs (and ended with a $765 million settlement), there’s still lots of time for more hockey players to get on board.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, in a statement on Monday NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league was “completely satisfied with the responsible manner in which the league and the players’ association have managed player safety over time, including with respect to head injuries and concussions.” And, he said, the league will defend the case. Which means, like with most interventions, despite some of us getting a lot of thoughts off our chests, we’re probably still at the bottom of a long climb to some kind of resolution. For the foreseeable future, this lawsuit will act as a pall over the league and the game in general. That’s a problem for more than just the obvious reasons.
Prior to Monday, when the naysayers naysayed following a particularly brutal hit or fight, at least the league knew that within days it would all die down in the din of a new trade or an amazing goal or the chattering expectation of a big matchup between rivals. Anything, really. The NHL knew this because talk radio and the sports television simply can’t sustain a long-term conversation on one topic, especially when it’s as much of a downer as concussions are. People want, badly, for sports to act as some kind of escape, after all. It can never get too real for too long. Otherwise, it loses its luster, and the hyperbole and hyped drama just seems... silly. And people don’t pay good money for silly when they think they’re buying serious.
Now, however, behind each one of those smaller complaints about a bad hit or particularly ugly fight will be exactly that sustained, long-term conversation, running even stronger than it already has been in the background. The NHL now faces the sports equivalent to the worst kind of political scandal – the kind that hints at corruption at the very heart of government. One in which day to day, you can skate by on obfuscation or delay, but with every new development, no matter how big (in this case, perhaps new names joining the current list), the entirety of the story gets rehashed and, importantly, remembered all over again. That’s the kind of thing that threatens presidents, let alone hockey league commissioners.
But most crucial of all, now more than ever, the NHL will have to tell us all about the end of its long road ahead – about how it sees this all ending. Before we set off in one direction or another, what is the end-point we wish to achieve? When we get there will we still find, for instance, line brawls that go without supplementary punishment? Will we find more Derek Boogaards? And will we have arrived there via incremental changes or only after some kind of massive restructuring? In short: What does the perfect version of the NHL even look like? The reply, should we even get one, will reveal not just what kind of league the NHL wants to be, but what kind of game it wants hockey to be. That is (or should be) a profoundly difficult question to answer, which will hopefully cause a lot of soul-searching at NHL headquarters, if it hasn’t already. And while they’re having a think over on Sixth Avenue, so should the rest of us. It is equally important for everyone else to ponder the same question. What sort of sport do we want to watch? What sort of game do we want to pay good money for? A serious one or a silly one?
The NHL's steady rise as a business continued Tuesday when it signed a staggering $5.232 billion (Canadian), 12-year agreement with Rogers Communications to be the exclusive television rights holder in Canada starting in 2014-15.
The average of $433 million a season is a significant jump from the $160 million a year the NHL earned on its last deal for Canadian television rights.
"Each of our last two television deals speak to value of our content and how that has been enhanced in recent years," said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. "That speaks to a lot of different reasons and factors. Obviously the demand for hockey in both countries have been growing dramatically."
In 2012, the NHL signed a 10-year, $2 billion deal with NBC for U.S. television rights.
The NHL was a $3.3 billion per year business before the lockout, and the league's chief operating officer, John Collins, has said the objective is to grow revenues beyond $4 billion. The latest TV deal would seem to help put the league on track for that.
For many years, it was said that the NHL's national television package wasn't lucrative enough to have a big impact on team's bottom lines. But with the league's total TV take at approximately $633 million a season, the 30 teams are sharing a significant amount of money, although players will get 50% of hockey-related revenue. "There is no doubt that local revenue still is the driver for most teams, but we have certainly been changing the balance of the contribution from league/national revenues in recent years," Daly said. "It's a significant chunk of change coming from national media rights as well as other areas of the business."
Daly said three or four years ago national revenue generated "five, six or seven percent" of overall league revenues.
"We are going to push to have that in the 18 to 20 percent range in the next little while, which is pretty impressive growth," Daly said.
Rogers announced that it has reached agreement with CBC and TVA Sports for separate licensing deals that will allow for the continuation of Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts and French-language multimedia rights.
"Our fans always want to explore deeper and more emotional connections to NHL hockey, and that is precisely what Rogers has promised to deliver over the next 12 years – channeling the reach of its platforms and the intensity of its passion for the game into an unparalleled viewing experience," said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. "The NHL is extremely excited about the power and potential of this groundbreaking partnership."
The NHL board of governors must approve the deal at its Dec. 9-10 meetings, but that will be a formality.
The NHL has its TV rights locked up for more than a decade, and the new CBA could last through 2022. With those issues buttoned up, the NHL might be in position to consider expansion. The NHL has no plans to expand, but many cities are interested.
"It's a fair question," Daly said. "But I can say, we haven't even gotten this one behind us yet because it is subject to board of governors approval. But we take these transactions one at a time, and then we will figure out what's best for the National Hockey League."
The loser in the deal is TSN, Canada's version of ESPN, which had been a rights-holder. The deal puts Sportsnet in position to become Canada's No. 1 sports media brand.
TSN traditionally has been a place to go for NHL news, and Tuesday morning, TSN personality Bob McKenzie said the loss of NHL television rights won't alter the network's commitment to covering the league.
This marks the first time a major North American-wide sports league has granted all of its national (Canadian) rights to one company on a long-term basis.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall scored 51 seconds apart in the second period, and Ilya Bryzgalov got a shutout in his first start for Edmonton as the Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 Thursday night.
Bryzgalov, signed by the Oilers on Nov. 8, made 33 saves in his first NHL start since April 25 when he was in net for Philadelphia. Jordan Eberle added an empty-netter in the final minute off an assist from Hall, and the Oilers have won four of five.
Predators captain Shea Weber was hit by a puck near his mouth at 15:24 of the second, dropped to the ice and immediately skated to the locker room. He did not return with what team officials called an upper-body injury.
Nashville, which had won two straight, lost for the second time in seven games.
NHL: Bryzgalov shines in Oilers debut | Toronto Star
And so are his Anaheim Ducks.
Showing that last year’s playoff appearance was no fluke, Boudreau’s Ducks have rocketed out to one of the hottest starts of the 2013-14 season, accruing just three regulation-time losses in their first 18 games.
Led by a revitalized Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks have climbed all the way up to fifth in the weekly NHL power rankings, trailing just the Pens, Avs, Blackhawks and Sharks.
Here is a look at this week’s rankings. Saturday’s games not included. Last week’s rankings in parentheses.
1. San Jose Sharks (1)
Shocking loss to lowly Sabres.
2. Chicago Blackhawks (3)
Crawford making strong Olympic bid.
3. Colorado Avalanche (4)
Perfect 6-0-0 away from home.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins (2)
Injured James Neal has started skating again.
5. Anaheim Ducks (7)
Sizzling Getzlaf looks like a man on a mission.
6. St. Louis Blues (6)
Halak-Elliott tandem a great 1-2 punch.
7. Vancouver Canucks (8)
Kesler enjoying life as linemate of Sedins.
8. Boston Bruins (5)
Using Chara to screen on pp.
9. Detroit Red Wings (11)
Struggling Stephen Weiss injured again.
10. Los Angeles Kings (10)
Perfect 4-0 in shootouts.
11. Toronto Maple Leafs (9)
Hole at centre with Bolland, Bozak out.
12. Tampa Bay Lightning (14)
G Bishop proving to be the real deal.
13. Phoenix Coyotes (12)
Yandle deserves more national exposure.
14. Ottawa Senators (17)
Bobby Ryan hasn’t disappointed.
15. Montreal Canadiens (13)
Subban-Therrien power struggle intriguing.
16. Washington Capitals (16)
Ovie-Backstrom lead NHL in pp points.
17. Minnesota Wild (15)
Harding now No. 1 between the pipes.
18. Dallas Stars (23)
Seguin wins in return to Boston.
19. New York Islanders (16)
Off year for Nabokov.
20. New York Rangers (25)
Clawed way back to .500.
21. Winnipeg Jets (21)
Lack of consistency driving Noel bonkers.
22. Nashville Predators (18)
Life without Rinne not so easy.
23. Carolina Hurricanes (24)
Healing G Ward back on ice.
24. Columbus Blue Jackets (22)
Five game losing funk entering play Saturday.
25. Calgary Flames (20)
Back to earth after sizzling start.
26. New Jersey Devils (26)
Schneider healthy + playing again
27. Edmonton Oilers (27)
Brygalov is the answer? Really?
28. Philadelphia Flyers (28)
Ed Snider publicly grumbling about team.
29. Florida Panthers (29)
Coaching change can’t mask lack of talent.
30. Buffalo Sabres (30)
Matt Moulson upset at being benched Friday.