- myron cope
- Apr 21, 2009
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This is going to end badly for the owners. Very badly.
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 streams: http://www.firstrow1.eu/sport/ice-hockey.html
 starting goalies: http://www.leftwinglock.com/starting-goalies/
Gamecenter/Center Ice blackouts (in America): Bruins/Panthers (NHL Network); Lightning/Penguins (NBC Sports)
As you'll see, I didn't write these! I copied them from NHL.com. I even linked them!
quote:Panthers set to host Bruins
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 8:52 PM
Matthew Mankiewich - NHL.com
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020262
BRUINS (10-2-2) at PANTHERS (5-8-4)
TV: NHLN-US, NESN, FS-F.
Last 10: Boston 7-2-1, Florida 3-3-4.
Season series: First of three and the only one at BB&T Center.
Big story: The Bruins are two points behind Eastern Conference leaders Pittsburgh, New Jersey and Montreal, but have as many as four games in hand on the trio, having played fewer games so far than anyone in the League. The Panthers, despite a four-game home losing streak and a sputtering 0-for-13 power play over that stretch, are still only three points behind first-place Carolina in the Southeast Division, and are trying to get on a roll after splitting a two-game trip through Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Team scope:
Bruins: Nobody kills penalties like the Bruins, who lead the NHL at 94.4 percent, a sizable margin over the Ottawa Senators' 89.9. Even then, they face the odd challenge, like when they started the third period Thursday night against the Lightning leading 3-2 with Zdeno Chara, one of the most important components of that near-invincible PK unit, in the box. Tampa Bay's power play, for the record, is a top-five unit itself, with Steven Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, and Martin St. Louis providing the firepower.
“We weren’t really overthinking it,” Andrew Ference told the Boston Globe about the discussions during the second intermission. “It’s been going well so far this year. We’re playing in unison. It’s not like a couple forwards doing their job, then a couple [defensemen] doing their job. All the guys are really reading off each other well this year.”
Not long after the Bruins killed the penalty, Nathan Horton scored his second of the game to make it a 4-2 game, a score that held in a good, solid road win.
Panthers: After one of the best efforts of the season, a 5-2 win in Philadelphia, the Panthers were right there with the Penguins Thursday night, riding young goalie Jacob Markstrom to a 1-1 tie after two periods. Tomas Kopecky then got a controversial call for slashing, which turned the table the Penguins' way, resulting in a Matt Niskanen goal seconds after the penalty expired. The 3-1 loss upset coach Kevin Dineen, who saw a 37-save effort from Markstrom go to waste.
"It's disappointing,'' Dineen said to the Sun-Sentinel. "Marky played well. It's frustrating. The tempo was big and it's decided on a penalty there at the end. We had a non-call when a guy attacks [Erik Gudbranson] after a clean hit.
"They whack at our goalie three times and our guy goes down there and they don't blow the whistle. That's a tough one to take.''
Who's hot: Tyler Seguin has a three-game goal-scoring streak, while Patrice Bergeron has had two straight multi-point games and six points in his last five. Brad Marchand has five in his last five. Likely starter Tuukka Rask has picked up most of the starts against the Panthers recently and has rewarded his team with a 4-1-0 record and a 0.97 goals-against average, his lowest against any Eastern Conference opponent. He's also 4-0-0 overall in his last four road starts.
Any talk about the Panthers these days centers around rookie phenom Jonathan Huberdeau, who had two goals and two assists in Philadelphia and leads the team in goals (8) and points (13). Jose Theodore has struggled recently in nets but boasts a 10-1-1 record with a 1.94 GAA in his last 12 starts versus the Bruins, while Scott Clemmensen had 32 saves against the Flyers for his first win of the season. Add that to Markstrom's performance and Dineen has some options. As is the coach's policy, however, the starter is never announced until just before game time.
Injury report: The Bruins enter the game with a clean bill of health. Panthers forward Kris Versteeg (chest) is skating but no return date has been set. Defensman Ed Jovanovski (knee) is out at least another week. Forward Scottie Upshall (ankle), has turned up his skating a notch and could be back by the end of the month.
quote:Jets visit Devils with each looking to rebound
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 7:49 PM
Corey Masisak - NHL.com Staff Writer
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020263
JETS (7-9-1) at DEVILS (10-4-4)
TV: TSN-JETS, MSG PLUS
Last 10: Winnipeg 4-6-0; New Jersey 3-6-1
Season series: This is the first meeting. The New Jersey Devils won three of the four meetings last season and have prevailed in five straight against the Winnipeg Jets franchise at Prudential Center.
Big story: Both teams will try to shake off a Saturday matinee loss in the first of a home-and-home, although the second half at MTS Centre isn't until Thursday.
Team scope:
Jets: Winnipeg's trouble with goal prevention in its first season after the franchise moved from Atlanta has continued in year two. The Jets were 26th in the NHL in goals allowed in 2011-12 and are 25th this season, yielding 3.18 goals per game, which is up from 2.95 last season.
It was a problem again Saturday. The Jets had a 3-1 lead on the road at Wells Fargo Center, but allowed four straight goals in a loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. One big problem for Winnipeg is the penalty kill -- the Jets are last in the League at 67.9 percent. The Flyers erased the 3-1 deficit with three straight power-play goals before an empty-netter just before the final horn.
Devils: After playing 10 of their first 15 games against division foes, the Devils are now in the midst of an 11-game stretch against non-Atlantic teams. New Jersey went 7-2-1 in those division battles, but after a 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon, the Devils are 3-2-3 outside the Atlantic. The New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins all have at least six non-division victories.
The Devils have the oldest goaltending tandem in the League -- Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg -- but they have done a decent job protecting them. New Jersey is third in the NHL in shots allowed per game at 26.2, behind only noted stingy clubs the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings.
Who's hot: Jets forward Evander Kane has a point in six straight games. … Devils forward Ilya Kovalchuk has shaken off a bit of a slow start (five points in his first nine games) by collecting 12 in the past nine, including goals in back-to-back games.
Injury report: The Jets were without defensemen Tobias Enstrom (shoulder) and Zach Redmond (leg), goaltender Al Montoya (lower body) and forward Antti Miettinen (upper body) against the Flyers. ... The Devils did not have Dainius Zubrus (wrist) and Ryan Carter (head) against the Capitals.
quote:Northwest-leading Canucks visit Red Wings
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 10:48 PM
Brian Hunter - NHL.com Staff Writer
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020264
CANUCKS (10-3-4) at RED WINGS (8-7-3)
TV: SNET-P, FS-D
Last 10: Vancouver 7-1-2; Detroit 4-4-2
Season series: First of three meetings. They split four games on the 2011-12 schedule, each team winning once at home and once in its opponent's building via the shootout.
Big story: Despite a rash of injuries this season and a recent five-game losing streak, the Red Wings are hanging tight in the Western Conference playoff race. The Canucks have recently been bolstered by the returns of Ryan Kesler and David Booth, and while the early surges by the Blackhawks and Ducks dominate the headlines, they're chugging right along atop the Northwest Division standings.
Team Scope:
Canucks: Roberto Luongo turned in a vintage performance Friday night in a 1-0 win over one of the NHL's stingiest teams in Nashville. For over 49 minutes the Canucks couldn't break through against Pekka Rinne, but the fourth line eventually cashed in as Dale Weise converted the rebound of a Maxim Lapierre shot at 9:14 of the third period for the game's only goal. Luongo finished with 23 saves and recorded his 62nd career shutout.
"This was our third game in four nights on the road with a tremendous amount of traveling and late nights," coach Alain Vigneault said. "I had to play four lines. We did. We got a lot out of our people in the second and the third. [Luongo] gave us the chance for us to get our legs and get our energy."
Red Wings: With several regulars up front having to be replaced in recent weeks by call-ups from its American Hockey League affiliate in Grand Rapids, secondary scoring has become a necessity for Detroit to put wins together. The Red Wings got just that Saturday night against the Predators, as Drew Miller, Tomas Tatar and Daniel Cleary all lit the lamp along with defenseman Niklas Kronwall, and Jimmy Howard made 33 saves in a 4-0 victory that snapped their skid.
"He was really good early when the game was right on the line," coach Mike Babcock said. "They were better than us early, and he was good. Really good for him but more importantly, good for us. We needed the win."
Who's hot: Canucks defenseman Dan Hamhuis drew the secondary assist on Wiese's goal and has a helper in three straight games. … Pavel Datsyuk has five goals and five assists in his last seven games for the Red Wings. Kronwall had a pair of assists Saturday for a three-point night.
Injury report: Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa (groin) is day-to-day. … Detroit defenseman Kyle Quincey (leg) is day-to-day. Forward Mikael Samuelsson (finger) is out at least two weeks. Defensemen Carlo Colaiacovo (shoulder) and Brendan Smith (shoulder) and forwards Darren Helm (back), Todd Bertuzzi (back) and Johan Franzen (hip) are on injured reserve.
quote:Isles begin long homestand against Hurricanes
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 11:45 PM
Brian Compton - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020265
HURRICANES (8-7-1) at ISLANDERS (8-9-1)
TV: FS-CR, MSG PLUS 2
Last 10: Carolina 5-4-1; New York 4-6-0.
Season series: This is the second of three meetings. Carolina earned a 6-4 win against the Islanders at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Feb. 11.
Big story: With Rick DiPietro waived and sent to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League, there’s a good chance Kevin Poulin could make his season debut for the Islanders against the Hurricanes. Poulin, New York’s fifth-round pick (No. 126) at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, is 6-6-1 with a 2.67 goals-against average and .917 save percentage in 16 NHL appearances.
In 32 AHL games this season, Poulin had a 3.22 GAA.
"Lately I've been feeling great on the ice,” Poulin told Newsday. “Maybe it doesn't show stat-wise, but I feel like I'm making the saves I need to make."
Team scope:
Hurricanes: Carolina has struggled of late, as it enters Sunday’s action with a three-game losing streak. The slide continued Saturday night, when the Hurricanes suffered a 5-2 defeat on home ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning. All three losses have come in regulation.
"Yes, we had shots, but we didn't get inside their [defense]," Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller said. "In all parts of the game tonight, we weren't strong enough."
Islanders: With the news of Rick DiPietro’s demotion to the AHL behind them, the Isles were a focused bunch Saturday night, when they cruised to a 4-0 win at Buffalo. Evgeni Nabokov picked up his first shutout of the season in a 35-save performance, while captain Mark Streit had a goal and an assist.
And if New York is going to make a move in the Eastern Conference standings, now is the time. Sunday marks the beginning of a seven-game homestand for the Islanders.
"[Nabokov] played great tonight. It seemed whenever we needed a big stop, he was there to make it," said winger Matt Moulson, who had two assists. "Some I don't even think he saw them, just a quick reaction. I think you feed off that as a team."
Who’s hot: Hurricanes captain Eric Staal has six points in the past six games. … With his goal Saturday night, Isles center John Tavares is once again tied for the National Hockey League lead with 12 tallies this season.
Injury report: Carolina is expected to be without defensemen Joni Pitkanen (lower body), Tim Gleason (lower body) and Jamie McBain (upper body), along with forwards Jeff Skinner (concussion) and Tuomo Ruutu (hip). … The Islanders are missing defenseman Matt Carkner (lower body) and forward Jesse Joensuu (sports hernia).
quote:Blue Jackets try to derail Blackhawks
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 11:41 PM
John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020266
BLUE JACKETS (5-11-2) at BLACKHAWKS (14-0-3)
TV: FS-Ohio; CSN-Chicago
Last 10: Columbus 3-6-1; Chicago 8-0-2
Season series: The Blackhawks won the first of this season's four meetings, beating the Blue Jackets 3-2 in Columbus on Jan. 26. They've won the last eight games since a 4-3 home loss on Feb. 18, 2011.
Big story: Columbus, a 2-1 loser at St. Louis on Saturday, gets the next chance to derail the Blackhawks' express. Chicago set an NHL mark on Friday by beating San Jose 2-1, giving the Blackhawks at least one point in their first 17 games -- one more than the 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks, who started 12-0-4.
Team Scope:
Blue Jackets: Columbus finishes a six-game trip that has seen the Blue Jackets win just once in the first five games, with most of the problems due to a lack of scoring. The Jackets went toe-to-toe with the Blues in St. Louis on Saturday night but managed only a shorthanded goal by Matt Calvert in their 2-1 loss.
Coach Todd Richards again was happy with his team's effort -- but the results still aren't there.
"I think you look at the game and we sound like a broken record, but we did a lot of good things," Richards said, "and maybe it's a little harder to compete in certain areas where we can finish but a lot of things we just didn't get rewarded for tonight.
Blackhawks: Chicago now owns the best start in NHL history. But that's not enough for coach Joel Quenneville, who doesn't want his players to be satisfied with what they've accomplished.
"The guys should be proud of the achievement, the accomplishment," he said after Friday's win." I just think we shouldn't be happy with where we're at. We just want to keep trying to get better."
Perhaps the biggest area of improvement has been the penalty-kill, which was among the NHL's worst last season but has turned into a strength by killing off 88.7 percent of opposition power plays.
"Special teams on a lot of nights can be the difference," Quenneville said. "[Friday], definitely, you can say the key factor was our PK. Everybody takes a part of that, goaltending as well. But it was certainly an area we wanted to make sure we improved upon this year, and the guys have been very diligent in doing the right thing."
Who's hot: Vinny Prospal has goals in two of the Blue Jackets' past three games. … Goaltender Ray Emery is 7-0-0 during Chicago's streak and has won four consecutive starts.
Injury report: Columbus defenseman Jack Johnson left Saturday's game with an upper-body injury and is questionable. Center Artem Anisimov missed Saturday's game and is day-to-day with a head injury sustained in a collision on Thursday. Forward Brandon Dubinsky (knee) is on IR. … Chicago center Dave Bolland left Friday's game with a lower-body injury. He's day-to-day.
quote:Malkin-less Penguins host Lightning
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 11:27 PM
Mike Battaglino - NHL.com Staff Writer
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020267
LIGHTNING (9-7-1) at PENGUINS (12-6-0)
TV: NBCSN, ROOT, TSN2
Last 10: Tampa Bay 3-6-1; Pittsburgh 7-3-0
Season series: This is the first meeting; the teams play again in Pittsburgh a week from Monday. The Penguins won three of four last season, including an 8-1 victory last Feb. 25. They had at least four goals in each game and outscored the Lightning 22-7.
Big story: After playing most of the past two seasons without Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins will again be without reigning NHL MVP Evgeni Malkin, starting Sunday. Malkin hit the end boards after a check during Friday's win against the Florida Panthers, and his status going forward is uncertain. The center suffered a season-ending knee injury in February 2011, and Crosby was sidelined from January 2011 until returning to play full-time last March.
Tampa Bay has had few of those injury concerns, with top forwards Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis missing a total of eight games combined since Stamkos debuted in 2008-09.
Team Scope:
Lightning: With a 5-2 victory at Carolina on Saturday, Tampa Bay has won three of four after a six-game losing streak to regain first place in the Southeast Division.
"We've seen a lot of good things," Lightning coach Guy Boucher said. "I like the way our team is progressing."
Goalie Mathieu Garon won Saturday; Anders Lindback likely will start this one.
Forward Richard Panik got his first NHL goal Saturday, the 18th Lightning player to score this season, for a League-leading 66 goals. The four-third period goals give them an NHL-best 32.
But the power play went 0-for-3 and is in a 3-for-32 slump.
"If we are patient and in reach, we will be fine," Boucher said. "So we need to make sure we don't sabotage ourselves and give away goals because we are impatient. Right now, we are working on not forcing it in the first or second, and that's what we did today."
Penguins: Pittsburgh, winners of five of its past six, plays five of its next six on the road. It is unknown how many of those games Malkin could miss.
"He's still being evaluated as to the extent of the hit and going into the boards hard," coach Dan Bylsma said after practice Saturday. "That's an ongoing process at this point in time."
Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday that Malkin was experiencing symptoms consistent with someone who has a concussion, including "severe headache and mild disorientation."
Malkin was injured Friday night in a 3-1 victory against the Florida Panthers. Florida defenseman Erik Gudbranson checked Malkin early in the third period, and the Penguins center fell awkwardly into the end boards.
"There's nothing to expect from this point," Bylsma said. "He's getting evaluated. We're waiting to see how he feels and reacts. He went into the boards pretty darn hard. We're not expecting any timeline to the injury or anything."
Brandon Sutter took Malkin's place on the second line in practice between James Neal and rookie Beau Bennett, according to the team's website. Dustin Jeffrey moved into Sutter's spot on the third unit, and Joe Vitale was centering the fourth line.
Who's hot: Lightning defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron scored his first goal since Dec. 29, 2011, on Saturday; he has three points in his past four games. Stamkos has five goals (seven points) in his past four games. Forward Benoit Pouliot has eight points in his past six games. Forward Cory Conacher has a four-game point streak (goal, three assists). … Penguins forward Chris Kunitz has six of his seven goals in February; he had four assists in his past four games and entered play Saturday 10th in the League in scoring (20 points).
Injury report: Lightning forward Ryan Malone (lower body) is out until next month. … Malkin is undergoing NHL testing protocol, Bylsma said.
quote:Flames look for revenge against Coyotes
Sunday, 02.24.2013 / 1:05 AM
John Kreiser - NHL.com Columnist
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020268
COYOTES (8-6-3) at FLAMES (6-7-3)
TV: FS-Arizona+; SNET-West
Last 10: Phoenix 6-2-2; Calgary 5-4-1
Season series: It's the second meeting between the teams this week. The Coyotes blanked the Flames 4-0 in Arizona on Feb. 18. The teams finish their three-game series back in Calgary on April 12.
Big story: The Coyotes complete a two-game swing through Alberta hoping for a better outcome than Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss in Edmonton -- a game they led 2-0 in the second period. The Flames are trying to build on Saturday night's 3-1 home win against Minnesota.
Team Scope:
Coyotes: A 2-0 lead is usually money in the bank for the tight-checking Coyotes. But that wasn't the case on Saturday, when they saw their lead disappear on goals by Jordan Eberle and Teemu Hartikainen, then were beaten 2-0 in the tiebreaker.
The Coyotes had plenty of chances, but they hurt themselves by going 1-for-7 on the power play.
"It's disappointing," captain Shane Doan said. "Any time you have a lead 2-0 you expect to win. And unfortunately we didn't. We had opportunities on the power play and we didn't capitalize on them. We have to be better."
Flames: Calgary will be trying for back-to-back wins at Scotiabank Saddledome thanks to Matt Stajan, who scored the tiebreaking goal and added an empty-netter in the win against Minnesota. It was just the third victory in 10 home games for the Flames.
"For our team this season, this is huge," said Stajan, who had scored just once before Saturday night. "It's a short season, and we have to start winning games. That was a huge third period for us. It was a good team win and we'll go back at it tomorrow."
Who's hot: Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith is 3-1-1 in his last five starts, allowing only 10 goals. Mikkel Boedker has points in the past three games. … Stajan now has three goals in his past four games.
Injury report: The Coyotes are shorthanded up front due to the absence of Radim Vrbata (lower body) and Martin Hanzal (upper body), both of whom are keys to the offense. Defensemen Derek Morris and David Schlemko are also out with lower-body injuries. … The Flames are still missing goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff (lower body) and forwards Mikael Backlund (knee) and Paul Byron (hand).
quote:Avalanche travel to face red-hot Ducks
Saturday, 02.23.2013 / 9:05 PM
Mike Battaglino - NHL.com Staff Writer
http://www.nhl.com/ice/preview.htm?id=2012020269
AVALANCHE (6-8-1) at DUCKS (12-2-1)
TV: ALT, PRIME
Last 10: Colorado 4-5-1; Anaheim 9-1-0.
Season series: This is the second of three meetings. The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 on Feb. 6 in Viktor Fasth's first NHL shutout. The teams play again April 10.
Big story: The Ducks continue to keep pace with the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference, each team earning 18 points in their past 10 games. The Ducks trail the Blackhawks by six in the race for first place, but have two games in hand.
After starting last season 4-1-0, Anaheim fell to 5-7-3 on their way to a low point of 10-22-6.
"You never know," general manager Bob Murray told the Orange County Register this week. "Some years, you think you've done some things right and there's no chemistry. It's apparent so far. This group, they like each other. And there's been chemistry from the beginning."
Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog played Saturday for the first time since suffering a concussion Jan. 26. He had an assist in 19:08 of ice time during a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
"It's exciting to be back," he said afterward. "I was really rusty with the puck, but my hands, timing and conditioning will come."
Team scope:
Avalanche: After shutting out the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in overtime Wednesday, goalie Semyon Varlamov and his defense reverted to less-than-effective form Saturday. They gave up four goals after allowing five in back-to-back games prior to the shutout.
"We had some costly turnovers. We didn't play well at all and we have to learn to compete for a full 60 minutes," Avalanche coach Joe Sacco said.
Landeskog said, "We definitively weren't good enough. Both on the bench and on the ice we had low energy at times."
Colorado won one of those games and three of four before losing. The Avalanche sit 13th in the Western Conference, two points from ninth.
Former Ducks goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere likely will start. The Avalanche wrap up a three-game California trip Tuesday at the San Jose Sharks.
Ducks: Anaheim played 10 games in the first 18 days of February, winning nine. After a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday ended a three-games-in-four-days stretch, the Ducks haven't played since.
They took two days off before returning to practice Thursday and Saturday.
"It's a long break by any stretch of the imagination whether it's an 82-game season or not," coach Bruce Boudreau told the team's website Saturday. "We would've liked it to have been a little bit less, but I think we're hungry to play again.
"Have we lost any mojo or any of that stuff? I don't know. We'll find out tomorrow. The proof will be there. How we come out. Are we flat? Do we have energy? A lot of things we’ll see tomorrow."
Forward Daniel Winnik said the time off won't hurt the team's momentum as they start a stretch of five games in the next seven days.
"No, I don't think so. It just gets us re-energized," said Winnik, one of nine Ducks with at least four goals. "The last two games we played weren't good at all. We were lucky to get four points … Hopefully we get our legs back and secure the same mojo going forward."
Who's hot: Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk scored Saturday and has four points in the past six games. Forward PA Parenteau has five assists in the past six games. … Fasth is 8-0-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .933 save percentage. Ducks forward Matt Beleskey has two goals and two assists in his past three games. Forward Ryan Getzlaf has at least one point in seven of 10 games this month, five in his past four.
Injury report: Avalanche defensemen Erik Johnson (head) and Ryan Wilson (leg) are out indefinitely. … Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (upper body) practiced Thursday for the first time since being injured Feb. 2. Forward Saku Koivu (flu) didn't practice Thursday.
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