The HD Corner - HNIC Numbers

The numbers are in for HNIC, and they aren’t too pretty as far as the Oilers are concerned. According to the Globe and mail, 409,000 viewers tuned in for the Oilers – LA Kings late game this past Saturday night. As the Globe notes, this likely could be attributed to the World Series being shown that night. More accurately, it could be due to the fact that the Oilers were one of the teams “competing” in this game. It’s not too often that a team’s go-to defenseman is Steve Staois. Ouch. It could be a long season Mac-T and friends. Or maybe this late game drew so poorly simply because P.J. Stock was conducting studio analysis along with Ron and Sean Burke. Burke was actually quite good, making some interesting points of how as a former goalie, he never judged his teammates by their salaries and only focussed on what they bring to the table each and every game. Stock on the other hand was so incoherent that he must have been on some kind of hallucinogen. I’m pretty sure there is an ECHL team out there that can use 7 assists and 150 PIMS for their team this season. As if the Wheeling Nailers can't use him. Please take him off our hands.

Finally, William Houston has written an excellent article about the one and only Bob Cole that I suggest everyone check out for a good laugh. Apparently, Ralph Mellanby has some dirt on the legendary broadcaster in his new book. Mellanby is of course the former executive director of HNIC (and father of Scott Mellanby). In 1987, Mellanby fired Dave Hodge for throwing his pen up in the air, while on camera no less, in protest that the CBC wouldn’t cut to an in-progress playoff OT game instead of The National. Dave Hodge is officially my idol. Mellanby’s book supposedly details how Bob Cole once actually said “don’t ever touch me again” to John Davidson in the broadcast booth years ago. If that can’t convince you to check out this article and buy Mellanby’s book, I don’t know what will. Caution: the co-author for Mellanby’s HNIC book is the one and only Mike Brophy. If you have seen Brophy’s work on Sportsnet you’ll know what I’m talking about. He has made Nick Kypreos look like a Rhodes Scholar in past broadcasts. And yes, this is the same Kypreos who made that racist Vincent Lecavalier – Michael Jordan remark years ago.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

Due to a large number of late day transactions at my place of business, this post is wayyyyy late. The good news is that we will have some exciting new features very shortly. Until then, here are a few late night tidbits.

-Jason Spezza has suffered a groin pull and is day to day.
-Derian Hatcher could miss a month with suspected cartilage damage in his knee.
-NHL.com looks at the emerging talent in the Swedish Elite League.
-Predators owner Craig Leopold has extended the deadline for a local group to purchase the team.
-The excitement is growing in Chicago.
-Bruins goaltender Jordan Sigalet, who suffers from MS, has been recalled from Providence.
-Paul Maurice bag skates the Maple Leafs.
-Saku Koivu forced to defend his lack of French language skills. Montreal fans should thank their lucky stars Esa Tikkanen isn't their captain. Could he speak any language?
-Pierre Lebrun with a list of best and worsts from the first month of the season.
-Eddie Belfour wins his Swedish Elite League debut.
-Matt Greene is out for 3 months with a broken ankle. The Oilers are about 1 injury away from scouting the Adult Safe Hockey League.
-Scott Morrison says there will be no easy answers in the Rick Tocchet situation.
-Inside College Hockey looks at the early favorites for the Hobey Baker.
-The Score notes that Jannik Hansen is expected to be recalled by the Canucks. Do they really need a soft Dane with few offensive skills that badly?
-Ontario man may have the puck that won the 1972 Summit Series.
-A rash of injuries will test the Oilers depth.
-Adam Proteau with a vain attempt to tie Halloween to Hockey.
-The Clarkson Cup, awarded to the top women's team in Canada, faces an uncertain future.
-TJ Oshie is the WCHA Player of the Week.
-Solid drafting helps the Wings win in the salary cap era.
-Harvey Rosen with a look at the accomplishments of some Jewish hockey players.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Cold Hard Rants

It’s scarier than another night vision video starring Paris Hilton. It’s spookier than Illegal Curve’s own Adam Gutkin sans un chemise. It’s more frightening than a movie that has spiders, snakes (on or off a plane), and people with saws. I am speaking of, for the umpteenth consecutive week, a controversy surrounding the NHL, its players, and their actions’ on the ice. (In the interest of fairness, it’s nice to see a sports league that has the thug actions on the ice, and not on AND off the playing surface like in the National Felons League and the NBA.) I am speaking of the on-ice incident involving Randy Jones and Patrice Bergeron.

As I am sure most readers are well aware, there was a very scary incident involving Mr. Jones hitting Mr. Bergeron head first into the boards. It looked bad from the start, and even worse as Mr. Bergeron was taken off the ice on a stretcher without moving any of his extremities. Fortunately, Mr. Bergeron was not seriously injured, and suffered no paralysis, when it appeared upon first reaction that it might have been a distinct possibility.

Seeing as how ultimately, Patrice Bergeron will be all right, I am going to venture into dangerous territory and say that as culpable as Randy Jones is in the incident, Patrice Bergeron is also somewhat responsible for putting himself into the vulnerable position. Although my hockey career was undistinguished and (as some would say) an embarrassment to the game, I did know the proper way to protect myself on the ice, and not to stand a foot away from the boards, facing the boards. If I knew it, and considering I could barely control my body on the ice due to an inability to skate, then an NHL player should know it too. If I knew where to go while playing no contact house league hockey at River Heights Community Centre (Go Buzzards!), then an experienced hockey player knows not to do what Bergeron did.

My esteemed colleague, Richard Pollock, wrote yesterday that the NHL needed to come down hard on Jones. With all due respect to Richard, whom I readily admit knows substantially more about hockey than I, I disagree. Rarely do I agree with the tall foreheads at the NHL offices, but in this instance, I feel as though the punishment fit the crime. Jones had to make a split second decision, and I do not believe that his intent was malicious. Whether Bergeron turned into a more vulnerable position at the last second, or the Jones-Bergeron interaction was an instance of bad timing all around, I do believe that Jones was punished appropriately.

And if the NHL is serious about combating hitting from behind, I urge them to be proactive and follow the educated lead of Junior Hockey and post a stop sign on the backs of player’s jerseys. Alas, we know that the aforementioned tall foreheads in the NHL offices would never do something so simple and so smart. They specialize in reacting after the negative publicity, and to expect differently after this near miss would be foolish.

For Illegal Curve, I am Andrew M.

About the writer: Formerly a speech writer for a Canadian Federal Politician, Andrew will be bringing his unique take on the hockey world to the illegal curve blog once a week, or more often if the rage needs to be released in a manner other than clobbering a referee over the head with a whiskey bottle. Mainly because he doesn’t have enough empty whiskey bottles at his disposal.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey headlines.

Colorado Avalanche rookie forward Jaroslav Hlinka hasn't registered a point in his last eight games after bursting out of the gate earlier this season. Hlinka signed with the Avalanche this past summer after leading the Czech Extraliga last season in scoring with 19 goals and 38 assists in 46 games played with HC Sparta Praha, his hometown club.
Milan Hedjuk had a lot to do with the Avs signing of the 30-year-old center as he basically told team management that this guy could Get 'R Done. He started the season with two goals and 1 assist in the first three games, but has since cooled right off (11 games played, 1 goal, 2 assists). He started the season playing with super sophomore Paul Stastny and Andrew Brunette, but has since been bumped down to the third line.
Hlinka is rather small by North-American standards but has a low center of gravity and is solid for his size. He is an extremely gifted playmaker with loads of international hockey experience. He has played profesionally in the Czech Republic, Russia and Switzerland. Hlinka has represented his country at the World Hockey Championships on six different occasions (winning gold medal in 2001 World Championship with Team Czech Republic).

- New York Rangers 2006 4th round Draft Pick David Kveton (104th overall) is looking good in the Czech Extra Liga this season for HC Ocelari Trinec. The 19-year-old center has 7 goals and 2 assists in 16 games playing in a league stacked with veterans like Petr Nedved, Pavel Patera and Jaroslav Balastik.

According to the Central Scouting Report: Kveton is a good Skater with acceleration, quickness and balance … soft hands – controls the puck very well … a smart player with very good vision … a very creative offensive minded player … has a good reach … very good overall skill level … a finesse type of player.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Prospect Pulse: Lars Eller

I realized far too late that I blew my chance for a Halloween appropriate Prospect Pulse when I profiled Ben Blood a little too early. Since no team has a Jack O'Lantern in their Top 20 prospects, I went with the Blues' Lars Eller.

Eller, a Danish product who learned the game in Sweden, was taken 13th overall in last June's draft. With that selection, the Blues made him the highest drafted Danish born and trained skater. He possesses a North American style game that is sound technically (his father is a former Danish national team member and current Danish Elite League coach) and defensively responsible.

That being said, he is not the 2nd coming of Mats Lindgren, the erstwhile Swedish grinder. Eller is a good playmaker and is adept at finding room to make a play. He has a good touch around the net, but by his own admission he would rather shoot than pass. In his draft year, the Dane put up 18-37-55 in the defense first Swedish junior league and helped his team to the championship.

In addition to the offensive prowess, scouts rave about Eller's work ethic. He apparently will never give up on a play and can give opposing defensemen fits with his tenacious forecheck. Though I can find scant mention of any weaknesses, Euro hockey websites note that he could improve his play without the puck. Eller is spending this season in Europe in the Swedish junior league, but may see time in the Elite League and will most definitely get some ice with the Danish National team.

Fantasy Watch: Scouring the Waiver Wire

F Jiri Novotny, Columbus Blue Jackets
Only playing 64 career games with Buffalo, Novotny never lived up to expectations, as the forward only managed a disappointing 8 goals and 16 points. Traded to Washington in the deal that brought Dainius Zubrus to Buffalo, Novotny got off to a fast start with his new club, but ultimately slowed down, totaling only six points in 18 games. Signed this past year by Columbus, Novotny has exceeded expectations scoring four goals and four assists in 10 games.
Fantasy Take: Novotny is heating up, scoring 5 points in his last three games. Right now, the former first round pick is only a lower end fantasy forward, but things could change if he continues to play at a high level.

F Tomas Plekanec, Montreal Canadiens
After having a career year last season, Plekanec is starting right where he left off, scoring 10 points in 11 games. The fourth year forward has played a major role in Montreal's success and is currently second in team scoring. It's rather unlikely that Plekanec will keep up with this torrid pace, but expect the Czech to surpass his career highs set last year.
Fantasy Take: Plekanec's 10 points are rather inflated after the forward scored four points in one game. If you look closely, all of Plekanec's points have come in bunches, so only use the forward as a short term option.

F Alexander Steen, Toronto Maple Leafs
Steen had a disappointing year last season, as his scoring decreased 10 points from his rookie season. Looking to improve on last season's failure, Steen has come out of the gate firing. Fourth in team scoring with nine points, Steen has had his share of great games this season, including a three point outburst against Pittsburgh this past week.
Fantasy Take: Like Plekanec, Steen's points have come in bunches. Until he can become a more consistent scorer, look for other options.

F Devin Setoguchi, San Jose Sharks
Setoguchi made his NHL debut on Monday and didn't disappoint, scoring two goals leading the Sharks to victory over Dallas. Playing on a line with Joe Thornton, Setoguchi capitalized on the opportunities given, and should make San Jose feel a little better about losing Ryane Clowe to injury. With no timetable set for Clowe's return, Setoguchi may be in the league for awhile and could prove to be a valuable pickup later on.
Fantasy Take: Before jumping on the bandwagon, pay attention to the Sharks next game to see how Setoguchi performs. His previous goals were scored on nifty passes from Thornton, so if the rookie is not playing with Thornton, then expect his output to drop.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Morning Musings

Here are the national morning papers:

• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail tells readers that John Ferguson Jr.'s job is safe for now.
• Signing Miikka Kiprusoff to a long-term extension will allow the Flames to shift their focus to extending a couple more of their key players coming up on free agency writes Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail.
• Age is not a factor for the teens playing in the NHL this season writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• After last night's 3-2 shootout victory over the Habs, the Thrashers are no longer the worst team in the Southeast Division anymore writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Thrashers' coach Don Waddell is more concerned with winning hockey games than getting his rookie goaltender Ondrej Pavelec into a game.
• It looks like youngster Phil Kessel will replace the injured Patrice Bergeron and center the Bruins' second line. During Bruins' practice yesterday, goaltender Manny Fernandez sprained his knee and will now be out for an unknown period of time.
• The Sabres need to start getting some production from their top powerplay unit writes John Vogl in this morning's Buffalo News.
• The Hurricanes have been extremely happy with the rejuvenated play of defenseman Bret Hedican to start the season.
• The Panthers and Hurricanes meet for the first time tonight and the Panthers players haven't forgotten their angry rants after last season about the Canes' penchant for diving.
• Carey Price started his first game at home for the Habs and was terrific, however, his teammates did not match his quality of play and the Canadiens lost in a shootout to the Thrashers. Meantime, Habs' coach Guy Carboeneau thinks the NHL needs to change its rule that allows for a player in the penalty box at the end of overtime to be allowed to partake in the shootout.
• Devils' forward Dainius Zubrus has been demoted to the third line right winger role by coach Brent Sutter.
• As Larry Brooks writes in this morning's NY Post, one of these days Rangers' back-up Stephen Valiquette has to get into a game, doesn't he? Meanwhile, coach Tom Renney won't tip his hand as to what will happen with Nigel Dawes when a number of the Rangers' forwards return from injury.
• With all this time off early in the season, the Senators are getting on each other's nerves writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. It appears that Nick Foligno will be the odd-man out once Dean McAmmond is ready to return from injury.
• While Simon Gagne may not be ready to return from his concussion for the Flyers' next game versus Montreal, winger Scottie Upshall is ready to return from injury for the game versus the Habs.
• The Penguins, on the back of superstar Sidney Crosby, started off their road trip on the right foot with a 4-2 victory of the Wild in Minnesota last night.
• The Lightning are ready to put an end to their four-game road losing streak writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• Ownership can't just react to the Leaf fans' displeasure says the President of MLSE Richard Peddie. The Leafs only wish they had the AHL Marlies' success right now writes Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• It appears that both Ryan Getlzaf and Rob Niedermayer will return from injuries for the Ducks' game Thursday when they host the Blue Jackets.
• Signing a long-term, big money contract only made Miikka Kiprusoff play better last night as the Flames dominated the Predators en route to a 5-1 victory. Last night was quite a thrill for Eric Nystrom as the son of former Islanders' great Bobby, scored his first ever NHL goal.
• Sometimes being a healthy scratch serves a good purpose, as evidenced by the recent play of Jim Vandermeer.
• Wojtek Wolski has been promoted to top two-line play in Colorado and has taken the spot of veteran Andrew Brunette who has been demoted.
• The Blue Jackets have two centers in Michael Peca and Manny Malhotra who dominate in the faceoff circle writes Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. Here are the Blue Jackets' projected lines heading into tonight's contest.
• Bill Nichols of the Dallas Morning News has the story of Stars' defenseman Matt Niskanen who grew up cheering on the Stars as a native of Minnesota.
• Valtteri Filppula scored a beauty down the right wing with only 25 seconds remaining to give the Wings a 2-1 victory over the Oilers on Tuesday night.
• Dick Tarnstrom feels like he lost the game for the Oilers after he was victimized on Filppula's rush at game's end. Dan Barnes of the Edmonton Journal wonders if the Oilers have a goalie debate on their hands. On the injury front, defenseman Joni Pitkanen had successful surgery but still expects to be out of the lineup for the next 3-4 weeks.
• Dustin Brown is excited about the Kings future, which is one of the reasons he re-upped for a six year term.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune opines that Crosby and Malkin were worth the price of admission last night in St. Paul.
• The Predators remain winless on the road after last night's debacle in Calgary. After the game, coach Barry Trotz would not commit to keeping Chris Mason as his starting netminder.
• The Coyotes showed some spirit last night going into St. Louis and stealing a third period victory from the hands of the Blues writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• The Blues got outworked last night according to head coach Andy Murray.
• Canucks' GM Dave Nonis has seen some positives and negatives to start the season writes Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Nightly Recap - Crosby Busts Out

-Sidney Crosby busts out with four points and Evegni Malkin adds three, the Penguins take the Wild 4 - 2.

-Freddy Sjostrom scores the winning goal with 2:58 to go as the Coyotes defeat the Blues 2 - 1. Brad "My Favourite" Boyes scored his 9th goal in 10 games, he has really gelled with linemates Keith Tkachuk and Paul Kariya both assisted on Boyes' goal tonight.

-Ilya Kovalchuk scores another shootout winner for the Thrashers as they beat Carey Price and the Canadiens 3 - 2. Alex Kovalev had two points. The Thrashers goals tonight were scored by Eric Perrin and Slava Kozlov. Starting out the year with an injury, Marian Hossa has been invisible so far collecting 3 points in 9 games. He is getting regular minutes each night, coach Don Waddell expects him to come around eventually.

-Henrik Zetterberg scored his 10th goal as the Red Wings edge out the Oilers 2 - 1. The Red Wings continue to minimize the amount of shots their goaltenders face. Osgood stopped 15 of 16 and moves to 6-0, he has yet to allow more than 2 goals in a game this season.

-The Flames take their turn beating up on the Predators 5 - 1. Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay had 3 points each, Daymond Langkow, Matthew Lombardi and Kristian Huselius had 2 points each. When did the Flames become such a high powered offense? Miikka Kiprusoff celebrated his new contract by stopping 39 of 40.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm TB@NJ (TSN)
7:30pm CAR@FLA
8:30pm CHI@DAL
10:30pm CLB@LA

News You Can Use Late in the Day

-Tampa Bay called up former UND defender Matt Smaby.
-Rick Tocchet will meet with Gary Bettman this week.
-A look at Sportsnet's Goals of the Week.
-Who's Hot and Who's Not in the CHL.
-INCH looks at the benefits of a 2-referee system.
-The Bruins and Devils take big dives in this week's Power Rankings.
-The Canadiens call for a rule change in the wake of Boullion's injury.
-Simon Gagne is still hampered by concussion-like symptoms.
-Robbie Ftorek takes over as the head coach of the Erie Otters. No word on the status of his awesome sweaters.
-Hockey Rants examines what ails the Ducks.
-The WHL Power Rankings courtesy of Taking Note.
-Ted Montgomery of USA Today profiles his 10 Most Overrated Players in the NHL.
-A Q and A with Chris Vande Velde.
-Fanhouse notes that there are problems brewing in Vancouver.
-A profile on Islanders prospect Jason Gregoire.
-Anaheim GM Brian Burke is a proponent of the bear hug.
-A look at top-rated WHL prospect Zach Boychuk.
-Claude Julien wants to change attitudes on the Bruins and make them tough to play against.
-The Omaha Lancers are dominating the USHL.
-Jeff Gordon sees the Brad Boyes deal as one of the keys to the resurgence of the Blues.
-A story about the travels of a Thrashers' fan.
-Sidney Crosby returns to Minnesota.
-Pierre Lebrun with a look at back at October in the NHL.
-Mason Raymond has been sent back to Manitoba.
-The Score notes that Jonathan Toews has a 9-game point scoring streak to start his NHL career.
-A rumor roundup from the Hockey News.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse: Michael Frolik

Frolik, or Baby Jagr as the Czechs call him, is a 2006 Florida first rounder. A player who exhibits some of the same traits as 68 Senior, Frolik can display all-world talent one night and then do a D.B. Cooper the next night.

A gifted playmaker, Frolik can dominate the game from the blue-line in and make sick plays at full speed. While he does seem to favor the pass, Frolik nevertheless possesses a quick and accurate wrist shot that he will use from anywhere. The former 10th overall pick adjusted to life quickly in the offense first QMJHL and compiled 73 points in only 52 games. Frolik has started slow this year, with no points to show for his first 3 contests.

The 19 year old Czech, who compares himself to Patrick Elias, can play any of the three forward positions. Said to prefer Left Wing, Frolik dropped to 10th overall in his draft year after some scouts expressed concern about some off-ice issues and a drop in production. The Panthers were unconcerned with the production, as he was playing on a bad team with limited offensive help.

Once thought to be a Top 5 Pick, Florida was extremely pleased to have him available at 10th overall. They feel his smart, NHL-style game and lethal shot will make him a fan favorite in South Florida. Though he competed in the Panthers camp this fall, expect Frolik to finish the season in the QMJHL and then get some seasoning in the AHL.

Numbers Game

In this week’s Numbers Game, I looked at team goal scoring. Obviously, in a team game where you win by scoring more goals than the other team, the more goals your team scores the better chance you have to win. It should come as no surprise that teams that scored more goals in each of the last 5 seasons enjoyed greater team success. Only 4 teams that qualified for the playoffs last season (Dallas, Minnesota, New Jersey and the New York Rangers) did not finish in the top half of the league in goals scored.

Some people would suggest that teams that score more 5-on-5 goals would likely rank higher in conference standings. In most games, teams play the majority of the game at even-strength. Conversely, power-play opportunities are not guaranteed and are determined by the subjectivity of the referees. Logic would therefore dictate that teams that are able to score more goals on even-strength instead of relying on power-play opportunities would be more likely to win.

The numbers, however, would suggest otherwise. With the exception of last season, over the last 5 seasons, a higher ratio of even-strength goals to power-play goals was not a strong predictor of overall team success. While teams that scored more even-strength goals and more power-play goals were more likely to qualify for the playoffs, it did not matter whether they had better success in either category.

As a result of these findings, it becomes apparent that success at even strength is no more telling than success on the powerplay. Therefore, teams are probably better off stressing the equal importance of these on-ice situations instead of stressing the importance of one over the other.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Adam Gutkin.

Morning Musings: Randy Jones got off easy

We could talk about this ad nauseam, but the suspension to Randy Jones has been deemed fair by most people in hockey circles. I have to say, I wholeheartedly disagree. I do not particularly care that Jones is not a dirty player. Furthermore, I don't exactly understand how Colin Campbell can decipher whether someone "intended" to hurt someone or not. I saw the hit, and Jones drove Patrice Bergeron's head straight through the end boards. There was no let-up, no backing off; instead, he clearly followed through with a punishing hit from behind. As well, Bergeron did not turn at the last second as some have suggested; rather, he was standing with his back to Jones the entire time. A suspension of two games sends little if any message to the rest of the NHL players. I have just one question: Would Jones have only received a two game suspension if Bergeron had been paralyzed?

Here are the the Eastern Conference mornings papers:

• The Capitals were having trouble getting on the scoresheet until Monday night's game versus the Leafs in which they scored four goals in the first period; the Caps won the contest by a final score of 7-1.
• Penguins' coach Michel Therrien think this is the right time for the Pens to go on the road and come together as a team writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pens' forward Gary Roberts, who has been out of the team's lineup with a respiratory infection, is close to returning to the lineup.
• Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren was disappointed that Randy Jones was suspended at all writes Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Here are some notes about the Flyers from this morning's Inquirer.
• The Leafs' next four games are thankfully on the road writes Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star. Damien Cox of the Star believes the Leafs are a "terribly vulnerable" team . In some positive Leafs' news, both Darcy Tucker and Kyle Wellwood appear to be making progress in their respective attempts to return from injury.
• Not even the return of Dan Boyle to the lineup could spark the Lightning to their first road victory, as they were defeated 3-1 by the Rangers at MSG.
• If Dean McAmmond is ready to return to the lineup on Thursday versus Atlanta, youngster Nick Foligno would most likely find himself demoted to the AHL. Meanwhile, it looks like Jason Spezza is looking for a similar contract to the one his teammate Dany Heatley received from the Senators writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Garrioch also tells readers that Peter Forsberg will be using his time at the Karjala Cup in Finland to gauge his ability to play at a high level.
• Jaromir Jagr demonstrated his leadership skills last night against the Lightning as he lost all his front teeth and stayed in the game to score the game winning goal. Jagr sure earned his "C" last night writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post.
• Habs' rookie goaltender Carey Price will be starting his second consecutive game tonight, but more importantly, it is Price's first home game for the Canadiens.
• Panthers' defenseman Mike Van Ryn says his team needs to demonstrate "a sense of urgency." Florida coach Jacques Martin says you will continue to see different line combinations until one of the team's lines can demonstrate some good chemistry.
• Hurricanes' forward Andrew Ladd could be sidelined another week with his lingering ankle injury.
• Patrice Bergeron has been released from hospital but he is still experiencing headaches and substantial neck pain writes Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald. Apparently the youngster is expected to be out of the lineup for a month or more.
• Over in Atlanta, it looks like Thrashers' general manager Don Waddell is in no rush to hand-over his interim coaching duties.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun has all the details surrounding the Miikka Kiprusoff contract extension. With Kiprusoff done, it didn't take long for the Calgary media to start discussing the other Flames' players coming up on free agency. In other Flames' news, defenseman Dion Phaneuf has no problems with his increased workload this season under new coach Mike Keenan.
• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Blackhawks are finally going to show a regular season home game on television in Chicago.
• The line of Chimera-Malhotra-Fritsche has been terrific for the Blue Jackets since being reunited by coach Ken Hitchcock a few games ago. Meanwhile, it looks like Fredrik Modin is ready to return to action tomorrow night, however, his teammate Duvie Westcott is not.
• The Stars gave away their 2-1 third period lead to the Sharks last night and were defeated 4-2. Stars' legend Mike Modano is now one point away from becoming the all-time leading United States born NHL scorer.
• The Oilers' trade of Tommy Salo for Tom Gilbert is sure looking like a winner now writes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. With Gilbert and his fellow youngsters playing well along the Oilers' blueline, it looks like Dick Tarnstrom is the odd man out. The Oilers face quite the challenge tonight, as the powerhouse Red Wings are in town.
• Wings' forward Johan Franzen is expected to return to the lineup tonight in Edmonton after injuring his knee in the team's first game of the year. Wings' netminder Dominik Hasek hopes to be back on the ice in the next few days.
• Jason LaBarbera of the Kings gives the NHL just another reason to get rid of these awful new jerseys.
• With the Penguins in town, Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune profiles Sidney Crosby in this morning's paper. The Wild will be without all three of Demitra, Gaborik and Backstrom for tonight's game versus the Pens.
• Predators' forward Martin Gelinas is expected to miss the team's next three games with a shoulder injury.
• It looks like Blues' defenseman Erik Johnson will be back in the lineup for the Blues' game versus the Wild on Thursday.
• Radim Vrbata is doing his best to stay positive during his early season offensive struggles writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• Sharks' rookie Devon Setoguchi was the star of the night for San Jose, scoring two goals to lead his team to a 4-2 comeback victory over Dallas.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey headlines.

- According to the Globe and Mail, Unrestricted Free Agent Forward Peter Forsberg will join the Swedish National Team for the upcoming Karjala Cup Tournament.
The Karjala Tournament, also known as Karjala Cup, is an annual ice hockey event held in Finland. The tournament started in 1996 is part of the Euro Hockey Tour (EHT) in which Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden participate. (source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karjala_Tournament).

- Peter Bondra officially announced his retirement from the National Hockey League today, ending weeks of speculation within the hockey world. He has been named general manager of Team Slovakia by the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation. Bondra was previously unsigned this year after scoring 5 goals and 9 assists in 37 games for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2006'07. Bondra finishes his stellar career with some pretty impressive stats: 1,081 games played, 503 goals, 389 assists, 892 points, 761 Penalty Minutes. He also had 56 points in 80 career playoff games. I think the true sign of his greatness is found in his nine 30-goal seasons, including two 50 goal years ( '95-96, '97-'98). Is Bondra a Hall of Famer? His 503 goals and nine 30-goal seasons make him a contender at the very least. He is hurt by a serious lack of hardware. The closest Bondra came to sipping from Lord Stanley's Mug was in 1997'98 when the Washington Capitals made it to the Finals, only to be swept by the iconic Detroit Red Wings.

Here are your updated Russian Super League Leaders ( courtesy of russianprospects.com)

Super League Leaders
Points
Morozov, Alexei 24 (10+14)
Sushinsky, Maxim 22 (11+11)
Alexandrov, Viktor 21 (9+12)
Atyushov, Vitaliy 21 (4+17)
Mozyakin, Sergei 21 (12+9)

Goals
Saprykin, Oleg 13
Mozyakin, Sergei 12
Dobryshkin, Yuri 11
Kulemin, Nikolai 11
Sushinsky, Maxim 11

Assists
Atyushov, Vitaliy 17
Morozov, Alexei 14
Zinovjev, Sergei 14
Zaripov, Danis 13
Alexandrov, Viktor 12

PIM
Svitov, Alexander 69
Piganovich, Oleg 67
Nikulin, Ilya 53
Vorobiev, Dmitri 48
Saprykin, Oleg 47

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Nightly Recap: The Rangers score some goals

-The Rangers finally received some offensive output and were 3 -1 victors over the Lightning. Jaromir Jagr, Chris Drury and Brendan Shanahan had two points each and Vinny Lecavalier scored on a penalty shot. Henrik Lundvquist continued his spectacular play by making 21 of 22 saves.

-I wonder what the Toronto papers will be saying tomorrow morning as the Washington Capitals explode all over the Toronto Maple Leafs 7 - 1. Michael Nylander lead the Caps with 3 assists and Alexander Ovechkin had 2 goals. Olaf Kolzig was solid in between the pipes stopping 32 of 33.

-Devin Setoguchi scored two third period goals to spark the Sharks to a 4 - 2 win over the Stars.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm PIT@MIN (Versus)
7:30pm ATL@MTL (TSN)
8:30pm PHX@STL
9:30pm NSH@CGY, DET@EDM

Breaking News You Can Use Late in the Day

-TSN is reporting that the Calgary Flames have signed goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff to a 6 year, $35 million dollar contract extension. The deal is apparently front-weighted.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

-Philadelphia's Randy Jones gets a 2 game suspension for his hit on Patrice Bergeron.

-Petr Bondra retired today to become the GM of Slovakia's national team.

-Sam Gagner is profiled in the nhl.com's Rookie Watch.

-The Penguins are looking for consistency.

-Bobby Ryan is adjusting to pro hockey with the Portland Pirates.

-The Prudential Center opened its doors Saturday night in Newark.

-Inside College Hockey has its newest Power Rankings posted, and North Dakota falls to 3rd place.

-Eric Duhatschek wonders if Zetterberg is the NHL's best player.

-The Capitals admit that their hot start wasn't a good indication of their team's skill.

-Though Kane and Toews are hot, a few Hawks are struggling.

-Jason Labarbera is named the NHL's First Star of the Week.

-Fanhouse notes that Ron Wilson is on the hot seat in San Jose.

-Stan Fischler wishes the Toronto media would leave John Ferguson Jr. alone.

-Taking Note with a roundup of Sunday's WHL action.

-Kevin Lowe and Brian Burke fail to kill each other in Anaheim.

-Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic have found some chemistry in Colorado.

-The NHL Notebook from the National Post.

-Fan Nation wonders if its time to resurrect the Broad Street Bullies nick name.

-The Halifax Mooseheads get creative with their nicknames.

-Five Big Games for the upcoming week.

-The Weekly AHL report.

-The Sharks made a number of transactions yesterday.

-Ken Campbell of the Hockey News feels that 2 games for Jones isn't nearly enough.

-Shanahan, Doan and Gaborik are all struggling early on this year.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior

Prospect Pulse: Theo Peckham

Theo Peckham, a 6-1, 216 pound defender is the property of the Edmonton Oilers. One of only 7 defenseman in Canada to not play on the Oilers blue line last year, Peckham is currently playing with the Springfield Falcons in the American Hockey League. Having played only 4 games at the AHL level, the 19 year old Peckham is still trying to establish himself as an everyday player.

He has had a strong start, however, and Coach Buchberger has stated that he gains confidence in Peckham every time he hits the ice. Not a gifted offensive player, the OHL graduate has nevertheless scored 1-1-2 in his 4 games and is an even. His loan goal came on the powerplay and was a game winner.

Peckham was known as more of a fighter in junior, where he regularly amassed more than 200 PIM's a season. That being said, he is still a smart hockey player who makes good decisions and can contribute to a team in other ways. Able to make solid open ice hits and a force in front of the net, Peckham fits nicely into the mold of tough stay at home defensemen that the Oilers seem to covet.

The Oilers are said to see Peckham as part of the new breed of enforcer, in that he can fight and still contribute to the team. Any player that makes the safe decisions and doesn't get noticed too much will be a favorite of MacTavish's. Though Peckham has NHL size right now, he will likely spend a couple of years in Springfield working on his skating and quickness.

Fantasy Watch: Top Performers of the Week

Week of Oct 22nd – 28th

F Rod Brind'Amour, Carolina Hurricanes
5 G, 4 A +6

Brind'Amour has been on an absolute tear to start the season, scoring 18 points in 12 games. He currently leads all Canes in scoring and is riding a nine game point streak. Brind'Amour has certainly silenced all the critics who argued that the 37 year old would not be able to keep up his point per game average as he did last year.
Fantasy Take: Brind'Amour was probably overlooked in many drafts as a drop off in production is sure to happen sooner than later. Nonetheless, the 37 year old has been fantastic and should be starting in all formats.

F Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2 G, 5 A, +1

Scoring only one point in each of Washington's first six games, Ovechkin has heated up as of late, registering seven points in his past three. The forward leads all Capitals with 13 points and has owners less worried about a season long slump.
Fantasy Take: As long as Ovechkin doesn't get hit by the Capitals recent injury bug, the third year forward should reach 90+ points for the third consecutive time.

F Paul Kariya, St. Louis Blues
1 G, 5 A, +2
When Kariya signed with St. Louis many expected his production to go down, as his former team, Nashville, was clearly the more talented club. So far this has not been the case as Kariya has scored 13 points in nine games, leading all Blues. His highest output came earlier this week when the former Anaheim Duck scored one goal and assisted on three others, leading St. Louis to victory over his former team Anaheim.
Fantasy Take: Kariya has been very efficient in his first nine games and is a must-start in all leagues.

F Ray Whitney, Carolina Hurricanes
5 G, 3 A, +6
Whitney has been playing fantastic hockey as of late, scoring a goal in each of Carolina's last four games, while chipping in three assists. The 35 year old now has seven goals on the season to go along with 12 points. Showing no signs of slowing down, Whitney is more than likely to reach the 80 point plateau for the second consecutive season
Fantasy Take: Whitney may be getting old, but the points are still coming. Expect the same output that Whitney produced last year.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Morning Musings

Here are the National morning papers:

• Alan Maki of the Globe & Mail provides readers with Bruins' defenseman Andrew Ference's take in the aftermath of the Patrice Bergeron hit.
• Kevin Allen of the USA Today gives readers the Flyers' perspective of the Bergeron hit.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Oilers rode the strong play of their backup goalie Mathieu Garon to a 3-2 shootout victory over the defending champion Ducks last night in Anaheim. Prior to the game, Dustin Penner finally got his Stanley Cup ring from the Ducks. Also of note, Altanta's direct of player personnel, Marc Dobson, caught his third Oilers' game in the past few weeks which only makes Oilers' fans wonder if there is a trade in the works.
• After Vancouver's 3-2 home loss last night to Detroit, only two teams have recorded less points in the Western Conference than have the Canucks.
• The Ducks were so close to securing an elusive win last night before Andrew Cogliano scored a short-handed marker with less than two minutes to go in regulation to send the Oilers/Ducks game into overtime. The Ducks eventually lost in a shootout.
• The Blackhawks don't want to squander too many more opportunities for points this early in the season because they understand it will comeback to bite them in the end.
• The Avalanche defeated the Wild yesterday afternoon and, as a result, remain undefeated on home-ice this season; Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has the story.
• The Stars are hoping to prolong the Sharks' struggles tonight in Dallas.
• Chris Osgood improved his record to 5-0 as he led the Wings to a 3-2 victory over the struggling Canucks last night in Vancouver. Wings' defenseman Niklas Kronwall missed last night's game with a minor groin injury.
• The Wild couldn't generate enough offense with Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra on the sidelines with groin injuries and, as a result, were defeated by the Avs 3-1 on Sunday night. Although he has a history of groin problems, Gaborik doesn't expect to be out for long.
• Predators' goaltender Dan Ellis has been impressive his past few games, but coach Barry Trotz says, "he still has a ways to go."

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Habs have exceeded expectations so far this season writes Jack Todd in this morning's Montreal Gazette.
• In Ottawa, Andrej Meszaros has rebounded from a sub-par 2006/07 and played this season at a very high level that bares more resemblance to his fine rookie season and not his disappointing sophomore performance. The way they are currently playing, the Senators look unbeatable opines Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.
• The Capitals may be without three integral parts to their lineup tonight as they take on the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star says that once Bryan McCabe and Darcy Tucker return from their respective injuries they must fit more effectively within the team concept.
• Jason Ward has found the perfect comfort level in Tampa Bay writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• Youngster Tyler Kennedy impressed the Penguins' brass in his first game on Saturday versus the Habs but with Gary Roberts looking to return to the lineup, Kennedy may find himself watching from the press box. Meanwhile, Mark Recchi has been dropped from the team's first line to the fourth line.
• In surprising news (please detect the sarcastic tone), the Flyers do not believe that the Randy Jones hit warrants a suspension.
• Islanders' coach Ted Nolan brushed off Saturday's blowout loss to the Hurricanes as "just one of those games."
• Brendan Shanahan believes that by focusing on their lack of scoring instead of just getting wins, the Rangers are putting the cart before the horse.
• If the Devils continue to struggle, a shakeup could be in order writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• The Panthers were looking to gather momentum going into the weekend but having lost both of their games, they are now looking to regroup. "Bottom line, the mental preparation's got to be better," says Olli Jokinen.
• The Sabres are finally back to square one with a 5-5 record writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News.
• The Bruins received good news yesterday as Patrice Bergeron was released from hospital. Former Provide College Star Jeff Sorowik who has sustained serious concussions of his own, believes that Bergeron will miss at least a month of action.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Tonights Games: Detroit rides to a 5 game win streak

-Colorado 3, Minnesota 1 - Ryan Smyth and Joe Sakic have found some chemistry, they had 2 points each

-Edmonton takes Anaheim to a shootout and wins 3 - 2. Ales Hemsky scored the winner for Edmonton. The Ducks have now lost 4 in a row, equaling their longest losing streak of last season.

-Detroit continues to ride as they defeat the Canucks 3 - 2. Chris Osgood was busy for the Red Wings tonight stopping 27 of 29 shots. I'd like to note that tonight the Wings allowed more shots than the past 2 games combined. Detroit is now on a 5 game win streak.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm TB@NYR
7:30pm WSH@TOR
8:00pm SJ@DAL

Morning Musings: When will players learn to respect each other?

If you haven't seen it already, here is a clip of Randy Jones' hit-from-behind on an unsuspecting Patrice Bergeron. After watching this clip, I don't even know what to say. I mean, this hit was just plain ruthless. Jones followed through on the hit and buried Bergeron's face directly into the end boards. Now, some people have said that this isn't Jones' game; that the defenseman doesn't play this dirty style of play. Even so, that is irrelevant in my opinion. Past history of dirty play or not, this hit deserves a severe suspension. Think about it, Bergeron could have broken his neck. In my opinion, there is no dirtier hit in hockey than a hit-from-behind. It is cowardly, cheap and completely unnecessary. If the NHL wants to put an end to these ridiculous hits, they will give Jones at least a 15+ game suspension and set a strong precedent that would discourage other players from hitting-from-behind.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe has an update on Bergeron's injury status in this morning's paper. The hit was a chilling reminder of some of the scary things that can happen when you play a contact sport. As far as the game goes, Bruins' coach Claude Julien thinks the Bruins deserved better than the 2-1 loss they were handed.
• Here is Kevin Paul Dupont's usual Sunday notes piece.
• The Flyers' victory was definitely tainted by the Jones hit writes Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Meanwhile, Panaccio also has a piece this morning on the plans of new NHLPA boss Paul Kelly.
• The Sabres could have packed it in when they fell behind 3-2 in the third period, but instead the team turned it on and wound up coming back and defeating the Bolts 4-3 in overtime. In other Sabres' news, it looks like Nolan Pratt will be joining the team in the next day or two.
• Pens' goaltender Dany Sabourin came into last night's game to replace a struggling Marc-Andre Fleury, after Fleury let in three early goals, and ended up giving the Penguins a chance to win; however, unfortunately for Pens' fans the team lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Habs. Penguins' veteran Gary Roberts missed last night's game because he has the flu and was replaced in the lineup by youngster Tyler Kennedy.
• The Capitals had a twenty minute players-only meeting after their 4-3 loss to the Blues on Saturday night. Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post has the details of the Alexander Semin contract extension.
• Ilya Kovalchuk and Slava Kozlov led the Thrashers to their second victory on their current seven-game road trip last night with a win over the Blackhawks. Coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves John Anderson has proven he can win in the minors and is being considered for the head coaching position in Atlanta.
• The Hurricanes proved last night that rest is overrated writes Lorenzo Perez of the News Observer. Eric Cole was excited to get back into the Canes' lineup last night after injuring his foot a week earlier while playing soccer during warmups.
• Tomas Vokoun's return to Nashville turned out to be a letdown last night as the the veteran netminder was beat for the game-winning goal in the last minute of action. "We basically give games away, and we do it night after night," said Vokoun after the game.
• As Pat Hickey tells us in this morning's Montreal Gazette, size does matter, especially if you are Habs' rookie netminder Carey Price. Hickey also has an interesting story about the "struggling" Sidney Crosby and the youngster's ability to take criticism in stride.
• Apparently the Devils' new arena was far less disappointing than the team's play on the ice. Here are some sights and sounds from the new Prudential Center. In sad news, Colin White is not sure if he'll be able to play hockey again after sustaining an eye injury 38 days ago.
• The Rangers were awful last night according to Larry Brooks of the NY Post. You can find Larry Brooks' Sunday Slap Shots piece right here.
• Much of the Islanders' impressive statistics went out the window after being blown out by the Hurricanes last night writes John Jeansonne of Newsday.
• Lightning coach John Tortorella had "no complaints" about the way his team played last night in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Sabres. The coach also had no complaints about his team's disallowed goal late in the third period.
• It is fair to say that the Senators are home wreckers writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Here is Bruce Garrioch's Sunday rumors piece.
• The Leafs proved they can hold a third period lead last night on Broadway writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. Darcy Tucker has denied reports that his ACL is torn writes Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. Meanwhile, Mark Bell is looking forward to finally returning to the Leafs' lineup.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Alex Tanguay is heeding the advice of all the people around him and has decided to shoot the puck more often.
• The Blackhawks fell to below .500 last night after losing 3-2 to the Thrashers; Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune has the story. Winger Sergei Samsonov was a healthy scratch for last night's game.
• Terry Frei of the Denver Post profiles new NHLPA boss Paul Kelly and the promise that goes along with his hiring. Frei's colleague at the Post, Adrian Dater has the story of Jeff Jillson and the possibility that he will get into some NHL game action today for the Avalanche.
• Looks like a move to the fourth line was just what was needed to motivate a struggling Mike Modano opines Mike Heika in the Dallas Morning News.
• George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press has the story of Andres Lilja's 11th career goal. (Writer's note: You know it is a slow news day when...)
• If the Oilers want to start winning games they have to eliminate their bad giveaways. The team just committed too many errors to have a chance to win writes Jim Matheson in this morning's Edmonton Journal.
• Once again, the Jackets stifled an opponent going into the third period protecting a lead writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. The team's successful penalty kill has been one of the reasons that the Jackets are three games above .500 for the first time in franchise history.
• The Kings' impressive backstop Jason LaBarbera turned aside 34 of 35 shots to give the Kings the W over the Oilers.
• Didn't take too long did it? Wild winger Marian Gaborik hurt his groin in practice and will miss tonight's game versus Colorado. In other injury news for the Wild, Niklas Backstrom also was injured in practice and will miss tonight's contests.
• Predators' new goaltender Dan Ellis out-dueled the Predators' former netminder Tomas Vokoun for a 4-3 victory last night.
• The Coyotes were defeated by the Stars, but Shane Doan reached a milestone with his 200th career goal.
• Craig Rivet says the Sharks have "far too many passengers" on their team right now, as the Sharks were defeated 2-1 by the Blue Jackets yesterday afternoon.
• Brad Boyes continued his offensive tear last night with two goals as the Blues upended the Capitals 4-3.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.