News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Bertuzzi v. Crawford, 1 TSN. 2d 123, (2008). Lame law school joke...
2. TSN is reporting that Roberto Luongo is back with the Canucks after the birth of his baby.
3. Bob Mckenzie isn't losing any sleep over fighting in junior hockey.
4. James Duthie introduces us to Middle Standings Syndrome.
5. Dan Pollard stands behind Luongo's decision to leave the team to be with his family.
6. Brian Duff points out that home ice isn't always an advantage.
7. The Hockey News ranks the GM's on their Trade Deadline performance.
8. Milan Lucic is a fan favourite in Boston.
9. Adam Proteau updates us on the status of the playoff bubble teams.
10. Pierre Lebrun writes that there are no quick fixes available for the Maple Leafs.
11. Sean McCormick makes the case for Sam Gagner for the Calder.
12. Mike Fisher has his own song.
13. Looking back at Rick St. Croix.
14. Everything you ever wanted to know about Mike Cammalleri.
15. Having solved the language debate, the Quebec government gets involved in junior hockey.
16. Mike Toth wonders why so many "fighting experts" come out of the woodwork after high profile brawls.
17. Former NHL'er Dave Gagner has been arrested for impaired driving.
18. The Canadian Women's Hockey team tries to separate politics from sport as they travel to China for the World Championships. Maybe they should tell Jean Charest...
19. Kelly Hrudey says that scouting is becoming extremely important in the NHL.
20. The Kingman Miner (?????) gives us its thoughts on how to change the game.
21. In the best article I have seen this week, Loose Change tells nerds to leave hockey alone. Suck it nerds. Go back to the basement and read Moneyball.
22. Want more moaning and wailing but are too cheap to rent a porno? Read about hockey fights instead!
23. Here are the Odds on the NCAA Tournament.
24. Interesting story on the world of scouting from the National Post.
25. How to build the perfect NHL'er.

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

Jan 28th – Feb 3rd

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Giguere should be well rested for back-to-back games this week.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Hedberg may steal a start due to back-to-back games.

Boston Bruins (3) – Look for Thomas to start all three games this week.

Buffalo Sabres (3) – Miller should be ready to go for all three games.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Ward will be looking to get back on track after the all-star break.

Calgary Flames (2) – Kiprusoff will get a much needed rest and should be back between the pipes for both games this week.

Chicago Blackhawks (2) – The Blackhawks haven't fully given Lalime the starting job, but if Khabibulin keeps struggling expect him to be out of the picture sooner than later.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Leclaire has been stellar all year and should start all three games this week.

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Theodore recently took over the #1 position and should continue to hold onto it after the all-star break.

Dallas Stars (3) – Smith may steal a start due to back-to-back games this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Look for a split between Osgood and Hasek.

Edmonton Oilers (2) – Garon should get both starts this week.

Florida Panthers (3) – Expect Vokoun to start all three games this week.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – LaBarbera hasn't been great but is still the starter in L.A.

Minnesota Wild (2) – Backstrom should get both starts this week.

Montreal Canadiens (4) – Huet will have a busy week with four games on the schedule.

Nashville Predators (3) – Look for Ellis to steal a start this week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Brodeur will be busy during all-star week but should be ready to go for all three games this week.

New York Islanders (3) – Expect DiPietro to receive all the starts this week.

New York Rangers (4) – Lundqvist should be well rested for four games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Gerber and Emery have both struggled as of late and will be looking to regain their early season form.

Philadelphia Flyers (3) – Nittymaki has been playing well this month and should steal a start this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – Newly resigned Bryzgalov should receive all three starts this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Conklin and Sabourin will continue to receive the starts while Fleury remains on the IR.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Nabokov has started all but one game for San Jose and should be ready to go post all-star break.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Legace struggled to close out the first half, but will be looking to get back on track after the break.

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Holmqvist will be looking to continue his hot-streak post all-star break.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala has won four of his last five games and should start all three games this week.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – After skipping the all-star game, Luongo should be ready to go for all three games this week.

Washington Capitals (3) – Look for Kolzig to start all three games this week.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

Jan 7th-13th

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Look for Giguere to start all three games this week.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Hedberg gave Lehtonen a much needed rest this past week, so expect Lehtonen to receive a heavy workload this upcoming week.

Boston Bruins (3) – Thomas should receive all three starts this week.

Buffalo Sabres (3) – Miller has only yielded four starts to Thibault this season, so it should be no surprise to see Miller starting all three games this week.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – If Ward's struggles continue, expect to see more of backup John Grahame.

Calgary Flames (3) – Kiprusoff has been a workhorse all year and will most likely be in net for all three games.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – Lalime played horrible in his last appearance for the Blackhawks, allowing five goals on 17 shots. Without a reliable backup, expect Khabibulin to be busy this week with four starts.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Look for Norrena to steal a start from Leclaire this week.

Colorado Avalanche (4) – Budaj has regained his #1 status, but with four games on the schedule, expect Theodore to start at least one game.

Dallas Stars (4) – With four games expect Smith to make one start.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Osgood and Hasek have both been phenomenal lately and should continue to split starts.

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Garon hasn't played well enough to earn Edmonton's starting job, so look for Roloson to appear in one game.

Florida Panthers (4) – Even with a busy schedule, expect to see Vokoun start all four games.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – LaBarbera and Sebastian-Aubin will both see action for this upcoming week.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Harding should make one start this week due to four games on the schedule.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Look for Huet to start all three games this week.

Nashville Predators (4) – Ellis has started Nashville's last two games, and should get another start this upcoming week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Rarely ever getting a break, Brodeur should receive all three starts this week.

New York Islanders (4) – With DiPietro day-to-day, Dubielewicz becomes New York's #1 guy.

New York Rangers (3) – Look for Lundqvist to start all three games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Gerber has been Ottawa's #1 guy this year, but expect Emery to continue to receive at least one start per week.

Philadelphia Flyers (4) – Nittymaki recently gave Biron a rest, so look for Biron to start all four games this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) – With four games on the schedule, Tellqvist will be called upon this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Conklin has been on fire winning his last six starts and will continue to start until he falters.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Nabokov has started every game for San Jose this year.

St. Louis Blues (4) – With Legace currently day-to-day, Toivonen becomes St. Louis' top goaltender

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Ramo has struggled in his first stint in the NHL, but Tampa continues to stick by him.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – With Toskala still sidelined, Clemmensen and Raycroft will continue to split starts.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – Luongo has won three of his last four starts and should start all three
games this week.

Washington Capitals (2) – Look for Kolzig to start both of Washington's games this week.


For Illegal Curve I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• David Naylor of the Globe & Mail wonders whether all these Ray Emery controversies are distracting the Senators.
• In the National Post, Allen Panzeri discusses the small amount of trash talk that has taken place between the Canadian and United States junior hockey players prior to their semi-final game today in the Czech Republic.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interesting article comparing this year's version of the New England Patriots with the 1976-1977 Montreal Canadiens.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides readers with his second quarter report on the Thrashers. Tiller's colleague Craig Custance says the Thrashers are in the perfect division to make a playoff push.
• The Bruins rode a 31 save performance by Tim Thomas last night and defeated the Capitals 2-0. The Bruins got exactly what they expected from Shane Hnidy in the veteran's first game with his new club.
• With only one assist in his last nineteen games, Thomas Vanek has been demoted to the Sabres' second line and the Austrian will now play alongside Tim Connolly and Ales Kotalik.
• With consistent goaltending problems, the Hurricanes have recalled Michael Leighton from the AHL and have waived John Grahame.
• Jassen Cullimore was the unlikely overtime scorer, but the Panthers will take it, as they put an end to a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory at Long Island.
• The Habs knew the Lightning would be desperate last night, and still weathered the storm with a 6-3 home victory writes Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette.
• Those who were doubting Martin Brodeur early in the season don't look so smart now writes Bridget Wentworth of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• The Rangers were shutout by Roberto Luongo on Thursday night in what was a winnable game writes Jay Greenberg. John Dellapina of the New York Daily News tells readers that the Rangers' Achilles heel last night was their inept powerplay.
• It was quite a bizarre situation Thursday on Long Island, where it appears Rick DiPietro will now be suspended for two games for using goalie pads that were not examined by the league before being used.
• Senators coach John Paddock has yet to name a starting netminder for tonight's game versus the Sabres.
• Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Flyers have something very special in 22 year old Mike Richards. Meanwhile, the Flyers waived both Jim Dowd and Rory Fitzpatrick on Thursday.
• The Penguins had no trouble disposing of Toronto 6-2 last night writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It appears that Penguins forward Maxim Talbot is close to returning from an ankle sprain.
• The Lightning received terrific performances from their top line of Lecavalier, Prospal and St. Louis, but the rest of the team failed to show up in the Bolts' 6-3 loss at Montreal on Thursday.
• "We're halfway through the season and we still haven't found that consistency in terms of our efforts night in and night out," said Leafs captain Mats Sundin after last night's embarrassing 6-2 loss at Pittsburgh.
• The Capitals couldn't crack the scoresheet on Thursday night as they were shutout by Tim Thomas and the Bruins writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register provides Ducks fans with some information on newcomer Brandon Bochenski.
• Jarome Iginla popped the overtime winner last night as the Flames made sure that the Sharks' home struggles continued with a 3-2 victory at the Shark Tank. (Writer's note: I watched this game and it was one of the more enjoyable games I've seen all season.)
• The Blackhawks didn't lose 9-2 again, but they still came out on the losing end of a 4-2 final last night at Phoenix.
• The Avalanche received another huge blow to their lineup yesterday when they got word that rugged winger Ryan Smyth will be lost to the team for up to eight weeks with a fractured ankle.
• The Blue Jackets rebounded from a 2-1 loss to the Ducks with a 4-3 victory over the lowly Kings. Even though he has been injured a number of times this season, that doesn't mean Mike Peca is going to change the way he plays writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
• After being handily defeated 6-3 by the Wild, Stars coach Dave Tippett believes every part of his team's game needs work right now.
• There are really no flaws to the Red Wings' game right now writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. In other Wings news, Tomas Holmstrom is hoping to return this Sunday versus Chicago from a sore right knee.
• The Oilers' defense wasn't ready for the speed of the Nashville forwards last night writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• The Kings three-game winning streak sure didn't last long as they were beaten by the Blue Jackets 4-3 on home-ice last night.
• The Wild were able to get revenge last night over the Stars after being embarrassed in Dallas a little over a week ago.
• The Predators easily defeated the Oilers 5-2 on Thursday on the back of a two-goal effort from Alexander Radulov. (Writer's note: I'm still wondering why Radulov isn't playing more on this squad????)
• "We're playing hard, good, solid hockey, and are doing a lot of good things," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team defeated the Blackhawks by a score of 4-2 on home-ice.
• Even though the Sharks lost in overtime last night to Calgary, the one point they received for the loss moved them into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Dallas.
• Blues coach Andy Murray is confident in his team's talent-level on the powerplay, and that is why he just can't figure out why his team has such problems with the man-advantage.
• Roberto Luongo was single-handedly responsible for his team's victory over the Rangers last night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail thinks that the Chris Simon 30 game suspension handed down by the NHL fits the crime.
• USA Today provides a list of all Chris Simon's past suspensions in chronological order.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Atlanta Thrashers recorded a much-needed victory at home last night versus Tampa Bay. Meanwhile coach Don Waddell does not seem too concerned with the high amounts of ice-time rookie Tobias Enstrom has been logging so far this season.
• The Bruins came up a bit short last night versus the conference leading Senators and were defeated 3-2 on home-ice. In other Bruins news, Andrew Alberts continues to be kept out of the lineup with recurring headaches.
• The Sabres are set to get rock-solid defenseman Dmitri Kalinin back into their lineup tonight when they take on the Islanders.
• The Hurricanes shouldn't have been able to come back from a 2-1 deficit in the final minute of play, but the Leafs handed them the opportunity and they ran with it all the way to a 3-2 overtime victory.
• The Panthers completed their first winning road trip in four years last night with a 3-2 victory over the Canadiens. "We were the better team tonight and deserved to win. It's pretty simple,'' said goaltender Tomas Vokoun after the contest.
• Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette says the Habs biggest issue was that they couldn't keep up with the Panthers speed.
• Roberto Luongo got the better of Martin Broduer and the Devils as the Canucks defeated New Jersey 5-0. According to Canucks coach Alain Vigneault the Devils are playing basically the same style they have for the last decade.
• The Rangers got back to playing tight defensive hockey last night and it worked as they dominated the Penguins with a 4-0 victory at MSG. "He's one of the best players in the league. And when we can shut him down like that, it goes a long way as far as our line's concerned," said Rangers winger Ryan Hollweg about shutting down Sidney Crosby.
• The Islanders are trying to turn their focus to their play on the ice, not on Chris Simon writes Katie Strang of Newsday.
• The Senators got a goal from Luke Richardson last night and to make thing special, his dad was on-hand in Boston to watch his son's team defeat the Bruins 3-2.
• The Flyers continued their inconsistent ways last night, blowing a 2-0 home lead to the Coyotes and losing the game 3-2.
• Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says after last night's performance, the Penguins were lucky to only lose 4-0 to the Rangers. Ryan Malone missed last night's game with the flu.
• The Lightning had another tough loss last night but coach John Tortorella wants them to remember that they have to stick-together moving forward.
• Alexei Ponikarovsky was the goat last night as the Leafs thought they had the game in the bag but ended up somehow losing in overtime.
• Capitals defenseman Jeff Schultz has developed a new half slapshot and it has accounted for his last four goals scored writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks recorded their first shutout of the season last night by defeating the division-rival Sharks 2-0 in a game with a playoff type intensity.
• You can't be much hotter than the Flames right now as they defeated Columbus last night to cap off a 6-0 road trip. "That was a great road trip. The guys got to bond out here on the road and no better way to do it than winning. It came from a lot of hard work," said defenseman Cory Sarich after last night's 3-1 victory at Columbus.
• If the Blackhawks want to turn it around it will have to start with the team's slumping powerplay writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• According to Adrian Dater of the Denver Post, Jordan Leopold will be out of the Avs lineup tonight because of a lacerated thigh.
• It is a fine line between winning and losing in the NHL and the Blue Jackets are currently on the wrong side of that line according to coach Ken Hitchock. One of the reasons for the Jackets poor play has been their futility on the powerplay writes Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch.
• The Oilers ran into a formidable shootout foe last night as the Stars visited Rexall Place and defeated Edmonton 2-1 in a shootout.
• Kris Draper will be back in the Wings lineup tonight after missing the past nine games with a sprained knee.
• The Oilers lost in a shootout last night but they weren't unhappy with the way they played writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• The NHL's best team in Detroit faces-off against the L.A. Kings who are the NHL's worst team tonight in Motown.
• The Wild came back from a two goal third period deficit to defeat the Predators and record two points in Jacques Lemaire's 1000th career NHL game behind the bench.
• The Predators played a great first two periods but it was all for naught as the allowed three goals in the third and were defeated by the Wild 3-2 at the Xcel Center.
• The Coyotes continue to defy the odds and are now 4-1 on their current extended road trip after defeating the Flyers 3-2 last night at the Wachovia Center.
• Coach Ron Wilson was very unhappy with the way his team performed last night in their 2-0 loss to the rival Ducks.
• The Blues are not going to rush their youngsters' development writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch.
• Roberto Luongo didn't not look the least bit rusty last night after coming back from injury and helping the Canucks defeat the Devils 5-0.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• As Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail tells us, the Hurricanes aren't looking as good as they did early on in the season.
• Jeremy Sandler of the National Post provides readers with some interesting perspectives when it comes to the prospective European Super League.
• USA Today has an interesting Q & A with Sabres President Larry Quinn.
• Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun is reporting that discovery testimony from Todd Bertuzzi, and those associated with his on-ice incident, will be released this afternoon.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Capitals lost 4-3 in a shootout to the powerhouse Red Wings last night, but there were many positives to take from the contest writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.
• Don't expect the Leafs to trade for a replacement to fill the Bryan McCabe void writes Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. In positive news, McCabe's surgery was a success and he is still expected to be out the 6-8 weeks that was first reported on Saturday night.
• Shane O'Brien of the Lightning is enjoying his adjustment to the system that John Tortorella has in place in Northern Florida. Carter Gaddis has an interesting article in the Tampa Tribune this morning about Phil Thibodeau the Bolts' director of team services.
• Michel Therrien likes to juggle his lines at the best of times, but with the Penguins incurring so many injuries, Therrien is being forced to switch his lines up on an almost daily basis. Apparently the Pens and Flyers are considering an outdoor game for next season.
• Flyers coach John Stevens wants his team to cut down on their penalty minutes writes Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Even though he has a hurt foot, with all the injuries the Senators are currently dealing with, Andrej Meszaros vows to play tonight. Senators coach John Paddock loves what Zdeno Chara brings to the table in Boston.
• Katie Strang of Newsday has the details behind Chris Simon's leave of absence.
• With the Rangers struggling, Tom Renney has shuffled his lines once again, and it appears Scott Gomez will find himself alongside Jaromir Jagr.
• Rod Pelley is really looking forward to playing in front of family and friends on the Devils' upcoming Western Canada road trip.
• The Habs are starting to turn the corner at even strength writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.
• The Panthers want to make sure they get off to a good start tonight writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• Surprisingly, the Canes are expecting to have Cory Stillman in their lineup tonight when they face-off against the Maple Leafs at home.
• The Sabres are finally getting above-average production from their number one line writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
• Even though Bruins coach Claude Julien hasn't announced a starter for tonight's game, it looks like Tim Thomas is ready to go and will most likely to get the start tonight.
• The Thrashers have split up Marian Hossa and Ilya Kovalchuk and put them on different lines. Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders if more changes are in order in his blog.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• As Dan Wood of the Orange County Register tells us, the Ducks believe that other teams get more favorable penalty calls than they do.
• Apparently Jarome Iginla had as much to do with the Flames' new line combinations as did coach Mike Keenan. Jean Lefebvre suggests that Eric Nystrom has left the AHL behind for good.
• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune explains the late career move by Hawks' defenseman Magnus Johansson.
• The Avalanche rode a strong first period to a 4-2 victory at Los Angeles last night.
• Blue Jackets forward Jason Chimera thinks there is more obstruction than there was right after the lockout ended. Micheal Peca is expected to miss tonight's game with a strained pectoral muscle. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's contest versus Calgary.
• The Stars have demonstrated a different kind of toughness since Brett Hull was brought on as general manager.
• The Red Wings got the victory last night, and afterwards coach Mike Babcock made a point of telling reporters that he was very impressed with the play of the Capitals.
• The energy level is high in Edmonton with the team only one point out of a playoff spot.
• After the Kings lost to the Avalanche last night, coach Marc Crawford said, "We are struggling right now. There's no doubt about that."
• Tonight will mark Jacques Lemaire's 1000th career game coaching and he has had quite a blast along the way.
• The Predators are fed up with their lack of goal scoring and have switched up their lines for tonight's contest versus the Wild.
• Jim Gintonio has a piece on Coyotes assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson and his love for the game.
• One year ago, all three members of the Blues' top line were playing in different places writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• When Roberto Luongo returns to the lineup tonight to face the Devils, much talk will be about which one of the two goaltenders will be Canada's starting netminder in Vancouver in 2010 at the Olympics.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Nightly Recap - Leaf Nation Needs to Go Away

Montreal 4 - Toronto 3 (SO) - Toronto loses for the fourth consecutive game and are now at the bottom of the Eastern conference. Fans and media have been calling for the head of John Ferguson Jr. Why now? Could they not have seen this coming before the season? It was clear that his team was not going to make the playoffs? Illegal Curve's Richard Pollock predicted that it would be a difficult road to the playoffs in the preseason. Leaf fans have finally come to the realization that the product on the ice is awful and that something needs to be done. I am sick and tired of hearing about it every time the Leafs lose. TSN, I don't need to see seven hours of coverage on what should be done to the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. Leaf Nation needs to go away.

Anyways, to the game. Jason Blake had two assists for the Leafs and Alex Kovalev had two goals for the Canadiens. Andrei Kostitsyn scored the shootout winner for the Habs. Super rookie Carey Price stopped 43 of 46 to improve his record to 6-2-1. I don't have any numbers on hand, but it seems to me more often than not a Leafs Habs game will go into a shootout.

Detroit 5 - Calgary 3 - Pavel Datsuyk scored two goals and added an assist for the Red Wings. Tomas Holmstrom scored his 13th of the year with a helper. Niklas Lidstrom posted two assists and Chris Osgood made 19 saves in the win. After allowing 3 goals on 15 shots, Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was pulled in favor of Curtis McElhinney who stopped 18 of 20. Jarome Iginla's three assists was not enough for the Flames who have four wins and nine losses in the month of November.

Vancouver 4 - Anaheim 0 - In the much overhyped return of Todd Bertuzzi to GM Place the Ducks lay a goose egg. After an abysmal season last year, Markus Naslund is returning to form scoring his 11th goal of the year and adding an assist. Ryan Kessler, Henrik Sedin, Mattias Ohlund and Matt Cooke all had two points for the Canucks. Roberto Luongo stopped 26 for his second straight shutout.

Tomorrow's Games
7:00pm STL@BUF, PHI@CAR, DAL@NJ, OTT@NYI, FLA@WSH
8:00pm PHX@MIN
8:30pm TB@CHI
9:30pm EDM@COL
10:30pm LA@SJ

Nightly Recap: Luongo records 2nd shutout of the season

Dallas 3 - NY Rangers 2 - Mark Smith stopped 39 shots in the Stars win, Brenden Morrow scored the winning goal in the 3rd period. Jaromir Jagr scored only his fifth goal of the year, it was his first point in five games.

St Louis 3 - Calgary 0 - Manny Legace made 24 saves in the shootout, and Jamal Mayers scored 2 goals for the Blues. Brad Boyes scored his team leading 13th goal of the year.

Anaheim 3 - Los Angeles 2 - Ryan Getzlaf scored his 9th and 10th goals of the year, Todd Bertuzzi added two assists. It was the Kings fifth loss in six games.

Vancouver 2 - Chicago 0 - Roberto Luongo records his second shutout of the season keeping 27 out of the net. Brendan Morrison scored his 7th of the year and Daniel Sedin added in the empty netter.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm: DAL@NYI, BOS@PHI, BUF@WSH
9:00pm: CLB@EDM

Morning Musings

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Dan Wood of the Orange County Register profiles the still icy relationship between Ducks' GM Brian Burke and Oilers' GM Kevin Lowe.
• The Flames lost 3-2 to the Avs last night in overtime and much of the blame for the loss was channelled toward referee Mick McGeough. Meanwhile, winger Ryan Smyth was happy for a couple days off between the Avs' games in Edmonton and Calgary because it allowed for time to rejuvenate himself after his emotional return to Edmonton. As usual, Jarome Iginla is quick to deflect all the the praise he has received for his hot start and give credit to his teammates.
• David Koci has the respect of his teammates after fighting Zdeno Chara with a broken nose but his reward is a trip to the injured list.
• Avs' defenseman Jordan Leopold will be lost to the team for two months after undergoing surgery on his wrist.
• The Blue Jackets are trying not to get too up or too down this season writes Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch. After sitting out practice yesterday, Nikolai Zherdev is expected to be in the Jackets' lineup for tonight's game against the Sharks. Here are the Blue Jackets' probable lines for tonight's game.
• Mike Modano has been demoted to the fourth line in Dallas writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Chris Osgood didn't exactly have a lot of action as the Wings dominated the Sharks in a 5-1 victory. In other Wings' news, Igor Grigorenko has left the team to play in Russia.
• Dustin Penner knows he won't be getting a video tribute when he returns to Anaheim today writes Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal.
• Dustin Brown has signed a six-year contract extension with the Kings, and if some readers are wondering if it is too early to give Brown a six-year deal, Kings' GM Dean Lombardi says, "This is just a function of the way the system is."
• Jacques Lemaire doesn't play Derek Boogard, not because he doesn't believe in him, but rather, he doesn't trust the referees to treat him fairly.
• Even though Tomas Vokoun may not be starting in net tonight in his first return to Nashville, he expects the night to be emotional nonetheless.
• Niko Kapanen has found a groove in Phoenix writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic. (Writer's note: More importantly, he is the Coyotes' leading scorer with 5 points!!!)
• The Sharks' 5-1 loss to the Red Wings was an embarrassing performance writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News. Here is some additional news on the progress of Sandis Ozolinsh.
• St. Louis is excited to get its first look at superstar Alexander Ovechkin tonight as the Blues host the Capitals.
• In a battle of superstars, Roberto Luongo got the best of Alexander Ovechkin as the Canucks upended the Caps 3-2 in Washington. Last night's victory allowed the Canucks to salvage their four-game road trip.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Capitals learned first-hand last night how difficult it is to beat Roberto Luongo once he gets a lead.
• Paul Maurice says media reports that some of the Leafs' injuries are more serious than the organization has led on are untrue. Meanwhile, Maurice is not about to do anything to ruin the chemistry of the Steen-Stajan-Tlusty line.
• Bolts' defenseman Dan Boyle is expected to return to the lineup next week.
• Flyers' winger Sami Kapanen wanted to retire way back in 2004 but is now quite happy he decided not to writes Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In other Flyers' news, Simon Gagne has not been cleared to return to the ice yet after sustaining a concussion at the hands of Jay Bouwmeester.
• John Jeansonne of Newsday discusses the reaction to the new Chris Simon piece in this week's Sports Illustrated.
• While everyone is harping on their lack of offensive output, Chris Drury is very happy with the way the Rangers have played defensively writes John Dellapina of the New York Daily News.
• Even though Mark Recchi has been struggling, Michel Therrien has not moved the veteran off the team's top-line alongside Sidney Crosby.
• Devils' coach Brent Sutter ripped into winger Patrik Elias heading into the team's home opener tonight at "the Rock."
• Ondrej Pavelec will not get the chance to start his first NHL game in net for Atlanta tonight because coach Don Waddell has chosen Johan Hedberg for the start.
• Due to the number of injuries to their defense, the Sabres are looking into the possibility of signing veteran defenseman Nolan Pratt.
• Hurricanes' winger Eric Cole is hoping to return to the lineup tonight, however, whether he plays pre-game soccer is another story.
• The Panthers blew the lead heading into the third period and were defeated by the Sabres 4-2 on Friday night.
• Tomas Plekanec was the story last night, as the Habs chased Cam Ward from the Carolina net and man-handled the Canes 7-4 in Raleigh.
  

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Tonights Recap: Great Goaltending Goes Unrewarded

Tonight's games were headlined by goaltenders who had to stop a high number of shots but still managed to lose due to their team's inability to generate offense. The Hurricanes doubled the Sabres in shots; Cam Ward stopped 19 of 21 and Ryan Miller stopped 37 of 43, with four of the goals being scored in the third period. Flyers' netminder Martin Biron stopped 38 of 42, while his counterpart Thomas Vokoun needed to stop only 20 of 23. In Detroit, Roberto Luongo stopped 36 of 39 shots, while at the other end of the ice Dominik Hasek only had to face 15 shots in the entire game (he stopped 13).

Vancouver scored two goals tonight, Buffalo two and Philadelphia three. All of those teams have All-Star caliber goaltenders, but if they continue to allow an abundance of shots, and are not able to generate any offense, it is likely that they wont win many games having to rely so heavily on their goaltenders.

On to the Recap:

• Cam Ward continued his stellar play and improved his record to 6-0 for the 'Canes as they defeated the Sabres 6 - 2. Bret Hedican and Eric Staal had 3 points each for Carolina and Justin Williams continued his hot start with two more points. This season Carolina has earned points in 9 of 10 games and has only one loss in regulation play. They are looking very good early on in this young season. Ryan Miller made 37 saves for Buffalo in the loss.
• Washington 5, Tampa Bay 3. After losing 4 in a row, Captain Chris Clark was moved back up to the first line with Alexander Ovechkin. He responded with four goals to snap the Caps' losing streak.
• Olli Jokinen became the career leader in goals and points for the Panthers organization tonight, passing long-time Panther Scott Mellanby. The big Finnish center scored two goals leading Florida to a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia. Flyers' goaltender Martin Biron continued his excellent play, stopping 38 shots, in a losing.
• Dominik Hasek stopped 13 of only 15 shots faced as the Detroit Red Wings were victorious over the Vancouver Canucks 3 - 2. Long-time Red Wings' winger Tomas Holmstrom scored two goals for the Wings. Canucks' netminder Roberto Luongo was bombarded with 39 shots, turning aside 36 of them, in a losing cause.
• Flames 5, Wild 3. Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay continue to produce offensively as they both recorded 3 points apiece.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm CHI@BOS, NJ@NYR, STL@CLB,
7:30pm TOR@PIT, PHI@TB,
8:00pm ATL@NSH,
9:00pm MIN@EDM
10:00pm PHX@ANA
10:30pm DAL@LA

Morning Musings

Here are the morning papers:

• Veteran Chris Chelios, playing in his 1550th career game, scored a rare goal leading the Wings to 4-2 victory over the Oilers. As Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press points out, it sure didn't take long for the Red Wings to reunite Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg on the same even strength line.
• Dwayne Roloson was the reason the Oilers were in the game writes Joanne Ireland in this morning's Edmonton Journal. While Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun, believes much of the Oilers' nervousness early in last night's contest can be attributed to youth.
• After the Senators defeated the Devils 4-2 on home ice Monday afternoon, there are no fears of a Stanley Cup finals hangover writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Monday was just another big day for the team's top line of Spezza-Alfredsson-Heatley. Meanwhile, Chris Stevenson of the Sun wonders if a goaltending controversy has arisen in the nation's capital.
• The Devils have only played 40 minutes of hockey in each of their first three games writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. With only one assist each through three regular season games, both Patrik Elias and Dainius Zubrus know they have to play better.
• The Islanders were beaten by a coupe of ex-teammates yesterday afternoon in their 2-1 loss to the Capitals. After impressing in his first two games as an Islander, forward Mike Comrie's third period giveaway led to the Capitals' game winning goal.
• After Monday's victory, the Capitals remain undefeated on this young season. One of the keys to the Capitals' hot start, Nickals Backstrom, has a Q & A in this morning's USA Today.
• Apparently the Flyers' team building exercises include playing with Lego; Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the story. Daniel Briere may look young but he plays like a man writes Mark Kram in this morning's Inquirer.
• According to Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic, goaltender David Aebischer will make his season debut on Wednesday when the Coyotes take on Columbus.
• As Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains, Rob Scuderi is trying to open up his game a bit this season. In other Pens' news, Sidney Crosby skipped the team's Monday workout to rest his bruised foot but the superstar expects to be in the lineup versus the Canadiens on Wednesday night.
• The Tampa Tribune provides readers with a Q & A this morning with the Lightning's Brad Lukowich.
• Blues' goaltender Manny Legace has already lessened his games played expectations for 2007/08. On the injury front, the Blues are going to be without Eric Brewer for the next 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury.
• Mark Zwolinksi and Joanna Smith of the Toronto Star detail the announcement by Jason Blake that he has a rare form of cancer. At times like these hockey doesn't matter writes Damien Cox of the Star. Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun explains what type of cancer Blake has and the treatment process that goes along with it. In an odd way, Jason Blake is lucky that he was diagnosed with this type of cancer this year and not five years ago writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail. (Writer's note: Needless to say, the writers of Illegal Curve wish Jason Blake a speedy recovery)
• As Ben Kuzma writes in this morning's Vancouver Province, Kevin Bieksa knows he still has a lot to improve on. Don't worry about Roberto Luogno's knee Canucks fans, Luongo took part in the Canucks' 80 minute practice on Monday and is fully ready to go for the team's next game.
• It may take a little while for Thrashers' newcomer Todd White to get comfortable writes Carrol Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• As Dan Wood of the Orange County Register points out, the Ducks really need to get their offense going if they expect to succeed in the Western Conference this season.
• So far this season, Bruins' coach Claude Julien has followed through on his promise to cut Zdeno Chara's minutes down.
• Cory Stillman and Bret Hedican both made it through practice on Monday and are expected to be in the Hurricanes' lineup tonight versus the Maple Leafs.
• As Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald points out, the Flames have to start dictating the pace of the game to their opponent, not the other way around. Jarome Iginla thinks teammate Daymond Langkow is capable of scoring 40 goals.
• Jonathan Toews will make his NHL debut tomorrow night lining up between Patrick Kane and Tuomo Ruutu.
• According to coach Ken Hitchock there is a difference between being a talent and being a player, and Ron Hainsey is starting to become a player. Coach Hitchcock was busy on Monday trying out new lines in practice, however, he warns that the new line combinations should only be written in pencil.
• Panthers' center Olli Jokinen thinks he can play a lot better than he has the first two games. Meanwhile, Roberto Luongo has some advice for Panthers' fans, give Tomas Vokoun some time to adjust to his new surroundings and don't pass judgment too early on.
• Youngster Matt Niskanen has impressed the Stars' brass enough that the organization has decided to keep him up with the big club and send down Nolan Baumgartner to the minors.
• Seeing the dentist is becoming an all too common occurrence for Kings' youngster Patrick O'Sullivan.
• Barry Trotz likes the balance of his team's top three lines writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette opines that Cristobal Huet has left the door open for Carey Price.
• According to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune, Wild rookie James Sheppard could get into his first NHL game on Wednesday night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Morning Musings: Evaluating the Canucks

(Note: The morning papers can be found at the bottom of this post below my evaluation of the Vancouver Canucks)

After pulling off one of the most lopsided trades of all-time in the summer of 2006, Dave Nonis saw his Vancouver Canucks bow out in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in Anaheim. While a second round exit can be seen as progress, Nonis had the job, this off-season, of trying to push his team to the next level. As Nonis knows, once your team takes a giant step forward in the standings, expectations only increase, especially in a hockey hotbed like Vancouver.

Here are six questions that people have about the Canucks heading into 2007/08?

Does the team have enough offense to contend for the Stanley Cup?
Not likely. Creating offense was the Canucks' biggest problem during the playoffs and all the team added up-front during the off-season was Ryan Shannon, Brad Isbister and Byron Ritchie. Needless to say, that is not a list of forwards that will suddenly instill fear into opponents. Some may cite the possible rebound seasons of Brendan Morrison and Markus Naslund but, in reality, what reason do we have to believe that they will suddenly return to pre-lockout form? If anything, they are both a year older and their play should fall-off.

Was the addition of Aaron Miller significant?
It is hard to say the addition of a defenseman who is likely to play sixth defenseman minutes is significant, but playing in a Canadian city can do that. Jokes aside, Miller is an upgrade over Rory Fitzpatrick and the other end of the bench defensemen he will play in place of. The Canucks top four defense is very strong and Miller should be able to handle an increased workload if one of the defensemen were to go down to injury.

Can the Sedin twins each crack the 100 point plateau?
Anything is possible, and with their progression over the past couple of years the twins have begun to carry the Canucks' offense. Nonetheless, the 100 point plateau is generally reserved for the creme de la creme and the Sedins seem more likely to slot in around the 85-90 point range.

Was Kevin Bieksa's breakout season a fluke?
Coming into last season's training camp, Bieksa was just hoping to crack the Canucks' roster. It is fair to say he did far more than just that, as the Grimsby, Ontario native cracked the team's top-four defensive rotation and was a consistent workhorse all season long. Bieksa is no fluke, he proved his worth for a couple of seasons with the AHL's Manitoba Moose and used that experience in the minors to better himself in all areas of the game. The 26 year old rearguard was given a three-year contract extension this off-season that will take his tenure with the Canucks through at least 2011-2012. Expect another solid season from the gritty Bieksa.

Do questions 1-4 even matter if Roberto Luongo has a sub-par campaign?
In short, no. Roberto Luongo is the best goaltender in the NHL and, some believe (including this writer) that Luongo was the sole reason that the Canucks advanced to the second round of the playoffs and had a 100+ point year in the standings. It is a fairly simple equation in Vancouver, if Luongo plays up to his capabilities, the Canucks have a chance to make a Stanley Cup run; if he doesn't play up to his capabilities, the Canucks will be fighting for a playoff spot.

Can the Canucks win the Stanley Cup?
They weren't good enough to win it last year as they exhibited by just squeaking by an overrated Dallas squad and then getting dominated in round two by Anaheim. The Canucks have a very good one through six defense and the best goaltender in the world, but their offense leaves much to be desired. There is always a chance that Luongo becomes simply unbeatable and takes the team on a long playoff run; however, it says here that the world-class goaltender can only do so much and the team is most likely headed for another second round exit.

On to the morning papers:

• In an attempt to ratchet up training camp competition, Alain Vigneault said the only players with guaranteed roster spots in camp are Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins; Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province has the story.
• The pressure is on Markus Naslund this season to help increase the Canucks' offensive output after a disappointing 2006/07.
• The last thing head coach Alain Vigneault wants his team to do is look ahead to the playoffs before even making it writes Bob Mackin of the Vancouver Sun.
• Alexander Ovechkin is awfully excited to get the season underway and says he's in the best shape of his young career.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the story of Andy Murray's long and inspiring journey to become a head coach in the NHL.
• In one of the better reads this morning, Toronto Star columnist Damien Cox believes the NHL necessarily put the clamp down on Mark Bell.
• In light of the Mark Bell suspension, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail has an interesting article this morning on athletes indiscretions and poor business for the NHL.
• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail believes that Gary Bettman needs to be more consistent in levying his suspensions, therefore, forewarning other NHL'ers when their actions will be worthy of suspension.
• Aaron Ward is now fully integrated in the Boston community and is looking forward to getting the season underway writes Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe.
• Kevin Paul Dupont has the story of the Bruins' most recent acquisition Petteri Nokelainen (trying spelling that name correctly!) and the attributes that the organization feels he can bring to the table. That being said, there are few spots up-for-grabs at Bruins' training camp.
• There are some questions as to whether the winner of the Flames' second goaltending spot will actually start the season in Calgary or as the starter for team's AHL affiliate in Quad City.
• Mike Keenan has high expectactions for his veterans heading into camp writes Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun.
• It looks like both Dustin Boyd and Cam Cunning have made a good first impression on head coach Mike Keenan writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald.
• Without the distractions that come with defending the Stanley Cup the Carolina Hurricanes are focused on bouncing back from a subpar 2006/07 season; Luke Decock of the News Observer has the details.
• The Dallas Morning News has an interview with Brenden Morrow conducted by the fans.
• The Red Wings plan to split up Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk this season writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.
• Mike Illitch, owner of the Red Wings, is looking forward to getting back to a more balanced schedule after the 2007/08 season. (Writer's note: Thank goodness. This unbalanced schedule needs to go.)
• Noah Welch, the player that the Panthers acquired for Gary Roberts at last season's trade deadline, has signed a new two-year contract.
• Derek Armstrong of the Kings has always been a team player and he is proving that once again with his willingness to take a reduced role in 2007/08 with all the off-season acquisitions Dean Lombardi brought in.
• Michael Russo of Star-Tribune has questions and answers on the 2007/08 season for the Minnesota Wild.
• The Nashville Predators named Jason Arnott captain on Wednesday and Arnott couldn't have been happier writes John Glennon of the Tennessean. (Writer's note: Why did Steve Sullivan get passed over?)
• As Pat Hickey details in this morning's Montreal Gazette, if you are attempting to crack the Canadiens' roster, rest must not be part of your vocabulary.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger previews the 2007/08 version of the New Jersey Devils.
• Tom Renney expects to contend for a championship this season, a far cry from his early days on Broadway; John Dellapina of the Daily News has the story.
• Chris Stevenson has the story of Martin Gerber's new black helmet (Writer's note: You know you are in Canada when...).
• The Senators want to guard against complacency and comeback hungrier this season writes Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen.
• Jim Gontonio details the story of Bill Thomas and his attempts to make the Coyotes in this morning's Arizona Republic. However, Thomas won't be without lots of competition from the 50 plus players the Coyotes have at camp.
• Flyers' coach John Stevens is keeping a close on the rookie battles at camp, and with few spots up for grabs, you better be on your game to make the Flyers.
• Even with increased expectations, Pens' coach Michel Therrien doesn't plan on changing his training camp routine writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Apparently Ron Wilson is not a man without a plan, as the veteran coach has only three things that he wants to make a decision on in Sharks' camp.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune answers five burning questions surrounding the Lightning heading into 2007/08.
• According to Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun, John Ferguson Jr. is unafraid of free agency.
• Do the Leafs lack hometown supporters? Matthew Chung of the Toronto Star provides us with the real answer.