Don't read too much into Kovalchuk's minus rating says Anderson

From Do Thrashers Have Talons?:

When a questioner criticized Ilya Kovalchuk for being a minus player, Anderson interjected. He said that plus/minus was very much affected by the quality of the team and that best way to interpret plus/minus is look at players at the extremes. "If someone is way ahead or behind the team average that tells you something about that particular player." He pointed that Kovalchuk was on a team were most players were minus and he was pretty close to average in that respect.

Read the entire post here.

This interview of Anderson makes you think Atlanta made the right decision when it decided to hire the veteran AHL coach.

Esposito has chance to start fresh

From Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The most important part of prospect camp for Esposito might be the conversations he had Tuesday with Thrashers coach John Anderson and director of amateur scouting and player development Dan Marr.

"We just told him, 'Look, the slate's clean here. Don't worry about what everybody else says you're supposed to do. Just play, and let your hockey do the talking,' " Anderson said.

Esposito got a similar pep talk from Thrashersgeneral manager Don Waddell after the trade.

Read the entire story here.

While his game has been questioned by many, Esposito certainly has the potential to be a scorer at the NHL level. For now, he needs to focus on the little things and proving himself at the AHL level.

Atlanta isn't as bad as it may seem

From Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Don't tell Eric Boulton Atlanta isn't a good place for a hockey player. Boulton, a 31-year-old left wing who lives here year-round, re-signed with the Thrashers on Wednesday eight days after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The two-year, $1.2 million contract is a $75,000-a-year raise and his first multi-year deal with the team he joined in 2005.

"It's nice. We like it here. We wanted to stay here," Boulton said. "I think Atlanta is getting a bad rap right now [from other NHL players]. Our fans are fantastic. You can't ask for a better city to raise a family in."

Read the entire article here.

I don't think the issue is raising children in Atlanta, the issue is the isn't very good. As a result, no one wants to play in Atlanta and I can understand that rationale.

John Anderson hired in Atlanta

From Mike Knobler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

I’m glad this one didn’t drag out any longer. John Anderson is officially the Thrashers’ new coach.

Read his short entry about the hiring here.

I am happy to see Anderson get a chance at the NHL level. This guy has been a consistent winner at the AHL level and will now get a chance to try and achieve the same success his best friend Bruce Boudreau did in Washington. However, the catch is that he has to try and do so with a far less talented roster than his best buddy had to work with.

Most Atlanta fans have been happy about this hire, but The Falconer at Do The Thrashers Have Large Talons? has his reservations. Read his take here.

Anderson hiring not official just yet

From Mike Knubler of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Sometime over the next few days, we might learn if the difference between TSN’s report the Thrashers have hired John Anderson and Don Waddell’s denial of that TSN report comes down to semantics or something more.

In other words, is this the equivalent of “Nobody’s hired until the general manager says he is,” or is this a situation that could still lead to someone other than Anderson behind the Thrashers’ bench in the 2008-09 season?

Read more about the Thrashers coaching situation here.

When TSN reports something, it is almost always true. So, I think it is fair to believe that the Thrashers have decided to hire John Anderson. That choice is a terrific one, as Anderson has paid his dues in the AHL for years and will finally get a chance to try his craft at the NHL level.

NHL Morning Papers: Non-Playoff Teams (Thursday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs:

• Sergei Samsonov has signed a three-year deal with the Hurricanes, writes Robbi Pickeral of the News Observer (Writer's note: Was any team even going to offer Samsonov two years on the open market?)
• The Blues have fired Dave Baseggio the coach of their AHL affiliate in Peoria.
• Don Waddell has received a vote of confidence from the Thrashers ownership and is looking forward to hiring a coach and putting together his team this off-season.
• Dave Nonis believes the Canucks are not that far away from winning the Cup. Give the former Canucks GM credit, he took the high road at his farewell press conference. "Steve Tambellini should be the GM," said Nonis on Wednesday. Nonis has no plans to just collect his money and says after he takes a little time off, he will be looking to get back into hockey. (Writer's note: Here is my take on the Nonis firing.)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

Unselfishness Cost Dave Nonis His Job

Over the past couple days, many people have chimed in with their opinion on the Dave Nonis firing. While there is support both for and against the move, I am going to count myself in the "against the move" camp. To me, it is quite simple what cost Dave Nonis his job--he's not selfish.

Bear with me for a second here. Let's all think back to right before last season's trade deadline. Does anyone remember Don Waddell's pre-deadline moves? His trade of draft picks for soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Keith Tkachuk. Or, better yet, his trade of Braydon Coburn for Alexei Zhitnik. Both these moves were short-sighted, and lopsided in the other team's favor; however, Waddell's team made the playoffs last season. Forget the fact that they were swept easily by the Rangers, they made the playoffs! Isn't that terrific! A team made the playoffs and was out in four games.

You know, all I keep hearing about Dave Nonis was that he missed the playoffs in two of his three seasons as GM of the Canucks. But does anyone honestly think that if the Canucks snuck into the playoffs, that they could have beat the Red Wings or the Sharks? C'mon now. The team just was not good enough.

Now, I'm not here to absolve Nonis of all the blame. He did put this team together and the group completely lacked secondary scoring. That, rightfully, falls on his shoulders. But his solid defensive corps was injured all year, and if they had been healthy, they'd surely have made the playoffs. However, as we have pointed out, the team wasn't going to win this season regardless. Sometimes you just aren't good enough.

That brings us to this summer. If you look closely, you will notice that Nonis (try saying that fives times over) did not mortgage the team's future. In fact, he held onto all the team's top prospects. He did what was right for the organization, not himself. Surely, Nonis could have sold off his team's cheap assets to get into the playoffs. If that happened, Nonis would have been to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. He probably would have saved his job just like Don Waddell did. But, unselfishly, he didn't. He put the organization and team first, and was building for the future. A future he hoped would include a Stanley Cup, not just some measly playoff birth.

The action by the Vancouver ownership was unfortunate. The team is heading into this summer having just less than ten million dollars to spend on offense, with Markus Naslund and Brendan Morrison coming off the books. Moreover, Nonis was apparently close to securing much sought after Swede Fabian Brunnstrom's services. In short, the team was moving in the right direction, and had room to grow. Now, however, uncertainty is abound and no one, maybe not even ownership, knows what the vision of the organization is.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail has an interesting article on NHL awards and the process involved with it.
• William Houston tells readers that Pierre Lebrun and Don Cherry are on opposite sides of the Jonathan Roy argument.
• The Leafs need to be overhauled, writes David Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today says that Team USA may have a very talented squad at this year's World Hockey Championships.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• They almost blew it, but the Devils ended the team's five-game losing streak last night with a 5-4 shootout victory over the Flyers. Although he is usually not a fighter, defenseman Mike Mottau still stood up for his netminder on Friday night by dropping the gloves, writes Rich Chere.
• The Islanders have sent Jeff Tambellini back to Bridgeport of the AHL for the remainder of the season, writes Erik Boland.
• While first place in the Atlantic Division is a little far-fetched, if the Rangers play good hockey, they have a very good chance at gaining home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Off the ice, the NY Daily News is reporting that Sean Avery's name was found in a prostitute's black book. (Writer's note: Rumors persist that if Avery is suspended by the NHL for this finding that Elliot Spitzer will replace him in the Rangers line up.)
• The Flyers may have lost for the twelfth straight game at New Jersey, but they did earn a valuable point in the process, writes Ray Parrillo. "We're playing with a lot of confidence right now. It's still disappointing the way the game ended. You wish with such an effort you get two points. But we'll definitely take the point," said Daniel Briere after Friday's contest.
• Even with all their offense, the key to a Penguins playoff run is Marc-Andre Fleury. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette thinks that Marian Hossa will be ready to play on Sunday versus the Rangers.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron has officially been shut down for the rest of the regular season. With the prospect of facing the Habs or Penguins in the first round, the Bruins have their sites set on the sixth seed and a first round match up with the Hurricanes.
• Jerry Sullivan does not hold back in his analysis of the Sabres in this morning's Buffalo News. The Sabres continued to blow late-game leads last night as they lost 4-3 in overtime to Les Habitants, writes John Vogl.
• "If we were good with the leads, we'd be a .700 team. We blow those leads and that's why we're playing like a .500 hockey team right now," said Senators forward Jason Spezza about his team's recent propensity for blowing leads. On the injury front, the Senators will be without Cory Stillman (leg) for today's game versus Boston.
• Friday night's come from behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Sabres moved the Habs back into first place in the Eastern Conference. Meantime, Red Fisher acknowledges the Canadiens surprisingly successful season thus far, but warns fans that the playoffs are a whole new ballgame.
• Damien Cox thinks the Leafs are going to try a one-year turnaround in the standings and that they will fail in that attempt. As for the off-season, Mats Sundin has stated that he wants to retire a Maple Leaf, but the Leafs captain is unsure of what the future will bring.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Vincent Lecavalier made a boy's dream come true yesterday at practice, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• "I haven't probably been as good a leader as people expect. I haven't played the level I am capable of playing every single game," said Panthers star Olli Jokinen about his recent poor play.
• The Hurricanes thoroughly dominated Atlanta last night and, as a result, came closer to winning the Southeast Division crown. Chad Larose returned to the Canes' line up last night after having been sidelined for seven weeks with a leg injury.
• The Thrashers took way too many penalties last night, writes Craig Custance. Apparently Don Waddell is encouraging his players to take part in the World Hockey Championships. (Writer's note: It would be even better if he encouraged his players to actually try during games for the remainder of the season.)
• Sergei Fedorov is determined to get his new team into the top eight spots in the Eastern Conference.

The Western Conference morning papers are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Brian Milner of the Globe & Mail has further details on the story reported by Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star yesterday that the NHLPA has hired a forensic accountant to examine NHL franchises.
• Steve Yzerman has aspirations of running the Canadian men's Olympic entry at the 2010 games in Vancouver, writes Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail.
• Mark Spector of the National Post believes that Curtis Joseph is the perfect backup goaltender.
• Mike Brehm of USA Today thinks that Alexander Ovechkin has surged into the lead for the Hart Trophy.
• Mike Babcock is a big fan of the way the New England Patriots run their organization and was disappointed that the Pats couldn't make 19-0 on Sunday, writes Damien Cox of the Toronto Star.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star discusses the possibility that a number of Leafs veterans won't waive their no-trade clauses. In positive Leafs news, defenseman Bryan McCabe could be ready to return to the lineup for Thursday night's game versus the Habs.
• The Senators frustrations are starting to boil over, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In positive news for Sens fans, apparently the team is on Peter Forsberg's short-list for teams he would sign with, if he decides to return to the NHL.
• The Islanders keep getting worse news, as forward Mike Sillinger has been lost to the club for three weeks with a hip injury.
• The Devils responded to a Brent Sutter motivational speech at the second intermission and came back to defeat the Penguins 4-3 in overtime. Devils tough-guy Arron Asham was a healthy scratch last night.
• The Panthers are hoping to get Ville Peltonen in their lineup by this weekend, but will now be without Jozef Stumpel and Radek Dvorak for substantial periods of time.
• Carey Price is back with Les Habitants and could very well start for the team Thursday versus the Leafs. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen believes the Canadiens are true contenders.
• The Lightning has not packed it in for this season, and still believe they can make the playoffs, writes Carter Gaddis of the Tampa Tribune.
• In Atlanta, Coach Don Waddell says it is unlikely that Ilya Kovalchuk will suit up tonight versus the Flyers.
• Bruins rookie Vladimir Sobotka hasn't scored a goal yet this season, but is contributing in other ways, writes Barbara Matson of the Boston Globe. The Bruins have their eyes on Lord Stanley's Cup, even if most people don't believe they have a chance, writes Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald.
• The Hurricanes have put Saturday's loss to Pittsburgh behind them and have shifted their collective focus towards defeating the streaking Predators in Nashville tonight.
• The Rangers won three straight games on the road, but Jaromir Jagr didn't tally a point, so Tim Bontemps of the NY Post thinks he's due to breakout. Tom Renney defended Jagr to the media yesterday. In injury news, Brendan Shanahan might not return until February 16th because of a number of ailments.
• Joffrey Lupul thought he'd be ready to play this week, but now doctors are telling him he will be out another five games.
• After gaining a point in their 4-3 overtime loss to the Devils, the team is now tied for first place in the Atlantic Division, however, the way they blew a 3-1 lead at New Jersey left a sour taste in their mouth. In the Pens dressing room, Boston native Ryan Whitney was hearing it from his teammates about the NY Giants upset victory.
• The Capitals have recalled Eric Fehr from the AHL and are hoping he provides them with a boost in the points department.
• Sabres netminder Ryan Miller will be between the pipes tonight as his squad takes on the Bruins. So much for the return of Maxim Afinogenov as the speedy Russian winger had a setback with his injured groin at practice and will miss more time.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks are expecting to have Teemu Selanne in the lineup tonight when they face-off against the Islanders on Long Island.
• The Ducks neighbours in Southern California take on the Rangers tonight at Madison Square Garden.
• The Stars are getting tremendous productivity from Matt Niskanen and Niklas Grossman, and the two youngsters are flying under the radar of most NHL fans, writes Mike Hieka of the Dallas Morning News. The Stars take on the Canucks tonight, here is a preview.
• If Dan Cleary really wants to stay in Detroit, he most likely will have to sign for below market value, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. George Sipple of the Free Press tells readers that two Red Wings are on track for some post-season awards.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire won't even think of separating Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra if they continue to play like they currently are, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean has the back-stroy behind the Arnott-Radulov-Dumont line, which has been on a tear since being reunited. The Predators play the Hurricanes tonight, here is a preview.
• Mark Emmons of the San Jose Mercury News is reporting that the Sharks will be without defenseman Douglas Murray for at least a week.
• Blues coach Andy Murray says his team needs to win 20 of their last 31 games to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. Blues goaltender Manny Legace is bitter about his Saturday performance against the Avalanche and is looking to rebound tonight at home versus the Lightning.
• The Flames came out flat against the Horcoff-less Oilers and were on the losing end of a 5-0 score at Rexall Place last night. The Flames didn't give Curtis Joseph any help in his Flames debut writes Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun.
• Even with the loss of Shawn Horcoff, the Oilers showed no signs of panic last night, writes John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal. With most pundits writing them off, the Oilers don't think they are out of the playoff race just yet.
• The Coyotes rode Radim Vrbata to a come from behind 4-3 overtime victory over the Avalanche last night, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic. In other Coyotes news, Rick Tocchet returns to the bench on Thursday and Commissioner Gary Bettman says it is time to move on.
• Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province runs down the man games lost for the Canucks defense corps this season.
• Avalanche coach Joel Quenville was disappointed with the officiating in last night's 4-3 overtime at home to Phoenix. Meanwhile, it looks like Denver is among the cities being considered to host the next outdoor game.
• The Blue Jackets were hoping to streak out of the All-Star break but, instead, have lost three in a row and now the team has a bad case of the bronchitis. The Jackets host the Capitals tonight; here are the projected lines for Columbus.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

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.

Morning Musings: The Bryan McCabe situation

On Monday, Leafs' defenseman Bryan McCabe accidentally shot the puck in his own net at the end of overtime versus the Buffalo Sabres. The next day, the outcry from Leafs' fans was overwhelming. People were, and still are, calling for McCabe to be traded, saying he was the most overpaid defenseman in the league and just plain bashing the offensive rearguard. The question I have for Leaf fans is, why? Why boo McCabe when he plays at home? I just don't get it. The word fan is derived from the word fanatic and Leaf fans are fanatic about their team; more importantly fans are presumably fanatic about wanting their team to win. If they want their team to win then what is the purpose in bashing/booing Bryan McCabe? I never understand why fans do this. When you boo a player, it only affects his confidence in a negative way, thereby hurting the player's production which results in less wins for your favorite team. If the Leafs fans were as knowledgeable as they claim to be, they would support McCabe and give the rearguard some confidence; this most likely result in better production from the gritty defenseman and therefore more wins for the organization.

On to the morning papers:

• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details of Bob Hartley's firing. While, Jeff Schultz of the AJC thinks that Don Waddell should have been the one fired. Here is a list of possible coaching replacements provided by the paper.
• Petteri Wirtanen scored the winning goal as the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Wednesday night.
• The Predators played a lot better last night than they had their three games before, nonetheless, it wasn't enough to beat the Ducks; John Glennon of the Tennessean has the details. David Legwand has been creating scoring chances with his linemates but has been having trouble making those chances count.
• As Kevin Paul Dupont writes in this morning's Boston Globe, the Bruins finally get the opportunity to impress their fans at tonight's home opener. Since leaving the Boston Garden, the Bruins haven't been that successful at defending home-ice and coach Claude Julien says that has to change. In other Bruins' news, coach Julien wants the Boston media to get off Manny Fernandez's back.
• Coach Denis Savard has set 28 wins as his goal for home-ice wins this season, unfortunately for Savard last night's 3-1 loss to St. Louis won't help contribute to lessening that number. Star forward Martin Havlat has decided to undergo rehabilitation instead of surgery and is expected to be out of the lineup for 4-6 weeks. Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune opines that the Blackhawks missed out on an opportunity to gain some fans by blacking out last night's home-game with little, if any, competition on television.
• Both Avalanche goaltenders are happy to have full-time goalie coach Jeff Hackett around to correct their mistakes.
• The Blue Jackets couldn't close the deal last night at home versus Dallas writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Fredrik Norrena knew was shootout move Jussi Jokinen was going to use, yet Jokinen somehow still scored on the netminder. Meanwhile, Michael Arace of the Dispatch believes that with the youth of the Blue Jackets, coach Ken Hitchock can't rely on his old methods.
• If not for the their goaltender Mike Smith, the Stars would never have made it to the shootout in the first place writes Mike Heika in the Dallas Morning News.
• Chris Osgood will be starting tonight for the Red Wings versus the Sharks and no, Dominik Hasek is not injured.
• The Oilers will be without off-season acquisition Sheldon Souray for up to a month with a shoulder injury. With Souray lost to injury, this is starting to look a lot like last March writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun.
• Panthers' rookie Cory Murphy can't wait to play an NHL game in his hometown of Ottawa for the first tieme this Saturday. Olli Jokinen is the Panthers' ironman with 300 consecutive games played writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
• As Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times explains, Marc Crawford is still behind Rob Blake even though he has struggled to begin the season.
• While the Wild had a successful road trip, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune says they need to get more disciplined if they hope to continue their success.
• Habs' Coach Guy Carbonneau obviously has some confidence in goaltender Carey Price as he is starting the rookie against the defending Eastern Conference champion Senators tonight. Carbonneau was also busy yesterday diffusing a number of team controversies writes Pat Hickey in this morning's Montreal Gazette. Meanwhile, youngster Maxim Lapierre doesn't intend on sulking in the AHL after being sent down last week.
• The Devils defeated the Penguins last night by outscoring instead of out-defending them writes Mark Everson of the NY Post. Petr Sykora is wondering why his former linemate Patrik Elias didn't even tell him he got married.
• The Penguins received another lackluster effort from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury writes Dave Molinari of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The Rangers play in Atlanta today and are wary of a team that is looking for their first win and has a new coach behind the bench. Marek Malik may be a healthy scratch for the Rangers tonight writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• Islanders' coach Ted Nolan is not big fan of changing up his lines but will do it when necessary.
• Martin Gerber has been "the club's best player" says captain Daniel Alfredsson and will be in between the pipes tonight with Ray Emery backing him up versus the Habs. Ken Warren of the Ottawa Citizen is wondering if it is Gerber's job to lose.
• The Devils are still the Devils, and thus, the Flyers won't be taking any game against them lightly writes Ed Moran of the Philadelpihia Inquirer. Martin Biron has been a calm and steady influence on the Flyers so far this season writes Moran's colleague Tim Panaccio.
• Coyotes' coach Wayne Gretzky is not as hard on his team's youngsters as Glen Sather was on him in Edmonton.
• The Sharks aren't focusing on last season's playoff loss to the Red Wings going into tonight's game against Mike Babcock and friends.
• Andy Murray's powerplay line switch helped the Blues win 3-1 over Chicago on Wednesday night.
• The aforementioned Bryan McCabe puts his gaffe into perspective for the Leafs' media. McCabe knows booing is part of the game and think he is lucky to compared to a defenseman of Larry Murphy's stature.
• Kevin Bieksa looks to be hurt, but he is a tough cookie and sure won't admit it.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.