News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. There is still playing time for grabs in Team Canada's lineup.
2. TSN is reporting that the Leafs have asked the Canucks for permission to speak to Dave Nonis.
3. The 3rd edition of the Sportsnet Playoff Magazine.
4. The Stars owe their 4-OT win to...pizza?
5. Mike Toth wonders about the timing of Paul Maurice's firing.
6. Fabian Brunstrom...blah, blah, blah...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
7. Looking back on the Dustin Penner signing.
8. Check out this Art Gallery of Nova Scotia page, featuring hockey art.
9. The Chicago Blackhawks are raising ticket prices.
10. Evgeni Malkin is old-timey.
11. Darren Eliot credits coach John Stevens with the Flyers resurgence.
12. In a move that should surprise no one, a Quebec publisher want the Canadiens to play more French language music at the Bell Centre.
13. Dany Heatley has been the show at the World Championships thus far.
14. In upset news, the Swiss defeated the Swedes and Norway downed Germany.
15. Jacques Lemaire, perhaps unable to find a new way to trap, may not coach the Wild next year.
16. Philly vs. Pittsburgh: The Tale of the Tape.
17. Damien Cox reminds us that the MLSE is still in charge in Toronto.
18. Darryl Reaugh butchers a Fergie song.
19. Jamie McClennan's Top Ten moments from Japan.
20. Chris Osgood is still looking to prove himself after all these years.
21. Ed Willes says the writing is on the wall for a Burke-Nonis reunion in Toronto.
22. Adam Thompson of the Wall Street Journal notes that hockey is back in a big way.
23. TSN is reporting that the Leafs have been denied permission to speak to Doug Wilson.
24. The New York Islanders have signed Robin Figren, who was impressive for Sweden at last year's World Juniors.
25. Ten NCAA teams to watch in 2009.

NHL Morning Papers--Western Conference (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Pacific Division morning papers:

• Wayne Gretzky was happy with his team's performance yesterday but they were unable to defeat the Ducks as they lost 2-1. Coyotes youngster Enver Lisin is feeling more comfortable in the line up this season, writes Jim Gintonio.
• Teemu Selanne has been tremendous since his return to the NHL and the Finnish Flash demonstrated that last night by scoring both goals in his team's 2-1 victory.
• The Kings rallied yesterday afternoon and surprised the Stars with a 4-2 road victory.
• The Stars have received a challenge from GM Les Jackson to take responsibility and fight through their recent struggles.
• Sharks forward Torrey Mitchell has reached out to Wild defenseman Kurtis Foster.

Here are the Central Division morning papers:

• St. Louis native Cam Janssen was doing his best to help out the flood victims in Missouri, writes Jeremy Rutherford.
• Dan Ellis wasn't even supposed to start yesterday against Chicago, but he did, and he was tremendous, writes John Glennon. Even with last night's performance, Barry Trotz has yet to decide on his starting netminder for Tuesday's game.
• Pavel Datsyuk was tremendous yesterday as he led the Wings to a 4-2 victory at Columbus. Last night's win was the Wings' 50th of the season.
• Ken Hitchcock was unhappy with the intensity level of a number of his players last night, writes Aaron Portzline. Some Jackets did not play with passion, but Rick Nash was not among them.
• The Blackhawks outplayed the Predators on Saturday, but you do not get points for outplaying your opponents, writes Chris Kuc.

Here are the Northwest Division morning papers:

• Saturday afternoon's chaotic game resulted in the Oilers beating the Avalanche and the Oilers moving within three points of a playoff spot. To make the events of yesterday more exciting, Marc Pouilout scored his first goal of the season.
• The Flames needed a big win on Saturday, and when they need a victory Jarome Iginla always steps up to the plate, writes Steve Macfarlane. Iginla has dominated the Wild throughout his career.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire thinks his team is cursed at the Saddledome, writes Michael Russo. Meanwhile, in light of the Kurtis Foster injury, Russo suggests the NHL adopt no-touch icing.
• Even though they lost their last game to Minnesota, the Canucks are not lacking in the confidence department, writes Jason Botchford.
• The Avalanche went 0-3 on their Western Canadian road trip and now sit only two points ahead of ninth place Nashville for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Thursday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Globe & Mail statistical guru Alan Ryder examines whether the Senators have been unlucky this season.
• Wayne Scanlan of the National Post tells us that the Senators' success usually hinges on whether Dany Heatley scores.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today thinks the Flames made the right decision last off-season when they hired Mike Keenan to coach their squad.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Leafs continued to stick around the Eastern Conference playoff race last night, with a 3-2 victory over the eighth place Flyers, writes Mark Zwolinksi. The Leafs' effort was even more impressive considering the fact that captain Mats Sundin had to leave the game early with a slight groin issue.
• The Capitals rode the backs of both Alexander Ovechkin and Olaf Kolzig to pull out a 3-2 victory over the visiting Flames on Wednesday.
• Since the trade deadline, the Lightning have seen quite the increase in production from their second line, writes Carter Gaddis.
• The Penguins played last night's game without Sidney Crosby and Marian Hossa and still managed to score seven times in their victory over Buffalo, writes Dave Molinari. The Penguins coaches have done a good job listening to their players regarding aches and pains, writes Shelly Anderson.
• The Flyers were defeated 3-2 by Toronto yesterday at home and part of their problem appears to be poor starts. Don McKee of the Philadelphia Inquirer tells readers that the Flyers are in a free-fall. As a reward to their fans for being so loyal, the Flyers have raised their season ticket prices for next season! (Writer's note: That's the way to win more fans guys. Honestly, how can these teams continue to raise ticket prices? Are the Flyers a must-see act in Philadelphia? I don't think so. And by raising the ticket prices, you only give the casual fan another excuse to find something else to do with their time.)
• The Senators face-off against the Habs tonight in a battle for first place, writes Don Brennan. Meanwhile, injured Senators forward Chris Neil can't wait to get back into the lineup and cause trouble. Martin Gerber will be in between the pipes for tonight's game.
• The Islanders continued their slide in the standings last night by losing 4-2 at Florida, writes Greg Logan.
• With the Devils paying a rare visit to Minnesota, the Jacques Lemaire interviews are in full-force.
• Here is the only Rangers article of the day. (Writer's note: The link was giving me trouble, so I wasn't able to read the article.)
• Lots of the Habs success can be attributed to the performances of their youngsters who have been called up from Hamilton, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.
• The Panthers have quietly strung together five straight victories, making the idea of a playoff spot far more realistic than it was two weeks ago.
• The Hurricanes came into Chicago last night and came away with a 3-0 victory, writes Luke Decock.
• If the Sabres are fighting for a playoff spot, you sure couldn't tell by the way they played last night in Pittsburgh, writes Mike Harrington.
• One of the reasons for the Bruins' recent slide is the team's inability to score with the man-advantage, writes Fluto Shinwaza.
• With the Thrashers out of the playoff hunt, coach/GM Don Waddell has said he will start playing more youngsters.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• With the team on the fringe for a playoff spot, the Canucks sure did not give the Ducks much of a game last night, writes Iain McIntyre.
• The Coyotes have not given up on their playoff chances, writes Jim Gintonio.
• Andrew Cogliano still can't believe he has scored three overtime winners in a row, writes Jim Matheson. Not surprisingly, the Oilers' nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy is Fernando Pisani.
• The Avalanche had injury news on some players but not others yesterday. Here is Adrian Dater of the Denver Post answering reader questions.
• With last night's 3-0 shutout loss at home, the Blackhawks may very well have kissed their slim playoff hopes goodbye, writes Chris Kuc. In injury news, Martin Havlat is set to undergo yet another shoulder surgery and is out for the season.
• The Ducks easily disposed of the Canucks on Wednesday, making it eight straight home victories, writes Dan Wood.
• The Flames made mistakes at inopportune times (is there ever a right time?), and ended up on the losing end of a 3-2 score at Washington.
• Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch believes the Jackets' naming of Rick Nash as team captain was the right move. Apparently Ken Hitchcock is a dreamer, as the coach still believes his team has a chance to make the playoffs.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News does not understand why NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell did not provide fans with the reasoning behind his Steve Ott suspension.
• With the Stars facing off against the Red Wings tonight, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press says the acquisition of Brad Richards makes Dallas much deeper on offense. Chris Osgood will get the call in net tonight over the injured Dominik Hasek.
• With the Devils in town, Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune has a feature on Minnesota native Zach Parise.
• David Legwand has more serious off-ice issues to deal with right now than just worry about his injured foot, writes Jessica Hopp.
• With the Blues in a complete tailspin, Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch examines whether Andy Murray coached teams always fade at the end of the season.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

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.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Alan Maki of the Globe & Mail expects the NHL to be reactive rather than proactive after the announcement of a possible Super League being created in Europe.
• As Sean Fitz-Gerald of the National Post explains, the Ducks' trade of Andy McDonald was all about keeping their defense together.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Although this article was published yesterday, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an interesting examination of the success of two-goalie tandems in the NHL this season.
• Even though they are sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, Bruins coach Claude Julien says there are a number of areas in which his team can improve. Meanwhile, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald tells readers that Milan Lucic's confidence and comfort level have increased significantly since the season began.
• After seven games in eleven nights, the Sabres were given Sunday off by coach Lindy Ruff.
• According to Luke Decock of the News-Observer, the Hurricanes are hoping to have Cory Stillman return from his knee injury on December 26th when they face the New York Rangers.
• The Panthers pulled out a 3-1 road victory at Chicago on Sunday and can thank goaltender Tomas Vokoun for the win writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The Panthers got Brett McLean back in their lineup last night, however, that good news was offset by the loss of Ville Peltonen for a month to a broken hand.
• Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette warns Habs fans to not get too high or too low in what will continue to be a roller-coaster season.
• The Devils were happy to record a victory over the Flyers on Sunday before heading to Western Canada on their upcoming road trip. As Mark Everson of the NY Post explains, the Devils never take intra-division games lightly.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post thought he was watching the Rangers of the late 90's last night when the Rangers welcomed Wayne Gretzky back to town and handed his Coyotes a 5-1 victory. "For me, I had three great years here. It was nice to come back tonight. It was an enjoyable night," said Gretzky after the game.
• Antoine Vermette will be given an opportunity to shoulder more of offensive role on the Senators after being moved onto a line with Daniel Alfredsson. "It's a substantial loss," said Senators coach John Paddock about the loss of center Mike Fisher to injury.
• The Flyers continued to slump yesterday as they were defeated 4-2 by the Devils in Newark.
• Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette profiles the pleasant surprise that is Tyler Kennedy of the Penguins. Here are some notes about the Penguins.
• According to Carter Gaddis of the Tampa Tribune, a new offer to purchase the team is expected by the end of the week.
• It is going to be difficult to replace the all-around production that the Leafs have lost with Bryan McCabe's hand injury writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. "I've never had a serious injury like this before," said McCabe yesterday.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• While the Ducks lost to the Sharks 2-1 in a shootout last night, the team was happy to see Scott Niedermayer on the ice in game action. The Ducks finally started the season ten weeks after everyone else writes Jeff Miller of the Orange Country Register.
• After last night's 5-3 victory over the Blues it is fair to say that Jarome Iginla and Kristian Huselius are on absolute tears right now. With Huselius and Daymond Langkow are playing alongside Iginla, that means Alex Tanguay has found a new role with the club. Overshadowed by the Flames' road success was the fact that last night's victory was Mike Keenan's 600th NHL victory.
• The Blackhawks were expecting a big December but last night's 3-1 loss to Florida was the team's sixth loss in their last seven games.
• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post has an interesting article about relative unknown defenseman Kyle Cumiskey of the Avalanche.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch has the details behind Rick Nash's recent slump.
• In Dallas, Steve Ott is healthy and finally living up to his reputation as an all-around pest writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Detroit Red Wings are very aware of what Alexander Ovechkin will be bringing to the table tonight.
• Derek Van Diest of the Edmonton Sun profiles the tremendous season of Shawn Horcoff in this morning's paper. In other Oilers news, much of the team's recent success can be attributed to their newfound confidence.
• It looks like Jason Labarbera will return to the Los Angeles net tonight when the Kigns face-off against the Avalanche.
• Jacques Lemaire gives Niklas Backstrom a subtle shot in this morning's Minneapolis Star Tribune.
• Speaking of the Wild, Craig Leopold will not comment on a report that he is expected to buy into the Wild after the sale of the Predators is completed.
• The Coyotes dominated the Rangers on the back of AHL call-up Joel Perrault's three point game.
• Joe Thornton was feeling lucky last night in Anaheim which was why he was asked to shoot in his team's shootout victory last night over the Ducks.
• Mike Keenan and the Flames spoiled Andy McDonald's debut as a member of the Blues last night with a 5-3 victory.
• The Canucks have finally returned home after one of the toughest travel road trips in recent memory writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.