Bouwmeester not on the trade block

From Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun:

"As far as I know Bouwmeester is not the guy that Jacques Martin is offering up," said a league executive yesterday. "Bouwmeester is the guy they've got to build that team around. I haven't heard his name being offered around in a trade, not even once."

Read the entire article here.

Obviously the Panthers don't want to trade Bouwmeester, so it is no surprise that the Cats have not offered Bouwmeester up in a trade. But as Garrioch points out, the speedy defenseman can opt to sign a one-year deal through arbitration and then become an UFA after next season. Thus, the Panthers' only option may be to trade the defenseman if they cannot come to some sort of long-term agreement.

Stillman wants to change the culture of the Panthers dressing room

From George Richards of the Miami Herald:

''Hopefully, these guys have had enough of missing the playoffs, having people talk bad about the team, the organization,'' Stillman said. 'Hopefully, they're tired of hearing `Oh, he's never played in a playoff game.' You develop that mentality of hating to lose, but you have to learn to win.''

Read the entire article here.

Stillman may attempt to change the culture, but he can't change the skill level of this team. That is why the Panthers have little chance of making the post-season in 2008/09.

Panthers looking for improvement from Anthony Stewart

From Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"Anthony seems to have a better understanding of where he's at and that he controls his own destiny," Martin said. "He realizes this is a key season for him. ...You hope the last three years he has learned and he'll come to camp and show us he's ready to play in the National Hockey League."

Read the entire article here.

Anthorny Stewart was supposed to be an important part of the Panthers' future when they drafted him in the first round of the 2003 draft. Unfortunately for both sides, the big forward has struggled with his confidence and consistency and has languished in the AHL.

Could Bouwmeester leave Florida after next season?

From George Richards of the Miami Herald:

The Panthers hold out hope Bouwmeester can be locked in for more than one season, although if the two sides do make it to arbitration, the longest contract Bouwmeester could be awarded is one year (for next season). That would leave the Panthers in a precarious situation. If Bouwmeester signs for only next season, he would become an unrestricted free agent after the 2008-09 season.

Florida's risk in keeping Bouwmeester through next season is seeing him walk away at the end of the year -- with nothing coming back in return. Bouwmeester is thought to be asking for a financial deal similar to one struck by Calgary's Dion Phaneuf last season. The Flames locked in their All-Star defenseman for an average of $6.5 million over the course of the six-year contract.

Read the entire article here.

Unless the Panthers break the bank for Bouwmeester, I would be surprised if he agreed to a long-term contract. The slick-skating defenseman seems to want out of South Florida and the appeal of unrestricted free agency a year from now is probably too much for him to pass up.

Perry Pearn is not happy

From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

Well, we know New York Rangers assistant Perry Pearn wasn't the unnamed third candidate that GM Jacques Martin interviewed for the Panthers' coaching job. In fact, Pearn, who worked with Martin in Ottawa, was upset he learned of Peter DeBoer's hiring by watching TV.

Pearn figured he'd get an interview with Martin after Martin received permission from the Rangers to speak with Pearn. But Pearn told the Edmonton Journal he never got one. Here are some of his comments to the newspaper:

"Jacques knew I had this knee replacement surgery ... when we first talked I was still in hospital, and he said he'd call me again a week ago Thursday.

"It's not the end of the world (that) I didn't get the job. People have to make the decisions they make, but what I can't accept is I didn't get a call.

"I spent eight years with the guy and was pretty good to him. Maybe Pete DeBoer is the best guy, I certainly won't take anything away from him. He has done a good job, but it was a bit shocking to read it on TV. I mean, if Jacques had called and said, 'I'm going in a different direction,' that would have been fine.

"I certainly didn't think I was a shoo-in by any stretch, or a front-runner, but I thought for sure I'd get an interview. I've been working really hard on my knee so I could travel (for a face-to-face meeting with Martin)."

Read the entire entry here.

If what Pearn is saying is true, then he has every right to be mad. I'm sure Martin would admit he could have handled the situation a whole lot better than he did.

Panthers coaching search continues

From George Richards of the Miami Herald:

First off, the Panthers have asked for and been granted permission to speak to Paul Maurice (Toronto) and Perry Pearn (Rangers assistant). Martin has already had a conversation with Maurice, done when JM was at the team's development camp outside of Toronto.

"I've talked to Paul when I was there,'' he said. "I just had a meeting with him. It was a good meeting, but there are a couple more people I want to talk to.

"I don't have a timetable yet, but I'd like to pick up the pace in the coming week.''

We spoke a little bit about Andre Savard, with JM saying the two are friends. As far as him coming south to the Florida, I don't think it's going to be as coach. Jacques said Savard is very good in the scouting department and some reports I've seen imply that Savard wants to get back in the front office and back from behind the bench.

Read the entire entry from On Frozen Pond here.

I would like to see Martin give someone new a coaching try. A coach like Perry Pearn is someone who deserves to get a chance to run his own team. Fresh faces bring a new perspective and personality to the game and the NHL could use more of that.

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

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

• Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders if Thrashers ownership could learn a thing or two from the Canucks.
• The Hurricanes have signed both Stefan Chaput and Nick Dodge to entry-level contracts.
• Jacques Martin has decided to stay on as the Panthers' GM, writes Steve Gorten. Martin's first order of business will be to hire a head coach to replace himself.
• Radim Vrbata wants to remain a Coyote and is hoping to sign a contract extension with the club.
• In Tampa, Vincent Lecavalier's surgery was deemed a success.
• Paul Hunter of the Toronto Star tries to help Brian Burke with some decision-making. (Writer's note: Burke is a stand-up guy, he is not going to go to Vancouver and take the job his best friend just lost.)
• Francesco Aquilini held one of the more awkward press conferences on Tuesday, writes Jason Botchford. Dave Nonis needed to be more assertive during his tenure as GM, opines Tony Gallagher. Meanwhile, Ed Willes of the Vancouver Province wonders what's next for the Canucks?

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Jacques Martin will continue as GM of the Florida Panthers, but will give up the coaching job.
2. Anton Volchenkov has pronounced himself ready to play.
3. Brian Costello has praise and criticism for the referees and notes that Todd Bertuzzi didn't waste any time getting back to his old tricks.
4. Top 10 Playoff Moments (with video).
5. Part 2 of Jeff Marek's look at fighting in the NHL.
6. Check this promo for the playoffs from Versus.
7. Some playoff wallpaper that you might enjoy.
8. In a move reeking with originality, Bill Clement does an Sidney vs. AO comparison.
9. Notre Dame and Boston College will play in the Frozen Four Final. Read an excellent account of the game here.
10. The Edmonton Oilers have locked up Tom Gilbert to a long term deal.
11. Someone is a little crankers in Boston.
12. MLB writer takes a shot at the NHL, obviously fueled by HGH rage. (Hat tip, Kukla)
13. An interesting look back at this day in the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
14. Jonathan Toews to be named Hawks captain?
15. Check out the Best of Seven blog if you have time. Good read on the playoffs.
16. A preview of the Chicago-Indiana series from the USHL. Chicago led off with a 4-3 win last night. If you have the time and interest, check this one out. It is likely to be a throwback series akin to watching the Jets and Oilers circa 1985. Games are available online at B2 Networks.
17. Fanhouse points out that Jacques Martin has made some astute moves as GM of the Panthers.
18. Headline: Sunohara settles for unusual position. Thats what she said!
19. The sale of the Minnesota Wild has been completed.
20. A little more Memorial Cup History.
21. Ryan Kennedy suggests Randy Cunneyworth as a possible replacement in Florida.
22. Olaf Kolzig doesn't want your pity.
23. The Wild figure they have a 50-50 chance of resigning Marian Gaborik, who may command up to $10.8 million per.
24. Ross McKeon calls out the Ducks for their undisciplined play versus Dallas.
25. In the wake of the Sioux's defeat to Boston College, the internet crazies come out of the woodwork.

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• There are reasons to be tense in every Canadian market right now, writes Roy MacGregor of the Globe & Mail.
• William Houston provides readers with Don Cherry's perspective on the Jonathan Roy incident in the QMJHL.
• Mark Spector of the National Post has an interesting article on fighting; in terms of who wants to keep it in the game and who does not.
• USA Today previews the important games upcoming over the weekend.
• Not only have the Sharks been good this year,
• Not only have the Sharks been good this year, but they have been good with the 27th ranked payroll in the NHL, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Leafs are finally out of contention for a playoff spot after last night's 4-2 loss at Boston. GM Cliff Fletcher is already looking to improving the team for next season, writes Kevin McGran.
• Bryan Murray was not happy after his team blew a third period lead to the Sabres and ended up losing 4-3 in a shootout. Mike Fisher is not only one of the Senators' top scorers, but he also a Christian rock song written just for him.
• Habs winger Tom Kostopoulos cannot wait to get his first taste of playoff action in about two weeks, writes Herb Zurkowsky.
• The Bruins did not have a good second period last night, but they weathered the storm and played a strong third period to defeat the Leafs 4-2 at the Banknorth Garden. Peter Schaeffer scored one goal and added an assist last night, which is pretty impressive considering he was not even planning on being in the line up.
• The Sabres' playoff hopes are faint, however, they could have completely ended last night had it not been for a late third period goal by Paul Gaustad. If you have not noticed, Ryan Miller has been a horse all season long, and he has now played more games in one season than any other Sabres netminder.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• Scott Gomez unexpectedly suited up for the Rangers last night and helped his team defeat the Devils for the seventh time in seven chances this season. Meanwhile, John Dellapina floats the possibility that Jaromir Jagr may leave to play in Russia next season.
• The Flyers will be looking to exorcise their Jersey demons tonight, writes Ed Moran. Apparently Derian Hatcher will only return this season if the Flyers advance two rounds in the playoffs.
• The Penguins did not even need scoring from Crosby, Malkin or Hossa last night, writes Dave Molinari. "It's not like we lost confidence in him," said Penguins coach Michel Therrien about his decision to move Ryan Whitney up to forward for the time being.
• To say the Islanders' line up is depleted would be an understatement, writes Greg Logan.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger thinks the Rangers were lucky to come away with a victory against the Devils last night. In injury news, the Devils may have lost defenseman Bryce Salvador for the remainder of the season.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Forget the game, Dan Boyle was more worried about his life last night, writes Erik Erlendsson. While the Bolts season is ending in less than two weeks, John Tortorella's season will continue as he is reportedly going to be the head coach for Team USA at the World Championships.
• The Panthers needed to win last night to keep their slight playoff hopes alive, but they lost 3-2 to the lowly Thrashers and can now start setting their tee times. In an interesting development, Jacques Martin called out Olli Jokinen on his recent poor play.
• The Thrashers remembered that you are allowed to win on the road last night, as they defeated the Panthers 3-2 in South Florida.
• The Hurricanes have not been giving Cam Ward any rest, writes Luke Decock.
• The Capitals got a huge overtime goal from Tomas Fleischmann last night, to remain only two points out of a playoff spot.

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted soon...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail tells readers about the rare occasions when broadcasters work two different games in the same day.
• The Leafs' playoff dreams are no more, writes Bruce Arthur of the National Post.
• In light of the Jonathan Roy brawl, Mark Spector of the National Post explains that our culture is still enamoured with fighting and rough play.
• Kevin Allen says the Predators need better goaltending if they want to make the playoffs.
• Ted Montgomery takes a look at a number of draft-day busts in this morning's USA Today.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• The Hurricanes would have liked to have recorded two points last night, but the one point they earned versus the Capitals is still valuable, writes Luke Decock. With Cam Ward having carried the workload for the past fifteen games, you would think the netminder would be tired, but he is not.
• Alexander Ovechkin set the franchise record for goals last night, and his team pulled out an important shootout victory, writes Tarik El-Bashir.
• Craig Custance discusses Kari Lehtonen's post-game fit with Thrashers analyst Darren Eliot.
• "I make no bones about it, I'm not crazy about [the Panthers'] organization, so I don't mind that at all," said Lightning coach John Tortorella after his team's 3-1 victory over the Panthers. Goalie Mike Smith missed last night's game with a knee injury, however, the injury is not thought to be serious.
• "Some people weren't good enough — that's the bottom line," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin after his team's difficult loss to the Lightning last night. Last night's game was the Panthers' first away from Sunrise in three weeks.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• The Devils have now scored three goals in their last four games, after last night's 2-0 loss to the Penguins on home-ice. Andy Greene was a healthy scratch for last night's game.
• The Flyers came back and recorded an important character victory last night at MSG, writes Ed Moran. If the Flyers could only get production from all three assets of the game (offense, defense, goaltending) at the same time, they would be scary.
• The Penguins rebounded from a terrible loss at the Islanders with a playoff-clinching victory over the Devils last night.
• "I let my team down. What else is there to say? It's pretty easy to see," said Rangers agitator Sean Avery after making a bad turnover in overtime. If the Rangers are playing a seventh game on the road in the playoffs, they will most likely look back to games like last night, writes John Dellapina.

**There were no NY Islanders articles this morning**

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Sabres somehow blew a 3-1 third period lead and were defeated by the rival Senators 6-3. A number of the Sabres veterans made some important mistakes last night, writes Mike Harrington.
• The Bruins found a way to score six goals last night in the team's most important game of the season, as they defeated the Leafs 6-2. Chuck Kobasew went down last night with an ankle injury after being struck by a Zdeno Chara shot.
• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette provides readers with ten reasons for the Canadiens' unexpected success this season.
• The Senators rode a tremendous performance from Daniel Alfredsson to an important comeback victory over the Sabres last night. The Senators' problem this season has been goaltending, writes Chris Stevenson.
• After last night's loss, it is fair to say time has basically run out on the Maple Leafs. Damien Cox of the Toronto Star calls out the Leafs veterans for a terrible performance last night.

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted around 11:15 CST.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers--Eastern Conference (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the Northeast Division morning papers:

• The Leafs showed some resilience last night, as they came back from a brutal goal allowed by Vesa Toskala and defeated the Islanders 3-1. On the scouting side of things, Damien Cox says it isn't fun being a Leafs scout. Just when he thought he was going to play more than 20 games in a row, Leafs defenseman Carlo Coliacovo is back on the mend.
• According to Chris Stevenson (and the numbers), referee Bill McCreary does not like the Senators. Allen Panzeri of the Ottawa Citizen wonders when the real Senators team will stand up.
• The Blues decided Montreal was the perfect place to end their slide, writes Hurb Zerkowsky.
• Zdeno Chara continues to get better from his "upper-body injury", slowly but surely, writes Fluto Shinwaza. The Bruins are gearing up for their back-to-back match ups with Montreal over the weekend, writes Stephen Harris.
• Teppo Numminen wants to play for the Sabres, and they could sure use his talent on the back-end, writes John Vogl.

Here are the Atlantic Division morning papers:

• The Rangers played last night's game against Pittsburgh like it was a playoff game, writes Larry Brooks. Meanwhile, Jay Greenberg of the NY Post hopes the Rangers aren't too young and too old at the same time.
• The Flyers need to regain their vision right now, opines Sam Donnellon.
• The Penguins were flawed in almost all aspects of the game last night, writes Dave Molinari. Molinari believes that the Penguins' depth may hinder Evgeni Malkin's ability to win the Art Ross Trophy.
• The announcement that Rick DiPietro is out for the season overshadowed his team's loss last night. Nonetheless, the game was still played and the Islanders put forth a poor performance in Kyle Okposo's NHL debut.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger explains how the Devils lay low, but yet always remain ahead of the Rangers.

Here are the Southeast Division morning papers:

• Eric Staal is the prime reason for the Hurricanes' month-long surge, writes Luke Decock.
• "It's probably the most disappointing season in my career," said Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk after his team's 3-2 loss to Philadelphia last night. Things are so bad in Thrasher land that two teammates got into a fight during last night's game.
• Jacques Martin's future with the Panthers is up-in-the-air, writes Steve Gorten.
• New Tampa Bay netminder Mike Smith is a wizard with the puck, writes Erik Erlendsson.
• Alexander Ovechkin set a Capitals record and the Capitals continued their run for the playoffs, with a 4-2 road victory over Nashville.

The Western Conference morning papers will be posted soon...

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 doesn't necessarily believe that the Senators' Stanley Cup chances depend entirely on goaltending.
• Cliff Fletcher says it is "very premature" to talk of any Mats Sundin trade, writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail.
• You are wrong if you think that NHL players are averse to playing in the cold.
• Winnipeg is bidding for the World Junior Hockey Championships for either 2010 or 2012.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today breaks down the NHL scoring race; evaluating which players have a realistic chance at winning the title.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• With six of their next seven games at home, the Atlanta Thrashers realize that this upcoming stretch of schedule may determine their playoff fate.
• The Bruins came out on top 3-1 over the Predators, in a feisty affair at the TD Banknorth Garden. Meanwhile, injured Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron saw a neurologist yesterday.
• With all the stars on the ice in Tampa Bay last night, it was the Sabres' unheralded line of MacArthur-Pominville-Hecht that stole the show. Yesterday's game was Nolan Pratt's first game back at Tampa since playing for the Lightning for five seasons.
• The Hurricanes exacted revenge in more ways than one last night, with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers.
• "We have to play with some urgency and desperation and get different people to raise their game up," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin, as his team starts its drive for a playoff spot. In other Panthers news, Olli Jokinen was questioned as part of the Jere Karalahti drug ring case in Finland.
• The Canadiens were impressive in all aspects of the game, especially special teams, in their 4-0 victory at home over Washington last night. Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette profiles new Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau.
• The Devils squandered a 2-1 lead on home-ice and lost 4-2 to division-rival Pittsburgh last night at the Prudential Center. Brent Sutter called out his best players yesterday, telling reporters that his top players need to start playing like they are top players.
• The Rangers demonstrated a lack of patience last night in their 3-1 road loss at Carolina, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. John Dellapina of the NY Daily News says that the reffing in last night's contest sure didn't help the Rangers.
• Mark Herrmann of Newsday tells readers that the only way the Islanders usually beat the Senators is if they play flawless hockey, and the Islanders play was quite flawed last night in their 5-2 loss to Ottawa.
• Brian Murray has been honest with Ray Emery, telling the netminder there is no market for his services at this point in time. Even though they defeated the Islanders 5-2, the Senators are more concerned with Daniel Alfredsson's hip injury, writes Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
• Getting a 3-2 overtime win over the Kings, was a nice way for the Flyers to start off their post All-Star break run to the playoffs. The Flyers are on a roll right now, and when you are on a roll, you seem to get all the bounces, writes Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• The Penguins defeated the Devils 4-2 last night and clearly are not using injuries as an excuse right now. Brooks Orpik the winger? Apparently so.
• With a 4-2 loss at home to the Sabres on Wednesday, the Lightning may have to realistically consider becoming sellers prior to the trade deadline.
• Forget the fact that they lost 3-2 to the Blues, the talk around the Leafs surrounds the high number of scouts watching their games from now until the trade deadline.
• "When you start thinking you are better than you are, and forget what got you there, then usually the result is what happened tonight," said coach Bruce Boudreau after his Capitals were defeated 4-0 at Montreal.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• With all the hype around the return of Teemu Selanne, the Ducks still have to focus on their upcoming eight game road trip, which is the longest in team history.
• Jarome Iginla is looking forward to ending his seven-game goalless drought tonight when the Sharks come to town. Meanwhile, with a fairly healthy roster on his hands, coach Mike Keenan has some decisions to make.
• The Hawks are downplaying a comment by Denis Savard in regard to the crest on the team`s jersey. In other Blackhawks news, Tuomo Ruutu may be the only person in the hockey world who didn`t hear about Denis Savard`s rant last Thursday.
• Jose Theodore will be in net tonight for the Avs when they face-off versus the Blackhawks.
• Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch says that not only will teammates miss the recently traded Jody Shelley but so will the fans. Even though the Jackets were defeated 4-2 by Phoenix last night, the entire team`s focus was on the leadership void created by the Shelley trade.
• The Stars caught a break last night by visiting Vancouver and not having to face Roberto Luongo, and took advantage of that opportunity by recording a 4-3 road victory at GM Place.
• The Red Wings will be without defenseman Brett Lebda for tonight's game because he is nursing a sore wrist.
• The Oilers were outshot 39-13 on home-ice last night, and were handily defeated 3-0 by the powerful Sharks. "I like our team overall, and we're not trading any of our good players," said Oilers GM Kevin Lowe on Wednesday about the upcoming trade deadline.
• "I really thought we played a solid game, a road game, and coming into a building where they had won six in a row," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team's impressive 4-2 road victory at Columbus. Meanwhile, the Coyotes were excited to get Daniel Carcillo the NHL penalty minutes leader back into their lineup last night.
• With the Sharks dominating performance over Edmonton last night, David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News shifts his focus to the beyond cold temperatures in Northern Alberta.
• Tim Thomas proved to the Predators why he was on the All-Star team last night in Boston's 3-1 victory.
• The Blues, led by Keith Tkachuk, looked rejuvenated last night in their 3-2 victory over the Maple Leafs at the ACC.
• Vancouver made a late push, but was defeated 4-3 by the Stars at GM Place last night. The Canucks can't seem to start off a game with a lead, and it is coming back to haunt them, writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• The NHL on NBC has implemented a flex schedule option this season akin to the NFL on NBC, writes William Houston of the Globe & Mail.
• Even with all the humiliation he has had to deal with, don't expect John Ferguson Jr. to resign from his post as GM of the Maple Leafs.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• "I think everyone in this room should be embarrassed," said Thrashers defenseman Garnet Exelby after last night 10-1 loss at Buffalo.
• The Bruins have been very happy with the play of Zdeno Chara this season, writes Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe. "I don't think he will be back this season," Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli said about injured forward Patrice Bergeron.
• The Sabres snapped a ten-game losing streak last night by scoring ten goals in their dominant victory over the Thrashers. The Sabres' top-line was reunited last night with the return of Derek Roy and the unit impressed with a combined twelve point effort.
• Eric Staal led the Hurricanes to a convincing 7-2 victory over the Oilers last night, writes Luke Decock of the News Observer. Meanwhile, after being written off by almost every team in the NHL, Sergei Samsonov has impressed in his short stint in Carolina.
• The Panthers defeated the Devils 2-1 last night and, in the process, gave Jacques Martin his 500th career coaching victory. "I've been real fortunate to work in this league,'' said Martin after the contest.
• Here is Red Fisher's Notebook from this morning's Montreal Gazette.
• "You're up 1-0 in your own building going into the third period. You've got to win the hockey game," Devils coach Brent Sutter said after his team blew a third period lead to the Panthers and lost 2-1. Devils forward John Madden is unsure of whether he will be ready for his team's next game tomorrow against the Leafs.
• If the Ranger want to improve on their recent struggles, they need to improve the 20th ranked powerplay in the NHL, writes Brett Cyrgalis of the NY Post.
• It looks like Senators winger Daniel Alfredsson will miss both his team's games this weekend, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.
• Scott Hartnell loves playing with Mike Richards and Steve Downie, writes Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Only a week before the All-Star Game, Sidney Crosby has been lost to the Penguins for at least four weeks. A lot of streaks came to an end last night in Pittsburgh as the Penguins were defeated 3-0 by the Lightning. In other Penguins news, rookie defenseman Kris Letang is looking forward to playing his first game in his home province tonight at Montreal.
• The Lightning got scoring from unexpected sources last night in their 3-0 road victory at Pittsburgh. In positive news, it appears that Dan Boyle could return from his wrist injury prior to next week's All-Star break.
• A new Leafs line combination has been one of the keys to the team's modest two-game winning streak, writes Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star.
• Alexander Semin finally feels healthy and that is the main reason why the sniper has gotten back on the scoring track in the new year.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks' top line of Bertuzzi-Perry-Getzlaf has been on fire as of late, and that success did not slow down last night as the trio combined for nine points to defeat the Wild 4-2.
• Miikka Kiprusoff doesn't seem overly worried about the Flames picking up Curtis Joseph earlier this week.
• Not surprisingly, the Blackhawks game versus the scoring-deprived Avalanche was low scoring with the Hawks winning the game 2-1 in a shootout.
• "It's a good chance for a lot of our young guys to get a chance to play and prove themselves in this league," said Avalanche forward Andrew Brunette about his team's recent string of injuries to its top players.
• Stars winger Loui Eriksson has been a different player since around Christmas time, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Jamie Samuelsen of the Detroit Free Press thinks Henrik Zetterberg would have been a far bigger star if he had played in Detroit ten years ago.
• "I want this hanging over us for a while -- until we can come up with a better consistent effort. I'm in no mood to brush this under the carpet," Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish said after last night's 7-2 loss at Carolina. The Oilers haven't forgotten their playoff loss to the Hurricanes in 2006 and some of the memories of that series were re-hashed yesterday.
• The Blues have recalled Mike Glumac from Peoria of the AHL so they can have some extra depth at forward.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean tells readers that the Predators are falling short of their attendance goals.
• The Sharks can measure themselves tonight when they host the conference-leading Red Wings, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• Wayne Gretzky is not concerned about his team's bounce-back ability tonight when they host Chicago.
• The Wild didn't get off to a good start last night at home versus Anaheim and it cost them, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. The Wild is hoping the ice surface at the Xcel Center will be back to normal when they return from their upcoming road trip.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• If the Thrashers don't get Marian Hossa signed to a contract extension prior to the trade deadline, the big winger may be put on the trade market, writes Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Bruins star center Marc Savard misses his two regular linemates, as they been out of the lineup with injuries, writes Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe.
• John Vogl of the Buffalo News provides readers with a feature on Jhonas Enroth, the young Swedish netminder who impressed at the World Junior Championship earlier this month.
• Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford tells Luke Decock of the News Observer that he is not opposed to making a trade to shake-up his current roster.
• "We worked extremely hard. It was just one of those games that was decided in the shootout," said Panthers coach Jacques Martin after his team's 4-3 shootout loss at home to the Avalanche. Florida was not afraid to drop the gloves last night, writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• As Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette tells us, Les Habitants will be looking to rebound at Long Island tomorrow night after a terrible performance at Madison Square Garden versus the Rangers on Saturday.
• Devils center John Madden received good news yesterday when doctors determined the tendons in his right ankle were not damaged after he was cut by a skate in his team's game versus Buffalo on Saturday.
• The Rangers are looking to put together their first winning streak of 2008 tonight as they face the Penguins, writes Tim Bontemps of the NY Post. Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Marek Malik has successfully returned to the team's lineup after being a healthy scratch last week.
• The Islanders took advantage of a wounded Ottawa team and defeated the top team in the conference by a score of 3-1 on Sunday.
• Playing their third game in four days, the Senators looked to be out of gas yesterday in their loss to the Islanders, writes Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun. With the injury to his shoulder, it looks like Dany Heatley's streak of 50 goal seasons in a row will stop at two.
• Flyers winger Mike Knuble had two goals yesterday afternoon leading his team to a 6-4 victory over Washington. Meanwhile, Flyers coach John Stevens says there is no goalie controversy in Philadelphia, writes Ray Parrillo of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Even though the Penguins have been winning games as of late, so have the rest of their rivals, writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Injured goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury skated hard yesterday for the first time since sustaining a high-ankle sprain on December 6th.
• Whatever they decide to do, the Leafs directors need to act now, writes Damien Cox of the Toronto Star. If any decisions are made by the board, they apparently won't be made with Larry Tannenbaum of the MLSE Board who will be out-of-town this week.
• The Capitals came up just a little bit short yesterday afternoon against the Flyers, writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks had luck on their side last night, as Doug Weight scored with 27 seconds left in regulation and then Francois Beauchemin scored less then a minute into overtime to give Anaheim a 4-3 victory over the division-rival Sharks.
• The Flames lost 2-1 at Edmonton last night, squaring the season series between the two teams at two wins apiece. Since reaching first place in the Northwest Division the Flames have lost three straight games, writes Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun. Even with their current losing streak, don't attribute the Flames' recent struggles to the all the talk of possibly signing Curtis Joseph.
• The Blackhawks finally ended their eight-game losing skid last night with an important 3-2 shootout victory at Nashville.
• The Avalanche pulled out a 4-3 shootout victory in Florida on Sunday and will look to make it a winning road trip when they play at Tampa on Tuesday.
• With David Vyborny starting to look like his old-self, and the possible return of Fredrik Modin on Tuesday, the Blue Jackets are starting to gain more confidence about their ability to score.
• The Stars' rookies are a little lighter in the pocket today, after last night's team dinner, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press tells readers that Scotty Bowman has no plans to leave the Red Wings for Toronto.
• The streaky Oilers made it four wins in a row last night with a 2-1 victory over the division-rival Flames. The Oilers' best players were better than the Flames' best players last night, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun.
• There has been no sophomore slump for the Kings' Anze Kopitar this season, writes Dan Arritt of the L.A. Times.
• The Wild defeated Phoenix last night by a score of 4-1 and did so by getting back to their roots, and that is defense-first hockey; Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has the story.
• The Predators dropped to 2-4 in the shootout this season after last night's loss to Chicago, writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean. In positive news, it appears Predators defenseman Shea Weber is close to returning to the lineup.
• After last night's 4-1 loss at Minnesota, it very apparent that the Wild has the Coyotes' number.
• "We had them tonight," said Sharks forward Jeremy Roenick after his team blew a late third period lead and eventually lost 4-3 in overtime at Anaheim
• Blues forward Keith Tkachuk seemed to call out his younger teammates after the Blues' 4-3 shootout loss to Vancouver on Sunday.
• Alain Vigneault let the Sedin twins play a ton last night at St. Louis and it paid off with a 4-3 shootut victory, writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.