Tortorella to interview with Islanders on Sunday

From Greg Logan of Newsday:

The big ticket on the carousel of coaching candidates that Garth Snow is running this summer belongs to former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who is scheduled to meet with the Islanders' general manager on Sunday.

Because he stands to collect $1.3 million for the remaining year of his Lightning contract, Tortorella can well afford to be choosy about his next job. That salary is slightly more than twice as much as former Isles coach Ted Nolan was believed to be making, but that's what a 2004 Stanley Cup victory will get you. The Lightning's obligation to Tortorella would be offset by whatever salary he makes in a new job this season.

Read the entire article here.

Tortorella is certainly a qualified candidate to take over for the Islanders. He is an in-your-face coach who prefers to play an up-tempo, aggressive forechecking game, that makes watching the game exciting for fans. His passion and demand for accountability may be just what the organization needs as it tries to turn around its fortunes and rebuild for the future.

Islanders get permission to speak with Tortorella

From Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune:

Former Lightning coach John Tortorella could be in line to take over the vacant head coaching position with the New York Islanders.

The Islanders have contacted Tampa Bay seeking permission to speak to Tortorella, the Tribune has learned. The Lightning have granted the Islanders their request to talk to Tortorella.

Read the entire story here.

Hiring Tortorella would be a great move for the Islanders franchise. He is a terrific coach with a winning pedigree, who would bring accountability and passion to the Island.

Tortorella unhappy about Rangers rumors

From John Dellapina of the NY Daily News:

Here’s a beauty that was making the rounds today - albeit one that several phone calls have assured me has no validity: Just-dismissed Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella takes over as Rangers head coach with Tom Renney moving back upstairs into a player personnel position as an assistant GM.

This is one of those rumors that makes plenty of sense depending upon your view of the two coaches in question. If you’re among those who believe Renney is a build-the-foundation guy (such as Roger Neilson) and Tortorella a finish-the-job guy (such as Mike Keenan), you might love this notion.

Similarly, Tortorella’s affection for New York and the Rangers’ franchise is unabashed. As is Renney’s selfless willingness to do whatever is best for the organization.

Only problem is the Rangers have no plans to replace Renney and haven’t reached out to Tortorella (though the well could do so soon to bring him back under the Rangers’ umbrella in some capacity).

As fiercely principled as he is competitive, Tortorella was livid yesterday to learn that this rumor was making the rounds. A big fan of Renney’s work, the two communicate often. In fact, Tortorella congratulated Renney upon making the playoffs and consoled him upon the Rangers’ elimination. And Renney reached out to Tortorella to commiserate when the latter was rumored to be fired and then was.

“This is just wrong,” Torts told me yesterday. “Everybody should just stop it! First of all, I’m a big fan of Tom’s. How can people start rumors like that?”

Read the entire entry from the Blueshirts Blog.

I have no doubt that John Tortorella would be a great fit with the Rangers in NY, however, it would be very difficult for Glen Sather to replace Tom Renney right now. Renney is largely responsible for the Rangers post-lockout turnaround and has moved the team to the second round in the past two playoff years. The fact is, both teams that the Rangers have lost to in the playoffs (Buffalo and Pittsburgh) were better than them. Not only were the two teams higher in the standings, but they were more talented as well. If the Rangers pull off a move like this, the pressure will be tremendous on Broadway.

Tortorella does not understand why teams are overlooking Mike Sullivan

From Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald:

“I listen to all the people talking about this coach, that coach, who’s coming in, who should be here,” Tortorella said. “Gosh, just look under your nose. Mike Sullivan I think is just a tremendous coach and an even better person. . . . And no one even thinks of him. That just boggles my mind.”

Read the entire article here.

Tortorella does raise a good point with his comments. Sullivan would seem to be a very good candidate for a number of open head coaching positions in the NHL. If you look at the numbers provided by Harris in this article, Sullivan sure looks like he knows what he's doing. With the experience of being a head coach in the NHL, plus being an assistant under a Stanley Cup champion coach like Tortorella, you think he'd be primed for his second head coaching gig in the NHL.

Melrose not a done-deal

From Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune:

"This is also what I was able to surmise from conversations last night. Barry Melrose is not a done deal. No definitive offers have been made to anybody and the team is still talking to other candidates. And to clarify one other thing, no deal with Melrose, or anybody else for that matter, can be done anytime soon, and certainly not in the next couple of days. Oren Koules and his group were told by the executive board of the NHL the other day that the only issues that can be dealt with right now are those of a time sensitive manner. A head coach, is not a time sensitive matter. Nothing can be done until the board of governors meeting on June 17 in New York. So even if a deal was in place, it certainly couldn’t be announced."

Here is the full entry from Bolts Report.

Erlendsson is as close to the Lightning organization as you are going to get, so I take his word on all that he said. I agree with just about everything he wrote regarding Tortorella who is reported to be out as head coach even though the replacement has not yet officially been chosen. I am sure Erlendsson will continue to keep us updated on this situation.

The return of the mullet

TSN: "The Toronto Star reports that ESPN hockey analyst and former Los Angeles Kings head coach Barry Melrose is set to return behind the bench for the Tampa Bay Lightning."

Here is the write-up courtesy of TSN.

This is sure to garner attention throughout the hockey world. I am not sure what kind of a coach Melrose will be, since he has been out of the coaching game for over ten years; however, I do know that I was quite a big fan of John Tortorella. He is a terrific coach, and while he may be abrasive at times, he got the most out of his players. As much as people seem interested in Melrose's return, I am more interested to see where Tortorella gets hired and how soon that will be. Ottawa anyone???

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 (Sunday Edition)

Here the Sunday rumor columns:

• Here is Larry Brooks' Slap Shots column from this morning's NY Post.
• Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun provides you with more rumors than you could possibly imagine in this morning's paper.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Rangers got off to a great start against the Sabres yesterday, and cruised to a 5-1 victory at MSG, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post. The best player on the ice yesterday for the Rangers was youngster Brandon Dubinsky, writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• The Bruins thoroughly outplayed the Leafs in the first period last night, but only came away with a 1-1 tie after twenty minutes and it was downhill from there as they were defeated 4-3 in overtime. Here are some news and notes about the Bruins roster.
• The Thrashers were outshot but a ridiculous 49-10 margin last night, as the Islanders defeated Atlanta 4-1. Thrashers defenseman Alexei Zhitnik was scratched last night with the flu.
• The Sabres got off to a horrible start at MSG yesterday, on their way to their first game in their last eleven without recording a point. Both Jaroslav Spacek and Brian Campbell were victimized last night by the Rangers forwards.
• Even with all their injuries and and the recent Cory Stillman trade, the Canes continue to be a resilient bunch as they defeated the Panthers 5-4 on Saturday night. On the injury front, Carolina got a big boost last night with the return of Matt Cullen to the line-up.
• The Flyers lost their sixth game in a row last night, but they weren't unhappy with the way they played, writes Tim Pannaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pannaccio also tells readers that everyone who thinks Danny Briere is a bust, should take a deep breath.
• Ron Musselman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has an interesting article about how kids from the Pennsylvania area can make the NHL. On the ice, superstar Sidney Crosby returned to full practice yesterday.
• The Capitals can thank veteran Olie Kolzig for last night's 3-2 victory over the Lightning, writes Tarik-El Bashir of the Washington Post.
• Darcy Tucker continues to increase his trade value, as the feisty winger recorded two goals and an assist in last night's 4-3 overtime win over Boston. Apparently Cliff Fletcher spent the entire second period of last night's game meeting with Stars GM Les Jackson behind closed doors.
• "It's pretty devastating," said Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle after last night's loss to the Capitals. John Tortorella says his top stars need to be better.
• The Senators turned in another poor performance last night, losing to the Devils 3-2.
• The Islanders have taken coach Ted Nolan's instructions to shoot the puck more to heart, as they outshot the Thrashers 49-10 last night in their 4-1 victory. Meanwhile, Islanders winger Trent Hunter is trying to not let his ongoing contract talks bother him.
• The Devils got off to a good start against the Senators, and that was probably the difference as they went on to a 3-2 road victory.
• Carey Price recorded his first NHL shutout last night in the Habs 1-0 hard-fought victory over the Flyers.
• The Panthers blew a late-game two period lead to the Hurricanes and let first place fall out of their grasp by losing 5-4, writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks are continuing their in-house search for a suitable second-line center, writes Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register.
• Flames coach Mike Keenan says he’s never seen such a veteran group of NHL’ers be as inconsistent as the Flames have been this season.
• Blackhawks super-rookie Patrick Kane understands that he has to get bigger and stronger this off-season to be able to compete better at the NHL level.
• The Avalanche have the second worst power play in the NHL and need to improve on their efficiency if they hope to make the playoffs, writes Terry Frei of the Denver Post.
• Jimmy Howard will get first start in three years today for the Red Wings as they take on the Stars. On the trading front, apparently the Wings have been scouting Brad Stuart.
• Coach Craig MacTavish was disappointed his team lost 4-2 to the Canucks last night, but happy that they stuck together, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. MacTavish would have loved to have seen the Oilers play like that two months ago, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun.
• Dallas coach Dave Tippett says his team needs to maintain its focus this afternoon if it wants to beat the Red Wings.
• Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch weighs the pros and cons of the Jackets trading before the deadline. Here are the Jackets’ lines for today’s game against the Blues.
• Wild GM Doug Risebrough wants his team to simplify their power play, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. Youngblood’s colleague Michael Russo talks about the trade deadline in his Sunday Insider.
• The Predators were a lot better in their 2-1 overtime win over St. Louis last night than they were earlier in the week against the Blackhawks.
• Jeremy Roenick is not looking forward to playing at MSG because it brings back bad memories of his jaw injury, writes David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News.
• Manny Legace was the only reason that the Blues were able to record a point last night in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Predators.
• Radim Vrbata bailed out the Coyotes last night by scoring the game-winning goal after his team blew a two-goal lead.
• Henrik Sedin called yesterday’s win over the Oilers a “great team win.”

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• With all the young talent on Washington's roster, the future looks bright for NHL in the United States capital.
• Pierre Lebrun of the Canadian Press looks back on Gary Betman's fifteen years of work in the commissioner's office.
• Peter Forsberg is one step closer to returning to the NHL, writes Michael Traikos of the National Post.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today provides readers with ten reasons why the Coyotes should make the playoffs this spring.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers are hoping that Ilya Kovalchuk only misses two games with the knee injury he sustained Wednesday night versus Pittsburgh.
• Even though the Bruins defeated the Eastern Conference leading Senators 4-1 last night, coach Claude Julien wasn't overly happy with their play. The Bruins were lucky that P.J. Axelsson returned from injury a game early last night, because just prior to the contest Marco Sturm came down with the flu and was unable to play.
• The Hurricanes almost gave away a victory last night, but prevailed over the Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime and made it four wins in their past five games.
• The Sabres face-off against an Atlanta team tonight that has revenge on its mind due to the 10-1 loss they suffered at Buffalo in January. In injury news, it looks like Maxim Afinogenov should be able to return to the Sabres line up tonight.
• The Rangers were a different bunch last night in Philly than they have been in a while, as they churned out a dominating 4-0 performance over the first place Flyers. "That was probably one of our best games of the year," said Rangers goaltender Stephen Valiquette who picked up his first career shutout.
• "They were the better team tonight," said Flyers coach John Stevens after his team's 4-0 loss to the Rangers. Meanwhile, the Flyers' managment is shifting their focus to the Peter Forsberg situation.
• Marc-Andre Fleury is going to return to practice today to test out his ailing ankle, writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• "I broke my nose, I have stitches, I score four goals. Everything go to my face. It's the fifth time I broke my nose. It's okay," said Alexander Ovechkin after his ridiculous four goal game in his team's 5-4 overtime victory over Montreal. Mike Wise of the Washington Post says it is going to be hard for the casual fan in Washington to stay away from the newest version of the Capitals.
• Roberto Luongo is returning to Miami for the first time since being traded to Vancouver in the summer of 2006, and he has no clue what the response will be from the fans, writes Steve Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Meanwhile, Panthers captain Olli Jokinen is questionable for tonight's game with the flu. George Richards of the Miami Herald evaluates how the Luongo trade worked out for the Panthers.
• The Canadiens were happy to be able to at least get one point against the Capitals last night as they trailed 3-0 midway through the second period and ended up losing 5-4 in overtime. Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette was very impressed with Alexander Ovechkin's ability to not only score, but give and take in the hit department.
• The Devils are expecting to get Jay Pandolfo back into their line up after the weekend, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. The Devils are hoping to crack the scoresheet tonight versus the Rangers, as the team has only scored three goals in four games against the Blueshirts this season.
• The struggling Islanders officially dropped out of the top eight in the Eastern Conference last night with a 3-1 home loss to the Kings.
• An angry John Paddock called out Jason Spezza after last night's 4-1 home loss to the Bruins. Sticking to his win and you're in policy, the Senators will be starting Ray Emery on Saturday night after Martin Gerber lost yesterday.
• The Lightning/Canucks game last night was enjoyable for John Tortorella not just because his team was victorious 4-3, but because the game was actually an enjoyable game to watch for the fans, players and coaches alike.
• The Leafs lost their composure last night in Raleigh, as they lost 3-2 in overtime to the Hurricanes. In other Leafs news, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun tells readers that Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos will not hold back Jim Rutherford from taking the Toronto GM position if offered.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Doug Weight and the Ducks visit St. Louis tonight to take on Andy McDonald and the Blues for the first time since the two players traded places earlier this season.
• The Blue Jackets lost 4-2 last night in Nashville, and Rick Nash believes part of the reason for their struggles against the Predators is that they give the them too much respect. In other Jackets news, GM Scott Howson plans to chat with defenseman Adam Foote today to guage Foote's interest in staying in Columbus past this season.
• Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News has a very interesting piece about the culture of hockey in Edmonton. (Writer's note: I suggest you read this article.)
• Just because of one family faked their children's sickness does not mean the Red Wings are going to scale back their work with sick children, writes George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Wild's Nicklas Backstrom is beginning to display his 2007 form, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
• With last night's 4-2 victory over Columbus, the Predators now find themselves in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Arnott-Dumont-Radulov line has been leading the Predators as of late, especially last night. (Writer's note: Arnott left last night's game with a charley horse but is expected to be ready to play on Saturday night.)
• Doug Weight is not going to air his dirty laundry in public, but it is fairly evident that he was unhappy with the way his trade went down from St. Louis, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch.
• Denis Savard says the Blackhawks need to cut down on their turnovers if they expect to turn their fortunes around. "I'm not shopping him at all," Hawks GM Dale Tallon said in reference to the recent Martin Havlat rumors.
• "The wrist is getting worse. I'm just trying to focus on the games," said Oilers winger Ales Hemsky about his injured wrist. Hemsky isn't the only Oilers star with an injury, as Shawn Horcoff is nursing a sore shoulder. John MacKinnon of the Edmonton Journal thinks something needs to give in this trading gridlock.
• Even though they blew a third period lead on Wednesday at Detroit and lost 3-2, the Coyotes proved they can play with the NHL's top team, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• The new Canucks line combinations didn't work out so well in the team's 4-3 loss at Tampa last night, writes Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. "We were down by one goal after two. We didn't give them much in the third, but their first chance ended up in the back of the net," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault after last night's game.
• Peter Budaj will be back in the net for Colorado tonight versus Detroit because Jose Theodore is on the mend with back spasms.

Note: The Calgary and San Jose papers were not updated as of this post. Also, the Kings don't have a beat writer on their current road-trip so that is why their articles have been omitted.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail tells readers that the Leafs have been replaced on this week's Hockey Night in Canada national broadcast by the Canadiens/Penguins game.
• Bruce Arthur of the National Post explains to readers that the Leafs' current situation is all about money.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has a feature on Wild star Marian Gaborik.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Marian Hossa was the star of the night on Tuesday as he tallied a hat trick and led the Thrashers to a 5-1 victory over the powerful Red Wings.
• Milan Lucic of the Bruns is ecstatic to have a chance to participate in All-Star weekend after he was named to the roster for the Young Stars Game. In other Bruins news, it appears that the flu bug has hit the team.
• Sabres GM Darcy Regier has not ruled out trading Brian Campbell after the defenseman cut-off contract talks with the team. Meanwhile, former Sabres forward Chris Drury says he has too much concern about the way his new team is playing to worry about tonight being his first game against his former teammates.
• After last night's 5-4 loss at Toronto, the Hurricanes find themselves in second place in the Southeast Division. Hurricanes netminder Michael Leighton was surprised that he was pulled after two periods of play last night.
• Injured defenseman Cory Murphy joined his Panthers teammates at practice yesterday for the first time in two months.
• The Canadiens came into Tuesday night's game with the Islanders very prepared and it showed as they made up for their lackluster effort at MSG on Saturday with a 3-1 victory at Long Island. In other Habs news, defenseman Patrice Brisebois is worried that his foot injury is more serious than originally thought.
• The risk of infection is too much for Devils forward John Madden to suit up tonight when the Devils face the Islanders, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post believes Rangers coach Tom Renney is being too soft on his players. Meanwhile, John Dellapina of the NY Daily News tells readers that Jaromir Jagr has been playing the last few weeks with a foot injury.
• The Islanders only mustered 18 shots on net in their 3-1 loss to the Habs last night, writes Mark Herrmann of Newsday.
• Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun says that the Senators better hope they don't play the Capitals in the playoffs as Washington defeated Ottawa 4-2 last night and swept the season series.
• For all the antics that come along with Steve Downie's play, the rugged winger has more talent than most people think.
• With Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy being named to the Young Stars roster, that means four Penguins will be off to Atlanta for All-Star weekend.
• "I have never been more embarrassed," said Lightning coach John Tortorella after his team's 3-0 loss at home to the Avalanche.
• Even with all the external pressure and commotion, the Leafs were victorious last night over the struggling Hurricanes by a score of 5-4.
• It looks like Olaf Kolzig has entertained the idea of retirement, writes Matt Wise of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Scott Niedermayer proved how valuable his mid-season addition has been to the Ducks last night with one goal and two assists in his team's 4-2 victory over the Stars.
• "We're getting embarassed," said Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr after his team's 3-0 loss at Nashville on Tuesday. Two of Curtis Joseph's former teammates, Jason Arnott and Greg deVries only had glowing things to say about the newest Flames netminder.
• Patrick Lalime will continue to get the starts in net for the Blackhawks if he keeps winning says coach Denis Savard.
• The Blue Jackets won 3-2 last night over Vancouver and are having fun along the way, writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Not only was Nikolai Zherdev the best player on the ice last night, but his two points were overshadowed by his important blocked shot with less than a minute remaining.
• "We got beat in the special teams game, we got beat in the physical game, we got beat on the scoreboard, all the way around," said Stars coach Dave Tippett after his team's 4-2 loss at Anaheim last night.
• It looks like the rich may get richer as Kevin Allen of USA Today touches on the possibility of Marian Hossa getting traded to the Red Wings.
• "There shouldn't be a letdown because we're not in a position to afford one," said Oilers winger Ethan Moreau after his team's 3-1 loss at home to Los Angeles on Tuesday.
• "Tonight was a very strong game for us," said Kings coach Marc Crawford after his team's impressive road victory against the streaking Oilers.
• Mikko Koivu is unlike most young players, in that he does not have a problem with playing a defensive game, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• Speed beat size last night in Nashville as the Predators defeated the Flames 3-0.
• Coyotes leader Shane Doan led the way last night in his team's impressive 5-3 victory over the Sharks.
• The Sharks are a strong road team but they struggled last night versus the young and exuberant Coyotes, falling 5-3 in Glendale.
• Blues coach Andy Murray doesn't care about his team's place in the division, he just wants to be among the eight playoff teams in the Western Conference.
• The Canucks just weren't ready for the Blue Jackets' intensity to start last night's game and, in the end, they couldn't come all the way back and lost 3-2.
  
  

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• William Houston of the Globe & Mail tells readers that there are some signs of life for U.S. hockey viewership.
• Mark Spector of the National Post examines the question of steroids in hockey.
• A.J. Perez of USA Today has the details behind Alexander Ovechkin's new contract extension.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers blew a late third period lead and ended up losing 3-2 in a shootout; Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the story. Meanwhile, Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tells readers that he just doesn't like the shootout.
• The Canadiens dominated the Bruins last night, handing them a 5-2 defeat on at Banknorth Garden. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe tells readers that the Habs' skills were on display last night. While the Bruins are struggling as a team, rookie Milan Lucic has continued to progress nicely all season long.
• After last night's shootout loss, the Sabres have now lost eight games in a row, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. Buffalo was without three of their top players last night as Derek Roy, Maxim Afinogenov, and Tim Connolly missed last night's contest.
• "We were gross," Hurricanes coach Peter Laviolette said after his team's 4-1 loss to the Devils on Thursday night. The Canes were without a number of players last night because the team has been bitten hard with the flu.
• Nathan Horton called the result last night, as the Panthers came back to defeat the Thrashers 3-2 in a shootout. Recently acquired Magnus Johansson suited up for his new squad last night.
• As Pat Hickey tells us, the Habs capitalized on the man-advantage last night and easily defeated the Bruins 5-2. In other Habs news, down on the farm, Carey Price is keeping a positive attitude with his demotion to the Hamilton Bulldogs.
• Coach Brent Sutter has been stressing success away from the Prudential Center and last night the Devils satisfied their coach with a 4-1 road victory over Carolina. The fact that the Devils scored four goals last night should be considered a breakout offensive game, writes Mark Everson of the NY Post.
• Henrik Lundqvist continued to struggle last night in his team's 6-2 loss at home to the Flyers; however, don't expect Lundqvist to point any fingers, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post.
• Mark Herrmann of Newsday gives readers some background information on Islanders prospect Kyle Okposo.
• The Senators defeated the Sabres 3-2 in a shootout last night, gaining some momentum heading into their clash with the NHL leading Red Wings on Saturday night.
• The Flyers demonstrated their depth last night as they defeated the Rangers 6-2 on the backs of Scott Hartnell and Antero Nittymaki.
• Jordan Staal looked like the Jordan Staal of last season on Thursday as the youngster scored twice leading the Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Lightning.
• The Lightning can't seem to win consecutive games and the team has been struggling so much that coach John Tortorella has limited his defense's aggressiveness in the neutral zone to limit chances against.
• After last night's 5-2 drubbing at the hands' of the Kings, Damien Cox of the Toronto Star is calling this season's version of the Maple Leafs the worst in a decade.
• Tarik El-Bashir provides readers with everything you need to know about Alexander Ovechkin's new contract.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Ryan Getzlaf is on his way to the All-Star Game for the first time later this month in Atlanta, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• With Alexander Ovechkin under contract for the next decade and more, Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf is surely seeing dollar signs, writes Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun.
• "There's a strong possibility there will be a trade shortly," Hawks GM Dale Tallon said on Thursday.
• It hasn't taken long for Paul Stastny to follow in his dad's footsteps, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• Prospect Derick Brassard will make his NHL debut tonight for the Blue Jackets as they take on the Blues. Here are the Columbus line combinations for tonight's game. (Writer's note: Don't expect Brassard to stay on the fourth line for long.)
• The Stars continue to have trouble beating the Blues, as Dallas was defeated 4-2 in the Gateway City on Thursday night.
• Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press thinks the Red Wings are so good that they spoil their fanbase. Rosenberg's colleague George Sipple gives readers the recap of last night's crazy 6-5 shootout loss for the Wings.
• The Oilers made it three in a row last night after they dominated the streaking Coyotes 5-2. Meanwhile, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal profiles Ilya Brygalov who has almost single-handedly turned around the Coyotes' season.
• Nothing like the Leafs coming to town when you need to cure a losing streak; the Kings learned that lesson last night as they defeated Toronto 5-2.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune provides readers with a profile of the new Wild owner.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean gives the Nashville perspective on Craig Leipold becoming the new owner of the Wild.
• Last night was one of those tough nights for the Coyotes, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• Evgeni Nabokov got the better of Roberto Luongo last night as he led his Sharks to an impressive 3-1 victory over the Canucks.
• Since coach Andy Murray called for more scoring earlier this week, the Blues have scored ten goals in two games, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
• The Canucks loss to the Sharks last night makes them 0-4 versus Joe Thornton and company on the season, writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.