Brenden Morrow can't hate Sean Avery anymore

From Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News:

"I have said 'hate,' and I imagine if we wouldn't have signed him, I would have said I still hate him," Morrow said Thursday. "But he's a teammate now, and I'll admit that I don't really know him other than what I see on the ice. So now we need to get to know each other and work together as teammates."

Read the entire article here.

Someone needs to give Morrow a medal for being the captain of a team that has both Steve Ott and Sean Avery on its starting roster.

Stars in talks with Sean Avery

From Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News:

The Stars still are in on Sean Avery and were in the talks on Wade Redden, but they are shutting things down for the night, said Brett Hull, co-general manager.

Hull had Avery living over his garage when Avery was a rookie with the Red Wings back in 2002-03. so the two know each other pretty well. He declined the opportunity to explain why the Stars are interested, saying those things could be talked about if the Stars signed Avery.

Read more from Heika here.

The Stars were one of the teams rumored to be interested in Avery prior to free agency beginning this afternoon, so it is no surprise they are one of the teams he is negotiating with. If I had to guess, I'd say he is line for a 4 year, $16 million deal or a 5 year, $20 million deal.

Avery permitted to speak to other teams

From Larry Brooks of the NY Post:

THIS is either a ploy by Glen Sather to allow the competition to es tablish a dollar value for Sean Avery that he will match, or it is evidence that the GM simply doesn't understand what the New York Rangers have in this impending-free-agent difference-maker.

Slap Shots has learned that Sather late last week granted permission to Avery's agent, Pat Morris, to negotiate with any interested NHL team in advance of Tuesday's official opening of the free-agent market.

Read more about the Avery situation here.

Larry Brooks might as well be Avery's agent. No one loves Avery likes Brooks does, and as part of his love for the feisty winger, he overstates his importance to the Rangers cause. While Avery is better than most give him credit for, his loss won't be as awful as Brooks makes it seem. He is an energetic player with a fair amount of talent; however, if he was that good, then why would the Kings and Wings have given up on him beforehand? The Rangers would be better off spending that $4 million that Avery will probably get on a defenseman.

Avery willing to play for Leafs now?

From Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun:

If Cliff Fletcher truly wants to make the Maple Leafs a team opponents hate to play, he could sign the dean of despised players, Sean Avery.

According a source, the National Hockey League's reigning shock jock has changed his mind on playing in his native Canada, and his GTA home in particular, after July 1. Last year, the Pickering-born centre dumped on Toronto saying: "I don't enjoy hockey-obsessed Canadians. The (US-Canadian dollar) exchange is not very good right now. And it's going to cost me a lot of money in tickets for people I don't even like."

Read the entire story here.

The Leafs would be better off passing on Avery. They don't need his services as they are looking to rebuild for three years down the road.

Glen Sather knows business is different with a salary cap

From John Dellapina of the NY Daily News:

One of the few loopholes in the NHL collective bargaining agreement would enable the Rangers to sign Jagr, as a player over 35 years old, to a one-year deal in which bonuses could be deferred to count against the following season's salary cap (as the Blueshirts did this past season with Brendan Shanahan). In that way, the Rangers probably could easily get Jagr close to the $8.36 million he made last season while being on the immediate hook for no more than the $4.9 million they paid him - Washington paid the rest as a condition of the 2004 trade that brought him to New York.

Avery would cost significantly less than Jagr. But Sather has so far refused to budge beyond a midseason offer of approximately $2.75 million per year, while Avery is seeking at least $3.5 million per.

Read the entire article here.

The Rangers need Jaromir Jagr on their team because he was hands-down their best player during the playoffs. I believe that both sides will come together on some sort of agreement within the next few weeks. As for Avery, I just don't see Glen Sather paying him $3.5 million per year. To be honest, I wouldn't pay him that either. He is a good player, but to give him that much money to be a second line winger is just too much in my opinion.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Rene Fasel will run unopposed for another term as IIHF President.
2. Fabian Brunstrom is in Dallas checking out the Stars.
3. Darren Dreger with a theory as to why overtimes aren't lasting very long.
4. A preview of Group A from the World Hockey Championships.
5. The weekly Junior Report.
6. An in-depth look at the draft eligible Michael Del Zotto.
7. Ian Winwood of the Guardian blogs on the disparate paths of the Red Wings and Avs.
8. Tony Gallagher calls this year's playoffs "the best in years".
9. Mike Sielski tells Flyers fans to stop whining.
10. Check out this video from the Onion.
11. An update on Darren McCarty's resurgence.
12. 10 good candidates for the Hall of Fame.
13. Adam Proteau blames the Game 3 loss on Tom Renney.
14. A good roundup of pre-WHL draft news. Its the 1993's that will be picked this year.
15. Elliotte Friedman thinks the Canadiens have to stick with Carey Price.
16. The Oilers and Joni Pitkanen have yet to open negotiations.
17. Team Canada hopes to break the curse of the host team.
18. A follow up to the Avery story and the fumbling of said story by the NY Daily News.
19. Eric Duhatschek comments on the World Championships coming to Canada.
20. Check out the Dallas Stars' zamboni.
21. In other injury news, the Penguins' Maxime Talbot may be out with a broken foot.
22. Michael Farber of SI discusses the differences between Zetterberg and Foote.
23. Jacques Demers credits Brett Hull for keeping the Stars loose.
24. Jim Kelley's musings on the playoffs.
25.The Alternative NHL Awards.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Note: This is the last installment of the first round playoff matchups. Starting tomorrow I will be writing second round morning papers.

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• The Canadiens were 4-0 against the Flyers in the regular season, so they are not afraid of facing Philadelphia in Round 2.
• The Bruins are already very excited for next season and are taking a lot of positives from their 2007/08 campaign. The play of the team's young players was extremely encouraging, writes Howard Ulman. In awards news, Zdeno Chara has been nominated for the Norris Trophy.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Penguins winger Pascal Dupuis has been a pleasant surprise since his arrival from Atlanta. The Penguins face the Rangers in Round 2, marking the first time Jaromir Jagr has played his old team in the playoffs. Here is the second round playoff schedule.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• "I just told them they gave me the best year of my life, and I thanked them," said Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau after his team was defeated in Game 7 by the Flyers. The wait is finally over for the Ted Leonsis and Capitals fans for a proven winner and contender. The Capitals fans were so impressed, that at game's end they gave their team a standing ovation.
• Joffrey Lupul got to score the goal all kids dream about in their backyards, writes Ed Barkowitz. Martin Biron has been one of the great stories for the Flyers so far this playoffs, writes Ed Moran. The Flyers don't have much time to savor their victory, as they visit Montreal to begin Round 2 on Thursday night.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• The NHL reaches new levels of hypocrisy, writes Larry Brooks, after it has been discovered that the league approved a Sean Avery t-shirt by Reebok. On the ice, the Rangers' next series versus the Penguins doesn't lack for stars. The Rangers seem more focused for Round 2 this year than they were last year.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Friday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• Carey Price had a meltdown in the third period and the result is Game 6 on Saturday in Boston. "We have to forget this game right away," said Canadiens youngster Maxim Lapierre after his team's 5-1 home loss to the Bruins. For all the chances the Bruins have had this series, it was a fluke goal that led to last night's victory. Meanwhile, the Habs have many players on their roster who had great regular seasons, so with that comes bonus payments, writes Pat Hickey.
• The Bruins knew they had 20 minutes to continue their season and with a dominant third period they did just that, writes Fluto Shinwaza. Glen Metropolit's first career playoff goal was sure a big one, writes Kevin Paul Dupont. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli had a little talk with Harry Sinden yesterday. Meantime, if the Bruins lose on Saturday, that may be Glen Murray's last game as a Bruin.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Bob Smizik wonders if the Penguins are that good or the Senators are that bad? While they all want to grow playoff bears, not all the Penguins can. Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette examines the positives and negatives of having a layoff.
• Ray Emery discussed his season with the Ottawa press yesterday. (Writer's note: Why do people give him so much attention? He's an average goalie with an attitude problem. I've read enough about Ray Emery for five years.) In other Senators news, Jason Speeza loves Ottawa and it is the only city he wants to play hockey in. Here are all the Senators' exit interviews.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• The Capitals put forth their best game of the playoffs last night Philadelphia and still lost, writes Tarik El-Bashir. Mike Wise of the Washington Post wonders if the Capitals turned in their best game a little too late? You can't teach experience, writes Jason La Canfora.
• Martin Biron turned his game up a notch when his team needed it most, writes Sam Donnellon. The Flyers were outplayed during regulation but they took the play to the Capitals during overtime, writes Tim Panaccio. Game 4 was just a terrific hockey game, writes Phil Sheridan.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger wonders when Martin Brodeur is going to steal a game for the Devils? "The message was we don't have to win three games (tonight), just one," said Devils captain Jamie Langenbrunner. If the Devils want to slow down the pace of Game 5, the Rangers won't be complaining.
• After predicting the team's exit from the first round a week ago, Larry Brooks of the NY Post is suddenly examining the possibility that Jaromir Jagr could win the Conn Smythe and, as a result, trigger an option for next season. A couple of Rangers have been part of comebacks from down 3-1 in the playoffs so they won't be taking their lead for granted, writes John Dellapina. Bob Raissman of the NY Daily News says that Sean Avery is good for hockey in the big picture.

The morning papers for the Western Conference playoff match ups are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Wednesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the Eastern Conference playoff match ups:

Montreal versus Boston:

• The Canadiens rode the back of both their youngest player and oldest player last night in Boston, writes Pat Hickey. "He's in the zone," said Habs coach Guy Carbonneau about Carey Price. By keeping Patrice Brisebois in the line up, Guy Carbonneau ended up making the right roster decision.
• "We have to go to Montreal and play one game. You've got to think about winning the next game if you want to get back in the series. It's as simple as that. You don't look at the fact that you have to win three, because it's too big a picture," said Bruins coach Claude Julien after last night's tough 1-0 loss at home. Fluto Shinwaza of the Boston Globe wonders if sitting Phil Kessel was a good idea. Glen Murray is the Bruins' best goal scorer, but he has been missing in action during the playoffs. Murray is not the only Bruins forward who can't score, writes Kevin Paul Dupont.

Pittsburgh versus Ottawa:

• Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are trying to one-up each other and that only means problems for their opposition, writes Ron Cook. The Penguins want to make sure they finish off the Senators tonight. You should expect to see Ryan Malone dress tonight for Pittsburgh, but it looks like Gary Roberts will sit out his second game in a row.
• "We've put ourselves in a huge hole, but by no means do I think we're done," said Senators defenseman Mike Commodore. It is without question that Daniel Alfredsson is the emotional leader of the Senators. The Ottawa players had better not mail it in, as some of the Senators may be playing for jobs next year.

Washington versus Philadelphia:

• Thom Loverro of the Washington Times thinks the Capitals need to get urgency back into their game after their 6-3 loss at Philadelphia last night. Meantime, Mike Wise of the Washington Post is not a fan of Philadelphia's style of play. Any thoughts of an Olaf Kolzig appearance were tossed out the window by coach Bruce Boudreau after last night's game.
• For those who questioned Martin Biron after Game 1, they don't have much to say now, after the goaltender has been terrific in the Flyers' past two contests. Ovechkin who? Daniel Briere has been that good for the Flyers, writes Tim Panaccio. In roster news, the Flyers got a huge boost last night when Derian Hatcher returned to the team's line up. However, the team did lose top defenseman Kimmo Timonen to an upper-body injury.

New Jersey versus New York Rangers:

• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger wonders if the Devils have turned the series around. The Devils are not happy with the way they've let Jaromir Jagr get on the scoresheet. Jay Greenberg of the NY Post says it has been a while since Martin Brodeur has been great in the playoffs.
• Larry Brooks of the NY Post is not in favor of the actions the league took after Sean Avery's antics on Sunday. If fans are wondering what Chris Drury was doing to Avery in front of the Devils net on Sunday, here is the story. Rangers coach Tom Renney wants the Rangers have to make sure they focus on the task at-hand.

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

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Not really news per se, but some UND players once again got themselves acquainted with the Grand Forks PD.
2. Kevin Porter of the Michigan Wolverines won the Hobey Baker award.
3. More Memorial Cup history, courtesy of Taking Note.
4. A preview of the ECHL playoffs.
5. Need another reason to hate the Wild? Watch this. (With apologies to the Piper's and Rosso's)
6. Read all about the Capitals' Matt Bradley.
7. Darren Dreger outlines possible management changes with the non-playoff teams.
8. Want to know what Silent Bob thinks of the Rangers-Devils series? Read this.
9. A look at the off-season game plan of the LA Kings.
10. Mike Toth live blogs the playoffs from his home.
11. The NHL has managed to increase both television numbers and attendance this year.
12. More news on the Toronto Maple Leaf's ticket scandal.
13. Random thoughts on the playoffs from Bob McKenzie.
14. Canada cruises to victory over Germany at the World Under-18's.
15. The US Women's Team defeats Canada to claim the World Championship.
16. Sean Avery: Innovator or cheat?
17. Kyle Wellwood answers fan's questions.
18. The Best of Seven blog rates the series' by excitement factor.
19. Spector predicts a big payday for RFA's this summer.
20. Meet the new Sean Avery Rule.
21. Are the Senators really soft?
22. Jeff Marek reports that Patrick Thoreson is recovering nicely. Check out the excellent quote by Bobby Orr at the end of the article.
23. If you like fights, be sure to check this out.
24. Australia wins World Hockey Gold in Divsion II, Group B by shutting out those stinkin' Commies.
25. Traveling with Gary Bettman.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Sean Avery likes to pay for it.
2. Dan Boyle should avoid all sharp objects.
3. Spector expects many changes to the Wild's roster for next season.
4. The NHL will experiment with virtual ads during the playoffs.
5. The NHL did not break any anti-competition laws when it stymied Balsillie's attempt to purchase the Penguins.
6. Ian Mendes reflects on his prediction that the Penguins will miss the playoffs.
7. An entertaining column on the use of ice level analysts for hockey broadcasts, including a tidbit about Pierre McGuire apologizing to his bff, Sidney Crosby.
8. Larry Brooks with his thoughts on the Rangers loss to Pittsburgh, including a mention of Jaromir Jagr meeting with the Omsk GM.
9. Richard Peddie needs a Xanax. Cheer up buddy! You will still sell out for the foreseeable future.
10. All Things Avs is not especially happy with the return of Peter Forsberg.
11. The Blueshirts Blog wonders why referees get fooled by dives and embellishment.
12. Does any rookie get more press than Milan Lucic?
13. The NHL Playoffs from a European perspective.
14. Paul Kukla hopes to see some consistent officiating in the playoffs.
15. Bob Nicholson would like to see fewer fights in the CHL, which is reducing rosters from 23 to 21 in the hopes of curbing fighting.
16. Ken Campbell discusses the rankings of the NHL General Managers.
17. Adam Proteau with his thoughts on the NHL.
18. Pierre Lebrun discusses the winning ways of the Detroit Red Wings.
19. Need a laugh? Check this out.
20. The field for the Frozen Four is set.
21. The new coach of the Canadian Women's hockey team will accept no excuses for losing.
22. Scott Burnside with his Monday rant.
23. The Puck Stops Here discusses the restoration of hope in Oilerville.
24. Kyle Rogers has signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
25. To end the day off right, check out these quotes from the Penguins play by play guy and the Tampa mascot terrorizing people on the beach.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Filed under "It Could Only Happen in the Perogy Belt", a brawl erupts at a senior game in Saskatchewan.
2. You stay classy Chris.Video of the incident here.
3. The ever amusing Jay Onrait live blogs the Leafs.
4. Mike Toth discusses his favorite goalies.
5. Damien Cox introduces us to the backup goalies of the NHL.
6. A TSN article examines the Canadiens chances of contending for the Stanley Cup.
7. A puff piece on Adam Burish.
8. Adrian Foster, a former "Who the hell is that?" pick of the New Jersey Devils, has found his game in the AHL.
9. The Army Black Knights won their first conference championship in 100 years. America, FUCK YEAH!
10. David Legwand gets probation for doing his Dany Heatley impression.
11. Pierre Lebrun wonders if 2003 was the best draft class ever.
12. The Rangers and Sean Avery were fined $25,000 and $2500, respectively, for last Sunday's water bottle incident.
13. Interesting story about the China Clipper.
14. Rory Boylen likes it rough.
15. A round up of stories from around the league.
16. The new neck guards aren't very popular in the OHL.
17. The Lightning Strikes blog makes a case for Tortorella staying in Tampa.
18. Just in case you want to hear Jarome Iginla's opinion on Hilary Lucifer Clinton and Saint Obama the Magnificently Awesome Saviour of Everything, here is a link.
19. Greg Wyshynski with an interesting look at suspensions in the NHL.
20. More news on the Kings, this time from a State of the Franchise meeting.
21. John Buccigross wants to talk to you about hockey.
22. David Amber interviews Peter Mueller.
23. Another installment of Jamie McClennan's blog from Japan.
24. The Year of the Ram doesn't end well.
25. Adam Proteau thinks hockey players should be more political.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Darren Dreger reports that the GM's job in Toronto is Brian Burke's, if he wants it.
2. Pierre Lebrun examines the Carolina Hurricanes' acquisition of Sergei Samsonov.
3. Andy Murray's troubles in St. Louis and Ryan Miller signing with the Red Wings headline the rumours of the week.
4. The Hot or Not list from the CHL.
5. John Paddock says he would have handled the Emery situation differently if he could have a do-over.
6. North Dakota is the new #1 in the INCH Power Rankings.
7. Larry Brooks calls for the NHL to lead the fight against steroids.
8. Check out this video clip on Christian Hanson, son of Dave Hanson. No mention of him bringing toys on roadtrips.
9. Interesting post by Mirtle about the mechanics of the draft lottery.
10. Jeff Bromley posts the Best of the East poll from the WHL.
11. Sean Avery has broken off contract talks with the Rangers, marking the first time he has ever stopped talking.
12. The Penguins are eagerly anticipating seeing their team at full strength.
13. Sweet post at Pensblog with facts and anecdotes about all the NHL arenas.
14. EJ Hradek reminds NHL fans not to overlook the Bruins.
15. Everything you wanted to know about Teemu Selanne but didn't care enough to ask.
16. Scott Burnside wonders how injuries are going to affect the NHL awards.
17. The Boston Globe with a look at the increasing age of incoming college freshman.
18. Bruce Dowbiggin looks at the goalie situation in Calgary.
19. Check out this 5 year old little bugger, who has scored 230 + goals this year. Plus, his name is Jet Lee.
20. Check out Eric Nystrom's homage to Ned Braden. I am sure it comes as no surprise that Nystrom is a Flames prospect.
21. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal provides a cornucopia of information on whats going on around the NHL.
22. Allan Muir of SI previews the race for the final playoff spots in the East.
23. An entry from Milan Lucic's blog.
24. Ken Campbell admires Bob Gainey's decision to go with Carey Price.
25. Spector re-hashes the trade deadline deals.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Sheldon Souray's season is official over after undergoing shoulder surgery.
2. Mike Toth profiles Brent Ashton, the most traded man in NHL history.
3. John Ferguson Jr. has joined TSN for their Trade Deadline coverage.
4. Bob McKenzie breaks down the Sens-Hurricanes trade.
5. Jim Kelley with his Good, Bad and Ugly column. Strangely enough its not about Jarome Iginla, Cory Sarich and Dion Phaneuf.
6. Darren Eliot nominates Bruce Boudreau as his pick for the Jack Adams Trophy.
7. Scott Burnside likes the winning touch Commodore and Stillman bring to the Senators.
8. USA Hockey is getting ready to celebrate Hockey Weekend Across America.
9. The weekly release from the USHL.
10. Brandon's Colby Robak is quickly moving up the draft charts with his strong play.
11. Interesting article about the benefits of downtown arenas.
12. Ryan Gunderson is getting noticed in the ECHL, with sweet deer in the headlights pic.
13. The NHL's best bargains.
14. Taking Notes breaks down the fines handed out by team in the WHL. Good to see Regina, the town that rhymes with fun, representing.
15. TSN has a team by team preview of the trade deadline.
16. Check out this video on how to end your relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
17. A Saskatchewan sawmill worker from Prince Albert (in a can) will shoot for a chance to win $1,000,000.
18. It turns out Sean Avery is sensitive.
19. Mark Seidel of the Hockey News profiles the projected 11-15 picks in this year's NHL draft.
20. David Toews of Shattuck St-Mary's headlines this week's hot list.
21. The Hockey News jumps on the bandwagon of people waiting to fellate the Detroit Red Wings, who seem to get Obama-like reverance in the hockey world.
22. Tyler Arnason has revived his career in Colorado.
23. CBC Sports with an interesting read on former OHL'er Sean Courtney.
24. Check out this story about Steve Yzerman and a "sick" little Wings fan.
25. A profile on Canada's gold medal winning team from the 1948 St. Moritz Olympics.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. TSN wonders where Jarome Iginla fits in on the all-time list of Flamers.
2. Blackhawks winger Tuomo Ruutu was mistakenly taken into custody yesterday in Bensenville, IL after police mistook him for a robbery suspect.
3. No criminal charges will be laid in the 8-year old brawl fiasco in Guelph.
4. A bus carrying the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL was involved in a crash, seriously injuring the driver.
5. Alan Weiss with a report on prospects currently playing in the ECHL. (Hat tip, Rocky)
6. CHL News and Notes.
7. The American Hockey League announces its Hall of Fame Class for 2008.
8. Eric Duhatschek campaigns for a larger ice surface.
9. Are you sick of all the Leafs/JFJ talk? Me too. Go here for relief.
10. The Fan590 will retract its allegation that Sean Avery made disparaging remarks about Jason Blake.
11. Jim Matheson notes that the Oilers must make re-signing Tom Gilbert a priority.
12. A look around the American Hockey League.
13. Boy Devereaux satisfies his taste for music by starting up a music label.
14. Markus Naslund is enjoying a resurgence in Vancouver.
15. An artist has created nude paintings of Bobby Orr and Derek Sanderson. (Hat tip, Amanda)
16. The Lundqvist brothers are each other's biggest fans.
17. Shawn P. Roarke lists 10 Free Agents who might wish they had stayed at home.
18. Fanhouse notes that Kipper may be out of shape and Dion Phaneuf is full of himself.
19. Want old stats? David Staples has 'em for you.
20. Alex Kovalev happy with his production, but would like more even-strength goals.
21. James Duthie decries the trap, but notes that it is effective.
22. Mike Comrie says that dating Hilary Duff has gained him a lot of friends in the NHL.
23. The Avs recall TJ Hensick.
24. NHL Media Guides provide a wealth of info about players personal lives.
25. Check out the updates on the Hockey News Series about Roseau, MN. Week 2, Week 3, Week 4.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Kyle Kosior.

Nightly Recap: Crosby Extends Point Streak to 18

Boston 5 - Toronto 2 - Peter Schaefer had three points, including two third period goals and Tim Thomas stopped 34. After Stepping in for the injured Manny Fernandez, Thomas has put up amazing numbers this year with a record of 7-4-2, coming into the game he had a 1.65 GAA and .950 save percentage. Give it up for Timmy, puts it all out there every night.

New York Rangers 4 - Philadelphia 3 (SO) - Brendan Shanahan scored the shootout winner, snapping a shot over the shoulder of Marty Biron. Shanny may be 38 but he still has a lightning quick release, he is 2/3 on shootouts this year. Scott Gomez and Sean Avery had two points each for the Rangers. Gomez now has an 8 game point streak (11 points) after his horrendously slow start. Avery has posted 7 points in his past 5. He may be hated by everyone in the league, but unlike other goons he's got skillz.

Ottawa 3 - Buffalo 2 - It was Daniel Alfredsson's 800th career game, he scored his 14th and 15th goals of the season. Martin Gerber won his league leading 12th games, while making 35 saves.

Pittsburgh 3 - New York Islanders 2 - Evegni Malkin had two assists to extend his point streak to 12 games and Sidney Crosby assisted on George Laraque's game winner extending his point streak to 18. It was Laraque's first goal in 40 games.

Florida 2 - Washington 1 - I'm going to be honest, while flipping channels on Centre Ice, I really felt no reason to want to watch this game at all. Anyways, Ovechkin scored his 12th of the year.

Nashville 5 - Chicago 4 (OT) - Marty Erat scored the game winner 15 seconds into overtime, he had two points on the night following up his 4 point night from Monday. Alex Radulov had three points for the Preds and Radek Bonk, Vernon Fiddler, and David Legwand each had two. Super rookies Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane had one point each.

Minnesota 4 - Edmonton 2 - BEAST of the night Eric Belanger had a career high four assists. The Wild are now 8-0-1 in their past nine matchups versus the Oilers.

San Jose 6 - Phoenix 0 - Evegni Nabokov made 15 saves for the shutout, Joe Pavelski had two goals and Patrick Marleau had three assists. Rookie Devin Setoguchi scored for his 4th consecutive game.

Anaheim 6 - Los Angeles 3 - Anaheim scored three third period goals plus an empty netter to pull away from the Kings. Corey Perry and Chris Kunitz had three points each, Ryan Getzlaf and Rob Niedermayer each had two.

Tomorrow's Games (all times Eastern)
7:00pm ATL@CAR, NYI@NJ,
7:30pm MTL@BUF,
8:00pm WSH@TB
8:30pm COL@DAL, CLB@STL
10:00pm MIN@VAN

NHL Morning Papers

Here are the national morning papers:

• Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail tells us that it appears likely Eric Lindros will officially announce his retirement from the NHL later this week.
• Kevin Allen has the story of the total transformation of Ilya Kovalchuk as a player and as a teammate in this morning's USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Things only seem to be getting worse for Glen Hanlon and his Washington Capitals as they were blown out 5-0 yesterday by the Hurricanes in the first game of an important road trip.
• With both Mark Bell and Kyle Wellwood making their season debuts tonight there is finally some good news in Leafland.
• The Lightning just can't catch a break right now and now have a seven game road losing streak after last night's 4-3 loss to the Panthers.
• Michel Therrien switched around all of his lines except for the Malkin-Crosby-Malone line and it worked out well as Pittsburgh got one goal from each of the team's four lines on their way to defeating the Devils 5-0. Meanwhile, Penguins' fans who are critics of Marc-Andre Fleury should read the comments that Martin Brodeur has about the young netminder.
• The score may have looked close but the Flyers were outplayed and outshot 45-30 in their 2-0 loss to the Rangers last night.
• If the Senators defeat the Leafs tonight then they will have recorded the most points in NHL history after fourteen regular season games. After hearing Wade Redden say yesterday that he'd consider taking a paycut to stay with the Senators, you can't help but appreciate his loyalty to the city of Ottawa and desire to win the Stanley Cup.
• Rick DiPietro is no worse for wear after the eye injury he suffered this weekend and the netminder may be in between the pipes tonight for the battle of New York.
• The Rangers have had a very successful homestand, moving from last to one point out of first after last night's 2-0 victory over the first place Flyers. Due to the fact he is returning from a serious shoulder problem, Larry Brooks of the NY Post suggests that Sean Avery use more discretion when he plays.
• After being pasted 5-0 by the Penguins, Devils' coach Brent Sutter regretted giving the Devils the day off on Sunday. "It was a total lack of professionalism and commitment as individuals and as a group," said Sutter after the game.
• Habs' coach Guy Carbonneau surprisingly tapped Cristobal Huet to start last night's game against the Sabres and the French netminder made his coach look like a genius with a 2-0 shutout.
• The Panthers got a late goal from David Booth to defeat the Lightning 4-3 at home last night. Mike Van Ryn doesn't have a point this season, and he attributes that lack of production to his increased focus on the defensive side of the game.
• The Hurricanes' Cory Stillman led his team to a dominating 5-0 victory over Washington with a hat trick in the first ten minutes last night's game. Stillman may have gotten the headlines, but had it not been for Cam Ward's play early in the first period, the Canes may not have had such a successful night.
• The Sabres weren't overly displeased with their game as much as they were impressed by the play of Cristobal Huet writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. In other Sabres' news, the team has re-arranged its first line.
• It doesn't look like Don Waddell is going to hire a coach anytime soon writes Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Rookie Onrej Pavelec appears to be the favorite to get the start tonight for the Thrashers.
• Even though the Bruins lost both games to Ottawa over the weekend, they are taking solace in the fact that they were in both games against arguably the best team in the NHL.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Prior to last night's game, it looked like the Ducks were turning their season around, however, Anaheim was dominated by the Stars and were defeated 5-0 on home ice.
• The Flames didn't have an urgency to their game according to coach Mike Keenan and were easily defeated 4-1 last night by the Avalanche. "It's disappointing, and I expected, quite frankly, our team to be a lot more passionate about the game," said Keenan after the contest.
• The Hawks are beginning a television era by announcing their new home television schedule. (Writer's note: Reading this article is kind of like being in the twilight zone. You would think it was 1978 with all the passion the organization has about broadcasting home hockey games on television.)
• Had it not been for Miikka Kiprusoff's play in the first two periods, the Avs would have dominated the scoreboard even more writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• The Columbus Dispatch provides readers with a couple of National analysts' thoughts on the Blue Jackets so far this season. With the recent play of Pascal Leclaire, Jackets' goaltending coach Clint Malarchuk says he has it easy.
• Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press profiles the Zetterberg-Holmstrom-Datsyuk line and opines that it may be the best unit in the NHL.
• The Stars put forth their best effort of the season last night writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Oilers' finally beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom, however, they couldn't stay out of the penalty box and it cost them in their 5-2 loss to the Wild. With all the injuries the Oilers have encountered, at least they can count on Raffi Torres who played his 201st consecutive game last night.
• With the way the Wild's powerplay was clicking last night, who needs Gaborik and Demitra asks Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• Dustin Brown of the Kings tells Lonnie White of the L.A. Times that he is unhappy about the team's long layoff.
• Martin Gelinas has no problems with players wearing visors, he just chooses not to wear one himself.
• Coyotes' coach Wayne Gretzky has some tough lineup decisions on his hands with his team exhibiting surprising depth.
• Jeremy Roenick wants people to forget about him scoring 500 goals and focus on the Sharks getting far above the .500 level of play.
• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has five questions with Blues' GM John Davidson.
• Canucks' coach Alain Vigneault is sticking with having his eggs all in one basket on the top line writes Gordon McIntyre of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.