Saturday Night Recap: Kovalchuk Beasts on the Lightning

-Mike Fisher scored two goals including the game winner. Ottawa 3 - Boston 2. Tim Thomas made an amazing 42 saves for the Bruins and Chuck Kobasew added two goals in the loss.

-With two powerplay points Matt Cullen was Carolina's first star. Roddy Brind'Amour and Jeff Hamilton were stars two and three with two assists each. Richard Zednik scored for Florida, he now has 5 points in his past three games. Carolina 4 - Florida 2.

-Rangers 2 - Devils 1 (SO) Who says 1-1 games can't be exciting? Henrik Lundvquist continues to play phenomenal stopping 28 for the Rangers and Marty Brodeur was no slouch keeping 26 out of the net. The Rangers have had major offensive problems this year only scoring more than 3 goals in a game once, but King Henrik has been their MVP and has now allowed 6 goals in his past 7 games. Petr Prucha scored the shootout winner for the Rangers. Game Notes: Sean Avery returned from injury this game and was a a complete ball of energy on the ice. Jaromir Jagr played sparingly in overtime, he came on for one rush and then went off immediately, I'd keep an eye on him.

-Miroslav Satan scored two goals for the Isles including the game winner. Islanders 3 - Penguins 2. Rick DiPietro had to leave during the game for an injury that the team says "wasn't serious". Wade Dublewicz came off the bench and stopped 7 of 7. Al Arbour returned to the bench tonight to coach his 1,500th game. Game Notes: This game had a very unusual play; It appeared Tyler Kennedy of the Penguins had scored, all of the Penguins on the ice began to celebrate, but the referee did not count it as a goal. The teams played it out for 4 minutes until a whistle and then there was a review. It was counted a goal and the clock had to be reset to the time of the goal and then the puck was dropped. But, If the Islanders had scored during those 4 minutes, their goal would not have counted because of the Kennedy goal. My question is, what would have happened if the Penguins scored again after that play? Also just one goal?

-It's always exciting when the Habs and the Leafs get together, Matt Stajan scored with 1:34 left in the 3rd to give Toronto the win. Toronto 3 - Montreal 2.

-BEAST of the night Ilya Kovalchuk, so hot right now. He scored 4 points and now has 7 in his past two games. Marian Hossa also got on the board with two points. Atlanta 6 - Tampa Bay 4. Martin St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier had 3 assists each in a losing cause.

-Calgary has now lost three of their past four. Minnesota 4 - Calgary 1. Marian Gaborik had 3 points with two goals and one assist.

-Jonathan Toews had his 10 game point streak snapped, but Patrick Sharp's two shorthanded goals help the Blackhawks defeat the Blues. It was the first time a Chicago player had scored 2 shorthanded goals in a game since Steve Sullivan in '01. Chicago 3 - St. Louis 2.

-Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Pronger had 3 points each for the Ducks and J.S. Giguere stopped 30. Ducks 5 - Coyotes 2. Coyotes' Alex Auld stopped 34 in the loss.

-Vancouver 4 - Colorado 3. Colorado loses for their first time at home, and how have a 6 - 1 record at the Pepsi Center. After being called out by Coach Alain Vigneault, the Sedins combined for 6 points.

-The Sharks split their home and home with the Kings winning tonights game in Los Angeles. Jeremy Roenick scored his 4th goal of the year for San Jose and is now only one goal away from 500 for his career. Joe Thornton added two points in the win. Jason LaBarbera started in goal tonight for Los Angeles and made 25 saves in the losing effort. San Jose 3 - Los Angeles 1.

Tomorrow's Games (All Times Eastern)
5:00pm STL@CLB
7:00pm OTT@BOS, NSH@CHI

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey headlines.

EURO NIGHT IN CANADA?

- Tonight's feature game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET on Hockey Night in Canada on CBC, showcases a myriad of international talent.
Forget the fact that both captains are Scandinavian (Saku Koivu-Finland, Mats Sundin-Sweden)- or that both No.1 goalies are European (Vesa Toskala-Finland, Cristobal Huet-France), the drama lies in the young international talent. Nik Antropov, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Tomas Plekanec, Alexander Steen, Alexei Ponikarovsky.
Perhaps the most intriguing of all players in this game is Jiri Tlusty, the 2006 1st rounder (13th overall) who has three points in four games with the Maple Leafs. He has looked extremely confident since being recalled due to a rash of injuries to the Toronto foward corps. Enjoy the game, as the end result will undoubtedly have a Euro Curve.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

NHL Morning Papers

I just wanted to let our readers know that the name of my morning papers roundup has been changed from Morning Musings to the NHL Morning Papers, just so nobody gets confused. Additionally, I will be out of town tomorrow morning and therefore be unable to post the Sunday morning papers. The regular format will return on Monday.

Here are the national morning papers:

• Eric Duhatshek of the Globe & Mail provides readers with his usual Saturday notes column.
• In the National Post, Red Fisher tells readers there is no doubt who is in charge in Jersey this season.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks have a chance to make a statement over their next ten games writes Curits Zupke of the Orange County Register.
• Thanks in large part to Matthew Lombardi, it appears the Flames no longer have a secondary scoring problem.
• Blackhawks' winger Martin Havlat is expected to return from injury during the team's upcoming four-game home-stand. Meanwhile, Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune thinks the Chicago ownership could do more to broadcast home games if they really wanted.
• Woody Paige of the Denver Post compares Sidney Crosby with Wayne Gretzky.
• The Blue Jackets/Ducks game on Thursday was a game with a playoff-like intensity and Ken Hitchcock believes the point his team received after losing overtime was "a great point for our hockey club."
• The Stars were defeated by the Coyotes 5-0 on Friday night and after the game team captain Brenden Morrow said, "This is rock-bottom for us."
• The Red Wings believe they are a tougher team to play against than in the past write Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
• Not only did the Oilers lose the game against the Predators last night, but they lost yet another defenseman to injury as Mathieu Roy separated his shoulder.
• The Kings rode a terrific 45 save performance from J.S. Aubin to defeat their division rival Sharks 5-2 last night.
• The Wild will be looking to dig deep and end their slump tonight as they host the Flames in St. Paul.
• Dan Ellis is doing his best to create a goalie controversy in Nashville as he turned aside 31 of 32 shots last night to lead the Preds to a 4-1 victory over the Oilers.
• The Coyotes continued to get solid goaltending last night, as Mikael Tellqvist led the team to a 5-0 shutout over Dallas.
• The Sharks were defeated 5-2 by the Sharks last night and the team has to stop saying it's still early before it gets too late says Patrick Marleau.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch profiles Blackhawks' rookie Jonathan Toews in this morning's paper.
• Both Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo will be lost to the Canucks for over 6 weeks and maybe longer writes Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Capitals lost, once again, last night to the Flyers and with the losses mounting they are trying to do their best to limit their frustration.
• The Leafs wasted a solid road effort last night with a couple late third period lapses and were defeated by the Devils 3-2. The Leafs are going to dismantle their powerplay because as coach Paul Maurice said, "it's costing us games."
• The struggling Lightning have an important division stretch coming up writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• The Penguins have finally received their expected production from Sidney Crosby, however, the team is not receiving any scoring from the majority of their forwards.
• The Flyers' Mike Richards has totally redefined his role this season continued his success on Friday night leading the Flyers to a 3-2 victory over the Capitals.
• Jason Spezza won't suit up for the Senators' game tonight versus Boston, but that doesn't mean he isn't ecstatic about his new seven year contract extension.
• It should be quite the scene tonight on Long Island as legendary coach Al Arbour returns to the Island to coach his 1500th game.
• John Dellapina of the New York Daily News has information on the Rangers' attempted injunction against the NHL.
• John Madden continued his terrific play this season against the Maple Leafs last night, leading his team to a 3-2 victory. Martin Brodeur looked like the Brodeur of old versus the Leafs last night write Rich Chere of the Newark Star Ledger.
• Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette says the Habs have a good opportunity to continue their hot streak tonight against the struggling Leafs.
• The Panthers are now 3-0 against teams they have played for the second time this season after defeating the Sabres 4-2 in Buffalo last night. Richard Zednik led the way with two goals.
• Sabres' backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault got a rare start last night and afterwards he was not happy with his play in his team's loss to the Panthers.
• Craig Custance of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an interesting piece about Don Waddell and his belief that there is an American Revolution in hockey.
• The Hurricanes need to improve their penalty killing which is ranked 28th ranked in the league.
• Patrice Bergeron is in worse shape than originally believed and Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is taking exception with anyone who says that the Bruins' forward is partly to blame for his injury.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Nightly Recap: Tellqvist Shuts Out Stars

-John Madden scored his team leading 6th goal for the Devils. Devils 3, Maple Leafs 2. Mats Sundin scored his 7th goal and now has 20 points in 14 games.

-Braydon Coburn had 2 assists and RJ Umberger scored the winning goal Flyers 3 Capitals 2. Michael Nylander chipped in with 2 points for the Caps.

-Richard Zednik scored two goals and Tomas Vokoun made 26 saves as Panthers 4, Sabres 2. Jozef Stumped added two assists for Florida

-Mikael Tellqvist is the BEAST of the night stopping 35 Phoenix Coyotes 5, Dallas Stars 0. Shane Doan had 3 points for the Coyotes, Mike Modano is a point away from tying Phil Housley for most points by a U.S. born player.

-Preds 4, Oilers 1. Former Oiler (remember when) Jason Arnott scored the game winner in the 3rd, Marty Erat and David Legwand had 2 points each for Nashville. Predators Goalie Dan Ellis is now 4 - 0 on the season.

-Los Angeles Kings 5, San Jose Sharks 2: J.S. Aubin made 45 saves for the Kings, who have now won 5 of their last six. Mike Cammalleri had three points and Dustin Brown scored two goals. The Sharks have now lost three of their past four. Rookie Devin Setoguchi scored his third point in his second game, assisting on a goal by Joe Thornton. The two will rematch tomorrow night at the Staples Center.

Tomorrow's Games (All Times Eastern)
7:00pm FLA@CAR, BOS@OTT, NJ@NYR, PIT@NYI, TOR@MTL,
7:30pm ATL@TB,
8:00pm CGY@MIN,
8:30pm CHI@STL
10:00pm VAN@COL, ANA@PHX,
10:30pm SJ@LA

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey headlines.

- According to numerous sources, Travis Green has signed with EV Zug of the Swiss NLA. Green split 2006'07 between the Anaheim Ducks and the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring one goal and one assist in 31 games, mostly as a utility forward/ faceoff expert. At 37 years old, Green still has gas left in the tank, and might be eyeing a berth on Canada's Spengler Cup team this December. Green's best season came in 1995'96 with the New York Islanders when he scored 25 goals and 45 assists in 69 games. Green has played for five different NHL clubs and is only 30 games away from playing in 1,000 games. Although he might not get another shot in the NHL, Green is the type of player who loves the game of hockey and will play until he is no longer offered a contract. It is interesting to note the collection of talent that already plays with EV Zug, among them: Barry Richter, Paul Dipietro, Michal Grosek, Krys Kolanos.

Here are the rosters for the upcoming Karjala Cup.

The first of the four tournaments of the Euro Hockey Tour to be played in 2007/08 is Karjala Tournament. Finland, Czech Republic, Russia and Sweden get together in Helsinki November 8-11 to compare forces.

Team Finland Roster

Goalies
Jussi Markkanen, Jokerit
Antti Niemi, Pelicans

Defensemen
Teemu Aalto, Tappara
Jukka-Pekka Laamanen, Kärpät
Arto Laatikainen, Blues
Mikko Lehtonen, Kärpät
Antti-Jussi Niemi, Frölunda (se)
Janne Niinimaa, Davos (ch)
Pekka Saravo, Luleå (se)
Ossi Väänänen, Djurgården (se)

Forwards
Riku Hahl, Timrå (se)
Jukka Hentunen, Ak Bars Kazan (ru)
Jarkko Immonen, JYP
Toni Koivisto, Ilves
Antti Laaksonen, Fribourg (ch)
Ville Leino, Jokerit
Oskar Osaka, Blues
Petri Pakaslahti, Södertälje (se)
Janne Pesonen, Kärpät
Esa Pirnes, Färjestad (se)
Mika Pyörälä, Timrå (se)
Jani Rita, Jokerit
Tommi Santala, Jokerit

Team Czech Republic Roster

Goalies
Tomas Duba, Sparta Prag
Milan Hnilicka, Liberec

Defensemen
Miroslav Blatak, Ufa (ru)
Petr Caslava, Cherepovets
Vlastimil Kroupa, Trinec
Josef Melichar, Linköping (se)
Filip Novak, Mountfield
Tomas Zizka, Slavia

Forwards
Jaroslav Bednar, Slavia
Jan Bulis, Khimik (ru)
Leos Cermak, Liberec
Roman Cervenka, Slavia
Zbynek Irgl, Yaroslavl (ru)
Jaroslav Kudrna, Magnitogorsk (ru)
Petr Kumstat, Karlovy
VaryJan Marek, Magnitogorsk (ru)
Vaclav Nedorost, Liberec
Vaclav Skuhravy, Karlovy Vary
Josef Straka, Cherepovets (ru)
Petr Sykora, Pardubice
Vaclav Varada, Langnau (ch)

Team Russia Roster

Goalies
Alexander Eremenko, Ufa
Semen Varlamov, Yaroslavl
Dmitri Yachanov, SKA

Defensemen
Vitali Atyushov, Magnitogorsk
Anton Belov, CSKA
Konstantin Korneyev, CSKA
Andrei Kuteikin, Ufa
Evgeny Medvedev, Kazan
Ilya Nikulin, Kazan
Vitali Proshkin, Ufa
Sergei Peretyagin, SKA

Forwards
Dmitri Afanasenkov, Dynamo
Vladimir Antipov, Ufa
Fedor Fedorov, Dynamo
Nikolai Kulemin, Magnitogorsk
Anton Kuriyanov, Omsk
Sergei Mozyakin, Khimik
Ivan Nepriayev, Yaroslavl
Maksim Pestushko, Neftekhimik
Oleg Saprykin, CSKA
Timofei Shishkanov, CSKA
Aleksei Simakov, CSKA
Aleksei Tereshenko, Ufa
Sergei Zinoviev, Kazan

Team Sweden Roster

Goalies
Jhonas Enroth, Södertälje
Stefan Liv, HV71

Defensemen
Andreas Holmqvist, Frölunda
Per Hållberg, Modo
Kenny Jönsson, Rögle
Fredrik Lindgren, Skellefteå
Sanny Lindström, Timrå
Jan Sandström, Luleå
Daniel Tjärnqvist, no club
Johan Åkerman, HV71Forwards
Christian Berglund, Bern (ch)
Johan Davidsson, HV71
Nils Ekman, Khimik (ru)
Peter Forsberg, no club
Patric Hörnqvist, Djurgården
Magnus Kahnberg, Frölunda
Tony Mårtensson, Linköping
Jonas Nordquist, Frölunda
Martin Thörnberg, HV71
Linus Videll, Södertälje
Rickard Wallin, Färjestad
Fredrik Warg, ModoMattias Weinhandl, Linköping

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Prospect Pulse: An Interview with Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note

Kyle Kosior- Mr. Drinnan, you have been covering the WHL for over a decade. How would you say this year’s draft crop stacks up against others you have seen?

Gregg Drinnan- Overall, I would say it’s a little above average. That being said, there is no above average forward in the league, its mostly talented defensemen. Jordan Eberle is very talented, but he is a year away. I really like Oscar Moller as well, though he has already been drafted. Tyler Ennis is good but small. Grayson Bowman from Spokane is also pretty good. Kyle Beach is an interesting project…actually I take back what I said earlier, Kyle Beach is an above average forward. Zach Hamill said when he was the NHL Scouting Combines the first question most teams asked him was about Kyle Beach. He has offensive skills and the ability to get under a teams skin, plus he puts up penalty minutes. The question is where do you take a guy like that?

KK- Luke Schenn is projected to go fairly high in the 2008 draft. How has his play been thus far and do you anticipate any rise or fall in his ranking?

GD- Assuming Schenn makes the World Junior team, and all accounts say he should, I think his ranking will depend on his play in the tournament. I feel it will only go up based on his performance. He is a big, mobile guy who plays physical and is a good team guy, well liked by the other players, from what I have heard. He does need to work on his first pass.

KK- In your opinion, what current NHL’er is the most accurate comparison for Schenn’s?

GD- Chris Pronger. Not saying he is there yet, but he certainly possesses all the tools and has that kind of upside.

KK- Another Rocket, Tyler Myers, is also expected to be a high draft pick. Can you give us a description of his game and speculate as to where he might end up being taken in the draft?

GD- Myers is basically a clone of Schenn, only a little taller and not quite as heavy. He doesn’t move quite as well as Schenn, but he has a good work ethic and good potential. I could see him going in the mid-first round as well. He needs to work on his lateral movement, but if Schenn goes top 6, Myers will likely be around 15.

KK- Are there any other Kelowna Rockets that you feel could be a solid pick in the draft?

GD- Brandon MacMillan, a left winger, comes to mind. He plays the point on the powerplay along with a 16 year old defenseman. Kelowna might be the only team in the WHL with a 16 and 17 year old manning the points on the 1^st powerplay unit. MacMillan needs to work on his consistency, but he has all the tools to be a good one. He has lots of scouts watching him, so there is likely something there. Tyson Barrie, Len Barrie’s son, is only 16 but is a special player. He is the 16 year old on the powerplay. He is a huge talent, only about 5’8 right now but growing and will likely top out around 5’11, 185 pounds. He is very mobile, very aware with the puck and just a great talent. He will be a big player in the 09 draft.

KK- Oilers’ draft pick Milan Kytnar is skating with the Rockets this year. How do you feel he has adjusted to the WHL?

GD-He is having trouble adjusting, but I think its due to the language barrier. I hear he doesn’t speak much English and is having trouble adjusting off the ice as well. He should turn it around though.

KK- You noted in a recent blog posting that you feel it’s a mistake to leave the Vancouver Giants out of the CHL top ten. Do you believe they will rise up the standings as the season wears on?

GD- Yes. If there are 5 teams better than Vancouver in the whole CHL I would be very surprised. Tyson Sexsmith has established himself as a high caliber goalie and the team itself is very strong, they just come at you in waves, shift after shift. Michael Repik is just a dynamite player too and has an NHL caliber wrist shot right now. He is a good playmaker and blocks shots, the best player on the team.

KK- Of all the drafted WHL’ers, do you feel anyone will exceed their draft position in terms of the NHL career they have?

GD-Mark Santorelli, no question. A real steal. Real smart guy and will be a player in the NHL.

Fantasy Watch: Goaltender Starts

November 5th - 11th

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Giguere and Bryzgalov are continuing to split time.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – With Lehtonen still sidelined with a groin injury, and Hedberg struggling, expect to see more of rookie Ondrej Pavelec

Boston Bruins (3) – Fernandez is day-to-day with a knee sprain, so Thomas will be getting most of the starts this week.

Buffalo Sabres (4) – With a busy schedule, Thibault should see playing time in at least one game.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Ward has been playing phenomenal and will most likely receive all three starts this week.

Calgary Flames (3) – Recently resigned to a long term deal, Kiprusoff will look to continue his string of consecutive starts.

Chicago Blackhawks (3) – Khabibulin has struggled to begin the season, but is still Chicago’s #1 goaltender.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Leclaire has been fantastic so far but Columbus may elect to rest him due to two games back-to-back

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Theodore has been getting some starts, but Budaj is still #1

Dallas Stars (4) – Expect Dallas to give Turco a rest with back-to-back games this week.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Backup goaltender Chris Osgood is currently 6-0-0.

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Roloson has not played well this year, but backup Garon isn’t much of an upgrade.

Florida Panthers (3) – Vokoun has been up and down this season but should appear in all three games this week.

Los Angeles Kings (1) – LaBarbera has been getting the nod as of late, but things can change with an extended layoff.

Minnesota Wild (2) – Backstrom is currently day-to-day with a groin injury but may be able to make one start as Minnesota has five days off in between games.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Huet is currently riding a four game win streak.

Nashville Predators (2) – Mason has struggled but the Preds are still sticking by him.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Brodeur had his best game of the year this past week, surrendering only one goal on 22 shots.

New York Islanders (2) – Expect to see DiPeitro in both games this week.

New York Rangers (4) – Lundqvist's goals against average and save percentage are up there with the best, but unfortunately the wins aren't coming.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Both Emery and Gerber have only yielded one loss combined on the year.

Philadelphia Flyers (4) – With four games on the schedule, Nittymaki should appear in one game.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) – With Aebischer gone, Tellqvist and Auld will be splitting the starts.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – Expect Sabourin to get a start as Pittsburgh plays back-to-back games this week.

San Jose Sharks (3) – The Sharks may give backup Dimitri Patzold his first start as the team will not want to use Nabokov on back-to-back games.

St. Louis Blues (1) – Legace is the #1 goaltender in St. Louis and should receive the lone start.

Tampa Bay Lightining (4) – Holmqvist is the #1 in Tampa but expect Denis to start once this week with back-to-back games.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Toskala is gaining #1 status but Raycroft should make an appearance in one game as Toronto plays on Friday and Saturday.

Vancouver Canucks (2) – Due to back-to-back games, Sanford may make his second start.

Washington Capitals (4) – Washington may give Kolzig a break this week with a rather busy schedule.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

Morning Musings

Here are the national mornings papers:

• With the whole Rick Tocchet issue coming to a close yesterday, Eric Duhatschek says that Gary Bettman has avoided a nightmare.
• Stephen Brunt of the Globe & Mail believes Rick Tocchet did the NHL a favor by pleading out and not taking his case to court.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today believes that Don Waddell may be the best choice to coach the Thrashers.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers had a furious third period rally but their play in the first two periods put them in too deep of a hole and they were defeated by Ottawa 6-4. While all the talk surrounding the Thrashers concerns Marian Hossa's contract coming up on free agency, no one is talking about captain Bobby Holik also hitting free agency this summer.
• Claude Julien wants the Bruins to play to win, not to play not to lose and that strategy paid off last night in the Bruins 4-3 overtime victory over Buffalo. With Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup, the Bruins are attempting to replace their best all-around player by committee.
• Ryan Miller was outplayed by Tim Thomas and the Sabres were defeated by the Bruins in Boston 4-3.
• The NHL will be reviewing a couple of diving calls that went against the Hurricanes in their game Wednesday at Florida writes Lorenzo Perez.
• Olli Jokinen isn't sure why he plays better at home than on the road but the Panthers need him to make sure he brings his game up a notch away from home as they have the majority of their games on the road in November. In other Panthers' news, Richard Zednik is looking more like his former self writes Mike Phillips of the Miami Herald.
• The Habs had a dominating effort last night over the Flyers defeating them 5-2 writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. After seeing the Flyers resort to violent play late in last night's contest, Hickey wonders if the team's recent violent acts are maybe a product of the way they always play.
• The Devils have been very happy with the play of rookie David Clarkson writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger. Mark Everson of the NY Post wonders if Brent Sutter's attempts to motivate his star forward Patrik Elias may turn out to be quite risky.
• The Capitals were snakebitten in New York last night, but all the credit has to go to Henrik Lundqvist who was brilliant in shutting out the Caps 2-0.
• The Rangers have played shutdown defensive hockey pretty much all season now points out John Dellapina in this morning's NY Daily News. Larry Brooks of the NY Post thinks everyone is foolish if they try and decide who the leader of the Rangers is and leave Lundqvist out of the equation.
• The Senators completely dominated the Thrashers for the first two periods and hung on to win 6-4 on the back of Daniel Alfredsson's four point night. Bruch Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun believes whomever loses out on the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes will make an attempt to obtain Marian Hossa from the Thrashers.
• Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the details of a recent meeting between Flyers' GM Paul Holmgren and Peter Forsberg.
• The Penguins blew a 2-0 lead on the road last night in Colorado, falling to the Avalanche 3-2. Former Penguins' defenseman Paul Coffey has been voted into the team's Hall of Fame.
• Ruslan Fedotenko made his former squad regret letting him leave via free agency as he had one of the four tallies in the Islanders' 4-0 victory over the Lightning.
• With Bryan McCabe on the shelf, the Leafs' have made Nik Antropov one of their alternate captains. Both Kyle Wellwood and Mark Bell will accompany the Leafs on their upcoming road trip. Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun is reporting that the Leafs looks like they will finally be getting the go-ahead to build their new practice rink.

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

• Last night's 3-0 loss to the Predators marks the first time the Canucks have been three games under .500 since the 2001/02 season writes Brad Zeimer of the Vancouver Sun. Not only did the Canucks lose the game but they lost both Sami Salo and Kevin Bieksa to injuries.
• Derek Boogard only served the motivate the Blues last night as they defeated the Wild 3-2 in St. Paul. Brad Boyes is continuing his terrific play for the Blues and is showing no signs of letting up. It looks like rookie defenseman Erik Johnson will be ready to return to the St. Louis lineup this weekend.
• It has not taken Sharks' rookie Devon Setoguchi long to make an impact for the Sharks up front.
• Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic has the details behind Rick Tocchet's eligibilty to return from league suspension.
• Predators' netminder Dan Ellis shutout the Canucks 3-0 last night and looks to be making a hard charge after Chris Mason's job.
• Jacques Lemaire said the top line of Koivu-Gaborik-Demitra was the team's best by a country mile in their 3-2 loss to the Blues; however, the rest of the team can play a lot better. According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, expect rookie James Sheppard to see his ice-time increase.
• Kyle Calder will be out of the Kings lineup indefinitely with a fractured thumb.
• The Oilers' brass is talking about Fernando Pisani's return in weeks and months as opposed to if he'll come back at all writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. In other Oilers' news, Robert Nilsson is going to try his best to stay up with the big-club this go-around. Defenseman Matt Greene will be out of the lineup for three months but says the injury could have been a lot worse.
• The Wings swept through their Western Canadian road trip with a 3-0 record, marking the first time they have done that since the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary. Wings' forward Johan Franzen is okay after taking a shot to the head from teammate Brett Lebda.
• In Dallas, Dave Tippett is challenging Dallas' stars to be better writes J.J. Taylor of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Blue Jackets were defeated by the Ducks in arguably the most physical hockey game played in the 2007/08 season.
• The Chicago Tribune's Chris Kuc gets the inside look at the mundane non-hockey life of rooke Patrick Kane.
• The return of Mathieu Schneider not only solidified the Ducks defense, but also gave them the shootout victory as Schneider was the lone player from either side to convert his shootout attempt.
• Jarome Iginla thinks the Flames "over-respected" the Wings last night in his team's 4-1 loss. "We tried to beat the Detroit Red Wings by playing like the Red Wings," said Flames' defenseman Robyn Regehr.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

FROZEN ASSETS

OTTAWA, AND THEN? WHERE IS THE VALUE IN THE EAST?

Welcome to Frozen Assets. Every week I offer tips for successful futures wagering and I examine odds in the hockey futures market. This week we will look at the odds for teams in the East to win the Stanley Cup. What has changed since October 11th?


The first month of the NHL season has passed. How much weight should we give teams’ current records when determining whether they have long-term value? Last year, in the East, Ottawa and Pittsburgh both started slow and were close to unbeatable in the second half of the season. Washington showed signs of life in the first half of the season before tanking in the second half. Who will recover from a slow start this year? Who will flounder in the second half? Most importantly, will we buy and sell futures on these teams at the right time?

Futures odds on some teams have changed drastically over the last few weeks, while for other teams the odds remain the same. Last week we examined the Western Conference. Here is a look at the Eastern Conference teams, their current odds, and the odds on those teams to start the season. Ratings for most books can be found here.

1. Ottawa Senators (9-1-0, 18 points) Then (October 11): +900 Now: +700 (5dimes)

Ottawa was the clear favorite to win the East when the season started. Ten games into the season Martin Gerber is finally playing like the goaltender that led Carolina to the playoffs and the Senators are outscoring opponents by an average of 1.5 goals per game. Who cares? In my opinion, no hockey team in today's NHL has value at +700. There are too many upsets in the playoffs, Gerber is not a proven playoff goaltender, and the season is only 10 games old. There is no value in Ottawa. If you must take Ottawa, take them now, as +700 is probably the best price you will find on them this year.

2. Carolina Hurricanes (7-3-3, 17 points) Then: +4300 Now: +2500 (Portlandbet)

Early season odds on Carolina provided a great example of finding value. After a handful of games, one could observe that Carolina was able to get production from multiple lines and Cam Ward was back to his 2005-2006 playoff form. At +4300 they were a steal. At +2500 it is still worthwhile to place a few units on them. They are the favorites to win their division and are one of the premier teams in the East.

3. Philadelphia Flyers (7-3-0, 14 points) Then: +8000 Now: +2500 (Carib)

William Hill how could you offer the Flyers at +8000? Although it is still early in the season, I nominate those odds for the "Best Value of the Year" award. There is no comparison between this year's team and last year's team. The Flyers have started strong and are leading their division. If you are thinking about playing them at +2500, hold off. I like the price, but with Simon Gagne out of the line-up and four games left on Philadelphia's eight-game road trip, wait and see where they are two weeks from now. If Gagne returns shortly and they can get through the last four games of the road trip at .500 or better, take them at +2500. If you miss this opportunity you will not have trouble finding them at +2000 (Betfair).

4. Montreal Canadiens (6-2-3, 15 points) Then: +6900 Now: +4300 (Betfair)

Losing Sheldon Souray was supposed to hurt Montreal's power play, but much of their success can be attributed to Montreal's ability to score on the powerplay 30.2% of the time. It is unlikely they will be able to maintain that pace for the rest of the season. At +4300 I am on the fence as to whether they have value. I would wait to see if their strong powerplay keeps up through November, and also wait to see whether Cristobal Huet or Carey Price can emerge as the clear #1 goaltender.

5. Pittsburgh Penguins (6-4-1, 13 points) Then: +1650 Now: +1600 (Betfair)

Pittsburgh was beaten by Ottawa in every facet of the game in the first round of last year's playoffs. This year they are more experienced, but are they ready for playoff hockey? I don't see the odds on Pittsburgh changing in the next two weeks, but be wary, as the Penguins have the talent to go on an extended winning streak at any time. If they do, take them at Betfair or you will not see them above +1200 for the rest of the season.

6. Toronto Maple Leafs (5-5-3, 13 points) Then: +3900 Now: +4000 (Carib)

Toronto in sixth place? Toronto's position in the standings is a function of games played not winning percentage. The Leafs have looked awful at times this season but do have road victories over Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers. The Leafs have allowed the most goals in the league yet there is a general consensus amongst hockey pundits that Raycroft and Toskala are not at fault. Toronto's inconsistency and horrendous defense should be enough of a warning for you to leave them alone.

7. Boston Bruins (6-4-0, 12 points) Then: +10000 Now: +10000 (Carib)

Boston has played well over the first ten games of the season. Tim Thomas has provided solid goaltending and will be leaned on over the next month while Manny Fernandez recovers from injury. I would play them strictly because they are still +10000, but with Patrice Bergeron out for at least one month, playing Boston at +10000 is not as promising as it was last week.

8. Tampa Bay Lightning (5-5-1, 11 points) Then: +4000 Now: +3700 (Betfair)

Tampa Bay is an enigma thus far: they are 5-0-1 at home and 0-5-0 on the road. They have questions with respect to goaltending, defense, and team depth. I do not see how this team can compete with the top teams in the East; +3700 is not high enough.

9. New York Islanders (5-4-0, 10 points) Then: +7500 Now: +6600 (Canbet)

The Islanders have been a pleasant surprise to start the season. Ted Nolan has a history of being able to get the most out of limited talent, Rick Dipietro has the ability to be one of the best goaltenders in the league, and Bill Guerin is not having trouble adjusting to his new squad. Last year the Islanders were undervalued. This year they will probably continue to be undervalued. There is no rush to invest in the Islanders at +6600, but it is a good price that deserves consideration.

10. Buffalo Sabres (5-5-0, 10 points) Then: +2200 Now: +2800 (Canbet)

Buffalo has looked remarkably average up to this point. I thought the Sabres would exceed expectations this year, largely due to their team depth and Ryan Miller being underrated (without his strong play against the Islanders in the playoffs last year the Sabres would have made an early exit). At +2800 I would like to recommend Buffalo, but they have not been close to the same team they were last year.

11. Washington Capitals (5-6-0, 10 points) Then: +10000 Now: +10000 (Betfair)

After winning their first three games, the Capitals lost 6 of 7 before handily defeating the Maple Leafs 7-1. What can we make of this team? If Kolzig plays well this team has a shot at making the playoffs, but they remain a long shot. If Washington continues to hover around .500 you should consider taking them at +10000, but be aware they are missing too many pieces to seriously contend for Lord Stanley's Cup.

12. Florida Panthers (5-7-0, 12 points) Then: +8400 Now: +8400 (Betfair)

Florida is a team that has the tools to break out and surprise people. Will it be this year? Vokoun gives them credibility in net, and they have a talented young nucleus.
At +8400 you should be keeping an eye on them. If the Panthers can learn to win on the road they will compete for a playoff spot. If they can put together a few road victories, take a chance on them at +8400 or at any other price above +6000.

13. New York Rangers (4-6-1, 9 points) Then: +1500 Now: +1700 (Betfair)

The Rangers were early favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They are off to a slow start, but unfortunately the odds do not reflect that slow start. It is only a matter of time before Tom Renney's squad plays up to their potential. If odds on the Rangers hit +2000 or higher, put a few units down on them. If they go on a winning streak and you can still get them at +1700, put a few units down on them. Otherwise, leave them alone.

14. New Jersey Devils (4-6-1, 9 points) Then: +3100 Now: +3500 (Betfair)

New Jersey is off to a slow start, but keep in mind they opened the season on an eight-game road trip. I would leave them alone at +3500, but I am giving you the green light if the odds climb above +4000.

15. Atlanta Thrashers (4-8-0, 8 points) Then: +4500 Now: +10000

Now might be the right time to put a unit or two on the Thrashers at +10000. They are 4-2-0 under interim coach/general manager Don Waddell without Kari Lehtonen and with a struggling Marian Hossa. It will be difficult to overcome their slow start, but if the Thrashers continue their improved play, consider them at +10000.

That's the Eastern Conference from top to bottom. When it comes to value, I prefer the West, as there are still good odds available on St. Louis, Columbus, and Chicago. Watch out for the Canadiens, Bruins, and Islanders, and wait for the right opportunity to buy futures on the Rangers. If you have any thoughts on the futures market, especially with respect to teams in the Eastern Conference, feel free to post them in the comments section and I will do my best to respond.


For illegal curve, I’m Ari Baum-Cohen.

About the writer: Ari Baum-Cohen’s first sports betting victory came in 1989 when he won his father’s office pool at age 8. Since then, he has been interested in many different types of sports betting. His first major futures win came in November of the 2001-2002 hockey season when he selected “field” (field included Jarome Iginla) at odds of 30/1 to win the National Hockey League goal scoring title.

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Numbers Game: Shots on Goal

Like many fantasy hockey owners that drafted Jason Spezza, I often find myself screaming at the TV “Shoot, Spezza! Shoot the puck!” when I am watching Spezza skate down the ice on an odd-man rush. Of course, he does not listen to me. Instead, he slows down and usually attempts a nifty saucer-pass to one of his linemates. Granted, these passes usually lead to scoring chances and often goals. But imagine what would happen if Spezza actually listened to my screams.

Last season, Spezza scored an impressive 34 goals to go along with 53 assists in only 67 games. As a fantasy owner, how could I be upset with 87 points from one of my top players? What is more impressive than the fact he scored 34 goals is that he scored that many goals in only 162 shots. That means that he scored a goal every 4.5 shots, which placed him second in that category in the league last year.

Conversely, Vincent Lecavalier, who led the league in scoring last year with 52 goals, fired an astonishing 339 shots on goals. Vinny ranked 4th overall in the league in SOG, trailing only Ovechkin, Hossa and Jokinen.

There is certainly something to be said about a player’s ability to generate the chances to take that many shots on goal. Creating scoring chances is about skill, hockey intelligence and time on ice. Few would be surprised that Jim Down, for instance, not known for any of those aforementioned attributes, only had 44 shots in 66 games. However, for players like Spezza, who possess incredible talent and hockey smarts and who are given prime ice-time, they do create plenty of opportunities for themselves.

If Spezza took as many shots as the players that ranked in the top 10 in SOG, with his shooting percentage, he would have scored over 69 goals. While it always difficult to extrapolate statistics like that because there are so many factors involved, there is no question that the more you shoot, the more you score.

Examining the scoring statistics from forwards last year, there was a clear correlation between SOG and goals scored. Players who scored about the league average for goals scored by a forward had, on average, 189 shots compared to less than 87 shots fired by players below the average.

In addition, there was a very high correlation between SOG and assists. This correlation is likely attributable to two main factors: The first being that that the players that shoot more are highly skilled which tends to mean that they will score more, including setting up more goals. The second factor is that more shots usually mean more rebounds and more opportunities for teammates to capitalize on those chances.

Shooting percentage, on the other hand, did not fluctuate with SOG and therefore no correlation was present. Players that took over 300 shots did not tend to score at a higher frequency than players that shot the puck less than 100 times. Some players, like Jordan Staal and Alex Tanguay, just seem to have a knack at finding the back of the net.

So the next time you are watching a hockey game and your fantasy hockey star or dud is carrying the puck into the offensive zone, know that you are justified in screaming and encouraging him to shoot. More shots means more goals and more assists.

For Illegal Curve, I am Adam Gutkin.


Click on images to englarge:

SOG averages


Goals scored averages


League Leaders

Euro Curve

Euro Curve takes a look at the latest international hockey headlines.

- The New Jersey Devils recalled Finnish Defenseman Olli Malmivaara on Wednesday from their American Hockey League Affiliate, the Lowell Devils, but he didn't play in the game versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malmivaara played 60 games for the Lowell Devils last year after spending the last six seasons in the Finnish Sm-liiga. In 60 games last season with Lowell, he had one goal and 11 assists in 60 games. The Devils were forced to recall Malmivaara after a serious injury to veteran Colin White has seriously depleted their d corps. In 2005'06 Malmivaara had 11 goals and 9 assists in 54 games for SaiPa Lappeenranta in 54 games. Malmivaara was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2000 (4/117). According to The Sports Network, the Scouting report on Malmivarra is:

Assets
Has a huge frame and wingspan. Takes up a lot of space in the defensive zone.
Flaws
Needs more work on his skating and coordination. Must develop a mean streak.
Career potential
No. 6 or 7 defenseman.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Morning Musings

Here are the national morning papers:

• Brian Milner of the Globe & Mail has the details behind Reebok's attempt to modify the new NHL jerseys due to player complaints.
• The Leafs are looking forward to playing on the road and being able to get away from the unfriendly confines of the Air Canada Centre writes Dave Shoalts of the Globe.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks are finally looking a little healthier as Mathieu Schneider, Ryan Getzlaf and Rob Niedermayer are all expected to dress for tonight's game versus Columbus.
• Both Willie Mitchell and Jeff Cowan were hurt during practice yesterday for the Canucks and their statuses for the team's next game are up in the air.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch has an interesting piece about fighting in the NHL.
• The Stars have to be sick of seeing Jason Williams of the Blackhawks, as the forward scored his second game-winning goal against them this season last night. After the game, veteran American Mike Modano and Amercian youngster Patrick Kane exchanged compliments.
• David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News has a great article about coaches and their penchant for always changing their line combinations.
• Avalanche fans are excited to see "Sid the Kid" tonight playing for the first time in Denver. Also in the Denver Post, Adrian Dater answers readers' questions about the Avs.
• The Blue Jackets proved that practice pays off last night in their 4-1 victory over the Kings. Here are the Jackets' expected lines for tonight's game at Anaheim.
• The Coyotes defense is starting to come together and develop chemistry writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• Predators' forward JP Dumont will suit up tonight in Vancouver even though he broke the tip of his left ring finger in Calgary on Tuesday. Somehow, the Predators have only scored three goals combined in their five road games so far this season.
• The Stars blew their late period 4-3 lead and Mike Modano had his assist taken away post-game, as it seems Dallas just can't seem to catch a break these days.
• One of the reasons for the Wings success this season is their record in one-goal games writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
• It looks like both Marian Gaborik and Pavol Demitra will return from injury tonight to face the Blues.
• The Kings' loss last night was their first in two weeks and the way the team lost left coach Marc Crawford steaming after the game. "You're not going to score on every shift. You have to recognize some shifts you've got to play well in your own end," said Crawford after the contest.
• Matt Greene's ankle snapped versus Detroit and the rugged defenseman will be out of the lineup for at least a couple of months. Coach Craig MacTavish still has confidence that his team can withstand the endless barrage of injuries they have faced so early in the season.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• For those wondering why Marian Hossa wasn't shooting second for the Thrashers' in their shootout victory over Montreal in the week it is because he turned down the offer from coach Don Waddell.
• With the injury to Manny Fernandez, goaltender Tim Thomas is looking forward to seeing more action starting tonight versus the Sabres. Here is the Boston Herald's scouting report for tonight's Bruins/Sabres contest.
• The Hurricanes were furious at the two diving calls that went against them last night in Florida writes Luke Decock of the News Observer.
• When the Sabres take the ice tonight versus Boston, they will be looking to score the first goal because they have fallen behind early in too many games this season. Toni Lydman has been named captain of the Sabres for the month of November.
• Florida took advantage of some late Carolina penalties to comeback from a 2-1 deficit and defeat the Canes 4-2. The Panthers were an extremely motivated group after special assistant to the GM Joe Nieuwendyk gave the team a serious pep-talk during the second intermission.
• Habs' coach Guy Carbonneau expects more from first-line winger Michael Ryder and that is why Ryder found himself riding the pine during the third period against the Thrashers.
• Brent Sutter backed off of his promise not to match lines and matched John Madden, Jay Pandolfo and Dainius Zubrus against the Lecavalier line last night. The switch worked worked well as Pandolfo had a hat trick and his checking line dominated the entire game leading the Devils to a 6-1 victory.
• Jaromir Jagr and Scott Gomez are still trying to find the chemistry that Jagr had with former teammate with Michael Nylander. Meanwhile, Rangers' agitator Sean Avery is almost ready to return from his shoulder injury.
• Mark Herrmann of Newsday talks about the excitement that surrounds Mike Sillinger's 1000th career game tonight.
• Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun is reporting that Jason Spezza will be out of the lineup for the Senators' game tonight.
• Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the details of Derian Hatcher's injury and subsequent surgery today.
• It looks like putting Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the same line was quite a smart move by coach Michel Therien writes Shelly Anderson in this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Post-Gazette is also reporting that Dany Sabourin will get the start between the pipes tonight in Denver.
• Coach John Tortorella says his team is not generating enough offense right now to allow the Lightning to win games.
• Capitals' winger Chris Clark was back on the ice at practice yesterday but didn't feel 100% and may still need more time to recover from his left ear injury.
• The Leafs paid the price for their lackluster effort against Washington in practice yesterday. In some very positive news, winger Jason Blake has not felt any different since being diagnosed with luekemia.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.