NHL Morning Papers (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail thinks that it is too early for all these Mats Sundin rumors.
• Alan Maki of the Globe & Mail examines the internal fighting that is taking place within the Oilers' ownership group.
• USA Today's Mike Brehm provides readers with his NHL power rankings.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the story of recent call-up Colin Stuart and his hockey-obsessed family in this morning's paper.
• Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts is on the slow road to recovery with post-concussion symptoms.
• It is tough for the Sabres to keep pace with last year's version of the Sabres if so many of their players are having below-par seasons writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. The Sabres will be without Derek Roy, Maxim Afinogenov and Daniel Paille for tonight's contest against the Devils.
• It looks like the Hurricanes are pushing hard to acquire a puck-moving defenseman in the next little while writes Luke Decock of the News Observer. Meanwhile, Cam Ward will return to the Canes' starting lineup tonight when they visit the Bruins.
• The South Florida Sun-Sentinel provides the keys to the Panthers making a second-half playoff push. Panthers coach Jacques Martin has decided to give Olli Jokinen two new linemates for tonight's game versus the Penguins.
• As Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette tells us, few, if any, enjoy the success that Carey Price did in 2007.
• Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger thinks the Devils may have a new "crash" line. The Devils are hoping they can be a more consistent team in the second-half of the season.
• Rangers defenseman Marek Malik stormed out of Rexall Place on Saturday after learning he was a healthy scratch.
• Islanders coach Ted Nolan was unhappy with the effort from a portion of his roster last night in his team's 4-0 loss at Edmonton and wasn't afraid to bench some of his top players.
• The Ottawa Citizen examines some second-half questions about the Senators.
• As Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer explains, Flyers forward Steve Downie got a lucky break when Colin Campbell decided against giving him a suspension.
• Penguins winger Jarkko Ruutu is as much of an agitator off-the-ice, as he is on it writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• The Lightning have been very happy with the progress of youngster Mike Lundin on the team's blueline so far this season.
• According to Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, Mats Sundin is not on the market right now. Cox also tells readers that hockey is alive and well in California.
• As Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post tells us, it looks like the Capitals are about to get a number of their regulars back healthy and into their lineup.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks have had trouble scoring goals lately but last night they scored four goals in the first nine minutes of the second period and defeated the Predators 5-2 on home-ice.
• Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun has an interesting article on the evolution of Jarome Iginla as a goal-scorer. Flames GM Darryl Sutter was ecstatic with the play of 2007 first round pick Mikael Backlund at the World Junior Hockey Championship. Meanwhile, Alex Tanguay has a new role with the Flames this season but that doesn't mean he's not striving to return to his old form writes Randy Sportak of the Calgary Sun.
• Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune examines all aspects of the Blackhawks organization, both on and off the ice, in this morning's paper.
• According to Terry Frei of the Denver Post, Tyler Arnason, who has been sidelined with a wrist injury, will be back in the Avalanche lineup in the not-so distant future.
• Marty Turco was sharp as he turned aside 18 of the 19 shots he faced from the Wild in Dallas' 3-1 victory over Minnesota.
• Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press hands out her mid-season grades for each and every Red Wings regular.
• The Oilers finally won a game in regulation last night, and in fact, they won it handily with a 4-0 defeat of the Islanders.
• According to Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times, Kings forward Michael Cammalleri will probably be out of the lineup for another week.
• Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has an interesting article on the friction that is building between Marian Gaborik and Jacques Lemaire.
• The Ducks were just too big, strong and physical for the Predators last night writes John Glennon of the Tennessan.
• Sometimes the stats don't really tell the story about a player's worth writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.
• By demoting Dimitri Patzold and subjecting him to waivers, the Sharks have taken a calculated risk that the young netminder will go unclaimed.
• As Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tells us, Andy Murray wants more offense from his forwards.
• Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province provides readers with all the details of the Canucks latest line changes.

For Illegal Curve, I`m Richard Pollock.

EURO CURVE

Euro Curve chronicles the latest international hockey news.

Team Canada edged Sweden 3-2 in overtime Saturday to take the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship (their fourth straight gold medal in a row), capping an exciting two weeks in which we were treated to some of international hockey's brightest young stars. Pardubice, Czech Republic provided a sneak preview of next years NHL Calder class as well as some 17-year-olds who won't be draft eligible until 2009. Players like Brad Marchand, John Tavares, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, James van Riemsdyk, and of course Matt Halischuk became household names in what turned out to be a very competitive tournament.

The 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships will be held in Ottawa, Ontario and may break attendance records previously set in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2006. Three of the next four WJC will be held in Canada, and rightly so, as the tournament has become Canada's March Madness.

In other European Hockey news:

- Slapshot.ch reports that Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Simon Gamache has been released and will join SC Bern of the Swiss Elite League. Gamache was seeing regular ice time with the Buds earlier in the season, but was sent down to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL back in November. He had two goals and two assists in 11 games with the Maple Leafs. Gamache is a former QMJHL MVP who registered an astounding 184 points back in 2000-01 for the Val d'Or Foreurs. The 27-year-old Thetford Mines, Quebec native will get another shot in the NHL again as he can provide a scoring boost to a number of teams.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Taking Note tells us that the Regina Pats may be close to acquiring Swedish standout Robin Figren.
2. Scott Burnside of ESPN says that the USA Hockey Jr. Program needs an overhaul.
3. Steve Downie will not be suspended for his sucker punch on Jason Blake.
4. Bob Gainey says that he is satisfied with the Habs play thus far.
5. Teemu Selanne has resumed skating in the Anaheim area.
6. Islanders top pick and recent U. of Minnesota defector Kyle Okposo has been assigned to Bridgeport of the AHL.
7. Al Strachan notes that finding a top-calibre goalie is the key to success for most GM's. Wonderful news for all GM's, I wonder what Strachan thinks about acquiring good goal scorers and elite defensemen?
8. Spector with his predictions for 2008. Pretty standard stuff here, but can Markus Naslund still be considered a sought after UFA?
9. Eric Duhatschek tells us about the US Women's Under-18 team, which features some girls with famous last names.
10. The Canadian Junior team now has to adjust to life back in the CHL (and NCAA).
11. Kent Gilchrist tells us that Canadian Jr. A teams want to be compensated when their players are drafted by the NHL.
12. Patrice Bergeron is recovering, slowly but surely.
13. The Bluejackets have recalled Steve Mason on an emergency basis.
14. Chicago Steel forward Andy Miele has left the Steel for Miami-Ohio.
15. The NHL Notebook from faceoff.com.
16. Ed Willes gives us his Monday Morning Musings, with a scathing look at the aforementioned Markus Naslund.
17. Canada's Under-22 Women's team has captured the European Air Canada Cup.
18. Jason Kay says that Fenway should get the next outdoor NHL game.
19. The Penguins have recalled Ryan Lannon and Ryan Stone from Wilkes-Barre.If Sidney keeps up this modelling work, they may need to recall more guys.
20. The Hot or Not list from the CHL.
21. A round-up of Monday night's WHL action.
22. Ken Campbell thinks the Broad Street Bullies have officially returned.
23. A look at US Women's College Hockey.
24. The Power Rankings from Canadian Jr. A hockey.
25. A look at the goings on of CIS Hockey in Canada.

Fantasy Watch: Scouring the Waiver Wire

D Mike Green, Washington Capitals
After struggling to put up points earlier in the season, Green has come alive this past month scoring 15 points in his last 16 games. He is currently Washington's top defensive scorer with 24 points and has been one of the Capitals most explosive scorers overall. With point scoring defenseman so hard to find, Green has vaulted himself into an elite category with other stars such as Dion Phaneuf and Chris Pronger. Already with five multi point games since December, Green has eclipsed his career high in points and should break the 40 point barrier.
Fantasy Take: Green may be claimed in most leagues, but if he is still around pick him up immediately. His 15 points over the last month were more than any other defenseman not named Lidstrom, and as Washington's top defenseman, Green should continue to get his chances.

F Daniel Cleary, Detroit Red Wings
Since scoring only one goal in the first month of the season, Cleary has increased his output tremendously, totaling 14 goals and 24 points over the past three months. Although he is still very inconsistent, Cleary tends to go on extended hot streaks which can be beneficial to your fantasy squad. With 13 points in the last month alone, Cleary has vaulted himself into a reliable fantasy option in most leagues.
Fantasy Take: It's advised to pick up Cleary sooner than later as his hot streaks only last so long before he falls back to mediocrity.

F Martin Hanzal, Phoenix Coyotes
Drafted in the first round in 2005, Hanzal is currently enjoying a steady rookie campaign scoring four goals and 22 points. Although he is not quite a goal scorer, Hanzal has given Phoenix a reliable centerman who's always looking for assists. Enjoying his best month as a pro in December, Hanzal scored one goal and added three helpers lifting Phoenix over the Devils 4-1. With a steady goaltender in net and several impact rookies on the squad, Phoenix will be looking to make a run for the playoffs over the last half of the season.
Fantasy Take: Hanzal is a good play in deeper leagues for those in need of a third center. With two points in his last three games, expect Hanzal to post around 40 points this season.

D Pavel Kubina, Toronto Maple Leafs
Since coming to Toronto, Kubina has been a bit of a dissapointment, never once playing more than 70 games. Already sidelined earlier in the season, Kubina is finally healthy and making an impact. With four points over his last three games including two powerplay assists, Kubina has filled the void vacated by Bryan McCabe. With McCabe still sidelined with a broken hand, look for Kubina to continue contribute offensively, especially on the power-play.
Fantasy Take: Kubina is still inconsistent, but will continue to get his shot on the power-play giving him ample opportunities to put up points. Only play Kubina as a low level option for defenseman.



For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Dave Shoalts of the Globe & Mail says there is very little chance that the Maple Leafs will be purchased by billionaire Alex Shnaider.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today details which draft entry players really impressed at this year's World Juniors Championship.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Marian Hossa broke out of his slump with two goals on Sunday afternoon to lead the Thrashers to a 5-2 victory over the Sabres.
• Since losing six games in a row late in December, the Bruins have racked up three straight victories and are now ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. Boston held their 18th annual carnival at the Garden yesterday, where they were able to give something back to the fans.
• The Sabres are winless in their last six contests and the schedule doesn't get any easier moving forward writes John Vogl of the Buffalo News. Sabres center Derek Roy left yesterday's contest with a shoulder injury and is listed as day-to-day.
• The Panthers have been battling inconsistency all season long, so if they want to make the playoffs, they probably need to win 26 of their last 40 games.
• The Canadiens are rolling out the red carpet for tomorrow's game versus their original-six rival Chicago Blackhawks writes Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette. Meanwhile, Pat Hickey of the Gazette wonders whether the Habs are expecting too much from rookie netminder Carey Price.
• Mark Everson of the NY Post believes that Brent Sutter and the Devils deserve a lot of credit for how far they've come along.
• Hockey is probably the last thing on Henrik Lundqvist's mind with his dad back in his home country of Sweden recovering from brain surgery.
• Tonight's Oilers/Islanders game includes a number of players who have played on the opponent's team at some point in their careers and that should make the game that much more interesting writes Greg Logan of Newsday.
• Teammates Ray Emery and Brian McGrattan dropped the gloves this morning at practice but luckily the two are good friends and were joking about it after.
• Ed Moran of the Philadelphia Daily News says that Joffrey Lupul will be lost to the Flyers for quite a while with a slight concussion and a spinal cord contusion.
• The Penguins are hoping they catch fire in the second-half just as they did last season writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Vincent Lecavalier proves that he's quite modest even with all the praise he has been receiving in hockey circles.
• Damien Cox of the Toronto Star says the Leafs must either trade Mats Sundin or sign him to a contract extension.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks' Samuel Pahlsson has missed his team's past six games and is expected to miss tonight's game versus the Predators with back and abdominal issues.
• Since the beginning of December, the Flames have played tremendous hockey and that has lead them to the third seed in the Western Conference. One thing new coach Mike Keenan has stressed to the Flames is for the players to enjoy victories.
• The Hawks finally lost to the Red Wings for the first time this season writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• Avalanche forward and Michigan native T.J. Hensick is really looking forward to taking part in his first Avalanche/Red Wings contest.
• The only way to gain experience chasing down a playoff spot is to go through it yourself and the Blue Jackets have many players who will be going through the process for the first time.
• Brenden Morrow has been playing on the periphery too much and wants to make a point of returning to his second-home which is in front of the opposing team's netminder writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Last night's victory over Chicago was Chris Osgood's 355th of his career which makes him the 15th winningest goaltender of all-time.
• As Jim Matheson tells us, former Oiler Mike Comrie does not expect fans to stop booing him when he returns to Rexall Place with the Islanders tonight. Meanwhile, Raffi Torres will be lost to the Oilers for the remainder of the season after he undergoes knee surgery later this week.
• Mikko Koivu is getting closer to a return to the Wild lineup but he will not dress tonight when Minnesota visits Dallas.
• Predators defenseman Kevin Klein wants to impress coach Barry Trotz whenever he checks into the lineup writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• The Coyotes have been very good at limiting their penalties taken and limiting their goals against and coach Wayne Gretzky believes those are the two keys to the Coyotes turnaround this season.
• Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an interesting piece on the evolution of Brad Boyes.
• It is a slow recovery process, but Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa is hoping to return to the lineup for the playoffs writes Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Team Canada goalie Steve Mason has been traded from London to Kitchener.
2. The NHL may have caught Rick DiPietro with illegal pads. I am sure there is a joke in here somewhere, but I don't have the time to think it through today.
3. Cal Nichols has resigned his position with EIG so that he can legally support Darryl Katz's bid to buy the Edmonton Oilers.
4. Pierre Lebrun feels that Canada's fascination with the World Juniors is misplaced. He lost me after he said he was named after Pierre Trudeau. Maybe this Pierre should also take a long walk in the snow.
5. Mark Bell has been sidelined with a head injury after a fight with Ryan Malone. Cue up the DUI checkstops, Bell will have some time off.
6. Who's Hot and Who's Not in the CHL.
7. The Globe and Mail annoints Jarome Iginla 1st half MVP.
8. Canada has been awarded the 2010 World Juniors after Switzerland pulls out. Tournament interuptus? Thats what she said? So many good ones to use here...
9. PS, Canada wins again, plays for Gold tomorrow.
10. Check out this video featuring James Wisniewski.
11. Check out the first paragraph of Taking Note, for what is likely the quote of the day.
12. Check out this new website. Lots of interesting content and links.
13. Fanhouse has the 1st Half Rookie Review.
14. A profile on current Omaha Lancer, Nico Sacchetti. What kind of a nickname is Sac? Was Scrotum already taken?
15. Atlanta and Carolina will swap broadcasters for the 2nd period of tonight's game. Should make for an interesting listen.
16. A look around the NHL with faceoff.com.
17. The canoe.ca blog answers the question about what team was the first to pull their goalie. This started a trend, as guys have been pulling their goalies ever since.
18. The latest installment in the Hockey News feature on the Roseau Rams.
19. The Score with a mid-season review and second half forecast.
20. The Hockey News blog with the 10 Ten moments from the Winter Classic.
21. The Hockey News profiles hot prospects from the World Junior tournament.
22. A look at U. Mass-Boston, playing in NCAA Div. III.
23. Simon Gamache would like to return to Switzerland.
24. Spector takes a look at some potential deals as the trade deadline approaches.
25. A look at the Lightning's prospects from Hockey's Future.

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

Jan 7th-13th

Anaheim Ducks (3) – Look for Giguere to start all three games this week.

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Hedberg gave Lehtonen a much needed rest this past week, so expect Lehtonen to receive a heavy workload this upcoming week.

Boston Bruins (3) – Thomas should receive all three starts this week.

Buffalo Sabres (3) – Miller has only yielded four starts to Thibault this season, so it should be no surprise to see Miller starting all three games this week.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – If Ward's struggles continue, expect to see more of backup John Grahame.

Calgary Flames (3) – Kiprusoff has been a workhorse all year and will most likely be in net for all three games.

Chicago Blackhawks (4) – Lalime played horrible in his last appearance for the Blackhawks, allowing five goals on 17 shots. Without a reliable backup, expect Khabibulin to be busy this week with four starts.

Columbus Blue Jackets (3) – Look for Norrena to steal a start from Leclaire this week.

Colorado Avalanche (4) – Budaj has regained his #1 status, but with four games on the schedule, expect Theodore to start at least one game.

Dallas Stars (4) – With four games expect Smith to make one start.

Detroit Red Wings (3) – Osgood and Hasek have both been phenomenal lately and should continue to split starts.

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Garon hasn't played well enough to earn Edmonton's starting job, so look for Roloson to appear in one game.

Florida Panthers (4) – Even with a busy schedule, expect to see Vokoun start all four games.

Los Angeles Kings (3) – LaBarbera and Sebastian-Aubin will both see action for this upcoming week.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Harding should make one start this week due to four games on the schedule.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Look for Huet to start all three games this week.

Nashville Predators (4) – Ellis has started Nashville's last two games, and should get another start this upcoming week.

New Jersey Devils (3) – Rarely ever getting a break, Brodeur should receive all three starts this week.

New York Islanders (4) – With DiPietro day-to-day, Dubielewicz becomes New York's #1 guy.

New York Rangers (3) – Look for Lundqvist to start all three games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Gerber has been Ottawa's #1 guy this year, but expect Emery to continue to receive at least one start per week.

Philadelphia Flyers (4) – Nittymaki recently gave Biron a rest, so look for Biron to start all four games this week.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) – With four games on the schedule, Tellqvist will be called upon this week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (3) – Conklin has been on fire winning his last six starts and will continue to start until he falters.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Nabokov has started every game for San Jose this year.

St. Louis Blues (4) – With Legace currently day-to-day, Toivonen becomes St. Louis' top goaltender

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Ramo has struggled in his first stint in the NHL, but Tampa continues to stick by him.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – With Toskala still sidelined, Clemmensen and Raycroft will continue to split starts.

Vancouver Canucks (3) – Luongo has won three of his last four starts and should start all three
games this week.

Washington Capitals (2) – Look for Kolzig to start both of Washington's games this week.


For Illegal Curve I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• David Naylor of the Globe & Mail wonders whether all these Ray Emery controversies are distracting the Senators.
• In the National Post, Allen Panzeri discusses the small amount of trash talk that has taken place between the Canadian and United States junior hockey players prior to their semi-final game today in the Czech Republic.
• Kevin Allen of USA Today has an interesting article comparing this year's version of the New England Patriots with the 1976-1977 Montreal Canadiens.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Bill Tiller of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides readers with his second quarter report on the Thrashers. Tiller's colleague Craig Custance says the Thrashers are in the perfect division to make a playoff push.
• The Bruins rode a 31 save performance by Tim Thomas last night and defeated the Capitals 2-0. The Bruins got exactly what they expected from Shane Hnidy in the veteran's first game with his new club.
• With only one assist in his last nineteen games, Thomas Vanek has been demoted to the Sabres' second line and the Austrian will now play alongside Tim Connolly and Ales Kotalik.
• With consistent goaltending problems, the Hurricanes have recalled Michael Leighton from the AHL and have waived John Grahame.
• Jassen Cullimore was the unlikely overtime scorer, but the Panthers will take it, as they put an end to a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime victory at Long Island.
• The Habs knew the Lightning would be desperate last night, and still weathered the storm with a 6-3 home victory writes Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette.
• Those who were doubting Martin Brodeur early in the season don't look so smart now writes Bridget Wentworth of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• The Rangers were shutout by Roberto Luongo on Thursday night in what was a winnable game writes Jay Greenberg. John Dellapina of the New York Daily News tells readers that the Rangers' Achilles heel last night was their inept powerplay.
• It was quite a bizarre situation Thursday on Long Island, where it appears Rick DiPietro will now be suspended for two games for using goalie pads that were not examined by the league before being used.
• Senators coach John Paddock has yet to name a starting netminder for tonight's game versus the Sabres.
• Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that the Flyers have something very special in 22 year old Mike Richards. Meanwhile, the Flyers waived both Jim Dowd and Rory Fitzpatrick on Thursday.
• The Penguins had no trouble disposing of Toronto 6-2 last night writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It appears that Penguins forward Maxim Talbot is close to returning from an ankle sprain.
• The Lightning received terrific performances from their top line of Lecavalier, Prospal and St. Louis, but the rest of the team failed to show up in the Bolts' 6-3 loss at Montreal on Thursday.
• "We're halfway through the season and we still haven't found that consistency in terms of our efforts night in and night out," said Leafs captain Mats Sundin after last night's embarrassing 6-2 loss at Pittsburgh.
• The Capitals couldn't crack the scoresheet on Thursday night as they were shutout by Tim Thomas and the Bruins writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Curtis Zupke of the Orange County Register provides Ducks fans with some information on newcomer Brandon Bochenski.
• Jarome Iginla popped the overtime winner last night as the Flames made sure that the Sharks' home struggles continued with a 3-2 victory at the Shark Tank. (Writer's note: I watched this game and it was one of the more enjoyable games I've seen all season.)
• The Blackhawks didn't lose 9-2 again, but they still came out on the losing end of a 4-2 final last night at Phoenix.
• The Avalanche received another huge blow to their lineup yesterday when they got word that rugged winger Ryan Smyth will be lost to the team for up to eight weeks with a fractured ankle.
• The Blue Jackets rebounded from a 2-1 loss to the Ducks with a 4-3 victory over the lowly Kings. Even though he has been injured a number of times this season, that doesn't mean Mike Peca is going to change the way he plays writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
• After being handily defeated 6-3 by the Wild, Stars coach Dave Tippett believes every part of his team's game needs work right now.
• There are really no flaws to the Red Wings' game right now writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. In other Wings news, Tomas Holmstrom is hoping to return this Sunday versus Chicago from a sore right knee.
• The Oilers' defense wasn't ready for the speed of the Nashville forwards last night writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• The Kings three-game winning streak sure didn't last long as they were beaten by the Blue Jackets 4-3 on home-ice last night.
• The Wild were able to get revenge last night over the Stars after being embarrassed in Dallas a little over a week ago.
• The Predators easily defeated the Oilers 5-2 on Thursday on the back of a two-goal effort from Alexander Radulov. (Writer's note: I'm still wondering why Radulov isn't playing more on this squad????)
• "We're playing hard, good, solid hockey, and are doing a lot of good things," said Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky after his team defeated the Blackhawks by a score of 4-2 on home-ice.
• Even though the Sharks lost in overtime last night to Calgary, the one point they received for the loss moved them into a tie for first place in the Pacific Division with Dallas.
• Blues coach Andy Murray is confident in his team's talent-level on the powerplay, and that is why he just can't figure out why his team has such problems with the man-advantage.
• Roberto Luongo was single-handedly responsible for his team's victory over the Rangers last night.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

FROZEN ASSETS

Terms of Endearment


Welcome to this week's episode of Frozen Assets. First of all, Happy New Years! My resolutions are the same as yours: win more and lose less!

Today I would like to address a concern that some of you readers have voiced. While expressed in different forms, it is summarized as follows: "I love the hockey stuff but I don't understand the gambling stuff."

The gambling advice I give readers can be difficult for the novice bettor to understand (especially the two-parter on betting exchanges). Most of the time the details of what I write are not essential to understanding my column, but an understanding of the purpose of Frozen Assets is.

The purpose of Frozen Assets is to demonstrate a fun, creative way to bet on hockey. Hockey futures are a great way to win a decent amount of money without risking more money than you should be. It is also a great way to follow a team for a season, or even better, is a great way to follow the story of the entire season.

I want to provide readers with a unique perspective on the NHL and betting - one that I have a lot of fun with. This perspective is also helpful for people that enjoy hockey but do not have a favorite team - put $30 on the Thrashers at +10000 and watch Kovalchuk and Hossa for the rest of the season. They probably won't win the Cup, but if they can make the playoffs, enjoy the ride.

To help readers with the nuances of the gambling aspects of Frozen Assets, this week I am starting a glossary for the terms I use on Frozen Assets. If readers would like any other terms added to the glossary, send me a comment and I will add the term to this week's article. We will add to the glossary over the course of the season. Hopefully one day it will be a Frozen Assets Encyclopedia.

Next week I will follow up my November 22, 2007 article on 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Quarter of the Season with 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Half of the Season.


GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Bad Line: Odds that are favorable to the bettor because of an obvious error by the bookmaker. For example if a team should be +300 but they are +3000 because an extra zero was added to the equation that is a bad line.


Betting Exchange: A sports betting website that is modelled after a market. For more info on betting exchanges see Here(1) and Here(2). The leading betting exchange is Betfair (Americans not allowed). For North Americans, Matchbook is also popular.


Bonus Offer: An offer by a sportsbook to match part of your deposit. Usually comes with conditions.


Buying Futures: Betting on a team to win a futures market. Contrasted with Selling Futures.


Deposit Only Sportsbook: A type of scam sportsbook where you only deposit (and never withdraw money).


Finding Value: Locating odds on a possible outcome that you think are better than the true odds.

Flamesing it in: A type of goal scored by the Calgary Flames where, in a 2-1 win or 2-1 loss, Calgary's game winning or lone goal is scored off of a skate or body. May not apply this year.

Fraudulent (Scam) Sports Book: A sports book that does not pay out or that cancels winning wagers.


Futures Wager: A type of bet that takes place over the course of a season as opposed to a bet on an individual game. Examples include betting on a team to win a division, conference, or championship.


Hedging: Bet against a team you have previously bet on (for the same event) so that you
either minimize your losses or guarantee a profit.


Line Shopping: Searching different sportsbooks for different prices on the same event.


Parlay: A wager that involves multiple games, all required to be correct in order to win. The benefit of a parlay wager is that the payout is higher than a straight wager.


Reduced Juice Sportsbook: A sportsbook that offers better odds than the traditional -110 for each outcome.


Responsible Sports Bettor: A sports bettor that is only prepared to bet money that s/he can afford to lose.


Selling Futures: Betting against a team to win a futures market. Contrasted with buying futures.


Soft Line: Lines that are favorable to the bettor, not because of a computer or typographical error. One of the goals of Frozen Assets is to find soft lines.


Sportsbook Rating: Letter grade assigned to sportsbooks by Sportsbook Review.


Sportsbook Review: Essential research site for information on Sportsbook Ratings and scam sportsbooks.


Straight Wager: A wager on the outcome of a single game.


For illegal curve, I’m Ari Baum-Cohen


About the writer: Ari-Baum Cohen's first sports betting victory came at age 8 when he won his father's office pool. He screamed like a 14 year-old girl at a Justin Timberlake concert when Tampa Bay (had at +3500 to win Cup) and Calgary (had at +15000 to win Cup) made the Stanley Cup finals.


December 27, 2007: Ho Ho Horrible Homestands and Road Warriors
December 14, 2007: Western Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
December 7, 2007: Eastern Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
November 29, 2007: How to find the Sportsbook For You, The NHL's best division - The Central(?)
November 22, 2007: 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Quarter of the Season
November 15, 2007: Explaining the Exchange(2), Random Thoughts on the Futures
November 9, 2007: Exaplaining the Exchange(1), This Weeks Best Bets
November 1, 2007: Profiling the Eastern Conference Teams
October 25, 2007: Profiling the Western Conference Teams
October 18, 2007: To Win the Conference or the Cup? Frozen Assets' European Vacation
October, 11, 2007: Top 5 Hockey Futures Books, Stanley Cup Odds
October 4, 2007: Bad Lines, Soft Lines, and Conference Odds
September 27, 2007: Avoiding Fraudulent Sportsbooks and Preview of Division Betting
September 20, 2007: Introduction to Frozen Assets and Futures Highlights From Last Year

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. An interesting article from the Stars' website chronicling the origin of NHL team names.
2. Pensblog does a pretty humorous run-down of last weekend's outdoor game.
3. TSN has the story about tomorrow's Canada-USA world junior semi-final.
4. The NCAA rankings from Inside College Hockey.
5. Ryan Smyth is out for 8 weeks with an ankle injury.
6. Jonathan Toews will not require surgery on his knee.
7. The Globe and Mail is reporting that Kyle Wellwood will be again be a healthy scratch.
8. Tim Wharsby notes that USA Hockey could use a little PR refresher, after making only 3 players and the coach available to the media.
9. The Senators have assigned Nick Foligno to Binghamton.
10. Sheldon Souray is injured again, but Ales Hemsky is back skating.
11. Peter Loubardias details that well kept secret that is the World Under-17 Championships.
12. The SJHL announces its All-Star rosters.
13. Jim Matheson answers reader questions.
14. The NHL celebrates Willie O'Ree's 50th Anniversary.
15. Musings from the desk of Michael Farber.
16. The Flyers have put Jim Dowd and Rory Fitzpatrick on waivers.
17. Hockey has taken root in Atlanta.
18. Alan Muir of SI notes some changes that Canada should make in preparation of tomorrow's semi-final.
19. The Kings have told Manchester Monarch Brian Boyle that he is moving back to center from defense as the team searches for production.
20. Bob Snow takes a look around the NCAA Divsion 1 hockey programs.
21. Wisconsin Badger teammates are now rivals at the World Junior championships.
22. Jonathan Bernier is not happy with Team Canada's coaching staff.
23. The weekly release from the USHL.
24. Teppo Numminen's heart seems to be a-ok.
25. Former Flames' goalie Jamie McLennan tells us about playing hockey in Japan.

NHL Morning Papers (Thursday Edition)

With the holiday season having come and gone, Illegal Curve is looking forward to providing you with as much hockey information as you can handle in the upcoming year. Before we return to our regular posting schedule, I would like to wish a Happy New Year to all our readers.

Here are the national morning papers:

• The NHL is ecstatic with the ratings that the outdoor-game garnered this weekend writes William Houston of the Globe & Mail.
• Rangers winger Brendan Shanahan is happy with the changes the NHL has made post-lockout writes Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail.
• According to Mark Spector of the National Post, finding a balance between experience and skill has been a difficult task for Canada's World Juniors coach Craig Hartsburg.
• The USA's path to the World Juniors gold medal is unsurprisingly going through Canada writes Kevin Allen of the USA Today.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers gained some ground on the Hurricanes last night with an important 5-4 overtime victory in Carolina. (Writer's note: If you missed Ilya Kovalchuk's goal last night please see this link. It will be worth your while.)
• Barbara Matson of the Boston Globe has the details behind the Brandon Bochenski trade from Boston to Anaheim. Here are some notes about the Capitals/Bruins heading into tonight's game at the Banknorth Garden. Meanwhile, the return of David Krejci to the Bruins lineup is a testament to the youngster's work ethic.
• With the distraction of the outdoor game in the rear-view mirror, the Sabres will now shift their focus to the Ottawa Senators writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. In positive news, things are looking up for Sabres forward Drew Stafford after he missed the team's past three games with a concussion problem.
• The Hurricanes felt like they missed out on too many opportunities before losing in overtime to the division-rival Thrashers. (Writer's note: The Hurricanes need to get their goaltending in order. I mean, this team seems to be letting in five goals every time they play.)
• In typical Devils fashion, they feasted on the Panthers' mistakes and came away with a 3-2 victory on home-ice. Florida's hopes of having Cory Murphy return to the lineup appear to be a ways away.
• Habs coach Guy Carbonneau was very impressed with the play of his youngsters on the team's most recent road trip writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette.
• Devils coach Brent Sutter had a talk with team captain Jamie Langenbrunner and it seemed to pay immediate dividends after he scored a goal to lead the Devils to a 3-2 home victory over the Panthers.
• Jay Greenberg of the NY Post was unimpressed with the Rangers' performance in the team's 4-3 loss at Calgary last night. "At the end of the day, with all due respect to our opponent, I think we beat ourselves," coach Tom Renney said.
• Over on Long Island, the Islanders players believe that the outdoor game was good for the sport of hockey.
• After missing fifteen games with a broken finger, the Senators can't wait to see Anton Volchenkov return to their lineup tonight versus the Sabres.
• According to Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Flyers winger Simon Gagne will not return to the team's lineup until next week.
• The Penguins have the second most shootout wins in the NHL this season writes Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Apparently the outdoor game outdrew Wayne Gretzky's last NHL game. (Writer's note: I still cant believe the game outdrew Gretzky's last NHL game. That is ridiculous. How does a mediocre mid-season game outdraw the last game of the greatest hockey player of all time? )
• Lightning coach John Tortorella is unsure of his team's mental toughness right now writes Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune.
• Rosie Dimanno of the Toronto Star says that it is time for the Leafs' youngsters to act like men.
• The injuries to Alexander Semin and Tom Poti do not look to be overly serious writes Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• As Dan Wood tells us, it wasn't pretty but the Ducks pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on home-ice last night.
• After last night's 4-3 victory over the Broadway Blueshirts, the Flames are now only one point out of first spot in the Northwest Division standings.
• It looks like the Blackhawks will be without rookie phenom Jonathan Toews for approximately 2-4 weeks as the former UND Fighting Sioux forward injured his knee in Tuesday night's 9-2 loss at Los Angeles.
• The Avalanche lost for the fourth straight time last night at home to the up-and-coming Coyotes. (Writer's note: With Joe Sakic on the mend, the Avs need Paul Stastny to turn it up a notch and lead them through the next portion of the schedule.)
• The Ducks' experience came in handy on Wednesday night as they defeated the young Blue Jackets 2-1. Meanwhile, the Jackets are hoping a demotion to Syracuse will get Gilbert Brule turned around. Here are the Jackets' projected lines for tonight's contest versus the Kings.
• The Stars needed a better performance from their top players last night as they were defeated by the powerful Red Wings 4-1 at the Joe Louis Arena.
• With last night's victory, the Red Wings officially completed the most successful first-half of the season in franchise history. Even though Chris Osgood played well versus the Stars on Wednesday, Dominik Hasek is slated to get the start in net for the Wings on Saturday when they take on Dallas, once again. In other Wings news, winger Kirk Maltby is shooting for a return to the lineup within the next ten days.
• The Oilers pulled out an important 3-2 overtime victory over the Blues last night writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Off the ice, the Oilers' board of directors voted against selling the team to Edmonton billionaire Daryl Katz.
• Lost in Ladislav Nagy's five-point effort on Tuesday night, was the play of Kings forward Alexander Frolov writes Dan Arritt of the L.A. Times.
• You can't say Jacques Lemaire doesn't back up his players, after the veteran coach defended the struggling Martin Skoula to the Minnesota media on Wednesday.
• Predators defenseman Shea Weber had a setback in his rehab and will be out of the team's lineup for at least another week writes Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean.
• Former Colorado forward Steven Reinprecht had four points on Wednesday to lead the Coyotes to a 5-2 victory over the struggling Avalanche.
• The Sharks have no problem winning on the road (they are currently on a ten-game road win streak) and will try and use that road success to turnaround their suspect home record.
• The Blues outshot the Oilers 33-24 on Wednesday, but their powerplay did them in writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Note: For those of you looking for Vancouver Canucks stories, I encourage you to email the Vancouver Province and Vancouver Sun and tell them to post their articles at an earlier time. Both of these sites consistently don't have the day's articles up by around 8am/9am CST.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.