News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Wicked Wrister profiles the 10 Hottest Hockey Wives/Girlfriends. Note the extensive Oiler representation. Perhaps all those shoulder injuries are from overexertion?
2. Coach Dwight McMillan of the Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) gets his 1000th regular season victory.
3. EJ Hradek says the Rangers are on a roll.
4. The weekly power rankings from Inside College Hockey.
5. TSN looks at possible deadline moves to be made by the six Canadian franchises.
6. Shawn "Scorecoff" Horcoff is done for the season after a shoulder injury.
7. Canadiens send Halak down, call Price up.
8. Mike Sillinger is out with a hip injury, so the Islanders have recalled 3 players from Bridgeport.
9. The Oilers see Robbie Schremp as a "Harlem Globetrotter type of kid". Not quite as Harlem Globetrotter as say, Anson "Potsie" Carter, but pretty close.
10. Colin Stuart is trying to make his mark in Atlanta.
11. Mike Morreale previews 6 games you should watch this week.
12. Who's Hot and Who's Not in the CHL.
13. Spector with a comprehensive run-down of all the current trade rumours.
14. Winnipeg makes the short list to host the 2010 World Junior Tournament.
15. In a move that alters the recruiting landscape, the OHL hosts a tournament for US Midget teams.
16. New blog Puckthathit with an interesting look at the cost per save analysis for NHL goalies.
17. In what has to be the most boring hockey story of the day, the NHLPA has hired an accountant. Wow, big day for HR Block.
18. Scott Burnside says Brian Burke would be the perfect choice for the US Olympic Hockey team in 2010. Watch for Kevin Lowe to sign Patrick Kane to a big offer sheet to get the Maple Leaf on his chest.
19. Darren Eliot may be the only guy left who still likes the instigator rule.
20. Dan Pollard, who must have wandered into a gay bar, says its time to address hits from behind.
21. An installment from Jaroslav Modry's blog in which he discusses the trade deadline.
22. Since its a blogtastic day, check out what Jamie McClennan has to say from Japan.
23. The Hockey News blog with a good thought, eliminate no-trade clauses.
24. The Winkler Flyers are built on diversity.
25. Fanhouse with a humourous look at the clinical depression suffered by Oiler fans.

NHL Morning Papers (Monday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• Steve Yzerman has once again been named GM of the Canadian men's squad for the World Hockey Championships this spring.
• The NHLPA has hired an accountant to take a closer look at the NHL's books, writes Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• Even though they lost to the Red Wings on Saturday, the Bruins are quite pleased with their 2-1 record since the All-Star break. Stephen Harris of the Boston Herald reminds readers of how far the Bruins have come since all the pre-season predictions.
• After defeating the Habs 5-3 at the Bell Centre on Sunday, the Rangers have now won three straight road games and have undergone an extreme makeover, writes Larry Brooks of the NY Post.
• Paul Holmgren is still unsure of the whether Peter Forsberg will come back to the NHL at all, writes Tim Panaccio of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• While may not be as heralded as Sidney Crosby, Devils forward Zach Parise has turned into a special player in New Jersey, writes Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Even with the aformentioned Crosby out of the line up, the Devils are not going to change the way they play versus the Penguins.
• Even with their yelling match on Saturday, there are no hard feelings between Brent Sutter and Jamie Langenbrunner, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• With a couple of the team's players having been hit by the flu, Islanders coach Ted Nolan is considering who he wants to call up from Bridgeport of the AHL.
• Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star has been impressed with the Leafs' youngsters. "That's why I don't take putting on this jersey for granted. It is a privilege," said new Leafs forward Dominic Moore.
• It'll be Martin Gerber back between the pipes for the Senators tomorrow night when they face-off against the Habs. Senators coach John Paddock wants to see improved play from his defensemen, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun.
• The Habs thought they had the Rangers beat with a 3-0 lead on home-ice, but before they knew it the game was tied, and they eventually lost 5-3, writes Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. Hickey's colleague Herb Zurkowsky was impressed with the play of super-pest of Sean Avery yesterday.
• With all the injuries to the Panthers' roster, their affiliate in the AHL is having even more problems filling spots for their call-ups, writes Steven Gorten of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune thinks it is likely that the Bolts will trade Dan Boyle prior to this month's trade deadline.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Instead of giving his players a much-needed day off, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle decided to call practice and have his team play a fun game of shinny to take their minds off their current six game losing streak, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Jarome Iginla's goal-less drought is now his longest since 1999, writes Jean Lefebvre of the Calgary Herald. Flames coach Mike Keenan said new goaltender Curtis Joseph will start his first game this week.
• If the Blue Jackets are going to get back to their winning ways, they need Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev to turn up their game a few notches, writes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch.
• Mike Ribiero has decided his game needs to become more physical, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• The Wings know it is a difficult task, but they have not discounted the possibility that they could break the NHL wins record this season. Meanwhile, Wings defenseman Chris Chelios would relish the opportunity to play more minutes for the Red Wings.
• The Wild will get a good opportunity to measure their in-season progress on Tuesday when the NHL leading Red Wings come to town, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune.
• Jessica Hopp of the Tennessean tells readers that enforcers need to have some hockey skills too.
• Since being given an ultimatum by coach Andy Murray, Blues forward David Backes has responded at an almost point-per-game clip.
• The Avalanche are hoping to have Paul Stastny back in their lineup near the end of the week, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
• Alberta native Curtis Glencross is looking forward to his Edmonton Oilers debut tonight, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal.
• Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky has been pleasantly surprised with the play of Joel Perreault, writes Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic. Off the ice, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet will be re-instated to the NHL and will be behind the bench Thursday for the Coyotes.
• Apparently Lukas Krajicek's shoulder injury is more serious than first believed, only adding to the Canucks already depleted blue line corps. Meanwhile, Canucks GM Dave Nonis is on a scouting trip in Sweden looking to add more firepower to the team for this season and beyond.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

NHL Morning Papers (Sunday Edition)

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• The Thrashers only mustered thirteen shots on net last night, but that was enough to defeat the Washington Capitals 2-0 and move back into first place in the Southeast Division. Injured Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk had a successful off-ice workout yesterday and is hoping to return early next week.
• The Bruins weren't perfect last night, and that is why they lost 3-1 to the dominating NHL force that is the Detroit Red Wings. Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe has an interesting Sunday article focusing on the lost art of takeaways.
• It looks like the Sabres dodged a bullet, as goaltender Ryan Miller's injury is not considered serious and he should be in between the pipes on Tuesday night.
• The Hurricanes can't say they weren't warned about what would happen in the third period if they continued with their lackadaiscal play, and lo and behold, the team blew their 1-0 lead going into the final period and lost 4-1 to the Penguins. In other game notes, Erik Cole finally got his revenge on Brooks Orpik for his hit from behind two seasons ago, as the two dropped the gloves on Saturday night.
• Rangers coach Tom Renney has thought about resting Brendan Shanahan because of all the small injuries he has been playing with. Meanwhile, Chris Drury is enjoying playing on a line with Nigel Dawes and Petr Prucha. In other Rangers news, Larry Brooks of the NY Post advises the Rangers to take a pass on the Peter Forsberg sweepstakes.
• The Flyers had an impressive 3-0 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks last night at the Wachovia Center.
• The Penguins didn't panic when they were trailing 1-0 at the second intermission because they knew the goals would come; and they did, as the Penguins defeated the Hurricanes 4-1. The Pens are slowly but surely getting their injured players back, as Colby Armstrong returned to the line up last night.
• "I don't think we were hungry enough tonight," said Capitals defenseman Mike Green after his team's 2-0 loss to the Thrashers last night.
• The Panthers pulled out a big win last night with a 3-2 victory over their state-rivals from Tampa. Richard Zednik hadn't scored in seventeen games but he picked the right time to breakout of his slump by scoring the game-winnger last night.
• If it isn't the power play leading the Habs to victories, it is the penalty kill, as the Canadiens killed off five penalties yesterday and added a shorthanded goal in their 4-1 victory over the Islanders. The Islanders are starting to lose their playoffs chances with a 1-5-1 record in their last seven games, writes Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette. Rick DiPietro is a tremendous netminder, but he can't do it all himself, writes the legendary Red Fisher.
• The Devils defeated the Kings 6-3 on Saturday night, but it was not without a little drama on the bench that saw Brent Sutter and Jamie Langenbrunner yelling at each other in full view to the fans at the Prudential Center and at home on television.
• "We had three or four Grade-A chances when the game was still relatively close. We had a lot of quality chances. We just didn't put them in," said Islanders coach Ted Nolan after losing 4-1 at Montreal.
• The Senators left Ray Emery out to dry last night in their 4-2 loss at Toronto, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Brennan also tells readers that the Senators are interested in adding Swedish forward Fabian Brunnstrom to their roster for next season.
• Lightning GM Jay Feaster doesn't usually like to negotiate contract extensions during the season, but Feaster is willing to make an exception for defenseman Dan Boyle.
• With all their injuries, and the suspension to Nik Antropov, the Leafs had some new faces lead them to a 4-2 victory over the rival Senators. Rosie Dimanno of the Toronto Star believes Mats Sundin deserves better treatment.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• Jarome Iginla's goal-scoring struggles continued last night as he failed to score for the eighth straight game and the Flames were defeated 2-1 at home by the Stars. Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald has the recap. The Flames and Dion Phaneuf are expected to resume contract talks on Monday.
• The Ducks losing streak reached six games last night as they were defeated 3-0 in Philadelphia.
• The Blue Jackets got their largest home crowd in one year but disappointed their fans immensely with a 4-1 loss to the Wild, marking the team's third straight loss since the All-Star break. "We are mentally fragile right now," said Jackets defenseman Ole-Kristian Tollefsen after last night's contest. Off the ice, the Jackets are expected to open talks with goaltender Pascal Leclaire about a contract extension.
• Marty Turco was tremendous once again last night in defeating the Flames 2-1 at the Saddledome, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Forwards Steve Ott and Jeff Halpern have demonstrated great chemistry since being paired together on the team's checking line.
• The Red Wings' penalty killing shifted the momentum in last night's game and helped Detroit take down the Bruins 3-1 at the Banknorth Garden in Boston. In other Wings news, defenseman Derek Meech has loved being a regular with Niklas Kronwall on the sidelines.
• The Kings lost 6-3 to the Devils yesterday, but the bigger news surrounding the team was the loss of Rob Blake for at least two weeks to a broken ankle.
• The Wild dominated the Blue Jackets last night in Columbus, on the back of two goals by Marian Gaborik, writes Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. You don't hear his name much, but Nick Schultz is a well-known name in the Minnesota area.
• Alexander Radulov scored the overtime winner to extend his goal-scoring streak to six games in leading the Predators to a 3-2 victory over Phoenix. Last night's game marked the end of J.P. Dumont's sixteen game point streak.
• Jeremy Roenick tallied the shootout winner last night over the Blackhawks, and had extra incentive to do so because he didn't want his son to miss his flight home to Phoenix. "I didn't know what to expect all day today. It was like a first game again. I was so jacked up and excited. You just try to contain that and remember to play hockey," said newest Shark Jody Shelley about his San Jose debut.
• The Blues made too many mistakes at home yesterday in their 6-4 loss to the Avalanche.
• The Coyotes lost to the Predators 3-2 in overtime, but they were happy to at least earn one point in the standings after trailing in the game 2-0.
• Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province says the Canucks require more offensive talent in order to make a playoff run.
• "It's always disappointing to lose in a shootout like that, but we can hold our heads high and know we played a good game," said Blackhawks center Patrick Sharp after his team's 3-2 shootout loss at San Jose.
• The Avalanche continued to show that they can win without their top three offensive players last night with a 6-4 victory over the Blues. Terry Frei of the Denver Post thinks acquiring a rental player for the playoff run and attempting to secure his services after is still a reasonable option for a team to choose.
• After missing Friday's game versus Dallas, Oilers center Shawn Horcoff is hoping to be back in the team's line up for Monday night's game versus Calgary. "He's a poster boy for every bit of work you put in the game paying off," said Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish about Oilers winger Zack Stortini.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

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

EURO CURVE

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

Hello ladies, gentlemen and hardcore puckheads from Flin Flon to Dubai.. It's your supreme european hockey source, Ezra Ginsburg, ready to educate and entertain the masses.

Just a few comments from the fascinating and riveting world of international hockey...

- The National Hockey League's decision to announce the scheduling of four regular season games in Europe next year- Sweden and Prague-, in addition to naming the New York Rangers as the choice for the inaugural Victoria Cup tournament was poorly organized. When the executive director of the NHLPA, Paul Kelly questions the decision the next day, you know there will be future problems. Kelly said that players may have problems committing to these events due to timing, travel and insurance concerns and said he was unhappy with the way Commissioner Gary Bettman handled the negotiations. Although everyone agrees promoting the game in Europe is a win-win endeavour, ensuring the players' union is content seems to be a no-brainer. Hopefully, these issues will be resolved by the summer as it would be in everyone's best interest. From all reports, the two regular season games held at the end of September between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings in London, England were entertaining and well-executed. Here's to seeing the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames in Tel Aviv, Israel in 2012!

- So we found out earlier this week that super-sniper Peter Forsberg passed on joining his hometown MODO club and is interested in signing with an NHL team. This is bad news for Coach Kent Forsberg who would have preferred his son end his Hall of Fame career in Sweden but great news for whoever ends up signing him. And obviously for, Don Baizley, his Winnipeg-based agent. Yes, I know what you're thinking right now. Forsberg is injury-prone with tender ankles and shaky knees. But alas, my source in Sweden tells me Forsberg has been training in the United States with UFC 81 star and heavyweight mixed-martial artist Brock Lesnar and looks to be in his best shape since he won a gold medal at the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics. I'm obviously kidding but he has been playing some competitive hockey in Europe and should be in better shape after his off-season surgery.

It is anybody's guess where Forsberg will end up with Colorado, Philadelphia, Detroit, Vancouver and Ottawa the accepted frontrunners. Reports from the Canadian Press had Forsberg and Baizley asking for a 2 year contract worth $5 million. If you ask me, and nobody is, I think any team would be warranted in pursuing this deal, whether it's Foppas former team, Colorado, or a team like Detroit, looking to bulk up to compete with the likes of the Anaheim Ducks. Regardless, Forsberg will be the center of attention leading up to an intriguing trade dealine, coming up at the end of February.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Ezra Ginsburg.

Hockey Night In Canada Live Blog

Welcome to the bowels and depths of my basement. Last week I arrived on the scene with the first Illegal Curve live blog, watching and providing my sarcastic and sometimes thoughtful insights on the NHL All Star SuperSkills Competition.

Tonight, CBC will be broadcasting a gem, the Toronto Maple Leafs (don't confuse them with the Marlies) will face-off against the Alfredsson-less and Heatley-less Ottawa Senators. This one should be awesome!

Before I begin, I would like to say that last night I saw Peace Rally 3D, U2 3D and it was excellent. Hardcore U2 fans, and even fringe fans, will enjoy this technological spectacle.

I will be flipping to other games this evening depending on which are the most competitive. All times central.

8:31: Leafs win 4 - 2. Thats it for me, I'm off to drink some Chilean Merlot.

8:23: CBC just showed a great commercial for Cheez Whiz, I had no idea that it could be used on so many things. The last time I had Cheez Whiz was when I was seven and it was on celery with raisins. Yum.

8:09: Toronto scores again to make it 4-2. The nails are coming down on the coffin.

8:02: Robert Earl in his first NHL game, makes a nifty behind the back pass to Carlo Colaiacovo to retake the lead.

7:57: Ottawa ties it up. Chris "the hammer" Neil.

7:53: Going into the third period of Ottawa/Toronto. Ottawa needs to stay out of the box to give themselves a chance to generate some momentum on offense. Toronto has had plenty of chances to score and have failed to deliver on the power play. I could see Ottawa pulling a come from behind win.

7:48: The CBC Hotstove speculates on Peter Forsberg. Apparently one team is putting a 3 year deal on the table. Are they nuts? Peter Forsberg is good, but he is coming off several foot surgeries and hasn't proven he can stay healthy. I hope he can come back but I would not take that kind of risk on him.

7:32: Boy do I love the NESN announcers and their accents. They just announced a contest where you can have "dinnah" with Bruins legend Donny Sweeney. Always gives me a chuckle. Detroit 1 - Boston 1.

7:21: Ottawa now commits their 4th penalty of the period, it was committed by Rick Nash look alike (as Ron MacLean pointed out in Coaches Corner) Andrej Meszaros. His third of the period.

7:11: The unstoppable force that is Mats Sundin has now drawn his second penalty of the game. Toronto has been on the power play for much of the beginning of the second period. They should look to better utilize their most accurate shooter Tomas Kaberle.

7:07: Ottawa looked very strong at the end of the first period, controlling the puck in the Maple Leafs zone. Lets see how they come out for the second.

6:36: Forward/Defenseman Christoph Schubert is no match for the man beast that is Mats Sundin. He takes a penalty while trying to cover Sundin behind the net.

On the ensuing powerplay, nude model & voyeur Jiri Tlusty buries puts the Leafs up 2-0.

6:29: The other lesser known Moore Dominic (brother of Steve) scores his first goal as a Leaf, assisted by Boyd Devereaux. What a one-two punch.

5:45: Elliotte Friedman has his pregame interview with Mats Sundin, who is looking awful bald these days, it seems like he put his head in the Shine-O'-Ball-O before the game. While watching the interview, I thought "if he put on glasses, he would look alot like Pierre McGuire". Allow me to illustrate my point.

NHL Morning Papers (Saturday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

• In his weekly notebook, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe & Mail discusses the importance of the NHL Entry Draft, among other things.
• Tim Wharnsby of the Globe & Mail provides readers with details on Fabian Brunnstrom, a player the Leafs may very well have blown their chance to sign last summer.

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

• "He'll be out this weekend, and we expect him back next week sometime," said Thrashers coach and GM Don Waddell in reference to Ilya Kovalchuk's knee injury he sustained this past week.
• Marc Savard has been steady as a rock for the Bruins all season long, writes Barbara Matson of the Boston Globe. The Bruins have a statement game on their hands tonight, as the best team in the NHL, the Detroit Red Wings, comes to town.
• The Sabres blew a 4-3 lead in Atlanta last night with less than twenty seconds remaining in regulation and ended up losing 5-4 in a shootout. Sabres netminder Jocelyn Thibault may be forced into action over the next few games because Ryan Miller injured his leg in last night's contest.
• The Hurricanes are going to be without Matt Cullen for an extended period of time because the forward is having trouble with blurred vision.
• With last night's 3-1 victory over the Devils, the Rangers are now 5-0 versus New Jersey on the season, writes Mark Everson of the NY Post. The Rangers are getting closer to signing Henrik Lundqvist to a contract extension writes John Dellapina of the NY Daily News.
• The Flyers are looking at tonight's game versus the Ducks as a big test to see where they stand in the NHL hierarchy. Flyers winger Joffrey Lupul is expecting to return to the line up next week from post-concussion syndrome.
• After being picked up on waivers three times in three weeks, Kris Beech readily admits that he has had about as unpredictable a season as one could imagine. In other Penguins news, Marc-Andre Fleury is confident he will return before the 10-14 days the team has projected for him.
• Suffice it to say that Alexander Ovechkin is blowing the minds of his Washington teammates.
• Mike Berardino of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks Roberto Luongo should have been a Panther for the rest of his career. Even though Luongo may be the best goaltender in the NHL, last night newest Panther goalie Tomas Vokoun demonstrated why he was selected to the All-Star Game as he led the Panthers to a 4-3 shootout victory over the Canucks.
• The Habs have decided to ride Cristobal Huet for as long as he can take them and, as a result, the veteran netminder is probably earning himself a lot of money come this off-season.
• After last night's 3-1 loss to the Rangers, the Devils have now lost ten straight games versus the two New York teams, writes Rich Chere of the Newark Star-Ledger.
• Erik Erlendsson of the Tampa Tribune talks about Brad Richards and his case of mono.
• With the Senators facing off against the Leafs tonight, Mark Zwolinkski of the Toronto Star says the match up is not what it used to be. In other Leafs news, the team is not going to get an apology from the NHL for its video review calls on Thursday.
• In Ottawa, Jason Spezza has matured to a point where John Paddock's public call out of him, doesn't shake his confidence.
• Ted Nolan says his team's effort has to improve, writes Erik Boland of Newsday.

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

• The Ducks lost 1-0 to the Blues in a shootout as Manny Legace and J.S. Giguere took part in an intense goaltending battle last night in St. Louis, writes Dan Wood of the Orange County Register.
• Not even Craig Conroy the interviewer can get Dion Phaneuf to talk about his possible contract extension, writes Scott Cruickshank of the Calgary Herald. Meanwhile, Steve Macfarlane of the Calgary Sun thinks the Flames may be best off letting Daymong Langkow and Kristian Huselius walk this summer.
• Blackhawks coach Denis Savard let his players vote on who would be the alternating captains in February, writes Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune.
• Tom Reed of the Columbus Dispatch takes a closer look at the new fighting trends in the NHL. Reed's colleague Aaron Portzline analyzes the Jackets trade of Curtis Glencross to Edmonto for Dick Tarnstrom. Here are the Jackets' probable lines for tonight's contest versus Minnesota.
• The Stars got Jere Lehtinen back in the line up last night and he helped them defeat the Oilers 4-1 at Rexall Place. Marty Turco was tremendous last night, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News.
• Dominik Hasek recorded his 80th career shutout last in his team's 2-0 victory over the Avalanche. The Red Wings continue to dominate the NHL and their long-sustained success is no fluke, writes Kevin Allen of USA Today.
• Wild coach Jacques Lemaire is not letting his team get overly excited about their last victory, a 5-1 dominating performance against the defending Stanley Cup champion Ducks.
• The Blues defeated the Ducks 1-0 on Friday night, but Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Dispatch wonders if the team can sustain its success without consistent scoring output. In other Blues news, rookie David Perron was a healthy scratch last night.
• Newest Sharks forward Jody Shelley is excited to debut with his new team but understands that he has to play within his role to be successful.
• The Coyotes acquired Radim Vrbata from the Blackhawks this off-season in what was an unheralded move, but boy has it paid off.
• John Glennon of the Tennessean provides readers with the details behind J.P. Dumont's newly signed contract extension.
• The Oilers lost to the Stars 4-1 last night but they deserved a better fate, writes Joanne Ireland of the Edmonton Journal. Oilers fans will appreciate this spoof of the newest NHL commercial. (Writer's note: Thanks to Illegal Curve friend Dave Staples of Cult of Hockey for sending this along.)

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

illegalcurve@gmail.com

Life in Pro Hockey with Rob Schremp (Fourth Entry)

Note: Periodically throughout the season, Oilers' prospect and current Springfield Falcons' winger Rob Schremp will provide Illegal Curve readers with a unique insight into the world of professional hockey.

For Rob's fourth entry, he agreed to answer a Q & A about his time at the AHL All-Star Game.

Here is the interview:

Illegal Curve: Hey Rob, how would you describe your experience in Binghamton last weekend for the AHL All-Star Game?

Rob: It was a lot of fun and just a really big honor to be there.

Illegal Curve: Do you feel like some of the guys in the AHL All-Star Game have been overlooked by NHL teams?

Rob: I think a lot of the guys who were at the game are in the same boat as me. Most of the AHL teams are just trying to develop these guys and want to make sure they are ready to take the next step into the NHL.

Illegal Curve: What were your thoughts on the NHL's "attempt" to have a shootout contest?

Rob: I thought it was pretty cool, but at the same time it is a lot different than a basketball slam dunk contest; just because ball players are doing all that creative stuff everyday on the court. In hockey, you wont see too many guys in practice trying to use a lacrosse style move or throwing the puck up and doing a 360.

Illegal Curve: How often would you say you practice the shootout move that you pulled at the AHL skills competition over the weekend?

Rob: I like to play around after practice, but never during.

Illegal Curve: Do you think the NHL should invite creative puck-handlers such as yourself to participate in their breakaway contest next season?

Rob: No I don't. If I'm not actually in the NHL and haven't been invited to the All-Star Game because of my on-ice play, then definitely not.

Illegal Curve: Finally, what are your personal expectations for the remainder of the AHL season?

Rob: I would like to stay at the top of the scoring leaders and maybe even try to move up a bit. In saying that, I'd like my improved play to help us climb the standings and try to improve on our playoff positioning.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Schremp's third entry.
Schremp's second entry.
Schremp's first entry.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. The Senators have something to prove tonight. Like why the hell they are stopping the economic stimulus package.
2. The staff at TSN try to choose the best pest in the NHL.
3. JP Dumont has inked a 4 year extension with the Predators.
4. Guy Lafleur wants his case to be held by a jury of his peers. Because if there is one place you can find 12 chain smoking guys with nicknames like "The Flower", its Montreal.
5. John Kreiser looks at 5 good and 5 not-so good trades.
6. A look back at the Bruins-Rangers blockbuster trade from 1975.
7. A look at Greg Puhalski, coach of the Wheeling Nailers.
8. Mark Recchi still making a contribution in Atlanta.
9. The Oilers have traded Dick Tarnstrom to Columbus for left winger Curtis Glencross. This is a good move for the Oilers, whose depth on the 3rd and 4th lines was limited to about 23 or 24 role players.
10. Pierre Lebrun suggests 10 trades that would help out both teams invovled.
11. Jim Kelley of Sportsnet airs his grievances with the NHL. A Festivus for the rest of us!
12. A profile on Michigan Tech of the WCHA.
13. Eric Duhatschek examines the all-important race for the basement in the NHL.
14. Former Wisconsin Badger Robbie Earl will make his debut against the Senators tonight.
15. Simon Gamache has officially left the Maple Leafs.
16. Scott Cullen of TSN with a complete list of NHL rumors.
17. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette breaks down the number of former first rounders by team.
18. The unofficial USHL power rankings.
19. Team Rbk takes down Team CCM in the USHL All-Star Game.
20. Fanhouse tells us that NCAA hockey is considering adopting overtime.
21. Check out this video of Marty Turco pimping Matt Niskanen's ride, a Pontiac Sunfire, of all things.
22. A note on the prospects that are coming out of US High School hockey.
23. A sure sign of the coming apocalypse, Edmonton and Calgary join forces to bid for the World Junior Championships.
24. Georges Laraque eyes a career in fitness training after his NHL career is over.
25. Another installment in the Hockey News feature on Roseau.

Fantasy Watch: Goalie Starts

Feb 4th - 10th

Anaheim Ducks (4) – Giguere has been struggling lately and should give a start up to Hiller

Atlanta Thrashers (3) – Hedberg should get one start this week.

Boston Bruins (3) – Look for Thomas to start all three games this week.

Buffalo Sabres (4) – With four games on the schedule expect Thibault to steal a start.

Carolina Hurricanes (3) – Ward should receive all three starts this week.

Calgary Flames (4) – Kiprusoff has a busy week ahead of him but don't be surprised to see him in all four games.

Chicago Blackhawks (3) – Expect Lalime to steal a start this week.

Columbus Blue Jackets (4) – Norrena should make an appearance this week with four games on the schedule

Colorado Avalanche (3) – Theodore is day-to-day, making Budaj the undisputed starter.

Dallas Stars (3) – Turco should get all three starts this week.

Detroit Red Wings (4) – Expect Osgood and Hasek to split the starts this week.

Edmonton Oilers (3) – Roloson has been awful in the games he's played in, so look for a steady dose of Garon this week.

Florida Panthers (4) – Vokoun should get all four starts this week.

Los Angeles Kings (4) – With a busy schedule Aubin may make an appearance this week.

Minnesota Wild (4) – Backstrom has gotten hot and will continue to start on a regular basis until he falters.

Montreal Canadiens (3) – Huet should get all three starts this week.

Nashville Predators (4) – Look for Ellis to receive at least one start during this busy week.

New Jersey Devils (4) – Brodeur rarely gets a rest and should be ready to go for all four games this week.

New York Islanders (3) – Expect DiPietro to start all three games this week.

New York Rangers (4) – Valiquette recently gave Lundqvist a rest, so expect Lundqvist to start all four games this week.

Ottawa Senators (3) – Emery has struggled recently and will probably get one start this week.

Philadelphia Flyers (4) – Biron and Nittymaki have been splitting time.

Phoenix Coyotes (4) – Tellqvist may steal a start during this busy week.

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) – Sabourin and Conklin will continue to split starts while Fleury remains
sidelined.

San Jose Sharks (3) – Nabokov should get all three starts this week.

St. Louis Blues (3) – Look for Legace to start all the games this week.

Tampa Bay Lightining (3) – Ramo and Holmqvist will continue to split the starts.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3) – Expect to see Toskala in net for all three games this week.

Vancouver Canucks (4) – Luongo is back and should get all four starts this week.

Washington Capitals – Johnson may steal a start with four games this week.


For Illegal Curve, I'm Jonny Remis

NHL Morning Papers (Friday Edition)

Here are the national morning papers:

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

Here are the Eastern Conference morning papers:

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

Here are the Western Conference morning papers:

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

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

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.